All posts by ARP Trish

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville ADvance


TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Martinsville Speedway October 24-26, 2025
The playoff pressure has peaked as all three NASCAR national touring series will head to Martinsville Speedway to determine the four drivers that will have the chance to compete for the 2025 championship titles in each division. MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
Chevrolet will enter the final elimination race of the playoffs as the only manufacturer with representation in the top-four of the playoff rankings across all three series. Despite a disappointing ending to his 400th career Cup Series start, Kyle Larson still managed to maintain a 36-point advantage over the cutline as he closes in on his pursuit for a second championship title in NASCAR’s top division. In the Xfinity Series, it’s an all-Chevrolet top-four with the JR Motorsports duo, Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier, leading the way with already guaranteed spots in the Championship Four. With three positions still up for grabs in the Craftsman Truck Series Championship Four, Team Chevy’s Rajah Caruth and Tyler Ankrum currently sit in positions above the cutline as the pair looks to make their first-ever Championship Four appearance.   
Larson Inches Closer to Second Title AttemptWhile their streak of top-seven playoff finishes has come to an end, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team is still among a top title contender – entering the Martinsville race weekend ranked fourth in the playoff standings with a 36-point cushion over the cutline. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports, the 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native has turned one of his statistically weakest tracks into one of his strongest. Larson has earned top-six results in seven of his nine career Martinsville starts with the No. 5 team, including an active streak of six-straight. Among those results includes his first Martinsville triumph (Apr. 2023) and four podium appearances. On tracks measuring less than one-mile this season, Larson has tallied top-six results in three of the six events, including his dominate victory in the sport’s spring visit to Bristol Motor Speedway. 
Hendrick Motorsports’ Martinsville History: Hendrick Motorsports’ storied NASCAR history took off at the very site of this weekend’s event. With Geoff Bodine behind the wheel, the Chevrolet organization made its first trip to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division at Martinsville Speedway (Apr. 1984). Now over 40 years later, Hendrick Motorsports has earned the title as the series’ winningest organization with 319 all-time victories, with 29 of those triumphs coming at Martinsville. In the series’ past 10 appearances at “The Paperclip”, it has been a Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet that captured the iconic clock in half of those events, with all four of the organization’s current drivers claiming their first win at the track within that time span. The organization’s most recent Martinsville victory came alongside William Byron in April 2024, with the Charlotte, North Carolina, native leading the organization to a podium sweep with Kyle Larson (second) and Chase Elliott (third). 
Byron Steady in the Season-Long Standings: While a rocky Round of Eight for William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team has put them in an unfavorable points position, a trip to Martinsville Speedway might just be what they need to make a third-straight Championship Four appearance. It’s been a season of consistency for the 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native. Starting his 2025 campaign with a second-straight DAYTONA 500 title, Byron went on to score his first career regular-season championship and has yet to fall out of the top-six in the points ranking. There’s no better place to turn their playoffs around than at Martinsville Speedway, with the Team Chevy driver earning top-eight results in more than half of his career starts at the track. Byron is tied for second among the series’ active drivers with two Martinsville victories – both of which have come in the Next Gen era. 
Elliott’s “Paperclip” Past: There’s one task at hand for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team this weekend – a trip to victory lane. Sitting in a ‘must-win’ situation to compete for his second championship title, it’s a position that Elliott has been faced with and conquered once before. In 2020, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native turned a double-digit points deficit into a season-changing victory that led him to his first Championship Four appearance and his first career title in NASCAR’s top division. The victory kickstarted an exceptional 10-race run at Martinsville Speedway – earning eight top-10 results, including an active streak of three-straight finishes in the top-four. 
Team Chevy Takeover in the Xfinity Series StandingsWith an already historic NASCAR Xfinity Series season in the making, Chevrolet enters the final elimination race of the playoffs in the best position possible – occupying all four positions above the cutline. Among those includes a pair of already guaranteed berths into the Championship Four with JR Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier, with the teammates capitalizing on an already substantial points lead to solidify their title chances following the Talladega race last weekend. Since the elimination-style playoff format was introduced to the series in 2016, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer to sweep the entire Championship Four lineup – accomplished for the first time in 2017 by JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, with the pair of organizations having the opportunity to accomplish the feat for the Bowtie brand once again this season. 
Love Boosts Back-to-Back Strong Points Runs: Sitting in the most comfortable points position heading into the Martinsville race weekend is Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love. Tapping into his Talladega prowess, the 20-year-old Menlo Park, California, native exactly doubled his points cushion to now 40-markers over the cutline as the Team Chevy driver sits just within reach of his first career Championship Four appearance. Yet another solid points day is all the No. 2 team needs to punch their ticket into the title-deciding race. With track position at a premium at Martinsville, Love’s qualifying strength at the Virginia short-track delivers just that. In his three career Martinsville starts, Love has started no worse than 11th, including back-to-back fourth-place qualifying efforts.   
Hill, RCR Set for Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship Fight: Richard Childress Racing could be in position to fight for two championship titles at Phoenix Raceway next weekend. The superspeedway ace, Austin Hill, completed the Talladega season sweep – officially locking Richard Childress Racing into the Championship Four for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship. The victory marked Hill’s fourth of the season (second-most of the series) and his record-extending 10th all-time on the circuit’s drafting-style tracks. The 31-year-old Winston, Georgia, native will carry the momentum to yet another track where he’s found recent success. In the series’ spring visit to Martinsville Speedway, a last-lap pass saw the No. 21 team steal the checkered flag to deliver Richard Childress Racing its milestone 100th all-time Xfinity Series win – all of which have been earned under the Chevrolet banner. 
Caruth, Ankrum Eyes First Title Opportunity The closest title battle lies within the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with three positions in the Championship Four still up for grabs. Surviving Talladega with a pair of top-10 finishes, Team Chevy’s Rajah Caruth and Tyler Ankrum were able to maintain their positions above the playoff cutline as they move one step closer to their first Championship Four appearances. 
While the trip to Talladega put Daniel Hemric and Grant Enfinger in a ‘must-win’ position, the veterans will be able to lean on their past successes at Martinsville Speedway to keep their respective teams in title contention, with the drivers being two of the three remaining playoff contenders that are past Martinsville winners. For Hemric, that feat came earlier this season when the 34-year-old Kannapolis, North Carolina, native earned his first win with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. 
Part Two of the 2025 ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ CampaignLast weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the pink Corvette Stingray made its on-track debut as the NASCAR Cup Series’ official pace vehicle for the first of two races in the 2025 ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ campaign. Driving donations for the initiative, every caution lap the pink Corvette Stingray completes in the two participating races generates a donation of $500 (up to $25,000). A special addition was added to this year’s campaign with Chevrolet also pledging to donate an additional $1,500 (up to $25,000) for each Team Chevy driver that earns a top-10 finish at Talladega and Martinsville. With 28 caution laps made and one Team Chevy top-10 finisher at Talladega, the current campaign total sits at $15,500 heading into the Martinsville race weekend. 
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 34 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 14Poles: 12Laps Led: 3,624Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 136Stage Wins: 25
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 31 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:
Wins: 25Poles: 20Laps Led: 3,674Top-Fives: 106Top-10s: 206Stage Wins: 47
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 23 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:
Wins: 6Poles: 2Laps Led: 956Top-Fives: 47Top-10s: 106Stage Wins: 8
BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Martinsville Speedway: NASCAR Cup Series: Specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray in support of the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative NASCAR Xfinity Series: Silverado RSTNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Silverado RST ·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Martinsville Speedway:  Kyle Busch – two wins (2016 & 2017)William Byron – two wins (2022 & 2024)Kyle Larson – one win (2023)Alex Bowman – one win (2021) Chase Elliott – one win (2020) ·        In 153 NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 61 victories and 56 pole wins – both of which are series-leading records. Among those victories includes victories in three of the seven races contested in the Next Gen era at the track – earned by current playoff drivers William Byron and Kyle Larson.  ·        Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 14 of the 34 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.  ·        In 142 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 66 victories – a winning percentage of 46.5%. ·        With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 880 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Elimination RaceXfinity 500Sunday, October 26, at 2 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Elimination RaceIAA and Ritchie Bros. 250Saturday, October 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Elimination RaceSlim Jim 200Friday, October 24, 6 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletThis weekend is another anniversary of the “Hail Melon” and it now seems people can final see the car in person?“So many people have asked where the Hail Melon car is at and if it’s going to be on display. We installed it in the Trackhouse lobby a few months ago. We also got a piece of the wall from track and put the car up against the wall to recreate the moment. Its on display for everyone to see and take pictures with. It’s fun to have that piece of history in the lobby for everyone to see.” Do you enjoy going to Martinsville?“Martinsville has been pretty good to me since driving for Trackhouse. Obviously, I’ve had one of the biggest moments of my career there but we’ve been consistently strong there over the last few years. Whatever Phil Surgen does to the car it really fits my driving style there. I can remember going to race at Martinsville just a few years with a car that had parts and pieces the other teams were throwing away, so I’ve definitely come a long way and it’s so much fun to drive a fast car at Martinsville. I enjoy driving to the track instead of getting on a plane and flying. It’s a great drive, especially in the fall with all of the leaves changing and then you arrive in Martinsville and the track sits down the hill, it’s really cool.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletShort track racing has been the highlight of the season for the No. 3 team. While Richmond Raceway is much different than Martinsville Speedway, do you have confidence going into that race with a shot at a good result?“I love short tracks, and Martinsville Speedway has been solid for us over the years. We have had opportunities to run really well there. One of the first Next Gen races there, I had a shot to win and ran third or fourth. You have hard braking and it’s hard to get around that little paperclip. It’s a fun track to race at.”   Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat is your outlook heading to Martinsville?“Martinsville is always a challenge. The No. 7 guys have been working hard to improve our performance there, and I appreciate the effort they put in all year. I want to thank NationsGuard for their continued support and I hope we can put together a strong run this weekend.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“Martinsville is a racetrack that’s been challenging to us over the last couple years with this car. We’ve made some gains there, so I’m looking forward to getting on track to see if we’ve found more speed. I thought in the spring, we had some positive takeaways. We’re looking to build off what we learned in the spring and keep working hard to finish these last two races strong.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Talladega didn’t turn out the way we had hoped, but we’re excited to have Jack Link’s back on the car this weekend at Martinsville.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat do you remember about your first start and your most recent start at Martinsville Speedway?“My first start, I remember it was cold. It started snowing. I thought that I was just cold and that’s why I was shaking. I told myself that it wasn’t because of nerves. Then my last fall Martinsville start was my 500th cup start, so, it was fun to be my first and 500th start. Mostly because my career’s been fairly tough, you know. It’s hard to stay in a seat and it’s so hard to stay in this sport. So, when I made my 500th start, I felt like that was a really big accomplishment, because in the beginning, it didn’t feel like I would get to 100, let alone 500.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat makes the fall Martinsville race more intense than the spring?“I think we will see a lot of what we saw in the spring, but turned up another notch. It is 100 laps longer, meaning 100 more laps for you to manage your temper as guys are running into you. Since it is the Championship 4 cut, you have six guys who are going to do everything possible to transfer, alongside 30 other guys who want to get a win as the season winds down. The race will be unpredictable, and no spot on the track is safe, front or back of the field, pit road, or the tricky asphalt-to-concrete transitions into the turn. We just have to run our race and focus on our strategy. We’ve improved on every track type this year, so there’s no reason we can’t survive the Martinsville chaos and finish the season out strong.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhy is Martinsville Speedway an oval that seems to come a bit more natural to you?“It’s still difficult but there is more downshift and a bit more technique with braking, and how you can use your tools and how you get the car into the corners. I am able to influence it (the car) a little more as a driver, unlike, the big ovals. You still see the regular oval drivers that are amazing at Martinsville. It’s a tough track. I got a decent result there last year, 12th, with some strategy. It’s a crazy race, I really enjoy racing there.” How eager are you to check off a Cup Series Oval win?“Yes, but I have to earn it. It’s hard to say I don’t have an oval win yet, but there are a lot of drivers in the field that don’t have a Cup (series) oval win, so I’m not alone. I know I still have a lot of work to do to get better on ovals. I feel like we’ve made some big steps the last couple of months, and we’ve had some really good runs going, but obviously want to get that oval win.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow challenging is racing at Martinsville Speedway?“I like Martinsville a lot. It’s a tricky little track but it’s amazing. I have had great runs and very bad runs there. The track at Martinsville changes so much because of temperature and rubber buildup and it might be our most temperature-driven racetrack. You have to base your plans on history. That’s why you see the same guys running well there all the time. Martinsville is really tough because you are in traffic all day long. Guys around you and bumping and shoving and it’s easy to lose patience and do something that can ruin your day. Qualifying well there is huge because track position and pit selection are very important. It’s critical to have a good pit stall because pit road there is so challenging there.”    Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet“I love Martinsville. It’s definitely a driver’s track and you have to hustle the car. I just like short track racing a lot. It’s one of the skills that you have to gain as a driver and a lot of guys struggle with it that are really talented. The last time we were at Martinsville we qualified on the pole and led over 100 laps and had a really good chance of winning until chaos ensued. That is just part of Martinsville and something that you have to expect, especially with it being a cutoff race. It’s tough to expect what to happen but sometimes you have to go in there with the mindset of you have to be the aggressor and force other people to make mistakes.” 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2025 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 14Poles: 12Laps Led: 3,624Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 136Stage Wins: 25 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet Race Wins: 880 (1949 to date)Poles Won to Date: 765Laps Led to Date: 256,335Top-Fives to Date: 4,430Top-10s to Date: 9,143                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,214           Chevrolet: 880           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 846                                                                                          Ford: 746           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 203

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Martinsville SpeedwayOctober 24-26, 2025
The playoff pressure has peaked as all three NASCAR national touring series will head to Martinsville Speedway to determine the four drivers that will have the chance to compete for the 2025 championship titles in each division. MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
Chevrolet will enter the final elimination race of the playoffs as the only manufacturer with representation in the top-four of the playoff rankings across all three series. Despite a disappointing ending to his 400th career Cup Series start, Kyle Larson still managed to maintain a 36-point advantage over the cutline as he closes in on his pursuit for a second championship title in NASCAR’s top division. In the Xfinity Series, it’s an all-Chevrolet top-four with the JR Motorsports duo, Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier, leading the way with already guaranteed spots in the Championship Four. With three positions still up for grabs in the Craftsman Truck Series Championship Four, Team Chevy’s Rajah Caruth and Tyler Ankrum currently sit in positions above the cutline as the pair looks to make their first-ever Championship Four appearance.   
Larson Inches Closer to Second Title AttemptWhile their streak of top-seven playoff finishes has come to an end, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team is still among a top title contender – entering the Martinsville race weekend ranked fourth in the playoff standings with a 36-point cushion over the cutline. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports, the 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native has turned one of his statistically weakest tracks into one of his strongest. Larson has earned top-six results in seven of his nine career Martinsville starts with the No. 5 team, including an active streak of six-straight. Among those results includes his first Martinsville triumph (Apr. 2023) and four podium appearances. On tracks measuring less than one-mile this season, Larson has tallied top-six results in three of the six events, including his dominate victory in the sport’s spring visit to Bristol Motor Speedway. 
Hendrick Motorsports’ Martinsville History: Hendrick Motorsports’ storied NASCAR history took off at the very site of this weekend’s event. With Geoff Bodine behind the wheel, the Chevrolet organization made its first trip to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division at Martinsville Speedway (Apr. 1984). Now over 40 years later, Hendrick Motorsports has earned the title as the series’ winningest organization with 319 all-time victories, with 29 of those triumphs coming at Martinsville. In the series’ past 10 appearances at “The Paperclip”, it has been a Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet that captured the iconic clock in half of those events, with all four of the organization’s current drivers claiming their first win at the track within that time span. The organization’s most recent Martinsville victory came alongside William Byron in April 2024, with the Charlotte, North Carolina, native leading the organization to a podium sweep with Kyle Larson (second) and Chase Elliott (third). 
Byron Steady in the Season-Long Standings: While a rocky Round of Eight for William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team has put them in an unfavorable points position, a trip to Martinsville Speedway might just be what they need to make a third-straight Championship Four appearance. It’s been a season of consistency for the 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native. Starting his 2025 campaign with a second-straight DAYTONA 500 title, Byron went on to score his first career regular-season championship and has yet to fall out of the top-six in the points ranking. There’s no better place to turn their playoffs around than at Martinsville Speedway, with the Team Chevy driver earning top-eight results in more than half of his career starts at the track. Byron is tied for second among the series’ active drivers with two Martinsville victories – both of which have come in the Next Gen era. 
Elliott’s “Paperclip” Past: There’s one task at hand for Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team this weekend – a trip to victory lane. Sitting in a ‘must-win’ situation to compete for his second championship title, it’s a position that Elliott has been faced with and conquered once before. In 2020, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native turned a double-digit points deficit into a season-changing victory that led him to his first Championship Four appearance and his first career title in NASCAR’s top division. The victory kickstarted an exceptional 10-race run at Martinsville Speedway – earning eight top-10 results, including an active streak of three-straight finishes in the top-four. 
Team Chevy Takeover in the Xfinity Series StandingsWith an already historic NASCAR Xfinity Series season in the making, Chevrolet enters the final elimination race of the playoffs in the best position possible – occupying all four positions above the cutline. Among those includes a pair of already guaranteed berths into the Championship Four with JR Motorsports’ Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier, with the teammates capitalizing on an already substantial points lead to solidify their title chances following the Talladega race last weekend. Since the elimination-style playoff format was introduced to the series in 2016, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer to sweep the entire Championship Four lineup – accomplished for the first time in 2017 by JR Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, with the pair of organizations having the opportunity to accomplish the feat for the Bowtie brand once again this season. 
Love Boosts Back-to-Back Strong Points Runs: Sitting in the most comfortable points position heading into the Martinsville race weekend is Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love. Tapping into his Talladega prowess, the 20-year-old Menlo Park, California, native exactly doubled his points cushion to now 40-markers over the cutline as the Team Chevy driver sits just within reach of his first career Championship Four appearance. Yet another solid points day is all the No. 2 team needs to punch their ticket into the title-deciding race. With track position at a premium at Martinsville, Love’s qualifying strength at the Virginia short-track delivers just that. In his three career Martinsville starts, Love has started no worse than 11th, including back-to-back fourth-place qualifying efforts.   
Hill, RCR Set for Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship Fight: Richard Childress Racing could be in position to fight for two championship titles at Phoenix Raceway next weekend. The superspeedway ace, Austin Hill, completed the Talladega season sweep – officially locking Richard Childress Racing into the Championship Four for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship. The victory marked Hill’s fourth of the season (second-most of the series) and his record-extending 10th all-time on the circuit’s drafting-style tracks. The 31-year-old Winston, Georgia, native will carry the momentum to yet another track where he’s found recent success. In the series’ spring visit to Martinsville Speedway, a last-lap pass saw the No. 21 team steal the checkered flag to deliver Richard Childress Racing its milestone 100th all-time Xfinity Series win – all of which have been earned under the Chevrolet banner. 
Caruth, Ankrum Eyes First Title Opportunity The closest title battle lies within the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with three positions in the Championship Four still up for grabs. Surviving Talladega with a pair of top-10 finishes, Team Chevy’s Rajah Caruth and Tyler Ankrum were able to maintain their positions above the playoff cutline as they move one step closer to their first Championship Four appearances. 
While the trip to Talladega put Daniel Hemric and Grant Enfinger in a ‘must-win’ position, the veterans will be able to lean on their past successes at Martinsville Speedway to keep their respective teams in title contention, with the drivers being two of the three remaining playoff contenders that are past Martinsville winners. For Hemric, that feat came earlier this season when the 34-year-old Kannapolis, North Carolina, native earned his first win with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. 
Part Two of the 2025 ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ CampaignLast weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the pink Corvette Stingray made its on-track debut as the NASCAR Cup Series’ official pace vehicle for the first of two races in the 2025 ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ campaign. Driving donations for the initiative, every caution lap the pink Corvette Stingray completes in the two participating races generates a donation of $500 (up to $25,000). A special addition was added to this year’s campaign with Chevrolet also pledging to donate an additional $1,500 (up to $25,000) for each Team Chevy driver that earns a top-10 finish at Talladega and Martinsville. With 28 caution laps made and one Team Chevy top-10 finisher at Talladega, the current campaign total sits at $15,500 heading into the Martinsville race weekend. 
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 34 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 14Poles: 12Laps Led: 3,624Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 136Stage Wins: 25
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 31 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:
Wins: 25Poles: 20Laps Led: 3,674Top-Fives: 106Top-10s: 206Stage Wins: 47
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 23 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:
Wins: 6Poles: 2Laps Led: 956Top-Fives: 47Top-10s: 106Stage Wins: 8
BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Martinsville Speedway: NASCAR Cup Series: Specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray in support of the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative NASCAR Xfinity Series: Silverado RSTNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Silverado RST ·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Martinsville Speedway:  Kyle Busch – two wins (2016 & 2017)William Byron – two wins (2022 & 2024)Kyle Larson – one win (2023)Alex Bowman – one win (2021) Chase Elliott – one win (2020) ·        In 153 NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 61 victories and 56 pole wins – both of which are series-leading records. Among those victories includes victories in three of the seven races contested in the Next Gen era at the track – earned by current playoff drivers William Byron and Kyle Larson.  ·        Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 14 of the 34 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.  ·        In 142 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 66 victories – a winning percentage of 46.5%. ·        With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 880 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Elimination RaceXfinity 500Sunday, October 26, at 2 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Elimination RaceIAA and Ritchie Bros. 250Saturday, October 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Elimination RaceSlim Jim 200Friday, October 24, 6 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletThis weekend is another anniversary of the “Hail Melon” and it now seems people can final see the car in person?“So many people have asked where the Hail Melon car is at and if it’s going to be on display. We installed it in the Trackhouse lobby a few months ago. We also got a piece of the wall from track and put the car up against the wall to recreate the moment. Its on display for everyone to see and take pictures with. It’s fun to have that piece of history in the lobby for everyone to see.” Do you enjoy going to Martinsville?“Martinsville has been pretty good to me since driving for Trackhouse. Obviously, I’ve had one of the biggest moments of my career there but we’ve been consistently strong there over the last few years. Whatever Phil Surgen does to the car it really fits my driving style there. I can remember going to race at Martinsville just a few years with a car that had parts and pieces the other teams were throwing away, so I’ve definitely come a long way and it’s so much fun to drive a fast car at Martinsville. I enjoy driving to the track instead of getting on a plane and flying. It’s a great drive, especially in the fall with all of the leaves changing and then you arrive in Martinsville and the track sits down the hill, it’s really cool.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletShort track racing has been the highlight of the season for the No. 3 team. While Richmond Raceway is much different than Martinsville Speedway, do you have confidence going into that race with a shot at a good result?“I love short tracks, and Martinsville Speedway has been solid for us over the years. We have had opportunities to run really well there. One of the first Next Gen races there, I had a shot to win and ran third or fourth. You have hard braking and it’s hard to get around that little paperclip. It’s a fun track to race at.”   Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat is your outlook heading to Martinsville?“Martinsville is always a challenge. The No. 7 guys have been working hard to improve our performance there, and I appreciate the effort they put in all year. I want to thank NationsGuard for their continued support and I hope we can put together a strong run this weekend.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“Martinsville is a racetrack that’s been challenging to us over the last couple years with this car. We’ve made some gains there, so I’m looking forward to getting on track to see if we’ve found more speed. I thought in the spring, we had some positive takeaways. We’re looking to build off what we learned in the spring and keep working hard to finish these last two races strong.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Talladega didn’t turn out the way we had hoped, but we’re excited to have Jack Link’s back on the car this weekend at Martinsville.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat do you remember about your first start and your most recent start at Martinsville Speedway?“My first start, I remember it was cold. It started snowing. I thought that I was just cold and that’s why I was shaking. I told myself that it wasn’t because of nerves. Then my last fall Martinsville start was my 500th cup start, so, it was fun to be my first and 500th start. Mostly because my career’s been fairly tough, you know. It’s hard to stay in a seat and it’s so hard to stay in this sport. So, when I made my 500th start, I felt like that was a really big accomplishment, because in the beginning, it didn’t feel like I would get to 100, let alone 500.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat makes the fall Martinsville race more intense than the spring?“I think we will see a lot of what we saw in the spring, but turned up another notch. It is 100 laps longer, meaning 100 more laps for you to manage your temper as guys are running into you. Since it is the Championship 4 cut, you have six guys who are going to do everything possible to transfer, alongside 30 other guys who want to get a win as the season winds down. The race will be unpredictable, and no spot on the track is safe, front or back of the field, pit road, or the tricky asphalt-to-concrete transitions into the turn. We just have to run our race and focus on our strategy. We’ve improved on every track type this year, so there’s no reason we can’t survive the Martinsville chaos and finish the season out strong.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhy is Martinsville Speedway an oval that seems to come a bit more natural to you?“It’s still difficult but there is more downshift and a bit more technique with braking, and how you can use your tools and how you get the car into the corners. I am able to influence it (the car) a little more as a driver, unlike, the big ovals. You still see the regular oval drivers that are amazing at Martinsville. It’s a tough track. I got a decent result there last year, 12th, with some strategy. It’s a crazy race, I really enjoy racing there.” How eager are you to check off a Cup Series Oval win?“Yes, but I have to earn it. It’s hard to say I don’t have an oval win yet, but there are a lot of drivers in the field that don’t have a Cup (series) oval win, so I’m not alone. I know I still have a lot of work to do to get better on ovals. I feel like we’ve made some big steps the last couple of months, and we’ve had some really good runs going, but obviously want to get that oval win.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow challenging is racing at Martinsville Speedway?“I like Martinsville a lot. It’s a tricky little track but it’s amazing. I have had great runs and very bad runs there. The track at Martinsville changes so much because of temperature and rubber buildup and it might be our most temperature-driven racetrack. You have to base your plans on history. That’s why you see the same guys running well there all the time. Martinsville is really tough because you are in traffic all day long. Guys around you and bumping and shoving and it’s easy to lose patience and do something that can ruin your day. Qualifying well there is huge because track position and pit selection are very important. It’s critical to have a good pit stall because pit road there is so challenging there.”    Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet“I love Martinsville. It’s definitely a driver’s track and you have to hustle the car. I just like short track racing a lot. It’s one of the skills that you have to gain as a driver and a lot of guys struggle with it that are really talented. The last time we were at Martinsville we qualified on the pole and led over 100 laps and had a really good chance of winning until chaos ensued. That is just part of Martinsville and something that you have to expect, especially with it being a cutoff race. It’s tough to expect what to happen but sometimes you have to go in there with the mindset of you have to be the aggressor and force other people to make mistakes.” 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2025 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 14Poles: 12Laps Led: 3,624Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 136Stage Wins: 25 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet Race Wins: 880 (1949 to date)Poles Won to Date: 765Laps Led to Date: 256,335Top-Fives to Date: 4,430Top-10s to Date: 9,143                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,214           Chevrolet: 880           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 846                                                                                          Ford: 746           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 203

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Penultimate Weekend of the Year Takes World of Outlaws to 81, Arrowhead

The final weekend before World Finals puts the spotlight on America’s HeartlandPARK CITY, KS (October 22, 2025) – The 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series campaign is winding down with only five races remaining in the 48th season of showcasing the country’s best Sprint Car drivers.This weekend’s agenda is a trip to the country’s Heartland and fires off at 81 Speedway in Wichita, KS on Friday, Oct. 24. The 3/8-mile dirt track has hosted the World of Outlaws on 15 occasions, including once in each of the past two years.Then, it’s a drive from the “Sunflower State” down to the “Sooner State” where Colcord, OK’s Arrowhead Speedway awaits to host the seventh running of the Jason Johnson Classic presented by FK Rod Ends on Saturday, Oct. 25. The night is all about honoring one of the best men to ever grace the sport of Sprint Car racing. Jason Johnson embodied professionalism as he built Jason Johnson Racing from the ground up and, powered by passion, grew his organization into one of the sport’s top teams. The drivers will battle for the honor of being known as a Jason Johnson Classic champion and a $20,000 payday at the Oklahoma oval.What started with Florida in February continues to motor toward a conclusion at The Dirt Track at Charlotte’s World of Outlaws World Finals (Nov. 5-8).BUY 81 SPEEDWAY TICKETS HERE
BUY JASON JOHNSON CLASSIC 
TICKETS HEREWATCH LIVE ON DIRTVisionLet’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:ONE WICHITA WINNER: The odds favor 81 Speedway fans seeing a new face in the track’s Victory Lane on Friday. Only one former World of Outlaws winner at the Kansas track is expected to be in the pit area.It’s no surprise that the lone victor is Donny Schatz. A pair of his 316 career wins have come at 81. The Fargo, ND driver topped back-to-back Series visits separated by 11 years (2006 & 2017). He’s one of three multi-time winners alongside Sammy Swindell (six) and Rico Abreu (two).Schatz badly wants a third 81 trophy Friday as sand continues to fall in the hourglass of his chances at making sure he ends the season with at least one win. He’s won a World of Outlaws race in 27 consecutive seasons, and a 28th would tie Steve Kinser for the longest streak ever.RACIN’ FOR THE RAGIN’ CAJUN: There’s one simple goal for Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnon Racing team on Saturday: win. They’ve got no interest in settling for second or any other position.The JJR team won the event once before, and in the most storybook fashion possible. David Gravel took the No. 41 to Victory Lane in the inaugural running at Lake Ozark Speedway in 2019.This weekend will mark Macedo’s fifth Jason Johnson Classic since joining the “Ragin’ Cajun’s” team. He was fifth with them in 2021. When the event shifted to 81 Speedway in 2023, Macedo came one spot away from victory. The Lemoore, CA native finished fifth last year when it moved to its current home of Arrowhead.KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: Donny Schatz might be the only current World of Outlaws competitor with an 81 Speedway victory, but don’t be surprised if David Gravel adds his name to that list on Friday.The defending Series champion has done everything but win in three appearances at the 3/8 mile. It began with a drive from seventh to third in his 2017 track debut with CJB Motorsports. Gravel returned in 2023 with his current Big Game Motorsports team, and the result was the same – the final step of the podium. The Watertown, CT native climbed a spot last year with an 81 runner-up.Gravel and the No. 2 crew have had speed everywhere they’ve been this year as they continue to close on another title. They’ve been on the podium in more the half of the races with 38 top threes in 65 Features. Gravel’s average finish is a stellar 3.89. His 16 wins also lead the Series.PARITY PATTERN: Parity has been the theme through six runnings of the Jason Johnson Classic as we’ve seen six different winners, and two of them will be in attendance Saturday at Arrowhead, aiming to break the trend.As mentioned above, David Gravel claimed the first edition in 2019. He wheeled from sixth to second in his Arrowhead debut last year, narrowly missing out on becoming the first repeat winner.Sheldon Haudenschild is the defending event champion. He and Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing took home the trophy and $20,000 check last year as Haudenschild debuted at Arrowhead. The Wooster, OH native enters this weekend with the momentum of an Angell Park victory on Sunday and gets his first shot at a second Jason Johnson Classic triumph.BATTLES BREWING: With only five races to go, several spots in the points are all but locked up, but a few battles rage on for fans to watch unfold.The one with the most stakes is between Carson Macedo and Logan Schuchart. Macedo sits third but has Schuchart within striking distance with 62 markers separating the two. A recent expired engine on the JJR No. 41 at Lincoln Speedway tightened the gap. Schuchart and the Shark Racing team have been stout in the season’s second half, finishing worse than seventh only once in the last 22 races.Donny Schatz has fought some struggles as he’s spent time in four different cars since separating from Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing in August. Those coupled with a surge from Bill Balog have brought the “North Pole Nightmare” to Schatz’s tail tank for sixth in points as 48 points are between the two. Balog has 14 top 10s in the last 18 races, including four podiums.Garet Williamson has all but locked up the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, but Cole Macedo is making a late run at the season’s second-best rookie spot. The Californian has trimmed the margin between himself and Chris Windom to 24 markers. It’s been an up-and-down campaign for Macedo aboard the TwoC Racing No. 2C, but he’s found his footing in recent weeks with five top 10s in his last seven Features.Windom and Macedo aren’t the only rookies with a spot to settle as Zach Hampton has a slim 32-point lead over Skylar Gee.THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCEWHEN AND WHERE 
Friday, Oct. 24 at 81 Speedway in Park City, KS
Saturday, Oct. 25 at Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, OKON THE INTERNET
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
X – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/monthCURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (68/73 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (8916 PTS)
2. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-138 PTS)
3. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-298 PTS)
4. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-360 PTS)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild – Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No. 17 (-564 PTS)
6. Donny Schatz – Sides Motorsports No. 15 (-862 PTS)
7. Bill Balog – B2 Motorsports No. 17B (-910 PTS)
8. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-1148 PTS)
9. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-1274 PTS)
10. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-1296 PTS)NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (16 Drivers): 
16 Wins – David Gravel
11 Wins – Michael Kofoid, Carson Macedo
4 Wins – Kyle Larson, Anthony Macri, Sheldon Haudenschild
3 Wins – Rico Abreu, Bill Balog
2 Wins – Logan Schuchart
1 Win – Christopher Bell, Giovanni Scelzi, Brad Sweet, Corey Day, Ryan Timms, Dale Blaney, Chase Dietz

SPLIT-FIELD PRELIM NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (3 Drivers):
1 Win – Ryan Timms, Kyle Larson, David GravelFEATURE LAPS LED (29 Drivers):
396 Laps – David Gravel
321 Laps – Michael Kofoid
314 Laps – Carson Macedo
175 Laps – Bill Balog
167 Laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
127 Laps – Anthony Macri
108 Laps – Logan Schuchart
98 Laps – Kyle Larson
82 Laps – Rico Abreu
62 Laps – Giovanni Scelzi
50 Laps – Ryan Timms
33 Laps – Kerry Madsen
31 Laps – Corey Day
27 Laps – Emerson Axsom
26 Laps – Cole Macedo
20 Laps – Dale Blaney
17 Laps – Brad Sweet
15 Laps – Spencer Bayston
14 Laps – Dylan Westbrook
12 Laps – Conner Morrell
11 Laps – Jordan Thomas
9 Laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
8 Laps – Christopher Bell, Aaron Reutzel
5 Laps – Christopher Thram
4 Laps – Kaleb Montgomery, Chase Dietz
1 Lap – Donny Schatz, Garet WilliamsonSIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (24 Drivers):
23 Quick Times – David Gravel
7 Quick Times – Carson Macedo
6 Quick Times – Rico Abreu
3 Quick Times – Logan Schuchart, Michael Kofoid
2 Quick Times – Sheldon Haudenschild, Giovanni Scelzi, Garet Williamson, Anthony Macri
1 Quick Time – Emerson Axsom, Kyle Larson, Danny Sams III, Aaron Reutzel, Chase Dietz, Donny Schatz, Zach Hampton, Tyler Courtney, Austin McCarl, Kerry Madsen, Bill Balog, Lance Dewease, Brad Sweet, Ashton Torgerson, Cole MacedoHEAT RACE WINNERS (61 Drivers): 
42 Heat Wins – David Gravel
33 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
20 Heat Wins – Michael Kofoid
19 Heat Wins – Bill Balog
17 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
13 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart
8 Heat Wins – Giovanni Scelzi
7 Heat Wins – Kyle Larson, Anthony Macri
6 Heat Wins – Chris Windom
5 Heat Wins – Garet Williamson
4 Heat Wins – Christopher Bell, Tyler Courtney, Conner Morrell, Rico Abreu, Emerson Axsom
3 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet, Brian Brown, Danny Dietrich, Skylar Gee, Christopher Thram, Cole Macedo
2 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen, Austin McCarl, Ryan Timms, Hunter Schuerenberg, Zach Hampton, Ashton Torgerson, Donny Schatz, Lance Dewease
1 Heat Win – Bryce Lucius, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Aaron Reutzel, Tanner Thorson, Chase Dietz, Justin Whittall, Danny Sams III, Jy Corbet, Tim Kaeding, Andy Pake, Kasey Jedrzejek, Freddie Rahmer, Ryan Turner, Tanner Holmes, Kaleb Johnson, Landon Crawley, Chris Martin, Blake Hahn, Gage Pulkrabek, Tasker Phillips, Josh Schneiderman, Brady Bacon, Brandon Wimmer, Kerry Madsen, Mark Dobmeier, Spencer Bayston, Dale Blaney, Daison Pursley, Daryn Pittman, Darin Naida, Logan JulienTOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (74 Drivers):
54 Dashes – David Gravel
44 Dashes – Carson Macedo
34 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
31 Dashes – Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild
24 Dashes – Bill Balog
16 Dashes – Giovanni Scelzi
10 Dashes – Chris Windom, Emerson Axsom, Garet Williamson
9 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Cole Macedo
7 Dashes – Kyle Larson, Donny Schatz
6 Dashes – Rico Abreu, Zach Hampton, Skylar Gee, Kerry Madsen
5 Dashes – Brian Brown, Tyler Courtney, Aaron Reutzel, Hunter Schuerenberg, Danny Dietrich
4 Dashes – Conner Morrell, Brad Sweet, Ryan Timms, Chase Dietz
3 Dashes – Christopher Bell, Danny Sams III, Austin McCarl, Parker Price-Miller, Ashton Torgerson, Christopher Thram, Spencer Bayston, Lance Dewease
2 Dashes – Jacob Allen, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Kelby Watt, Tanner Thorson, Sam Henderson, Corey Day, D.J. Netto, Ryan Turner, Justin Whittall, Brent Marks
1 Dash – Justin Peck, Bryce Lucius, Carson McCarl, Brady Bacon, Lucas Wolfe, Jordan Thomas, Jonathan Preston, Dylan Westbrook, Cory Turner, Cole Duncan, Tim Kaeding, Justin Henderson, Scotty Thiel, Zane DeVault, Freddie Rahmer, Ryan Smith, Cory Eliason, Andy Pake, Mark Dobmeier, Riley Goodno, Kaleb Montgomery, Dale Blaney, Daison Pursley, Daryn Pittman, Chad Trout, Brock Zearfoss, Darin Naida, Logan Julien, Bryce NorrisMICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (40 Drivers):
4 LCS Wins – Garet Williamson, Cole Macedo
3 LCS Wins – Giovanni Scelzi, Ashton Torgerson, Christopher Thram
2 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz, Ryan Timms, Bill Balog, Skylar Gee, Brad Sweet, Conner Morrell, Zach Hampton, Chris Windom, Hunter Schuerenberg, Sheldon Haudenschild
1 LCS Win – Chris Martin, Anthony Macri, Bryce Lucius, Blake Hahn, J.J. Hickle, Emerson Axsom, Matt Campbell, Joe Trenca, Darin Naida, Mark Dobmeier, Tim Kaeding, Brady Bacon, Landon Crawley, James McFadden, Logan Schuchart, Alex Therrien, Rico Abreu, Michael Kofoid, Justin Whittall, Brent Marks, Scott Broty, Landon Brooks, Danny Kuriger, Lance Dewease, Kerry MadsenKSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (34 Drivers): 
7 Hard Chargers – Logan Schuchart
6 Hard Chargers – Donny Schatz
4 Hard Chargers – Ryan Timms, Michael Kofoid, Cole Macedo, Chris Windom
3 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Sheldon Haudenschild, Skylar Gee, Hunter Schuerenberg
2 Hard Chargers – Bill Balog, Tanner Thorson, David Gravel
1 Hard Charger – Zach Hampton, Lance Dewease, Dylan Westbrook, Kalib Henry, Cap Henry, Jade Hastings, Carson Macedo, Rico Abreu, Anthony Macri, Giovanni Scelzi, Danny Varin, Landon Crawley, Corey Day, Brad Sweet, Dominic Gorden, Kaleb Montgomery, Darin Naida, Emerson Axsom, Troy Wagaman Jr., Tyler Ross, Kerry MadsenPODIUM FINISHES (35 Drivers): 
38 Podiums – David Gravel
30 Podiums – Michael Kofoid
25 Podiums – Carson Macedo
14 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild
13 Podiums – Logan Schuchart
10 Podiums – Kyle Larson
9 Podiums – Bill Balog
6 Podiums – Donny Schatz, Rico Abreu, Anthony Macri
5 Podiums – Anthony Macri
3 Podiums – Giovanni Scelzi, Kerry Madsen, Danny Dietrich, Chase Dietz
2 Podiums – Christopher Bell, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Tyler Courtney, Spencer Bayston, Emerson Axsom
1 Podium – Aaron Reutzel, Jacob Allen, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Conner Morrell, Dylan Westbrook, Skylar Gee, Chris Windom, Cole Duncan, Brad Sweet, Corey Day, Garet Williamson, Tanner Thorson, Dale Blaney, Lance DeweaseTOP 10 FINISHES (69 Drivers): 
62 Top 10s – David Gravel
56 Top 10s – Michael Kofoid
51 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart
50 Top 10s – Carson Macedo
42 Top 10s – Sheldon Haudenschild
36 Top 10s – Bill Balog
33 Top 10s – Donny Schatz
29 Top 10s – Giovanni Scelzi
25 Top 10s – Garet Williamson
21 Top 10s – Chris Windom
20 Top 10s – Cole Macedo
16 Top 10s – Emerson Axsom 
15 Top 10s – Hunter Schuerenberg
13 Top 10s – Anthony Macri, Kerry Madsen
11 Top 10s – Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson
10 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney, Rico Abreu
9 Top 10s – Ryan Timms, Skylar Gee
6 Top 10s – Zach Hampton
5 Top 10s – Aaron Reutzel, Tanner Thorson, Spencer Bayston, Danny Dietrich
4 Top 10s – Austin McCarl, Justin Peck, Chase Dietz, Parker Price-Miller
3 Top 10s – Conner Morrell, Brady Bacon, Ashton Torgerson, Corey Day, Mark Dobmeier, Brent Marks, Justin Whittall, Troy Wagaman Jr.
2 Top 10s – Christopher Bell, Jacob Allen, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Tim Kaeding, Brian Brown, Freddie Rahmer, Landon Crawley, Tanner Holmes, Dominic Scelzi, Ryan Turner, Cory Eliason
1 Top 10 – Danny Sams III, Jordan Thomas, Dylan Westbrook, Jordan Poirier, Kalib Henry, Cole Duncan, Kelby Watt, Ryan Smith, Zach Sobotka, Danny Varin, Kaleb Johnson, D.J. Netto, Kaleb Montgomery, Kasey Jedrzejek, Dale Blaney, Lance Dewease, Daryn Pittman, Brock Zearfoss, Cameron Smith, Chad Trout2025 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR WINNERS:
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Wed, Feb 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1)
2. Thurs, Feb 8 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Christopher Bell (1)
3. Fri, Feb 9 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Larson (1)
4. Sat, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Larson (2)
5. Sun, March 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)
6. Mon, March 3 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (2)
7. Fri, March 7 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Bill Balog (1)
8. Sat, March 8 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / David Gravel (3)
9. Fri, March 14 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / Giovanni Scelzi (1)
10. Sat, March 15 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / Michael Kofoid (1)
11. Fri, March 21 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / David Gravel (4)
12. Sat, March 22 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / David Gravel (5)
13. Fri, March 28 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK / Michael Kofoid (2)
14. Fri, April 11 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Carson Macedo (2)
15. Sat, April 12 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Logan Schuchart (1)
16. Sat, April 19 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Rico Abreu (1)
17. Fri, April 25 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Kyle Larson (3)
18. Sat, April 26 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
19. Fri, May 2 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / David Gravel (6)
20. Wed, May 7 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Michael Kofoid (3)
21. Sat, May 10 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Anthony Macri (1)
22. Wed, May 14 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON / David Gravel (7)
23. Thurs, May 15 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON / David Gravel (8)
24. Sat, May 24 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Logan Schuchart (2)
25. Mon, May 26 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Carson Macedo (3)
26. Fri, May 30 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Michael Kofoid (4)
27. Sat, May 31 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
28. Wed, June 4 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Carson Macedo (4)
29. Fri, June 6 / Plymouth Dirt Track / Plymouth, WI / Rico Abreu (2)
30. Sat, June 7 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Brad Sweet (1)
31. Fri, June 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (9)
32. Sat, June 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Corey Day (1)
33. Wed, June 18 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Kyle Larson (4)
34. Thurs, June 19 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Michael Kofoid (5)
35. Fri, June 20 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Bill Balog (2)
36. Sat, June 21 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Michael Kofoid (6)
37. Fri, June 27 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / David Gravel (10)
38. Sat, June 28 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Carson Macedo (5)
39. Sat, July 12 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI / Michael Kofoid (7)
40. Tues, July 15 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Carson Macedo (6)
41. Fri, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Rico Abreu (3)
42. Sat, July 19 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Anthony Macri (2)
43. Wed, July 23 / BAPS Motor Speedway / York Haven, PA / Anthony Macri (3)
44. Sun, July 27 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / David Gravel (11)
45. Fri, Aug 1 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Carson Macedo (7)
46. Sat, Aug 2 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Michael Kofoid (8)
47. Wed, Aug 6 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Ryan Timms*
48. Thurs, Aug 7 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Kyle Larson*
49. Fri, Aug 8 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel*
50. Sat, Aug 9 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Ryan Timms (1)
51. Fri, Aug 15 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN / Carson Macedo (8)
52. Sat, Aug 16 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Carson Macedo (9)
53. Tues, Aug 19 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI / David Gravel (12)
54. Fri, Aug 22 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Michael Kofoid (9)
55. Sat, Aug 23 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND / Carson Macedo (10)
56. Sun, Aug 31 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Michael Kofoid (10)
57. Fri, Sept 5 / Vado Speedway Park / Vado, NM / David Gravel (13)
58. Fri, Sept 12 / Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway / Bakersfield, CA / Michael Kofoid (11)
59. Sat, Sept 13 / Perris Auto Speedway / Perris, CA / Bill Balog (3)
60. Sat, Sept 20 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / David Gravel (14)
61. Fri, Sept 26 / Millstream Speedway / Findlay, OH / David Gravel (15)
62. Sat, Sept 27 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Dale Blaney (1)
63. Fri, Oct 3 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Chase Dietz (1)
64. Sat, Oct 4 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)
65. Fri, Oct 11 / New Egypt Speedway / New Egypt, NJ / Carson Macedo (11)
66. Sat, Oct 12 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Anthony Macri (4)
67. Fri, Oct 17 / Lincoln Park Speedway / Putnamville, IN / David Gravel (16)
68. Sun, Oct 19 / Angell Park Speedway / Sun Prairie, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (4)

*denotes unofficial split-field prelim race.For the remaining 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/what-to-watch-for-penultimate-weekend-of-the-year-takes-world-of-outlaws-to-81-arrowhead/EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=4547749https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=4547763
TRACK INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/tracks/?track=81%2BSpeedwayhttps://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/tracks/?track=Arrowhead%2BSpeedway
FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Suarez to Spire for 2026


NASCAR CUP SERIES TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. QUOTES OCTOBER 22, 2025

It was announced today that Team Chevy driver, Daniel Suarez, will join Spire Motorsports for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, taking over the driving duties for the organization’s No. 7 Chevrolet entry. 

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. QUOTESOCTOBER 22, 2025

It was announced today that Team Chevy driver, Daniel Suarez, will join Spire Motorsports for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, taking over the driving duties for the organization’s No. 7 Chevrolet entry. 

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Press Conference Quotes: 
Moderator: Moving into 2026, we continue to bolster our competition efforts with fresh talent and dedicated partnerships. Joining us today are Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson; CEO of Freeway Insurance, Cesar Soriano; and multi-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, Daniel Suarez. As the first foreign-born NASCAR National Series champion, Daniel has set the standard for young drivers looking to advance through NASCAR’s international ladder system. He brings 9 years of Cup Series experience at the highest level of our sport and a devoted fan base that surpasses borders. Freeway Insurance has been a partner of Daniel since 2021. They continue to build their brand within NASCAR over the last 5 seasons and will continue to do so moving forward. We are excited to have both Daniel and Freeway Insurance join the Spire Motorsports family for the 2026 season, and we can now officially announce that Daniel Suarez is the new driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series.  We’ll start with Jeff. Jeff, if you could just tell us about the decision to bring Daniel to Spire Motorsports for next season.Jeff Dickerson: “Yeah, I think his resume obviously speaks for itself. He’s been a mainstay in the garage for several years. I think when it came down to it, it’s just a thing where I think we need each other. I think all of us love a good story of redemption and giving people a platform to prove doubters wrong, so I think in this case, I think Daniel wants to show everybody that this year was an outlier and we wanted to show everybody that the No. 7 car’s performance this year is an outlier, as well.”  Daniel, Freeway Insurance has been with you for several seasons. What does it mean to continue representing a brand that’s grown alongside your career?Daniel Suarez: “It’s been a huge privilege to be able to not just represent Freeway Insurance, but also to take it to the next level and be able to connect with my community. I believe that my relationship with Freeway Insurance goes further than just a sponsorship. We have very similar goals. For me, it’s something very personal to be able to connect with my community and to give back to my community; to represent my community and to inspire my community. Freeway Insurance, as we all know, that’s one of their goals, as well. They have a large percentage of Hispanic customers and employees, so for me, that’s a very big deal. It’s very, very personal. They’ve been a huge support of myself for a handful of years now.  We were talking about this last night. For me, it’s like a Cinderella story with how we started together in a one-specimen deal, and then it just continued to grow. And right now, here we are making this move to Spire Motorsports with Freeway Insurance as a primary sponsor. I’m sure that we’re going to continue to work together. I can’t thank Cesar Soriano and Rose enough for all the love and support, and I can’t wait to continue to write this story together.”  Cesar, we know that Daniel has a very loyal fan base, and I know Freeway’s fan base has also grown over the years. We’ve emphasized hard work and perseverance as big goals of your company and your values, and those are also values that Daniel shares with you. He’s become a role model for so many in the Latino communities, which also represents your brand, as well. How do those shared values strengthen the partnership as you move forward? Cesar Soriano: “You know, in addition to the hard work and perseverance that you mentioned, for us, we were looking for somebody that would represent and, more importantly, take a personal approach to be our brand ambassador. And when you think about it, when you think about my own employees or teammates and our customers, it’s about living the American dream. There’s no better driver, in my personal opinion, than Daniel Suarez, who is living that dream. He demonstrates that with hard work, perseverance, loyalty, and trust, you can achieve all your goals, and he’s doing it today. Loyalty works both ways, and we’ve stayed loyal with him.”   Daniel, what made this the right fit for you personally?Daniel Suarez: “To be quite honest with you, it was a no-brainer. If you look at the last three years, how Spire Motorsports has grown in the last three years. I mentioned this to Jeff (Dickerson). I said, Jeff, three years ago, I probably wasn’t looking at Spire Motorsports as an option. Right now, I believe that it’s the fastest growing team in NASCAR, and I want to be part of that. I know that they are not even close to being done. They are just getting started. The way that they are building the team, I can see that the foundation is strong. Everything that Jeff and the entire team at Spire Motorsports have been able to do in a very short period of time, it’s quite impressive to look at it from the outside. I was just very, very excited to see this new chapter and this opportunity. Just like Jeff mentioned, this year, it was not the way that I wanted it to go with my team, and the same thing with the No. 7 team. I believe that we both have some things that we want to get back in place, and we are hungry to do that. I’ve been extremely, extremely anxious to get this day and to get to work because I know that it’s going to take some work. This off-season is very busy. But I just can’t wait to get to work with this group because I know that they are capable of a lot, and I can’t wait to get going.”  Why is Daniel the right fit for No. 7 team to help maximize that potential in 2026? Jeff Dickerson: “Yeah, I mean having a veteran voice that’s got some roots in that garage. Obviously our stats prove that we’ve had a really good year, so it’s like we’re just at a different place in our journey, right? We’re not like a problem that needs to be solved anymore. We’ve got the speed, we need the execution. That’s what’s really holding us back this year.  I think that’s what Daniel sees with us. We just need kind of like a veteran steady hand that can offer his wisdom, so we’re looking to tap into that. And like you said, I don’t think six months ago either one of us thought that we would be sitting in this studio. But I think there’s a real power here in showing everybody that, I guess in some ways, both of us are better than what we showed this year.”  Jeff, when you talk about that execution part, what is it you’ve seen from Daniel that gives you that full confidence he’s going to be able to provide that steady hand you’re looking for? Jeff Dickerson: “Yeah, he just maximizes his days, right? I don’t think he makes any really big mistakes. We’ve kind of been watching him here; trying to listen on the radio and just kind of watching how he does it. He’s going to fit in perfect. You know, I think in these situations, I don’t think we have to do anything really that much different, and I don’t want Daniel doing anything different. Daniel knows how to do this. Daniel’s won races at every level and won a championship. So we don’t need him to be anybody that he’s not. I don’t want to press him. I think obviously we’re going to build a good team around him, and then just let him do his thing and I think it will be fine.”   Ryan Sparks has been splitting his time between the crew chief role and the competition director. Has any decision been made on whether he’ll stay with Daniel, or are you going to be looking for a crew chief?Jeff Dickerson: “I don’t know that we’ve made a decision just yet. We’ve been trying to see what’s happening in the garage, right? I’m not necessarily interested in any more dual roles. I feel like we’ve been out of balance here a little bit since we moved on from Rodney (Childers). I think the biggest thing is just getting everybody back in one place and just let us go forward.”  Daniel, what relationship do you have with Michael (McDowell), Carson (Hocevar), anyone you’re going to be working with next year?Daniel Suarez: “Yeah, Michael and I, we became very close after we got into a fight in 2019 (laughs). I mean, it’s kind of funny, but it’s true. Before then, Michael and I were just two drivers. And after that incident, we actually became good friends. Michael called me this morning. I’ve been actually talking to him quite a bit about the system, the processes, the people. So, I believe that Michael and I are going to be able to brainstorm a lot, not just in our individual teams, but in everything as an organization, as well. I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to Carson yet, but he’s an extremely talented driver. You can see his raw speed. Although he’s very young, he’s still learning a lot of different things. I think it’s going to be exciting to have the opportunity to work with two drivers that, to me, are actually quite different.  I’m super excited for the opportunity. It’s a great opportunity for me. Honestly, right now, I feel like it’s kind of like my first year in the Cup Series. I just feel like everything is new. I have a lot of butterflies in my stomach. I’m super excited to get going. I know that we still have a couple races left this year, and I always say that you’re as good as your last race, so I want to close my chapter strong this year. But I can’t wait to start working towards 2026.”  Daniel, when did this talk start with Spire, and how did this come about?Daniel Suarez: “Yeah, so I was in a little bit of a tricky situation this year because I knew there was going to be a change for a while, but I couldn’t talk to anyone. So, really, conversations started once I was able to start having conversations, contractually, with people. And the very first person I tried to reach out was Jeff and Dan Towriss because, like I said, I have seen what these guys have been able to build in a very, very short period of time. These things don’t happen by coincidence or by luck. Everything planned. I believe that they are far from their full potential. I mentioned this to Jeff… I said, Jeff, I’m seeing this train going up. I want to jump in it, so make a space for me because I really want to be part of that. I can see how this organization has a good, solid foundation. Every single year, they break their own records, and I can’t wait. I was talking to Dan Towriss, actually, last week. And he said, man, this year has been very good. But we haven’t won yet. We want to win races. And eventually, we want to be real contenders for championship. Not just make the playoffs to say that we make the playoffs and, okay, that’s it…. No, no, no. It’s to be real contenders. So, what do we have to do to be able to get there? And I believe that the foundation is right to be able to do that, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”  Jeff, even before the Next Gen car, engineering became so important. Aside from, obviously, driving the cars, what is the role of drivers today?Jeff Dickerson: “That’s a good question. I mean, you know what? They make it go. I think drivers are as important now than ever, right? Certainly, the car has to give them what they want, right? And in a lot of cases, you’re just trying to give them a feel that they can just go out and race with. But when we’re chasing the smallest margins, I’m telling you, I think drivers are way more important now than they’ve ever been. I think it’s backwards. I think on restarts, it’s a lot easier to pass them when you’re coming at the speed. I think as tight as it is, it’s really just like making no mistakes and giving good feedback. Tt’s building a chemistry with your team. It revolves all around them. I mean, who are we kidding? This is a driver-focused sport, and they make it go.”   As far as I can tell from the release, it’s a one-year deal. Why just one year to start? Is that the case?Jeff Dickerson: “We have a path forward for multiple years, that’s for sure.”  Daniel Suarez: “Yeah, like Jeff mentioned — right now, today, we’re in the position where we want to prove to each other that we can do this together. But my goal, and I’m sure that it’s Spire Motorsports’ goal and Jeff’s goal, to make this a long-term relationship, and hopefully we can write a great chapter together; win races, fight for championships and start to hang banners in the race shop.”

ARP Posts Big Bonuses for California Hot Rod Reunion

By Evander Espolong October 22, 2025

California Hot Rod Reunion (2)

The legendary California Hot Rod Reunion kicks off this weekend at Famoso Dragstrip, and the action just got even more intense thanks to Automotive Racing Products (ARP). The industry-leading fastener manufacturer is stepping up once again to support grassroots nostalgia drag racing, announcing a bonus program for competitors at the Bakersfield event.ARP is putting serious cash on the line for the winners in the quickest classes. A $1,000 bonus awaits the champions in Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car, and the wild AA/Fuel Altereds. To sweeten the pot even further, ARP will award a $250 bonus to every single Eliminator Class Winner throughout the weekend. It’s a huge boost for the sportsman racers who form the backbone of the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series.

California Hot Rod Reunion

But the bonuses don’t stop there. ARP is also recognizing dedication and showmanship with three unique $250 awards. One will go to the Sportsman competitor with the Longest Tow to the event – a nod to the hardcore racers who travel cross-country for this race. The other two $250 bonuses will reward the drivers who pull off the Longest Gasser Wheelstand in both the D/Gas and Hot Rod classes during eliminations. To qualify for any of the ARP bonuses, racers just need to make sure they display the ARP Special Event Participant Sticker on their car throughout the weekend.ARP’s Robert Florine emphasized the company’s dedication, stating, “ARP has always stood behind sportsman racing. The Hot Rod Reunion is the perfect finale for the Heritage Series, and we’re proud to help challenge the best of the best.” Darr Hawthorne of BANGshift.com added to the excitement, noting, “2025 has been incredibly competitive in the Hot Rod Heritage Series, in all classes. I can’t wait to hand out those big ARP checks after qualifying and eliminations wrap up!”

ARP Posts Big Bonuses for California Hot Rod Reunion

By Evander Espolong October 22, 2025

California Hot Rod Reunion (2)

The legendary California Hot Rod Reunion kicks off this weekend at Famoso Dragstrip, and the action just got even more intense thanks to Automotive Racing Products (ARP). The industry-leading fastener manufacturer is stepping up once again to support grassroots nostalgia drag racing, announcing a bonus program for competitors at the Bakersfield event.ARP is putting serious cash on the line for the winners in the quickest classes. A $1,000 bonus awaits the champions in Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car, and the wild AA/Fuel Altereds. To sweeten the pot even further, ARP will award a $250 bonus to every single Eliminator Class Winner throughout the weekend. It’s a huge boost for the sportsman racers who form the backbone of the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series.

California Hot Rod Reunion

But the bonuses don’t stop there. ARP is also recognizing dedication and showmanship with three unique $250 awards. One will go to the Sportsman competitor with the Longest Tow to the event – a nod to the hardcore racers who travel cross-country for this race. The other two $250 bonuses will reward the drivers who pull off the Longest Gasser Wheelstand in both the D/Gas and Hot Rod classes during eliminations. To qualify for any of the ARP bonuses, racers just need to make sure they display the ARP Special Event Participant Sticker on their car throughout the weekend.ARP’s Robert Florine emphasized the company’s dedication, stating, “ARP has always stood behind sportsman racing. The Hot Rod Reunion is the perfect finale for the Heritage Series, and we’re proud to help challenge the best of the best.” Darr Hawthorne of BANGshift.com added to the excitement, noting, “2025 has been incredibly competitive in the Hot Rod Heritage Series, in all classes. I can’t wait to hand out those big ARP checks after qualifying and eliminations wrap up!”

With extra money and bragging rights on the line thanks to ARP, the competition at this year’s California Hot Rod Reunion is sure to be fiercer than ever. It’s the perfect way to cap off the nostalgia drag racing season.

Buddy Hull Set for Return to Racing at Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals

DALLAS (October 22, 2025) — NHRA fan favorite and driver of the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car, Buddy Hull, is set to return to the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals, October 31 – November 2, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The second year Funny Car driver has been sidelined following a serious incident at the Sonoma Nationals in late July that injured his left hand. Over the past 10 weeks Hull has participated in physical and occupational therapy in Dallas, Texas, with an eye on returning to the seat. In his absence veteran driver Alex Laughlin has been driving the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car.


 Fan favorite Buddy Hull will be back in the Funny Car seat for the final two races of the NHRA season, 
photo credit Innovation Creative Experts

Buddy Hull Set for Return to Racing at
Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals

DALLAS (October 22, 2025) — NHRA fan favorite and driver of the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car, Buddy Hull, is set to return to the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals, October 31 – November 2, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The second year Funny Car driver has been sidelined following a serious incident at the Sonoma Nationals in late July that injured his left hand. Over the past 10 weeks Hull has participated in physical and occupational therapy in Dallas, Texas, with an eye on returning to the seat. In his absence veteran driver Alex Laughlin has been driving the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car.


 Fan favorite Buddy Hull will be back in the Funny Car seat for the final two races of the NHRA season, 
photo credit Innovation Creative Experts

“First I want to thank Alex for stepping in and keeping the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car on track while I have been healing and rehabbing,” said Hull. “I have been doing my best to stay active at the track but there is no substitute for the 320 mph rush of racing for Big Jim Dunn. I want to finish our 75th season strong and I thank all our fans who have reached out with well wishes and support over the past few months.”
 
Hull will race in Las Vegas and the season finale in Pomona as the team finishes the season strong with another Countdown playoff appearance. The season finale at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip will be a significant event for the Southern California based team as Jim Dunn Racing closes out another memorable season of a Hall of Fame racing career.
 
“To be able to be the driver Jim Dunn Racing has been incredible and I wanted to get back in the Funny Car as soon as possible so I could close out the season in Pomona,” said Hull. “Jim Dunn Racing has so much history in Pomona and across Southern California I am honored to be back behind the wheel.”
 
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be on track October 31 for two qualifying runs at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Fans interested in tickets can visit www.nhra.com.
 

OCTOBER CLASSIC IS NEXT UP FOR THE NARC SPRINT CARS AT KERN RACEWAY

(10/20/25 – Andrew Kunas) Bakersfield, CA … The closing stretch of the 2025 NARC 410 Sprint Car Series campaign continues with the October Classic this Saturday (October 25th), as the series makes its only appearance of the season at the Bakersfield Speedway dirt track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.

The October Classic combo-show also features the CARS Tour and the “Harvick Showdown” with NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick and his son Keelan racing against each other in late models on the half-mile asphalt oval. The NARC show will follow that event on the neighboring dirt track, located just outside of turn four.  Race fans can purchase a $30 ticket to get into both events.  The pavement race starts at 6:00 p.m., the NARC show at approximately 7:30 p.m.

NARC last visited the Kern Raceway dirt track this time last year, but since then the old Bakersfield Speedway in nearby Oildale closed and its operations transferred over to the dirt track at Kern.  The dirt track facility now operates as Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. The facility has also undergone improvements since NARC’s last visit, including additional seating.

No matter the official name of the track, action will be hot on Saturday night with much at stake. Things remain tight at the top of the NARC standings with only two events remaining. D.J. Netto of Hanford picked up an enormous victory on October 11th at Antioch Speedway to increase his point lead over Oroville’s Sean Becker, who finished fourth in that race. Just 12 points now separate the two former series champions.

Netto has three NARC wins on the season, including winning both Antioch races. Becker is winless on the season but has been strongly consistent all season and more than once has knocked on the door of victory. Even with Netto winning in NARC’s last outing, one misstep by Netto coupled with a strong outing by Becker – or even better, a win for him – could really shake things up for the November 1st finale at the Stockton Dirt Track.

WHO TO WATCH

In last year’s October Classic at Kern Raceway, it was San Jose’s Tim Kaeding picking up the victory. The veteran racer and former NARC champion led every lap, but had to withstand a number of race stoppages and challenges for the lead along the way. Kaeding, long one of the most popular and exciting racers out of California, will be one to watch again.

Another Kaeding to watch will be Tim’s brother Bud, who sits third in the NARC points. The Campbell driver won his 23rd NARC feature event of his career, winning the Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway in August.

Clovis driver Dominic Gorden ran a strong second in the race at Antioch and set fast time in qualifying earlier that evening. Having won the Dave Bradway Jr Memorial earlier this season and posting other podium finishes, Gorden is hoping to capture a second NARC victory on the season before the season is up.

Having opened in 2015, the Kern Raceway dirt track has hosted numerous sprint car races and other open wheel events on its 1/3-mile clay oval. Shane Golobic was a NARC winner in 2022 and the following year it was Corey Day picking up a win there on his way to the 2023 NARC championship. Future NARC champion Justin Sanders picked up a win there in 2021.

Mariah Ede is expected to race and will look to all but wrap up NARC Rookie of the Year honors. The young lady from Fresno has had her struggles during his first year in a 410 sprint car, but has shown speed at times also. Former NARC champion Dominic Scelzi of Fresno is expected, along with Oregon driver Tanner Holmes, Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery, Lemoore’s Gauge Garcia, Redding’s Max Mittry, Windsor’s John Clark, Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares, and Benicia’s Billy Aton.

FAN INFO

The Bakersfield Speedway dirt track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway is located at 13500 Raceway Blvd, nearby the Interstate 5 / Hwy 43 interchange. The 1/3-mile clay oval sits just to the north of the half-mile asphalt track. WMR midgets and the SoCal dwarf cars will be joining NARC on Saturday.

General admission is $30 for adults. Front gates at the dirt track open at 6:00 p.m. with racing scheduled for approximately 8:00 p.m.

The Northern Auto Racing Club is the premier 410 winged sprint car series in the western United States. Since 1960, the traveling organization has thrilled fans at dirt tracks up and down the West Coast and crowned a “King of the West” champion. For more information on the NARC 410 sprint car series, including race results, points standings, and upcoming events, go to www.narc410.com.  You can also follow on various social media platforms.

The NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires and Floracing.com. Associate sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, Jim Allen Promotions, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, Mettec Titanium, MyRacePass, Red Rose Transportation, Tarlton & Son, WEDG High Performance Karts, Williams Roofing, and Winters Performance Products.

2025 NARC 410 SPRINT CARS SERIES

(AFTER 25 EVENTS IN 27-RACE SERIES – 10/19/25)

  1. DJ Netto, Hanford – 3244
  2. Sean Becker, Roseville – 3232
  3. Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 3205
  4. Dominic Gorden, Clovis – 3178
  5. Mariah Ede, Fresno (R) – 2782
  6. Gauge Garcia, Lemoore – 2712
  7. Caeden Steele, Fresno – 2614
  8. Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2592
  9. Tyler Thompson, Harrisburg, OR (R) – 2550
  10. Shane Golobic, Fremont – 2318
  11. Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 2282
  12. Billy Aton, Benicia – 2160
  13. John Clark, Windsor – 2128
  14. Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR – 1903
  15. Max Mittry, Redding – 1964
  16. Landon Brooks, Rio Oso – 1881
  17. Nick Parker, Tucson, AZ – 1684
  18. Jesse Schlotfeldt, Arlington, WA – 1612
  19. Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 1610
  20. Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 1585

Upcoming Events
November 1 – The Stockton Dirt Track (Tribute to Gary Patterson)
November 2 – Championship Celebration @ Brookside Country Club – Stockton, CA

(10/20/25 – Andrew Kunas) Bakersfield, CA … The closing stretch of the 2025 NARC 410 Sprint Car Series campaign continues with the October Classic this Saturday (October 25th), as the series makes its only appearance of the season at the Bakersfield Speedway dirt track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.

The October Classic combo-show also features the CARS Tour and the “Harvick Showdown” with NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick and his son Keelan racing against each other in late models on the half-mile asphalt oval. The NARC show will follow that event on the neighboring dirt track, located just outside of turn four.  Race fans can purchase a $30 ticket to get into both events.  The pavement race starts at 6:00 p.m., the NARC show at approximately 7:30 p.m.

NARC last visited the Kern Raceway dirt track this time last year, but since then the old Bakersfield Speedway in nearby Oildale closed and its operations transferred over to the dirt track at Kern.  The dirt track facility now operates as Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. The facility has also undergone improvements since NARC’s last visit, including additional seating.

No matter the official name of the track, action will be hot on Saturday night with much at stake. Things remain tight at the top of the NARC standings with only two events remaining. D.J. Netto of Hanford picked up an enormous victory on October 11th at Antioch Speedway to increase his point lead over Oroville’s Sean Becker, who finished fourth in that race. Just 12 points now separate the two former series champions.

Netto has three NARC wins on the season, including winning both Antioch races. Becker is winless on the season but has been strongly consistent all season and more than once has knocked on the door of victory. Even with Netto winning in NARC’s last outing, one misstep by Netto coupled with a strong outing by Becker – or even better, a win for him – could really shake things up for the November 1st finale at the Stockton Dirt Track.

WHO TO WATCH

In last year’s October Classic at Kern Raceway, it was San Jose’s Tim Kaeding picking up the victory. The veteran racer and former NARC champion led every lap, but had to withstand a number of race stoppages and challenges for the lead along the way. Kaeding, long one of the most popular and exciting racers out of California, will be one to watch again.

Another Kaeding to watch will be Tim’s brother Bud, who sits third in the NARC points. The Campbell driver won his 23rd NARC feature event of his career, winning the Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway in August.

Clovis driver Dominic Gorden ran a strong second in the race at Antioch and set fast time in qualifying earlier that evening. Having won the Dave Bradway Jr Memorial earlier this season and posting other podium finishes, Gorden is hoping to capture a second NARC victory on the season before the season is up.

Having opened in 2015, the Kern Raceway dirt track has hosted numerous sprint car races and other open wheel events on its 1/3-mile clay oval. Shane Golobic was a NARC winner in 2022 and the following year it was Corey Day picking up a win there on his way to the 2023 NARC championship. Future NARC champion Justin Sanders picked up a win there in 2021.

Mariah Ede is expected to race and will look to all but wrap up NARC Rookie of the Year honors. The young lady from Fresno has had her struggles during his first year in a 410 sprint car, but has shown speed at times also. Former NARC champion Dominic Scelzi of Fresno is expected, along with Oregon driver Tanner Holmes, Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery, Lemoore’s Gauge Garcia, Redding’s Max Mittry, Windsor’s John Clark, Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares, and Benicia’s Billy Aton.

FAN INFO

The Bakersfield Speedway dirt track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway is located at 13500 Raceway Blvd, nearby the Interstate 5 / Hwy 43 interchange. The 1/3-mile clay oval sits just to the north of the half-mile asphalt track. WMR midgets and the SoCal dwarf cars will be joining NARC on Saturday.

General admission is $30 for adults. Front gates at the dirt track open at 6:00 p.m. with racing scheduled for approximately 8:00 p.m.

The Northern Auto Racing Club is the premier 410 winged sprint car series in the western United States. Since 1960, the traveling organization has thrilled fans at dirt tracks up and down the West Coast and crowned a “King of the West” champion. For more information on the NARC 410 sprint car series, including race results, points standings, and upcoming events, go to www.narc410.com.  You can also follow on various social media platforms.

The NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires and Floracing.com. Associate sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, Jim Allen Promotions, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, Mettec Titanium, MyRacePass, Red Rose Transportation, Tarlton & Son, WEDG High Performance Karts, Williams Roofing, and Winters Performance Products.

2025 NARC 410 SPRINT CARS SERIES

(AFTER 25 EVENTS IN 27-RACE SERIES – 10/19/25)

  1. DJ Netto, Hanford – 3244
  2. Sean Becker, Roseville – 3232
  3. Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 3205
  4. Dominic Gorden, Clovis – 3178
  5. Mariah Ede, Fresno (R) – 2782
  6. Gauge Garcia, Lemoore – 2712
  7. Caeden Steele, Fresno – 2614
  8. Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2592
  9. Tyler Thompson, Harrisburg, OR (R) – 2550
  10. Shane Golobic, Fremont – 2318
  11. Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 2282
  12. Billy Aton, Benicia – 2160
  13. John Clark, Windsor – 2128
  14. Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR – 1903
  15. Max Mittry, Redding – 1964
  16. Landon Brooks, Rio Oso – 1881
  17. Nick Parker, Tucson, AZ – 1684
  18. Jesse Schlotfeldt, Arlington, WA – 1612
  19. Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 1610
  20. Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 1585

Upcoming Events
November 1 – The Stockton Dirt Track (Tribute to Gary Patterson)
November 2 – Championship Celebration @ Brookside Country Club – Stockton, CA

NARC 2025 Winners
March 8 – D.J. Netto at Stockton Dirt Track (Salute to Leroy Van Connett)
April 12 – Justin Sanders at Silver Dollar Speedway (Mini Gold Cup)
May 10 – D.J. Netto at Antioch Speedway (Contra Costa County Clash)
May 16 – Justin Sanders at Ocean Speedway
May 17 – Tanner Holmes (Race 1) & Caeden Steele (Race 2) at Thunderbowl Raceway (Morrie Williams Memorial)
May 31 – Dominic Gorden at Placerville Speedway (Dave Bradway Jr Memorial)
June 7 – Justin Sanders at Silver Dollar Speedway (David Tarter Memorial)
June 11 – James McFadden at Southern Oregon Speedway
June 12 – James McFadden at Douglas County Dirt Track
June 13 – Jesse Schlotfeldt at Cottage Grove Speedway
June 14 – James McFadden at Willamette Speedway
June 15 – James McFadden at Grays Harbor Raceway (Timber Cup)
June 19 – Levi Klatt at Skagit Speedway (Super Dirt Cup – Night 1)
June 20 – Justin Sanders at Skagit Speedway (Super Dirt Cup – Night 2)
June 21 – Trey Starks at Skagit Speedway (Super Dirt Cup finale)
July 12 – Tim Kaeding at Petaluma Speedway (Dave Lindt Memorial)
July 18 – Justin Sanders at Ocean Speedway (Howard Kaeding Classic – Night 1)
July 19 – Justin Sanders at Ocean Speedway (Howard Kaeding Classic – Night 2)
July 26 – Kaleb Montgomery at Santa Maria Speedway
August 2 – Bud Kaeding at Ocean Speedway (Johnny Key Classic)
August 30 – James McFadden at Calistoga Speedway (Louie Vermeil Classic – Night 1)
August 31 – James McFadden at Calistoga Speedway (Louie Vermeil Classic – Night 2)
September 6 – Justin Sanders at Placerville Speedway (Pay Dirt Showdown)
October 4 – Tanner Holmes at Thunderbowl Raceway (Chris & Brian Faria Memorial)
October 11 – DJ Netto at Antioch Speedway (Open Wheel Octoberfest)

SPENCER HYDE MAKES STRONG CASE FOR 2025 NHRA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

STRATFORD, ONT (October 20, 2025) —- Canadian drag racer Spencer Hyde has taken the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series by storm during his rookie season. The Stratford, Ontario, resident has proven himself to be a standout first year driver piloting the Head Inc. Funny Car owned and tuned by Hall of Famer Jim Head. Hyde has won the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals Mission #2Fast2Tasty event, raced to a fist-full of semifinals and two final rounds, qualified for the 2025 Countdown in the Top Ten and secured the No. 1 qualifier at the Reading Nationals, the first Countdown playoff race.
 
“I feel like I have proven myself race after race driving this Funny Car, which arguably is the toughest race car to drive,” said Hyde, an accomplished multi-class driver. “I have won a lot of races leading up to my jump to Funny Car, but this was a whole new animal. Thanks to Jim and the team for giving me a good car I think I proved myself in one of the toughest classes in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.”
Rookie Spencer Hyde won the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals Mission #2Fast2Tasty race,
photo courtesy of Auto Imagery
Hyde’s self-evaluation is echoed by the opinions of some of his toughest competitors. Throughout the season Hyde has held his own against numerous Funny Car world champions including Jack Beckman (1-1), Ron Capps (2-2), and Austin Prock (1-1). The rookie has a winning record in his lone meetings with world champions Matt Hagan (1-0) and Cruz Pedregon (1-0).
 
“Spencer came from the Pro Mod side of things much like myself, so I have a little bit of love there for him because I ran a Pro Mod for six years before stepping up in the Funny Car,” said Matt Hagan, four-time Funny Car world champion. “He’s showing that he can handle the race car. He keeps it in his lane, cuts good lights and he’s a great competitor so I’m always looking forward to racing that guy and he’s good for the sport. We need new young guys out here who are eager and hungry. He’s doing a great job behind the wheel, so I think he’s a great candidate for rookie of the year. I’ve been out here 20 years, and I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. Spencer is one that seems like he is a real natural fit in the car and is doing a good job.”
 
Hyde has also impressed two-time Funny Car world champion and noted instructor at the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School Jack Beckman. The veteran driver has taught for over two decades and has raced against almost every Funny Car world champion since 1985.
 
“I think there’s only one viable candidate. I said it on stage during driver intros at St. Louis when Spencer and I were introduced together,” said Beckman. “I said, ‘I don’t gamble but, if I had to bet money, I’m standing next to the rookie of the year this year.’ That’s how good Spencer has been. He has run the full season and is in contention for the championship. He gets better every single race and drives one of the best cars out there. I just think that’s the perfect storm and he represents himself and the sport very well.”
 
Hyde will be looking to close out his rookie season with a victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the site of his Mission #2Fast#Tasty victory earlier this season. The Head Inc. Funny Car and Hyde will be back on track October 31 – November 2 for the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals.

SUN PRAIRIE SHOOTOUT: Sheldon Haudenschild Bests Emerson Axsom in Angell Park Thriller

The two trade the top spot several times before Haudenschild secures it and hangs on for his fourth win of the season

SUN PRAIRIE, WI (October 19, 2025) – It was quite the weekend for Buckeyes in the state of Wisconsin.

A day after Ohio State football rolled into the “Badger State” and dominated against the home team, Wooster, OH’s Sheldon Haudenschild gave Ohio another reason to celebrate.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars returned to Sun Prairie, WI’s Angell Park Speedway for the first time in nine years for a Sunday showdown, and the historic track didn’t disappoint.

Haudenschild and Emerson Axsom gave the packed house exactly what they came for. Axsom fired off from the pole for the 35-lapper after winning the Toyota Dash, and Haudenschild started a row behind him. Axsom pulled ahead early and rolled the bottom while Haudenschild started to search for speed up top. It didn’t take him long to find it as he ripped by David Gravel for second despite tapping the Turn 2 wall once while making the pass.

It took Haudenschild only two more circuits to track down Axsom and make the pass on the cushion, but just like the Indiana Hoosiers aren’t ready to bow down to the Buckeyes this year, Axsom, a native of Franklin, IN, wouldn’t go away easily. He fired a slider at the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No. 17 that cleared. The two went back and forth for the next several laps before Haudenschild finally gained the upper hand and pulled away. Axsom closed in late to make things interesting but couldn’t find a route by as Haudenschild took the checkered flag.

It’s been a tough couple weeks for Haudenschild working with an entirely new crew following the National Open, but he won’t let that slow him down. He was happy to take Kyle Pruitt, Nate Repetz, and Cole Neuhalfen to Victory Lane.

“I said from the start when I told these guys I was leaving that I’m still going to focus on winning these races,” Haudenschild said. “I’ve stuck to my word on finishing the year out on this thing. A little uncomfortable for me with a whole new set of guys in there, but the crew did a good job.

“I kind of figured I had to run the top in (Turns) 1 and 2, and it about bit me there a couple times. I could enter really good, and it was just really powdery off the top. I just think there was a little bit of a benefit to starting third there and kind of get to see what the other guys were doing. Once I started sliding across the track I didn’t feel good. I started on the top over here and was able to turn down, and I felt it latching up a little bit. I kind of figured he’d try and slide me, and I’d be able to do that.”

The victory was Haudenschild’s fourth of the year and the 46th of his career with The Greatest Show on Dirt.” He also kept his perfect record at Angell Park alive. Haudenschild debuted at the Wisconsin track in 2014 with a victory aboard Chris Hartnell’s Sprint Car, and Sunday’s visit was his first since that night.

Emerson Axsom came home with the runner-up spot for his fourth career World of Outlaws podium as he continues to bang on the door of that first Series victory. The Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports pilot came away happy with the speed but also a little disappointed to night end the evening celebrating a victory.

“I was racing with him,” Axsom said. “And he just kept leaving the bottom open, and it allowed me to, with how the track is shaped, to build speed below him and not really break my momentum. He must’ve got a run on me, and then David got by me. I got back by David just trying stuff. It’s just bittersweet. Our stuff is really good right now.”

David Gravel took the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 to a third place finish, marking his Series-leading 38th podium of 2025. The Watertown, CT native’s point lead stands at 138 markers with just five races to go as he closes on a second straight championship.

“It was interesting,” Gravel said. “I felt like the bottom was going to be the place to be in (Turns) 1 and 2 the whole time. Sheldon showed us the top was the place to be, and I saw him almost crash that one time outside of me. I thought maybe he just had a hero lap, but then the next lap he drove around me. Then I kind of got up there and followed him.”

Logan Schuchart and Buddy Kofoid completed the top five.

Donny Schatz took the Sides Motorsports No. 15 from 20th to 12th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

David Gravel claimed his 23rd Simpson Quick Time of 2025 in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying and set a new track record.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Emerson Axsom (Real American Beer Heat Two), and Buddy Kofoid (WIX Filters Heat Three).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Emerson Axsom.

Axsom also topped the Toyota Dash.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Conner Morrell.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to the Heartland for trips to Wichita, KS’ 81 Speedway on Friday, Oct. 24 and Colcord, OK’s Arrowhead Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 25 for the $20,000-to-win Jason Johnson Classic presented by FK Rod Ends. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

SUN PRAIRIE SHOOTOUT: Sheldon Haudenschild Bests Emerson Axsom in Angell Park Thriller

The two trade the top spot several times before Haudenschild secures it and hangs on for his fourth win of the season

SUN PRAIRIE, WI (October 19, 2025) – It was quite the weekend for Buckeyes in the state of Wisconsin.

A day after Ohio State football rolled into the “Badger State” and dominated against the home team, Wooster, OH’s Sheldon Haudenschild gave Ohio another reason to celebrate.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars returned to Sun Prairie, WI’s Angell Park Speedway for the first time in nine years for a Sunday showdown, and the historic track didn’t disappoint.

Haudenschild and Emerson Axsom gave the packed house exactly what they came for. Axsom fired off from the pole for the 35-lapper after winning the Toyota Dash, and Haudenschild started a row behind him. Axsom pulled ahead early and rolled the bottom while Haudenschild started to search for speed up top. It didn’t take him long to find it as he ripped by David Gravel for second despite tapping the Turn 2 wall once while making the pass.

It took Haudenschild only two more circuits to track down Axsom and make the pass on the cushion, but just like the Indiana Hoosiers aren’t ready to bow down to the Buckeyes this year, Axsom, a native of Franklin, IN, wouldn’t go away easily. He fired a slider at the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No. 17 that cleared. The two went back and forth for the next several laps before Haudenschild finally gained the upper hand and pulled away. Axsom closed in late to make things interesting but couldn’t find a route by as Haudenschild took the checkered flag.

It’s been a tough couple weeks for Haudenschild working with an entirely new crew following the National Open, but he won’t let that slow him down. He was happy to take Kyle Pruitt, Nate Repetz, and Cole Neuhalfen to Victory Lane.

“I said from the start when I told these guys I was leaving that I’m still going to focus on winning these races,” Haudenschild said. “I’ve stuck to my word on finishing the year out on this thing. A little uncomfortable for me with a whole new set of guys in there, but the crew did a good job.

“I kind of figured I had to run the top in (Turns) 1 and 2, and it about bit me there a couple times. I could enter really good, and it was just really powdery off the top. I just think there was a little bit of a benefit to starting third there and kind of get to see what the other guys were doing. Once I started sliding across the track I didn’t feel good. I started on the top over here and was able to turn down, and I felt it latching up a little bit. I kind of figured he’d try and slide me, and I’d be able to do that.”

The victory was Haudenschild’s fourth of the year and the 46th of his career with The Greatest Show on Dirt.” He also kept his perfect record at Angell Park alive. Haudenschild debuted at the Wisconsin track in 2014 with a victory aboard Chris Hartnell’s Sprint Car, and Sunday’s visit was his first since that night.

Emerson Axsom came home with the runner-up spot for his fourth career World of Outlaws podium as he continues to bang on the door of that first Series victory. The Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports pilot came away happy with the speed but also a little disappointed to night end the evening celebrating a victory.

“I was racing with him,” Axsom said. “And he just kept leaving the bottom open, and it allowed me to, with how the track is shaped, to build speed below him and not really break my momentum. He must’ve got a run on me, and then David got by me. I got back by David just trying stuff. It’s just bittersweet. Our stuff is really good right now.”

David Gravel took the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 to a third place finish, marking his Series-leading 38th podium of 2025. The Watertown, CT native’s point lead stands at 138 markers with just five races to go as he closes on a second straight championship.

“It was interesting,” Gravel said. “I felt like the bottom was going to be the place to be in (Turns) 1 and 2 the whole time. Sheldon showed us the top was the place to be, and I saw him almost crash that one time outside of me. I thought maybe he just had a hero lap, but then the next lap he drove around me. Then I kind of got up there and followed him.”

Logan Schuchart and Buddy Kofoid completed the top five.

Donny Schatz took the Sides Motorsports No. 15 from 20th to 12th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

David Gravel claimed his 23rd Simpson Quick Time of 2025 in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying and set a new track record.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Emerson Axsom (Real American Beer Heat Two), and Buddy Kofoid (WIX Filters Heat Three).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Emerson Axsom.

Axsom also topped the Toyota Dash.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Conner Morrell.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to the Heartland for trips to Wichita, KS’ 81 Speedway on Friday, Oct. 24 and Colcord, OK’s Arrowhead Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 25 for the $20,000-to-win Jason Johnson Classic presented by FK Rod Ends. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[3]; 2. 27-Emerson Axsom[1]; 3. 2-David Gravel[2]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[7]; 5. 83-Michael Kofoid[4]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog[8]; 7. 2C-Cole Macedo[9]; 8. 41-Carson Macedo[5]; 9. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[14]; 10. 23-Garet Williamson[16]; 11. 7S-Chris Windom[6]; 12. 15-Donny Schatz[20]; 13. 21H-Brady Bacon[12]; 14. 15S-Kerry Madsen[17]; 15. 6-Zach Hampton[11]; 16. 18-Cory Eliason[13]; 17. 99-Skylar Gee[18]; 18. 85J-Logan Julien[10]; 19. 2W-Scott Neitzel[15]; 20. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[19]; 21. 25-Danny Schlafer[21]; 22. O9-Clayton Rossmann[23]; 23. 7-Lance Fassbender[24]; 24. 28M-Conner Morrell[22]

Berry Leads 27 Laps Before Early Exit at Talladega

For the first two Stages of Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Josh Berry was wheeling a blazing-fast eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse.After starting sixth, Berry took the lead from polesitter Michael McDowell on the second lap and went on to lead six more times for a total of 27 laps. Even when the No. 21 wasn’t out front, it was a fixture inside the top 10 — and often among the top five.Near the end of Stage 1, Berry avoided a large multi-car crash and pitted just before the end of the 60-lap segment. He restarted the second Stage from third and immediately retook the lead, but mechanical issues soon began to take their toll. His promising day came to an early end shortly after the start of the final Stage, leaving him with a 33rd-place finish.Despite the disappointment, Berry’s performance added to an impressive stat line. His 27 laps led at Talladega pushed his season total to 207 — the most for the No. 21 team since Ryan Blaney led 301 laps in 2017, and the second most since 1982 when the late Neil Bonnett led 412.Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing team now turn their focus to Martinsville Speedway for next Sunday’s Xfinity 500 — but before that, the team will host its 75th Anniversary Fan Day on Friday, Oct. 24, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Wood Brothers Racing Museum in Stuart, Va.The celebration will feature driver appearances, Q&A sessions, autograph opportunities, raffle prizes, trivia, giveaways and more. Nine drivers are expected to attend, including Berry, Donnie Allison, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney, Harrison Burton, Dale Jarrett, Paul Menard, Elliott Sadler and Michael Waltrip.The museum is located at 21 Performance Drive, Stuart, VA 24171. For more details and a full schedule of events, visit woodbrothersracing.com.

Hocevar Leads Chevrolet with Top-10 Finish at Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR Cup SeriesTalladega Superspeedway Round of Eight: Race Two Team Chevy Post-Race Report October 19, 2025


MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
·        In an overtime finish, it was Carson Hocevar that led Chevrolet with a sixth-place finish in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway – earning is ninth top-10 result of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.  
·        In his 400th career NASCAR Cup Series start, Kyle Larson was in contention for his first superspeedway win when he fell just short on fuel on the final lap – ultimately resulting in a 26th-place finish. Leaning on a strong points cushion heading into the weekend, the 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native will enter the Round of Eight elimination race ranked fourth in the playoff standings and 36-points above the cutline as the Team Chevy driver continues his pursuit for his second career championship in NASCAR’s premier series.  
·        Looking for a playoff upset, Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell topped Saturday’s qualifying session to earn the pole position for today’s 188-lap race. Electing the outside lane to take the green flag, McDowell edged out the field to lead the first lap of the race as a third lane quickly developed. Leading the bottom lane was Kyle Busch, who found the top position by Lap Four as a tight battle ensued among the leaders. In typical speedway fashion, there was a shuffle throughout the top of the leaderboard, but with fellow Team Chevy driver, Shane van Gisbergen, in tow, Busch took over the top position once again by Lap 17. Sitting in lead, Busch was among the group to hit pit road at Lap 45 for a 4.8-second fuel-only stop, but a pit road speeding penalty forced the No. 8 Chevrolet back to pit road for a pass through penalty. Once the first green-flag pit cycle was complete, calamity ensued in the closing laps that ended in a multi-car accident at the front of the pack. Among those collected included Team Chevy playoff contender, Chase Elliott, with the damage ultimately taking the No. 9 team out of contention for the remainder of the race.  
·        Despite a setback in running position after a late-stage pit road penalty, Kyle Busch quickly found his way back to the front for much of the next 60-lap run – ending Stage Two with a combined 26-laps led (second-most of the race at the conclusion of the stage). Team Chevy playoff drivers, Kyle Larson and William Byron, made their presence known in the second stage – collecting second- and fourth-place points, respectively.
Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos.     Driver

6th – Carson HocevarChevrolet’s season statistics with 34 NASCAR Cup Series races complete: 

Wins: 14Poles: 12Top-Fives: 61Top 10s: 136Stage Wins: 25
UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight will conclude at Martinsville Speedway with the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, October 26, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 13th “It’s not often you can leave Talladega in one piece and have a fairly uneventful day so that feels good. We had a pretty good Busch Light Hunting Chevrolet today. It was a little tight when I was trying to follow the car in front of me really close, but overall, it was pretty comfortable to drive. We’ll take 13th place and move on to Martinsville next weekend.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 27th “We had a fast No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, so great effort by everyone at RCR and ECR for all of the preparation leading into the race. We ended up with damage in a Stage 2 wreck and it put us behind. We weren’t able to recover and settled for 27th. It’s a shame but that’s how these speedway races go sometimes.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 26th You were a little tight on fuel, when did it start sputtering on you? “It was flashing at me through (turns) one and two. I was just hoping that maybe we could make it, but midway down the back, it started stumbling and I just got out of the way. It’s unfortunate. I’d rather have a bigger points cushion heading into next weekend, but we’ll regroup and focus on Martinsville (Speedway).”    Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 19th “We had a fast No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet today at Talladega Superspeedway. We qualified up front, the car drove great and we led laps. I gambled on the top line at the end and it didn’t payoff. We still have two races left in 2025 to get our Richard Childress Racing machine back to victory lane and that remains the focus.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Finished: 40th Elliott on the accident that ended the No. 9 Chevrolet team’s day in Stage One: “I saw someone get turned sideways. I was trying to get slowed up like normal. I ended up getting turned sideways into some other cars, and then they slid back into me. I’m not really sure… I hate it. I felt like we had ourselves in a good spot before the pit cycle. I didn’t feel like we executed the cycle very well and that put us back in the back again. I’m not sure if that would have helped us miss the wreck or not. Obviously, all of that is very circumstantial, but nonetheless, it is what it is. I can’t change it now, so we’re just all eyes on Martinsville (Speedway) and we’ll try to go there and get a win.”  Did you feel the energy coming at the end of the stage, or did it just come out of nowhere?“The energy was definitely picking up. Pretty much everything after the pit cycle was getting pretty crazy, so I wasn’t super surprised by it. Maybe I should have got out… I wasn’t going to get any points where I was out. We were right on that cusp of if your lane really goes forward and catches the back part of the top-10, but it probably wasn’t worth the risk at the end of the day. It was really wild from the get-go. Even when we were saving fuel, we were running four-wide and getting a lot of confidence up.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Finished: 37th What was the view from your seat? “I feel alright, it just knocked the air out of me. As I stopped, it felt like the car was catching on fire, so I got out and tried to get my breath back. I feel OK now, probably just going to be sore from a hard hit for the whole body.  I am proud of this No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team. We got it up front there. You get to the front and hope that maybe you’ll run to the end of the stage. I think we were leading there. Joey (Logano) was doing a really good job of pushing me in the right areas. I felt like we could kind of direct both lines. Obviously, Noah (Gragson) was next to me, and it looked like Noah got turned getting into the corner and it turned me straight into the fence. It’s disappointing, but it’s part of this racing. At least we were up front a little bit there. You always expect the worst here (at Talladega Superspeedway) and hope for the best, but today we got the worst.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 25th“Certainly, a finish would have helped us be a little bit closer on the points side of things. We just lost control of the race. We just couldn’t get the pushes going the way we needed to on the bottom lane. We got the outside lane clear down in front of us, and then the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) ran out of fuel there on the backstretch and that kind of broke up the energy a little bit more. We just couldn’t get it linked back together. It was just wrong place, wrong time. I felt like we were in a good spot where I was on the bottom, but we just couldn’t get linked up.”    Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 22nd “We had our United Rentals Chevrolet in position for the win in the closing laps, being the second car in the outside lane. The No. 17 must have got tight and went wide into the corner, but we were connected and I was pushing like heck. By the time I looked in the mirror, the No. 77 was already inside. It sucks because we were going to have a shot at it. On the overtime restart, we couldn’t make ground up. I’m proud of everyone on this No. 33 team, everyone at RCR and ECR though. We made improvements in our five Cup Series starts together this season and proved that we can race well on Sundays. Really grateful to Richard Childress for the opportunity.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Finished: 38th Stenhouse Jr. on the accident that ended the No. 47 Chevrolet team’s day early in Stage One: “I didn’t see anything but the No. 4 (Noah Gragson), unfortunately. We were leading that top lane. I felt like I did everything I needed for our team there; got off pit road really well and saved a lot of fuel. We were battling for a top-10 coming to the stage end. Maybe the No. 43 (Erik Jones), for some reason, pushed the No. 4 in the corner. I felt like it was a little early for that. I think up to that point, everyone was racing hard, but weren’t putting anybody in bad spots. It just looked like he got him on the right-rear side of the bumper and spun him there.” 
NASCAR Cup SeriesTalladega SuperspeedwayRound of Eight: Race TwoTeam Chevy Post-Race ReportOctober 19, 2025


 Hocevar Leads Chevrolet with Top-10 Finish at Talladega Superspeedway
MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
·        In an overtime finish, it was Carson Hocevar that led Chevrolet with a sixth-place finish in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway – earning is ninth top-10 result of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.  
·        In his 400th career NASCAR Cup Series start, Kyle Larson was in contention for his first superspeedway win when he fell just short on fuel on the final lap – ultimately resulting in a 26th-place finish. Leaning on a strong points cushion heading into the weekend, the 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native will enter the Round of Eight elimination race ranked fourth in the playoff standings and 36-points above the cutline as the Team Chevy driver continues his pursuit for his second career championship in NASCAR’s premier series.  
·        Looking for a playoff upset, Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell topped Saturday’s qualifying session to earn the pole position for today’s 188-lap race. Electing the outside lane to take the green flag, McDowell edged out the field to lead the first lap of the race as a third lane quickly developed. Leading the bottom lane was Kyle Busch, who found the top position by Lap Four as a tight battle ensued among the leaders. In typical speedway fashion, there was a shuffle throughout the top of the leaderboard, but with fellow Team Chevy driver, Shane van Gisbergen, in tow, Busch took over the top position once again by Lap 17. Sitting in lead, Busch was among the group to hit pit road at Lap 45 for a 4.8-second fuel-only stop, but a pit road speeding penalty forced the No. 8 Chevrolet back to pit road for a pass through penalty. Once the first green-flag pit cycle was complete, calamity ensued in the closing laps that ended in a multi-car accident at the front of the pack. Among those collected included Team Chevy playoff contender, Chase Elliott, with the damage ultimately taking the No. 9 team out of contention for the remainder of the race.  
·        Despite a setback in running position after a late-stage pit road penalty, Kyle Busch quickly found his way back to the front for much of the next 60-lap run – ending Stage Two with a combined 26-laps led (second-most of the race at the conclusion of the stage). Team Chevy playoff drivers, Kyle Larson and William Byron, made their presence known in the second stage – collecting second- and fourth-place points, respectively.
Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos.     Driver

6th – Carson HocevarChevrolet’s season statistics with 34 NASCAR Cup Series races complete: 

Wins: 14Poles: 12Top-Fives: 61Top 10s: 136Stage Wins: 25
UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight will conclude at Martinsville Speedway with the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, October 26, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 13th “It’s not often you can leave Talladega in one piece and have a fairly uneventful day so that feels good. We had a pretty good Busch Light Hunting Chevrolet today. It was a little tight when I was trying to follow the car in front of me really close, but overall, it was pretty comfortable to drive. We’ll take 13th place and move on to Martinsville next weekend.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 27th “We had a fast No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, so great effort by everyone at RCR and ECR for all of the preparation leading into the race. We ended up with damage in a Stage 2 wreck and it put us behind. We weren’t able to recover and settled for 27th. It’s a shame but that’s how these speedway races go sometimes.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 26th You were a little tight on fuel, when did it start sputtering on you? “It was flashing at me through (turns) one and two. I was just hoping that maybe we could make it, but midway down the back, it started stumbling and I just got out of the way. It’s unfortunate. I’d rather have a bigger points cushion heading into next weekend, but we’ll regroup and focus on Martinsville (Speedway).”    Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 19th “We had a fast No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet today at Talladega Superspeedway. We qualified up front, the car drove great and we led laps. I gambled on the top line at the end and it didn’t payoff. We still have two races left in 2025 to get our Richard Childress Racing machine back to victory lane and that remains the focus.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Finished: 40th Elliott on the accident that ended the No. 9 Chevrolet team’s day in Stage One: “I saw someone get turned sideways. I was trying to get slowed up like normal. I ended up getting turned sideways into some other cars, and then they slid back into me. I’m not really sure… I hate it. I felt like we had ourselves in a good spot before the pit cycle. I didn’t feel like we executed the cycle very well and that put us back in the back again. I’m not sure if that would have helped us miss the wreck or not. Obviously, all of that is very circumstantial, but nonetheless, it is what it is. I can’t change it now, so we’re just all eyes on Martinsville (Speedway) and we’ll try to go there and get a win.”  Did you feel the energy coming at the end of the stage, or did it just come out of nowhere?“The energy was definitely picking up. Pretty much everything after the pit cycle was getting pretty crazy, so I wasn’t super surprised by it. Maybe I should have got out… I wasn’t going to get any points where I was out. We were right on that cusp of if your lane really goes forward and catches the back part of the top-10, but it probably wasn’t worth the risk at the end of the day. It was really wild from the get-go. Even when we were saving fuel, we were running four-wide and getting a lot of confidence up.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Finished: 37th What was the view from your seat? “I feel alright, it just knocked the air out of me. As I stopped, it felt like the car was catching on fire, so I got out and tried to get my breath back. I feel OK now, probably just going to be sore from a hard hit for the whole body.  I am proud of this No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team. We got it up front there. You get to the front and hope that maybe you’ll run to the end of the stage. I think we were leading there. Joey (Logano) was doing a really good job of pushing me in the right areas. I felt like we could kind of direct both lines. Obviously, Noah (Gragson) was next to me, and it looked like Noah got turned getting into the corner and it turned me straight into the fence. It’s disappointing, but it’s part of this racing. At least we were up front a little bit there. You always expect the worst here (at Talladega Superspeedway) and hope for the best, but today we got the worst.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 25th“Certainly, a finish would have helped us be a little bit closer on the points side of things. We just lost control of the race. We just couldn’t get the pushes going the way we needed to on the bottom lane. We got the outside lane clear down in front of us, and then the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) ran out of fuel there on the backstretch and that kind of broke up the energy a little bit more. We just couldn’t get it linked back together. It was just wrong place, wrong time. I felt like we were in a good spot where I was on the bottom, but we just couldn’t get linked up.”    Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 22nd “We had our United Rentals Chevrolet in position for the win in the closing laps, being the second car in the outside lane. The No. 17 must have got tight and went wide into the corner, but we were connected and I was pushing like heck. By the time I looked in the mirror, the No. 77 was already inside. It sucks because we were going to have a shot at it. On the overtime restart, we couldn’t make ground up. I’m proud of everyone on this No. 33 team, everyone at RCR and ECR though. We made improvements in our five Cup Series starts together this season and proved that we can race well on Sundays. Really grateful to Richard Childress for the opportunity.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Finished: 38th Stenhouse Jr. on the accident that ended the No. 47 Chevrolet team’s day early in Stage One: “I didn’t see anything but the No. 4 (Noah Gragson), unfortunately. We were leading that top lane. I felt like I did everything I needed for our team there; got off pit road really well and saved a lot of fuel. We were battling for a top-10 coming to the stage end. Maybe the No. 43 (Erik Jones), for some reason, pushed the No. 4 in the corner. I felt like it was a little early for that. I think up to that point, everyone was racing hard, but weren’t putting anybody in bad spots. It just looked like he got him on the right-rear side of the bumper and spun him there.” 

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Talladega post race


NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES OCTOBER 19, 2025


MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESOCTOBER 19, 2025


MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Elliott on the accident that ended the No. 9 Chevrolet team’s day in Stage One: “I saw someone get turned sideways. I was trying to get slowed up like normal. I ended up getting turned sideways into some other cars, and then they slid back into me. I’m not really sure… I hate it. I felt like we had ourselves in a good spot before the pit cycle. I didn’t feel like we executed the cycle very well and that put us back in the back again. I’m not sure if that would have helped us miss the wreck or not. Obviously, all of that is very circumstantial, but nonetheless, it is what it is. I can’t change it now, so we’re just all eyes on Martinsville (Speedway) and we’ll try to go there and get a win.”  Did you feel the energy coming at the end of the stage, or did it just come out of nowhere?“The energy was definitely picking up. Pretty much everything after the pit cycle was getting pretty crazy, so I wasn’t super surprised by it. Maybe I should have got out… I wasn’t going to get any points where I was out. We were right on that cusp of if your lane really goes forward and catches the back part of the top-10, but it probably wasn’t worth the risk at the end of the day. It was really wild from the get-go. Even when we were saving fuel, we were running four-wide and getting a lot of confidence up.”


AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. What was the view from your seat? “I feel alright, it just knocked the air out of me. As I stopped, it felt like the car was catching on fire, so I got out and tried to get my breath back. I feel OK now, probably just going to be sore from a hard hit for the whole body.  I am proud of this No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team. We got it up front there. You get to the front and hope that maybe you’ll run to the end of the stage. I think we were leading there. Joey (Logano) was doing a really good job of pushing me in the right areas. I felt like we could kind of direct both lines. Obviously, Noah (Gragson) was next to me, and it looked like Noah got turned getting into the corner and it turned me straight into the fence. It’s disappointing, but it’s part of this racing. At least we were up front a little bit there. You always expect the worst here (at Talladega Superspeedway) and hope for the best, but today we got the worst.”


Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Stenhouse Jr. on the accident that ended the No. 47 Chevrolet team’s day early in Stage One: “I didn’t see anything but the No. 4 (Noah Gragson), unfortunately. We were leading that top lane. I felt like I did everything I needed for our team there; got off pit road really well and saved a lot of fuel. We were battling for a top-10 coming to the stage end. Maybe the No. 43 (Erik Jones), for some reason, pushed the No. 4 in the corner. I felt like it was a little early for that. I think up to that point, everyone was racing hard, but weren’t putting anybody in bad spots. It just looked like he got him on the right-rear side of the bumper and spun him there.”   

Pierce Wins $100,000 For Second Consecutive Dirt Track World Championship at Eldora

Pierce Wins $100,000 For Second Consecutive Dirt Track World Championship at Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH (October 18, 2025) – Bobby Pierce became the fourth driver in the 45-year history of Carl Short’s Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP to win the Crown Jewel race in back-to-back years, as he withstood a back-and-forth battle with Chris Madden and went on to win the $100,000 event for the on Saturday night at Eldora Speedway. Devin Moran, with his fourth-place finish, clinched his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing National Championship, earning him a record $250,000. Pierce led 44 of the 100 laps and joined Scott Bloomquist, Josh Richards, and Brandon Sheppard as the only drivers to win the event, which began in 1981, in consecutive years. Madden was in front for a race-leading 56 laps as he earned $20,000 for second place. Brandon Sheppard, who was seeking a history-making sixth DTWC, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Moran and Nick Hoffman rounded out the rest of the top five. Madden was in control early on, leading the first 49 laps of the race, when Pierce, who started 13th, took the lead at the halfway point. The two then traded the race lead several times until Pierce finally managed to pull away from Madden. Madden ran second until Moran took over the runner-up position on lap 76. Moran maintained second place until the final caution of the race, which came out with 88 laps completed. Madden then managed to pass Moran on the restart, but Pierce was able to pull away somewhat, crossing the finish line 1.390 seconds ahead of the South Carolina driver to secure his 29th career series win. The Oakwood, Illinois driver who won from 14th a year ago, came from the inside of row seven this year to collect the win. “I didn’t know how tonight would go after last night. B-Shepp said last night that the track would be good tonight, and it was. You know, Longhorn doesn’t build a bad car. This car here has won three big races at Eldora now, so we might have to keep it in rotation. You know, we might make the JD car out of it and just bring it here to Eldora to race.” “I was getting a little worked up because it’s been a month and a half since I won a race, which is rare for me, so this feels awesome. I know Brandon (Sheppard) has had a great run in the DTWC; he always shows up around this time of year. Obviously, with Freddy (Smith), I never got to race against him, and those guys are top-notch. I hope I can be on that list of five or more wins. Let’s do it again next year.” Moran, the driver of the Double Down Motorsports #99, became the 10th different champion in the 21-year history of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, celebrating with his crew, family, and friends on the Eldora stage afterward. “It’s about time, and it’s an incredible feeling. Thank you, Eldora. Winning these championships is really tough. Honestly, I felt like I had a really good car. I drove a very conservative race, which kind of backfired at the end because I chose the bottom lane; I didn’t want to put myself in a bad situation and get slid going into one and two, which cost me a couple of spots. I don’t think I had anything for Bobby – he had a really good car. I never really pushed as hard as I could because I didn’t want any problems. I saw Ricky and JD having issues, and I didn’t want to cause any myself,” said the Dresden, Ohio native. “It was hard to stay focused at the end. I got flustered during that restart. I felt like I did a really good job staying focused, running a smart and solid race, and I had a good car to do that. I hit the cushion hard in turns one and two, and I was thinking, Devin, get through the race – there are just a couple of laps left – just finish it and go celebrate with my friends, family, and crew. So, like I said, it is a really amazing feeling.” The winner’s Bobby Pierce Racing, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Low Voltage Solutions, Churchill Transport, Collins Brothers Towing, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Steidinger Construction, Pontiac RV, Toyota of Danville, Carnaghi Towing and Repair, Ted Brown’s Quality, Paint and Body Shop, Rio Grande Waste Services, Fast 1 Speed Shop, Leka Tree Service, Duromax, Bert by Budda, and Floyd’s Waste Services.  Completing the top ten were Mike Marlar, Tim McCreadie, Carson Ferguson, Dale McDowell, and Brandon Overton. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARPSaturday, October 18, 2025Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Tim McCreadie | 15.674 seconds  Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 3. 74X-Ethan Dotson[2]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[5]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[4]; 6. 29-Clint Keenan[7]; 7. 28T-Tyler Carpenter[11]; 8. 71R-Rod Conley[9]; 9. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[6]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[13]; 11. 69J-Jon Hodgkiss[8]; 12. 09-Michael Leach[14]; 13. (DNS) 111-Max Blair; 14. (DNS) 1T-Tyler Erb
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 11R-Josh Rice[5]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith[8]; 4. 69-RC Whitwell[13]; 5. 96-Tanner English[14]; 6. 17D-Zack Dohm[2]; 7. 89-Mike Spatola[6]; 8. 17SR-Brody Smith[12]; 9. 3-Matt Miller[10]; 10. 101-Forrest Trent[9]; 11. 15K-Colten Burdette[3]; 12. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[7]; 13. (DNS) 39-Brandon Moore; 14. (DQ) 14H-Haiden Cowan[4]
MyRacePass B-Main Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 79-Donald McIntosh[3]; 2. 9-Tim McCreadie[1]; 3. 114-Jordan Koehler[2]; 4. 17SS-Brenden Smith[5]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 6. 6M-Michael Chilton[12]; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 9. S8-Chris Stotts[10]; 10. 55E-Eli Johnson[11]; 11. 11K-Evan Koehler[8]; 12. 99M-Caden McWhorter[6]
Jim Dunn Memorial Non-Qualifer Race Finish (15 Laps): 1. 74X-Ethan Dotson[1]; 2. 89-Mike Spatola[14]; 3. 29-Clint Keenan[10]; 4. 28T-Tyler Carpenter[13]; 5. 3-Matt Miller[18]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[9]; 7. 71R-Rod Conley[15]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[26]; 9. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[17]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[20]; 11. 69J-Jon Hodgkiss[23]; 12. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 13. 69-RC Whitwell[5]; 14. 55E-Eli Johnson[22]; 15. 20-Jimmy Owens[4]; 16. 6M-Michael Chilton[12]; 17. (DNS) 10-Garrett Smith; 18. (DNS) 114-Jordan Koehler; 19. (DNS) 19R-Ryan Gustin; 20. (DNS) 96-Tanner English; 21. (DNS) 17D-Zack Dohm; 22. (DNS) 17SR-Brody Smith; 23. (DNS) S8-Chris Stotts; 24. (DNS) 101-Forrest Trent; 25. (DNS) 15K-Colten Burdette; 26. (DNS) 11K-Evan Koehler 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARP Feature Finish (100 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings 13  32  Bobby Pierce  Oakwood IL  $50,1002  2  44  Chris Madden  Gray Court SC  $20,0003  5  1  Brandon Sheppard  New Berlin IL  $10,7004  3  99  Devin Moran  Dresden OH  $9,1005  9  9H  Nick Hoffman  Mooresville NC  $7,0006  19  157  Mike Marlar  Winfield TN  $6,0007  24  9  Tim McCreadie  Watertown NY  $4,5008  7  93  Carson Ferguson  Lincolnton NC  $4,7009  6  17M  Dale McDowell  Chickamauga GA  $3,80010  14  76  Brandon Overton  Evans GA  $4,30011  10  28  Dennis Erb Jr  Carpentersville IL  $3,40012  1  22F  Chris Ferguson  Mt. Holly NC  $3,20013  15  6  Clay Harris  Jupiter FL  $3,70014  12  49  Jonathan Davenport  Blairsville GA  $3,60015  17  18D  Daulton Wilson  Fayetteville NC  $3,10016  25  22  Daniel Hilsabeck  Earlham IA  $3,00017  26  93L  Cory Lawler  Hanover PA  $2,90018  8  20RT  Ricky Thornton Jr  Chandler AZ  $3,20019  20  11R  Josh Rice  Crittenden KY  $2,00020  21  79  Donald McIntosh  Dawsonville GA  $2,70021  18  19M  Joseph Joiner  Milton FL  $2,70022  23  60  Dan Ebert  Lake Shore MN  $2,70023  4  58  Garrett Alberson  Las Cruces NM  $2,70024  16  12  Jason Jameson  Lawrenceburg IN  $2,00025  22  3S  Brian Shirley  Chatham IL  $2,00026  11  71  Hudson O’Neal  Martinsville IN  $2,800 Race Statistics  Entrants: 59Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Chris FergusonMD3 Lap Leaders: Chris Madden (Laps 1-49) Bobby Pierce (Lap 50); Chris Madden (Laps 51-55); Bobby Pierce (Laps 56-57); Chris Madden (Laps 58-59); Bobby Pierce (Laps 60-100)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Bobby PierceWieland Feature Winner: Bobby PierceMargin of Victory: 1.390 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Daulton Wilson (Lap 7); Debris (Lap 13); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 30); Garrett Alberson (Lap 34); Dan Ebert (Lap 54); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 61); Josh Rice (Lap 75); Debris (Lap 76); Brandon Overton (Lap 80); Debris (Lap 88)Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck; Cory LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisional: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Bobby Pierce, Chris Madden, Brandon SheppardPenske Shocks Top 5: Bobby Pierce, Chris Madden, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Nick HoffmanPEM 4th Place Feature: Devin MoranDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Nick HoffmanWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Tim McCreadieWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dennis Erb, Jr.Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Clay HarrisMD3 24th Place Feature: Jason JamesonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Advanced 17 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Chris Madden (56 laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Daniel HilsabeckPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Chris Madden | Lap 8 | 16.258 secondsSlicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Devin MoranFresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Bob PierceARP Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race:  Longhorn ChassisTime of Race: 1 hour, 2 minutes, 53 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – YTD Earnings 99  Devin Moran  Dresden OH  9175  $353,6492  20RT  Ricky Thornton Jr  Chandler AZ  9090  $565,6003  49  Jonathan Davenport  Blairsville GA  9010  $477,1004  71  Hudson O’Neal  Martinsville IN  8725  $366,3005  1  Brandon Sheppard  New Berlin IL  8265  $278,8256  58  Garrett Alberson  Las Cruces NM  8020  $208,0507  76  Brandon Overton  Evans GA  7645  $172,7008  18D  Daulton Wilson  Fayetteville NC  6975  $140,4259  93  Carson Ferguson  Lincolnton NC  6890  $128,95010  79  Donald McIntosh  Dawsonville GA  6685  $107,70011  22  Daniel Hilsabeck  Earlham IA  6355  $93,57512  60  Dan Ebert  Lake Shore MN  6165  $97,80013  6  Clay Harris  Jupiter FL  5965  $89,25014  93L  Cory Lawler  Hanover PA  5210  $59,225

McDowell Tops Final Round of Qualifying to Claim Pole Position at Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR Cup SeriesTalladega Superspeedway Round of Eight: Race TwoTeam Chevy Post-Qualifying Report October 18, 2025

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
·        At the conclusion of the final round of qualifying, it was Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell that topped the speed chart to claim the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. McDowell set the pole-winning pace with a lap time of 52.481 seconds, at 182.466 mph, around the 2.66-mile Alabama venue to claim his second pole of the 2025 season. ·        McDowell, who now leads the series’ active drivers with three career pole wins at Talladega Superspeedway, delivered Chevrolet its 12th NASCAR Cup Series pole of the season – earned by seven drivers representing four different Chevrolet organizations. 
Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 Starting LineupPos.     Driver

1st – Michael McDowell3rd – Kyle Busch
Chevrolet’s statistics heading into the 34th NASCAR Cup Series race of the season: 

Wins: 14Poles: 12Top-Fives: 61Top 10s: 135Stage Wins: 25
NASCAR Cup SeriesTalladega SuperspeedwayRound of Eight: Race TwoTeam Chevy Post-Qualifying ReportOctober 18, 2025



McDowell Tops Final Round of Qualifying to Claim Pole Position at Talladega Superspeedway 

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
·        At the conclusion of the final round of qualifying, it was Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell that topped the speed chart to claim the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. McDowell set the pole-winning pace with a lap time of 52.481 seconds, at 182.466 mph, around the 2.66-mile Alabama venue to claim his second pole of the 2025 season. ·        McDowell, who now leads the series’ active drivers with three career pole wins at Talladega Superspeedway, delivered Chevrolet its 12th NASCAR Cup Series pole of the season – earned by seven drivers representing four different Chevrolet organizations. 
Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 Starting LineupPos.     Driver

1st – Michael McDowell3rd – Kyle Busch
Chevrolet’s statistics heading into the 34th NASCAR Cup Series race of the season: 

Wins: 14Poles: 12Top-Fives: 61Top 10s: 135Stage Wins: 25
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet – Pole Winner Quotes McDowell on his pole-winning lap: “For qualifying at Talladega (Superspeedway), there’s not a whole lot the driver does but try not to make any mistakes. But more than anything, I talked about it before I went out there, Daytona got rained out for qualifying and we were looking forward to seeing where our car was at and if we’ve made any gains from the first-two superspeedway races. We didn’t really know where we’re at today, just because we didn’t have that baseline at Daytona. But yeah, really proud of the effort from everybody at Spyro Motorsports. We’ve worked really hard to find some speed, and everybody at the Hendrick Engine Shop, as well, just trying to catch-up on these superspeedway’s. Having a fast car is important. Being able to lead lanes and control lanes, you have to have speed to do that, so the pole is awesome. But more importantly, just knowing you got a fast car going into the race tomorrow.”   
What was the difference between your two laps? You had a pretty dramatic improvement from the first to the second…“Yeah, without giving away too much, our first lap was good. We felt like we probably had a little bit more room to get a bit more speed out of it with some adjustments, and we were able to do that. A lot of times, you sort of nail it that first time and you’re afraid to do too much more because you can make it worse. We felt like we had a little bit more room to go, which is a chance because without practice, you just don’t know what’s too much. But we knew that we were close. Like anytime you’re in that top-five or six, you’re close. So for us, we are about a tenth off of the best car and we felt like if we left it the same, we’re weren’t going to have a shot, so we might as well go a little bit and see if we can gain some more.”    Do you have a car that can do everything you need to do to keep the lead? I“I hope so. I’ll tell you tomorrow. We’ve talked about that a little bit before. For me, I’ve sat on a lot of these poles now, and I don’t feel like it’s taken away from my car’s ability to race. I haven’t felt like I’ve been at that compromise cross-point yet, so I hope so. You don’t know until you know. Even though I haven’t had the results here the last couple years, I’ve been really close to getting to the checkered flag. I’ve led coming to the white flag a few times. And so yeah, I think that it hasn’t hurt my ability to move and make moves and take a push and be pushed. But you know, that’s the first time I’ve been in the No. 71, in a Chevy and in this spot, so I’ll learn a lot more tomorrow. But I felt like our speed at Daytona was good and our cars took pushes, pushed well and  raced well, so I’m not nervous going into it at all now.”   There are not many Chevrolet’s up toward the front. You have Kyle Busch behind you. I’m guessing he’ll start right behind you, so how much have you worked with Kyle in this type of racing? How do you maybe make that work to keep you guys controlling the lane, at least?“Yeah, for sure. Both of us have been doing it a long time, so I’ve worked with Kyle a lot. On superspeedway’s, more than anything, you just build trust of knowing how aggressive to be; when to be aggressive, when to take those big pushes and when not to. You sort of build that rhythm on-track with the handling that you have that day. There is some chemistry between drivers, for sure. But I’ve worked with Kyle before and he’s got a really fast car, as well. I sort of thought that he was going to be the one that could beat us there as he went out, just because he’s a bit quicker. I felt like we hit it well where the wind was changing quite a bit in the qualifying session and the sun was coming a little bit in and out. It’s not a huge deal here, but the wind is a big deal. I felt like he was probably the closest condition-to-condition. We were just able to pick up a little bit more that last run. Obviously, we’ll have two fast Chevy’s up there, but it won’t be long. Everything cycles around. As you guys know, there’s an element of fuel mileage and getting into your window and getting into the right lap window that you want to be in. So eventually, we’re going to be all bunched together three and four wide, and you’ll be close to your neighbors and your friends.  So yeah, I think that more than anything, it’s just trying to keep the control early on and get through that first cycle and have the control going into the end of the first stage.”  

TF Sport, Corvette Claim Historic ELMS Championship

No. 82 Z06 GT3.R takes LMGT3 titles and fourth Corvette Le Mans invite for 2026PORTIMÃO, Portugal (October 18, 2025) – TF Sport and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R co-wrote another new chapter in Corvette Racing history with the program’s first European Le Mans Series championship Saturday with a victory in the season-ending Four Hours of Portimão.
Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and class pole-winner Hiroshi Koizumi teamed for their second LMGT3 victory of the season in the No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and, in the process, claimed the class Drivers and Teams championships. The added bonus is that the title comes with an automatic invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, which could feature a minimum of four Corvettes on the LMGT3 grid.
Orey Fidani and IMSA GTD team AWA – running next year under the 13 Motorsports banner – claimed a second straight invite to Le Mans at last weekend’s Petit Le Mans for winning a second consecutive Bob Akin Award.
Saturday’s titles for TF Sport are the latest for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, following a sweep of the GTD PRO championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Corvette Z06 GT3.R team DXDT Racing remains in contention for the Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge America with the Indianapolis Eight Hours on-going. Johor Motorsports Racing also is alive in the Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge Asia, which closes its season with two street races in Beijing this weekend.
Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom
TF Sport also remains alive in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 title fight with Eastwood, Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy third heading into next month’s Eight Hours of Bahrain.
JESSICA DANE, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Congratulations to everyone at TF Sport for making history today with the first ELMS championship for Corvette Racing. Today’s victory for Charlie, Rui and Hiro came under immense pressure with the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams titles in the balance. The whole team executed the race to perfection. Everyone at Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and GM Motorsports is excited for this championship and a fourth invitation to 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
TF Sport, Corvette Claim Historic ELMS ChampionshipNo. 82 Z06 GT3.R takes LMGT3 titles and fourth Corvette Le Mans invite for 2026PORTIMÃO, Portugal (October 18, 2025) – TF Sport and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R co-wrote another new chapter in Corvette Racing history with the program’s first European Le Mans Series championship Saturday with a victory in the season-ending Four Hours of Portimão.
Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and class pole-winner Hiroshi Koizumi teamed for their second LMGT3 victory of the season in the No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and, in the process, claimed the class Drivers and Teams championships. The added bonus is that the title comes with an automatic invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, which could feature a minimum of four Corvettes on the LMGT3 grid.
Orey Fidani and IMSA GTD team AWA – running next year under the 13 Motorsports banner – claimed a second straight invite to Le Mans at last weekend’s Petit Le Mans for winning a second consecutive Bob Akin Award.
Saturday’s titles for TF Sport are the latest for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, following a sweep of the GTD PRO championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Corvette Z06 GT3.R team DXDT Racing remains in contention for the Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge America with the Indianapolis Eight Hours on-going. Johor Motorsports Racing also is alive in the Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge Asia, which closes its season with two street races in Beijing this weekend.
Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom
TF Sport also remains alive in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 title fight with Eastwood, Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy third heading into next month’s Eight Hours of Bahrain.
JESSICA DANE, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Congratulations to everyone at TF Sport for making history today with the first ELMS championship for Corvette Racing. Today’s victory for Charlie, Rui and Hiro came under immense pressure with the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams titles in the balance. The whole team executed the race to perfection. Everyone at Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and GM Motorsports is excited for this championship and a fourth invitation to 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – LMGT3 RACE AND CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: “That was a very stressful stint to say the least. We didn’t seem to have great pace. We had something we were trying to manage, and with that it was super-difficult. The pace of the McLaren and Wayne (Boyd) has been unbelievable all year. Coming into Turn Five, I could see him behind and then as I came out he was getting closer and closer. Fortunately as the sun started to go down we gained a little bit of grip. But he was right there for the last 10 or 15 laps. My engineer came on the radio saying there were six laps to go and he was literally right behind me and significantly faster. “But what a job by these guys (Andrade and Koizumi). If I didn’t have the gap that I had when I got in the car, for sure we don’t win the race. All credit to both of them for putting in their two best stints of the year exactly when we needed it. I’m super-pleased for the first ELMS championship for Corvette and for the first championship for myself with Corvette. We’ve got Bahrain in a couple of weeks where we’re the underdog as we were today. Hopefully we can have a very good month.“We definitely made that hard work in the last hour. I had to start having to take a lot of risks in traffic because although if we had finished second we might have won, but we didn’t know if other Ferraris were going to let the 50 pass. I was all-out to make sure we got it to the line. What an achievement for the whole team. Rui and Hiro were unbelievable today as was the whole team. I’m going to remember this one for a while.” 
RUI ANDRADE, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – LMGT3 RACE AND CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: “I couldn’t have asked for better conditions to get in the car. Already yesterday, Hiro showed the pace he had this whole weekend. Every time he tried to pull away and create a gap there was a safety car or something. But he gave me the car with a good lead. Obviously we were jumped by some cars that were on an offset strategy, so I had to use the new tires the team gave me and make my way through. It was a relatively easy run for me after that. I did have a little issue with the rear-view camera, which is stressful because there are a lot of cars coming through all the time. But the team guided me through that really well, and I was able to give Charlie the car in P1.“It’s becoming a habit of Charlie’s to pull out these amazing wins in the last lap, which end up in me losing my voice! I’m so happy. For sure it was stressful for Charlie in the car but for us on the outside watching it unfold was even more stressful. I never had any doubt that Charlie would do it, and in the end he did it. I couldn’t be happier right now.”(On winning the LMGT3 title) “This one is special just because as a Silver driver in the GT category now, the level is so high. We’ve had to work so hard since last year. Charlie has been my teammate since the beginning with the Corvette, and we’ve worked really hard to try and get me to improve and be at the level where we are now – where we can be fighting for podiums and wins on a regular basis. So that just makes it a little more special with all the work that has gone into it. It’s surreal.”
HIROSHI KOIZUMI, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – LMGT3 RACE AND CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER:“The team gave us a great car, and I have the two best drivers as teammates. That’s why I was able to keep the car in first place. So I’m really happy for that. I’m feeling very grateful. I was able to do this because of the team, and my teammates. Congratulations to all of them.”

chevy racing–nascar–talladega–kyle larson


NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES OCTOBER 18, 2025

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes: 
We’re 33 races into the year. You’ve got three left. You only had one break since Easter. Is the grind starting to get to you at this time of the year, or does the fact that the playoffs are still going and you’re still very much in it make a difference in terms of avoiding any type burn out?“Yeah, I mean, I think still being in the playoffs and competing for a championship distracts you from the grind in a way or that it has been as long as it has been since we’ve had a break. I think the guys who didn’t make the playoffs or who got knocked out in a round — yeah, they’re probably just counting down the days until the season is over. But for us, we’re still in it, so I haven’t really felt like I want the year to be over. But yeah, it’s definitely a long year… it always is. I mean, even if they threw in one more off weekend, it’s still a lot. But yeah, I mean it kind of is what it is. It’s probably tougher on the crew and the mechanics than it is for us drivers because they live it every single day of the week and work long hours, especially this time of year. But for the driver, sure, I would love another break or more, but it’s probably tougher on the mechanics.”  I feel like this is a talking point a lot of superspeedways, but you look at your success this year and you’ve scored the most points in the series. Why do you feel like you’ve had that success this year?“I’ve finally gotten lucky (laughs)… I don’t know. I mean honestly, like that’s me being a little funny, but our average running position probably during the race is no different, I would assume. We’re just not getting caught up in the crashes at the end of them, for whatever reason, so I hope that’s the case again tomorrow. In the past, it’s easy look on paper and be like Kyle Larson is the worst ever on superspeedways.  But if you really watch the race, we’ve been a top contender in the Next Gen era, especially. So yeah, hopefully we can just stay lucky.   This is also your 400th Cup start this weekend. What would it mean to join the elite list that have won in their 400th career start? “Yeah, I think I read that earlier this week. It’d be pretty neat. I would have liked it go to like Bristol or something for my 400 start (laughs), but It would be extra special to get my first win on a superspeedway in my 400 career start. That would be pretty awesome. We’ll give it our best effort tomorrow and hopefully join that list of Hall of Famers. That would be incredible.”  Can you give a sense of the effort and work that you’ve put into being good at these places that maybe you haven’t had there, even though you haven’t had the results? What do we not understand about what you do to almost be in these positions and potentially be in this position come tomorrow to win the race?“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t say it’s like any bit of different prep than a normal weekend. We have our pre-weekend meeting, as always, and kind of look at different scenarios. I do think something that the good guys do good here, and I would consider myself one of them, is the part that you guys don’t really see — leading into the green flag cycle of fuel saving, getting established with good track position while also saving fuel, and then executing. It takes more than just a driver, but your team executing that green flag cycle really well; getting to the yellow line as quick as you can and getting organized as we do with Team Chevy pretty well. And then getting to your pit sign good and your fueler engaging good. Cliff (Daniels) on the stopwatch, nailing all that. Just executing that whole cycle is important.  I think that’s something that we on the No. 5 team, as well as the other key partners in Chevy, do well. And that’s why I think we are in contention typically at the ends of the stages and at the end of the race. You know, sometimes it works out where you finish and sometimes it doesn’t, but I think that’s something that we’ve worked really hard on as a group the past three or four years. I think we’re one of the best, if not the best, at doing that.”  What kind of an accomplishment will it be for you to win one of these after all the misfortune and tough luck and being up there at times? Of all the things you’ve done, how big is this hill for you to climb?“Yeah, I don’t know. I think for a long time, like at least early to the mid-portions my career, I always had a thought in my head like anybody can win on a superspeedway, so it’s not going to feel that special when I finally do win. But now, it’s gone so long and I haven’t even had many top-10s or top-fives that hopefully if I ever do win, I don’t know what the feelings going to be like, but I would assume that it’s going to feel really big. And I will take it anywhere… I would take it here (at Talladega). I’ll take it at the DAYTONA 500 or Atlanta… like I don’t even care at this point, I just would love to get a win.”  What makes this track so special, even beyond the racing? “I mean, I don’t find myself on the boulevard much anymore, but I would say just the atmosphere here as the sun goes down his is really, really awesome. I remember back when we had like the three-day weekends — I’m sure they still do it, but I don’t know if many drivers participate in it as much anymore, but like they had a parade. I don’t know if they still do it on the boulevard, that was always fun being a part of that and throwing beads at fans and then seeing what kind of crazy event they have at the end of the airstrip there. And then yeah, all you had to do is run one lap the next day, so you go out pretty big Friday night, so that was always fun to look forward to that. And then Sunday, the crowd is always really big and really into it. You feel it during pre-race. You feel it in the midway and all that.  I don’t love the racing here, but I do enjoy coming here because the atmosphere is always great.”  What should we watch tomorrow in terms of how people will approach stage points? If you’re in the playoffs, yeah, those would be really valuable, but you could also get up there and get yourself into a mess that could ruin your day? But then if you let everybody else get stage points, then you’re kind of screwed, too, so how do you think people will play it or do you have any sense of how you might approach that?“Well, I don’t know. We haven’t talked about those sorts of scenarios. I would assume we’re just going normal and trying to execute the green flags cycles, like I mentioned, and get stage points. I think maybe Denny Hamlin would be the only one that wouldn’t be doing that, but I think the seven of us are probably all going to try and get stage points because, as you mentioned, I’m plus 35, but you know if somebody below the cutline or even just anybody behind me goes and wins both stages, that’s 20 points to my zero and that’s a lot. But yeah, I mean there’s a risk that comes with it. I don’t know… hopefully you’ve executed well enough that you are in the front of that group. If not, then yeah, I mean maybe you just got away that risk, but it’s hard to kind of pick your way to the front if you’re outside the top-10 anyways So yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully we just execute good and we can maximize our day like we have been on the speedways.”  There’s a lot of talk about Ryan Blaney and then Penske at Martinsville in the fall. But looking at your stats, you guys are in the ballpark. Where do you feel like you’re at going into Martinsville?“Yeah, I feel like we’re in the ballpark, for sure. I think our team has done a good job to execute the strategies, whether it be whenever you take two tires and stuff like that and I have good restarts and things. Points earned wise, it’s probably one of our better tracks, but it’s not somewhere that I go and I feel like I’m going to have a shot to win here. I still don’t feel the best there. It takes me a while to get into a rhythm. And even when I get into the rhythm, there’s still three or four or five guys that I feel like are better than me there.  Yeah, I mean, Ryan (Blaney), at least in the fall race, has been by far the best the last few years. But yeah, you can’t ever expect to do good anywhere. With our previous results, I think we could go there and score good points if nothing crazy happens.”  You have a 35-point advantage heading into tomorrow’s race. Do you feel that playing it safe might be the way to go this year, given your past experience here?“No, I don’t I don’t think so. I don’t think ever playing it safe is ever the right call in the Cup Series. At least for me here, you’ve got to assume a guy below the cutline or even below you is going to win, so then it’s going to bring you closer to the cutline.  So no, I think you need to go and try to score as many points as you can. And obviously get a win would lock you in. So yeah, I would say we’re not approaching this race any differently than we would in the spring race here. We’re trying to score as many points we can and get a win, if possible.”  Joey Logano was in here earlier and he said it’s sometimes a difficult decision when you’re up front there racing and you make a decision that could either give you a shot at the win or could cost you big time. Given the points circumstances, are you going to go all out for the win or are you going to just say this looks a little risky…“I mean, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know where I’m going to be running at the end of the stages or at the end of the race. But yeah, I mean you’re just kind of making decisions in the moment. The difficult part about speedway racing is that you never know what the right decision or wrong decision is until after you make it. You just don’t know.”  Besides the Chevy Allegiance to your fellow Team Chevy drivers, what qualities do you look for in a driver out there to run with and who are some of your favorites you do run with in the in the draft besides Team Chevy? “The Fords are particularly really good at these types of tracks. They’re really fast. They’re really stable. They’re really good at pushing. They’re really good at receiving pushes. So I would say all of us in the field probably look for a Ford, just because they’re by far the fastest. But also, you know when it comes down to the details of pit road and executing the green flag stops, you look for your Chevy Alliance teams. Like I said, I feel like we’ve worked really well together and even making certain moves on the track. But if you’re trying to get sheer speed and stuff, you want a Ford behind you.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESOCTOBER 18, 2025

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes: 
We’re 33 races into the year. You’ve got three left. You only had one break since Easter. Is the grind starting to get to you at this time of the year, or does the fact that the playoffs are still going and you’re still very much in it make a difference in terms of avoiding any type burn out?“Yeah, I mean, I think still being in the playoffs and competing for a championship distracts you from the grind in a way or that it has been as long as it has been since we’ve had a break. I think the guys who didn’t make the playoffs or who got knocked out in a round — yeah, they’re probably just counting down the days until the season is over. But for us, we’re still in it, so I haven’t really felt like I want the year to be over. But yeah, it’s definitely a long year… it always is. I mean, even if they threw in one more off weekend, it’s still a lot. But yeah, I mean it kind of is what it is. It’s probably tougher on the crew and the mechanics than it is for us drivers because they live it every single day of the week and work long hours, especially this time of year. But for the driver, sure, I would love another break or more, but it’s probably tougher on the mechanics.”  I feel like this is a talking point a lot of superspeedways, but you look at your success this year and you’ve scored the most points in the series. Why do you feel like you’ve had that success this year?“I’ve finally gotten lucky (laughs)… I don’t know. I mean honestly, like that’s me being a little funny, but our average running position probably during the race is no different, I would assume. We’re just not getting caught up in the crashes at the end of them, for whatever reason, so I hope that’s the case again tomorrow. In the past, it’s easy look on paper and be like Kyle Larson is the worst ever on superspeedways.  But if you really watch the race, we’ve been a top contender in the Next Gen era, especially. So yeah, hopefully we can just stay lucky.   This is also your 400th Cup start this weekend. What would it mean to join the elite list that have won in their 400th career start? “Yeah, I think I read that earlier this week. It’d be pretty neat. I would have liked it go to like Bristol or something for my 400 start (laughs), but It would be extra special to get my first win on a superspeedway in my 400 career start. That would be pretty awesome. We’ll give it our best effort tomorrow and hopefully join that list of Hall of Famers. That would be incredible.”  Can you give a sense of the effort and work that you’ve put into being good at these places that maybe you haven’t had there, even though you haven’t had the results? What do we not understand about what you do to almost be in these positions and potentially be in this position come tomorrow to win the race?“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t say it’s like any bit of different prep than a normal weekend. We have our pre-weekend meeting, as always, and kind of look at different scenarios. I do think something that the good guys do good here, and I would consider myself one of them, is the part that you guys don’t really see — leading into the green flag cycle of fuel saving, getting established with good track position while also saving fuel, and then executing. It takes more than just a driver, but your team executing that green flag cycle really well; getting to the yellow line as quick as you can and getting organized as we do with Team Chevy pretty well. And then getting to your pit sign good and your fueler engaging good. Cliff (Daniels) on the stopwatch, nailing all that. Just executing that whole cycle is important.  I think that’s something that we on the No. 5 team, as well as the other key partners in Chevy, do well. And that’s why I think we are in contention typically at the ends of the stages and at the end of the race. You know, sometimes it works out where you finish and sometimes it doesn’t, but I think that’s something that we’ve worked really hard on as a group the past three or four years. I think we’re one of the best, if not the best, at doing that.”  What kind of an accomplishment will it be for you to win one of these after all the misfortune and tough luck and being up there at times? Of all the things you’ve done, how big is this hill for you to climb?“Yeah, I don’t know. I think for a long time, like at least early to the mid-portions my career, I always had a thought in my head like anybody can win on a superspeedway, so it’s not going to feel that special when I finally do win. But now, it’s gone so long and I haven’t even had many top-10s or top-fives that hopefully if I ever do win, I don’t know what the feelings going to be like, but I would assume that it’s going to feel really big. And I will take it anywhere… I would take it here (at Talladega). I’ll take it at the DAYTONA 500 or Atlanta… like I don’t even care at this point, I just would love to get a win.”  What makes this track so special, even beyond the racing? “I mean, I don’t find myself on the boulevard much anymore, but I would say just the atmosphere here as the sun goes down his is really, really awesome. I remember back when we had like the three-day weekends — I’m sure they still do it, but I don’t know if many drivers participate in it as much anymore, but like they had a parade. I don’t know if they still do it on the boulevard, that was always fun being a part of that and throwing beads at fans and then seeing what kind of crazy event they have at the end of the airstrip there. And then yeah, all you had to do is run one lap the next day, so you go out pretty big Friday night, so that was always fun to look forward to that. And then Sunday, the crowd is always really big and really into it. You feel it during pre-race. You feel it in the midway and all that.  I don’t love the racing here, but I do enjoy coming here because the atmosphere is always great.”  What should we watch tomorrow in terms of how people will approach stage points? If you’re in the playoffs, yeah, those would be really valuable, but you could also get up there and get yourself into a mess that could ruin your day? But then if you let everybody else get stage points, then you’re kind of screwed, too, so how do you think people will play it or do you have any sense of how you might approach that?“Well, I don’t know. We haven’t talked about those sorts of scenarios. I would assume we’re just going normal and trying to execute the green flags cycles, like I mentioned, and get stage points. I think maybe Denny Hamlin would be the only one that wouldn’t be doing that, but I think the seven of us are probably all going to try and get stage points because, as you mentioned, I’m plus 35, but you know if somebody below the cutline or even just anybody behind me goes and wins both stages, that’s 20 points to my zero and that’s a lot. But yeah, I mean there’s a risk that comes with it. I don’t know… hopefully you’ve executed well enough that you are in the front of that group. If not, then yeah, I mean maybe you just got away that risk, but it’s hard to kind of pick your way to the front if you’re outside the top-10 anyways So yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully we just execute good and we can maximize our day like we have been on the speedways.”  There’s a lot of talk about Ryan Blaney and then Penske at Martinsville in the fall. But looking at your stats, you guys are in the ballpark. Where do you feel like you’re at going into Martinsville?“Yeah, I feel like we’re in the ballpark, for sure. I think our team has done a good job to execute the strategies, whether it be whenever you take two tires and stuff like that and I have good restarts and things. Points earned wise, it’s probably one of our better tracks, but it’s not somewhere that I go and I feel like I’m going to have a shot to win here. I still don’t feel the best there. It takes me a while to get into a rhythm. And even when I get into the rhythm, there’s still three or four or five guys that I feel like are better than me there.  Yeah, I mean, Ryan (Blaney), at least in the fall race, has been by far the best the last few years. But yeah, you can’t ever expect to do good anywhere. With our previous results, I think we could go there and score good points if nothing crazy happens.”  You have a 35-point advantage heading into tomorrow’s race. Do you feel that playing it safe might be the way to go this year, given your past experience here?“No, I don’t I don’t think so. I don’t think ever playing it safe is ever the right call in the Cup Series. At least for me here, you’ve got to assume a guy below the cutline or even below you is going to win, so then it’s going to bring you closer to the cutline.  So no, I think you need to go and try to score as many points as you can. And obviously get a win would lock you in. So yeah, I would say we’re not approaching this race any differently than we would in the spring race here. We’re trying to score as many points we can and get a win, if possible.”  Joey Logano was in here earlier and he said it’s sometimes a difficult decision when you’re up front there racing and you make a decision that could either give you a shot at the win or could cost you big time. Given the points circumstances, are you going to go all out for the win or are you going to just say this looks a little risky…“I mean, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know where I’m going to be running at the end of the stages or at the end of the race. But yeah, I mean you’re just kind of making decisions in the moment. The difficult part about speedway racing is that you never know what the right decision or wrong decision is until after you make it. You just don’t know.”  Besides the Chevy Allegiance to your fellow Team Chevy drivers, what qualities do you look for in a driver out there to run with and who are some of your favorites you do run with in the in the draft besides Team Chevy? “The Fords are particularly really good at these types of tracks. They’re really fast. They’re really stable. They’re really good at pushing. They’re really good at receiving pushes. So I would say all of us in the field probably look for a Ford, just because they’re by far the fastest. But also, you know when it comes down to the details of pit road and executing the green flag stops, you look for your Chevy Alliance teams. Like I said, I feel like we’ve worked really well together and even making certain moves on the track. But if you’re trying to get sheer speed and stuff, you want a Ford behind you.

NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES OCTOBER 18, 2025


William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway. 

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESOCTOBER 18, 2025

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway. 

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
Media Availability Quotes: 
How have you been able to get past last week and move forward in the playoffs?“Yeah, I mean, just reflection and just looking at everything for a day or so, and then really just diving into Talladega and trying to look ahead. I feel like there’s never a truer time to embrace one week at a time than now. We’re just really trying to dive into the details of this weekend and see how I can do a better job in the draft, and so far, I feel good about my preparation. Last spring was a good race for us. But yeah, spent a couple days kind of stewing on it a little bit, but then get past it and move on.”   How much did you focus on going back and looking at what happened and trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again versus just getting past it and moving forward? “Yeah, I mean, it’s such a freak deal that it’s very hard to go back and be like, how does this not happen again. Monday morning quarterback, had I known the situation and what was happening, you know, you can say — oh, would you react differently, would you go right, would you slow down quicker, whatever. But in the moment, there were no signs that that was happening. So in a split second like that, once you realize it, it was too late. But when you go back and you know that that’s going to happen, it’s a lot different to evaluate it and look at it. So you have to make sure you’re not too critical of yourself in that instance because you didn’t have any expectation that that was going to happen, and that’s why it played out the way it did and that’s why it was such a violent crash. From inside the car, there was no sign… there was no wave and there was no difference in line. Just looking at the closing rate and seeing him start to slow down, maybe I could have realized that sooner, but that’s all Monday morning when you know looking back that that’s going to happen. So in the moment, I just saw a car; I thought he missed the bottom and I thought, man, and then as soon as I realized he was slowing, boom, it’s too late. I tried to miss him left and that’s why I got a little sideways and on the brakes. But yeah, once I knew he was slowing down, I was maybe four car lengths back.  Just a very, very tough situation, but I’ve moved on from it and feel really good about this weekend.”  There’s 36 races a year and you’re down to the last three. You haven’t had a break since Easter. The grind’s wearing on a lot of people. But because of the nature of the playoffs, does the grind wear on you at all, or do you just singularly focus on week to week and it doesn’t really affect you because of the playoffs?“Yeah, you’ve got to be mentally strong. You can look at it one or two ways. You can be like, oh, I’m so close to the end and I just want to get to the end. But in our situation, we have a great opportunity. We have an opportunity that doesn’t come about every year, possibly. It’s very difficult to make the Round of Eight and get to this point. So I look at it like, yeah, my season and my life is going to drastically change in two, three weeks, and I’m going to be able to do all these different things and enjoy life as a person. But I think right now, the grind is kind of diving into the details… what can I do these next really two weeks because my season will be over soon, if I don’t do what I need to do the next two weeks. So just try to embrace it; put everything I can into the next couple weeks of preparation. For good or bad, it’ll all be over in a few weeks. So just got to look at it from that perspective.”  Your average finish here in the last five races is 4.4. How did you get so proficient at running this track, or should I say lucky?“Yeah, there’s always an element of luck here, but it’s just trying to put yourself in the right positions. There are movements you make every lap that create the results, so it’s being in the right positions. It’s managing fuel. It’s the strategy side of things. My team has done a good job executing the strategy. And then when we get on the other side of the pit cycle, we’ve made good decisions.  I think the spring is the first time at Talladega that I felt like I had an opportunity to win and didn’t win. I felt like I was in a position to control that race. So, I really looked at that and tried to understand, okay, why did it not go perfect? What lost me control the race and gave it to Austin (Cindric). Him and (Ryan) Preece were on the front row at the end, so how did I lose that position? That was kind of nice to have a race here that I was in control and in control where I wanted to be. It was maybe the first one that I didn’t feel like I close out.   Since the Next Gen car was introduced, only four drivers have been to the Championship Four twice. Do you think that that’s the car more so than anything else? You would see guys that would be Championship Four regulars and for you just to be among that group of three other drivers that have made that final four group twice, why do you think that it’s such a low number?“So no one’s made it three times, is that right?  I mean, that’s interesting… I didn’t know that. I think it’s the parody throughout the field. Particularly when you look at the top-eight cars, there was not a big difference in bonus points, playoff points, coming in here. Really there are about five guys that were pretty even on playoff points and it kind of changed in the first round. The No. 12 (Ryan Blaney) got up there, sneaked a few stage wins in and the race win at New Hampshire.  So I don’t know, the seeding has kind of changed a lot this year. There’s not really a clear number one. I think that’s made it just super important to execute. That’s why last week was a big bummer because it was probably a 35-point swing with that result. Yeah, it just puts a premium on execution. I think you’re going to see that in the next couple of weeks, as well. You just don’t have those big buffers like when Martin was doing it. They could get 60 playoff points and you just don’t have that big buffer anymore.”   I assume it was probably just bitterness over what happened last week. So how do you get over it, like do you golf? Is it talking to somebody? Is it listening to music? Just how do you get over such a frustration? “Yeah, I actually wasn’t bitter. I was just probably in a bit of shock is what you guys saw after the race. I just couldn’t believe it. Like, I mean, we do this so often… we pit so often. We do these things. It’s so routine and it was so not routine that time. The result was not what I expected, so I think that was the emotion… it was shock.  But then during the week, it’s just, how do you dive into next week? Yes, there are things I do off the track that get my mind away from the sport. But it’s really just about doing the things you’ve been doing and the routine you’ve been doing. It doesn’t just go away in one day. It just kind of slowly as we get towards Sunday, it’s like –- Hey, you know, we got another race Sunday and it’s time to get going here.”   Does this happening kind of impact how you feel about the playoff system as a whole?“I can’t answer that question yet. I got to see how the next month unfolds. I think looking back in the truck series when we won seven races and blew an engine in the second to last race, we didn’t have an opportunity to come back from that. Now we have an opportunity to do something about our result. And so yeah, I want to embrace that. I want to see how the next couple of weeks ago; put everything I can into it and see what happens. I’m not about to complain about the format just because of what happened. I think there’s still opportunity out there, and I think that would be kind of a losing mindset to look at it that way.”  You typically give off kind of this mellow, cool vibe. Along the lines of what Bob (Pockrass) was asking you, you said you did your typical things. How do you get over such a disappointment like that because you’re kind of a ‘Steady Eddie’ anyway, but how do you process that? Is that also a result of the maturity that you have racing in the series that you don’t let something like that really mess you up?“Yeah, I just think I don’t really show the emotions that I’m feeling at the race track because I’m trying to process them, as well. I’m just a very introspective person and I feel like that kind of perspective comes to me throughout the week. I do that on my own time. I don’t tweet about it. I don’t talk to you guys about it. But I do all that work internally and amongst people that I trust. So yeah, all that goes on, you just don’t see it right after the race. But yeah, I obviously do that processing, as everyone needs to.”   How different is Martinsville in the spring to Martinsville in fall? It doesn’t always seem like there’s a carryover from who’s strong to one to the other… “Yeah, it does seem like there’s a big gap between those two races. You know, you kind of make the mistake of trying to copy the spring a lot of times and it doesn’t work. I think it’s just one of those places you have to approach with an open mind. You maybe know how to get around that race track and maybe you know how to crew chief that race track, but it changes every time.  It does seem like the weather and the tire changes have affected that, where the tire changes just enough or the weather changes just enough where the notes are obsolete. I think it’s such a short track that you’re going around that race track so many times that the rhythm and cadence that just one small thing being off changes the whole game. We have to do our prep next week and really understand what we’re going to face. But we probably don’t fully understand the balance until we get there that weekend.”  

Hafertepe Jr. Closes in on Sixth Championship with Friday Tulsa Victory

TULSA, OK (October 17, 2025) — Sixteen months ago, Sam Hafertepe Jr. had never turned a lap around Tulsa Speedway. Now, he’s already the first three-time 360 Sprint Car winner in the history of the track.

After winning two of the three American Sprint Car Series events held at the track in 2024, the Sunnyvale, TX native picked up where he left off with the opening night win at the Double Down in T-Town, his 11th of the season with the Series.

“This place, we always perform really well here,” Hafertepe said. “It’s a good racetrack for us, we have a lot of really good notes. Me and Sean [McClelland], we share a lot of information between each other, that’s probably why we ran 1-2 tonight.”

Hafertepe led the field to green in the 25-lap main event to the inside of McClelland, the ASCS Sooner Region points leader entering the weekend. The No. 15H rolled the bottom around Turns 1 and 2 to get the lead down the backstretch and looked to set sail from there.

A trio of early yellows kept him from doing so, and also made traffic a non-factor in the first half of the race. That wouldn’t be the case in the waning moments though, as Hafertepe caught the tail of the field and struggled to find a way around. That allowed McClelland to eliminate the 1.6-second margin Hafertepe built up in clean air.

McClelland then found himself in the same dilemma as Hafertepe with the cars in front of him – reeling them in was doable, but passing them was more of a challenge. With the laps winding down, McClelland tried and failed to find enough momentum to get around Hafertepe and could only watch him take the checkered flag.

“I knew who was behind me,” Hafertepe said regarding McClelland’s late charge in traffic. “That’s one thing that I didn’t have to worry about him putting the chrome horn to me or nothing like that. That actually kind of eased me a little bit to just hit my marks and just do what you’re supposed to do. It gets really hard, and you’ve got to be so patient to hit the bottom that slow. It just makes it really difficult to be that patient.”

That patience was rewarded with an expanded lead in the title chase that now sits at 166 points with three races remaining. Hafertepe doesn’t need to be the fastest car on the track the rest of the way to lock up his sixth Series championship – nevertheless, he has his sights set on wrapping things up with a bang.

“Hasn’t been the end to the season that we wanted, so it’s good to get a win tonight, hopefully we can go down to Creek County [Speedway] and win down there too,” Hafertepe said. “We want to finish strong. That’s what champions do, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

For McClelland, his second-place effort was his best National Tour result since his most recent win across town at Creek County in 2023.

“I get sick of following that 15H,” McClelland said. “He’s good, that’s why I rely on him to help me out. He’s my best friend. He don’t know it, but he resurrected my career about six years ago, and I can’t thank him enough for it.”

The last step on the podium was occupied by Terry Easum, who notched a new season-high finish after a sophomore National Tour season filled with plenty of trials and tribulations.

“We know we’re capable, it’s just getting me comfortable in the car,” Easum said. “I’m probably the biggest hold up in this car. I just need to keep getting better, and we will. We’ll stick it out, and keep at it until we get better to be on a podium more.”

Matt Covington came home fourth for his third top five in his last four Tulsa starts, while Elijah Gile finished a career-best fifth.

UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series wraps up the Double Down in T-Town at Tulsa Speedway with a $6,000-to-win program on Saturday, Oct. 18.

If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]; 2. 1-Sean McClelland[2]; 3. 88-Terry Easum[3]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[4]; 5. 12H-Elijah Gile[6]; 6. 88R-Ryder Laplante[9]; 7. 2B-Garrett Benson[5]; 8. 85-Kyle Bellm[10]; 9. 52-Blake Hahn[17]; 10. 36-Jason Martin[12]; 11. 8R-Ryker Pace[13]; 12. 938-Bradley Fezard[18]; 13. 7M-Chance Morton[16]; 14. 71-Brady Baker[23]; 15. 2J-Zach Blurton[7]; 16. 52H-Hayden Mabe[14]; 17. G6-Howard Moore[15]; 18. 15D-Andrew Deal[19]; 19. 45X-Kyler Johnson[22]; 20. 29-Emilio Hoover[20]; 21. 16G-Austyn Gossel[24]; 22. 7F-Joshua Tyre[21]; 23. 26M-Fred Mattox[8]; 24. 8M-Kade Morton[11]

ARTICLE: https://ascsracing.com/news/hafertepe-jr-closes-in-on-sixth-championship-with-friday-tulsa-victory/
PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Schwanke

Hafertepe Jr. Closes in on Sixth Championship with Friday Tulsa Victory TULSA, OK (October 17, 2025) — Sixteen months ago, Sam Hafertepe Jr. had never turned a lap around Tulsa Speedway. Now, he’s already the first three-time 360 Sprint Car winner in the history of the track.

After winning two of the three American Sprint Car Series events held at the track in 2024, the Sunnyvale, TX native picked up where he left off with the opening night win at the Double Down in T-Town, his 11th of the season with the Series.

“This place, we always perform really well here,” Hafertepe said. “It’s a good racetrack for us, we have a lot of really good notes. Me and Sean [McClelland], we share a lot of information between each other, that’s probably why we ran 1-2 tonight.”

Hafertepe led the field to green in the 25-lap main event to the inside of McClelland, the ASCS Sooner Region points leader entering the weekend. The No. 15H rolled the bottom around Turns 1 and 2 to get the lead down the backstretch and looked to set sail from there.

A trio of early yellows kept him from doing so, and also made traffic a non-factor in the first half of the race. That wouldn’t be the case in the waning moments though, as Hafertepe caught the tail of the field and struggled to find a way around. That allowed McClelland to eliminate the 1.6-second margin Hafertepe built up in clean air.

McClelland then found himself in the same dilemma as Hafertepe with the cars in front of him – reeling them in was doable, but passing them was more of a challenge. With the laps winding down, McClelland tried and failed to find enough momentum to get around Hafertepe and could only watch him take the checkered flag.

“I knew who was behind me,” Hafertepe said regarding McClelland’s late charge in traffic. “That’s one thing that I didn’t have to worry about him putting the chrome horn to me or nothing like that. That actually kind of eased me a little bit to just hit my marks and just do what you’re supposed to do. It gets really hard, and you’ve got to be so patient to hit the bottom that slow. It just makes it really difficult to be that patient.”

That patience was rewarded with an expanded lead in the title chase that now sits at 166 points with three races remaining. Hafertepe doesn’t need to be the fastest car on the track the rest of the way to lock up his sixth Series championship – nevertheless, he has his sights set on wrapping things up with a bang.

“Hasn’t been the end to the season that we wanted, so it’s good to get a win tonight, hopefully we can go down to Creek County [Speedway] and win down there too,” Hafertepe said. “We want to finish strong. That’s what champions do, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

For McClelland, his second-place effort was his best National Tour result since his most recent win across town at Creek County in 2023.

“I get sick of following that 15H,” McClelland said. “He’s good, that’s why I rely on him to help me out. He’s my best friend. He don’t know it, but he resurrected my career about six years ago, and I can’t thank him enough for it.”

The last step on the podium was occupied by Terry Easum, who notched a new season-high finish after a sophomore National Tour season filled with plenty of trials and tribulations.

“We know we’re capable, it’s just getting me comfortable in the car,” Easum said. “I’m probably the biggest hold up in this car. I just need to keep getting better, and we will. We’ll stick it out, and keep at it until we get better to be on a podium more.”

Matt Covington came home fourth for his third top five in his last four Tulsa starts, while Elijah Gile finished a career-best fifth.

UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series wraps up the Double Down in T-Town at Tulsa Speedway with a $6,000-to-win program on Saturday, Oct. 18.

If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]; 2. 1-Sean McClelland[2]; 3. 88-Terry Easum[3]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[4]; 5. 12H-Elijah Gile[6]; 6. 88R-Ryder Laplante[9]; 7. 2B-Garrett Benson[5]; 8. 85-Kyle Bellm[10]; 9. 52-Blake Hahn[17]; 10. 36-Jason Martin[12]; 11. 8R-Ryker Pace[13]; 12. 938-Bradley Fezard[18]; 13. 7M-Chance Morton[16]; 14. 71-Brady Baker[23]; 15. 2J-Zach Blurton[7]; 16. 52H-Hayden Mabe[14]; 17. G6-Howard Moore[15]; 18. 15D-Andrew Deal[19]; 19. 45X-Kyler Johnson[22]; 20. 29-Emilio Hoover[20]; 21. 16G-Austyn Gossel[24]; 22. 7F-Joshua Tyre[21]; 23. 26M-Fred Mattox[8]; 24. 8M-Kade Morton[11]

ARTICLE: https://ascsracing.com/news/hafertepe-jr-closes-in-on-sixth-championship-with-friday-tulsa-victory/
PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Schwanke

EVENT INFO: https://ascsracing.com/schedule/event-info/?event=4547807
TRACK INFO: https://www.tulsaspeedway.com/
FAN 101: 
https://ascsracing.com/about/

PUTNAMVILLE PANDEMONIUM: Gravel Wins World of Outlaws Return to Lincoln Park After Contact with Kofoid

The two drivers atop the points come together in the final corner, and the defending champion holds on for the victory

PUTNAMVILLE, IN (October 17, 2025) – Anticipation was high Friday night as the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returned to Lincoln Park Speedway, and it didn’t disappoint.

The Putnamville, IN track is famous for so many reasons. It’s a high banked bullring. It routinely builds a monstrous cushion. It produces some of the best Sprint Car racing fans will ever see. The “Hoosier State” oval lived up to every bit of its reputation as The Greatest Show on Dirt came back for the first time in nine years.

David Gravel and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid gave the packed stands a show they won’t soon forget. The two began their battle right off the bat as Kofoid started third but drove by polesitter Gravel on the second circuit to take the top spot. Gravel was far from done as he rallied and reclaimed it on the 13th lap as Kofoid struggled in traffic.

The mid-portion of the race unfolded, and Gravel managed to put some distance between himself and the Roth Motorsports No. 83. Then Kofoid found speed as he migrated his line to the huge curb at the top of the racetrack. The gap between the two shrank and shrank until Kofoid finally pulled the trigger on a slider coming to two laps to go. Gravel crossed under him exiting Turn 2 then moved to the top to take away Kofoid’s line. The two took the white flag, but then the red lights flashed for a flipping Brady Bacon.

The red set the stage for a wild restart. The green flag flew, and Kofoid threw a huge slide job on Gravel in Turns 3 and 4. Gravel dipped below him on the front straightaway to retake command as the white flag flew. Kofoid hammered the cushion to pull alongside Gravel on the backstretch. Kofoid committed to the top in the final set of corners. Gravel slid toward the cushion, but Kofoid was already there and the two made contact. The result? A spun around Kofoid as Gravel drove away to the checkered flag.

“Obviously, you don’t want guys to come together on the last corner racing for the win,” Gravel said. “We were equal, wheel-to-wheel there. I just think we were racing for the same spot, last lap, last corner for the win. I felt like I kind of had position on him down the backstretch. I felt like he kind of forced it to go outside of me. He knew I was going to the cushion. I didn’t wreck him on purpose. I know that, and hopefully he does as well. I don’t want to get into a crash and knock the guy out that we’re racing in points either. I want to win in fair and square. I just got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), Pete (Stephens), and Luke (Vaughn) is here helping us out.”

The Watertown, CT native is now up to 16 World of Outlaws victories in 2025 with the Big Game Motorsports team. Gravel elevated his career total to 119, moving him within three of equaling Danny Lasoski for sixth all-time.

Instead of a potential win, a disappointed Kofoid was left with a 14th place finish.

“I felt like we were kind of side by side,” Kofoid said of the final lap. “Then we went into (Turn) 3 he was kind of coming up, and I was kind of already there and didn’t really have an option to move down. I thought for a split second there was a hole and felt like I got most of the way or next to him, and then it just closed up last second. I feel bad for all of the Roth Motorsports crew guys and the whole team. Whether it’s my fault or not, I feel like I let them down.”

Carson Macedo charged the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 from 10th to the runner-up spot and was in line for victory had Gravel also gone around as a result of the contact. The Lemoore, CA native is up to 25 podiums this season.

“I was just in the cat-bird seat hoping that maybe calamity would happen, and I could squeeze in for the win,” Macedo said. “From what I saw, it was just a racing deal. A guy really going for it there. I didn’t think it was going to work, and it didn’t.”

Kofoid sliding down the finishing order allowed Bill Balog to climb onto the podium. A third place run marked the “North Pole Nightmare’s” ninth top three of his sophomore World of Outlaws season.

“We had a super good race car,” Balog said. “I definitely think it was probably a little bit better than the way I was driving it maybe. We had a good car all night. I have to thank Honest Abe Roofing, Anderson’s Maple Syrup, and everybody that helps us out. We just try to do a good job for them. Hats off to Putnamville. Awesome racetrack. This is the kind of thing we needed right here. A short track, great racing, a big curb, and a lot of fun.”

Cole Macedo and Garet Williamson completed the top five.

Kerry Madsen took the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 from 21st to ninth to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Buddy Kofoid earned his third Simpson Quick Time of the year and set a new track record in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Bill Balog (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Cole Macedo (Real American Beer Heat Two), Darin Naida (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Logan Julien (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Darin Naida.

David Gravel topped the Toyota Dash.

Kerry Madsen won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Buddy Kofoid.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the second leg of a three-state tripleheader on Saturday, Oct. 18 at La Salle, IL’s LaSalle Speedway before finishing the weekend at Sun Prairie, WI’s Angell Park Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 19. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog[4]; 4. 2C-Cole Macedo[8]; 5. 23-Garet Williamson[5]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[9]; 7. 71-Parker Price Miller[12]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz[11]; 9. 15S-Kerry Madsen[21]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[20]; 11. 85J-Logan Julien[6]; 12. 51-Scott Bogucki[15]; 13. 37-Bryce Norris[7]; 14. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[19]; 16. 18-Cory Eliason[22]; 17. 21H-Brady Bacon[16]; 18. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[23]; 19. 99-Skylar Gee[17]; 20. 6-Zach Hampton[18]; 21. 34-Sterling Cling[24]; 22. 24-Cole Duncan[14]; 23. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[13]; 24. 2MD-Darin Naida[2]

PUTNAMVILLE PANDEMONIUM: Gravel Wins World of Outlaws Return to Lincoln Park After Contact with Kofoid

The two drivers atop the points come together in the final corner, and the defending champion holds on for the victory

PUTNAMVILLE, IN (October 17, 2025) – Anticipation was high Friday night as the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returned to Lincoln Park Speedway, and it didn’t disappoint.

The Putnamville, IN track is famous for so many reasons. It’s a high banked bullring. It routinely builds a monstrous cushion. It produces some of the best Sprint Car racing fans will ever see. The “Hoosier State” oval lived up to every bit of its reputation as The Greatest Show on Dirt came back for the first time in nine years.

David Gravel and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid gave the packed stands a show they won’t soon forget. The two began their battle right off the bat as Kofoid started third but drove by polesitter Gravel on the second circuit to take the top spot. Gravel was far from done as he rallied and reclaimed it on the 13th lap as Kofoid struggled in traffic.

The mid-portion of the race unfolded, and Gravel managed to put some distance between himself and the Roth Motorsports No. 83. Then Kofoid found speed as he migrated his line to the huge curb at the top of the racetrack. The gap between the two shrank and shrank until Kofoid finally pulled the trigger on a slider coming to two laps to go. Gravel crossed under him exiting Turn 2 then moved to the top to take away Kofoid’s line. The two took the white flag, but then the red lights flashed for a flipping Brady Bacon.

The red set the stage for a wild restart. The green flag flew, and Kofoid threw a huge slide job on Gravel in Turns 3 and 4. Gravel dipped below him on the front straightaway to retake command as the white flag flew. Kofoid hammered the cushion to pull alongside Gravel on the backstretch. Kofoid committed to the top in the final set of corners. Gravel slid toward the cushion, but Kofoid was already there and the two made contact. The result? A spun around Kofoid as Gravel drove away to the checkered flag.

“Obviously, you don’t want guys to come together on the last corner racing for the win,” Gravel said. “We were equal, wheel-to-wheel there. I just think we were racing for the same spot, last lap, last corner for the win. I felt like I kind of had position on him down the backstretch. I felt like he kind of forced it to go outside of me. He knew I was going to the cushion. I didn’t wreck him on purpose. I know that, and hopefully he does as well. I don’t want to get into a crash and knock the guy out that we’re racing in points either. I want to win in fair and square. I just got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), Pete (Stephens), and Luke (Vaughn) is here helping us out.”

The Watertown, CT native is now up to 16 World of Outlaws victories in 2025 with the Big Game Motorsports team. Gravel elevated his career total to 119, moving him within three of equaling Danny Lasoski for sixth all-time.

Instead of a potential win, a disappointed Kofoid was left with a 14th place finish.

“I felt like we were kind of side by side,” Kofoid said of the final lap. “Then we went into (Turn) 3 he was kind of coming up, and I was kind of already there and didn’t really have an option to move down. I thought for a split second there was a hole and felt like I got most of the way or next to him, and then it just closed up last second. I feel bad for all of the Roth Motorsports crew guys and the whole team. Whether it’s my fault or not, I feel like I let them down.”

Carson Macedo charged the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 from 10th to the runner-up spot and was in line for victory had Gravel also gone around as a result of the contact. The Lemoore, CA native is up to 25 podiums this season.

“I was just in the cat-bird seat hoping that maybe calamity would happen, and I could squeeze in for the win,” Macedo said. “From what I saw, it was just a racing deal. A guy really going for it there. I didn’t think it was going to work, and it didn’t.”

Kofoid sliding down the finishing order allowed Bill Balog to climb onto the podium. A third place run marked the “North Pole Nightmare’s” ninth top three of his sophomore World of Outlaws season.

“We had a super good race car,” Balog said. “I definitely think it was probably a little bit better than the way I was driving it maybe. We had a good car all night. I have to thank Honest Abe Roofing, Anderson’s Maple Syrup, and everybody that helps us out. We just try to do a good job for them. Hats off to Putnamville. Awesome racetrack. This is the kind of thing we needed right here. A short track, great racing, a big curb, and a lot of fun.”

Cole Macedo and Garet Williamson completed the top five.

Kerry Madsen took the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 from 21st to ninth to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Buddy Kofoid earned his third Simpson Quick Time of the year and set a new track record in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Bill Balog (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Cole Macedo (Real American Beer Heat Two), Darin Naida (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Logan Julien (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Darin Naida.

David Gravel topped the Toyota Dash.

Kerry Madsen won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Buddy Kofoid.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the second leg of a three-state tripleheader on Saturday, Oct. 18 at La Salle, IL’s LaSalle Speedway before finishing the weekend at Sun Prairie, WI’s Angell Park Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 19. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog[4]; 4. 2C-Cole Macedo[8]; 5. 23-Garet Williamson[5]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[9]; 7. 71-Parker Price Miller[12]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz[11]; 9. 15S-Kerry Madsen[21]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[20]; 11. 85J-Logan Julien[6]; 12. 51-Scott Bogucki[15]; 13. 37-Bryce Norris[7]; 14. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[19]; 16. 18-Cory Eliason[22]; 17. 21H-Brady Bacon[16]; 18. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[23]; 19. 99-Skylar Gee[17]; 20. 6-Zach Hampton[18]; 21. 34-Sterling Cling[24]; 22. 24-Cole Duncan[14]; 23. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[13]; 24. 2MD-Darin Naida[2]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Chris Ferguson Earns Victory Fuel Pole for DTWC at Eldora

Chris Ferguson Earns Victory Fuel Pole for DTWC at Eldora
ROSSBURG, OH (October 17, 2025) – It was preliminary night on Friday for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, as 59 cars competed in six heat races to qualify for the 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP, which will pay $100,000 to win on Saturday night at Eldora Speedway. In heat number one, it was a fierce battle within the Ferguson Family until the very end as Chris Ferguson overtook his cousin Carson just before the checkered flag to secure the victory, earning him the Victory Fuel Pole for the 100-lap main event Saturday night. Carson had led from the start of the 10-lap race, but Chris gained enough momentum on the final lap to pass him on the inside coming off of turn four. Trailing the Fergusons at the finish line was defending DTWC winner Bobby Pierce, who secured the third and final transfer spot. The second heat was won by current championship points leader Devin Moran, who led from start to finish to secure the third starting spot in the DTWC. Nick Hoffman, coming off two third place finishes in the Dream and World 100 at Eldora this year, finished second to Moran, with Clay Harris claiming the third and final transfer position. In heat number three, Brandon Sheppard dominated by leading all 10 laps and taking the win. Sheppard now aims to become the first six-time winner of the Crown Jewel race on Saturday night, starting from the fifth position. Hudson O’Neal finished second, followed by Daulton Wilson, who secured the third and final transfer spot. In pivotal heat number four, where the winner would start alongside Chris Fergerson on the front row Saturday night, Chris Madden dominated the race, winning by more than six seconds over Ricky Thornton Jr. and Brandon Overton. The fifth heat was all Garrett Alberson, the New Mexico native, who led all 10 laps to secure the victory and earn the fourth starting spot in the DTWC. Dennis Erb Jr., a former Dirt Late Model Dream winner at Eldora, charged from the eighth starting position to finish as the runner-up. Jason Jameson claimed the third and final transfer spot. The sixth and final heat of the night was won by veteran Dale McDowell, who led from start to finish, beating Jonathan Davenport and Joseph Joiner. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARP | Night 1Friday, October 17, 2025Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Carson Ferguson | 15.940 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Chris Madden | 15.998 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 22F-Chris Ferguson[2]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[1]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[7]; 6. 20-Jimmy Owens[5]; 7. 29-Clint Keenan[8]; 8. 71R-Rod Conley[6]; 9. 28T-Tyler Carpenter[9]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[10]
Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 9H-Nick Hoffman[4]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 4. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[6]; 6. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[9]; 7. 69J-Jon Hodgkiss[10]; 8. 111-Max Blair[2]; 9. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 10. 09-Michael Leach[8]
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 5. 15K-Colten Burdette[8]; 6. 11R-Josh Rice[10]; 7. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[7]; 8. 101-Forrest Trent[4]; 9. 39-Brandon Moore[9]; 10. 69-RC Whitwell[6]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 44-Chris Madden[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 4. 17D-Zack Dohm[4]; 5. 14H-Haiden Cowan[5]; 6. 89-Mike Spatola[8]; 7. 10-Garrett Smith[7]; 8. 3-Matt Miller[6]; 9. 17SR-Brody Smith[9]; 10. 96-Tanner English[10]
Lucas Oil Products Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[8]; 3. 12-Jason Jameson[3]; 4. 9-Tim McCreadie[2]; 5. 79-Donald McIntosh[4]; 6. 17SS-Brenden Smith[7]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 9. 55E-Eli Johnson[9]
MyRacePass Heat Race #6 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 17M-Dale McDowell[1]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[4]; 3. 19M-Joseph Joiner[3]; 4. 114-Jordan Koehler[6]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 6. 99M-Caden McWhorter[5]; 7. 11K-Evan Koehler[7]; 8. S8-Chris Stotts[9]; 9. 6M-Michael Chilton[2] Fast Shafts B-Main #1 (12 Laps | Top 2 Transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield TN – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield CA2 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham IL – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown IA3 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport TN – 95J – Jerry Bowersock – Wapakoneta OH4 – 29 – Clint Keenan – Pataskala OH – 69J – Jon Hodgkiss – Pittsburgh PA5 – 71R – Rod Conley – Wheelersburg OH – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville PA6 – 28T – Tyler Carpenter – Parkersburg WV – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly TX7 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City PA – 09 – Michael Leach – Sun River MT
UNOH B-Main #2 (12 Laps | Top 2 Transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore MN – 17D – Zack Dohm – Cross Lanes WV2 – 15K – Colten Burdette – Parkersburg WV – 14H – Haiden Cowan – Savannah GA3 – 11R – Josh Rice – Crittenden KY – 89 – Mike Spatola – Manhattan IL4 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont WV – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison GA5 – 101 – Forrest Trent – Morristown TN – 3 – Matt Miller – Whitehouse OH6 – 39 – Brandon Moore – Bryan OH – 17SR – Brody Smith – Dade City FL7 – 69 – R.C. Whitwell – Tucson AZ – 96 – Tanner English – Benton KY
MyRacePass B-Main #3 (12 Laps | Top 2 Transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown NY – 114 – Jordan Koehler – Mount Airy NC2 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville GA – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham IA3 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City FL – 99M – Caden McWhorter – Fairbury IL4 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon FL – 11K – Evan Koehler – Mount Airy NC5 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover PA – S8 – Chris Stotts – Shade OH6 – 55E – Eli Johnson – Clewiston FL – 6M – Michael Chilton – Salvisa KY
45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARP A-Main (100 Laps):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 22F – Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly NC – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court SC2 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden OH – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces NM3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin IL – 17M – Dale McDowell – Chickamauga GA4 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton NC – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler AZ5 – 9H – Nick Hoffman – Mooresville NC – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville IL6 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville IN – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville GA7 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood IL – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans GA8 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter FL – 12 – Jason Jameson – Lawrenceburg IN9 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville NC – 19M – Joseph Joiner – Milton FL

CheVY Racing–NASCAR–Talladega Advance

Now officially aligned in the Round of Eight, all three NASCAR national touring series will head to Alabama to take on arguably the biggest wild card stop of the playoffs – Talladega Superspeedway. MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
Fresh on the heels of a strong points day, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will carry that momentum with him as he seeks his first career superspeedway victory and an early berth into the Cup Series Championship Four. In the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, the playoff rankings see a strong contingency of three Team Chevy drivers above the cutline in each division heading into the penultimate race of the round. 
Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega: One year ago, Chevrolet conquered the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway with a tripleheader weekend sweep. Among those triumphs included a playoff upset by Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who drove Chevrolet to its 45th all-time win in NASCAR’s top division at the track. The victory added onto Chevrolet’s already stellar showing in the Next Gen era at the Alabama venue – leading its competitors with wins in four of the seven races since the car’s competition debut. Earlier this season, the manufacturer fell just one spot short of a trip to victory lane but proved to be a force to be reckoned with as nine drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations earned top-12 results, including a pair of podium finishes by playoff contenders Kyle Larson and William Byron. 
LARSON CONTINUES TO ADD TO THE POINTS BANKKyle Larson made one of the biggest climbs up the NASCAR Cup Series playoff rankings – leaving Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the top provisional points position with a 35-point advantage over the cutline. The 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native turned in a 54-point race to open the Round of Eight – matching race winner, Denny Hamlin, to lead the series. His runner-up finish extended an already stellar performance during the midway point of the postseason with the 2021 champion heading to Talladega Superspeedway with a streak of four-straight top-seven finishes. While luck hasn’t been on his side on superspeedway’s throughout his Cup Series career, Larson has found his footing on the configuration this season.  He has earned top-six results in three of the five races on drafting-style tracks, including a runner-up finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The finish marked back-to-back top-five finishes at the Alabama venue, with the No. 5 team also tallying a fourth-place result at the track one year ago. 
BYRON, ELLIOTT LOOK TO TAP INTO SUPERSPEEDWAY SUCCESSWhile a disappointing trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway put William Byron and Chase Elliott in an unfavorable position below the cutline, the Hendrick Motorsports duo will look to tap into their superspeedway success this weekend. This season alone, each driver has earned a victory on a drafting-style track including Byron’s DAYTONA 500 victory and Elliott’s first win of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Elliott’s Alabama accolades include two trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division, including the track’s fall event in 2022 that led him to a berth into the Round of Eight. While still seeking his first Talladega triumph, Byron has yet to finish outside of the top-15 in seven races during the Next Gen era at track. The regular season champion currently sits on a streak of five-straight top-seven results at the Alabama venue, including back-to-back podium appearances in the past two races. 
TEAM CHEVY TRIO BOOSTS DOUBLE-DIGIT POINTS CUSHION In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, three Team Chevy playoff drivers cashed in on a strong points result to find themselves sitting above the playoff cutline with a double-digit cushion heading into the Talladega race weekend. The JR Motorsports pairing of Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier rounded out the podium in Las Vegas to not only maintain their one-two playoff positions, but further build onto their points lead to now 82-points (Zilisch) and 44-points (Allgaier) above the cutline. Making the biggest move up the rankings was Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love, who turned a two-point deficit to a 20-point advantage over the bubble heading to the track that delivered his first career Xfinity Series win. 
Love Tallies Impressive Talladega Stats: While most drivers look at superspeedways as a wild card, Jesse Love sees this weekend as the perfect opportunity to solidify his first career Championship Four appearance. The 20-year-old Menlo Park, California, native is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner, with his first coming at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2024. Love’s Talladega resume sees a front-row qualifying effort and results no worse than sixth in each of his three starts at the track. In the spring, the Richard Childress Racing driver secured the pole position en route to top-two finishes in each stage, 50 laps led and a third-place finish.  Love has proven to be well-versed in the art of superspeedway racing throughout his short NASCAR career. In five races on drafting-style tracks this season, the Team Chevy driver has earned a victory (Daytona – Feb.), two poles and four top-six finishes. Destined to be a frontrunner in Saturday’s race, an early Championship Four berth is very much in reach. 
ENFINGER EYES CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR POTENTIAL The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff rankings are closer than ever with just a single-digit points margin separating the seven title contenders vying for the three remaining Championship Four spots. Heading into the Talladega race weekend, the Bowtie brigade occupies each of those three positions with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum in second and Daniel Hemric in third, as well as Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth who sits in the fourth and final provisional points position.  
While he might be sitting on the outside looking in, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger is no stranger to playoff pressure and a trip to his home track of Talladega Superspeedway might just be what he needs to punch his ticket into the title-deciding race. The 40-year-old Fairhope, Alabama, native is a two-time Truck Series winner at Talladega, with his most recent coming one year ago that led him to his third career Championship Four appearance. This season, the Truck Series has only participated in two drafting-style races – both of which ended in top-10 results for Enfinger and the No. 9 team. 
PINK CORVETTE STINGRAY PACE CAR TO HIGHLIGHT 2025 ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMPAIGNThis season, Chevrolet celebrates 15 years of supporting the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative with the return of a specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray that will serve as the official pace vehicle for two NASCAR Cup Series races this month, including this weekend in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Once again helping drive donations for the initiative, every caution lap the pink Corvette Stingray completes in Sunday’s race will generate a donation of $500 (up to $25,000). A special addition has been added to this year’s campaign with Chevrolet also pledging to donate an additional $1,500 (up to $25,000) for each Team Chevy driver that earns a top-10 finish in the two participating events.\
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 33 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 14Poles: 11Laps Led: 3,573Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 135Stage Wins: 25
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:
Wins: 24Poles: 19Laps Led: 3,585Top-Fives: 101Top-10s: 196Stage Wins: 45
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 22 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:
Wins: 6Poles: 2Laps Led: 939Top-Fives: 46Top-10s: 102Stage Wins: 7
BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Talladega Superspeedway: NASCAR Cup Series: Specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray in support of the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative NASCAR Xfinity Series: Silverado RSTNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Silverado RST 
·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – two wins (2017 & 2024)Kyle Busch – two wins (2023 & 2008)Chase Elliott – two wins (2022 & 2019)Ross Chastain – one win (2022) 
·        In 112 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet has recorded 45 victories – four of which have come during the Next Gen era to lead its manufacturer competitors. 

·        Chevrolet holds a winning percentage of 68.4 percent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway with 26 wins in 38 races. The manufacturer enters the weekend with 12-straight NXS wins at the Alabama venue – a streak that dates back to the April 2018 event.   ·        Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 14 of the 33 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.  
·        In 141 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 66 victories – a winning percentage of 46.8%. 

·        With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 880 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.


FOR THE FANS: ·        Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Talladega Superspeedway, which features a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2026 Tahoe Z7, 2026 Silverado 1500 ZR2, Trax Activ, Traverse RS, Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Corvette Z06 and a Chase Elliott No. 9 Show Car. 

·        Fans will also have access to a special showing of the Eagle Lunar Terrain Vehicle.  GM brings three areas of expertise to the Lunar Dawn team: electrification, autonomous vehicle technology and chassis development.GM’s expertise in electric vehicle technology will leverage EV performance, quality and durability synergies from its experience back on Earth to applications on the Moon.GM’s ongoing work on autonomous vehicles technology is being applied to the rover and to its unique environment.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display: Friday, October 17Rajah Caruth: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Daniel Hemric & Connor Mosack: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Grant Enfinger: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Corey LaJoie: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Andres Perez, Bayley Currey & Matt Mills: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. 
Saturday, October 18Carson Kvapil: 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Sammy Smith & Connor Zilisch: 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Jeb Burton: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.Nick Sanchez: 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 19Shane van Gisbergen: 9:20 a.m. – 9:35 a.m. Justin Haley: 9:35 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.Kyle Larson: 9:50 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.Chase Elliott: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.William Byron: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. 

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: Friday, October 17: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.   Saturday, October 18: 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sunday, October 19: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.  
TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoYellaWood 500Sunday, October 19, at 2 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoUnited Rentals 250Saturday, October 18, at 4 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoLove’s RV Stop 225Friday, October 17, 4 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow do you approach Talladega?“Talladega is such a wild-card. You truly have no idea how it’s going to go for you. You can be the fastest car but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll win. You need to be a little bit lucky to avoid the accidents so you can even have a shot at winning at the end. There really hasn’t been a pattern for me at this track. I’ve won it from a last lap pass to ending up wrecked making a high-risk move for position, you just truly don’t know what is going to happen. That’s why the fans like it so much, you just never know who is going to win.” Your car has a little bit different look this weekend.“I hope I’m going so fast that it’s hard to see me with the Busch Light Hunting scheme. Busch Light does a great job with their specialty schemes, and I can’t think of a better track to run a Hunting scheme than Talladega. I had fun shooting content in the woods for it. “   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat’s Talladega Superspeedway like compared to Daytona International Speedway?“Talladega Superspeedway is a big speedway, a fast place, with a lot of space. You get four wide, five wide, and you’ve got to be really on point with your spotter. You’ve got to give you good, clear communication during the race. It does race a lot differently than Daytona International Speedway because of how wide the track is. Daytona’s a little rougher, but as the years have gone on, Talladega has started to develop a couple of places that can be trouble spots on the track.” Do you look at Talladega Superspeedway as an opportunity or challenge?“Talladega Superspeedway is an opportunity for the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet team. Speedway racing can be tough sometimes and you can be on either side of the thought process going into it. But it does shake up the Playoffs with being where it’s at in the Round of 8. It’s anybody’s game. There are certain guys who rise to the top even at superspeedways, though.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletLarson on returning to Talladega Superspeedway: “Hopefully we can go to Talladega and do what we’ve done on superspeedways for a while now by scoring stage points and get good finishes by getting to the checkered flag like we have been doing this year. We’ll just try to execute again; have a good points day at Talladega and be in a good position heading into Martinsville (Speedway).”   Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletYou’ve been impressive on superspeedways throughout your career. What is the key to being successful at a track like Talladega?“I have just always really enjoyed superspeedway racing. I’m not sure why that is, but it has just come easier to me and fits my style of racing better. I try to be very patient in the car, wait for the right moment to make the pass and I think that’s why I tend to do better on the bigger tracks. Talladega and Daytona are really just tracks that test your patience. You want to go and be at the front but you know that anything can happen at any moment. It’s a balance of knowing what is needed to get to the front but making it to the end. The Spire cars have been really good at superspeedways this year and I think we can continue that this weekend.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletThe racing has changed a lot at Talladega. Going into this Fall race, how do you race at Talladega now, compared to years past?“You run them more part throttle now more than you ever have before. The fuel mileage game, and the saving of the fuel, and things like that. Trying to get yourself into that leap-frog strategy. It seems like everybody is doing that, where you want to spend the least amount of time on pit road to pick off spots, because it seems like it is more difficult to pass. When the first two lanes, the bottom lane and the middle lane lets call it, when they are sitting there side-by-side saving fuel, the third lane can open up and go more throttle on and make up some time and get the third lane going. But then once the bottom lane and middle lane are wide open, there is no top lane. The bottom just gets too fast, and the top is too far around. You don’t see enough of that speed gain down the backstretch coming off the banking to give you that the propel forward and making up rows, so it’s tougher to pass. When you come down towards the last 10 laps, eight laps, six laps, everybody is scared to pull out of line because you know if you pull out of line, and no one goes with you, you are literally going to pull back to last. So it seems like everybody is a bit more scared to take that chance, and don’t want to take that chance to drop backwards. So they just all stay in line, until they can literally see they checkered flag out of their windshield, and then they all go crazy, and that’s about when the wrecking ensues. So try to miss that one.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletElliott on Talladega Superspeedway: “I don’t see anyone being a standout. Everybody’s just really close and whoever gets themselves in a good spot and positions themselves well and has some good fortune, you know, is going to have a good day.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletByron on Talladega Superspeedway: “Obviously last weekend didn’t end the way we hoped. We were going to be in a good position for the rest of this round and that shows how quickly things can change. Talladega is where anything and everything can happen and change quickly. We would like to collect stage points but also strategy will be big when it comes to fuel. Plus, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where your race could end early all because you pushed too hard for stage points. It’s going to be a very fine balance and all we can do is execute and see where the chips fall at the end.”    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m excited to head to Talladega again this weekend with Jack Link’s on the car. Last year’s win was huge for our team and it’s one of those moments you don’t forget. I’m hoping we can get the #47 back in victory lane this year.”   Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBowman on going to Talladega Superspeedway: “Talladega is unpredictable and all about survival. A lot of it is mental as well. You have to be mentally sharp throughout the whole race and especially towards the end when it gets hectic. We had a decent finish last weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.”    Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet“Talladega is definitely one of my favorites,” he said. “I have a really good track record there with top-five finishes in Xfinity, and multiple Cup Series top-10 finishes. I feel like I know what I need to do behind the wheel to execute, or to at least position myself to leverage the draft and make moves. From there, it’s a matter of seeing what happens. Sometimes all you can do is put yourself in position and hope that it works.   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow do you balance being aggressive while racing for the win and not ruining a playoff contenders’ day? “When it comes to playoff contenders, you do think about them at most of the races, but not Talladega. There’s just no way of actually doing that, because you can’t help what’s going to happen at Talladega. That’s actually one of the less stressful races because of that. You can’t control the big one, when it’s going to happen, or who it’s going to take. So, for us, we don’t have any pressure but to go there and try to win the race. So, it’s low pressure and low stress going into it. We’re not in a spot where we have to worry about the cutoff. 
We’re not in a spot where we’re worried about points. We can just go and try to run up front and win the race.”    Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletSpire Motorsports as a whole has been strong on superspeedways this year. What have you learned since the season opener at Daytona that you can apply in Sunday’s race?“For me, I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with pushing for position during a superspeedway race. I had always been so worried about just making it to the end and staying out of trouble, and learned early this year that if I wanted a shot at a win that just wasn’t going to work. We had a good run at Talladega earlier this year and if all goes right, we should be able to knock out a top five.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat do you think about Talladega?“It’s crazy and very different than a traditional oval. We are doing 320 kilometers in a pack of 40 cars. It’s amazing how fast we are going, all squeezed together. Talladega is one of the most difficult races that we do. Hopefully this weekend we can prove that we are getting better at that (superspeedway racing) too and get a good result.”
There are only ovals left on the schedule this season. Is there a certain oval you like the best?“I like the challenge of all of them. I like how different they all are. The intermediates, they look the same shape on paper, but when you go there, they all drive so differently. I really like the challenge of finding all the little integrities on the track and what makes the cars work.” You have received massive amounts of support from the people of New Zealand, and even Australia this season. How special is that to you?“The support I’ve gotten coming over here (United States) has been great! As I always say, when New Zealanders or Aussies go overseas, the support we get is amazing. It’s in all different series, like IndyCar, Formula 1 and Formula E, it’s so cool to see the support we get and it’s really appreciated. Every track I go to, there are always some Kiwis or Aussies there to support me. It’s really special.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletYou have been able to run inside the top-10 consistently in recent races at Talladega. Does that make you optimistic about this weekend? “The racing at Talladega can get so crazy but it’s a lot of fun when you can stayout of trouble and have a good day. We’ve been able to do that quite a bit inthe last few races there. It was an up-and-down day for our team in the springrace. I thought our car had speed, but we needed to improve the balance. Ourguys on pit road executed well when it counted the most late in the race.Everyone at Trackhouse does a great job preparing our Freeway InsuranceChevrolet and ECR gives us great engines, especially at Talladega and Daytona.I certainly think we can have another strong run this weekend.” Do you like racing at Talladega?“I love Talladega. At first, I really didn’t like superspeedway racing but themore I did it the more I started to enjoy it. We have been so close so manytimes on the superspeedway. One of these days we are going to win one of theseraces and I hope it is Sunday.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports ChevroletHow do you approach Talladega since it is such a wild card race?“A lot of times you don’t have much to control at Talladega. A lot of things that happen at those types of tracks that are out of your control, so you just have to do what you can to put yourself in the right spots. But sometimes what you think is the right spot can easily turn out to be the wrong spot, and you find yourself in trouble.”  You enter Talladega 82 points above the cutline. Is there comfort being that far above the elimination line?“Plus 82 is not bad. It could be a lot worse for sure. Having another win sticker on this car definitely would have been better.”
Now officially aligned in the Round of Eight, all three NASCAR national touring series will head to Alabama to take on arguably the biggest wild card stop of the playoffs – Talladega Superspeedway. MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
Fresh on the heels of a strong points day, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will carry that momentum with him as he seeks his first career superspeedway victory and an early berth into the Cup Series Championship Four. In the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, the playoff rankings see a strong contingency of three Team Chevy drivers above the cutline in each division heading into the penultimate race of the round. 
Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega: One year ago, Chevrolet conquered the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway with a tripleheader weekend sweep. Among those triumphs included a playoff upset by Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who drove Chevrolet to its 45th all-time win in NASCAR’s top division at the track. The victory added onto Chevrolet’s already stellar showing in the Next Gen era at the Alabama venue – leading its competitors with wins in four of the seven races since the car’s competition debut. Earlier this season, the manufacturer fell just one spot short of a trip to victory lane but proved to be a force to be reckoned with as nine drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations earned top-12 results, including a pair of podium finishes by playoff contenders Kyle Larson and William Byron. 
LARSON CONTINUES TO ADD TO THE POINTS BANKKyle Larson made one of the biggest climbs up the NASCAR Cup Series playoff rankings – leaving Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the top provisional points position with a 35-point advantage over the cutline. The 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native turned in a 54-point race to open the Round of Eight – matching race winner, Denny Hamlin, to lead the series. His runner-up finish extended an already stellar performance during the midway point of the postseason with the 2021 champion heading to Talladega Superspeedway with a streak of four-straight top-seven finishes. While luck hasn’t been on his side on superspeedway’s throughout his Cup Series career, Larson has found his footing on the configuration this season.  He has earned top-six results in three of the five races on drafting-style tracks, including a runner-up finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The finish marked back-to-back top-five finishes at the Alabama venue, with the No. 5 team also tallying a fourth-place result at the track one year ago. 
BYRON, ELLIOTT LOOK TO TAP INTO SUPERSPEEDWAY SUCCESSWhile a disappointing trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway put William Byron and Chase Elliott in an unfavorable position below the cutline, the Hendrick Motorsports duo will look to tap into their superspeedway success this weekend. This season alone, each driver has earned a victory on a drafting-style track including Byron’s DAYTONA 500 victory and Elliott’s first win of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Elliott’s Alabama accolades include two trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division, including the track’s fall event in 2022 that led him to a berth into the Round of Eight. While still seeking his first Talladega triumph, Byron has yet to finish outside of the top-15 in seven races during the Next Gen era at track. The regular season champion currently sits on a streak of five-straight top-seven results at the Alabama venue, including back-to-back podium appearances in the past two races. 
TEAM CHEVY TRIO BOOSTS DOUBLE-DIGIT POINTS CUSHION In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, three Team Chevy playoff drivers cashed in on a strong points result to find themselves sitting above the playoff cutline with a double-digit cushion heading into the Talladega race weekend. The JR Motorsports pairing of Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier rounded out the podium in Las Vegas to not only maintain their one-two playoff positions, but further build onto their points lead to now 82-points (Zilisch) and 44-points (Allgaier) above the cutline. Making the biggest move up the rankings was Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love, who turned a two-point deficit to a 20-point advantage over the bubble heading to the track that delivered his first career Xfinity Series win. 
Love Tallies Impressive Talladega Stats: While most drivers look at superspeedways as a wild card, Jesse Love sees this weekend as the perfect opportunity to solidify his first career Championship Four appearance. The 20-year-old Menlo Park, California, native is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner, with his first coming at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2024. Love’s Talladega resume sees a front-row qualifying effort and results no worse than sixth in each of his three starts at the track. In the spring, the Richard Childress Racing driver secured the pole position en route to top-two finishes in each stage, 50 laps led and a third-place finish.  Love has proven to be well-versed in the art of superspeedway racing throughout his short NASCAR career. In five races on drafting-style tracks this season, the Team Chevy driver has earned a victory (Daytona – Feb.), two poles and four top-six finishes. Destined to be a frontrunner in Saturday’s race, an early Championship Four berth is very much in reach. 
ENFINGER EYES CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR POTENTIAL The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff rankings are closer than ever with just a single-digit points margin separating the seven title contenders vying for the three remaining Championship Four spots. Heading into the Talladega race weekend, the Bowtie brigade occupies each of those three positions with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum in second and Daniel Hemric in third, as well as Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth who sits in the fourth and final provisional points position.  
While he might be sitting on the outside looking in, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger is no stranger to playoff pressure and a trip to his home track of Talladega Superspeedway might just be what he needs to punch his ticket into the title-deciding race. The 40-year-old Fairhope, Alabama, native is a two-time Truck Series winner at Talladega, with his most recent coming one year ago that led him to his third career Championship Four appearance. This season, the Truck Series has only participated in two drafting-style races – both of which ended in top-10 results for Enfinger and the No. 9 team. 
PINK CORVETTE STINGRAY PACE CAR TO HIGHLIGHT 2025 ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMPAIGNThis season, Chevrolet celebrates 15 years of supporting the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative with the return of a specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray that will serve as the official pace vehicle for two NASCAR Cup Series races this month, including this weekend in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Once again helping drive donations for the initiative, every caution lap the pink Corvette Stingray completes in Sunday’s race will generate a donation of $500 (up to $25,000). A special addition has been added to this year’s campaign with Chevrolet also pledging to donate an additional $1,500 (up to $25,000) for each Team Chevy driver that earns a top-10 finish in the two participating events.\
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 33 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 14Poles: 11Laps Led: 3,573Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 135Stage Wins: 25
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:
Wins: 24Poles: 19Laps Led: 3,585Top-Fives: 101Top-10s: 196Stage Wins: 45
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 22 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:
Wins: 6Poles: 2Laps Led: 939Top-Fives: 46Top-10s: 102Stage Wins: 7
BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Talladega Superspeedway: NASCAR Cup Series: Specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray in support of the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative NASCAR Xfinity Series: Silverado RSTNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Silverado RST 
·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – two wins (2017 & 2024)Kyle Busch – two wins (2023 & 2008)Chase Elliott – two wins (2022 & 2019)Ross Chastain – one win (2022) 
·        In 112 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet has recorded 45 victories – four of which have come during the Next Gen era to lead its manufacturer competitors. 

·        Chevrolet holds a winning percentage of 68.4 percent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway with 26 wins in 38 races. The manufacturer enters the weekend with 12-straight NXS wins at the Alabama venue – a streak that dates back to the April 2018 event.   ·        Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 14 of the 33 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.  
·        In 141 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 66 victories – a winning percentage of 46.8%. 

·        With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 880 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.


FOR THE FANS: ·        Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Talladega Superspeedway, which features a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2026 Tahoe Z7, 2026 Silverado 1500 ZR2, Trax Activ, Traverse RS, Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Corvette Z06 and a Chase Elliott No. 9 Show Car. 

·        Fans will also have access to a special showing of the Eagle Lunar Terrain Vehicle.  GM brings three areas of expertise to the Lunar Dawn team: electrification, autonomous vehicle technology and chassis development.GM’s expertise in electric vehicle technology will leverage EV performance, quality and durability synergies from its experience back on Earth to applications on the Moon.GM’s ongoing work on autonomous vehicles technology is being applied to the rover and to its unique environment.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display: Friday, October 17Rajah Caruth: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Daniel Hemric & Connor Mosack: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Grant Enfinger: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Corey LaJoie: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Andres Perez, Bayley Currey & Matt Mills: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. 
Saturday, October 18Carson Kvapil: 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Sammy Smith & Connor Zilisch: 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Jeb Burton: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.Nick Sanchez: 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 19Shane van Gisbergen: 9:20 a.m. – 9:35 a.m. Justin Haley: 9:35 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.Kyle Larson: 9:50 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.Chase Elliott: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.William Byron: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. 

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: Friday, October 17: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.   Saturday, October 18: 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sunday, October 19: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.  
TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoYellaWood 500Sunday, October 19, at 2 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoUnited Rentals 250Saturday, October 18, at 4 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoLove’s RV Stop 225Friday, October 17, 4 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow do you approach Talladega?“Talladega is such a wild-card. You truly have no idea how it’s going to go for you. You can be the fastest car but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll win. You need to be a little bit lucky to avoid the accidents so you can even have a shot at winning at the end. There really hasn’t been a pattern for me at this track. I’ve won it from a last lap pass to ending up wrecked making a high-risk move for position, you just truly don’t know what is going to happen. That’s why the fans like it so much, you just never know who is going to win.” Your car has a little bit different look this weekend.“I hope I’m going so fast that it’s hard to see me with the Busch Light Hunting scheme. Busch Light does a great job with their specialty schemes, and I can’t think of a better track to run a Hunting scheme than Talladega. I had fun shooting content in the woods for it. “   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat’s Talladega Superspeedway like compared to Daytona International Speedway?“Talladega Superspeedway is a big speedway, a fast place, with a lot of space. You get four wide, five wide, and you’ve got to be really on point with your spotter. You’ve got to give you good, clear communication during the race. It does race a lot differently than Daytona International Speedway because of how wide the track is. Daytona’s a little rougher, but as the years have gone on, Talladega has started to develop a couple of places that can be trouble spots on the track.” Do you look at Talladega Superspeedway as an opportunity or challenge?“Talladega Superspeedway is an opportunity for the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet team. Speedway racing can be tough sometimes and you can be on either side of the thought process going into it. But it does shake up the Playoffs with being where it’s at in the Round of 8. It’s anybody’s game. There are certain guys who rise to the top even at superspeedways, though.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletLarson on returning to Talladega Superspeedway: “Hopefully we can go to Talladega and do what we’ve done on superspeedways for a while now by scoring stage points and get good finishes by getting to the checkered flag like we have been doing this year. We’ll just try to execute again; have a good points day at Talladega and be in a good position heading into Martinsville (Speedway).”   Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletYou’ve been impressive on superspeedways throughout your career. What is the key to being successful at a track like Talladega?“I have just always really enjoyed superspeedway racing. I’m not sure why that is, but it has just come easier to me and fits my style of racing better. I try to be very patient in the car, wait for the right moment to make the pass and I think that’s why I tend to do better on the bigger tracks. Talladega and Daytona are really just tracks that test your patience. You want to go and be at the front but you know that anything can happen at any moment. It’s a balance of knowing what is needed to get to the front but making it to the end. The Spire cars have been really good at superspeedways this year and I think we can continue that this weekend.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletThe racing has changed a lot at Talladega. Going into this Fall race, how do you race at Talladega now, compared to years past?“You run them more part throttle now more than you ever have before. The fuel mileage game, and the saving of the fuel, and things like that. Trying to get yourself into that leap-frog strategy. It seems like everybody is doing that, where you want to spend the least amount of time on pit road to pick off spots, because it seems like it is more difficult to pass. When the first two lanes, the bottom lane and the middle lane lets call it, when they are sitting there side-by-side saving fuel, the third lane can open up and go more throttle on and make up some time and get the third lane going. But then once the bottom lane and middle lane are wide open, there is no top lane. The bottom just gets too fast, and the top is too far around. You don’t see enough of that speed gain down the backstretch coming off the banking to give you that the propel forward and making up rows, so it’s tougher to pass. When you come down towards the last 10 laps, eight laps, six laps, everybody is scared to pull out of line because you know if you pull out of line, and no one goes with you, you are literally going to pull back to last. So it seems like everybody is a bit more scared to take that chance, and don’t want to take that chance to drop backwards. So they just all stay in line, until they can literally see they checkered flag out of their windshield, and then they all go crazy, and that’s about when the wrecking ensues. So try to miss that one.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletElliott on Talladega Superspeedway: “I don’t see anyone being a standout. Everybody’s just really close and whoever gets themselves in a good spot and positions themselves well and has some good fortune, you know, is going to have a good day.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletByron on Talladega Superspeedway: “Obviously last weekend didn’t end the way we hoped. We were going to be in a good position for the rest of this round and that shows how quickly things can change. Talladega is where anything and everything can happen and change quickly. We would like to collect stage points but also strategy will be big when it comes to fuel. Plus, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where your race could end early all because you pushed too hard for stage points. It’s going to be a very fine balance and all we can do is execute and see where the chips fall at the end.”    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m excited to head to Talladega again this weekend with Jack Link’s on the car. Last year’s win was huge for our team and it’s one of those moments you don’t forget. I’m hoping we can get the #47 back in victory lane this year.”   Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBowman on going to Talladega Superspeedway: “Talladega is unpredictable and all about survival. A lot of it is mental as well. You have to be mentally sharp throughout the whole race and especially towards the end when it gets hectic. We had a decent finish last weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.”    Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet“Talladega is definitely one of my favorites,” he said. “I have a really good track record there with top-five finishes in Xfinity, and multiple Cup Series top-10 finishes. I feel like I know what I need to do behind the wheel to execute, or to at least position myself to leverage the draft and make moves. From there, it’s a matter of seeing what happens. Sometimes all you can do is put yourself in position and hope that it works.   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow do you balance being aggressive while racing for the win and not ruining a playoff contenders’ day? “When it comes to playoff contenders, you do think about them at most of the races, but not Talladega. There’s just no way of actually doing that, because you can’t help what’s going to happen at Talladega. That’s actually one of the less stressful races because of that. You can’t control the big one, when it’s going to happen, or who it’s going to take. So, for us, we don’t have any pressure but to go there and try to win the race. So, it’s low pressure and low stress going into it. We’re not in a spot where we have to worry about the cutoff. 
We’re not in a spot where we’re worried about points. We can just go and try to run up front and win the race.”    Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletSpire Motorsports as a whole has been strong on superspeedways this year. What have you learned since the season opener at Daytona that you can apply in Sunday’s race?“For me, I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with pushing for position during a superspeedway race. I had always been so worried about just making it to the end and staying out of trouble, and learned early this year that if I wanted a shot at a win that just wasn’t going to work. We had a good run at Talladega earlier this year and if all goes right, we should be able to knock out a top five.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat do you think about Talladega?“It’s crazy and very different than a traditional oval. We are doing 320 kilometers in a pack of 40 cars. It’s amazing how fast we are going, all squeezed together. Talladega is one of the most difficult races that we do. Hopefully this weekend we can prove that we are getting better at that (superspeedway racing) too and get a good result.”
There are only ovals left on the schedule this season. Is there a certain oval you like the best?“I like the challenge of all of them. I like how different they all are. The intermediates, they look the same shape on paper, but when you go there, they all drive so differently. I really like the challenge of finding all the little integrities on the track and what makes the cars work.” You have received massive amounts of support from the people of New Zealand, and even Australia this season. How special is that to you?“The support I’ve gotten coming over here (United States) has been great! As I always say, when New Zealanders or Aussies go overseas, the support we get is amazing. It’s in all different series, like IndyCar, Formula 1 and Formula E, it’s so cool to see the support we get and it’s really appreciated. Every track I go to, there are always some Kiwis or Aussies there to support me. It’s really special.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletYou have been able to run inside the top-10 consistently in recent races at Talladega. Does that make you optimistic about this weekend? “The racing at Talladega can get so crazy but it’s a lot of fun when you can stayout of trouble and have a good day. We’ve been able to do that quite a bit inthe last few races there. It was an up-and-down day for our team in the springrace. I thought our car had speed, but we needed to improve the balance. Ourguys on pit road executed well when it counted the most late in the race.Everyone at Trackhouse does a great job preparing our Freeway InsuranceChevrolet and ECR gives us great engines, especially at Talladega and Daytona.I certainly think we can have another strong run this weekend.” Do you like racing at Talladega?“I love Talladega. At first, I really didn’t like superspeedway racing but themore I did it the more I started to enjoy it. We have been so close so manytimes on the superspeedway. One of these days we are going to win one of theseraces and I hope it is Sunday.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports ChevroletHow do you approach Talladega since it is such a wild card race?“A lot of times you don’t have much to control at Talladega. A lot of things that happen at those types of tracks that are out of your control, so you just have to do what you can to put yourself in the right spots. But sometimes what you think is the right spot can easily turn out to be the wrong spot, and you find yourself in trouble.”  You enter Talladega 82 points above the cutline. Is there comfort being that far above the elimination line?“Plus 82 is not bad. It could be a lot worse for sure. Having another win sticker on this car definitely would have been better.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics  Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2025 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 14Poles: 11Laps Led: 3,573Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 135Stage Wins: 25 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 880 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 764Laps led to date: 256,284Top-Fives to date: 4,430Top-10s to date: 9,142                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,214           Chevrolet: 880           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 846                                                                                          Ford: 746           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 202