All posts by ARP Trish

(4/21/25 – Andrew Kunas) Tulare, CA ,,, A Thunderbowl Raceway cornerstone event is next on tap for the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series, which will race in the Chris & Brian Faria Memorial this Saturday, April 26th.

Saturday’s event is the first of two visits that NARC will make to the 1/3-mile, high-banked clay oval located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds this season. This marks the third stop on the 27-event NARC campaign.

First contested in 2002, the event honors a pair of brothers from the Faria family, longtime participants in California racing. Chris Faria, who was an up-and-coming racer, passed away after a farming accident in 1993. His older brother Brian, who was active behind the scenes at Thunderbowl Raceway, tragically passed away in early 2006 in a traffic accident, and Brian’s name was soon put alongside his brother’s name for this race.

The event, held at one of California’s most challenging dirt tracks, has long been looked forward to by NARC competitors and fans, and the list of past winners of the race reads like a who’s who of west coast sprint car racing.

Jason Meyers, a future two-time World of Outlaws champion, won the inaugural event in 2002. National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding won it twice in the latter years of his legendary career. A young kid named Kyle Larson, years before the NASCAR world got to know him, was the 2010 winner of the race. NARC champions such as D.J. Netto and Kyle Hirst are also past winners.

Last year’s Chris & Brian Faria Memorial was rained out on its original sprint date, but the series and Thunderbowl Raceway were able to reschedule the event to October 12th, and it was Cole Macedo picking up the victory that night.

Netto, who lives just down the road from Thunderbowl Raceway in Hanford, currently leads the NARC point standings after two completed events aboard the Netto Ag No. 88N. With his win in the season opening event at Stockton Dirt Track, followed by his fourth place run at the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway, Netto carries a five-point advantage over Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery.

Montgomery, having driven two different cars in two races, turned in Top 5 finishes each time, including a third-place effort at the Mini Gold Cup.

WHO TO WATCH

Justin Sanders, after a tough month of March, bounced back in a big way at Silver Dollar Speedway, winning the Mini Gold Cup after a last lap battle with Tanner Holmes. With the $10,000 NARC victory at Chico, the reigning NARC “King of the West” clawed back to sixth in the standings, only 12 points out of the lead and feeling that momentum is back on the side of the Mittry Motorsports No. 2x.

Fremont’s Shane Golobic enters the night third in the NARC point standings aboard the Matt Wood Racing No. 17w. While Golobic did not fare well in the Faria Memorial race last October, he was victorious in the NARC race at the Tulare clay oval in May. Golobic has been competitive at Thunderbowl Raceway, logging many top five and top ten finishes over the years, including a seventh place run just last month with the High Limit Racing series during their spring California swing.

Others expected to compete include Roseville’s Sean Becker and Ryan Bernal, Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick, San Jose’s Tim Kaeding, Oakley’s Dylan Bloomfield, Tyler Thompson from Oregon, Arizona’s Ashton Torgerson, Chance Grasty from Suisun City, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Benicia’s Billy Aton, John Clark from Windsor, Landon Brooks from Rio Oso, and many others.

Central California will be well represented in the pit area with competitors including two-time series champion Dominic Scelzi and Gauge Garcia from Fresno, 2024 Rookie of the Year Caeden Steele of Lemoore, and Dominic Gorden and Mariah Ede from Clovis.

FAN INFO

It will be all sprint cars on Saturday night at Thunderbowl Raceway, as winged 360 Kings of Thunder sprint cars and California Racesaver sprints will also be in action.

The NARC portion of the program includes qualifying, three eight-lap heat races, a six-lap trophy dash, and a 30-lap feature event headliner.

Tickets will be available at the front gate for fans. Grandstand tickets are $35, and $33 for seniors. Bleacher seats are $30 for adults, $28 for seniors and $15 for kids 12 and under. Pit passes are $45. Front gates open at 4:00 p.m. Hot laps are scheduled for 5:00 p.m. with qualifying at 6:00 and racing beginning at 7:00 p.m.

For first time visitors, Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on K Street.

ABOUT NARC

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 towww.narc410.com. You can also follow on various social media platforms.

The NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is also 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 TWO EVENTS IN 27-RACE SERIES – 4/20/25)

DJ Netto, Hanford – 280
Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 275
Shane Golobic, Fremont – 273
Sean Becker, Roseville – 270
Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 269
Tim Kaeding, San Jose – 268
Justin Sanders, Aromas – 268
Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR – 267
Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 264
Tyler Thompson, Harrisburg, OR (R) – 260
Chance Grasty, Suisun City (R) – 258
Andy Forsberg, Auburn – 257
Dominic Gorden, Clovis – 256
Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 252
Billy Aton, Benicia – 251
Max Mittry, Redding – 245
John Clark, Windsor – 245
Ashton Torgerson, Glendale, AZ (R) – 244
Caeden Steele, Fresno (R) – 240
Gauge Garcia, Lemoore – 238

UPCOMING EVENTS:
May 10 – Antioch Speedway – Contra Costa County Clash
May 16 – Ocean Speedway – Salute to First Responders
May 17 – Thunderbowl Raceway – Morrie Williams Memorial Twin 20’s
May 31 – Placerville Speedway – Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial

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Coltman Farms Racing Creates Nine-Event Championship Contest With World of Outlaws Late Models

April 21, 2025 ARP Trish

The inaugural Coltman Farms Racing Cup boasts a $10,000 purse and will crown its champion at World of Outlaws World Finals in November

CONCORD, NC (April 21, 2025) – Coltman Farms Racing is taking its support of Late Model racing and the World of Outlaws to the next level in 2025 with the creation of the Coltman Farms Racing Cup.

Designed as a nine-event championship contest, hosted at premier events on the 2025 World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision schedule, the Cup boasts a $10,000 purse to be awarded to the top two points earners.

Points will be awarded to all Feature drivers at each Coltman Farms Racing Cup race, using the World of Outlaws points format. The driver with the most points at the end of the 20-plus race battle will be crowned the champion, receiving the Coltman Farms Racing Cup trophy and $7,500. The second-highest points earner will receive $2,500.

“Supporting short-track racing has always been a top priority for me, as it embodies the essence of our sport,” said Brett Coltman, owner of Coltman Farms Racing. “By collaborating with the World of Outlaws to launch the Coltman Farms Cup, we’re not only expanding our reach, but also celebrating the values of heroism, sportsmanship, pride, community, family and country.

“We take great pride in this initiative. Our aim is to offer these drivers and teams an added motivation to excel. The dedication required to travel week after week can be challenging and recognizing that effort is what makes it all worthwhile.”

The nine Cup events will take place at:
-Talladega Short Track, Alabama Gang 100, April 25-26
-Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Dairyland Showdown, May 1-3
-Marion Center Raceway, Connor Bobik Memorial, May 16-17
-Deer Creek Speedway, NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50, July 3-5
-Fairbury Speedway, Prairie Dirt Classic, July 26
-Cedar Lake Speedway, USA Nationals, July 31-Aug. 2
-Tri-City Speedway, Battle by the Arch, Sept. 26-27
-Boothill Speedway, Bayou Classic, Oct. 10-11
-The Dirt Track at Charlotte, World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 6-8

Each is a marquee event on the 2025 schedule, and of them, six pay $50,000 or more to the Feature winner – Talladega, Mississippi Thunder, Deer Creek, Fairbury, Cedar Lake and Boothill. This year, the USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway will make history as the first World of Outlaws Late Model event to award a six-figure payday with its guaranteed $100,000-to-win top prize.

The inaugural Coltman Farms Racing Cup champion will be determined after the season finale at the World of Outlaws World Finals in November and officially crowned during the 2025 World of Outlaws championship banquet.

In addition to the Cup, Coltman Farms Racing will have a presence at every World of Outlaws Late Model event as the team has joined the Series full-time with Tanner English piloting their house car program.

CLICK HERE to purchase tickets to World of Outlaws Late Model events (save $5 by purchasing them in advance).

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CORVETTE RACING AT IMOLA: A Double-Points Day

April 21, 2025 ARP Trish

No. 81 leads TF Sport with sixth in LM GT3; No. 33 retains championship lead IMOLA, Italy (April 20, 2025) – TF Sport’s two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs finished in points-paying positions Sunday at the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Six Hours of Imola with the team’s No. 33 retaining its championship lead in the LM GT3 class.

Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy led the TF Sport effort with a sixth-place effort in the No. 81 Corvette after starting 10th in class. Right behind in seventh was the championship-leading No. 33 Z06 GT3.R of Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Edgar and Ben Keating. The trio came from 16th at the start, weathered contact that sent Keating off-track in the opening hour. Apart from that, the race for both Corvette squads was trouble-free and – more importantly – mistake-free to maximize the Imola weekend. This despite a lack of performance that left the two Corvettes near the bottom of the 18-car field through the three practice sessions. Progress was steady for the TF Sport Z06 GT3.Rs. Keating gained four spots in the early-going before he was hit by another GT3 car, and Van Rompuy gained three positions by the end of his nearly two-hour stint. That left Andrade in seventh and Edgar sniffing the top-10 and the points mid-race. Mistakes, crashes and penalties for faster competitors continued to push the Corvettes up the running order heading into the final stints for Eastwood and Juncadella, who had a spirited fight after the final pit stops in the final hour. The next race in the FIA WEC for TF Sport and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R is the Six Hours of Spa on Saturday, May 10.

TF SPORT POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTESCHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – SIXTH IN LM GT3: “P6 at the flag in our Corvette. I think this morning and all week we probably would have taken that. We haven’t had the pace of the front-runners all week, but it was a super and faultless race. Not one mistake between us. Both Tom and Rui – especially Rui’s middle stint really kept us in it – were strong. There were some tough battles out there, for sure. Whenever you’re lacking pace, you obviously feel like you’re on the back foot. But we got the elbows out and pushed as much as we could to the flag, so we’ll take P6. (Late-race battle with the No. 33) “We knew from five to six laps prior to the stop that it was going to be close at pit exit. He just got me coming out, but we preserved the tires pretty well and I knew we had a little bit more. It was a little too close for comfort at one point! But it’s all good with P6 and P7 for the team.”

RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – SIXTH IN LM GT3: “It looked like we were lacking pace through practice and up until qualifying. The car felt pretty good but I couldn’t get a lap together with track limits. Starting P10 wasn’t the end of the world. In the race the car just comes alive and the pace comes to us. I think P6 was the maximum for us. We did a really good job as a team… no mistakes and no penalties. All of us did a great job. We just didn’t have the pace to fight for the leading positions. But we maximized the result, and I’m happy with that.”

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – SIXTH IN LM GT3: “I think our result was unexpected. The first part of the race went really well. Everyone did a great job. We tried to maximize our stints by doing a lot of energy-saving and saving our tires for the second stints. It was a really clean race for both cars, and it’s really good to come away from here with what I feel are maximum points for our car.”

DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – SEVENTH IN LM GT3: “Round Two at Imola is done. It was a difficult weekend for us, but I’m very happy with the result in our Corvette. P7 in the end is good points for our championship and keeps us in the lead. It was a hard weekend. We struggled all weekend with pace in general, but I think it will be way better at the next one. At the end of the day, P7 feels like a good result out of here.”

JONNY EDGAR, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – SEVENTH IN LM GT3: “It was a very difficult weekend. It was pretty clear from the start that we lacked some pace, and any point we earned we were going to be happy with. The team did a really good job in the race. With both cars we got the maximum we could with the speed we had. None of us really made mistakes, the pit stops were good, the car felt really nice to drive… I don’t think across the weekend we could have done a lot more, so I’m happy. It’s been two weekends in our car where we had results that were slightly better than our pace, which is always good.”

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – SEVENTH IN LM GT3: “I said that I felt like it would be an Easter miracle if we got in the points. And we got in the points! So an Easter miracle. It was another perfect execution by everyone on the team. That was the difference. We did not have a fast car. By the end of it, I think all three drivers in our car had four track-limit warnings, and on the fifth you get a penalty. So well done to everyone on the team. “Unfortunately I got spun around by another car during my stint. But in a way I was very happy with the way it went down. I was able to keep the car running, didn’t brake and rolled right back into the track and headed into the right direction. We only lost three spots so it didn’t cost us much. A great weekend from everyone here at TF Sport. I’m happy to still be in the points lead. The cars that finished second, third, fifth and sixth weren’t in the points at Qatar. The Lexus that finished fourth in Qatar was in the points here and ahead of us. So they will be pretty close in the championship, but we are still in the lead and I like our chances for the rest of the season.”

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Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA at points table

April 21, 2025 ARP Trish

No. 12 Hypercar battles back to finish 10th in tightly contested WEC race at ImolaIMOLA, Italy (April 20, 2025) – In an up and down 6 Hours of Imola, the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R finished in the points for the second consecutive race to start the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season.The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, which started ninth at the hands of Will Stevens, crossed the finish line in 10th place with Norman Nato behind the wheel in the tightly contested race on the demanding 4.909-kilometer (3.050-mile), 21-turn Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit.
The No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, with Earl Bamber, Sebastien Bourdais and Jenson Button sharing time in the seat, finished 16th after qualifying 15th.

Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA crew members shined a day earlier, too, as they were tasked with reviewing damage, repairing and preparing the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R for qualifications in short order following a shunt into the tire barrier at Rivazza 1 in Free Practice 3.
Lynn, who has advanced to Hyperpole 12 of the 14 times he has driven in qualifications since Cadillac Racing entered FIA WEC competition in 2023, placed fifth in qualifying and posted a lap of 1 minute, 30.448 seconds – the quickest lap for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA over the weekend – in Hyperpole. The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R has advanced to Hyperpole in both rounds this season.
All 18 Hypercars were running at the finish in the 95th FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) round since its inaugural 2012 season. The pole-sitting No. 51 Ferrari AF Corse won the race.
The race marked the WEC’s return to Europe for the first time since last June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and the series’ second trip to the circuit established in 1953 as a Ferrari test facility.
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA turns its attention to securing podiums May 8-10 at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in the third round of the WEC campaign. Hertz Team JOTA is the defending winner of the six-hour race on the fast and hilly 7.004-kilometer (4.352-mile) road circuit, becoming the first privateer to win a WEC race.

What they’re saying
No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.RAlex Lynn: “Overall, another grueling visit to Imola for the Cadillac team, which is a shame because it’s a great track, one I enjoy, but globally we wanted more. We qualified ninth and finished 10th. That, unfortunately, is about all we wrote. We know we have some track coming up that suit our car a lot more and our package, so we look forward to that and as always work extremely hard to get better.”
Norman Nato: “A bit of a tough weekend. We knew it was going to be difficult for us. We tried our best; we’re still learning about the car and with a new team. Lot of experience taken and we want to move forward and to get points at Spa and Le Mans. I’d say it was important to make it to the end. Not in the position we wanted, but we learned a lot and want to come back stronger.”
Will Stevens: “Obviously, a tough day in the office. We just struggled for pace the whole race. On our side, even on what’s a tough day, we still scored some points, which on days like today you need to try and score what you can at least we got that. We need to make improvements before Spa, which should suit us more than this track.”No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R
Earl Bamber: “Pretty tough day. We were hoping for a lot more speed in the car. The Peugeot turning down on us in the end didn’t impact our race too much. We lost nearly another two laps, so tough day for us and hopefully we can regroup to Spa where we had a strong car last year.”
Sebastien Bourdais: “Tough and disappointing weekend for the 38. It started with qualifying being completely ruined by the 6 car and then the race. Obviously, starting where we were was never going to be easy. Earl did a good job at the start and it started to look good and then there was that contact that spun Earl out and then we got a penalty and the gap gets big. Tire deg was clearly a big issue.”
Jenson Button: “It’s been a difficult weekend. Qualifying was tough for us just finding a balance, but also the race. Hopefully, there are some learnings to take out of it. The 12 got more out of it today, so good for them grabbing a point. Lots of info to take onboard and hopefully come out in Spa swinging and be stronger.”

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A JIM DANDY: Rico Abreu Holds Off Kyle Larson for Knoxville Victory

April 21, 2025 ARP Trish

The Californians drag race to the finish line, and Abreu comes out on top for 18th career World of Outlaws win

KNOXVILLE, IA (April 19, 2025) – Mother Nature made us wait until the sixth attempt in the last three years for a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car race at Knoxville Raceway in April, but it was worth every second of the wait.

“The Sprint Car Capital of the World” gave fans all they could ask for. A wide track with multiple grooves and plenty of racing room. An early battle for the lead. Cars charging through the field. And a drag race to the checkered flag.

It was St. Helena, CA’s Rico Abreu who made the coveted right turn into Knoxville Victory Lane when all was said and done. He snatched the lead from Aaron Reutzel on Lap 9 and then narrowly held off Kyle Larson’s final corner Hail Mary to win the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash.

“I knew someone was coming,” Abreu admitted. “I just appreciate Ricky Warner, his critical thinking, thoughtfulness, and execution on this race car and Zack (Middlebrooks) and Brady (Forbrook). We put these packages together and come here just to race against the best guys in the business.”

Abreu’s victory was his 18th with The Greatest Show on Dirt, equaling him with Brad Doty for 33rd all-time. He’s now topped eight 410 Sprint Car races at the iconic half mile and extended his streak to six straight years of winning there. Knoxville becomes the 11th different track where he’s officially won with the World of Outlaws.

The key to scoring Saturday’s main event was picking the right spots in traffic. Lapped cars became a major factor late, and Abreu negotiated them just enough to stay ahead of Larson when the checkered flag flew.

“I’m just thinking through the process and dissecting my car in lapped traffic,” Abreu explained. “I’ve really got to think about hitting my marks. I knew somebody was going to be coming with how much I had to move around on the racing surface. Knoxville Raceway is definitely becoming one of my favorite tracks in the world.”

Larson’s runner-up finish marked his eighth consecutive podium with the World of Outlaws aboard the Silva Motorsports No. 57. A few mistakes in traffic prevented “Yung Money” from scoring his third straight win with The Greatest Show on Dirt going back to February’s DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.

“I wish I wouldn’t have had to try a Hail Mary,” Larson said. “I wish I would’ve just not made so many mistakes. Once I got to second I could piece a couple good laps together, and then I’d push a little too hard and mess up. The bottom if you could hit it was really fast, but if you missed it, it was worth probably more than you could gain. I screwed up a few times and kind of lost touch of him but was able to piece together a really good (Turns) 1 and 2 there on the last lap. We just had that lapper in front of us and was kind of stuck. I got there, but I was just too stuck to have enough clean air on exit.”

Logan Schuchart and the Shark Racing crew rounded out the podium, logging their third consecutive top three. The Hanover, PA native reclaimed second in points with Saturday’s effort. Schuchart started on the pole for the 25-lap finale but simply needed a little more speed to contend for his second win of 2025.

“We weren’t as good as what we needed to be,” Schuchart said. “I wish I would’ve got to the top in the very beginning and just ripped around there, but it’s hard as the leader when you start like that to know where to go. I felt like we were good. We actually started catching back up to them the last few laps in traffic. It was a good run, a podium finish here at Knoxville with close to 70 cars and as good of a field as you’re going to see in August lining up on Saturday night.”

Tyler Courtney and Aaron Reutzel completed the top five.

A 25th to 12th run gave Buddy Kofoid the KSE Hard Charger.

Rico Abreu earned his 19th career Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races were won by Rico Abreu (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Emerson Axsom (Real American Beer Heat Two), Logan Schuchart (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Gio Scelzi (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).

Logan Schuchart topped the Toyota Dash after getting the SPA Technique #1 Redraw.

J.J. Hickle won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Carson Macedo.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on two straight bullrings with trips to Illinois’ Jacksonville Speedway (April 25) and Haubstadt, IN’s Tri-State Speedway (April 26). For tickets to Jacksonville, CLICK HERE. For tickets to Tri-State, call (812) 768-6025.

For the complete 2025 World of Outlaws schedule, CLICK HERE.

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 24A-Rico Abreu[3]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson[9]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[1]; 4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel[2]; 6. 2-David Gravel[10]; 7. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[5]; 8. 88-Austin McCarl[12]; 9. 49-Brad Sweet[16]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[7]; 11. 21-Brian Brown[6]; 12. 83-Michael Kofoid[25]; 13. 2C-Cole Macedo[13]; 14. 14-Spencer Bayston[15]; 15. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[27]; 16. 10-Ryan Timms[11]; 17. 15-Donny Schatz[28]; 18. 27M-Carson McCarl[8]; 19. 9R-Chase Randall[22]; 20. 55V-Kerry Madsen[19]; 21. 71-Parker Price Miller[17]; 22. 22-Riley Goodno[14]; 23. 2M-JJ Hickle[21]; 24. 23-Garet Williamson[18]; 25. 17B-Bill Balog[24]; 26. 7S-Chris Windom[20]; 27. 41-Carson Macedo[23]; 28. 3P-Sawyer Phillips[26]

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Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA qualifies in top 10

April 21, 2025 ARP Trish

Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac V-Series.R tackle demanding Imola circuit from ninth, 15th

Imola resources* Watch the race from the drivers’ perspective. 7 a.m. EST/1 p.m. CEST Sunday* Event notes, driver CVs, stats, more | * Cadillac Hertz team JOTA photos for editorial use* Driver firesuit photos | * Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA 2025 WEC statistics

What they’re saying
No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.RAlex Lynn: “A dramatic day for reasons we didn’t want. But in the end, I do believe in qualifying we maximized what could get. It was a shame about FP3, but I think we still got out what we could out of the day regardless of what happened there. We’ll look to have a good, clean race tomorrow and score some good points.”No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R
Sebastien Bourdais: “We’ve been a bit searching our way this weekend and it’s been difficult for me, but Alex showed there’s quite a bit of potential in the car. It wasn’t going to be as good for us, but I got held up instead of being able to keep pushing and I had to do a slow lap and then another push lap and the tires never re-started basically. It was very disappointing for the group, and we’ll be starting far back on a track that doesn’t favor passing.”

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CORVETTE RACING AT IMOLA: Looking Forward

April 21, 2025 ARP Trish

TF Sport Corvettes looking for pace after season-opening Qatar LM GT3 win IMOLA, Italy (April 19, 2025) – TF Sport is all-eyes-forward following qualifying Saturday for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Six Hours of Imola. The team’s two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will start 10th and 16th in the LM GT3 class for Sunday’s second round of the season.

The No. 81 Corvette of Tom Van Rompuy, Rui Andrade and Charlie Eastwood will lead the TF charge. Van Rompuy and Andrade split the two qualifying sessions around the 3.05-mile, 20-turn circuit. Van Rompuy advanced from the initial 12-minute session at 1:44.307 (105.260 mph), and Andrade posted a 1:43.807 (105.758 mph) lap in the 10-minute Hyperpole dash for the 10 fastest qualifying cars.
Ben Keating, in the No. 33 Z06 GT3.R, was 16th and 0.656 seconds off Van Rompuy’s time in the first qualifying session. He, Daniel Juncadella and Jonny Edgar were the class winners at the season-opening race at Qatar – after starting 13th – for TF Sport’s maiden Corvette victory in the championship.
The Six Hours of Monza is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET / 1 p.m. CET on Sunday. Full live streaming coverage will be available on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of the race.

CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFO
Corvette Racing media information is available ahead of the Six Hours of Imola and second round of the FIA WEC. Materials include Corvette Racing event advance and quotes, Corvette Racing stats and figures, Corvette Z06 GT3.R racecar comparisons, Corvette Racing Fast Facts, factory driver biographies and Corvette Racing photography, among other items.

TF SPORT POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTESDANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s a very disappointing weekend so far. I think the best position we’ve been all weekend is 16th out of 18 cars. The car actually feels very good to drive. The team is doing great and my teammates as well. Ben has never been here and is adapting very well to the track. In Qatar we were not the favorites and we managed to win. So there are still a lot of hopes to score at least some points for the championship. The car feels good, and I wouldn’t change anything. We have a nice balance. We need to find a way forward with strategy and avoiding mistakes.”

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m very disappointed with the result. I’m very happy with the work of TF Sport and the team. The car is handling amazingly well. Unfortunately I qualified almost P-Last – 16th of 18 cars. I’m used to being up front, so I’m clearly disappointed.“It’s a really fun track and an old-school track, which I love. It is challenging, which is good. I’ve enjoyed it. I’m making big leaps and gains every time I get in the car.”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s been pretty difficult. We’re definitely lacking some pace. I’m happy we got into Hyperpole with Tom. Rui was strong there but track limits cancelled both his last laps, which would have put us P7. Within a second of the pole time is probably the best we’ve looked all weekend. We’re missing a bit but hopefully the weather plays a bit of a part tomorrow so we can get back into the mix somehow.”

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was a bit tough. I was happy to just put it in Hyperpole. It was really, really tight. We expected this because of the previous practice sessions. We hope to have a better car for the race than it seems now. Let’s hope on race pace and being faultless that we can move up tomorrow and end up in a good place. We made quite a few changes. It’s the first time we’ve tried a qualifying setup; normally we do it with the race setup, so that gained me another two- or three-tenths. We have to work very hard at it to get everything out of the car at the moment.”

CORVETTE RACING BY THE NUMBERS: Six Hours of Imola• 2: Number of Corvettes entered in the full FIA WEC championship – the No. 33 and No. 82 Z06 GT3.Rs from TF Sport• 3: Number of drivers in each of TF Sport’s Corvettes – Daniel Juncadella, Ben Keating and Jonny Edgar in the No. 33 Z06 GT3.R, and Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy in the No. 81• 3: Number of wins for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R already in 2025 – the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the GTD class for AWA, the FIA WEC’s 1812 Km of Qatar for TF Sport in LM GT3 and one round of GT World Challenge Asia for Johor Motorsports Racing• 8: Wins in FIA WEC competition for TF Sport – including the 1812Km of Qatar for the No. 33 Corvette• 30: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 68: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list are Matisse Lismont, Kiern Jewiss and Lorcan Hanafin of Steller Motorsport in GT World Challenge Europe; and Prince Jefri Ibrahim, Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim and Jordan Love of Johor Motorsport Racing in GT World Challenge Asia• 72: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year• 141: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 117 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, four in the FIA WEC, 10 in GT World Challenge America and one GT World Challenge Asia• 317: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August 2024 at Road America in IMSA• 419,609.88: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries since 1999. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles Corvette Racing in Italy (wins in bold)2022 – No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy (Monza) – 1st in GTE Pro 2023 – No. 33 Corvette C8.R: Nicky Catsburg/Ben Keating/Nico Varrone (Monza) – 4th in GTE Am (clinched GTE Am championship) 2024 – No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Easwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy (Imola) – 7th in LMGT3No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Daniel Juncadella/Sebastien Baud/Hiroshi Koizumi (Imola) – 8th in LMGT3

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Jacob Denney Unfazed by Unfamiliarity in First Year as Keith Kunz Motorsports Driver

April 18, 2025 ARP Trish

SAPULPA, OK (April 18, 2025) – Jacob Denney was like many aspiring dirt Midget drivers, dreaming that legendary car owner Keith Kunz would one day call with an offer to drive for his team.

The difference is that his phone rang.

Five months since answering, the Ohioan has already found his pace with the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports (KKM) team after capturing his first career Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota Feature win at the season-opening World of Outlaws Illini 100.

“I was super pumped in the moment, and it was a dream come true, really,” Denney said. “I’m really happy to be where I’m at in this stage with them. Kaleb (Wyrick) has been giving me a great car every night, so everyone helping around me has really been a blessing. I can’t thank Keith (Kunz), Pete (Willoughby), Toyota, and JBL enough for really taking a chance with me and allowing me to drive their car.”

Denney built his name on the national Midget stage with Malloy Motorsports in 2023 and 2024, picking up six combined Feature wins between USAC and POWRi. Denney finished seventh and fifth in the USAC National standings both years.

He made his first start for KKM at the 2024 Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series finale at Jacksonville Speedway in a No. 68 LynK Chassis, finishing seventh the first night and 11th in the finale. Then, he made three additional starts for KKM at the POWRi finale, picking up his first win with the team, before he was officially announced to take over the JBL Toyota from Ryan Timms.

“The first night of Creek County for the POWRi opener, I was so comfortable,” Denney said. “I wasn’t really phased; I just went in and found my limit. But from the first lap, I’ve been super comfortable. It takes a lot to be fast, so finding it comfortable really helps. (At Farmer City) it helps in times where it’s treacherous but finding that trust in yourself and running up to the wall makes it rewarding.”

Most tracks on the 2025 Xtreme Outlaw Midgets schedule are facilities the Galloway, OH driver has never visited. The upcoming swing of races in Oklahoma and Kansas will see his first visits to Humboldt Speedway (Friday, May 9) and 81 Speedway (Saturday, May 10), respectively.

Denney is not worried by the lack of experience, as the Illini 100 win at Farmer City marked the first time he raced at the 1/4-mile bullring.

“I mean, you have to feel prepared, or can’t be confident when something new is next,” Denney said. “I mean, it was my first night at (Farmer City) and we did just fine, so you just gotta dive into it. (The tracks) are all kind of the same, they all have their little tricks and things that make you faster at every place, so as long as there is confidence going into it and we do our normal thing, we can keep things going.”

As he chases his first national Midget title with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets in 2025, Denney is blocking out any unneeded thoughts that might distract him from competing in the best racing opportunity he’s earned.

“I don’t think there’s been so much pressure,” Denney said. “You just gotta go in and do your job. You don’t know what’s gonna happen, so thinking about it or adding pressure when nothing’s happened doesn’t help you at all. Racing’s all about confidence, so you gotta be confident in yourself, your car, trust yourself, and things will all work out.”

Denney sits one point behind Karter Sarff in the championship standings as the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota heads to Creek County Speedway on Thursday, May 8, Humboldt Speedway on Friday, May 9, and 81 Speedway on Saturday, May 10.

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Memphis Shades Takes Center Stage at Ventura Short Track on April 26

April 17, 2025 ARP Trish

Dan Bromley (62) at Ventura Raceway in 2024 (Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 17, 2025) – Progressive AFT is proud to announce Memphis Shades as the entitlement sponsor for the upcoming Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track presented by Law Tigers on Saturday, April 26. Fans and riders alike can expect an exciting showcase of flat track racing at Ventura Raceway, now amplified by Memphis Shades’ dedication to performance and style. Memphis Shades, known for its premium motorcycle windshields, has big plans for 2025. This season, the brand will tease its 2025 Road Glide Windshield, a product they proudly describe as “engineered by riders, for riders, and built to enhance every mile with American-made quality, protection, and style.” Fans hungry for details can head to memphisshades.comto stay tuned for the official release date. Beyond its headlining sponsorship, Memphis Shades will be well represented on track. Dan Bromley and Brandon Price—two formidable forces in the paddock—will race under the Memphis Shades banner, bringing the brand’s spirit of innovation and craftsmanship straight into the thick of the action. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Progressive AFT as the entitlement sponsor of the Ventura Short Track event,” said Memphis Shades’ Director of Sales and Marketing, Hillary Combest. “Our commitment to American-made products and deep roots in the motorcycling community make this the perfect opportunity to showcase our passion for performance and style on the track.” Be sure to mark April 26 on your calendars to witness first-hand the thrills of the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track presented by Law Tigers event. With heart-pounding racing, the unveiling of Memphis Shades’ latest innovation, and the on-track talents of Dan Bromley and Brandon Price, fans of all generations will be treated to a can’t-miss celebration of American Flat Track. For the latest updates, including schedules, ticket information, and the official unveiling date for Memphis Shades’ 2025 Road Glide Windshield, visit memphisshades.com and americanflattrack.com. For the latest updates on the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season and event details, visit AmericanFlatTrack.com or follow us on social media. Purchase your tickets for the next round at the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track presented by Law Tigersevent at Ventura Raceway on Saturday, April 26. Purchase your tickets HERE. Can’t make it in person? Tune in LIVE on FloRacing HERE.

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TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Rockingham Speedway

April 16, 2025 ARP Trish

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCERockingham SpeedwayApril 18-19, 2025

While the NASCAR Cup Series embarks on its only off-weekend of the 2025 season, the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series are on the horizon of one of the most anticipated stops on their respective schedules – the return to Rockingham Speedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

The 1.017-mile oval known as “The Rock” has a deep-rooted history with the sport that dates back to the mid-1960s, with the revival of the North Carolina venue marking the end of a 12-year hiatus from NASCAR competition.
Chevrolet at Rockingham Speedway:

Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with a win in all three NASCAR national series at Rockingham Speedway – accumulating 19 Cup Series wins, 10 Xfinity Series wins and 2 Truck Series wins throughout the track’s storied history. NASCAR’s most recent visit to “The Rock” came in 2012-13 when the North Carolina venue played host for the Truck Series’ only two appearances at the track. Both events saw a Chevrolet-powered machine in victory lane with two very familiar faces behind the wheel – Kyle Larson (2012) and Kasey Kahne (2013). Kahne, who retired from full-time NASCAR competition in 2018, is NASCAR’s most recent winner at Rockingham Speedway and is the track’s only past winner entered in this weekend’s events.

KAHNE SET FOR NASCAR RETURNFor the first time in nearly six years, Kasey Kahne will suit up to get back behind the wheel of a stock car to pilot a third entry for Richard Childress Racing in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race. Rockingham Speedway was the very site where the 45-year-old Enumclaw, Washington, native made his first career Xfinity Series start and his debut in the NASCAR national ranks. Kahne quickly moved up into NASCAR’s top division in 2004 to start what turned into a 15-year career in the series. Throughout his career, Kahne amassed 18 Cup Series wins, eight Xfinity Series wins and five Truck Series wins, with his final win in each series coming in a Chevrolet-powered machine. Among those triumphs included three Coca-Cola 600 victories, as well as the win in the 2017 Brickyard 400 that marked his final trip to victory lane before retiring from full-time NASCAR competition.

LEGGE EXPANDS 2025 NASCAR SCHEDULEJust one month ago at Phoenix Raceway, Katherine Legge made history as the first female in seven years to compete in NASCAR’s top division. With her Cup Series debut in the rearview mirror, the 44-year-old England native has expanded her 2025 schedule to 12 more races across NASCAR’s top two divisions, including five Cup Series starts with Live Fast Motorsports and seven Xfinity Series starts with Jordan Anderson Racing. The revival of Rockingham will kick off Legge’s expanded schedule, with the Chevrolet driver climbing into the seat of the No. 32 E.L.F. Cosmetics Chevrolet. Legge has previously tallied five career Xfinity Series starts, with her most recent coming at Road America in 2023. Her racing resume expands across a variety of racing disciplines, including 19 starts in the NTT INDYCAR Series – four of which have come in the Indianapolis 500. She has also made 92 starts in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – earning four wins, 11 podium finishes and two poles.

CUP SERIES HITS THE QUARTER MARKThe drop of the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway also marked the quarter mark of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. With nine points-paying races in the books, the division will sit idle for the weekend before going full throttle in the race for the championship. Heading into the off-weekend, Team Chevy has already hit some early-season high points:

·       Chevrolet leads its manufacturer competitors in a variety of statistical categories including: pole wins (five), laps led (1,167) and top-10 finishes (41).

·       Kyle Larson’s dominating Tennessee triumph marked Chevrolet’s third NASCAR Cup Series win of the 2025 season, each of which have been recorded on a distinctly different track configuration. Among that list includes William Byron’s win at the 2.5-mile superspeedway of Daytona International Speedway, as well as Larson’s win at the 1.5-mile intermediate oval of Homestead-Miami Speedway.

·       Chevrolet has earned at least four top-10 finishes in six of the nine points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races thus far this season, with five of those events seeing representation by three or more different Chevrolet organizations in those results. The manufacturer hit a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – earned collectively by three different Chevrolet organizations. The series’ second race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway saw a season-high five different Chevrolet organizations represented in the top-10. At the conclusion of just the fifth points-paying race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, every full-time Chevrolet organization had scored a top-10 finish this season.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Chevrolet is the only manufacturer with a win in all three NASCAR national series at Rockingham Speedway – accumulating 19 Cup Series wins, 10 Xfinity Series wins and 2 Truck Series wins.

·       Chevrolet continues to dominate in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with Kyle Larson becoming the fifth driver from the third different Chevrolet organization to reach victory lane this season with his win at Bristol Motor Speedway. In nine races, Chevrolet has also amassed a manufacturer-leading six pole wins; wins in 14 of the 18 stages; 30 top-fives; 56 top-10s; and 1,315 laps led.

·       In 117 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 55 victories – a winning percentage of 47%.

·       With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 869 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Xfinity SeriesNorth Carolina Education Lottery 250 presented by Black’s TireSaturday, April 19, at 4 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesBlack’s Tire 200Friday, April 18, at 5 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Carson Kvapil, No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet“Rockingham is tough, but I am looking forward to the opportunity to get out there and run laps this weekend. We had speed at the test, so I know this No. 1 team is going to unload a fast Chevrolet on Friday. We have had really great momentum these past two weeks, so hopefully at the end we can not only contend for the win, but also the $100,000. It would mean a lot to finally get that finish we’ve been chasing for Johnny Morris and everyone at Bass Pro Shops and Clarience Technologies and this entire No. 1 team.”

Jesse Love, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat did you take away from the NASCAR Xfinity Series test at Rockingham Speedway in January?“We showed a lot of speed and were one of the best cars, if not the best, at the test. That test in January set our No. 2 team up to have momentum heading into the start of this season, and we have carried that momentum pretty well through the first nine races. We are taking a setup similar to what we had at the test. Just making a few small adjustments for the weather and the track taking rubber, but what we hit on at the test should work again this coming weekend.” What were your initial thoughts of Rockingham Speedway?“Rockingham is a track that fits my driving style. It’s right up my alley and fits how I like to drive a racetrack. It’s pretty similar to one of my favorite tracks in Dover, so I’m looking forward to going back there this weekend and having a shot at the win. It would be good to get up to second in points and hopefully leave with more Playoff points.”

Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet“It’s really cool to be heading back to Rockingham with our BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet. No one really knows what to expect this weekend, but I feel like the test we had here back in January gave Jim (Pohlman, crew chief) and all the guys on this team a good playbook to start with. We’ve had a lot of momentum on our side here lately, and hopefully that will carry over and we will have another great run on Saturday.”

Sammy Smith, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m excited to go to Rockingham and try out a new track where it’s a level playing field. The weather was much different when we tested earlier this year than it will be this weekend. Some of what we learned during the test will translate but a lot of it will come from knowledge and experience from running similar 1-mile tracks. Racing the Truck Friday will help me get more comfortable with more laps and I’ll be able to take some of that into Saturday where we’ll race for $100,000 and a win for Pilot.”

Daniel Dye, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet ”The last time the Xfinity Series raced at Rockingham, I had barely been born! It’s exciting to get to go back to such a historic track in NASCAR. We tested there earlier this year, and I was able to get comfortable in the car. One challenge this week will be the difference in temperature compared to when we tested in the winter, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Josh Williams, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet “Rockingham is, I think, one of the more unique tracks we’ll go to this season. It’s pretty fast compared to what it was when I ran there [in 2010] because of the repave, so I’m not exactly sure what to expect in the race. As a team, I think we’ve got even more room to improve based off of our test [at Rockingham in January], but everyone is starting from the same point, so I’m sure we’ll get there come the race.”

Christian Eckes, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“It’s exciting to have Rockingham back on the NASCAR schedule. We had a successful test there before the season and were able to get a lot of good seat time. I really enjoy the challenges of learning a new track, and I know our No. 16 team is prepared for it.”

Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletTalk about the NASCAR Xfinity Series test session in January and your thoughts on Rockingham Speedway.“I had only been to Rockingham one other time outside of the test, for a Legends Car and Bandolero race out back. I haven’t seen or really watched any past races there. It was a lot different than what I expected, with the new repave though. It is extremely fast. Faster than what I expected. I thought the pace would be up, because with the Xfinity car, you are not off the throttle for long – especially when your car is driving well. The biggest thing I’m questioning is how it is going to race. Part of me thinks whoever gets out front in clean air is going to be the guy who wins the race. Passing is going to be at a premium. I hope we get the second lane in. I started to run it during the test before Jesse (Love) jumped in the car. There is a little moveability in Turns 1 and 2. But in Turns 3 and 4, you need to run the bottom, drive in super deep, and barely touch the brake. If you do touch the brake in that end of the track, it’s just to set the car really quick.” Are you looking forward to racing at track like Rockingham Speedway?“I’m excited to go there and race at a place with so much history. I just wish it was the old asphalt, but that’s not something we can go back and change now. We have what we have. I personally love racetracks that you can slip and slide around on, like Darlington a few weeks ago. If the actual package is anything like the test showed, it’s going to be a really good race.”

Kasey Kahne, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletThe NASCAR Xfinity Series test at Rockingham Speedway was your first time back in a stock car in years. Describe how that test went and how you felt during it.“It had been six and a half years. It was really nice to be back in a car. I didn’t know exactly how it would feel and if I would have to refigure out how to drive in a way, but truthfully once I got to Turn 3 coming to the start of practice and the car loaded into the corner, I instantly felt right at home and felt like I had been doing it for a while. From there on, it was a solid practice for the next four or five hours.” Did you have any nerves before making those first laps at the test?“There were definitely a little bit of nerves with wondering how I would pick it up and how the car would feel. It felt very similar to what it did six years ago. On the Xfinity side, it doesn’t feel like those cars have changed a lot, but I still saw and felt it the same way I did in the past. I was happy with that.” Are there specific things that are on your mind heading into your first race back?“There are a few key things that I’ve thought about. Doing live pit stop again. Getting the balance of the car to a point where I can run throughout the entire race without getting too tight or too loose for my driving style. Working with spotters and understanding where other cars are around you. I haven’t had a spotter in so long. You just race in sprint cars, but spotters are great. Getting on the same page for that to take advantage of situations instead of getting used up. Restarts will be important. Overall, I just want to make sure that I’m prepared as I can be to put together a solid day.” What are you looking forward to the most?“I’m looking forward to the race the most. Driving, racing, competing. Trying to win or run top-five, top-10; be in the hunt and part of the mix. That’s why I’m doing this. To have a good time and get all that we can.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m really excited to go to Rockingham for the first time this weekend because it’s such a unique racetrack and has so much history in NASCAR. It’s really cool to finally have it back on the schedule again. Rockingham is a fast track with a lot of grip with the fresh repave. A lot of people don’t know how well it’s going to race, but based off how we were at the test a few months ago, I think we are going to have a really solid WeatherTech Chevrolet. The JR Motorsports cars have been really fast lately. We’ve all shown a lot of speed, and we just need a finish to go our way.”

Sammy Smith, No. 07 Spire Motorsports ChevroletTalk about returning to Spire after four successful outings with the team in 2024.”I’m excited to get back with Spire. I really got comfortable in the truck in my few starts last year, so I’m hoping it will come back to me as we get rolling. I’m excited for the opportunity to work with Allen (Hart) and all the guys on the No. 07 team. Hopefully we can get a win for all the people who help make this happen.”
What does it mean to race at a venue as rich in history as Rockingham?“It’s really cool to race at a track like Rockingham with so much history, and to have the opportunity to go back in a truck and Xfinity car is really neat. With the repave, it will be very different from when the trucks were last there in 2013. At the test, I was able to get a ton of laps in both the truck and Xfinity car. While the two don’t drive anything alike, the track is still super-fast and has a lot of grip for both. I’m looking forward to getting out on track Friday.”

Corey Day, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are your thoughts heading into Rockingham?“I feel like I’m finally starting to really understand what I need to do in the trucks. I know I still have a lot to learn but I definitely am starting to feel more comfortable. While most of us haven’t raced at Rockingham Speedway before we all got to test there earlier this year. Those laps are going to be useful to help me get up to speed quicker than tracks I haven’t raced at before. I think it should be a good race.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 18 McAnally Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet“I was super surprised back in January at how fast Rockingham was and that is what makes me so excited to get back there this weekend. We were really fast there at the test so I know we are going to unload a good piece and be ready to fight up front all race and hopefully lock in that first win of the season and a spot in the playoffs. We have been so close these last few races and I am so proud of this No. 18 team for holding their heads high. Our time is coming and I am confident we can get this No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet in Victory Lane this weekend at “The Rock”.”

Matt Mills, No. 42 Niece Motorsports ChevroletSince you had two days of testing and will have another 50 minutes of practice, how much is that extra track time going to help you?“I think that’s going to be really good for us because we can go into the practice session based off the changes we made at the end of the test. We’ll have a notebook of what Ross (Chastain) also felt in the test, and that is going to be extremely helpful. That should put us in a good place to start because we were pretty good by the time we left. You can’t make a whole lot of changes in practice, so it’s mainly going to be about fine tuning and getting into a good rhythm to get used to the new track.”

Bayley Currey, No. 44 Niece Motorsports ChevroletEven though you didn’t make any laps, do you think you learned anything by going to the test?“Yes and no. I just got to see how much speed those guys were carrying with the new asphalt. I just ran it in the simulator and I think going to the test helped me grasp on where guys are lifting and where they’re getting back to the gas. I felt like I was able to learn a bit more about that in turns one and two since we were pitted down that way, but I think it helped a little bit. We’re going to be carrying so much speed here this week and I think it’ll be fun to go out there and make some laps in practice to get accustomed to it before the race. We’ve been having some good runs to open up our season and I’ve been really anticipating getting to Rockingham with our Masked Owl Technologies Chevy.”

Kaden Honeycutt, No. 45 Niece Motorsports ChevroletBasing off your speed in the test, do you feel confident in the piece your team is bringing this weekend?“Yeah, I think for us as a company, we were all really fast at the test. We are very optimistic in how we’re going to handle here. We’re not going to change much from where we ended the test at, we’re just going to go through practice similarly and see how we stack up. Hopefully we have a good qualifying lap because starting up front is going to mean a lot. After we see how qualifying goes, we’ll come up with a plan to march to the front or keep our track position.”

Rajah Caruth, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletRockingham Speedway has a deep history. What does it mean to be able to race on the hollowed grounds in Richmond County?“I think it will be really cool to race at ‘The Rock.’ Personally, the last time I saw anything there was the Truck and K&N Series events in 2012-13. I have no real recollection of anything else there, aside from what I’ve read in my NASCAR Encyclopedia and watching highlights from the 2004 Cup Series race. While I don’t have a connection to the track, I’m a student of the sport and a fan of its history. It just makes it that much cooler to get the opportunity to race there. Hopefully I can add my name to the list of winners at Rockingham.”
You took part in the organizational test in January. What did you learn to help you heading into the weekend?“I think the test in January was a valuable tool. I got some time to work with my new group, expose myself to the rule changes and gain some data points and information on what we needed to work on in the simulator. It was significantly colder than it will be this weekend, which will be a factor of some sort. The track will have a lot of grip, and hopefully it has worn out a little bit since the test so we can move around and use some lines.”

Andres Perez de Lara, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are your thoughts heading into Rockingham?“I am feeling confident about this weekend. I enjoyed running the track when we tested there in January. We ran a lot of laps at the test and we got our Silverado where I like it. Having track time at a place as tricky as Rockingham is key for me, and will only help me this weekend. I’m also confident this weekend because we will be on the same playing field as everyone else. Most of the drivers haven’t raced at Rockingham, like me. This is the first time this year that I can say that. I hope the fans show up for the race because Rockingham is a great track.”
You are a quarter of the way through your rookie year. How do you feel the year has gone up to this point?“Jumping into the truck this has been a great learning experience. I feel like we have had speed but are yet to put a full race together. I know when we put a full race together and get a good result. Hopefully Rockingham will be the race everything will come together and we can start building momentum. I am proud of our No. 77 team and all the work they have put in this year.”

Jack Wood, No. 91 McAnally Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet“I am super excited to get to Rockingham this weekend and hopefully continue on our high momentum. Rockingham is a super fast track as we were able to discover at the test back in January. It is really cool that NASCAR is able to bring this track back and all of us at MHR are pretty pumped to be a part of that. Looking forward to this Friday and I am confident that this No. 91 team can keep this truck in contention for a solid finish at “The Rock”.”

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: 3Poles: 5Laps Led: 1,167Top-Fives: 17Top-10s: 41Stage Wins: 7 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 869 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 758Laps led to date: 253,878Top-fives to date: 4,386Top-10s to date: 9,048 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,203 Chevrolet: 869 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 841 Ford: 741 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 194

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCERockingham SpeedwayApril 18-19, 2025

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCERockingham SpeedwayApril 18-19, 2025

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

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Matt Cummings Races to Runner-Up Finish at Vegas Four-Wide Nationals with Randy Meyer Racing

April 16, 2025 ARP Trish

Apr 14, 2025 | Featured, Race Results

Randy Meyer Racing added their first final round appearance to its 2025 campaign with strong results at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past weekend. Team driver Matt Cummings piloted the Maxima Racing Oils / CP-Carrillo Top Alcohol Dragster through three quads of intense competition, advancing to the final quad and finishing second overall on Sunday afternoon.

Cummings qualified 8th going into race day after a best run of 5.327 seconds at 268.06 MPH during Q4. With changing track conditions and desert heat pushing teams to their limits, the Randy Meyer Racing crew worked tirelessly between rounds to keep both entries running consistently.

In the opening round of eliminations, Cummings cut a sharp .064 light and powered to a 5.330-second pass, earning a win light and advancing to round two. There, he laid down another consistent run—a 5.322 ET at 273 MPH—to secure his place in the final quad alongside Shawn Cowie, Joey Severance, and Mitch Myers.

The final round was one of the tightest battles of the day. Cummings launched with a .055 reaction time—second quickest light of the group—and posted a solid 5.343 ET at 271.79 MPH to earn the runner-up finish behind Cowie’s dominating 5.277 ET.

“I can’t believe we got the runner-up—it’s like found money getting a runner-up, and what a tough field to get through,” said Cummings. “It’s tough racing out here for the injected nitro cars. I’m extremely pleased and can’t wait for Charlotte.”

McKenna Bold also made the 16-car field in her Maxima Racing Oils / CP-Carrillo dragster, qualifying 10th with a 5.349 at 266.11 MPH. She left strong with a .071 light in round one but was forced to lift early after the car lost traction and veered toward the centerline.

Despite the early exit, Bold’s presence and rookie performance continue to build momentum for the team’s two-car program. Both cars benefited from the power and durability of Maxima Racing Oils and CP-Carrillo components—a combination that’s proving to be a reliable foundation for performance under pressure.

“Having both cars qualify and run competitive times at a four-wide national event is a huge statement for our program,” said team owner Randy Meyer. “The conditions in Vegas are always challenging, but the crew worked flawlessly to give Matt and McKenna great cars every round. We’re happy with the runner-up and already focused on the next one.”

The Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals marked the fourth event of the 2025 NHRA season for the team. Randy Meyer Racing now heads into the eastern swing with confidence and momentum, competing next at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina, April 26–27. A race they’re proven to win at.

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STRONG SHOWING FOR MELANIE JOHNSON & MCPHILLIPS RACING AT LAS VEGAS 4-WIDE NATIONALS

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

LAS VEGAS (April 14, 2025) — Melanie Johnson and the McPhillips Racing team made a bold statement at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past weekend, April 11–13. In her debut at the unique 4-Wide format, Johnson delivered a performance that showcased both her growth as a driver and the strength of the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster program.

Johnson started the weekend strong, racing to the top of the qualifying charts on Friday with back-to-back low E.T. and top speed runs of 5.260 seconds at 273.00 mph and 5.270 at 275.00 mph, respectively. While her first run was later disqualified due to a marginally over-limit fuel mixture (0.2% above the 95% threshold), Johnson and the McPhillips team responded immediately with a nearly identical performance in the next session to reclaim the provisional number one spot.

Melanie Johnson raced to the second round of the Las Vegas 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, photo courtesy of Melanie Johnson

On Saturday, Johnson slowed in the third qualifying session to a 5.369 at 265.43 mph but posted a solid 5.285 at 271.95 mph in the final qualifying session to secure the No. 3 qualifying position heading into eliminations.

On race day, Johnson rose to the occasion in her first-ever 4-Wide elimination round, taking the win in her opening quad with a starting line advantage and laying down the team’s best pass of the weekend, a 5.259 at 273.72 mph. Her time was the quickest and fastest of the group, advancing her alongside runner-up Jackie Fricke (5.263 at 271.57 mph) to the next round.
The momentum, however, came to a halt in round two when Johnson encountered immediate tire smoke at the hit. Despite an attempt to pedal, the car failed to recover, and she was forced to lift, clocking an 8.590 at 113.42 mph. Joey Severance (5.288 at 269.56 mph) and Mitch Myers (5.423 at 262.49 mph) advanced to the final quad.

Reflecting on the weekend, Johnson said, “I’m pleased with the progress we made this weekend. My current goal is to be more consistent at the starting line and while the 4-Wide format is a tricky place to work on that, I’m proud of the focus I maintained there. It was a unique challenge, but I enjoyed the different format – it kept me on my toes. The guys have been doing a great job with the car which has also built my confidence in the seat.”

Melanie Johnson continues to improve after a strong outing at the Las Vegas 4-Wide Nationals, photo courtesy of Melanie Johnson

McPhillips Racing’s track record at this event remained strong, having won it in 2023 with Tony Stewart behind the wheel. While a repeat win wasn’t in the cards this year, tuner and team co-owner Rich McPhillips Jr. remained confident in the team’s trajectory.

“We left Pomona knowing we needed to be more aggressive on the tune up and got right after it in Vegas setting low E.T. and top speed of the first two qualifying sessions here,” McPhillips Jr. noted. “We feel like the car and driver are coming together as we head into our first regional in Indy. Mel is getting more comfortable with every run and it shows. We have to start going rounds and gather up points to stay in the mix.”

With both Johnson and McPhillips Racing aiming squarely at championship contention, the focus shifts to the next event – the first North Central Regional of the 2025 season during Cleetus & Cars at Indianapolis Raceway Park, May 2–3.

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Cadillac seeks to take next step at Imola

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA Hypercars aim to capitalize on learnings from test at circuit

DETROIT (April 14, 2025) – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA will look to harness data gleaned from a recent two-day test and inherent experience to score its initial podium of the young FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season this weekend in the 6 Hours of Imola.
The race on the 4.909-kilometer (3.050-mile), 21-turn Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari will mark the WEC’s return to Europe for the first time since last June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and the series’ second trip to the circuit established in 1953 as a Ferrari test facility.

Cadillac Racing returns to the venue south of Bologna with its expanded lineup of the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R driven by Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens and the No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R driven by Earl Bamber, Sebastien Bourdais and Jenson Button.
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA spent two productive days turning laps in mixed weather conditions last month at the Imola circuit with the goals of optimizing car setup and assessing details to best navigate the course that combines high-speed straights, tight chicanes and elevation changes.
“During testing in Imola last month we experienced some dry and wet conditions which permitted us to keep discovering the car on a new track and different conditions,” Nato said. “Such an iconic track, old-school track with not much runoff, gravel traps, big curbs.”

Visiting Goodwood Members’ MeetingThe No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R thrilled the crowd with demonstration laps.Story | Photos | Video
Imola media resources* French translation of preview story* Event notes, driver CVs, stats, more* Driver firesuit photos* About the Cadillac LMDh
What the drivers seeFans can get a different race perspective via the cameras onboard the Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs. Watch

Added Bamber, who this past weekend drove the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R to fourth place in the 100-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship street race in Long Beach, California: “We were able to do this test and understand and answer some questions from 2024 there. The guys at Action Express have also given us some ideas and directions, so all of that has really helped to accumulate to a good base that I think we’ve got going towards Imola.”

Cadillac Racing’s lone Hypercar entry in 2024 advanced two positions from its starting spot to finish 10th in the 19-car field. The twin Hertz Team JOTA entries placed 11th and 14th with another manufacturer in the rain-impacted race. JOTA Sport is in its first season as FIA WEC works team with Cadillac Racing.
Both Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs qualified in the top five for the season-opening 10-hour race in Qatar on February 28 after showing strong pace in the two-day Prologue. The No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R led six laps early in the race before falling back because of an on-track incident. The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R recovered from the same incident to finish eighth.

What they’re saying
No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.RAlex Lynn: “During the test, I got some dry running in, got some wet running in, which is helpful for both the driver and team. The test was positive; we learned a lot. I think it’s a circuit that we can definitely improve on from last year, and I’m quite confident we have improved a lot overall since then. This is now the run-in to Le Mans with all the European races, which is always an exciting time in the World Endurance Championship. I’m really excited for Imola and just to get back racing.”
Norman Nato: “During testing in Imola last month we experienced some dry and wet conditions which permitted us to keep discovering the car on a new track and different conditions. Such an iconic track, old-school track with not much runoff, gravel traps, big curbs. Traffic management is always tricky there. Many fans around throughout the weekend, and I’m looking forward to race in Imola for the first time with the Cadillac V-Series.R. Still early process in the development of the new association Cadillac-JOTA. We are making good progress every time we hit the track. We are all working hard as a team. We keep pushing to reach our target and get ready for Le Mans in June.”
Will Stevens: “We’re starting off the year with two completely different circuits and conditions. Imola is much more bumpy and you got to use curbs, so it has very different characteristics. Doing a test there was very important for us. We got some dry and some wet running, so we experienced all different conditions. From there, we’ve had a few weeks to take all the information in, make sure we make good decisions to come back as best prepared we can for the race weekend.”No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R
Earl Bamber: “We had a good test at Imola. It was pretty constructive though one of the days was impacted by weather, but that was the same for everyone. We were able to do this test and understand and answer some questions from 2024 there. The guys at Action Express have also given us some ideas and directions, so all of that has really helped to accumulate to a good base that I think we’ve got going towards Imola.”
Sebastien Bourdais: “Overall, a very different challenge. There were some nice gains during the test. The car was a lot more compliant, predictable and had much better pace, so it’s all encouraging. I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel and see what we can do on the heels of a pretty strong first weekend that didn’t end up how we wanted. We’ll keep digging and see what we can get.”
Jenson Button: “Test days are always beneficial, especially because we’re limited in the WEC. We were blessed with wet and dry weather, which will be beneficial as the weather in San Marino can be mixed in April. We were able to learn a lot with the Cadillac V-Series.R and I continue to learn about the car and get comfortable. We showed good pace in Qatar, and I think we’ll continue to show improvement at Imola and challenge for the podium.”

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John Force Racing–Las Vegas wrap up

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK GETS FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON IN CORNWELL CHEVYReigning Series Champ Becomes First with Four-Wide Victories in Both Fuel Classes

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (April 13, 2025) – Austin Prock put early season struggles behind him Sunday, re-establishing his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS as a dominant Funny Car and becoming the first driver in history to win four-wide events in the NHRA’s two signature categories.
The No. 2 qualifier in the west coast version of an event that originated at ZMax Dragway in Charlotte, N.C., 15 years ago, Prock posted the quickest time during eliminations at 3.964 seconds but slowed to 4.009 seconds in the final quad, reaching the stripe just ahead of No. 1 qualifier Paul Lee.
Although the reigning series champ characterized the win as “ugly,” he wasn’t about to give it back.
“This ‘Prock Rocket’ ain’t perfect yet,” he acknowledged. “But it’s heading in the right direction and that’s what we need to be proud about right now. That was an ugly win but, like I said earlier this morning, if the win light keeps coming on, I don’t give a crap.”
In outracing Lee, Dave Richards and Matt Hagan to the finish in the final quad, he earned a bookend for the four-wide win he secured at Charlotte in 2023 while driving a John Force Racing Top Fuel dragster.
“I’m so proud of this JFR team,” said the man who last year broke the boss’s single season qualifying record when he started from the front 15 times in 20 events. “I just love having John Force out at the racetrack. It just gasses you up every time. He told me he was proud of me this week and that means a lot.
“I’m really proud to drive this Cornwell Tools Chevy SS with Hendrickcars.com, PEAK, Powers Affordable Housing and Graham Rahal Performance,” said the 2019 NHRA Rookie of the Year. “Having them all on board is just so cool.”
It was the 29-year-old Funny Car phenom’s first winners’ celebration of the new season and it propelled him into the No. 3 position in Mission Foods’ points behind Lee and JFR teammate Jack Beckman, who suffered his first opening round loss since taking the reins of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy, which this week was flying the colors of Graham Rahal Performance, from an injured Force.
Two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force also failed to advance after qualifying her GRP dragster second in the field and posting top speed of the event at 333.16 miles per hour, well off her track record speed of 338.17 mph.
“Rough weekend for both Graham Rahal Performance cars,” Beckman said. “The silver lining is we got to go up and cheer our teammate Austin Prock on in the final round and we found our problem. We’re on it and it’ll be fixed by the time we roll into Charlotte. I expect us to be right back into championship form then.” Brittany, too, remained upbeat despite the disappointing result on a track on which she had won five times previously, more than on any other in the series. “We had two great sessions during Saturday qualifying, jumping us up to No. 2 (in the starting order) and we won a round in the Mission 2Fast2Tasty Challenge,” she said. “However, our car smoked the tires in the first round. I pedaled it and it hooked back up and it went down there but, unfortunately, we didn’t get a win light.
“We’ll pack up and head to the next four-wide race in Charlotte and see if we can win there,” said the 17-time tour winner. “I’m excited to get to ZMax. We’ll be running our HendrickCars.com colors all weekend long, and even though we had an early exit in Las Vegas, I feel this team and this car are in a really good position and a win is right around the corner.”
The victory was Prock’s ninth in 24 starts since sliding into the cockpit of the car previously driven by three-time JFR World Champion Robert Hight. It was his second straight celebration at LVMS where he beat Lee in the final round of last October’s NHRA Nevada Nationals.

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SPENCER HYDE RACES TO SECOND ROUND AT LAS VEGAS FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

LAS VEGAS (April 13, 2025) — Rookie Funny Car driver Spencer Hyde drove the Head Inc. Funny Car into the second round at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals today at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After two days of qualifying including a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win, Hyde entered race day as the No. 3 qualifier. Throughout qualifying the Head Inc. Funny Car which is also backed by Hyde Construction, Red Line Oil and Dordan Mechanical was the class of the field picking up qualifying bonus points in three of the four sessions posting the quickest runs in the first and third qualifying sessions. Hyde faced Dave Richards, Buddy Hull and Hunter Green in the first round.

Hyde was first off the line and held on for the win in the opening round advancing to the second quad with Richards after outrunning Hull and Green. Hyde’s winning time of 3.994 seconds at 320.43 mph was the quickest of the first round in Funny Car. It was a continuation of Hyde and the Head Inc. Funny Car performance dominance. For the rookie driver getting his first round win in the four-wide format was a nice accomplishment.

Spencer Hyde launches at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

“We made some killer runs this weekend,” said Hyde. “We were low three of the four qualifying sessions and then the first round. It’s a positive weekend for sure. We had to change the tire there for that second round and it bit us. That is a part of racing. It is really cool to go rounds in this Head Inc Funny Car for all our sponsors like Dordan Mechanical, Brysonwood Homes, Engineered, Racing Services, RR Sand & Gravel, Permanent Paving, ARB LABS, OpenPath, and RACERSCLUB.”

In the second quad looking to race to the final four Hyde was matched up with Richards, Cruz Pedregon and eventual race winner Austin Prock. All four Funny Cars leapt off the starting line and Hyde’s 12,000-horsepowered Funny Car made a sharp move to the left and Hyde attempted to pedal his race car. He kept it off the guardwall but the chance to be one of the first two Funny Cars to the finish line disappeared as Richards and Prock hit the finish line first.

Spencer Hyde raced to the second round at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

“I haven’t really pedaled this car,” said Hyde. “The way I pedal my Pro Mod, as soon as I feel it smoke the tire, I just pedal it and it usually will catch and go again. I learned today, this thing does not do that. So that was a learning experience. I am glad I am getting more experience and very happy we are moving this team in the right direction.”

For the rookie Hyde is picking up driving experience with every run. After four races Hyde and the Head Inc. Funny Car team are building momentum four races into the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. The second four-wide national event is two weeks away in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Spencer Hyde (left) is quickly becoming a fan favorite, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

“I’m getting more comfortable every run,” said Hyde. “I’m quite comfortable in there now. The more laps we can make, the better I feel and this weekend was a huge confidence builder. I think going into Charlotte, I am not worried about the four wide format. If we can make the car do what it did this weekend for five of the six runs, I think we’ll have a shot.”

Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.965 sec, 320.20 mph; Qual. 1
Q2: 4.106 sec, 256.36 mph; Qual. 2
Q3: 3.985 sec, 314.61 mph; Qual. 2
Q4: 3.968 sec, 318.54 mph; Qual. 3
Bonus Points: +8 (Quickest of Q1 and Q3 and second quickest of Q4)

Race Results
First Round
Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Inc. Funny Car, (.089), 3.994, 320.43 mph and Dave Richards, Wellington, Fla., Bluebird Turf Funny Car, (.128), 4.163, 292.96 mph def. Buddy Hull, Dallas, Tex., KGC Construction Funny Car, (.097) 5.157, 155.19 mph and Hunter Green, Midland, Tex., Bondcoat Funny Car, (.116), 6.732, 94.59 mph

Second Round
Austin Prock, Brownsburg, Ind., Cornwell Tools Funny Car, (.062), 3.964, 322.88 mph and Dave Richards, Wellington, Fla., Bluebird Turf Funny Car, (.097), 4.354, 214.35 mph def. and Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind., Snap-On Tools Funny Car (.103), 4.446, 202.52 mph and Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Inc. Funny Car, (.109), 10.331, 71.54 mph

Mission Foods Drag Racing Series – Funny Car Points
1. Jack Beckman   307
2. Paul Lee       293
3. Austin Prock   292
4. Matt Hagan       289
5. Chad Green       225
6. Dan Wilkerson   213
7. Ron Capps       196
8. Cruz Pedregon   191
9. Bob Tasca III       185
10. J.R. Todd       178
11. Bobby Bode   149
12. Alexis DeJoria   144
13. Dave Richards   142
14. Blake Alexander   133
15. Spencer Hyde   125

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AUSTIN PROCK RACES TO JOHN FORCE RACING’S 301st FUNNY CAR VICTORY

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

CHEVROLET IN NHRA

2025 LAS VEGAS 4-WIDE NATIONALS

THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP | NOTES & QUOTES

APRIL 13, 2025

AUSTIN PROCK RACES TO JOHN FORCE RACING’S 301st FUNNY CAR VICTORY

AND CHEVROLET’S 173rd NHRA Funny Car WIN

Dallas Glenn Captures Chevrolet’s 405th Pro Stock Victory

His Second this Season with a Holeshot Win

Notes:

Austin Prock defeated Paul Lee, Dave Richards and Matt Hagan in the NHRA Las Vegas 4-Wide Nationals final round to capture John Force Racing’s 301^st Funny Car victory, his 13th-career win – his ninth Funny Car, and Chevrolet’s 173rd Wally trophy in Nitro Funny Car.
Prock’s run of 4.009 seconds E.T., in the Cornwall Tools Camaro SS Funny Car, at 316.01 mph was good enough to get the victory after Hagan smoked the tires at 1/3-track and Richards lost traction mid-run.
Brittany Force, Monster Energy Chevrolet Dragster, and Jack Beckman, Peak Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car, both fell in Round One in Top-Fuel and Funny Car respectively.
Capturing Chevrolet’s 405th victory in Pro Stock since 1970 was KB Titan Racing driver Dallas Glenn
It was Glenn’s 15th Career Win Defeating Matt Hartford, KB Titan Racing Teammate Greg Anderson and Series’ Pro Stock points leader and Matt Latino in the Finals
Glenn also had a successful Saturday at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway capturing the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:

“We’re getting close that’s for sure. This Prock Rocket ain’t perfect yet but it’s heading in the right direc=on and that’s what we need to be proud about right now. That was an ugly win but like I said earlier this morning, if they were ugly all day but the win light was coming on I didn’t give a crap. So proud of this John Force Racing team. I just love having John Force out at the racetrack, it just gasses you up every time you get in one of these. He told me he was proud of me this week and that means a lot. Really proud to drive this Cornwell Tools Chevy SS with Hendrickcars.com, PEAK, Powers Affordable Housing, Graham Rahal Performance, having them onboard is just so cool, hopefully Graham is doing good in his race and hopefully Kyle Larson can get a dub too.”

JACK BECKMAN, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:

“Rough weekend for both Graham Rahal Performance cars. The silver lining is we got to go up and cheer our teammate Austin Prock on in the final round. When you struggle, it’s always tough to not achieve your goals. We found our cause. We’re on it. It’ll be fixed by the time we roll into Charlotte, and I expect us to be right back into championship form then. We have special little one off going into Charlotte, I did a little teaser on NHRA.tv, but I can’t say what it is but I’ll say, motorsports fans will dig what we’re doing.”

BRITTANY FORCE / MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER:

“Unfortunately, our GRP car went out early today. We had two great sessions during Saturday Qualifying, jumping us up to No. 2, and we won a round in the

Mission 2Fast2Tasty Challenge. However, our car smoked the bres in the ﬁrst round. I pedaled it and it hooked back up and it went down there but unfortunately, we didn’t get a win light. So, we’ll pack up and head to next four wide in Charloie and see if we can win there. I’m excited to get to zMAX. We’ll be running our Hendrickcars.com colors all weekend long and even though we had an early exit here in Las Vegas I feel this team and this car is in a really good posibon and a win is right around the corner.”

UP NEXT:

The fifth round of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series takes place April 25-27 at Z-MAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC. The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Z-MAX air live on Sunday, April 27 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Coverage airs throughout the weekend with NHRA on FOX and NHRA.tv, streaming available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

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Kyle Kirkwood wins 50th running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

April 13, 2025 — LONG BEACH, CA

Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood wins the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
Alex Palou continues his perfect podium run to begin the year for a Honda 1-2 finish
Honda goes three-for-three to start the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season

Kyle Kirkwood continued Honda’s winning streak to start the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season by taking the win in the 50th running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Starting from pole, Kirkwood led 46 laps en route to his third-career—and second Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach—victory in his #27 Andretti Global Honda.

Following just 2.6 seconds behind Kirkwood, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou kept his perfect podium streak alive to start the season. Following victories at St. Petersburg and Thermal, the second place finish here at Long Beach puts Palou’s championship lead at 34 points over Kirkwood as the Spaniard looks to score his fourth championship in five years.

Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist looked set for a podium finish until a late-race dive from the #7 machine knocked him back to P4. Other top-10 finishers for Honda include Colton Herta (P7), Scott Dixon (P8), and Kyffin Simpson with a career-best 10th place.

The strong start to the 2025 IndyCar season has Honda ahead by 69 points in the manufacturers’ championship, 278-209.

The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand PrixHonda Race Results

1st Kyle Kirkwood	Andretti Global Honda
2nd Alex Palou	Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
4th Felix Rosenqvist	Meyer Shank Racing Honda
7th Colton Herta	Andretti Global Honda
8th Scott Dixon	Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
10th Kyffin Simpson	Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
12th Marcus Ericsson	Andretti Global Honda
14th Marcus Armstrong	Meyer Shank Racing Honda
16th Louis Foster-R	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
19th Rinus VeeKay	Dale Coyne Racing Honda
22nd Graham Rahal	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
24th Devlin DeFrancesco	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
26th Jacob Abel-R	Dale Coyne Racing Honda

R – Rookie

Quotes

Kyle Kirkwood (#27 Andretti Global Honda) finished first: “ Amazing day! Honda gave us the tools to get it done here. The power was amazing, our fuel saving was amazing, and the strategy was amazing all because of Honda. This is why we put in the hard work, so we can come out here and get wins. Doing it at home for Honda is absolutely massive here at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. We’re looking forward to many more of these, but this is a historic event for the 50th and to notch the win for Honda and Andretti Global is absolutely massive.”

Alex Palou (#10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) finished second: “ Number two today. Honestly, it was a really good weekend. It’s always amazing when you finish on the podium. We were close today, but we didn’t really have the same pace as the #27. Overall, it was a strong weekend and I think we executed perfectly—except for my start where I gave up a couple of spots. It’s great to have a one-two finish for Honda at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Cannot wait for next one!”

David Salters (President, Honda Racing Corporation USA): “ Great day in the office! Massive congratulations to Kyle, Andretti Global, and to Alex and Chip Ganassi Racing as well. There’s a huge amount of effort going into this from everyone at Honda Racing Corporation USA. We made a big push to bring some more performance to our cars here in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and it paid off. The season has started reasonably well, however, we’ll all focus forward and keep going.”

Next
The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship heads to Baber Motorsports Park for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix May 2-4.

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Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Grand Prix of Long Beach–post race

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH STREETS OF LONG BEACH LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT APRIL 13, 2025 CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD AND ARROW MCLAREN REBOUND FOR PODIUM FINISH WITH CHEVROLET AT LONG BEACH Fighting back after facing an on-track incident in qualifying Saturday, Christian Lundgaard and the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet team finished third to give Chevrolet their 340th podium finish in the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 era since 2012.Lundgaard’s podium finish is Chevrolet’s 16th on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn Streets of Long Beach circuit. Additionally, Lundgaard leaves Long Beach third in NTT INDYCAR SERIES points. This is also a back-to-back podium finish for Lundgaard.Team Chevy combined for 38 laps led during Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, with now 381 laps led since 2012 in the V6 era.Starting 13th, Will Power and the No. 12 Team Penske Chevy team fought to a hard fifth-place finish, with Sting Ray Robb and the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet team finishing ninth after starting 19th. Robb additionally led 12 laps in Sunday’s main event.Chevrolet kicked off race day with a warmup session, with four representing the Bowtie brand in the top-10, including Josef Newgarden (Team Penske), Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren), David Malukas (AJ Foyt Racing) and Christian Rasmussen (Ed Carpenter Racing).Up next for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Team Chevy heads to Barber Motorsports Park for the fourth round of the 2025 season, the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. The 90-lap, 207-mile main event takes the green flag live on FOX Sunday, May 4 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Additional coverage throughout the weekend can be found via INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 218. Top-10 Race Results:3rd Christian Lundgaard5th Will Power6th Scott McLaughlin9th Sting Ray Robb Warm Up Top-10 Results:2nd Josef Newgarden (1:08.3474)5th Pato O’Ward (1:08.7636)7th David Malukas (1:08.9893)10th Christian Rasmussen (1:09.2176)

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:David Malukas, No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:“We statistically went on the strategy that, percentage-wise, was in our favor. And of course, out of the how many simulations, 40,000 or 100,000, the five that ended up being no yellows was the one that happened today. So, we chose the safe route, and it just didn’t play out. So, if you think of everybody being on the same strategy as we did, we only lost one position in the end, which I think is a little bit of time in pit stops. So, we’re gonna have to look at the data and see where that time is being lost. But I mean, those other six cars that went primaries, they filtered forward because they were on the better strategy, which gave us that P 17. So, it looks really rough on paper, and it seems like we lost a lot of ground, but according to people in those same strategies, we just lost one position so still not a perfect race, but it looks a lot worse than what it was. So, we just need to put our heads down and figure out what’s the problem in the pit lane, figure out what time we’re losing there and other than that, it’s been a good race for us.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:“A pretty awesome day, considering we started last and yesterday was the opposite. Our first stint was awesome, followed up by a really solid green stint, and yeah, that kind of sealed the race for us. Engineering did a great job on strategy. we chose the right tire for our car, and the mechanics did a phenomenal job getting the car in and out of pit lane quick and efficient. So all in all, I mean, the day couldn’t have gotten much better than what it did for the Sexton Properties crew.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I think this one is dedicated to the team. It’s dedicated to Jon Edwards. The entire team, everything that they did overnight to get what they call the old lady back on track. Pretty proud of what we did today. I told the team we had to be aggressive. I think we had the pace. We didn’t qualify where the pace of the car was. To get away with a back-to-back P3 isn’t too bad.” Alexander Rossi, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:“Overall, a tough weekend with some glimmers of hope. Ultimately, we didn’t execute very well today. We will regroup as a team and come back stronger in Barber.” Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:“This was a very frustrating end to a difficult weekend. I am very much looking forward to the next event at Barber Motorsports Park. We had a great test there recently and are ready for a better race than what we had today.” Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:“What a day. That was awesome. Up ten spots, 19th to ninth on merit. We raced so, so good today. The pace in the car was unbelievable. I knew we had it. We should have been in the Fast 12 in qualifying, but in INDYCAR racing, little things make a big difference. We barely missed the transfer. It’s nice to have a little reward for our work, but all the glory goes to God. It’s been a long three years to this point, but to come back with a team I’ve won with and a championship before. With a leader like Ricardo Juncos, Brad Hollinger and Dave O’Neil, those guys put the hard work in and chose the right people for the job. Townsend, my engineer, huge shoutout to the guys on the pit crew; great stops. Little bobble on the first stop but we nailed the next two. I’m so happy. A little glimmer of hope for our future. I don’t think this is our max potential yet. We’re going to keep driving forward and hopefully, some more to come.” Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet:“Overall, I’m quite happy with how the race went today. My target was to reach the top 20, so we achieved that by finishing P18. The issues in qualifying yesterday put us quite behind but the pace today was really good. It seems that, step by step, we’re making the car better, so thank you to the team for their efforts. I saw today a step forward in terms of car performance, strategy and pitstops as well. Overall, we showed that the whole structure has started to improve so it’s very positive and I’m happy. Now we have a short break but before we’ll go straight to Gateway for an oval test and then to Indianapolis. We will just keep working but, step by step, we’re improving.” Callum Ilott, No. 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet:“It was not a very eventful race, and we’ve had two fully green-flag races in a row now. From our side, it wasn’t too bad. It probably was not the optimal strategy, but we had a lot of little issues that we were working through the race with that I needed to try and fix. We were consistent throughout. At the end of the day, we got the car home, but we have a lot of things that we need to look at on and off the track. It’s a part of it; we’re still growing and it’s good to have both cars at least getting closer and closer.” Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet:“We were just locked out a little bit there early, and then getting caught up with some guys that came out of pit sequences and stuff like that. So, lost some track position where we were in a really good spot at the start, but it is what it is. I mean, that was the most solid race I’ve had at Long Beach for a long time. So, it’s a P6 for me. I got a little bit of work before we come back here next year to be better. I feel like I’ve always had a couple of bad results to start the year. So, if we go to Barber with a formula we’ve had in the past, and have a win, we’ll get ourselves right back in it and see where we’re at. It’s like big focus. I can’t wait for it. Yeah, we’re ready for that place.” Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:“Very good day. Very good day. Just methodically getting to it, but it was methodical. I was driving very hard, biding my time, used up the perfect amount of push-to-pass in the race to finish it off on the last pass. Love those sorts of days. I didn’t feel very good, to be honest. Felt sick. I could feel myself getting achy in the car but drove the crap out of it. Man, we have a good car, we just have to start at the front. On days like this, get the points. Pretty cool we got a top-five.”

Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Podium Press Conference Transcript:THE MODERATOR: Good be afternoon, everyone. We wrap-up the 50th edition of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. We are currently joined by the third-place finishing driver in Christian Lundgaard. Back-to-back podium finishes. Fifth career podium. Christian, just your thoughts on another podium to start 2025 for you.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, awesome day. I told the team this morning, even before warm-up, Let’s try to go aggressive, and let’s see what we can do. We have the most tires of everybody. We had two sets of alts, three sets of new primaries. So I think all options were open for us today.
We went off strategy compared to what we expected most of the field to do. We were the first primary tire runner in the field. I think that showed that we had the pace, too, today. I think we made up a lot of pace on those pit cycles. The clean air, took advantage of the clear air.
Really happy to reward the guys. Yeah, they had to bring a new car back into play, the old lady, as they called her. We took the car in qualifying yesterday. So for everybody to rebuild a car and put it out on track this morning, she ran effortless today. I’m extremely happy for everybody.
THE MODERATOR: Third in points, 46 behind your pal Alex Palou. Strong start for you in the 2025 campaign.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: No, absolutely. I was very vocal in the off-season that I wanted to get off to a strong start with Arrow McLaren. I think we’ve clearly done that. I’ve never been higher in the championship than where I am now. We’ve done a good job.
We started sort of conservative in St. Petersburg. I think today we showed what we really can be and where we’re supposed to be fighting. Two back-to-back podiums, unlike this guy who decides to either win or finish second in every race. But we’ll beat him someday, I hope.
Q. Christian, did the car feel as good as the one you had yesterday?CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I mean, I think the car felt the same. What was interesting about qualifying yesterday was I didn’t feel the bump in turn nine braking throughout the entire qualifying until I certainly felt it. Ended up in the wall. I think it was very consistent throughout the race. Even though it’s been two chassis, it’s been very consistent throughout the week.
ALEX PALOU: Different chassis?
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, we tubbed it.
Q. Do you know, was the decision to change chassis, swap out the tub, was that difficult? Were they like, We could run this one, but it may not be as good?CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: No. Fortunately and unfortunately, Dallara built some very strong parts. The endplate made a dent on the chassis. It was a big hit, but the end plate was fine basically, but the chassis wasn’t, so we had to change it. It was a call straightaway. We changed the chassis. The guys were back home by 10 last night.
Q. Most of the lead changes at the front took place because of pitting. No one passed somebody else on the track. Was that frustrating? Would you like to see more able to pass guys on the track when your car is stronger?CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I mean, I would have liked to be able to fight with Alex and Kyle at some point. We started a little far too back. Obviously we were on a completely different strategy than both of them were on. We made the most of our strategy and ended on the podium from 12.
THE MODERATOR: 169 on-track passes this afternoon. Six leaders. Nine lead changes, which is the most since 2012 here.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: And we ran without a yellow flag.
THE MODERATOR: For the second straight race.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: It was weird. I was driving with 10 laps to go, and I’m like, Have we have a yellow this race? Two in a row. Good job.
THE MODERATOR: First time that happened since 2020, the harvest races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. No pressure for Barber, I’m just saying.More questions for podium finishers.
Q. Christian, you did make a move to get onto the podium late. Was that purely your push-to-pass, taking advantage of that?CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Believe it or not, I actually ran out of push-to-pass kind of leading up to that overtake. I looked at the dash at lap 42, and I had 109 seconds left. I knew that was kind of good because that was around halfway mark. I’d used around my 100 seconds halfway through the race. I forgot about it. I forgot about my push-to-pass.
Probably with 15 laps to go, I still had 84 seconds. That came in handy at the end. Obviously I didn’t really think I was going to be able to go get Felix. I mean, Alex, Felix and Kyle just seemed stronger kind of in the beginning of the stint. I think we came back to them at the end of the stint where I think we had a little more pace than they did.
Back marker certainly helped, right? It was good.
Q. There’s a few new guys, not normally up-front people. Sting Ray, Kiffin Simpson, up front for a long time. Was that a surprise?CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I think I saw three cars all race that I was fighting, yeah. No. I barely even saw this guy, so…
ALEX PALOU: Pit exit. It was almost close.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Was it?
ALEX PALOU: No, but it was almost close.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: If that’s your definition of close…
ALEX PALOU: We saw each other. I saw you.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Did you?
ALEX PALOU: Yeah.
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Wow.

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Brown, Ashley Make Final-Round Runs in Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

LAS VEGAS (April 13, 2025) – Antron Brown and Justin Ashley led Team Toyota on Sunday at the NHRA Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals, making the Top Fuel final round Sunday afternoon – both coming up just short of victory. Brown finished as the runner-up in his second final round appearance this season while today’s result was Ashley’s first final round of 2025. Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence both advanced out of round one at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but were defeated in the semi-finals.

In Funny Car, J.R Todd made the semi-finals after winning his quad in the opening round on Sunday. Todd’s GR Supra Funny Car teammates, Ron Capps and Bobby Bode, were eliminated in the opening round.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is back in action in two weeks for another four-wide nationals, this time at zMAX Dragway outside of Charlotte.

Toyota Post-Race Recap

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series

NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Race 4 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Runner-up	W (3.779) v. J. Salinas (3.930) v. S. Palmer (4.772) v. S. Langdon (5.021) W (3.903) v. J. Salinas (3.994) v. S. Reed (4.514) v. J. Hart (6.319) L (3.912) v. T. Stewart (3.870) v. J. Ashley (3.965) v. J. Salinas (4.237)
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finalist	Adv. (4.022) v. D. Kalitta (3.774) v. C. Millican (4.080) Adv. (4.090 – holeshot) v. T. Stewart (3.943 – holeshot) v. S. Torrence (3.928) v. D. Kalitta (7.089) L (3.965) v. T. Stewart (3.870) v. A. Brown (3.965) v. J. Salinas (4.237)
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	Adv. (3.846) v. T. Stewart (3.864 – holeshot) v. R. Passey (4.722) v. S. Chrisman (4.097) L (3.928) v. T. Stewart (3.943 – holeshot) v. J. Ashley (4.090 – holeshot) v. D. Kalitta (7.089)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	W (3.774) v. J. Ashley (4.022) v. C. Millican (4.080) L (7.089) v. T. Stewart (3.943 – holeshot) v. J. Ashley (4.090 – holeshot) v. S. Torrence (3.928)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (5.021) v. A. Brown (3.779) v. J. Salinas (3.930) v. S. Palmer (4.772)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-finals	W (4.382) v. M. Hagan (4.142) v. B. Bode (4.557) v. J. Beckman (5.332) L (4.490) v. M. Hagan (4.126) v. P. Lee (4.140) v. D. Wilkerson (4.249)
Bobby Bode	DC Motorsports Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (4.557) v. J. Todd (4.382) v. M. Hagan (4.142) v. J. Beckman (5.332)
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (4.567) v. A. Prock (4.107) v. C. Pedregon (4.270) v. J. Rupert (5.411)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports

TF Final Result: Runner-up

How was the day for you and what momentum does a final-round run bring your team?

“This definitely raises the bar for us. We really wanted the win right there but just hit a bump on the track (on the final run), the car spun a little bit and dropped two holes at the same time. It’s tough when you’re that close. We thought that was our race to lose, but it’s one of those deals where we need to go out and be better for the Charlotte Four-Wides (Nationals). We normally do well at the four-wide nationals, but the good part (here), today was a good day in the points. Look at all the stuff we did this weekend, qualified No. 3 – made some bonus points here, points there. Our goal is to win the next race. Picked up where we left off, back to sea level. Hopefully conditions (at Charlotte) will be a little bit cooler. Besides that, the Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster team did a great job this weekend. Every time you walk away from a race where you make the final round, it’s a good weekend in points. We’ll get this dragster back together and get ready for Charlotte.”

JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing

TF Final Result: Finalist

Describe your day today.

“I think this (today’s result) gives us a lot of momentum. When you race in the Four-Wide (Nationals), anything can happen, so it’s one of those quirky deals. But it was important for us to start gaining momentum now. This whole SCAG Power Equipment Toyota GAZOO Racing team has been working so hard, and it’s nice to see their work start to come to fruition. Now, this is something we can build off of. Once we’re done here (at Las Vegas), we’ll learn from it, put it in the past and focus on Charlotte.”

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BUDDY HULL AND JIM DUNN RACING CLOSING IN ON SUCCESS LEAVING LAS VEGAS

April 14, 2025 ARP Trish

LAS VEGAS (April 13, 2025) — The Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals are a unique national event experience for the thousands of fans in attendance and the NHRA professional teams. For Jim Dunn Racing and driver Buddy Hull this weekend’s Four-Wide Nationals showed the team is moving in the right direction in a crowded Funny Car field. Through two days of qualifying on Friday and Saturday the KGC Construction Dodge Charger Funny Car was solidly positioned to race on Sunday while a handful of full-time teams battled to get into the 16-car qualified field. At the end of qualifying Hull was the No. 14 qualifier and he was slotted into a competitive quad comprised of No. 3 qualifier rookie Spencer Hyde, No. 6 qualifier rookie Hunter Green and No. 11 qualifier Dave Richards.

“I feel good about our chances in the first quad. We match up well with all three of the other Funny Cars and the four-wide format has shown anything can happen,” said Hull at the conclusion of qualifying. “This whole Jim Dunn Racing team has been making improvements every race this season and we can run with anyone I feel.”

In the first quad Hull and the KGC Construction Funny Car were lined up in lane four and as all four Funny Cars rolled into pre-stage the chance for two Funny Cars to advance to the next round was a toss-up. All four 12,000-horsepowered Funny Cars took off together with Hull cutting his best reaction time of the season a solid .097, second quickest of the quad. The KGC Construction Funny Car was charging down the fourth lane and as the finish line closed in its smoked the tires on a tricky track robbing Hull of valuable horsepower and he could not catch up to Richards to secure the second spot and a chance to advance to the second round.

“We had a really good quad and we were looking forward to that round,” said Hull, from the Jim Dunn Racing pit. “Everything was perfect, till it wasn’t, you know. The KGC Construction Funny Car left good. It was haulin’. Everything showed great on the computer. And then, unfortunately, you know, we just smoked the tires like a lot of teams. That’s just part of drag racing. If that wouldn’t have happened, we were going to advance the next round, but that’s just drag racing. We have good data for the next race which is a big positive.”

The spectacle of the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals is one element that Hull really enjoys. Putting on a show for the fans with four 12,000-horsepower Funny Cars is something that is unique to NHRA drag racing and Hull is proud to be a part of the show. His experience racing other forms of drag racing has helped him acclimate himself to the sometimes chaotic and wild starting line scene.

“I have a system that I use when I go up there to make sure that I’m focused,” said Hull. “I don’t struggle with it. I’ll be honest with you, it’s all good to me. I think it adds a dynamic for the fans, I think for the fans to see four cars side by side, you know, 40,000 plus horsepower. I think it’s probably one of the coolest things on the earth.”

The Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car will be back on track for more four-wide action at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, April 25-27. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, April 25 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, April 26. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals visit nhra.com.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 4.173 sec, 278.00 mph; Qual. 10
Q2: 4.326 sec, 233.36 mph; Qual. 13
Q3: 6.421 sec, 106.07 mph; Qual. 13
Q4: 4.115 sec, 301.27 mph; Qual. 14
Bonus Points: 0

Race Results
First Round
Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Inc. Funny Car, (.089), 3.994, 320.43 mph and Dave Richards, Wellington, Fla., Bluebird Turf Funny Car, (.128), 4.163, 292.96 mph def. Buddy Hull, Dallas, Tex., KGC Construction Funny Car, (.097) 5.157, 155.19 mph and. Hunter Green, Midland, Tex., Bondcoat Funny Car, (.116), 6.732, 94.59 mph

Mission Foods Drag Racing Series – Funny Car Points
1. Jack Beckman   307
2. Paul Lee       293
3. Austin Prock   292
4. Matt Hagan       289
5. Chad Green       225
6. Dan Wilkerson   213
7. Ron Capps       196
8. Cruz Pedregon   191
9. Bob Tasca III       185
10. J.R. Todd       178
11. Bobby Bode   149
12. Alexis DeJoria   144
13. Dave Richards   142
14. Blake Alexander   133
15. Spencer Hyde   125
16. Buddy Hull       124

ARP Racing News

All posts by ARP Trish

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Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA qualifies in top 10

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Memphis Shades Takes Center Stage at Ventura Short Track on April 26

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Matt Cummings Races to Runner-Up Finish at Vegas Four-Wide Nationals with Randy Meyer Racing

STRONG SHOWING FOR MELANIE JOHNSON & MCPHILLIPS RACING AT LAS VEGAS 4-WIDE NATIONALS

Melanie Johnson raced to the second round of the Las Vegas 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, photo courtesy of Melanie Johnson

Melanie Johnson continues to improve after a strong outing at the Las Vegas 4-Wide Nationals, photo courtesy of Melanie Johnson

Cadillac seeks to take next step at Imola

John Force Racing–Las Vegas wrap up

SPENCER HYDE RACES TO SECOND ROUND AT LAS VEGAS FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS

Spencer Hyde launches at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Spencer Hyde raced to the second round at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Spencer Hyde (left) is quickly becoming a fan favorite, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

AUSTIN PROCK RACES TO JOHN FORCE RACING’S 301st FUNNY CAR VICTORY

Kyle Kirkwood wins 50th running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Grand Prix of Long Beach–post race

Brown, Ashley Make Final-Round Runs in Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals

BUDDY HULL AND JIM DUNN RACING CLOSING IN ON SUCCESS LEAVING LAS VEGAS

Racer News and Results

Melanie Johnson raced to the second round of the Las Vegas 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, photo courtesy of Melanie Johnson

Melanie Johnson continues to improve after a strong outing at the Las Vegas 4-Wide Nationals, photo courtesy of Melanie Johnson

Spencer Hyde launches at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Spencer Hyde raced to the second round at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals,photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Spencer Hyde (left) is quickly becoming a fan favorite, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Racer News and Results

Spencer Hyde raced to the second round at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase