NASCAR CUP SERIES NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES MAY 30, 2026

Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Nashville Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  Talk about what your week’s been like since that epic race last weekend.“Yeah, just we just got back from LA and I’m still trying to figure out where I’m at (laughs). But yeah, obviously it was a lot of fun to celebrate with the No. 7 team and everyone at Spire Motorsports. It was a very special win. To be able to bring the car full of confetti, along with the trophy, the ring and all those things, back to the KBM shop, I would say it was the highlight of the week. It was very, very special. I felt like I enjoyed it a lot and the entire team enjoyed it a lot. We celebrated the victory for a few days, but now it’s time to move on, right? We have another task today and tomorrow. Yesterday, we were in LA for the premiere of my documentary, which I can’t wait for you guys to see it hopefully very soon. It was very special to see it on the big screen with a lot of friends and people that helped make this project happen. That was a lot of fun. We flew on a red eye here, which is why I’m a zombie right now (laughs). But yeah, it was great and I’m looking forward to hopefully get on track here in a couple hours.”   This weekend starts the second-half of the regular season. From your perspective, what do you and the No. 7 team need to accomplish over this next 13 weeks to give yourselves a shot at really contending in the Chase? “Yeah, I mean, I think that we have to continue to improve our overall program, right? I think the No. 7 team has shown good speed. I still feel like we have a little bit of work to do, from Saturday’s to Sunday’s. I feel like our Saturday’s have been pretty strong with practice and qualifying. But we still have a little bit of work to do from Saturday’s to Sunday’s. We’re there, right, I would say 50 percent of the time. But we still have a little bit of work to do on the other 50 percent of the time. Sometimes we just put ourselves a little bit behind. Eventually we get it right and then we see the potential of the car.  But we still have a little bit of work to do. There has been a lot of changes on our pit crew, so we just need a little bit of time with a new group to get some more reps and do things right. The last couple of weeks, the pit crew has been working very, very hard. With that being said, the last couple of weeks, we’ve had issues. We crashed in the All-Star Race qualifying because of a loose wheel, and we had a loose wheel on the first stop in the Coca-Cola 600 that put us behind, as well. We won the race, but we still have a lot of work to do. For me, that’s something that I’m not forgetting about and I’m really pushing my team to continue to push in those areas to continue to improve because every single team out there is going to continue to get better, so we have to continue to move the bar higher and higher.”   How can you utilize this weekend to ride the momentum from the victory last weekend and still find those ways to improve this weekend at Nashville? “To me, momentum is key in this sport and in any sport, right? The energy and the spirit of the entire team is very high and that helps a lot. That’s a huge step forward already. With that being said, that’s not going to fix the problems, right? We don’t have like huge problems. We’re a very competitive team. We’re not 10th in points by a lot. We’ve been a competitive team for the entire first few months of the season, so we just have to continue to be honest with ourselves and to analyze the areas of improvement and put a plan together to improve those areas. Like I said, the guys on my pit crew have a lot of talent, we just need a little bit of time. And in that process, we can’t have loose wheels. If I hadn’t detected the loose wheel last weekend, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now with a win. It’s just one of those things that we just have to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses and go to work on the weaknesses.”   Spire Motorsports has won two races this season between you and Carson (Hocevar). Where do you see this organization going by the end of the season between you and Carson? “And Michael (McDowell), as well. Michael has been doing a good job lately. They’ve gotten the No. 71 program better. I believe Michael is going to get much better here very soon, and hopefully, we can get him in victory lane.  I don’t know about you guys, but for me, it’s not a surprise. I saw this coming from Spire Motorsports from the outside looking in since last year, and that’s why I joined this organization. This team has been hiring great talent. They have a very good foundation, which is being led by Jeff Dickerson, Bill Anthony and a lot of great people. When you see something like this, the team keeps growing and good sponsors are supporting the program, it’s just going to continue to get better because the foundation is strong. The structure is solid.  I’m not surprised that we are to this point. With that being said, we still have work to do. In my mind – yes, we won last weekend and we did an amazing job executing the race at the end, but we still have a little bit of work to do. We just have to continue to push, continue to get better and continue to be honest with ourselves on the areas that we still have work to do.”    When you look at the top-10 of the standings, it’s pretty tight with the points. Are you to the point where you guys can look at the drivers you can pick off, especially if you can get some bonus points with more wins further down the road? “To be honest, I haven’t looked at the standings in like three months. The only reason why I know where I’m at is because you guys talk about it and post about it on social media (laughs). But I just don’t pay attention to that. I’m the kind of driver that, I can only control one thing. I don’t know who’s around me in points… I promise I don’t know. Actually, I do know. I know that Carson (Hocevar) is ahead of me, but I don’t even know by how many points. But I can’t control those cars. My goal is to maximize the potential of the No. 7 team and continue to work on the areas that still have some room for improvement. If we do that properly and we do our job right, the points are going to take care of themselves. It’s a consequence, you know? We just have to make sure that we do our weekly job right with the No. 7 team and those things are going to take care of themselves.  But the other cars around me in points, I’m going to race everyone the same out there. So yeah, we just have to continue to work, and if we do that right, the points are going to take care of themselves.”  Daniel, statistically this is the best start to a season that you’ve had. Why do you think it was so instant with the No. 7 team?“I mean, it’s just fast cars, man. That’s what it is. I was actually talking to my old crew chief, Squid, which I love that guy. He’s at Penske now. He was with me for two years at Trackhouse. We were just talking about the differences of things that he’s experiencing on his end and that I’m experiencing on my end. You know, we wish things were different when we got to work together. But timing of things, it’s crazy how things work, right? Yeah, we won a race together, but we were extremely inconsistent as a team. We never knew what we were going to have. This race two years ago, we were super-fast. And this race last year, we were like a 32nd-place car. I was driving the same, so I don’t know.  I just think that it’s everything about the people that you have around you and the timing of things. Spire Motorsports is definitely is on the rise right now, and I have a great group of people around me.”   I know you don’t necessarily care about what other people think or saying in the garage and how they view your race team, but do you personally have any sense of maybe validation this year of just what you’re able to do and showing people what you can do because the last couple years, whether you heard them or saw them, there was critics, right? I mean, everybody has them. So, I’m just curious if you feel any better about being able to show this year that I can drive a race car, so to speak? “100 percent. But the person that I wanted to show that I can do it is right here. I wanted to show it to myself. I knew it, but I wanted to prove to myself like, hey, you can do this. The biggest weakness of the No. 99 team last year was qualifying. This year, that has been actually one of the strengths of the No. 7 team. I spent a lot of time last year trying to qualify better and we struggled a lot. And right now, I feel like we qualify very, very strong every week.  I think that, yes, definitely validation. But not to everyone else, it’s to me. This is to myself. Just to prove to myself that I can do this. And obviously, when you are competitive, you’re in front and when you are able to go through adversity and pull off a win like we did last week, it’s just very special because you just prove that we just belong here. It’s just a matter of having the right people, the right leadership and the right car to be able to get it done. I have mentioned this in the past. You can be the best driver in the planet and if you don’t have the right people, you don’t have the right car, you don’t have the right everything, you’re not going to do it. You know, we’re not running at 100 meters. We’re not running at 500 meters. We depend on so many things. So, that’s the part that sometimes it’s hard to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, especially in the Cup level because every team that is competitive, that is winning races, they’ve worked very, very hard for years to be able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I believe that we have something going on good here at Spire Motorsports. I can’t wait to continue to improve it because I believe that we still have room for improvement.”   I know you were pretty pumped to get that Coca-Cola machine. Do you know where you’re going to keep it yet?“Yeah, I already have a spot for it in the garage where I have all my cars, trophies and stuff.  The Coca-Cola 600 for me, personally, is the most special race of the year. The main reason of that is because that’s the only race that my family gets to come to see every year. You know, it’s kind of like a family reunion because they stay at the house and they come with me to the race. I don’t take that for granted. Every time that we have the Coca-Cola 600, for me, I don’t know if you guys noticed, but I have a bigger smile because I have my family there with me. It’s always a special race for me. Obviously, I’ve been a part of the Coca-Cola Racing family for already 10 years. And then, it’s a race that is just not a race, you know? It’s not just a race. It’s Memorial Day weekend. We are remembering all the men and women that have served this amazing country. So, it’s just, to me, as a weekend, it’s just the best one. That’s just my opinion. And to be able to win it in a week that, as we all know, was very, very difficult, honoring my dear friend Kyle (Busch), that he meant so much to me, it was super, super special.”   After the next two races at Michigan and Pocono, we go to the two west coast road course races in a row. Coronado, which nobody’s been at, and Sonoma, where you’re a former winner. First of all, have you had a chance to run the sim on Coronado? It looks like a pretty long technical road course. Have you been able to make any impressions on that? And do you think that this is a part of the schedule that favors you?“I have seen the layout in pictures, but I have not seen it in the simulator yet. I’m actually really looking forward to it because I feel like it’s going to be a new task. It kind of reminds me of three years ago when we went to Chicago for the first time. It was a lot of new things, a lot of new challenges, which I’m really looking forward to it.  And yeah, I truly believe that we have a good bunch of races coming up for us. And I say coming up for us because my team has had a good past with these races. You know, my No. 7 team was fast here in the past. They were fast in Michigan. I believe that our road course program on the No. 7 team is getting much better, especially because we’re learning more from the No. 71 team. The No. 71 team is doing an amazing job on the road course program, so we are trying to bounce ideas and trying to get closer to them. That’s why I believe that Michael is going to get much better here very soon. It’s good. I feel like we have a good bunch of races coming up for us, and hopefully we can make the most out of it.”

NASCAR CUP SERIESNASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESMAY 30, 2026

Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Nashville Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  Talk about what your week’s been like since that epic race last weekend.“Yeah, just we just got back from LA and I’m still trying to figure out where I’m at (laughs). But yeah, obviously it was a lot of fun to celebrate with the No. 7 team and everyone at Spire Motorsports. It was a very special win. To be able to bring the car full of confetti, along with the trophy, the ring and all those things, back to the KBM shop, I would say it was the highlight of the week. It was very, very special. I felt like I enjoyed it a lot and the entire team enjoyed it a lot. We celebrated the victory for a few days, but now it’s time to move on, right? We have another task today and tomorrow. Yesterday, we were in LA for the premiere of my documentary, which I can’t wait for you guys to see it hopefully very soon. It was very special to see it on the big screen with a lot of friends and people that helped make this project happen. That was a lot of fun. We flew on a red eye here, which is why I’m a zombie right now (laughs). But yeah, it was great and I’m looking forward to hopefully get on track here in a couple hours.”   This weekend starts the second-half of the regular season. From your perspective, what do you and the No. 7 team need to accomplish over this next 13 weeks to give yourselves a shot at really contending in the Chase? “Yeah, I mean, I think that we have to continue to improve our overall program, right? I think the No. 7 team has shown good speed. I still feel like we have a little bit of work to do, from Saturday’s to Sunday’s. I feel like our Saturday’s have been pretty strong with practice and qualifying. But we still have a little bit of work to do from Saturday’s to Sunday’s. We’re there, right, I would say 50 percent of the time. But we still have a little bit of work to do on the other 50 percent of the time. Sometimes we just put ourselves a little bit behind. Eventually we get it right and then we see the potential of the car.  But we still have a little bit of work to do. There has been a lot of changes on our pit crew, so we just need a little bit of time with a new group to get some more reps and do things right. The last couple of weeks, the pit crew has been working very, very hard. With that being said, the last couple of weeks, we’ve had issues. We crashed in the All-Star Race qualifying because of a loose wheel, and we had a loose wheel on the first stop in the Coca-Cola 600 that put us behind, as well. We won the race, but we still have a lot of work to do. For me, that’s something that I’m not forgetting about and I’m really pushing my team to continue to push in those areas to continue to improve because every single team out there is going to continue to get better, so we have to continue to move the bar higher and higher.”   How can you utilize this weekend to ride the momentum from the victory last weekend and still find those ways to improve this weekend at Nashville? “To me, momentum is key in this sport and in any sport, right? The energy and the spirit of the entire team is very high and that helps a lot. That’s a huge step forward already. With that being said, that’s not going to fix the problems, right? We don’t have like huge problems. We’re a very competitive team. We’re not 10th in points by a lot. We’ve been a competitive team for the entire first few months of the season, so we just have to continue to be honest with ourselves and to analyze the areas of improvement and put a plan together to improve those areas. Like I said, the guys on my pit crew have a lot of talent, we just need a little bit of time. And in that process, we can’t have loose wheels. If I hadn’t detected the loose wheel last weekend, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now with a win. It’s just one of those things that we just have to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses and go to work on the weaknesses.”   Spire Motorsports has won two races this season between you and Carson (Hocevar). Where do you see this organization going by the end of the season between you and Carson? “And Michael (McDowell), as well. Michael has been doing a good job lately. They’ve gotten the No. 71 program better. I believe Michael is going to get much better here very soon, and hopefully, we can get him in victory lane.  I don’t know about you guys, but for me, it’s not a surprise. I saw this coming from Spire Motorsports from the outside looking in since last year, and that’s why I joined this organization. This team has been hiring great talent. They have a very good foundation, which is being led by Jeff Dickerson, Bill Anthony and a lot of great people. When you see something like this, the team keeps growing and good sponsors are supporting the program, it’s just going to continue to get better because the foundation is strong. The structure is solid.  I’m not surprised that we are to this point. With that being said, we still have work to do. In my mind – yes, we won last weekend and we did an amazing job executing the race at the end, but we still have a little bit of work to do. We just have to continue to push, continue to get better and continue to be honest with ourselves on the areas that we still have work to do.”    When you look at the top-10 of the standings, it’s pretty tight with the points. Are you to the point where you guys can look at the drivers you can pick off, especially if you can get some bonus points with more wins further down the road? “To be honest, I haven’t looked at the standings in like three months. The only reason why I know where I’m at is because you guys talk about it and post about it on social media (laughs). But I just don’t pay attention to that. I’m the kind of driver that, I can only control one thing. I don’t know who’s around me in points… I promise I don’t know. Actually, I do know. I know that Carson (Hocevar) is ahead of me, but I don’t even know by how many points. But I can’t control those cars. My goal is to maximize the potential of the No. 7 team and continue to work on the areas that still have some room for improvement. If we do that properly and we do our job right, the points are going to take care of themselves. It’s a consequence, you know? We just have to make sure that we do our weekly job right with the No. 7 team and those things are going to take care of themselves.  But the other cars around me in points, I’m going to race everyone the same out there. So yeah, we just have to continue to work, and if we do that right, the points are going to take care of themselves.”  Daniel, statistically this is the best start to a season that you’ve had. Why do you think it was so instant with the No. 7 team?“I mean, it’s just fast cars, man. That’s what it is. I was actually talking to my old crew chief, Squid, which I love that guy. He’s at Penske now. He was with me for two years at Trackhouse. We were just talking about the differences of things that he’s experiencing on his end and that I’m experiencing on my end. You know, we wish things were different when we got to work together. But timing of things, it’s crazy how things work, right? Yeah, we won a race together, but we were extremely inconsistent as a team. We never knew what we were going to have. This race two years ago, we were super-fast. And this race last year, we were like a 32nd-place car. I was driving the same, so I don’t know.  I just think that it’s everything about the people that you have around you and the timing of things. Spire Motorsports is definitely is on the rise right now, and I have a great group of people around me.”   I know you don’t necessarily care about what other people think or saying in the garage and how they view your race team, but do you personally have any sense of maybe validation this year of just what you’re able to do and showing people what you can do because the last couple years, whether you heard them or saw them, there was critics, right? I mean, everybody has them. So, I’m just curious if you feel any better about being able to show this year that I can drive a race car, so to speak? “100 percent. But the person that I wanted to show that I can do it is right here. I wanted to show it to myself. I knew it, but I wanted to prove to myself like, hey, you can do this. The biggest weakness of the No. 99 team last year was qualifying. This year, that has been actually one of the strengths of the No. 7 team. I spent a lot of time last year trying to qualify better and we struggled a lot. And right now, I feel like we qualify very, very strong every week.  I think that, yes, definitely validation. But not to everyone else, it’s to me. This is to myself. Just to prove to myself that I can do this. And obviously, when you are competitive, you’re in front and when you are able to go through adversity and pull off a win like we did last week, it’s just very special because you just prove that we just belong here. It’s just a matter of having the right people, the right leadership and the right car to be able to get it done. I have mentioned this in the past. You can be the best driver in the planet and if you don’t have the right people, you don’t have the right car, you don’t have the right everything, you’re not going to do it. You know, we’re not running at 100 meters. We’re not running at 500 meters. We depend on so many things. So, that’s the part that sometimes it’s hard to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, especially in the Cup level because every team that is competitive, that is winning races, they’ve worked very, very hard for years to be able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I believe that we have something going on good here at Spire Motorsports. I can’t wait to continue to improve it because I believe that we still have room for improvement.”   I know you were pretty pumped to get that Coca-Cola machine. Do you know where you’re going to keep it yet?“Yeah, I already have a spot for it in the garage where I have all my cars, trophies and stuff.  The Coca-Cola 600 for me, personally, is the most special race of the year. The main reason of that is because that’s the only race that my family gets to come to see every year. You know, it’s kind of like a family reunion because they stay at the house and they come with me to the race. I don’t take that for granted. Every time that we have the Coca-Cola 600, for me, I don’t know if you guys noticed, but I have a bigger smile because I have my family there with me. It’s always a special race for me. Obviously, I’ve been a part of the Coca-Cola Racing family for already 10 years. And then, it’s a race that is just not a race, you know? It’s not just a race. It’s Memorial Day weekend. We are remembering all the men and women that have served this amazing country. So, it’s just, to me, as a weekend, it’s just the best one. That’s just my opinion. And to be able to win it in a week that, as we all know, was very, very difficult, honoring my dear friend Kyle (Busch), that he meant so much to me, it was super, super special.”   After the next two races at Michigan and Pocono, we go to the two west coast road course races in a row. Coronado, which nobody’s been at, and Sonoma, where you’re a former winner. First of all, have you had a chance to run the sim on Coronado? It looks like a pretty long technical road course. Have you been able to make any impressions on that? And do you think that this is a part of the schedule that favors you?“I have seen the layout in pictures, but I have not seen it in the simulator yet. I’m actually really looking forward to it because I feel like it’s going to be a new task. It kind of reminds me of three years ago when we went to Chicago for the first time. It was a lot of new things, a lot of new challenges, which I’m really looking forward to it.  And yeah, I truly believe that we have a good bunch of races coming up for us. And I say coming up for us because my team has had a good past with these races. You know, my No. 7 team was fast here in the past. They were fast in Michigan. I believe that our road course program on the No. 7 team is getting much better, especially because we’re learning more from the No. 71 team. The No. 71 team is doing an amazing job on the road course program, so we are trying to bounce ideas and trying to get closer to them. That’s why I believe that Michael is going to get much better here very soon. It’s good. I feel like we have a good bunch of races coming up for us, and hopefully we can make the most out of it.”

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuit Detroit, Michigan Saturday Qualifying ReportMay 30, 2026 DETROIT (May 30, 2026) – DETROIT (May 30, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin, in the No. 3 Clarience Technologies Team Penske Chevrolet was the quickest Team Chevy qualifier on the 1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuit. Joining McLaughlin in the Firestone Fast Six was Christian Lundgaard, in the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, and Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Qualifying Results:What they’re saying – Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix qualifying: What they’re saying – Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix qualifying:Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Clarience Technologies Team Penske Chevrolet qualified 3rd:“The Clarience Technologies Chevy was great. Going out first. I’m a big going out second guy, but I think going out first, and keeping the temp was a good gamble. I was really loose. So, unfortunately got a bit loose there. We’re in a great spot to fight tomorrow.” Where are you going to be the most aggressive? “Anywhere. I’ll just take what I can get. We’ve got to execute. But, we’re racing against really good guys. They’re going to defend in the right spots. We’ll take what we can get and make sure we don’t make any mistakes.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 5th:“We qualified P5 in Detroit, which after an engine issue in Practice 2, I’m very happy to get a solid result for the team and for Team Chevy. I think there are some good things in store for tomorrow. I feel like we have a better race car than we did last year, which is promising. We just have to go out and execute and let the race come to us, not get too greedy. I’m pumped for tomorrow.” Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 7th:“We’re much better than where we were here the last few years. I’m a little bummed that we didn’t get ourselves into the Firestone Fast Six. The margins here are so, so tight. The start here is always chaos, so I think tomorrow fifth or sixth or seventh will be very similar. So, that’s what we had today. I think we did have a little bit more maybe if I had got it perfect. But, like I said, it’s just so tight. The little bits and details that you can find some lap time make a big difference. We’re starting seventh. It’s the happiest I’ve been here. We just have to make it go fast for the race.” Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet qualified 9th:“The Splenda Chevrolet has been good. I wasn’t super happy yesterday, but, already in this practice this morning, I was I was way happier. And then we had good speed. Getting into the Fast 12 was obviously nice for us. We’ve been struggling in qualifying this year, so finally getting that done was nice and, just breaking into the top ten. On my last lap, I think Dixon went long in turn 8, so I had a yellow flag. So, I knew I couldn’t really improve. I think maybe we could’ve squeezed a, a fast 6 out of it, but, I mean, who knows? For now, I’m happy with p9, and we’ll just go race it tomorrow from here.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 13th“Very frustrating Qualifying session. It went red on my fast lap, and then we were too far back in pit lane to do two laps at the end. So, our session got cut short there, but there’s plenty of pace in the car. So, very annoyed, but there’s potential for a good day tomorrow.” Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House C Chevrolet qualified 14th:“I think the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet was a pretty good car in qualifying. Certainly, much improved from last year, we were just in a tough group and didn’t quite have enough to advance. I feel pretty content with the package we have going into tomorrow.” Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet qualified 18th:“Tough day here in Detroit. Great job by the guys to fix both cars ready to go for qualifying. Track grip increased significantly from yesterday, so just trying to see where the grip was. I was on a lap that was three-tenths quicker already, and then the red flag came out. That was it unfortunately, so I’m starting 18th tomorrow. I think we’ve got a strong car and I’m excited to move forward from the back and make use of the car we have.” Caio Collet, No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet qualified 19th:“Since yesterday, been struggling a little bit with a couple of issues. Qualifying with the red flag was a little bit tougher there, but I made a mistake on my (optimal) lap before that, and afterwards, I could not get back the tire grip that I had. Without the mistake, I think we’re maybe looking to be a couple of rows better. For tomorrow, we need just to figure out a couple of things, also from my side, and make a good race car for tomorrow.”[Is the pain in your side from the Indy 500 crash bothering you?]“No, not at all. I think it’s just a bit sore when I jump in and out of the car. With the adrenaline and obviously the medical team, they are just giving me a couple of things to deal with it. I’m not feeling anything when I’m in the Combitrans car. It’s just when I jump out, it’s a little bit sore and hurts a bit.” Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet qualified 21st:|“It’s great to just be out here with the team. They’ve done a great job for me. They’ve always got my back. They’ve helped me get in this thing this weekend. I feel appreciative to represent our partners Astemo and Team Chevy. Obviously, I wish I could give them a bit more this weekend. We’re out here fighting and we’re going to fight through it together.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet qualified 22nd: “We had a fantastic car. I don’t think we could have had any worse luck on the timing of the red (flag), we were in (the Fast 12) on the SMT. All I had to do is get through those two corners, and the Homes for our Troops Chevy was getting better and better. I didn’t even have it down in my mind that I couldn’t continue to improve, and yeah, just a shame. It’s racing. Last year we came from 21st to second, so guess we’re gonna have to do it again. Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger – Goodheart Chevrolet qualified 24th:“I mean, this has been a, lapless weekend so far. Yesterday, we had the issue with the clutch in the first practice, so I didn’t get out for the main running there. Did a few laps in the group running, but that’s not enough to get used to this place. And then completely turned the car around to go into today to match, the No.76 car. Was happy with it in practice with the few laps that we did, but there was such a progression later on in the in the run there. “So, I got to see a few cars really move forward. And then, we were just kind of guessing what it’s going be like in qualifying. That’s the first set of reds that I’ve seen. Didn’t really know what the balance is going to be like. So really went in blind. I think we did okay. Had we done more laps, I think that we could have transferred with the times that we were thinking that we’re available.” David Malukas, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet qualified: 25th:“All good. It’s just, fine margins, and, honestly, our car wasn’t where we wanted it to be. In both practice sessions, we’re just missing that little bit. I just drove just that little bit harder and, it was pushing the limit on all corners of the track I almost hit the wall many laps earlier, many corners earlier, and then on that one, I just had one big wobble on entry. And, I just had to keep the foot planted because we needed that extra time to make the transfer and probably should have let go. I probably should have just gave up not making the transfer, and then just kept the car in one piece. That one is all on me.” Tune-In Guide Sunday, May 31NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (100 laps) – 12:30pm(ET)/11:30am (CT)/10:30am (MT)/9:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESChevrolet Detroit Grand Prix1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuitDetroit, MichiganSaturday Qualifying ReportMay 30, 2026 DETROIT (May 30, 2026) – DETROIT (May 30, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin, in the No. 3 Clarience Technologies Team Penske Chevrolet was the quickest Team Chevy qualifier on the 1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuit. Joining McLaughlin in the Firestone Fast Six was Christian Lundgaard, in the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, and Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Qualifying Results:What they’re saying – Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix qualifying: What they’re saying – Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix qualifying:Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Clarience Technologies Team Penske Chevrolet qualified 3rd:“The Clarience Technologies Chevy was great. Going out first. I’m a big going out second guy, but I think going out first, and keeping the temp was a good gamble. I was really loose. So, unfortunately got a bit loose there. We’re in a great spot to fight tomorrow.” Where are you going to be the most aggressive? “Anywhere. I’ll just take what I can get. We’ve got to execute. But, we’re racing against really good guys. They’re going to defend in the right spots. We’ll take what we can get and make sure we don’t make any mistakes.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 5th:“We qualified P5 in Detroit, which after an engine issue in Practice 2, I’m very happy to get a solid result for the team and for Team Chevy. I think there are some good things in store for tomorrow. I feel like we have a better race car than we did last year, which is promising. We just have to go out and execute and let the race come to us, not get too greedy. I’m pumped for tomorrow.” Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 7th:“We’re much better than where we were here the last few years. I’m a little bummed that we didn’t get ourselves into the Firestone Fast Six. The margins here are so, so tight. The start here is always chaos, so I think tomorrow fifth or sixth or seventh will be very similar. So, that’s what we had today. I think we did have a little bit more maybe if I had got it perfect. But, like I said, it’s just so tight. The little bits and details that you can find some lap time make a big difference. We’re starting seventh. It’s the happiest I’ve been here. We just have to make it go fast for the race.” Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet qualified 9th:“The Splenda Chevrolet has been good. I wasn’t super happy yesterday, but, already in this practice this morning, I was I was way happier. And then we had good speed. Getting into the Fast 12 was obviously nice for us. We’ve been struggling in qualifying this year, so finally getting that done was nice and, just breaking into the top ten. On my last lap, I think Dixon went long in turn 8, so I had a yellow flag. So, I knew I couldn’t really improve. I think maybe we could’ve squeezed a, a fast 6 out of it, but, I mean, who knows? For now, I’m happy with p9, and we’ll just go race it tomorrow from here.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 13th“Very frustrating Qualifying session. It went red on my fast lap, and then we were too far back in pit lane to do two laps at the end. So, our session got cut short there, but there’s plenty of pace in the car. So, very annoyed, but there’s potential for a good day tomorrow.” Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House C Chevrolet qualified 14th:“I think the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet was a pretty good car in qualifying. Certainly, much improved from last year, we were just in a tough group and didn’t quite have enough to advance. I feel pretty content with the package we have going into tomorrow.” Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet qualified 18th:“Tough day here in Detroit. Great job by the guys to fix both cars ready to go for qualifying. Track grip increased significantly from yesterday, so just trying to see where the grip was. I was on a lap that was three-tenths quicker already, and then the red flag came out. That was it unfortunately, so I’m starting 18th tomorrow. I think we’ve got a strong car and I’m excited to move forward from the back and make use of the car we have.” Caio Collet, No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet qualified 19th:“Since yesterday, been struggling a little bit with a couple of issues. Qualifying with the red flag was a little bit tougher there, but I made a mistake on my (optimal) lap before that, and afterwards, I could not get back the tire grip that I had. Without the mistake, I think we’re maybe looking to be a couple of rows better. For tomorrow, we need just to figure out a couple of things, also from my side, and make a good race car for tomorrow.”[Is the pain in your side from the Indy 500 crash bothering you?]“No, not at all. I think it’s just a bit sore when I jump in and out of the car. With the adrenaline and obviously the medical team, they are just giving me a couple of things to deal with it. I’m not feeling anything when I’m in the Combitrans car. It’s just when I jump out, it’s a little bit sore and hurts a bit.” Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet qualified 21st:|“It’s great to just be out here with the team. They’ve done a great job for me. They’ve always got my back. They’ve helped me get in this thing this weekend. I feel appreciative to represent our partners Astemo and Team Chevy. Obviously, I wish I could give them a bit more this weekend. We’re out here fighting and we’re going to fight through it together.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet qualified 22nd: “We had a fantastic car. I don’t think we could have had any worse luck on the timing of the red (flag), we were in (the Fast 12) on the SMT. All I had to do is get through those two corners, and the Homes for our Troops Chevy was getting better and better. I didn’t even have it down in my mind that I couldn’t continue to improve, and yeah, just a shame. It’s racing. Last year we came from 21st to second, so guess we’re gonna have to do it again. Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger – Goodheart Chevrolet qualified 24th:“I mean, this has been a, lapless weekend so far. Yesterday, we had the issue with the clutch in the first practice, so I didn’t get out for the main running there. Did a few laps in the group running, but that’s not enough to get used to this place. And then completely turned the car around to go into today to match, the No.76 car. Was happy with it in practice with the few laps that we did, but there was such a progression later on in the in the run there. “So, I got to see a few cars really move forward. And then, we were just kind of guessing what it’s going be like in qualifying. That’s the first set of reds that I’ve seen. Didn’t really know what the balance is going to be like. So really went in blind. I think we did okay. Had we done more laps, I think that we could have transferred with the times that we were thinking that we’re available.” David Malukas, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet qualified: 25th:“All good. It’s just, fine margins, and, honestly, our car wasn’t where we wanted it to be. In both practice sessions, we’re just missing that little bit. I just drove just that little bit harder and, it was pushing the limit on all corners of the track I almost hit the wall many laps earlier, many corners earlier, and then on that one, I just had one big wobble on entry. And, I just had to keep the foot planted because we needed that extra time to make the transfer and probably should have let go. I probably should have just gave up not making the transfer, and then just kept the car in one piece. That one is all on me.” Tune-In Guide Sunday, May 31NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (100 laps) – 12:30pm(ET)/11:30am (CT)/10:30am (MT)/9:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevrolet history at the Detroit Grand Prix  Wins – 13 The Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2002) 2022 – Will Power – Team Penske2021 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren (Race #2)2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #1)2016 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology (Race #1)2015 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology (Race #2)2014 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske (Race #2)2014 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #1)1993 – Danny Sullivan – Galles Racing1992 – Bob Rahal – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing  2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991) 1991 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1990 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1989 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Patrick Racing Earned Poles – 11 The Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022) 2022 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2021 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #2)2021 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren (Race #1)2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske (Race #1)2015 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #1)2014 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske (Race #1) 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991) 1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1989 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing Podiums: 35 1.645-mile downtown street circuit – 3 Driver Podiums 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025): Santino Ferrucci (1), Will Power (1) and Felix Rosenqvist (1) Team Podiums 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025): A.J. Foyt Racing (1), Arrow McLaren (1) and Team Penske (1) The Raceway At Belle Isle – 26 Driver Podiums Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022): Will Power (7), Josef Newgarden (3), Sebastien Bourdais (2), Pato O’Ward (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Raul Boesel (1), Helio Castroneves (1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1), Stefan Johanson (1), Tony Kanaan (1), Charlie Kimball (1), Juan Montoya (1), Bob Rahal (1), Danny Sullivan (1), and Rinus VeeKay (1) Team Podiums Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022): Team Penske (14), Arrow McLaren (2), Chip Ganassi Racing (2), KV Racing Technology (2), Andretti Global (1), Bettenhausen Racing (1), Dick Simon Racing (1), Ed Carpenter Racing (1), Galles Racing (1), and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (1)  Original Downtown Street Circuit – 8 Driver Podiums 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Emerson Fittipaldi (2), Bob Rahal (2), Mario Andretti (1), Michael Andretti (1), Eddiie Cheever (1) and Arie Luyendyk (1). Team Podiums 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Galles Racing (2), Newman Haas Racing (2), Doug Shierson Racing (1), Chip Ganassi Racing (1), Patrick Racing (1), and Team Penske (1). Laps Led – 915 Laps Led on the 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025) – 61 Driver laps led on the 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025): Christian Rasmussen (21), Will Power (15), Santino Ferrucci (14), Pato O’Ward (4), Scott McLaughlin (3), Josef Newgarden (3), Alexander Rossi (1) Team laps led on the 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025): ECR (21), Team Penske (21), A.J. Foyt Racing (14), Arrow McLaren (5) Laps led at The Raceway At Belle Isle (1992-2002) – 672 Driver laps led at The Raceway At Belle Isle (1992-2002): Will Power (142), Josef Newgarden (113), Helio Castroneves (93), Simon Pagenaud (75), Juan Montoya (48), Paul Tracy (46), Sebastien Bourdais (38), Danny Sullivan (30), Bob Rahal (29), Ryan Hunter-Reay (20), Emerson Fittipaldi (12), Tony Kanaan (10), Pato O’Ward (6), Ryan Briscoe (5), Mike Conway (4), Scott Dixon (1) Team laps led at The Raceway At Belle Isle (1992-2002): Team Penske (529), KV Racing Technology (48), Galles Racing (30), Rahal Hogan Racing (29), Andretti Global (20), Arrow McLaren (6), Chip Ganassi Racing (6), ECR (4) Laps led on the 2.5-mile downtown street circuit – 182 Driver laps led on the 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Michael Andretti (128), Emerson Fittipaldi (26), Arie Luyendyk (20), Bob Rahal (6), Mario Andretti (2) Team laps led on the 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Newman Haas Racing (130), Team Penske (22), Granatelli Racing (20), Galles Racing (6), Patrick Racing (4) Manufacturer History at the Detroit Grand Prix  Wins (with competition)  17 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 Race #1, 2019 Race #2, 2018 Race #2, 2018 Race #1, 2017 Race #2, 2017 Race #1, 2015 Race #1, 2013 Race #2, 2013 Race #1, 2012, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998)11 – Chevrolet (2022, 2021 Race #2, 2019 Race #1, 2016 Race #2, 2016 Race #1, 2015 Race #2, 2014 Race #2, 2014 Race #1, 1991, 1990, 1989)2 – Ford (1996, 1995)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Mercedes (1997) Poles (with competition) 15 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2023, 2019 Race #1, 2018 Race #2, 2018 Race #1, 2017 Race #2, 2017 Race #1, 2014 Race #2, 2013 Race #2, 2013 Race #1, 2012, 2001, 1999, 1997)11 – Chevrolet (2022, 2021 Race #2, 2021 Race #1, 2019 Race #2, 2016 Race #2, 2016 Race #1, 2015 Race #1, 2014 Race #1, 1991, 1990, 1989)5 – Ford (1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992)1 – Mercedes (1998)1 – Toyota (2000)

NASCAR CUP SERIES NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES MAY 30, 2026

Shane van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Nashville Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR CUP SERIESNASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESMAY 30, 2026

Shane van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Nashville Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  I’m curious, just following up on our conversation last week in the garage; I know you’re upset with the miscommunication with the choose cone. But a couple days removed from that, how are you looking back at last week’s race and just how the team performed overall?“It was a decent day (at Charlott Motor Speedway). I was just frustrated at the moment because our finishing position wasn’t as good as we probably deserved. We ran pretty decent all day, but I just mucked up at the end. We had a bad pit stop, and then with the strategy, maybe we could have done better. But yeah, proud of our day and how we ran. Everyone was pretty stoked all week, and we just got to keep that momentum going. Even when we fell out of the top-10 last weekend, we were able to get back in it. It was pretty awesome racing up there.”   Looking forward to tomorrow’s race, they’re treating the track similar to how they did at Dover, where they have the resin width of the track in each of the turns. I was curious, based on what you guys learned during that race, what do you think will happen tomorrow with different lanes?“Yeah, Dover definitely was different to how I remembered it the year before. It widened out quite a lot and you could race everywhere. The truck race looked like they got pretty wide in some stages last night, so hopefully it does the same tomorrow night. It certainly rubbers up a lot quicker, and then you find yourself moving around. So yeah, hopefully that makes good racing. More lanes always seems to be better.”   It might depend on the track, but when you go to ovals now, how much confidence do you have? “It depends on the track. To this one (Nashville Superspeedway), not much. Concrete tracks are definitely my weakness at the moment. The Bristol’s and the Dover’s, I find them very difficult, like how dynamic the track is and just knowing how much grip there’s going to be. So yeah, really hope we get to practice today. That would be nice. And even if qualifying is cancelled like last week and we get a long practice, that would be even better, so a little bit more rain would be nice. But yeah, these tracks are difficult, so I need to keep working hard at them.”    Overall though, with being at the front more frequently, where have you seen the biggest improvement?“I think it’s always just time and always learning stuff. Even last week, just learning stuff throughout the race and learning the flow of the race better. And then the further up front you are, the better people race you, as well, so that’s always nice. It’s a real dogfight in the back, so getting away from that is a nice break. I think it really shows the importance of qualifying, getting up front, making no mistakes, and you can stay out there all day.”   Earlier in the season, we were wondering about Trackhouse’s speed, but then Connor Zilisch has a fifth-place finish at Dover. You were battling for the win last week and you got a lot of stage points. What has clicked for that team over the last couple of weeks and where have you found that speed at?“I think we’ve had a little reset or a change in philosophy in some areas of our car. We started decent on our side, but the other guys have really battled. Now, I think there’s more glimpses of pure performance, which is good, and we really needed that. So yeah, we’ve kind of battled a bit. It’s good to flip things around and hopefully that continues because it’s been difficult, all three of us, having our struggles at different times.”  I wanted to follow up about you mentioning that you’ve noticed that the other drivers, how they’re responding to you running up front. I mean, you’ve won championships before. It’s not like you’re just coming in. Could you talk a little bit about having the confidence of knowing that other drivers can respect that your learning curve has gone way up?“Yeah, I was thinking when I just sat down in this beautiful chair, it was only two or three years ago now that I came here right before Chicago. It was the last time I was in this room, I think. So yeah, it’s been cool getting to know everyone and I definitely feel part of it now. Everyone I race, I don’t really have a problem with anyone. The racing is always good. I find here if you have a problem with someone or a hard race, you can sort it out afterwards and reset for the next week. I love the series and love racing everyone in it. Certainly, the good guys in this series and the level they’re at is pretty impressive to see how they’re just always up there every week, so I’m trying to emulate that a bit.”   Are you putting a lot of emphasis on qualifying so you kind of get over that challenge and can stay up front and just race those guys? And secondly, what’s it like racing those guys? “Yeah, firstly qualifying, obviously you’re trying to get better. You need pure performance, but I struggle with that. I’ve come from a world where, in qualifying, you have two or three sets of tires. You can kind of build up and get better as you go. Here, you practice and you have a lot of fall off at the end of practice. And then, you’ve got to go qualify and you have one corner, basically, to feel what you’ve got and you’ve got to rip a lap that’s two or three seconds quicker than what you’ve finished on. It’s just that switch, I’m not quite there at getting it or judging what grip I’m going to have yet. That will come with time and I feel like I’m certainly getting closer. But yeah, if you can place yourself in that front-half, you get out of that dogfight. Everyone’s just fighting for everything they can get at the back. I think that’s where the good guys show their difference. When you see them drop back, they’re so much better at getting through traffic, whereas I seem to find myself stuck there. I’ve got to work on my maneuverability, I guess, and work on getting through traffic better.”    You’re driving the Tootsies car this weekend. There may be some people here from Nashville who may not know NASCAR, but identify you in the Tootsies brand. What does that mean to be part of that here at Team Trackhouse, as well?“Yeah, I’ve certainly had a couple of bright suits the last few weeks, which is pretty special. But yeah, it’s good to represent Tootsies. They’ve been a friend of Trackhouse Racing for many years. I’ll be going there tonight, and I’ll try and behave myself so I’m fresh for tomorrow. But it’d be cool to go and see it and check it out. The car looks awesome. It’s really cool to have brands like that and represent them, and hopefully we can get it up the front where it should be.”

WATSONVILLE, CA (5/29/26) The NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series made their second appearance of the year at Watsonville Speedway with 23 cars signed in for the 8th race of the 2026 season. Tim Kaeding kicked off the night by setting Quick Time in ARP Qualifying with a lap of 10.627 seconds. It is the first time that Kaeding has set ARP Quick Time this year. Series points leader, Justin Sanders, won his 3rd Heat Race of the year from the outside of the front row in Kaeding Performance Heat Race 1. Shane Golobic utilized the pole position in Hill’s Meats Heat 2 and picked up his 1st Heat Race win of the season. Dominic Gorden was scheduled to start 4th in BMRS Heat Race 3, but got bumped up to the outside of the front row and cruised to the win, picking up his 1st Heat Race win of the season. Gorden guaranteed himself the pole of the HD Titanium Dash by winning the Heat Race from his schedule 4th starting spot. The three Heat Race winners and fastest transfer cars out of each Heat Race locked into the 6-lap HD Titanium Dash. Pole Sitter, Dominic Gorden, slowed to a stop as cars were lining up for the HD Titanium Dash and went back to the pits. Shane Golobic inherited the pole and dominated the Dash, to earn himself the pole of the Hoosier Tire A-Main. It was Golobic’s 1st HD Titanium Dash win of the season in his 3rd Dash appearance. Shane Golobic jumped out to the early lead and led the 14 laps of the Hoosier Tire A-Main. Justin Sanders utilized a double file restart on lap 16 to shoot to the lead. Sanders would rip the high side around Watsonville Speedway for the final 14 laps and captured his 5th NARC King of the West win of the 2026 season.  It was Sanders’ 35th career NARC King of the West victory and 9th career NARC King of the West win at Watsonville Speedway
Dominic Scelzi went 23rd to 14th, earning FK Rod Ends Hard Charger award honors. The NARC King of the West Sprint cars return to action on Saturday June 6th at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, CA for the David Tarter Memorial.   For more information, visit NARC410.com.  Follow us on X @NARC410, on Facebook.com/NARCKingoftheWest, and on Instagram NARC410.You can catch every NARC King of the West race live on FloRacing.com and the FloSports app. Hoosier Tires A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders[3]; 2. 17W-Shane Golobic[1]; 3. 10-Dominic Gorden[6]; 4. 0-Tim Kaeding[2]; 5. 21L-Landon Brooks[9]; 6. 14M-Jett Barnes[4]; 7. 88A-Joey Ancona[5]; 8. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[7]; 9. 29-Bud Kaeding[12]; 10. 7B-Sean Becker[13]; 11. 73B-Braden Chiaramonte[11]; 12. 88N-DJ Netto[10]; 13. 26-Billy Aton[14]; 14. 41-Dominic Scelzi[23]; 15. 12-Jarrett Soares[16]; 16. X1-Chance Grasty[8]; 17. 4-Burt Foland Jr[18]; 18. 34B-Glenn Bryan[22]; 19. 14-Mariah Ede[17]; 20. 21-Caeden Steele[21]; 21. 61-Travis Labat[19]; 22. 2K-Jake Andreotti[15]; 23. 551-Angelique Bell[20]HDTI Dash (6 Laps): 1. 17W-Shane Golobic[2]; 2. 0-Tim Kaeding[3]; 3. 2X-Justin Sanders[5]; 4. 14M-Jett Barnes[6]; 5. 88A-Joey Ancona[4]; 6. (DNS) 10-Dominic GordenKaeding Performance Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders[2]; 2. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[1]; 3. 0-Tim Kaeding[4]; 4. 73B-Braden Chiaramonte[3]; 5. 7B-Sean Becker[5]; 6. 12-Jarrett Soares[6]; 7. 61-Travis Labat[7]; 8. 34B-Glenn Bryan[8]BMRS Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 17W-Shane Golobic[1]; 2. X1-Chance Grasty[2]; 3. 21L-Landon Brooks[6]; 4. 88A-Joey Ancona[4]; 5. 26-Billy Aton[5]; 6. 14-Mariah Ede[7]; 7. 551-Angelique Bell[8]; 8. 41-Dominic Scelzi[3]Hills Meats Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 10-Dominic Gorden[4]; 2. 14M-Jett Barnes[3]; 3. 88N-DJ Netto[1]; 4. 29-Bud Kaeding[2]; 5. 2K-Jake Andreotti[6]; 6. 4-Burt Foland Jr[7]; 7. 21-Caeden Steele[5]ARP Qualifying (2 Laps): 1. 0-Tim Kaeding, 10.627[11]; 2. 88A-Joey Ancona, 10.674[21]; 3. 10-Dominic Gorden, 10.733[15]; 4. 3-Kaleb Montgomery, 10.763[20]; 5. 17W-Shane Golobic, 10.815[18]; 6. 88N-DJ Netto, 10.822[4]; 7. 2X-Justin Sanders, 10.824[3]; 8. X1-Chance Grasty, 10.890[2]; 9. 29-Bud Kaeding, 10.891[14]; 10. 73B-Braden Chiaramonte, 10.901[23]; 11. 41-Dominic Scelzi, 10.915[13]; 12. 14M-Jett Barnes, 10.922[19]; 13. 7B-Sean Becker, 10.949[5]; 14. 26-Billy Aton, 10.964[1]; 15. 21-Caeden Steele, 10.985[17]; 16. 12-Jarrett Soares, 10.996[9]; 17. 21L-Landon Brooks, 10.998[22]; 18. 2K-Jake Andreotti, 11.009[12]; 19. 61-Travis Labat, 11.139[8]; 20. 14-Mariah Ede, 11.170[6]; 21. 4-Burt Foland Jr, 11.597[16]; 22. 34B-Glenn Bryan, 11.811[7]; 23. 551-Angelique Bell[10]

MANSFIELD, OH (May 29, 2026) – Tyler Erb was rolling onto the track preparing to go green when he received the most unforgettable one-way radio message of his career.

Moments before the start of Friday night’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision Feature at Mansfield Speedway, the Niss family, philanthropists local to the Mansfield community, offered up a generous donation that took the standard $12,000-to-win race and raised it to a staggering $100,000-to-win.

Before Erb had time to process the news, it was time to go to battle in what instantly became one of the highest-paying races on the calendar. Some solid speed early in the night put “Terbo” in position to contend for the incredible payday from the second starting spot, and he did more than contend. On the opening lap, Erb rallied around the outside of Bilstein Pole Award winner Ricky Thornton Jr. and cleared him exiting Turn 4.

As the race progressed, Thornton started to fall back and eventually dropped out of contention with a flat tire. In his place, Brandon Overton emerged as Erb’s biggest threat, as “Big Sexy” was hungry for a six-figure payday to cure his well-documented struggles over the past two seasons. Several cautions gave Overton his opportunity to pounce, but he never had enough to deny Erb from the biggest payday of his career.

The New Waverly, TX native is no stranger to success in his Late Model career, amassing five World of Outlaws victories, a championship and 21 race wins on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals trail and wins in multiple marquee events, including the Gateway Dirt Nationals and the National 100. But Erb had yet to join the elusive six-figure winners club until now.

It had already been a special week for Erb, as the day prior, he and girlfriend Emma Hodge announced the upcoming birth of their first child later this year. Thanks to his performance at Mansfield, the couple now has reasons to celebrate both on and off the racetrack.

“For $100,000, I kind of rethought my corner entry into [Turn] 1,” Erb said. “Just decided that, obviously you want to get the lead, that’s the most important thing in any race. You want to have the ability to lose the race and win the race. I took off into flight into [Turn] 1, which was no different than Qualifying. Was able to gather it back up, and Ricky didn’t completely use me up there in [Turns] 3 and 4 and I appreciate that. After that, I was like, ‘I led Lap 1, 39 more laps and I’m a hundred thousand-aire.”

Overton came up short by a half-second for a heartbreaking runner-up finish, while Bobby Pierce climbed from 10th in the starting order to third at the checkered flag. Josh Rice scored the second World of Outlaws top five of his career in fourth, while Hudson O’Neal completed the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision wraps up the Blaster 57 Special at Mansfield Speedway with the $57,000-to-win, $5,700-to-start finale on Saturday, May 30. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Tristan Chamberlain set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Ethan Dotson won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Ethan Dotson won Heat 1.

Brandon Overton won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Tyler Erb won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Ricky Thornton Jr. won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Daulton Wilson and Dallon Murty won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Ricky Thornton Jr. won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Trey Mills won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Brandon Overton was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Bobby Pierce was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Josh Rice was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Hudson O’Neal was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Devin Moran was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Garrett Alberson was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Brandon Sheppard was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (40 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[10]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[9]; 5. 71-Hudson O’Neal[11]; 6. 99-Devin Moran[13]; 7. 9-Nick Hoffman[6]; 8. 58-Garrett Alberson[7]; 9. 74X-Ethan Dotson[3]; 10. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[19]; 11. 9M-Tim McCreadie[15]; 12. 22*-Drake Troutman[8]; 13. 14-Trey Mills[25]; 14. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[14]; 15. 44-Chris Madden[5]; 16. 71R-Rod Conley[22]; 17. 19R-Ryan Gustin[23]; 18. 58V-Daulton Wilson[17]; 19. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[26]; 20. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 21. 22-Chris Ferguson[12]; 22. 17M-Dale McDowell[16]; 23. 19-Dustin Sorensen[24]; 24. 13-Dallon Murty[18]; 25. 1*-Kyle Moore[20]; 26. 111-Max Blair[21]

Tyler Erb Cashes in for $100,000 in 57 Special Opener at Mansfield

MANSFIELD, OH (May 29, 2026) – Tyler Erb was rolling onto the track preparing to go green when he received the most unforgettable one-way radio message of his career.

Moments before the start of Friday night’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision Feature at Mansfield Speedway, the Niss family, philanthropists local to the Mansfield community, offered up a generous donation that took the standard $12,000-to-win race and raised it to a staggering $100,000-to-win.

Before Erb had time to process the news, it was time to go to battle in what instantly became one of the highest-paying races on the calendar. Some solid speed early in the night put “Terbo” in position to contend for the incredible payday from the second starting spot, and he did more than contend. On the opening lap, Erb rallied around the outside of Bilstein Pole Award winner Ricky Thornton Jr. and cleared him exiting Turn 4.

As the race progressed, Thornton started to fall back and eventually dropped out of contention with a flat tire. In his place, Brandon Overton emerged as Erb’s biggest threat, as “Big Sexy” was hungry for a six-figure payday to cure his well-documented struggles over the past two seasons. Several cautions gave Overton his opportunity to pounce, but he never had enough to deny Erb from the biggest payday of his career.

The New Waverly, TX native is no stranger to success in his Late Model career, amassing five World of Outlaws victories, a championship and 21 race wins on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals trail and wins in multiple marquee events, including the Gateway Dirt Nationals and the National 100. But Erb had yet to join the elusive six-figure winners club until now.

It had already been a special week for Erb, as the day prior, he and girlfriend Emma Hodge announced the upcoming birth of their first child later this year. Thanks to his performance at Mansfield, the couple now has reasons to celebrate both on and off the racetrack.

“For $100,000, I kind of rethought my corner entry into [Turn] 1,” Erb said. “Just decided that, obviously you want to get the lead, that’s the most important thing in any race. You want to have the ability to lose the race and win the race. I took off into flight into [Turn] 1, which was no different than Qualifying. Was able to gather it back up, and Ricky didn’t completely use me up there in [Turns] 3 and 4 and I appreciate that. After that, I was like, ‘I led Lap 1, 39 more laps and I’m a hundred thousand-aire.”

Overton came up short by a half-second for a heartbreaking runner-up finish, while Bobby Pierce climbed from 10th in the starting order to third at the checkered flag. Josh Rice scored the second World of Outlaws top five of his career in fourth, while Hudson O’Neal completed the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision wraps up the Blaster 57 Special at Mansfield Speedway with the $57,000-to-win, $5,700-to-start finale on Saturday, May 30. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Tristan Chamberlain set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Ethan Dotson won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Ethan Dotson won Heat 1.

Brandon Overton won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Tyler Erb won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Ricky Thornton Jr. won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Daulton Wilson and Dallon Murty won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Ricky Thornton Jr. won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Trey Mills won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Brandon Overton was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Bobby Pierce was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Josh Rice was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Hudson O’Neal was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Devin Moran was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Garrett Alberson was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Brandon Sheppard was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (40 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[10]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[9]; 5. 71-Hudson O’Neal[11]; 6. 99-Devin Moran[13]; 7. 9-Nick Hoffman[6]; 8. 58-Garrett Alberson[7]; 9. 74X-Ethan Dotson[3]; 10. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[19]; 11. 9M-Tim McCreadie[15]; 12. 22*-Drake Troutman[8]; 13. 14-Trey Mills[25]; 14. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[14]; 15. 44-Chris Madden[5]; 16. 71R-Rod Conley[22]; 17. 19R-Ryan Gustin[23]; 18. 58V-Daulton Wilson[17]; 19. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[26]; 20. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 21. 22-Chris Ferguson[12]; 22. 17M-Dale McDowell[16]; 23. 19-Dustin Sorensen[24]; 24. 13-Dallon Murty[18]; 25. 1*-Kyle Moore[20]; 26. 111-Max Blair[21]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/tyler-erb-cashes-in-for-100000-in-57-special-opener-at-mansfield/

The Jason Johnson Racing crew collects their third win of the season in the latest River Cities thriller

GRAND FORKS, ND (May 29, 2026) – River Cities Speedway simply does not miss.

It’s tough to meet the hype when longtime World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series announcer Johnny Gibson calls the Grand Forks, ND bullring his favorite track of the more than 400 he’s visited. But River Cities continues to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park.

The Greatest Show on Dirt rolled into town Friday for the 1st Leg of the Northern Tour Don Mack Classic. A huge crowd packed the grandstands, and the fans the fans were not disappointed.

River Cities served up a wild 40-lapper with three different leaders and a late duel between two of the best in the world to decide it. Series rookie Kasey Jedrzejek led the way from the pole when the green flag dropped. He paced the opening 14 circuits before David Gravel took command on a Lap 15 restart. Cole Macedo surged into second and appeared poised to contend for his first career World of Outlaws win before tripping over the cushion and losing several spots. That gifted his brother Carson Macedo the runner-up spot and set up a wild closing segment.

Macedo closed his Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 right up on the tail tank of the Big Game Motorsports No. 2. A huge run allowed him to dive under Gravel for the lead down the front straightaway with four laps to go. Gravel answered with a slide job in Turns 3 and 4 the next time around but Macedo crossed him over. That proved to be the winning move as Macedo motored away to the checkered flag.

“Man, honestly that was just a Philip Dietz-race car right there,” Macedo said. “Every once in a while, you get one of those that’s just absolutely unbelievable. He killed it here tonight. I felt a little off in time trials then felt really good in the Heat Race. I felt like we made a lot of gains and were just a little stagnant because the track was a little faster. I felt like I was really good the whole Feature. The minute we fired off I was able to pick a few cars off. Then I just got kind of bungled up there in traffic to where I couldn’t make a move. I was trying to get by my brother and I think Balog for a long time. I couldn’t quite get clear of them. Once I did, I was able to move around and start plugging away nice laps. Man, that was awesome. My heart rate was through the roof.”

The career win total for Macedo climbs to 61 after Friday’s triumph. Three of those have come at River Cities, which ties him with Craig Dollansky for the second most at the quarter mile. He and the Jason Johnson Racing team are heating up with their second score in the last four races after just one in the first 21 nights of action this season. Macedo also regained sole possession of the second position in points.

David Gravel finished second to notch his Series-best 14th podium of 2026. His point lead is at 114 markers over Macedo.

Kasey Jedrzejek brought the Bill Rose Racing No. 6 home third for his first career World of Outlaws podium, and it happened to come at the track where Rose’s best Series finish is thanks to his third place run at River Cities back in 2011.

Chris Windom and Sheldon Haudenschild completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Sheldon Haudenschild laid down his third Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night in the last four races.

David Gravel set his 10th Simpson Quick Time of the season in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Andy Pake (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Kasey Jedrzejek (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), Bill Balog (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Sheldon Haudenschild (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Kasey Jedrzejek.

Jedrzejek also topped the Toyota Dash.

Spencer Bayston won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Chris Windom motored from 13th to fourth in the Sides Motorsports No. 7S to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Cole Macedo was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Kasey Jedrzejek was the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Jedrzejek also set the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Spencer Bayston.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars return to Minot, ND’s Nodak Speedway on Sunday, May 31 for the first time since 2018. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo[9]; 2. 2-David Gravel[2]; 3. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[1]; 4. 7S-Chris Windom[13]; 5. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[6]; 6. 83-Michael Kofoid[14]; 7. 2C-Cole Macedo[5]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz[11]; 9. 23-Garet Williamson[7]; 10. 17B-Bill Balog[3]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart[18]; 12. 27-Emerson Axsom[17]; 13. 51-Ashton Torgerson[16]; 14. 13-Mark Dobmeier[10]; 15. 64-Andy Pake[4]; 16. 16C-Skylar Gee[19]; 17. 10-Alex Truscinski[23]; 18. 15L-Laela Eisenschenk[24]; 19. 8-Jack Croaker[20]; 20. (DNF) 24T-Christopher Thram[12]; 21. (DNF) 28M-Conner Morrell[8]; 22. (DNF) 17-Spencer Bayston[21]; 23. (DNF) 8H-Jade Hastings[15]; 24. (DNF) 27W-Weston Olson[22]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ROW FIVE RIPPER: Macedo Motors from Ninth for Wild River Cities Win

The Jason Johnson Racing crew collects their third win of the season in the latest River Cities thriller

GRAND FORKS, ND (May 29, 2026) – River Cities Speedway simply does not miss.

It’s tough to meet the hype when longtime World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series announcer Johnny Gibson calls the Grand Forks, ND bullring his favorite track of the more than 400 he’s visited. But River Cities continues to step up to the plate and knock it out of the park.

The Greatest Show on Dirt rolled into town Friday for the 1st Leg of the Northern Tour Don Mack Classic. A huge crowd packed the grandstands, and the fans the fans were not disappointed.

River Cities served up a wild 40-lapper with three different leaders and a late duel between two of the best in the world to decide it. Series rookie Kasey Jedrzejek led the way from the pole when the green flag dropped. He paced the opening 14 circuits before David Gravel took command on a Lap 15 restart. Cole Macedo surged into second and appeared poised to contend for his first career World of Outlaws win before tripping over the cushion and losing several spots. That gifted his brother Carson Macedo the runner-up spot and set up a wild closing segment.

Macedo closed his Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 right up on the tail tank of the Big Game Motorsports No. 2. A huge run allowed him to dive under Gravel for the lead down the front straightaway with four laps to go. Gravel answered with a slide job in Turns 3 and 4 the next time around but Macedo crossed him over. That proved to be the winning move as Macedo motored away to the checkered flag.

“Man, honestly that was just a Philip Dietz-race car right there,” Macedo said. “Every once in a while, you get one of those that’s just absolutely unbelievable. He killed it here tonight. I felt a little off in time trials then felt really good in the Heat Race. I felt like we made a lot of gains and were just a little stagnant because the track was a little faster. I felt like I was really good the whole Feature. The minute we fired off I was able to pick a few cars off. Then I just got kind of bungled up there in traffic to where I couldn’t make a move. I was trying to get by my brother and I think Balog for a long time. I couldn’t quite get clear of them. Once I did, I was able to move around and start plugging away nice laps. Man, that was awesome. My heart rate was through the roof.”

The career win total for Macedo climbs to 61 after Friday’s triumph. Three of those have come at River Cities, which ties him with Craig Dollansky for the second most at the quarter mile. He and the Jason Johnson Racing team are heating up with their second score in the last four races after just one in the first 21 nights of action this season. Macedo also regained sole possession of the second position in points.

David Gravel finished second to notch his Series-best 14th podium of 2026. His point lead is at 114 markers over Macedo.

Kasey Jedrzejek brought the Bill Rose Racing No. 6 home third for his first career World of Outlaws podium, and it happened to come at the track where Rose’s best Series finish is thanks to his third place run at River Cities back in 2011.

Chris Windom and Sheldon Haudenschild completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Sheldon Haudenschild laid down his third Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night in the last four races.

David Gravel set his 10th Simpson Quick Time of the season in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Andy Pake (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Kasey Jedrzejek (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), Bill Balog (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Sheldon Haudenschild (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Kasey Jedrzejek.

Jedrzejek also topped the Toyota Dash.

Spencer Bayston won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Chris Windom motored from 13th to fourth in the Sides Motorsports No. 7S to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Cole Macedo was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Kasey Jedrzejek was the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Jedrzejek also set the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Spencer Bayston.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars return to Minot, ND’s Nodak Speedway on Sunday, May 31 for the first time since 2018. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo[9]; 2. 2-David Gravel[2]; 3. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[1]; 4. 7S-Chris Windom[13]; 5. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[6]; 6. 83-Michael Kofoid[14]; 7. 2C-Cole Macedo[5]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz[11]; 9. 23-Garet Williamson[7]; 10. 17B-Bill Balog[3]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart[18]; 12. 27-Emerson Axsom[17]; 13. 51-Ashton Torgerson[16]; 14. 13-Mark Dobmeier[10]; 15. 64-Andy Pake[4]; 16. 16C-Skylar Gee[19]; 17. 10-Alex Truscinski[23]; 18. 15L-Laela Eisenschenk[24]; 19. 8-Jack Croaker[20]; 20. (DNF) 24T-Christopher Thram[12]; 21. (DNF) 28M-Conner Morrell[8]; 22. (DNF) 17-Spencer Bayston[21]; 23. (DNF) 8H-Jade Hastings[15]; 24. (DNF) 27W-Weston Olson[22]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/row-five-ripper-macedo-motors-from-ninth-for-wild-river-cities-win/

FRIDAY RECAP – MARYLAND Race 7 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

VANDERGRIFF CARRIES JFR BANNER AFTER DAY 1 OF POTOMAC NATIONALSHart sixth, Beckman eighth, and DeJoria ninth after inaugural MIR qualifying runs

FRIDAY RECAP – MARYLANDRace 7 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

VANDERGRIFF CARRIES JFR BANNER AFTER DAY 1 OF POTOMAC NATIONALSHart sixth, Beckman eighth, and DeJoria ninth after inaugural MIR qualifying runs

MECHANICSVILLE, MD. (May 29, 2026) – Three of John Force Racing’s four teams used the second of Friday’s two qualifying sessions to post their best performances in Day 1 of the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway. The Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team of Jordan Vandergriff provided the best showing, running 3.970 seconds at 321.88 mph to earn the No. 3 spot while Josh Hart wheeled the Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster to a sixth place showing with a run of 3.811 seconds at 333.91 mph. Jack Beckman and the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car team posted the eighth-quickest time of the afternoon with a run of 4.018 seconds at 316.30 mph and Alexis DeJoria used her Q1 run of 4.036 seconds at 318.32 mph to put the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car in the ninth position. Saturday’s qualifying sessions are scheduled for 12:30 and 3 p.m. ET. DeJoria and Hart will participate in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, earned from her final-round appearance and his semifinal finish in the May 17 Gerber’s Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK in Joliet, Ill. Sunday’s first round of eliminations is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET. Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“I think this Cornwell Quality Tools team is extremely happy with that. Coming off what was a rough weekend in Chicago to have a good Friday here shows that we can bounce back from adversity. It was really important for us to hit the ground running here in Maryland and I’m feeling great about the weekend so far.” Quote from Josh Hart, Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster:“We’re never really happy over here. The 3.81 was what we needed in the first run so a 3.75 in the second round would have been a good run. Grubnic (crew chief Dave Grubnic) is hard on himself. I’m hard on myself. The team’s doing a good job but we just need to do better. A good job isn’t good enough. We all know that going into tomorrow, so we’ll see what our chances look like with the conditions in the morning.” Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“Tim and Dan (Fabrisi and Hood, crew chiefs) are a little bit frustrated that we didn’t push harder and run faster. We always want to get points and qualify near the top. It’s a brand new racetrack. We have no data. I am completely satisfied with our Friday performance. We went to the finish line on both runs. In the first run, it put a cylinder out early, which was a byproduct of the fact that we backed everything off on the clutch. We took load away from it, which tends to drop cylinders. We got closer in the second run. We’re going take another shot at it in Q3 tomorrow. I think we can go to the top of the slot with tomorrow’s conditions and then we can start playing with spare parts for Q4 if we get in solid. So, I think it was a great Friday for the PEAK team.” Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“I think the return of John Force (to the track) has been a huge confidence builder for all of us. He’s the glue of this team and, without him, it doesn’t feel right so we’re happy to have him back. I love my crew chiefs. They’re badass. We finally got a hit on this Bandero Chevy. We had some great consistency last weekend. I’m just so proud. Now we can start stepping on it. We’re confident as hell. TV ScheduleTelevision coverage on FS1 includes a qualifying show Sat., May 30, from 7 – 8 p.m. ET, and the eliminations broadcast Sunday, May 31, from 3 – 6 p.m. ET.

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Detroit – (May 29, 2026) – Earl Bamber, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, won the pole for the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic with an IMSA GTP track-record lap of 1 minute 5.313 seconds (90.670 mph).  Cadillac, in its hometown of Detroit, swept the front row as Louis Delétraz and the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R was second at 1 minute 5.635 seconds (90.226 mph).  It’s the first pole in Detroit for Cadillac since the 2022 IMSA race on Belle Isle. The last pole for the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R was in March at Sebring. It’s the second straight Cadillac sweep of the front row as they also did so last month at Laguna Seca.  Bamber’s last pole was in 2015 in the Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta. The last pole for Action Express Racing in Detroit was in 2016.  Filipe Albuquerque, driver of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R was seventh with a lap of 1 minute 6.464 seconds (89.100 mph).  The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 30. It will air live on NBC at 4 p.m. ET with streaming coverage on Peacock in the U.S., and IMSA’s YouTube channel internationally. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.

Earl Bamber, No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing:  “The car has been amazing. We had a great car last year too. Did some good sim work. This 31 Cadillac Whelen team has done some amazing stuff. When they give you a great Cadillac, it makes your job easier. Can’t wait for it.” How do you avoid the chaos of this race?  “Run away and hide at the front! There’s so much that can happen. We have a great team in the pit lane, they never lose a spot in pit lane touch wood. It’s great for Cadillac, GM and the Corvettes (in GTD) on the front row as well.”

Louis Delétraz, No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R: ““I’m very happy with qualifying. One-two for Cadillac at home, so it’s really great. Good job for everyone. I think we improved the car well from FP1 to FP2 to qualifying. So that’s positive, gives us confidence for the race tomorrow. Obviously, a straight track that is a bit bumpy, it’s hard to pass here. So starting up front will be good. Now we need to execute during the race and hopefully have a trophy tomorrow.”

Filipe Albuquerque, No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R: “Another day, another hard day in the office. The car was actually pretty nice, but the tires came a bit later than the others. When the switch on, especially here at Detroit, there is a huge gain. I was five-tenths down and the red flag came out with two corners to go, and I think we would have been P3. There is nothing we can do about that, but we had a good car but now we are starting from P7 and it’s way harder on the street course. It is what it is and we move on tomorrow.”

Cadillac sweeps front row in hometown race; Bamber wins pole

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Detroit – (May 29, 2026) – Earl Bamber, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, won the pole for the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic with an IMSA GTP track-record lap of 1 minute 5.313 seconds (90.670 mph).  Cadillac, in its hometown of Detroit, swept the front row as Louis Delétraz and the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R was second at 1 minute 5.635 seconds (90.226 mph).  It’s the first pole in Detroit for Cadillac since the 2022 IMSA race on Belle Isle. The last pole for the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R was in March at Sebring. It’s the second straight Cadillac sweep of the front row as they also did so last month at Laguna Seca.  Bamber’s last pole was in 2015 in the Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta. The last pole for Action Express Racing in Detroit was in 2016.  Filipe Albuquerque, driver of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R was seventh with a lap of 1 minute 6.464 seconds (89.100 mph).  The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 30. It will air live on NBC at 4 p.m. ET with streaming coverage on Peacock in the U.S., and IMSA’s YouTube channel internationally. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.

Earl Bamber, No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing:  “The car has been amazing. We had a great car last year too. Did some good sim work. This 31 Cadillac Whelen team has done some amazing stuff. When they give you a great Cadillac, it makes your job easier. Can’t wait for it.” How do you avoid the chaos of this race?  “Run away and hide at the front! There’s so much that can happen. We have a great team in the pit lane, they never lose a spot in pit lane touch wood. It’s great for Cadillac, GM and the Corvettes (in GTD) on the front row as well.”

Louis Delétraz, No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R: ““I’m very happy with qualifying. One-two for Cadillac at home, so it’s really great. Good job for everyone. I think we improved the car well from FP1 to FP2 to qualifying. So that’s positive, gives us confidence for the race tomorrow. Obviously, a straight track that is a bit bumpy, it’s hard to pass here. So starting up front will be good. Now we need to execute during the race and hopefully have a trophy tomorrow.”

Filipe Albuquerque, No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R: “Another day, another hard day in the office. The car was actually pretty nice, but the tires came a bit later than the others. When the switch on, especially here at Detroit, there is a huge gain. I was five-tenths down and the red flag came out with two corners to go, and I think we would have been P3. There is nothing we can do about that, but we had a good car but now we are starting from P7 and it’s way harder on the street course. It is what it is and we move on tomorrow.”

Sims narrowly edges teammate Milner in Corvette 1-2 GTD PRO qualifying show DETROIT (May 29, 2026) – The Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports locked out the front row Friday in GTD PRO qualifying ahead of the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on the city’s downtown street circuit.

Alexander Sims put the No. 3 Corvette on pole position with a lap of 1:09.354 (85.387 mph), his second of the year, and narrowly beat out fellow Corvette factory driver and teammate Tommy Milner.  The pair of yellow Corvettes will start side-by-side out front for the second time in three Detroit appearances.

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Sims and Antoino Garcia will try to improve on their runner-up class finish from last year, a result that helped them to the GTD PRO Drivers Championship at the end of the season. Garcia was the pole-winner two years ago in the Z06 GT3.Rs first race in Detroit, and Sims set the fastest race lap in 2025.Milner, only 0.043 seconds off Sims’ pole-winning time, continued his strong form on the city street circuit. He was the fastest GTD PRO driver in the 2024 race, and he and teammate Nicky Catsburg arrived in Detroit with the Drivers Championship lead. The pairing hasn’t finished lower than fourth in any race this year and have led Chevrolet’s charge to the top of the GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship standings. The two Corvettes flexed their muscle early and often. Catsburg was the fastest driver in Friday morning’s opening practice, and Sims set the fastest GTD PRO practice time in the afternoon session. Corvette drivers set the three best times across the two practices, aided by recent Driver-in-the-Loop simulator sessions as part of the team’s Detroit prep. This is the third appearance for the Corvette/Pratt Miller squad and the rest of the GTP and GTD PRO cars at the downtown Detroit circuit, which runs around the Renaissance Center and is the shortest on the calendar at nine turns and 1.654 miles around. The program previously scored three victories at the Belle Isle circuit. The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. It will air live on NBC at 4 p.m. ET with streaming coverage on Peacock in the U.S., and IMSA’s YouTube channel internationally. IMSA Radio will provide audio coverage at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “Firstly, it’s fantastic to get both Corvettes on the front row. The cars are working really quite well around here in Detroit. It’s awesome to be driving around these awesome bumpy, fun streets around the RenCen and in GM’s home city. It has a nice home race feel about it with Pratt Miller just down the road, as well. We worked pretty hard through practice to get our Corvettes working better and better, particularly over the bumps, and get the balance there. It seems like on our car, we really needed until qualifying to put it together. Just toward the end of FP2, it started to work, and then, yeah, the car was working really nicely and qualifying. Great credit to Pratt Miller for keeping on tuning on our Corvette.”(On improvements from practice to qualifying) “For us on the 3 car, it was really just balance. I was struggling with the front axle and scrubbing through most of the corners through practice. I just couldn’t hook a lap together very well. That was our main focus; we kept trying to improve the front but then the rear would bounce around more and we couldn’t quite access the right setup changes in session. But between FP2 and qualifying but thankfully, between FP towards the end of FP2 and between that and qualifying, we made some other changes which seem to bring the car a bit more life.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “Great to put it all together, obviously, when it matters a little bit and qualifying there. Great for the team, for Corvette Racing and for everyone at GM here. I’m really happy for both cars to be on the front row. We’ve had fast cars in practice all day. So glad we’re able to put it up front. That’s big for the race, no question about it. Being upfront is going to be huge. Obviously having our teammates there with us is big and hopefully makes our life a little bit easier for the race tomorrow. The pace of these Corvettes is good, but there are other cars that have more top speed than us. So being out front is going to be huge to hopefully stay there.”

CORVETTE RACING AT DETROIT: Front-Row Sweep at Home!Sims narrowly edges teammate Milner in Corvette 1-2 GTD PRO qualifying show DETROIT (May 29, 2026) – The Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports locked out the front row Friday in GTD PRO qualifying ahead of the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on the city’s downtown street circuit.

Alexander Sims put the No. 3 Corvette on pole position with a lap of 1:09.354 (85.387 mph), his second of the year, and narrowly beat out fellow Corvette factory driver and teammate Tommy Milner.  The pair of yellow Corvettes will start side-by-side out front for the second time in three Detroit appearances.

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

Sims and Antoino Garcia will try to improve on their runner-up class finish from last year, a result that helped them to the GTD PRO Drivers Championship at the end of the season. Garcia was the pole-winner two years ago in the Z06 GT3.Rs first race in Detroit, and Sims set the fastest race lap in 2025.Milner, only 0.043 seconds off Sims’ pole-winning time, continued his strong form on the city street circuit. He was the fastest GTD PRO driver in the 2024 race, and he and teammate Nicky Catsburg arrived in Detroit with the Drivers Championship lead. The pairing hasn’t finished lower than fourth in any race this year and have led Chevrolet’s charge to the top of the GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship standings. The two Corvettes flexed their muscle early and often. Catsburg was the fastest driver in Friday morning’s opening practice, and Sims set the fastest GTD PRO practice time in the afternoon session. Corvette drivers set the three best times across the two practices, aided by recent Driver-in-the-Loop simulator sessions as part of the team’s Detroit prep. This is the third appearance for the Corvette/Pratt Miller squad and the rest of the GTP and GTD PRO cars at the downtown Detroit circuit, which runs around the Renaissance Center and is the shortest on the calendar at nine turns and 1.654 miles around. The program previously scored three victories at the Belle Isle circuit. The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. It will air live on NBC at 4 p.m. ET with streaming coverage on Peacock in the U.S., and IMSA’s YouTube channel internationally. IMSA Radio will provide audio coverage at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “Firstly, it’s fantastic to get both Corvettes on the front row. The cars are working really quite well around here in Detroit. It’s awesome to be driving around these awesome bumpy, fun streets around the RenCen and in GM’s home city. It has a nice home race feel about it with Pratt Miller just down the road, as well. We worked pretty hard through practice to get our Corvettes working better and better, particularly over the bumps, and get the balance there. It seems like on our car, we really needed until qualifying to put it together. Just toward the end of FP2, it started to work, and then, yeah, the car was working really nicely and qualifying. Great credit to Pratt Miller for keeping on tuning on our Corvette.”(On improvements from practice to qualifying) “For us on the 3 car, it was really just balance. I was struggling with the front axle and scrubbing through most of the corners through practice. I just couldn’t hook a lap together very well. That was our main focus; we kept trying to improve the front but then the rear would bounce around more and we couldn’t quite access the right setup changes in session. But between FP2 and qualifying but thankfully, between FP towards the end of FP2 and between that and qualifying, we made some other changes which seem to bring the car a bit more life.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “Great to put it all together, obviously, when it matters a little bit and qualifying there. Great for the team, for Corvette Racing and for everyone at GM here. I’m really happy for both cars to be on the front row. We’ve had fast cars in practice all day. So glad we’re able to put it up front. That’s big for the race, no question about it. Being upfront is going to be huge. Obviously having our teammates there with us is big and hopefully makes our life a little bit easier for the race tomorrow. The pace of these Corvettes is good, but there are other cars that have more top speed than us. So being out front is going to be huge to hopefully stay there.”

Sims narrowly edges teammate Milner in Corvette 1-2 GTD PRO qualifying show DETROIT (May 29, 2026) – The Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports locked out the front row Friday in GTD PRO qualifying ahead of the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on the city’s downtown street circuit.

Alexander Sims put the No. 3 Corvette on pole position with a lap of 1:09.354 (85.387 mph), his second of the year, and narrowly beat out fellow Corvette factory driver and teammate Tommy Milner.  The pair of yellow Corvettes will start side-by-side out front for the second time in three Detroit appearances.

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Sims and Antoino Garcia will try to improve on their runner-up class finish from last year, a result that helped them to the GTD PRO Drivers Championship at the end of the season. Garcia was the pole-winner two years ago in the Z06 GT3.Rs first race in Detroit, and Sims set the fastest race lap.Milner, only 0.336 seconds off Sims’ pole-winning time, continued his strong form on the city street circuit. He was the fastest GTD PRO driver in the 2025 race, and he and teammate Nicky Catsburg arrived in Detroit with the Drivers Championship lead. The pairing hasn’t finished lower than fourth in any race this year and have led Chevrolet’s charge to the top of the GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship standings. The two Corvettes flexed their muscle early and often. Catsburg was the fastest driver in Friday morning’s opening practice, and Sims set the fastest GTD PRO practice time in the afternoon session. Corvette drivers set the three best times across the two practices, aided by recent Driver-in-the-Loop simulator sessions as part of the team’s Detroit prep. This is the third appearance for the Corvette/Pratt Miller squad and the rest of the GTP and GTD PRO cars at the downtown Detroit circuit, which runs around the Renaissance Center and is the shortest on the calendar at nine turns and 1.654 miles around. The program previously scored three victories at the Belle Isle circuit. The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. It will air live on NBC at 4 p.m. ET with streaming coverage on Peacock in the U.S., and IMSA’s YouTube channel internationally. IMSA Radio will provide audio coverage at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “Firstly, it’s fantastic to get both Corvettes on the front row. The cars are working really quite well around here in Detroit. It’s awesome to be driving around these awesome bumpy, fun streets around the RenCen and in GM’s home city. It has a nice home race feel about it with Pratt Miller just down the road, as well. We worked pretty hard through practice to get our Corvettes working better and better, particularly over the bumps, and get the balance there. It seems like on our car, we really needed until qualifying to put it together. Just toward the end of FP2, it started to work, and then, yeah, the car was working really nicely and qualifying. Great credit to Pratt Miller for keeping on tuning on our Corvette.”(On improvements from practice to qualifying) “For us on the 3 car, it was really just balance. I was struggling with the front axle and scrubbing through most of the corners through practice. I just couldn’t hook a lap together very well. That was our main focus; we kept trying to improve the front but then the rear would bounce around more and we couldn’t quite access the right setup changes in session. But between FP2 and qualifying but thankfully, between FP towards the end of FP2 and between that and qualifying, we made some other changes which seem to bring the car a bit more life.”

CORVETTE RACING AT DETROIT: Front-Row Sweep at Home!Sims narrowly edges teammate Milner in Corvette 1-2 GTD PRO qualifying show DETROIT (May 29, 2026) – The Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports locked out the front row Friday in GTD PRO qualifying ahead of the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic on the city’s downtown street circuit.

Alexander Sims put the No. 3 Corvette on pole position with a lap of 1:09.354 (85.387 mph), his second of the year, and narrowly beat out fellow Corvette factory driver and teammate Tommy Milner.  The pair of yellow Corvettes will start side-by-side out front for the second time in three Detroit appearances.

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

Sims and Antoino Garcia will try to improve on their runner-up class finish from last year, a result that helped them to the GTD PRO Drivers Championship at the end of the season. Garcia was the pole-winner two years ago in the Z06 GT3.Rs first race in Detroit, and Sims set the fastest race lap.Milner, only 0.336 seconds off Sims’ pole-winning time, continued his strong form on the city street circuit. He was the fastest GTD PRO driver in the 2025 race, and he and teammate Nicky Catsburg arrived in Detroit with the Drivers Championship lead. The pairing hasn’t finished lower than fourth in any race this year and have led Chevrolet’s charge to the top of the GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship standings. The two Corvettes flexed their muscle early and often. Catsburg was the fastest driver in Friday morning’s opening practice, and Sims set the fastest GTD PRO practice time in the afternoon session. Corvette drivers set the three best times across the two practices, aided by recent Driver-in-the-Loop simulator sessions as part of the team’s Detroit prep. This is the third appearance for the Corvette/Pratt Miller squad and the rest of the GTP and GTD PRO cars at the downtown Detroit circuit, which runs around the Renaissance Center and is the shortest on the calendar at nine turns and 1.654 miles around. The program previously scored three victories at the Belle Isle circuit. The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. It will air live on NBC at 4 p.m. ET with streaming coverage on Peacock in the U.S., and IMSA’s YouTube channel internationally. IMSA Radio will provide audio coverage at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “Firstly, it’s fantastic to get both Corvettes on the front row. The cars are working really quite well around here in Detroit. It’s awesome to be driving around these awesome bumpy, fun streets around the RenCen and in GM’s home city. It has a nice home race feel about it with Pratt Miller just down the road, as well. We worked pretty hard through practice to get our Corvettes working better and better, particularly over the bumps, and get the balance there. It seems like on our car, we really needed until qualifying to put it together. Just toward the end of FP2, it started to work, and then, yeah, the car was working really nicely and qualifying. Great credit to Pratt Miller for keeping on tuning on our Corvette.”(On improvements from practice to qualifying) “For us on the 3 car, it was really just balance. I was struggling with the front axle and scrubbing through most of the corners through practice. I just couldn’t hook a lap together very well. That was our main focus; we kept trying to improve the front but then the rear would bounce around more and we couldn’t quite access the right setup changes in session. But between FP2 and qualifying but thankfully, between FP towards the end of FP2 and between that and qualifying, we made some other changes which seem to bring the car a bit more life.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “Great to put it all together, obviously, when it matters a little bit and qualifying there. Great for the team, for Corvette Racing and for everyone at GM here. I’m really happy for both cars to be on the front row. We’ve had fast cars in practice all day. So glad we’re able to put it up front. That’s big for the race, no question about it. Being upfront is going to be huge. Obviously having our teammates there with us is big and hopefully makes our life a little bit easier for the race tomorrow. The pace of these Corvettes is good, but there are other cars that have more top speed than us. So being out front is going to be huge to hopefully stay there.”

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix 1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuit Detroit, Michigan Friday Practice Report May 29, 2026  DETROIT (May 29, 2026) – Pato O’Ward, in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, was the quickest of five Chevrolet-powered drivers in the top nine on the combined timesheet during a mixed-up Friday practice session in preparation for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The dozen fastest drivers were evenly split between drivers on Primary Firestone Firehawk racing tires (Black) and Alternate Firestone Firehawk racing tires (Red).  David Malukas, in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Christian Lundgaard in the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Rinus VeeKay in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet and Scott McLaughlin, in the No. 3 Clarience Technologies Team Penske Chevrolet, joining O’Ward in the top nine on the combined timesheet. O’Ward, Malukas and Lundgaard all went quickest on Blacks, while VeeKay and Lundgaard were best on Reds.  “I thought the first part of it was good on the blacks,” explained O’Ward. “Quite tricky on the reds. I don’t think we’re the only one that struggled with it. I think the cars that are strong on the blacks, you might see these guys transfer like from Q1 to Q2 on blacks. Maybe as it rubbers up, the reds are going to start to be a little bit better. O’Ward, a winner at The Raceway At Belle Isle in 2021, was the second quickest overall and quickest Chevrolet-powered pilot in the first 40 minutes of practice, where all 25 drivers utilized only Blacks. Malukas, who started on the outside of the front row on the 1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuit last year, and Lundgaard rounded out the top five.  “Detroit-it’s bumpy,” said Malukas. “It is very bumpy, but overall we are going to have to study and look at data. The track conditions were very tough. Very low grip. Overall I think the Verizon Chevy is good. We are on the upper end, but we want to be at the top, and it seems like a few guys have a little bit on us. So, we will study, look, and see what we can do to put it all together for qualifying to get it done.”  When drivers put on the Alternate Firestone Firehawk racing tires (Red) for the first of two 12-minute sessions, VeeKay, coming off an impressive sixth-place Indianapolis 500 finish, was the second quickest overall and fastest Team Chevy driver with McLaughlin and O’Ward also turning in top-five lap times.  Lundgaard was the quickest of the Chevrolet-powered drivers in the second 12-minute session on Reds, with Malukas and Alexander Rossi, in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet, also in the top five.  Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Practice #1 Combined Results:Pato O’WardPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Pato O’Ward, 2021 finisher in Detroit, joins us.What did you make of that practice session? Were you happy with it? PATO O’WARD: I thought the first part of it was good on the black. Quite tricky on the red. I don’t think we’re the only one that struggled with it. I think the cars that are strong on the black, you might see these guys transfer like from Q1 to Q2 on a black. Maybe as it rubbers up, the red is going to start to be a little bit better. Q. Fast Six, if you’re in it tomorrow, have you thought about the strategy on that?PATO O’WARD: Probably you’d want to go first here. I would say probably on the same set. Q. Long Beach?PATO O’WARD: I went sixth. I was fifth or sixth. If you’re fifth or sixth, I don’t think it really makes much of a difference.I do think going first to fifth is a big difference with just brake temperatures and being able to get everything going, especially if you just did yours. Yeah, going first in line is going to keep you. Cars are going to be sliding around a lot. Just imagine cold tires, cold brakes. You’re not getting it in. Q. Pato, the first year INDYCAR raced here you said, It’s going to be gnarly, bro. Do you think this track has gotten gnarlier or you’ve figured it out or…PATO O’WARD: I feel like in certain areas, they’ve cleaned up like out in the chicane, I feel like the wall looks much nicer. There’s different patches that I think turn nine, there was quite a big dip when we were first coming here, now it’s not as aggressive. They’ve definitely made it much better for us.I don’t think the backstretch is as bumpy and aggressive as it used to be. The first year we came here I thought it was really aggressive. It’s gotten better and better, yeah. Q. We saw a number of cars spin at this complex during the session. Is that a case of the concrete or the track surface rubbering up with the GTP cars? Is that going to make any difference overall how that track handles long-term?PATO O’WARD: I can’t remember if the GTP rubber is good for us. Q. Does that change over the weekend, the concrete?PATO O’WARD: It opens the window a bit on driver lines and stuff like that. It should open it a little bit more. You start sliding a lot. Q. How the excess rubber might make it worse, is the cement here different that much compared to Long Beach or St. Petersburg?PATO O’WARD: It just feels like we struggle to get a carcass temp in the car much more. It doesn’t help that 80% of the track layout, like we don’t actually gain too much speed from turn three to turn seven. I mean, one, two, three, four, five corners that you’re just in first and second gear.How you get temperature in these cars, you have to go fast, then hit the brakes. That’s what usually creates the most heat.I just think over the course of the lap, there’s not a lot of that, regardless if you’re pushing a lot, whatever. You might heat the surface temp of the tire a lot, but you’re not actually creating a lot of carcass temperatures, which is what makes the tire work. Q. Is it all the same cement from last year’s race?PATO O’WARD: I think maybe nine is better. Maybe last year they fixed that. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Saturday, May 30NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 1pm (ET)/noon (CT)/11am (MT)/10am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Sunday, May 31NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (100 laps) – 12:30pm(ET)/11:30am (CT)/10:30am (MT)/9:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESChevrolet Detroit Grand Prix1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuitDetroit, MichiganFriday Practice ReportMay 29, 2026  DETROIT (May 29, 2026) – Pato O’Ward, in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, was the quickest of five Chevrolet-powered drivers in the top nine on the combined timesheet during a mixed-up Friday practice session in preparation for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. The dozen fastest drivers were evenly split between drivers on Primary Firestone Firehawk racing tires (Black) and Alternate Firestone Firehawk racing tires (Red).  David Malukas, in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Christian Lundgaard in the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Rinus VeeKay in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet and Scott McLaughlin, in the No. 3 Clarience Technologies Team Penske Chevrolet, joining O’Ward in the top nine on the combined timesheet. O’Ward, Malukas and Lundgaard all went quickest on Blacks, while VeeKay and Lundgaard were best on Reds.  “I thought the first part of it was good on the blacks,” explained O’Ward. “Quite tricky on the reds. I don’t think we’re the only one that struggled with it. I think the cars that are strong on the blacks, you might see these guys transfer like from Q1 to Q2 on blacks. Maybe as it rubbers up, the reds are going to start to be a little bit better. O’Ward, a winner at The Raceway At Belle Isle in 2021, was the second quickest overall and quickest Chevrolet-powered pilot in the first 40 minutes of practice, where all 25 drivers utilized only Blacks. Malukas, who started on the outside of the front row on the 1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuit last year, and Lundgaard rounded out the top five.  “Detroit-it’s bumpy,” said Malukas. “It is very bumpy, but overall we are going to have to study and look at data. The track conditions were very tough. Very low grip. Overall I think the Verizon Chevy is good. We are on the upper end, but we want to be at the top, and it seems like a few guys have a little bit on us. So, we will study, look, and see what we can do to put it all together for qualifying to get it done.”  When drivers put on the Alternate Firestone Firehawk racing tires (Red) for the first of two 12-minute sessions, VeeKay, coming off an impressive sixth-place Indianapolis 500 finish, was the second quickest overall and fastest Team Chevy driver with McLaughlin and O’Ward also turning in top-five lap times.  Lundgaard was the quickest of the Chevrolet-powered drivers in the second 12-minute session on Reds, with Malukas and Alexander Rossi, in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet, also in the top five.  Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Practice #1 Combined Results:Pato O’WardPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Pato O’Ward, 2021 finisher in Detroit, joins us.What did you make of that practice session? Were you happy with it? PATO O’WARD: I thought the first part of it was good on the black. Quite tricky on the red. I don’t think we’re the only one that struggled with it. I think the cars that are strong on the black, you might see these guys transfer like from Q1 to Q2 on a black. Maybe as it rubbers up, the red is going to start to be a little bit better. Q. Fast Six, if you’re in it tomorrow, have you thought about the strategy on that?PATO O’WARD: Probably you’d want to go first here. I would say probably on the same set. Q. Long Beach?PATO O’WARD: I went sixth. I was fifth or sixth. If you’re fifth or sixth, I don’t think it really makes much of a difference.I do think going first to fifth is a big difference with just brake temperatures and being able to get everything going, especially if you just did yours. Yeah, going first in line is going to keep you. Cars are going to be sliding around a lot. Just imagine cold tires, cold brakes. You’re not getting it in. Q. Pato, the first year INDYCAR raced here you said, It’s going to be gnarly, bro. Do you think this track has gotten gnarlier or you’ve figured it out or…PATO O’WARD: I feel like in certain areas, they’ve cleaned up like out in the chicane, I feel like the wall looks much nicer. There’s different patches that I think turn nine, there was quite a big dip when we were first coming here, now it’s not as aggressive. They’ve definitely made it much better for us.I don’t think the backstretch is as bumpy and aggressive as it used to be. The first year we came here I thought it was really aggressive. It’s gotten better and better, yeah. Q. We saw a number of cars spin at this complex during the session. Is that a case of the concrete or the track surface rubbering up with the GTP cars? Is that going to make any difference overall how that track handles long-term?PATO O’WARD: I can’t remember if the GTP rubber is good for us. Q. Does that change over the weekend, the concrete?PATO O’WARD: It opens the window a bit on driver lines and stuff like that. It should open it a little bit more. You start sliding a lot. Q. How the excess rubber might make it worse, is the cement here different that much compared to Long Beach or St. Petersburg?PATO O’WARD: It just feels like we struggle to get a carcass temp in the car much more. It doesn’t help that 80% of the track layout, like we don’t actually gain too much speed from turn three to turn seven. I mean, one, two, three, four, five corners that you’re just in first and second gear.How you get temperature in these cars, you have to go fast, then hit the brakes. That’s what usually creates the most heat.I just think over the course of the lap, there’s not a lot of that, regardless if you’re pushing a lot, whatever. You might heat the surface temp of the tire a lot, but you’re not actually creating a lot of carcass temperatures, which is what makes the tire work. Q. Is it all the same cement from last year’s race?PATO O’WARD: I think maybe nine is better. Maybe last year they fixed that. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Saturday, May 30NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 1pm (ET)/noon (CT)/11am (MT)/10am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Sunday, May 31NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (100 laps) – 12:30pm(ET)/11:30am (CT)/10:30am (MT)/9:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevrolet history at the Detroit Grand Prix  Wins – 13 The Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2002) 2022 – Will Power – Team Penske2021 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren (Race #2)2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #1)2016 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology (Race #1)2015 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology (Race #2)2014 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske (Race #2)2014 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #1)1993 – Danny Sullivan – Galles Racing1992 – Bob Rahal – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing  2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991) 1991 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1990 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1989 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Patrick Racing Earned Poles – 11 The Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022) 2022 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2021 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #2)2021 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren (Race #1)2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske (Race #1)2015 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #1)2014 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske (Race #1) 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991) 1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1989 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing Podiums: 35 1.645-mile downtown street circuit – 3 Driver Podiums 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025): Santino Ferrucci (1), Will Power (1) and Felix Rosenqvist (1) Team Podiums 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025): A.J. Foyt Racing (1), Arrow McLaren (1) and Team Penske (1) The Raceway At Belle Isle – 26 Driver Podiums Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022): Will Power (7), Josef Newgarden (3), Sebastien Bourdais (2), Pato O’Ward (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Raul Boesel (1), Helio Castroneves (1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1), Stefan Johanson (1), Tony Kanaan (1), Charlie Kimball (1), Juan Montoya (1), Bob Rahal (1), Danny Sullivan (1), and Rinus VeeKay (1) Team Podiums Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022): Team Penske (14), Arrow McLaren (2), Chip Ganassi Racing (2), KV Racing Technology (2), Andretti Global (1), Bettenhausen Racing (1), Dick Simon Racing (1), Ed Carpenter Racing (1), Galles Racing (1), and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (1)  Original Downtown Street Circuit – 8 Driver Podiums 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Emerson Fittipaldi (2), Bob Rahal (2), Mario Andretti (1), Michael Andretti (1), Eddiie Cheever (1) and Arie Luyendyk (1). Team Podiums 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Galles Racing (2), Newman Haas Racing (2), Doug Shierson Racing (1), Chip Ganassi Racing (1), Patrick Racing (1), and Team Penske (1). Laps Led – 915 Laps Led on the 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025) – 61 Driver laps led on the 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025): Christian Rasmussen (21), Will Power (15), Santino Ferrucci (14), Pato O’Ward (4), Scott McLaughlin (3), Josef Newgarden (3), Alexander Rossi (1) Team laps led on the 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2025): ECR (21), Team Penske (21), A.J. Foyt Racing (14), Arrow McLaren (5) Laps led at The Raceway At Belle Isle (1992-2002) – 672 Driver laps led at The Raceway At Belle Isle (1992-2002): Will Power (142), Josef Newgarden (113), Helio Castroneves (93), Simon Pagenaud (75), Juan Montoya (48), Paul Tracy (46), Sebastien Bourdais (38), Danny Sullivan (30), Bob Rahal (29), Ryan Hunter-Reay (20), Emerson Fittipaldi (12), Tony Kanaan (10), Pato O’Ward (6), Ryan Briscoe (5), Mike Conway (4), Scott Dixon (1) Team laps led at The Raceway At Belle Isle (1992-2002): Team Penske (529), KV Racing Technology (48), Galles Racing (30), Rahal Hogan Racing (29), Andretti Global (20), Arrow McLaren (6), Chip Ganassi Racing (6), ECR (4) Laps led on the 2.5-mile downtown street circuit – 182 Driver laps led on the 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Michael Andretti (128), Emerson Fittipaldi (26), Arie Luyendyk (20), Bob Rahal (6), Mario Andretti (2) Team laps led on the 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Newman Haas Racing (130), Team Penske (22), Granatelli Racing (20), Galles Racing (6), Patrick Racing (4) Manufacturer History at the Detroit Grand Prix  Wins (with competition)  17 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 Race #1, 2019 Race #2, 2018 Race #2, 2018 Race #1, 2017 Race #2, 2017 Race #1, 2015 Race #1, 2013 Race #2, 2013 Race #1, 2012, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998)11 – Chevrolet (2022, 2021 Race #2, 2019 Race #1, 2016 Race #2, 2016 Race #1, 2015 Race #2, 2014 Race #2, 2014 Race #1, 1991, 1990, 1989)2 – Ford (1996, 1995)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Mercedes (1997) Poles (with competition) 15 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2023, 2019 Race #1, 2018 Race #2, 2018 Race #1, 2017 Race #2, 2017 Race #1, 2014 Race #2, 2013 Race #2, 2013 Race #1, 2012, 2001, 1999, 1997)11 – Chevrolet (2022, 2021 Race #2, 2021 Race #1, 2019 Race #2, 2016 Race #2, 2016 Race #1, 2015 Race #1, 2014 Race #1, 1991, 1990, 1989)5 – Ford (1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992)1 – Mercedes (1998)1 – Toyota (2000)

Heather Lyne, Bob Pierce, Jason Palubicki speak on the grind of Hell Tour turning wrenches

CONCORD, NC (May 29, 2026) — In Victory Lane, drivers get most of the glory. But look beside some of the greatest in DIRTcar Summer Nationals history, and you’ll find one of the biggest keys to their success — their crew chiefs.

Forty years of racing on the Hell Tour have produced a champions list that reads like a Hall-of-Fame inductee class. Most in the modern era relied on an equally deserving brain in the pit area for feedback, setup calls, and a leading hand on the racecar.

Heather Lyne, a veteran crew chief of 25 years, wrenched Dennis Erb Jr. to three consecutive Summer Nationals championships from 2007 to 2009.

National Dirt Late Model Hall-of-Famer Bob Pierce, a two-time champion of the Hell Tour as a driver, led son Bobby Pierce’s operation to five total Summer Nationals points titles through the 2010s and 2020s.

Jason Palubicki is one name on a short list of crew chiefs to have wrenched multiple drivers to Hell Tour championships — first with Bobby Pierce in 2014 and most recently Jason Feger, who captured his second career points title one year ago.

The trophy count between these names is a reflection of their dedication, unmatched toughness and knowledge of their craft. But at one point, each had been only introduced to the gritty challenge that is the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.

“My first year helping on a Dirt Late Model, I didn’t realize how big it was,” said Palubicki, who made his first full pull on the Summer Nationals with driver Dan Schlieper in 2002. “I went to our local racetrack on a Saturday night, and people come out to watch their hero race. I did the same thing, and I thought that’s all it was. I didn’t know these guys raced for 10, 20, 30, or $100,000.”

“I knew it was going to be grueling, especially with the temperatures, and the way that it used to be done as opposed to how they do it now was you prayed for a rainout just to get a breather and to get a complete maintenance on the car as opposed to a quick maintenance going from track-to-track,” said Lyne, who’s been on Erb’s team every year since 2001. “I knew it was gonna be a lot of work just for the two of us. I knew we had to keep our bodies good and square and stay out of trouble, that way you could finish all the races, because that was key.”

Bob Pierce’s Summer Nationals expertise spawned in the early years of the grind, having raced throughout the 1980s before the tour was founded in 1986.

“Back then, I’d race every day if I could. I [was about] 30 years old,” he said with a laugh. “I thought it was kind of cool because you could make a little money throughout the week, versus waiting on the weekend like Friday or Saturday. I thought it would be kind of neat, and then I looked at the schedule and saw where we were gonna be, and I thought, ‘Wow, we’re all over the place.”

After amassing 14 Feature wins and garnering two championships in 1992 and 1995, Bob Pierce retired from the seat in the 2000s and quickly pivoted from driver to crew chief for his son, Bobby, who went on to three consecutive Summer Nationals championships from 2015 to 2017 before going back-to-back again in 2021 and 2022.

Now, having seen the circuit for nearly two decades as a mechanic, Bob’s perspective has shifted a bit, which remains even as Bobby continues his meteoric rise up the wins list with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.

“The stressful part is he’s my son, and I want him to run well all the time. Even if we don’t, I feel like it’s my fault all the time, no matter what happens,” Bob said. “The gratifying part is when we do have good nights, it just makes it all worthwhile. I’m proud of him, and I’m glad I’m doing a good enough job for him to win these races.”

“It’s really neat to see him grow and get to this point where he can run with these guys, and be competitive, and be somebody to be reckoned with every night of racing.”

If there’s one thing that all drivers and crew members know about Summer Nationals, it’s the day-after-day grind. Driving to a different track every day, working on the car in high temperatures and humidity, and tough, wheel-to-wheel competition every night before packing it up and doing it all over again the next day for five straight weeks.

It’s not impossible, but that grind, even on a day without breaking or crashing equipment, is relentless. But through the rigorous test comes sharpened skills and a feat to be proud of.

“That first year, it was hell,” Palubicki said. “It was hot, no breaks, you prayed for rainouts. The first week or two weeks, we didn’t have a rainout. It was different racetracks every night for two and a half weeks, and then you’d get a rainout and just die. You’d go do laundry or go get a good meal somewhere because you don’t eat well, and you don’t sleep. It’s just a grind every day.”

“I actually enjoyed it, every day, different track, learning so much about your racecar, learning what you can do to make it better night-after-night without having a break in between,” Lyne said. “It was definitely a good thing. I don’t think it ever… it didn’t kill me. But I was able to exhale when it was over and then take a little break and then get right back into it.”

“Of course you’ll have your bad nights where you tear a front end off after getting in a bad wreck, and you’re thrashing there that night before you leave to go to the next track, and as soon as you get up, you’ve gotta work ‘til Hot Laps,” Bob Pierce said. “That’s kinda tough, but that happens even on tour with the World of Outlaws, too. It’s got its good sides and bad sides.”

Over the years, many drivers and crew members have credited their runs through Summer Nationals for teaching them the skills they needed to be able to tackle the national Late Model scene later on in their careers. So, what have these championship-winning mechanics learned from 20-plus races in five weeks?

“Don’t give up. You can’t quit,” Palubicki said. “Every day is a new day. Even though it’s really hard — it’s extremely hard — especially if you’re struggling. I’ve been blessed to be with people that don’t struggle very often. I think, on average, we’ve made every race, I believe, the last two years. Should’ve won it probably the last three years, but we didn’t do the whole thing other years.”

“Attention to detail,” Lyne said. “And that I don’t like to be at the same place more than two days is what it really taught me, because I got so used to packing up, leaving, and going to a new track. It taught you to be self-reliant, trust your instincts, pay attention to details, and things of that nature.”

“I told Bobby this — the more you race, the better you get. It just comes more naturally,” Bob Pierce said. “It’s like driving your passenger car down the road — you don’t look where the radio is, you just reach over and hit the knob or your air conditioner button. Everything just comes so normal when you’re in that race car day-in and day-out. It sharpens your skills.”

To be fair, the Hell Tour is a lot to ask of one person. For 40 years, teams have come to race and work day-after-day in the sweltering sun, and for 40 years, they’ve kept coming back to race again. The drive is different for each, but there’s one common denominator — the love of the sport.

“Winning races. That’s what we’re there for,” Palubicki said. “We’re there to win races or to watch your buddies succeed. Or watch a young kid, like Trey Mills last year, win a race.

“It’s cool to watch. That’s what brings you back, and your friends. We’ve got a group of guys that we travel with most of the time. I have friends from Tennessee that are coming up to run a week of it with a Modified this year, just because they want to come and see what it’s all about and make their program good. You’re only as good as the people you race against.”

“I just like the competition,” Lyne said. “I enjoy it. I like the adrenaline; I like the challenge. When you’re running bad it makes you dig, when you’re running well, you ride that high and just hope it keeps going. It’s in my blood, I guess.”

The 40th anniversary season of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals begins Tuesday, June 9 at Brownstown Bullring in Brownstown, IL. Tickets for each of the 33 scheduled races on the 2026 calendar will be available for purchase at each track on race day.

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

FROM THE PIT BOX: Championship-Winning Crew Chiefs Maintain Hell Tour’s Prestige Despite Grueling Schedule

Heather Lyne, Bob Pierce, Jason Palubicki speak on the grind of Hell Tour turning wrenches

CONCORD, NC (May 29, 2026) — In Victory Lane, drivers get most of the glory. But look beside some of the greatest in DIRTcar Summer Nationals history, and you’ll find one of the biggest keys to their success — their crew chiefs.

Forty years of racing on the Hell Tour have produced a champions list that reads like a Hall-of-Fame inductee class. Most in the modern era relied on an equally deserving brain in the pit area for feedback, setup calls, and a leading hand on the racecar.

Heather Lyne, a veteran crew chief of 25 years, wrenched Dennis Erb Jr. to three consecutive Summer Nationals championships from 2007 to 2009.

National Dirt Late Model Hall-of-Famer Bob Pierce, a two-time champion of the Hell Tour as a driver, led son Bobby Pierce’s operation to five total Summer Nationals points titles through the 2010s and 2020s.

Jason Palubicki is one name on a short list of crew chiefs to have wrenched multiple drivers to Hell Tour championships — first with Bobby Pierce in 2014 and most recently Jason Feger, who captured his second career points title one year ago.

The trophy count between these names is a reflection of their dedication, unmatched toughness and knowledge of their craft. But at one point, each had been only introduced to the gritty challenge that is the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.

“My first year helping on a Dirt Late Model, I didn’t realize how big it was,” said Palubicki, who made his first full pull on the Summer Nationals with driver Dan Schlieper in 2002. “I went to our local racetrack on a Saturday night, and people come out to watch their hero race. I did the same thing, and I thought that’s all it was. I didn’t know these guys raced for 10, 20, 30, or $100,000.”

“I knew it was going to be grueling, especially with the temperatures, and the way that it used to be done as opposed to how they do it now was you prayed for a rainout just to get a breather and to get a complete maintenance on the car as opposed to a quick maintenance going from track-to-track,” said Lyne, who’s been on Erb’s team every year since 2001. “I knew it was gonna be a lot of work just for the two of us. I knew we had to keep our bodies good and square and stay out of trouble, that way you could finish all the races, because that was key.”

Bob Pierce’s Summer Nationals expertise spawned in the early years of the grind, having raced throughout the 1980s before the tour was founded in 1986.

“Back then, I’d race every day if I could. I [was about] 30 years old,” he said with a laugh. “I thought it was kind of cool because you could make a little money throughout the week, versus waiting on the weekend like Friday or Saturday. I thought it would be kind of neat, and then I looked at the schedule and saw where we were gonna be, and I thought, ‘Wow, we’re all over the place.”

After amassing 14 Feature wins and garnering two championships in 1992 and 1995, Bob Pierce retired from the seat in the 2000s and quickly pivoted from driver to crew chief for his son, Bobby, who went on to three consecutive Summer Nationals championships from 2015 to 2017 before going back-to-back again in 2021 and 2022.

Now, having seen the circuit for nearly two decades as a mechanic, Bob’s perspective has shifted a bit, which remains even as Bobby continues his meteoric rise up the wins list with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.

“The stressful part is he’s my son, and I want him to run well all the time. Even if we don’t, I feel like it’s my fault all the time, no matter what happens,” Bob said. “The gratifying part is when we do have good nights, it just makes it all worthwhile. I’m proud of him, and I’m glad I’m doing a good enough job for him to win these races.”

“It’s really neat to see him grow and get to this point where he can run with these guys, and be competitive, and be somebody to be reckoned with every night of racing.”

If there’s one thing that all drivers and crew members know about Summer Nationals, it’s the day-after-day grind. Driving to a different track every day, working on the car in high temperatures and humidity, and tough, wheel-to-wheel competition every night before packing it up and doing it all over again the next day for five straight weeks.

It’s not impossible, but that grind, even on a day without breaking or crashing equipment, is relentless. But through the rigorous test comes sharpened skills and a feat to be proud of.

“That first year, it was hell,” Palubicki said. “It was hot, no breaks, you prayed for rainouts. The first week or two weeks, we didn’t have a rainout. It was different racetracks every night for two and a half weeks, and then you’d get a rainout and just die. You’d go do laundry or go get a good meal somewhere because you don’t eat well, and you don’t sleep. It’s just a grind every day.”

“I actually enjoyed it, every day, different track, learning so much about your racecar, learning what you can do to make it better night-after-night without having a break in between,” Lyne said. “It was definitely a good thing. I don’t think it ever… it didn’t kill me. But I was able to exhale when it was over and then take a little break and then get right back into it.”

“Of course you’ll have your bad nights where you tear a front end off after getting in a bad wreck, and you’re thrashing there that night before you leave to go to the next track, and as soon as you get up, you’ve gotta work ‘til Hot Laps,” Bob Pierce said. “That’s kinda tough, but that happens even on tour with the World of Outlaws, too. It’s got its good sides and bad sides.”

Over the years, many drivers and crew members have credited their runs through Summer Nationals for teaching them the skills they needed to be able to tackle the national Late Model scene later on in their careers. So, what have these championship-winning mechanics learned from 20-plus races in five weeks?

“Don’t give up. You can’t quit,” Palubicki said. “Every day is a new day. Even though it’s really hard — it’s extremely hard — especially if you’re struggling. I’ve been blessed to be with people that don’t struggle very often. I think, on average, we’ve made every race, I believe, the last two years. Should’ve won it probably the last three years, but we didn’t do the whole thing other years.”

“Attention to detail,” Lyne said. “And that I don’t like to be at the same place more than two days is what it really taught me, because I got so used to packing up, leaving, and going to a new track. It taught you to be self-reliant, trust your instincts, pay attention to details, and things of that nature.”

“I told Bobby this — the more you race, the better you get. It just comes more naturally,” Bob Pierce said. “It’s like driving your passenger car down the road — you don’t look where the radio is, you just reach over and hit the knob or your air conditioner button. Everything just comes so normal when you’re in that race car day-in and day-out. It sharpens your skills.”

To be fair, the Hell Tour is a lot to ask of one person. For 40 years, teams have come to race and work day-after-day in the sweltering sun, and for 40 years, they’ve kept coming back to race again. The drive is different for each, but there’s one common denominator — the love of the sport.

“Winning races. That’s what we’re there for,” Palubicki said. “We’re there to win races or to watch your buddies succeed. Or watch a young kid, like Trey Mills last year, win a race.

“It’s cool to watch. That’s what brings you back, and your friends. We’ve got a group of guys that we travel with most of the time. I have friends from Tennessee that are coming up to run a week of it with a Modified this year, just because they want to come and see what it’s all about and make their program good. You’re only as good as the people you race against.”

“I just like the competition,” Lyne said. “I enjoy it. I like the adrenaline; I like the challenge. When you’re running bad it makes you dig, when you’re running well, you ride that high and just hope it keeps going. It’s in my blood, I guess.”

The 40th anniversary season of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals begins Tuesday, June 9 at Brownstown Bullring in Brownstown, IL. Tickets for each of the 33 scheduled races on the 2026 calendar will be available for purchase at each track on race day.

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

ARTICLE: https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/news/from-the-pit-box-championship-winning-crew-chiefs-maintain-hell-tours-prestige-despite-grueling-schedule/

CONCORD, NC (May 29, 2026) — Kyler Johnson is currently sitting at the highest he’s ever been in the points standings with the American Sprint Car Series. But he knows he could still be higher. 

While Quinter, KS native has seen glimpses of race-winning pace in the first quarter of the season, placing him fourth in the standings (126 points back from the lead), issues beyond his control have kept him from being closer to the fight for the top. 

Before joining the national-touring 360 Sprint Cars in May at Benton Speedway, Johnson took part in the ASCS Gunsmoke Region opener at Dodge City Raceway Park. While leading the night’s Feature, he lost power in his car and left the night with a DNF. 

The gremlins persisted at Benton, with Johnson not completing a lap at speed in any of the night’s program. It took until after the Feature was contested for the team to discover the real issue. 

“The weekend before (Benton), we were running the regional race out at Dodge City,” Johnson said. “We were leading the Feature, then all of a sudden, we just lost power. So, we tore into it and changed what we originally thought was the problem. The car would idle just fine, but it just couldn’t get up to speed. 

“So, we go out to Benton, and obviously don’t run at all. It wasn’t until after the Feature ended that we decided to check our barrel valve. What ended up happening was that we had an O-ring come apart in the fuel pump, and that went through the barrel valve and just got it loosened off enough to where it wouldn’t run.” 

The night at Benton was not the first time in 2026 that Johnson had his back to the wall with the ASCS National Tour. On the second night of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, his primary Sprint Car was totaled after a crash during his Heat race. 

Throughout the year, Johnson has utilized new shocks on his No. 45X Maxim Chassis, courtesy of J1S7 Suspension, which is owned by 2024 NARC King of the West Sprint Car champion Justin Sanders. Though he’s taken time to gain comfort with the new suspension components, Johnson described the change as an overall positive. 

“We had a whole new shock package to start the season,” Johnson said. “We switched to Justin Sanders, and we were doing some of the stuff we had done before in our career to start getting an idea of what we were dealing with. I talked to Justin (at Volusia), and we took a big swing at something we never did before, and we had really good speed to battle with (Cole) Macedo and Hank (Davis). 

“With Justin, our whole notebook is basically thrown out the window, outside of our gearing. Any other notes as far as setup goes is out the window. This whole season is basically all about starting fresh. We really like the balance of what we’ve got. We were able to adjust it a little bit and tweak it for what we need at the track. We’ve been working together a lot in the last couple of months and really finding speed.” 

Johnson’s first race after the mishap at Benton was a Memorial Day visit to Phillips County Raceway with the ASCS Western Plains and Gunsmoke Regions. From start to finish, the 22-year-old had his car at the top of the leaderboard with Quick Time in Qualifying, a Heat win, and then led all 20 laps of the Feature for his first win of the year. 

“Any chance you get a win, it will always add confidence to the whole program,” Johnson said. “Really, it was just a big relief to get out there, get on the gas, and it actually ran. We thought we had fixed it two weeks ago, and that obviously wasn’t the case. We had the problem fixed, and it was just good to show speed in every stage of the night. 

“We feel like all year, our biggest weakness has been the Heat races. It feels like we can get out there and qualify really good, then we don’t make enough of an adjustment for the Heat race. So, it seems like we’re just good enough to make the Dash. Going Quick Time, you have to start fourth, and you have to finish there or better. We’ve lacked the Heat Race speed this year, but we took a bigger swing for the Heat race, so we were not having to make as big a swing for the Feature.” 

Securing a Feature win in regional competition, Johnson’s next battle with the American Sprint Car Series will come in a two-track weekend, starting with Oklahoma’s Creek County Speedway, then a home state visit to 81 Speedway. 

Though he’s only finished in the top-10 once at Creek County in 2023, Johnson has seen career heights at the 3/8-mile in Park City, KS. His first win at 81 came with POWRi in 2020, scored his first career ASCS podium in 2023, and finished eighth in the Series’ latest visit. In 2026, he’s seeking the dual state challenge to mark his first career National Tour win. 

“Anytime we go to a big 3/8-mile or a 1/2-mile, you know it’s going to be slick and sandy,” Johnson said. “I definitely feel like that’s where I thrive because I grew up racing on this Kansas sandy soil, and you don’t have a lot of grip. Justin got us special shocks, and that’s the main reason we went out to (Phillips County) was to test them, and we really liked them.  

“We’ve been so close (to winning). Twice now in the last 15 races, at (I-55) and Central Arizona, we’ve been really close. Just to get the monkey off our back, be able to race to get wins at this point, then as we go on, we’ll let the points figure themselves out.” 

Johnson will chase redemption with the Series at the Don Swope Classic at Creek County on Friday, June 5, then face a Saturday bout in the Salute to Service Sprint Car Showdown at 81 on Saturday, June 6. 

CREEK COUNTY INFO

81 SPEEDWAY INFO

Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE:https://ascsracing.com/news/kyler-johnson-finds-strength-through-adversity-in-first-quarter-of-ascs-campaign/
PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Schwanke

Kyler Johnson Finds Strength Through Adversity in First Quarter of ASCS Campaign  CONCORD, NC (May 29, 2026) — Kyler Johnson is currently sitting at the highest he’s ever been in the points standings with the American Sprint Car Series. But he knows he could still be higher. 

While Quinter, KS native has seen glimpses of race-winning pace in the first quarter of the season, placing him fourth in the standings (126 points back from the lead), issues beyond his control have kept him from being closer to the fight for the top. 

Before joining the national-touring 360 Sprint Cars in May at Benton Speedway, Johnson took part in the ASCS Gunsmoke Region opener at Dodge City Raceway Park. While leading the night’s Feature, he lost power in his car and left the night with a DNF. 

The gremlins persisted at Benton, with Johnson not completing a lap at speed in any of the night’s program. It took until after the Feature was contested for the team to discover the real issue. 

“The weekend before (Benton), we were running the regional race out at Dodge City,” Johnson said. “We were leading the Feature, then all of a sudden, we just lost power. So, we tore into it and changed what we originally thought was the problem. The car would idle just fine, but it just couldn’t get up to speed. 

“So, we go out to Benton, and obviously don’t run at all. It wasn’t until after the Feature ended that we decided to check our barrel valve. What ended up happening was that we had an O-ring come apart in the fuel pump, and that went through the barrel valve and just got it loosened off enough to where it wouldn’t run.” 

The night at Benton was not the first time in 2026 that Johnson had his back to the wall with the ASCS National Tour. On the second night of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, his primary Sprint Car was totaled after a crash during his Heat race. 

Throughout the year, Johnson has utilized new shocks on his No. 45X Maxim Chassis, courtesy of J1S7 Suspension, which is owned by 2024 NARC King of the West Sprint Car champion Justin Sanders. Though he’s taken time to gain comfort with the new suspension components, Johnson described the change as an overall positive. 

“We had a whole new shock package to start the season,” Johnson said. “We switched to Justin Sanders, and we were doing some of the stuff we had done before in our career to start getting an idea of what we were dealing with. I talked to Justin (at Volusia), and we took a big swing at something we never did before, and we had really good speed to battle with (Cole) Macedo and Hank (Davis). 

“With Justin, our whole notebook is basically thrown out the window, outside of our gearing. Any other notes as far as setup goes is out the window. This whole season is basically all about starting fresh. We really like the balance of what we’ve got. We were able to adjust it a little bit and tweak it for what we need at the track. We’ve been working together a lot in the last couple of months and really finding speed.” 

Johnson’s first race after the mishap at Benton was a Memorial Day visit to Phillips County Raceway with the ASCS Western Plains and Gunsmoke Regions. From start to finish, the 22-year-old had his car at the top of the leaderboard with Quick Time in Qualifying, a Heat win, and then led all 20 laps of the Feature for his first win of the year. 

“Any chance you get a win, it will always add confidence to the whole program,” Johnson said. “Really, it was just a big relief to get out there, get on the gas, and it actually ran. We thought we had fixed it two weeks ago, and that obviously wasn’t the case. We had the problem fixed, and it was just good to show speed in every stage of the night. 

“We feel like all year, our biggest weakness has been the Heat races. It feels like we can get out there and qualify really good, then we don’t make enough of an adjustment for the Heat race. So, it seems like we’re just good enough to make the Dash. Going Quick Time, you have to start fourth, and you have to finish there or better. We’ve lacked the Heat Race speed this year, but we took a bigger swing for the Heat race, so we were not having to make as big a swing for the Feature.” 

Securing a Feature win in regional competition, Johnson’s next battle with the American Sprint Car Series will come in a two-track weekend, starting with Oklahoma’s Creek County Speedway, then a home state visit to 81 Speedway. 

Though he’s only finished in the top-10 once at Creek County in 2023, Johnson has seen career heights at the 3/8-mile in Park City, KS. His first win at 81 came with POWRi in 2020, scored his first career ASCS podium in 2023, and finished eighth in the Series’ latest visit. In 2026, he’s seeking the dual state challenge to mark his first career National Tour win. 

“Anytime we go to a big 3/8-mile or a 1/2-mile, you know it’s going to be slick and sandy,” Johnson said. “I definitely feel like that’s where I thrive because I grew up racing on this Kansas sandy soil, and you don’t have a lot of grip. Justin got us special shocks, and that’s the main reason we went out to (Phillips County) was to test them, and we really liked them.  

“We’ve been so close (to winning). Twice now in the last 15 races, at (I-55) and Central Arizona, we’ve been really close. Just to get the monkey off our back, be able to race to get wins at this point, then as we go on, we’ll let the points figure themselves out.” 

Johnson will chase redemption with the Series at the Don Swope Classic at Creek County on Friday, June 5, then face a Saturday bout in the Salute to Service Sprint Car Showdown at 81 on Saturday, June 6. 

CREEK COUNTY INFO

81 SPEEDWAY INFO

Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE:https://ascsracing.com/news/kyler-johnson-finds-strength-through-adversity-in-first-quarter-of-ascs-campaign/
PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Schwanke

EVENT INFO:https://ascsracing.com/schedule/event-info/?event=4549690, https://ascsracing.com/schedule/event-info/?event=4549691
TRACK INFO:https://www.creekcountyspeedway.co/, https://www.81speedway.com/

ORRVILLE, OH (May 28, 2026) – Ricky Thornton Jr. went to Wayne County Speedway in need of a breakout night, and that’s exactly what he got.

The Chandler, AZ native had amassed three wins in his first 40 Late Model starts of 2026 prior to Thursday’s Lonewolf 40 with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision. Most racers would gladly take that number, but not the man who has been among the winningest drivers in the sport over the past three years.

The month of May in particular had been a roller coaster for Thornton and his Koehler Motorsports team. After opening the month with a win at Circle City Raceway, Thornton went on to finish in the top five only twice in his next seven starts, including four runs of 18th or worse. With some of the biggest races of the season fast approaching, Thornton was running out of time to regain his footing.

That was until Thornton rolled into Wayne County for the first time. The No. 20RT was fast off the trailer in Hot Laps, and the speed carried over into Qualifying and his Heat Race. Thornton led the field to green in the Feature after drawing the Bilstein Pole, but the start was anything but calm, as Hudson O’Neal and Daulton Wilson briefly made it three-wide for the lead on the opening lap.

The 40-lap contest soon turned into a battle of attrition. O’Neal had to surrender second place due to a flat tire six laps in, then Brandon Sheppard suffered the same fate while running in the same spot later in the race. Ahead of the final restart with two laps remaining, Thornton remained out front, but by that point, he was being trailed by Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce, who worked his way forward from 16th in the starting lineup.

Neither of the two title contenders could find away around Thornton though, as “RTJ” blasted around the cushion to take the checkers for the sixth time in his career with the World of Outlaws and the first since the 2024 World of Outlaws World Finals.

“We’ve been working hard getting better,” Thornton said. “Not that we’ve been slow, we just haven’t had the luck and the speed that we’ve had before. Feel like we got a lot better there at Wheatland last week and the driver kind of tossed away the first two nights. The final night we were good, and we unloaded here really good. I think I’ve watched Sheldon [Haudenschild] rip the top around here nine million times, but I’ve never watched a Late Model race here.”

Hoffman finished second ahead of Pierce in third. Behind them, Tyler Erb crossed the line fourth, while Dustin Sorensen collected his second-straight top five in fifth.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision continues its stay in Ohio at Mansfield Speedway for the Blaster 57 Special on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30. Tickets are available in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Ricky Thornton Jr. set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Nick Hoffman won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Nick Hoffman won Heat 1.

Daulton Wilson won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Ricky Thornton Jr. won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Hudson O’Neal won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Trey Mills and Lincoln Smith won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Ricky Thornton Jr. won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Bobby Pierce won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Logan Zarin won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Nick Hoffman was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Bobby Pierce was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Devin Moran was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Hudson O’Neal was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Logan Zarin was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Brent Larson was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Lincoln Smith was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (40 Laps): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 9-Nick Hoffman[4]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[16]; 4. 1-Tyler Erb[5]; 5. 19-Dustin Sorensen[11]; 6. 99-Devin Moran[8]; 7. 6-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 8. 1Z-Logan Zarin[9]; 9. 14-Trey Mills[17]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[20]; 11. 22*-Drake Troutman[14]; 12. B1-Brent Larson[25]; 13. 9M-Tim McCreadie[10]; 14. 31-Lincoln Smith[18]; 15. 555-Brock Pinkerous[7]; 16. 19R-Ryan Gustin[23]; 17. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[6]; 18. 74X-Ethan Dotson[12]; 19. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[24]; 20. 58V-Daulton Wilson[2]; 21. 157-Mike Marlar[21]; 22. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[19]; 23. 5L-Jon Lee[13]; 24. 55E-Eli Johnson[26]; 25. 217-Eric Wilson[15]; 26. 44-Dave Hess Jr[22]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/thornton-jr-wins-lonewolf-40-in-wayne-county-debut/

Thornton Jr. Wins Lonewolf 40 in Wayne County Debut

ORRVILLE, OH (May 28, 2026) – Ricky Thornton Jr. went to Wayne County Speedway in need of a breakout night, and that’s exactly what he got.

The Chandler, AZ native had amassed three wins in his first 40 Late Model starts of 2026 prior to Thursday’s Lonewolf 40 with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision. Most racers would gladly take that number, but not the man who has been among the winningest drivers in the sport over the past three years.

The month of May in particular had been a roller coaster for Thornton and his Koehler Motorsports team. After opening the month with a win at Circle City Raceway, Thornton went on to finish in the top five only twice in his next seven starts, including four runs of 18th or worse. With some of the biggest races of the season fast approaching, Thornton was running out of time to regain his footing.

That was until Thornton rolled into Wayne County for the first time. The No. 20RT was fast off the trailer in Hot Laps, and the speed carried over into Qualifying and his Heat Race. Thornton led the field to green in the Feature after drawing the Bilstein Pole, but the start was anything but calm, as Hudson O’Neal and Daulton Wilson briefly made it three-wide for the lead on the opening lap.

The 40-lap contest soon turned into a battle of attrition. O’Neal had to surrender second place due to a flat tire six laps in, then Brandon Sheppard suffered the same fate while running in the same spot later in the race. Ahead of the final restart with two laps remaining, Thornton remained out front, but by that point, he was being trailed by Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce, who worked his way forward from 16th in the starting lineup.

Neither of the two title contenders could find away around Thornton though, as “RTJ” blasted around the cushion to take the checkers for the sixth time in his career with the World of Outlaws and the first since the 2024 World of Outlaws World Finals.

“We’ve been working hard getting better,” Thornton said. “Not that we’ve been slow, we just haven’t had the luck and the speed that we’ve had before. Feel like we got a lot better there at Wheatland last week and the driver kind of tossed away the first two nights. The final night we were good, and we unloaded here really good. I think I’ve watched Sheldon [Haudenschild] rip the top around here nine million times, but I’ve never watched a Late Model race here.”

Hoffman finished second ahead of Pierce in third. Behind them, Tyler Erb crossed the line fourth, while Dustin Sorensen collected his second-straight top five in fifth.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision continues its stay in Ohio at Mansfield Speedway for the Blaster 57 Special on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30. Tickets are available in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Ricky Thornton Jr. set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Nick Hoffman won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Nick Hoffman won Heat 1.

Daulton Wilson won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Ricky Thornton Jr. won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Hudson O’Neal won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Trey Mills and Lincoln Smith won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Ricky Thornton Jr. won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Bobby Pierce won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Logan Zarin won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Nick Hoffman was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Bobby Pierce was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Devin Moran was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Hudson O’Neal was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Logan Zarin was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Brent Larson was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Lincoln Smith was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (40 Laps): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 9-Nick Hoffman[4]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[16]; 4. 1-Tyler Erb[5]; 5. 19-Dustin Sorensen[11]; 6. 99-Devin Moran[8]; 7. 6-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 8. 1Z-Logan Zarin[9]; 9. 14-Trey Mills[17]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[20]; 11. 22*-Drake Troutman[14]; 12. B1-Brent Larson[25]; 13. 9M-Tim McCreadie[10]; 14. 31-Lincoln Smith[18]; 15. 555-Brock Pinkerous[7]; 16. 19R-Ryan Gustin[23]; 17. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[6]; 18. 74X-Ethan Dotson[12]; 19. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[24]; 20. 58V-Daulton Wilson[2]; 21. 157-Mike Marlar[21]; 22. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[19]; 23. 5L-Jon Lee[13]; 24. 55E-Eli Johnson[26]; 25. 217-Eric Wilson[15]; 26. 44-Dave Hess Jr[22]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/thornton-jr-wins-lonewolf-40-in-wayne-county-debut/

TRACK INFO: https://www.waynecountyspeedway.com/

CONCORD, NC (May 28, 2026) – June signals the start of summertime and a major month of racing for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

The Greatest Show on Dirt is set to embark on an 11-race stretch that’ll take the tour to six dirt tracks in four different states. Teams will make a popular return to a state after a hiatus, get one last chance to add notes for “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All,” battle for the biggest payday in Series history, and more along the way.

Let’s look at what awaits in June:

Hartford Speedway | Pure Michigan Showdown (June 5): June opens with the World of Outlaws making its first stop in the state of Michigan since 2019. Hartford Speedway is the destination. The 3/8 mile located not far from the southeast beaches of Lake Michigan has hosted the tour 11 previous times, with the first in 1979.

Ron Shuman topped the Series debut 47 years ago. The Series didn’t return until 1996 when Dave Blaney took Casey Luna’s No. 10 to Victory Lane. Two-time and defending champion, David Gravel, topped the two most recent visits – 2017 in the CJB Motorsports No. 5 and 2019 in the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41. Gravel and Steve Kinser (1996 and 2005) are the only pair with multiple Hartford checkered flags.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Plymouth Dirt Track | Cheese Town Showdown (June 6): It’s from one side of Lake Michigan to the other after Hartford as the tour wraps around it, heads through Chicago overnight, and winds up in Wisconsin, where Plymouth Dirt Track awaits. The World of Outlaws returned to “Cheese Town” last year after 20 years away and will be back again in 2026.

Last year’s return came down to a thrilling last lap when Rico Abreu held on for the win after contact with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid. Abreu became the third different winner through three races, following Joey Saldana (2004) and Tim Kaeding (2005).

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Angell Park Speedway | Ted Johnson Memorial Race (June 7): Three races at three tracks in three nights wraps up on Sunday at the historic Angell Park Speedway. The legendary Wisconsin dirt track nestled right in the heart of Sun Prairie will welcome the World of Outlaws for the third time ever and honor the man whose vision birthed the Series, Ted Johnson, at the track where he fell in love with the sport.

Donny Schatz claimed the first Angell Park invasion in 2016. Fast forward nine years, and it was Sheldon Haudenschild heading to Victory Lane at the 1/3 mile.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Knoxville Raceway | Premier Chevy Dealers Clash (June 12-13): The pens and notebooks will be busy when the World of Outlaws make one final visit to Knoxville Raceway ahead of the 65th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s (Aug. 12-15). A full weekend of action will attract a huge field as teams prepare to chase Sprint Car immortality two months later.

The tour has already made three stops at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World” this season. Brad Sweet and David Gravel snagged checkered flags during April’s leg of the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash. Aaron Reutzel dominated May’s Stars and Stripes Salute at the iconic 1/2 mile.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Huset’s Speedway | BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals (June 17-20): The summer of money starts in a huge way when the World of Outlaws head to Huset’s Speedway for the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals. The Brandon, SD track continues to push the sport to new heights as the four-day visit is set to dish out a pair of six-figure paydays.

The two events packed into one begins with the Hefty Seed Huset’s Hustle on June 17-18. The Wednesday prelim will set the stage for a $150,000-to-win main event on Thursday. Then the focus shifts to the weekend and the record paying $300,000-to-win Huset’s High Bank Nationals finale. Buddy Kofoid swept the six-figure scores last year and topped the 2024 running. David Gravel was victorious in 2023, and Sheldon Haudenschild won the first running in 2022.

THE MONTH AHEAD: June Brings Major Northern Stretch, Final Nationals Tune-Up, Biggest Payday in Series History

CONCORD, NC (May 28, 2026) – June signals the start of summertime and a major month of racing for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

The Greatest Show on Dirt is set to embark on an 11-race stretch that’ll take the tour to six dirt tracks in four different states. Teams will make a popular return to a state after a hiatus, get one last chance to add notes for “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All,” battle for the biggest payday in Series history, and more along the way.

Let’s look at what awaits in June:

Hartford Speedway | Pure Michigan Showdown (June 5): June opens with the World of Outlaws making its first stop in the state of Michigan since 2019. Hartford Speedway is the destination. The 3/8 mile located not far from the southeast beaches of Lake Michigan has hosted the tour 11 previous times, with the first in 1979.

Ron Shuman topped the Series debut 47 years ago. The Series didn’t return until 1996 when Dave Blaney took Casey Luna’s No. 10 to Victory Lane. Two-time and defending champion, David Gravel, topped the two most recent visits – 2017 in the CJB Motorsports No. 5 and 2019 in the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41. Gravel and Steve Kinser (1996 and 2005) are the only pair with multiple Hartford checkered flags.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Plymouth Dirt Track | Cheese Town Showdown (June 6): It’s from one side of Lake Michigan to the other after Hartford as the tour wraps around it, heads through Chicago overnight, and winds up in Wisconsin, where Plymouth Dirt Track awaits. The World of Outlaws returned to “Cheese Town” last year after 20 years away and will be back again in 2026.

Last year’s return came down to a thrilling last lap when Rico Abreu held on for the win after contact with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid. Abreu became the third different winner through three races, following Joey Saldana (2004) and Tim Kaeding (2005).

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Angell Park Speedway | Ted Johnson Memorial Race (June 7): Three races at three tracks in three nights wraps up on Sunday at the historic Angell Park Speedway. The legendary Wisconsin dirt track nestled right in the heart of Sun Prairie will welcome the World of Outlaws for the third time ever and honor the man whose vision birthed the Series, Ted Johnson, at the track where he fell in love with the sport.

Donny Schatz claimed the first Angell Park invasion in 2016. Fast forward nine years, and it was Sheldon Haudenschild heading to Victory Lane at the 1/3 mile.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Knoxville Raceway | Premier Chevy Dealers Clash (June 12-13): The pens and notebooks will be busy when the World of Outlaws make one final visit to Knoxville Raceway ahead of the 65th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s (Aug. 12-15). A full weekend of action will attract a huge field as teams prepare to chase Sprint Car immortality two months later.

The tour has already made three stops at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World” this season. Brad Sweet and David Gravel snagged checkered flags during April’s leg of the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash. Aaron Reutzel dominated May’s Stars and Stripes Salute at the iconic 1/2 mile.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Huset’s Speedway | BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals (June 17-20): The summer of money starts in a huge way when the World of Outlaws head to Huset’s Speedway for the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals. The Brandon, SD track continues to push the sport to new heights as the four-day visit is set to dish out a pair of six-figure paydays.

The two events packed into one begins with the Hefty Seed Huset’s Hustle on June 17-18. The Wednesday prelim will set the stage for a $150,000-to-win main event on Thursday. Then the focus shifts to the weekend and the record paying $300,000-to-win Huset’s High Bank Nationals finale. Buddy Kofoid swept the six-figure scores last year and topped the 2024 running. David Gravel was victorious in 2023, and Sheldon Haudenschild won the first running in 2022.

It was recently announced that the stakes are even higher for any driver that’s not full-time with the World of Outlaws. With Series regulars winning every running so far, Tod Quiring put up an extra $100,000 if a competitor can upset the country’s top Sprint Car talent in the finale, making for a potential $400,000 paycheck.

Event: Cracker Barrel 400Date/Time: Sunday, May 31, 2026, 7 p.m. ETLocation: Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, TennesseeLayout: 1.33-Mile OvalTV/Radio: Prime Video, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR RadioJosh Berry and the No. 21 team head to Nashville Superspeedway this weekend for Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 looking to build on the pace they showed in last weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway before getting collected in an accident. The trip to Nashville carries added significance for Berry, whose hometown of Hendersonville, Tenn., sits about 30 minutes from the 1.33-mile concrete oval. This weekend also marks the second consecutive race that the Wood Brothers Racing team will carry the familiar eero colors aboard the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.Berry has shown speed at Nashville in the past. In the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series event at Nashville, he qualified on the outside pole. He also owns two top-five finishes in three starts at the track in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.Berry believes the No. 21 team is capable of putting together a strong performance this weekend.“It’s always great getting back to Nashville,” Berry said of racing at his home track. “Racing there is something I always look forward to, and it’s a weekend that definitely means a little extra to me.“I felt like we were putting together one of our stronger intermediate-track races of the season at Charlotte before getting collected late, so hopefully we can carry over what we learned there and put together a strong weekend for the No. 21 team.”Practice for the Cracker Barrel 400 is scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 5:40 p.m. ET.Sunday’s 399-mile, 300-lap race is scheduled to take the green flag just after 7 p.m. ET, with Stage 1 ending on Lap 90 and Stage 2 concluding on Lap 185.Prime Video will provide television coverage throughout the weekend.Saturday, May 30Berry will participate in a Q&A session at the Ford Racing activation at 1 p.m. local time in the Nashville Superspeedway fan zone.Berry will sign autographs at the Team Penske/Wood Brothers merchandise hauler beginning at 1:15 p.m. local time in the Nashville Superspeedway fan zone. 100 wristbands will be distributed on a first come, first-served basis.Sunday, May 31Berry will participate in a Q&A session at the Pre-Race Stage on race day at 3:45 p.m. local time.Josh BerryAge: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)Hometown: Hendersonville, TennesseeCrew Chief: Miles StanleyIG: @joshberry88X: @joshberry

MARION CENTER, PA (May 27, 2026) – When the eyes of the dirt racing world were on Marion Center Raceway, it didn’t disappoint.

The Connor Bobik Memorial’s postponement to Wednesday night meant it instantly became one of the highest-profile midweek shows in all of Late Model racing. The move resulted in the already big event gaining even more star power in the pit area and attention from fans across the country. For everyone who laid eyes on Marion Center for the first time, they got to see one of the best races in the track’s history courtesy of some of the sport’s brightest stars.

When the green flag flew in the main event, two of the frontrunners were reigning World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision champion Bobby Pierce along with Hudson O’Neal, who was unable to attend the original date but added the rescheduled event to his schedule aboard the K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6. But they both initially trailed Dustin Sorensen, who drew the Bilstein Pole Award to give himself the best chance at his long-awaited first World of Outlaws victory.

Sorensen’s time out front didn’t last long, as Pierce powered around the outside exiting Turn 2 on the opening lap and cleared the Minnesotan by the time they got to Turn 3. Sorensen stayed with Pierce in the early stages, but so did O’Neal, and the “New Deal” worked his way around the No. 19 and into second with 14 laps in the books.

Once the duo caught traffic, it was game on. O’Neal threw a big slider into Turn 3 that barely cleared Pierce, who crossed underneath O’Neal off Turn 4 before returning the favor at the other end of the track. It was rinse and repeat on the next lap as both men proved why they’re both among the most successful Late Model drivers of their generation. After plenty of lead swapping, Pierce eventually got enough of a run off Turn 4 to keep O’Neal at bay for good.

A flurry of cautions late in the race kept the field bunched together and set up a thrilling conclusion at the front. O’Neal was still on Pierce’s tail with two to go and tried to slide him into Turn 3 once again, but Pierce saw it coming and blocked his lane. It was the same story on the final lap, as O’Neal had nowhere to go with his strong run down the backstretch and had to watch Pierce collect his second Connor Bobik Memorial trophy in as many years.

The win was Pierce’s ninth of 2026 in World of Outlaws action and the 51st of his career. It also moved him into the points lead by 17 over Nick Hoffman, who struggled in the Feature before finishing 13th.

“It’s tough when you’re in the lead,” Pierce said. “Especially when you’ve got Hudson behind you, he’s a heck of a wheelman. I guess the last restart there, he was hitting the top of [Turns] 1 and 2 and getting a lot of gains on me off the corner. I was blocking him every time into [Turn] 3. I think coming to the white flag, I saw him under me getting into 3, thanks to him for racing me clean. He possibly could have sent it in there, but it would have been close.”

Behind O’Neal in second, Drake Troutman finished third to establish a new career best at one of his home-state tracks. Sorensen earned his first top five of the season in fourth, while Max Blair rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision season continues with the Lonewolf 40 at Wayne County Speedway on Thursday, May 28. Tickets are available in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Mike Marlar set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Nick Hoffman won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Bobby Pierce won Heat 1.

Dustin Sorensen won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Hudson O’Neal won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Jared Miley won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Daulton Wilson and Logan Zarin won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Dustin Sorensen won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Tyler Erb won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Daulton Wilson won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Hudson O’Neal was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Max Blair was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Gregg Satterlee was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Tristan Chamberlain was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Mason Zeigler was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Mike Marlar was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Jared Miley was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (60 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[2]; 2. 6-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 3. 22*-Drake Troutman[8]; 4. 19-Dustin Sorensen[1]; 5. 111-Max Blair[12]; 6. 22-Gregg Satterlee[9]; 7. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[11]; 8. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[16]; 9. 1-Tyler Erb[21]; 10. 58V-Daulton Wilson[17]; 11. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[6]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar[7]; 13. 9-Nick Hoffman[5]; 14. 14-Trey Mills[23]; 15. 19R-Ryan Gustin[19]; 16. 74X-Ethan Dotson[22]; 17. 9M-Tim McCreadie[14]; 18. 10M-Jared Miley[4]; 19. 55E-Eli Johnson[15]; 20. B1-Brent Larson[24]; 21. 12-Ryan Montgomery[13]; 22. 1Z-Logan Zarin[18]; 23. 72-Michael Norris[10]; 24. 1C-Alex Ferree[20]; 25. 29-Ken Schaltenbrand[25]

Pierce Holds Off O’Neal for Second-Straight Connor Bobik Memorial Victory

MARION CENTER, PA (May 27, 2026) – When the eyes of the dirt racing world were on Marion Center Raceway, it didn’t disappoint.

The Connor Bobik Memorial’s postponement to Wednesday night meant it instantly became one of the highest-profile midweek shows in all of Late Model racing. The move resulted in the already big event gaining even more star power in the pit area and attention from fans across the country. For everyone who laid eyes on Marion Center for the first time, they got to see one of the best races in the track’s history courtesy of some of the sport’s brightest stars.

When the green flag flew in the main event, two of the frontrunners were reigning World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision champion Bobby Pierce along with Hudson O’Neal, who was unable to attend the original date but added the rescheduled event to his schedule aboard the K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6. But they both initially trailed Dustin Sorensen, who drew the Bilstein Pole Award to give himself the best chance at his long-awaited first World of Outlaws victory.

Sorensen’s time out front didn’t last long, as Pierce powered around the outside exiting Turn 2 on the opening lap and cleared the Minnesotan by the time they got to Turn 3. Sorensen stayed with Pierce in the early stages, but so did O’Neal, and the “New Deal” worked his way around the No. 19 and into second with 14 laps in the books.

Once the duo caught traffic, it was game on. O’Neal threw a big slider into Turn 3 that barely cleared Pierce, who crossed underneath O’Neal off Turn 4 before returning the favor at the other end of the track. It was rinse and repeat on the next lap as both men proved why they’re both among the most successful Late Model drivers of their generation. After plenty of lead swapping, Pierce eventually got enough of a run off Turn 4 to keep O’Neal at bay for good.

A flurry of cautions late in the race kept the field bunched together and set up a thrilling conclusion at the front. O’Neal was still on Pierce’s tail with two to go and tried to slide him into Turn 3 once again, but Pierce saw it coming and blocked his lane. It was the same story on the final lap, as O’Neal had nowhere to go with his strong run down the backstretch and had to watch Pierce collect his second Connor Bobik Memorial trophy in as many years.

The win was Pierce’s ninth of 2026 in World of Outlaws action and the 51st of his career. It also moved him into the points lead by 17 over Nick Hoffman, who struggled in the Feature before finishing 13th.

“It’s tough when you’re in the lead,” Pierce said. “Especially when you’ve got Hudson behind you, he’s a heck of a wheelman. I guess the last restart there, he was hitting the top of [Turns] 1 and 2 and getting a lot of gains on me off the corner. I was blocking him every time into [Turn] 3. I think coming to the white flag, I saw him under me getting into 3, thanks to him for racing me clean. He possibly could have sent it in there, but it would have been close.”

Behind O’Neal in second, Drake Troutman finished third to establish a new career best at one of his home-state tracks. Sorensen earned his first top five of the season in fourth, while Max Blair rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision season continues with the Lonewolf 40 at Wayne County Speedway on Thursday, May 28. Tickets are available in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Mike Marlar set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Nick Hoffman won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Bobby Pierce won Heat 1.

Dustin Sorensen won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Hudson O’Neal won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Jared Miley won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Daulton Wilson and Logan Zarin won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Dustin Sorensen won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Tyler Erb won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Daulton Wilson won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Hudson O’Neal was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Max Blair was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Gregg Satterlee was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Tristan Chamberlain was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Mason Zeigler was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Mike Marlar was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Jared Miley was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (60 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[2]; 2. 6-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 3. 22*-Drake Troutman[8]; 4. 19-Dustin Sorensen[1]; 5. 111-Max Blair[12]; 6. 22-Gregg Satterlee[9]; 7. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[11]; 8. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[16]; 9. 1-Tyler Erb[21]; 10. 58V-Daulton Wilson[17]; 11. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[6]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar[7]; 13. 9-Nick Hoffman[5]; 14. 14-Trey Mills[23]; 15. 19R-Ryan Gustin[19]; 16. 74X-Ethan Dotson[22]; 17. 9M-Tim McCreadie[14]; 18. 10M-Jared Miley[4]; 19. 55E-Eli Johnson[15]; 20. B1-Brent Larson[24]; 21. 12-Ryan Montgomery[13]; 22. 1Z-Logan Zarin[18]; 23. 72-Michael Norris[10]; 24. 1C-Alex Ferree[20]; 25. 29-Ken Schaltenbrand[25]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/pierce-holds-off-oneal-for-second-straight-connor-bobik-memorial-victory-at-marion-center/

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Nashville Superspeedway May 29-31, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

This weekend, NASCAR will headline in “Music City” as all three national touring series are set to compete under the lights at Nashville Superspeedway. Hitting the stage first will be the Craftsman Truck Series in Friday’s Allegiance 200. Chevrolet is on a string of three-straight trips to victory lane in the division at the track, including current title contender Christian Eckes’ win in the 2024 event. For the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Saturday’s Sports Illustrated Resorts 250 will conclude its grueling season-opening stretch of 16-straight races. The 2024 champion and current points leader, Justin Allgaier, will return to the track as the series’ defending winner. One of the newer venues on the circuit for NASCAR’s premier series, Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 will not only cap off the Tennessee tripleheader weekend, but also mark the start of the second-half of the series’ regular season.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville: Nashville Superspeedway’s history with NASCAR may date back to 2001, but it wasn’t until the 2021 season when the sport’s top division made its inaugural appearance at the track. Since then, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer that’s paid a visit to victory lane in all three divisions – heading into the weekend with three Cup Series wins, 11 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins and six Craftsman Truck Series wins. In his first championship-earning season (2021), it was Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team that led Chevrolet to a dominating victory and a podium sweep. The manufacturer’s success in the series’ inaugural outing was followed by Chase Elliott’s 2022 victory and Ross Chastain’s 2023 victory – a three-peat that stands as the longest win streak by a single manufacturer at the track.

Hitting HalfwayLast weekend’s crown jewel event in “America’s Home for Racing” officially marked the halfway point of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. The 2026 season welcomed the competition debut of the updated Camaro ZL1 racecar as Chevrolet’s flagship vehicle in the sport’s premier series. Former Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott, took the Bowtie brand on its first trip to victory lane of the season at Martinsville Speedway in March, marking the manufacturer’s first of five wins in the first-half of the regular season. Chevrolet will head into part two of the regular season with four-straight triumphs, a feat that sets the season record for the longest points-paying win streak by a single manufacturer.  The top-10 of the Cup Series points standings sees four Team Chevy drivers, led by Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team in the fifth position. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native is one of just two drivers that have multiple wins to his name this season with Elliott also adding to his triumph tally at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month. Coming off his fourth top-five finish of the season, Kyle Larson currently holds the sixth position in the standings. While still looking for his much-anticipated return to victory lane, the Cliff Daniels-led team has been a points-earning machine throughout the 13-race stretch. The reigning champions are one of just four teams that have reached a triple-digit bank of stage points (113). Joining the Hendrick Motorsports pair is the duo from Spire Motorsports, season winners Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez, to round out the top-10 of the standings.

RECORD SEASON FOR SPIRE MOTORSPORTSWith just 13 races complete, 2026 is already shaping up to be a record season for Spire Motorsports. The Chevrolet organization has reached victory lane in the NASCAR Cup Series three times in its history, two of which have come just this season. At Talladega Superspeedway, it was Carson Hocevar that broke through as a first-time winner in NASCAR’s top division.

Fast forward one month, the organization’s newest driver, Daniel Suarez, captured his first career crown jewel win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The victory came in Suarez’s 13th points-paying start with the Ryan Sparks-led team. Spire Motorsports is now one of just two organizations that have recorded wins with multiple drivers this season. The Chevrolet organization will also head into the second-half of the regular season with two of its drivers sitting comfortably above the cutline with Suarez’s Charlotte victory boosting him up four positions to join his teammate, Hocevar, in the top-10 of the points standings.

LARSON’S NASHVILLE NUMBERS After a turbulent string of races, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team quickly put themselves back on the map as race winning contenders. Last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Elk Grove, California, native turned an 18th-place starting position into a Stage One win, going on to earn top-five points in each stage en route to the team’s fourth top-five finish of the season. Putting together a 54-point race, the third-highest of the field, Larson was able to make a two-position gain in the points standings en route to what is one of his statistically best tracks – Nashville Superspeedway. Larson is the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series winner at Nashville Superspeedway, and in the series’ five appearances at the track, he is the only driver that has tallied a top-10 result in each event to earn a series-leading average finish of 5.2.

SVG CONTINUES TO IMPRESS ON THE OVALS Despite falling just one spot short of a top-10 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend, Shane van Gisbergen put together one of his best races, statistically, on an oval in NASCAR’s premier series. Taking the green flag from the third position, the Auckland, New Zealand, native remained a steady fixture in the top-10 throughout much of the race – earning points in all three stages, 11 laps led and an average running position of 7.81. With an 11th-place finish, tying his second-highest oval finish of the season, and a 33-point race, Van Gisbergen will enter the second-half of the regular season ranked 14th in the standings and 28 points above the cutline.

LOVE RACKING UP RUNNER-UPSCharlotte Motor Speedway looked like it was going to be the opportunity for the reigning NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, Jesse Love, to make his return to victory lane, but a rain-shortened race saw the young Team Chevy driver ultimately bring home his third runner-up finish of the season. Love was one of just five drivers to earn points in both stages, accumulating a race-high 49 points to move him back up to the second position of the standings heading into the Nashville race weekend. The Menlo Park, California, native has just two starts at the 1.33-mile Tennessee venue, both of which ended in top-eight results. Love will get extra seat time this weekend as the driver will make his long-awaited return to the Craftsman Truck Series to pilot the No. 77 Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports. Love only has three career Truck Series starts under his belt with his best finish of fourth coming at Phoenix Raceway.

ECKES ON THE MOVEChristian Eckes put together his strongest points race of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway to jump back up to the third position and continue to lead Team Chevy in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points standings. While a late-race restart ended with a sixth-place finish, Eckes was a race winning contender throughout much of the day. The Middletown, New York, native finished no worse than second in both stages, including capturing his third stage win of the season, and paced the field for 33 laps. Heading to Nashville Superspeedway, this weekend serves as a momentum-building opportunity for Eckes and the No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet team. The Team Chevy driver has three career Truck Series starts at the Tennessee track with his most recent in 2024 ending in a trip to victory lane.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville Superspeedway: Kyle Larson – one win (2021)Chase Elliott – one win (2022)Ross Chastain – one win (2023) ·        Daniel Suarez’s Coca-Cola 600 win marked Chevrolet’s fourth consecutive trip to victory lane in NASCAR’s premier series, setting the season record for the longest points-paying win streak by a single manufacturer.  ·        At Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet tallied six top-10 finishes, marking the second time this season a manufacturer has placed six cars in the top-10 of a Cup Series event. The Bowtie brand took it one step further by achieving the highest representation of different organizations within those results with five Chevrolet organizations placing drivers in the top-10.  ·        With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.  ·        In 157 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 72 victories – a winning percentage of 45.9%.  ·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.  ·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 886 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400Sunday, May 31, at 7 p.m. ETAmazon Prime, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90  NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesSports Illustrated Resorts 250Saturday, May 30, at 7:30 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90  NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesAllegiance 200Friday, May 29, at 8 p.m. ETFS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletComing off the Coca-Cola 600 victory, you’ll roll off last in Saturday’s qualifying session for Sunday’s race. What’s your mindset heading into Nashville?“I really enjoyed one of my favorite races of the year with my family, friends, partners and team, but now it’s time to turn the page and focus on Nashville. Qualifying is so important there, and we want to put together the best lap possible on Saturday. We’re working hard to bring another fast race car this weekend and hopefully put ourselves in position to fight for another win. The momentum and confidence we gained from Charlotte means a lot to our whole group, and we want to keep building on that. It would also be really cool to win the Gibson guitar trophy. I’d love to have that sitting in my garage right next to the Coca-Cola fridge.”   Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing ChevroletYou are running better of late?“Yes, we are getting better each week. We still have a ways to go to get where we want to be but its been incremental progress and in this business you will take it as long as we are making progress. We were really good in Dover and we had some really good runs at Charlotte. I think we can build on that in Nashville this weekend.” Looking back at Charlotte, what are your thoughts?“Charlotte was an emotional weekend for everyone. Obviously, Memorial Day weekend means so many things and we were able to honor the men and women who gave their lives for this country. We were joined by Gold Star Families as well as our friends at The Fallen Outdoors. We also honored one of the greatest (Kyle Busch) drivers who ever raced in NASCAR. Sunday was moving to say the least and I think everyone will always remember last weekend for the rest of their lives.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“Nashville Superspeedway has been a pretty good racetrack for us. We’ve had top-10 runs and always had decent amount of speed there. I feel like we’ve done a good job grinding it out every weekend and maximizing our finishes. Hopefully we can unload with a little bit more speed in practice and keep getting better.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Heading to Nashville is always exciting, and having NOS back on our No. 47 Chevrolet makes it even more special. This weekend means a little more because we’ll be running a throwback scheme honoring Kyle Busch. Kyle had a huge impact on the sport, so it’s an honor to carry that look and celebrate what he meant to NASCAR. Hopefully, we can put together a strong run and make it a weekend worth remembering.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet “Nashville is a little bit of a hybrid racetrack. It’s not quite an intermediate-style track like Charlotte, but it’s also not like the two other concrete tracks – Bristol and Dover. Nashville is a lot more forgiving. It’s a very wide race track, not quite as fast as a full-blown mile-and-a-half, and it’s a little bit shorter, so the speeds aren’t quite as high. But because it’s a little bit bigger, you kind of get sucked into the feeling of it being a mile-and-a-half, so overdriving the corners is very easy. You think you can drive a lot deeper into the corners than you really can, so it’s almost about reeling yourself in as a driver and being patient, and remembering that it’s about getting speed off the corner versus getting speed going into the corners. So, you have to have the entry patience of a short track with the discipline of an intermediate track, where you have to be consistent with your inputs, both with steering and your right foot. It’s a game of patience with smoothness in your steering, your throttle inputs and your braking inputs. The driver who looks the least out of control is typically the fastest there. It’s all about smoothness and consistency at Nashville.” Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletThe 71 is building momentum, how do you feel heading to Nashville?“Nashville is a track I’ve always enjoyed. I’ve had the chance to race there quite a bit over the years in the ARCA and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and when I first got to the Cup Series, it was also a place where we did a lot of testing. It’s a unique track because it kind of blends characteristics of a short track and an intermediate, which makes it a lot of fun from the driver’s seat. In these cars, you’re shifting a lot and managing different opportunities throughout the race, so it keeps you engaged. It’s a place where I feel like we’ve had strong speed, even if the results don’t necessarily reflect that. We’ve had some tough breaks there with incidents and mechanical issues, including last year, but overall, it’s a track where I feel like we’ve shown good pace and had solid potential. With the speed our Spire Motorsports organization has been bringing to the track and the momentum we have been building over the last few weeks, I’m ready to get to Nashville.” Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletNashville has been good to you in the past. It is also very unique compared to anything else on the schedule. Why is that?“What makes it unique is it looks like a mile and a half but doesn’t race like one, per se. You have to slow down for the corner way more than you’d think and downshift, all while knowing there isn’t much banking there to support you. The size is very deceiving for how tight the corners are.” Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat is your approach to Nashville Superspeedway this weekend with the short track package?“It’s kind of another unknown, similar to what we’ve had at Dover, Bristol, and Darlington, all those tracks where we’ve had the low downforce package with the high horsepower. I feel like we’ve been really good at those racetracks. Darlington was a solid day for us and I felt like we made a lot of gains on this package at Dover. Nashville is a unique racetrack, with it being concrete and oddly shaped, plus there’s going to be a bunch of resin put down. It’s just a unique racetrack that I enjoy going to.” The resin at Dover made an impact. What does that allow you to do on the racetrack?“It certainly makes the track wider. We saw at Dover when they laid resin down across the racetrack, it widened out the track and we were up by the fence at Dover which you don’t really see. I hope that’s the case at Nashville where we’re able to move around and it makes for good racing. Hopefully we have comers and goers that are able to go through the field. At Dover we had all five leaders under a blanket and it creates good racing.” Does it change things for you when the races start in the evening versus in the afternoon?“When we practice during the day and then race at night it’s a challenge but as a team, we’re prepared for it. We expect what’s going to change on the racetrack when we race at night. I raced at Nashville at night last year and I always love racing under the lights. I love the city of Nashville and there’s always some cool country artists that come to the race.” You are going to be the spotter for Stefan Parsons at the Truck race on Friday night at Nashville.“It’s going to be a lot of fun experiencing something new. I’m glad that Stefan trusts me to do it. There’s a lot of guys who could probably do it better than me but it’s going to be cool to do that and learn what it’s like from a new perspective. I’ve spotted on road courses and at the Cup race at Indy but leading the charge at the truck race at Nashville is going to be different.” What are the do’s and don’ts of being a good spotter?“When I’m a driver I know what I want to listen to. I know what I want to hear and what I don’t really care to hear. I think it’s a little easier as a driver to be a spotter than just having no experience at all. I know what a good spotter sounds like and as a driver what I want to hear. I think not being panicked and staying calm and feeding the information when I can without talking too much. I feel like I have a good understanding of what I need to do. I hope I’m able to relay the information that I need to throughout the good situations and the bad. Stefan is a really good dude and helps me a lot as a driver in the Cup Series with the notes that he takes.” You will also be in The CW booth on Saturday evening. How will you prepare for the broadcast on Saturday? “Everyone in the booth and at The CW does a good job I feel like it’s going to be pretty easy to blend in and be a part of it and try to add where I can. I love watching the races on The CW. It’s going to be so much fun to learn alongside Adam (Alexander) and the entire crew. It’s a great opportunity for me to see things from a different perspective and learn what it’s like to be one of those guys in the booth. I’m certainly looking forward to it.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2025): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2025 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2025): 34First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29 Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2026 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 5Poles: 3Laps Led: 1,051Top-Fives: 24Top-10s: 47Stage Wins: 10 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 886 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 769Laps led to date: 257,785Top-fives to date: 4,460Top-10s to date: 9,198                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,220           Chevrolet: 886           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 848                                                                                          Ford: 748           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 210

GRAND FORKS, ND (May 27, 2026) – North Dakota is ready to welcome The Greatest Show on Dirt for the first time in 2026 this weekend.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will first visit Grand Forks’ River Cities Speedway on Friday, May 29, and then make its grand return to Minot’s Nodak Speedway.

River Cities has become a staple of the schedule since first appearing in 2007. The 1st Leg of the Northern Tour Don Mack Classic will be the tour’s 36th appearance. Longtime Series announcer Johnny Gibson calls River Cities his favorite track of the more than 400 he’s visited, thanks to the countless thrillers it’s served up over the years.

The teams will then take a day off before returning to action at Nodak for the Gerdau Metals Recycling Magic City Showdown. It’ll mark a popular return to the 3/8-mile dirt track after eight years away. Nodak has hosted the World of Outlaws 13 times in the past.

BUY RIVER CITIES TICKETS HERE
BUY NODAK TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the top stories to watch in North Dakota:

10-TIME’S TURF

The journey to cementing himself as one of the greatest to ever wheel a Sprint Car began in North Dakota for Donny Schatz. Going to the races with his family as a kid lit a fiery passion that powered him to 10 World of Outlaws championships and countless more accolades. Any trip home to race is special for the Fargo, ND driver, and he’s always seemed to find a little extra speed for his local fanbase.

The numbers for Schatz at River Cities look like he’s playing a video game set to easy mode. He’s competed in all 35 Series races, bagged a dozen victories, placed on the podium 24 times, tallied 31 top fives, and never finished worse than eighth. His average finish over that stretch is an astonishing 2.94.

It’s a similar story over at Nodak for Schatz. It took the 48-year-old seven tries to best the World of Outlaws at the track in the town where he was born, but once he did, he couldn’t be stopped. His 2012 victory was the first of five consecutive wins at Nodak. He was also on the podium in the two most recent visits of 2017 and 2018.

Schatz heads home with the momentum of five consecutive top 10s in the CJB Motorsports No. 15, including top fives in the last two races. He’s tied with Sheldon Haudenschild for fourth in points during his 30th season.

BUDDY’S BROOM

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid broke out the broom last year at River Cities.

The Penngrove, CA native got it done from the front row in the spring, outdueling David Gravel to make his first visit to Victory Lane in Grand Forks, ND. Fast forward to August, and Kofoid put on a spectacular show with a drive from ninth to victory in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. He joined Donny Schatz and Craig Dollansky as the third competitor to top two in a row at the bullring.

Friday presents the chance to put his name next to only Schatz, who is the lone driver to win three straight at River Cities. The 24-year-old is fresh off banking $20,000 by charging from seventh to the front on Monday at Huset’s Speedway for his Series-leading sixth score of the season. That equaled him with Carson Macedo for second in the standings, but he’s still got some work to do to chase down David Gravel (+118 points) for the championship lead.

HAUD’S HUNT

If there was ever a track that owed a driver a win, it may be River Cities Speedway to Sheldon Haudenschild.

The Wooster, OH native has had one taken from him in just about every conceivable fashion. Crashes, late passes, and more have prevented Haudenschild from parking in Victory Lane at the 1/4 mile. He’s led laps in seven different Features and finished on the podium four times, including a trio of runner-ups.

Haudenschild will see if a new team can turn his fortune around on Friday. The 32-year-old is having an impressive first season with KCP Racing so far. They’ve collected a win, 11 top fives, and 16 top 10s through 24 races this year.

DAKOTA DOUBLE

Aside from Schatz, the only other full-time World of Outlaws driver to double up with wins at both River Cities and Nodak is two-time and defending Series champion, David Gravel. Former Series regulars Craig Dollanksy, Joey Saldana, and Daryn Pittman also pulled it off during their time on tour.

Gravel first conquered River Cities in 2017 with CJB Motorsports and did so again six years later with Big Game Motorsports. Gravel’s Nodak victory came during the same season he got his first at River Cities. The Watertown, CT native is amid another excellent campaign with a 4.96 average finish so far in 2026 as he chases a third straight title.

Three drivers – Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, and Buddy Kofoid – will have the opportunity to add their name to the list of those with victories at both facilities on the agenda. Schuchart snagged a pair of River Cities scores (2019 and 2023) in the Shark Racing No. 1S. He’s tried five times at Nodak with a best of fourth in 2016. Macedo and Kofoid also have two River Cities trophies, but they’ll both be making their Nodak debuts.

NOSA NAMES

With North Dakota being a mainstay of the World of Outlaws tour, many locals look forward to the opportunity to battle the best on a big stage. Expect this weekend to be no different.

Donny Schatz’s nieces, Amelia and Laela Eisenschenk, made their World of Outlaws debuts last year and will be back for more this weekend aboard their uncle’s cars. Both have accumulated plenty of laps at River Cities over the last couple of years with several top 10s to show for it. They each raced at Nodak earlier this month with NOSA. Amelia finished fifth with Laela close behind in seventh.

Grand Forks, ND’s own Mark Dobmeier has been winning at River Cities since the turn of the century to the tune of more than 150 victories at his home track. A piece lacking from that résumé is one with the World of Outlaws, but he’s been close with six top fives, including a pair of podiums. Over at Nodak, he’s won five times with NOSA and was a World of Outlaws top-five finisher in 2010.

Fellow Grand Forks resident, Jade Hastings, has asserted himself as one of the best currently at River Cities. He claimed half of the track’s 12 NOSA events in 2025 and already won there again this year last week.

Fans can anticipate additional regulars from the region, including Jack Croaker (East Grand Forks, MN), Weston Olson (Warren, MN), Blake Egeland (Climax, MN), Nick and Zach Omdahl (East Grand Forks, MN), and more.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday, May 29 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND
Sunday May 31 at Nodak Speedway in Minot, ND

AROUND THE TURN
Friday, June 5 at Hartford Speedway in Hartford, MI (TICKETS)
Saturday, June 6 at Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, WI (TICKETS)
Sunday, June 7 at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, WI (TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (24/84 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (3364 PTS)
2. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-118 PTS)
3. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-118 PTS)
4. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-188 PTS)
5. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-188 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-252 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-420 PTS)
8. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-450 PTS)
9. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-498 PTS)
10. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-516 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (13 Drivers):
6 Wins – Michael Kofoid
5 Wins – David Gravel
2 Wins – Anthony Macri, Carson Macedo
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne, Rico Abreu, Logan Schuchart, Aaron Reutzel

FEATURE LAPS LED (22 Drivers):
137 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid
126 Laps Led – David Gravel
65 Laps Led – Carson Macedo
44 Laps Led – Bill Balog
40 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
37 Laps Led – Tyler Courtney, Aaron Reutzel
35 Laps Led – Donny Schatz
33 Laps Led – Brady Bacon
28 Laps Led – Ryan Timms
26 Laps Led – Sheldon Haudenschild
25 Laps Led – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne
20 Laps Led – Logan Schuchart
17 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston
15 Laps Led – Rico Abreu
11 Laps Led – Giovanni Scelzi
10 Laps Led – Cole Macedo
7 Laps Led – Kasey Jedrzejek, Brian Brown
6 Laps Led – Brock Zearfoss
1 Lap Led – Christopher ThramPODIUM FINISHES (24 Drivers):
13 Podiums – David Gravel
10 Podiums – Carson Macedo, Michael Kofoid
5 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild
4 Podiums – Donny Schatz
3 Podiums – Anthony Macri, Ryan Timms, Spencer Bayston, Rico Abreu
2 Podiums – Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Aaron Reutzel
1 Podium – Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Scott Bogucki, Tyler Courtney, Emerson Axsom, Brad Sweet, Chase Dietz, Kasey Kahne, Justin Whittall, Troy Wagaman Jr., Giovanni Scelzi, Logan Schuchart

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (13 Drivers):
9 Quick Times – David Gravel
3 Quick Times – Sheldon Haudenschild
2 Quick Times – Logan Schuchart
1 Quick Time – Ashton Torgerson, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brady Bacon, Will Armitage, Michael Kofoid, J.J. Hickle, Brian Brown, Danny Dietrich, Rico Abreu, Aaron Reutzel

HEAT RACE WINNERS (31 Drivers):
18 Heat Wins – David Gravel
11 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
7 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
5 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart, Bill Balog
4 Heat Wins – Michael Kofoid, Donny Schatz
3 Heat Wins – Ashton Torgerson, Emerson Axsom, Rico Abreu, Cole Macedo
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Chase Dietz, Kasey Kahne, Aaron Reutzel
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Tanner Holmes, Scotty Thiel, Kasey Jedrzejek, Will Armitage, Rees Moran, Tyler Courtney, Brent Marks, Brian Brown, Danny Dietrich, Justin Whittall, Chad Trout, Giovanni Scelzi, Joel Myers Jr., Spencer Bayston, Austin McCarl

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (52 Drivers):
20 Dashes – David Gravel
18 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
15 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
9 Dashes – Carson Macedo
7 Dashes – Bill Balog
6 Dashes – Ashton Torgerson, Emerson Axsom, Logan Schuchart, Donny Schatz
5 Dashes – Cole Macedo, Garet Williamson
4 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Kasey Jedrzejek, Ryan Timms, Rico Abreu, Aaron Reutzel
3 Dashes – Brent Marks, Kerry Madsen, Chase Dietz, Tanner Holmes, Brian Brown, Spencer Bayston
2 Dashes – Scotty Thiel, Chris Windom, Kasey Kahne, Troy Wagaman Jr., Brady Bacon, Will Armitage, J.J. Hickle, Justin Henderson, Austin McCarl
1 Dash – Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Brock Zearfoss, Bryce Lucius, Christopher Thram, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Rees Moran, Bryce Norris, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, Danny Dietrich, Logan Rumsey, Daryn Pittman, Kody Hartlaub, Freddie Rahmer, Justin Whittall, Chad Trout, Brenham Crouch, Giovanni Scelzi, Joel Myers Jr., Joe B. Miller

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (18 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
2 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Chris Windom, Garet Williamson
1 LCS Wins – Cameron Martin, Bill Balog, Blake Hahn, Landon Crawley, Bryce Norris, Giovanni Scelzi, Logan Schuchart, Doug Hammaker, Daryn Pittman, Kerry Madsen, Spencer Bayston, Skylar Gee, Justin Henderson, Emerson Axsom

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (15 Drivers):
5 Hard Chargers – Carson Macedo
3 Hard Chargers – Donny Schatz
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Michael Kofoid, Spencer Bayston
1 Hard Charger – Chris Windom, Giovanni Scelzi, Ryan Timms, Logan Schuchart, Brady Bacon, Sheldon Haudenschild, Tyler Ross, Cameron Smith, David Gravel, Emerson Axsom

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (16 Drivers):
4 Fastest Laps – Michael Kofoid
2 Fastest Laps – Bill Balog, David Gravel, Brady Bacon, Carson Macedo, Aaron Reutzel
1 Fastest Lap – Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brad Sweet, Kelby Watt, Kasey Kahne, Giovanni Scelzi

RACE READY CLOTHING HOTTEST LAP OF THE NIGHT AWARDS (13 Drivers):
7 Hottest Laps – David Gravel
3 Hottest Laps – Michael Kofoid
2 Hottest Laps – Logan Schuchart, Garet Williamson, Sheldon Haudenschild
1 Hottest Lap – Austin McCarl, Brent Marks, Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney, Ryan Timms, Daryn Pittman, Giovanni Scelzi

2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner
Wed, Feb 4 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Spencer Bayston (1)
Fri, Feb 6 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Michael Kofoid (1)
Sat, Feb 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (1)
Sun, March 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
Mon, March 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (2)
Fri, March 6 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Donny Schatz (1)
Fri, March 13 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / David Gravel (1)
Fri, March 20 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK / David Gravel (2)
Sat, March 21 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / David Gravel (3)
Fri, March 27 / US 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Carson Macedo (1)
Sat, March 28 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Michael Kofoid (2)
Fri, April 10 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Michael Kofoid (3)
Sat, April 11 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Michael Kofoid (4)
Sun, April 19 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Tyler Courtney (1)
Fri, April 24 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brad Sweet (1)
Sat, April 25 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (4)
Tues, May 5 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Michael Kofoid (5)
Fri, May 8 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Kasey Kahne (1)
Sat, May 9 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / David Gravel (5)
Fri, May 15 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Rico Abreu (1)
Sat, May 16 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Logan Schuchart (1)
Tues, May 19 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Carson Macedo (2)
Sat, May 23 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Aaron Reutzel (1)
Sun, May 24 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Michael Kofoid (6)
Fri, May 29 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sun, May 31 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Fri, June 5 / Hartford Speedway / Hartford, MI
Sat, June 6 / Plymouth Dirt Track / Plymouth, WI
Sun, June 7 / Angell Park Speedway / Sun Prairie, WI
Fri, June 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Sat, June 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Wed, June 17 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Thurs, June 18 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, June 19 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sat, June 20 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, June 26 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Sat, June 27 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Fri, July 10 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Sat, July 11 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Tues, July 14 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH
Fri, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Sat, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Tues, July 21 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON, Canada
Wed, July 22 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON, Canada
Sat, July 25 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
Sun, July 26 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
Wed, July 29 / BAPS Motor Speedway / York Haven, PA
Fri, July 31 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, Aug 1 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Fri, Aug 7 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Sat, Aug 8 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Wed, Aug 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Thurs, Aug 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Fri, Aug 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Sat, Aug 15 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Fri, Aug 21 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN
Sat, Aug 22 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN
Fri, Aug 28 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sat, Aug 29 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND
Fri, Sept 4 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sat, Sept 5 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sun, Sept 6 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, Sept 11 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS
Sat, Sept 12 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS
Mon, Sept 14 / El Paso County Raceway / Calhan, CO
Fri, Sept 18 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA
Sat, Sept 19 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA
Tues, Sept 22 / Kings Speedway / Hanford, CA
Fri, Sept 25 / Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway / Bakersfield, CA
Sat, Sept 26 / Ventura Raceway / Ventura, CA
Fri, Oct 2 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, Oct 3 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Thurs, Oct 8 / Millstream Speedway / Findlay, OH
Fri, Oct 9 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Sat, Oct 10 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Fri, Oct 16 / Lincoln Park Speedway / Putnamville, IN
Sat, Oct 17 / TBA
Fri, Oct 23 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR
Sat, Oct 24 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR
Wed, Nov 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thurs, Nov 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Fri, Nov 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Sat, Nov 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC

*denotes unofficial split-field prelim race.

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Rivers Cities, Nodak Return Bring World of Outlaws to Schatz’s Home Turf 

GRAND FORKS, ND (May 27, 2026) – North Dakota is ready to welcome The Greatest Show on Dirt for the first time in 2026 this weekend.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will first visit Grand Forks’ River Cities Speedway on Friday, May 29, and then make its grand return to Minot’s Nodak Speedway.

River Cities has become a staple of the schedule since first appearing in 2007. The 1st Leg of the Northern Tour Don Mack Classic will be the tour’s 36th appearance. Longtime Series announcer Johnny Gibson calls River Cities his favorite track of the more than 400 he’s visited, thanks to the countless thrillers it’s served up over the years.

The teams will then take a day off before returning to action at Nodak for the Gerdau Metals Recycling Magic City Showdown. It’ll mark a popular return to the 3/8-mile dirt track after eight years away. Nodak has hosted the World of Outlaws 13 times in the past.

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Let’s look at the top stories to watch in North Dakota:

10-TIME’S TURF

The journey to cementing himself as one of the greatest to ever wheel a Sprint Car began in North Dakota for Donny Schatz. Going to the races with his family as a kid lit a fiery passion that powered him to 10 World of Outlaws championships and countless more accolades. Any trip home to race is special for the Fargo, ND driver, and he’s always seemed to find a little extra speed for his local fanbase.

The numbers for Schatz at River Cities look like he’s playing a video game set to easy mode. He’s competed in all 35 Series races, bagged a dozen victories, placed on the podium 24 times, tallied 31 top fives, and never finished worse than eighth. His average finish over that stretch is an astonishing 2.94.

It’s a similar story over at Nodak for Schatz. It took the 48-year-old seven tries to best the World of Outlaws at the track in the town where he was born, but once he did, he couldn’t be stopped. His 2012 victory was the first of five consecutive wins at Nodak. He was also on the podium in the two most recent visits of 2017 and 2018.

Schatz heads home with the momentum of five consecutive top 10s in the CJB Motorsports No. 15, including top fives in the last two races. He’s tied with Sheldon Haudenschild for fourth in points during his 30th season.

BUDDY’S BROOM

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid broke out the broom last year at River Cities.

The Penngrove, CA native got it done from the front row in the spring, outdueling David Gravel to make his first visit to Victory Lane in Grand Forks, ND. Fast forward to August, and Kofoid put on a spectacular show with a drive from ninth to victory in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. He joined Donny Schatz and Craig Dollansky as the third competitor to top two in a row at the bullring.

Friday presents the chance to put his name next to only Schatz, who is the lone driver to win three straight at River Cities. The 24-year-old is fresh off banking $20,000 by charging from seventh to the front on Monday at Huset’s Speedway for his Series-leading sixth score of the season. That equaled him with Carson Macedo for second in the standings, but he’s still got some work to do to chase down David Gravel (+118 points) for the championship lead.

HAUD’S HUNT

If there was ever a track that owed a driver a win, it may be River Cities Speedway to Sheldon Haudenschild.

The Wooster, OH native has had one taken from him in just about every conceivable fashion. Crashes, late passes, and more have prevented Haudenschild from parking in Victory Lane at the 1/4 mile. He’s led laps in seven different Features and finished on the podium four times, including a trio of runner-ups.

Haudenschild will see if a new team can turn his fortune around on Friday. The 32-year-old is having an impressive first season with KCP Racing so far. They’ve collected a win, 11 top fives, and 16 top 10s through 24 races this year.

DAKOTA DOUBLE

Aside from Schatz, the only other full-time World of Outlaws driver to double up with wins at both River Cities and Nodak is two-time and defending Series champion, David Gravel. Former Series regulars Craig Dollanksy, Joey Saldana, and Daryn Pittman also pulled it off during their time on tour.

Gravel first conquered River Cities in 2017 with CJB Motorsports and did so again six years later with Big Game Motorsports. Gravel’s Nodak victory came during the same season he got his first at River Cities. The Watertown, CT native is amid another excellent campaign with a 4.96 average finish so far in 2026 as he chases a third straight title.

Three drivers – Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, and Buddy Kofoid – will have the opportunity to add their name to the list of those with victories at both facilities on the agenda. Schuchart snagged a pair of River Cities scores (2019 and 2023) in the Shark Racing No. 1S. He’s tried five times at Nodak with a best of fourth in 2016. Macedo and Kofoid also have two River Cities trophies, but they’ll both be making their Nodak debuts.

NOSA NAMES

With North Dakota being a mainstay of the World of Outlaws tour, many locals look forward to the opportunity to battle the best on a big stage. Expect this weekend to be no different.

Donny Schatz’s nieces, Amelia and Laela Eisenschenk, made their World of Outlaws debuts last year and will be back for more this weekend aboard their uncle’s cars. Both have accumulated plenty of laps at River Cities over the last couple of years with several top 10s to show for it. They each raced at Nodak earlier this month with NOSA. Amelia finished fifth with Laela close behind in seventh.

Grand Forks, ND’s own Mark Dobmeier has been winning at River Cities since the turn of the century to the tune of more than 150 victories at his home track. A piece lacking from that résumé is one with the World of Outlaws, but he’s been close with six top fives, including a pair of podiums. Over at Nodak, he’s won five times with NOSA and was a World of Outlaws top-five finisher in 2010.

Fellow Grand Forks resident, Jade Hastings, has asserted himself as one of the best currently at River Cities. He claimed half of the track’s 12 NOSA events in 2025 and already won there again this year last week.

Fans can anticipate additional regulars from the region, including Jack Croaker (East Grand Forks, MN), Weston Olson (Warren, MN), Blake Egeland (Climax, MN), Nick and Zach Omdahl (East Grand Forks, MN), and more.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday, May 29 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND
Sunday May 31 at Nodak Speedway in Minot, ND

AROUND THE TURN
Friday, June 5 at Hartford Speedway in Hartford, MI (TICKETS)
Saturday, June 6 at Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, WI (TICKETS)
Sunday, June 7 at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, WI (TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (24/84 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (3364 PTS)
2. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-118 PTS)
3. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-118 PTS)
4. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-188 PTS)
5. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-188 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-252 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-420 PTS)
8. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-450 PTS)
9. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-498 PTS)
10. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-516 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (13 Drivers):
6 Wins – Michael Kofoid
5 Wins – David Gravel
2 Wins – Anthony Macri, Carson Macedo
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne, Rico Abreu, Logan Schuchart, Aaron Reutzel

FEATURE LAPS LED (22 Drivers):
137 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid
126 Laps Led – David Gravel
65 Laps Led – Carson Macedo
44 Laps Led – Bill Balog
40 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
37 Laps Led – Tyler Courtney, Aaron Reutzel
35 Laps Led – Donny Schatz
33 Laps Led – Brady Bacon
28 Laps Led – Ryan Timms
26 Laps Led – Sheldon Haudenschild
25 Laps Led – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne
20 Laps Led – Logan Schuchart
17 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston
15 Laps Led – Rico Abreu
11 Laps Led – Giovanni Scelzi
10 Laps Led – Cole Macedo
7 Laps Led – Kasey Jedrzejek, Brian Brown
6 Laps Led – Brock Zearfoss
1 Lap Led – Christopher ThramPODIUM FINISHES (24 Drivers):
13 Podiums – David Gravel
10 Podiums – Carson Macedo, Michael Kofoid
5 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild
4 Podiums – Donny Schatz
3 Podiums – Anthony Macri, Ryan Timms, Spencer Bayston, Rico Abreu
2 Podiums – Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Aaron Reutzel
1 Podium – Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Scott Bogucki, Tyler Courtney, Emerson Axsom, Brad Sweet, Chase Dietz, Kasey Kahne, Justin Whittall, Troy Wagaman Jr., Giovanni Scelzi, Logan Schuchart

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (13 Drivers):
9 Quick Times – David Gravel
3 Quick Times – Sheldon Haudenschild
2 Quick Times – Logan Schuchart
1 Quick Time – Ashton Torgerson, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brady Bacon, Will Armitage, Michael Kofoid, J.J. Hickle, Brian Brown, Danny Dietrich, Rico Abreu, Aaron Reutzel

HEAT RACE WINNERS (31 Drivers):
18 Heat Wins – David Gravel
11 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
7 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
5 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart, Bill Balog
4 Heat Wins – Michael Kofoid, Donny Schatz
3 Heat Wins – Ashton Torgerson, Emerson Axsom, Rico Abreu, Cole Macedo
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Chase Dietz, Kasey Kahne, Aaron Reutzel
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Tanner Holmes, Scotty Thiel, Kasey Jedrzejek, Will Armitage, Rees Moran, Tyler Courtney, Brent Marks, Brian Brown, Danny Dietrich, Justin Whittall, Chad Trout, Giovanni Scelzi, Joel Myers Jr., Spencer Bayston, Austin McCarl

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (52 Drivers):
20 Dashes – David Gravel
18 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
15 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
9 Dashes – Carson Macedo
7 Dashes – Bill Balog
6 Dashes – Ashton Torgerson, Emerson Axsom, Logan Schuchart, Donny Schatz
5 Dashes – Cole Macedo, Garet Williamson
4 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Kasey Jedrzejek, Ryan Timms, Rico Abreu, Aaron Reutzel
3 Dashes – Brent Marks, Kerry Madsen, Chase Dietz, Tanner Holmes, Brian Brown, Spencer Bayston
2 Dashes – Scotty Thiel, Chris Windom, Kasey Kahne, Troy Wagaman Jr., Brady Bacon, Will Armitage, J.J. Hickle, Justin Henderson, Austin McCarl
1 Dash – Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Brock Zearfoss, Bryce Lucius, Christopher Thram, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Rees Moran, Bryce Norris, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, Danny Dietrich, Logan Rumsey, Daryn Pittman, Kody Hartlaub, Freddie Rahmer, Justin Whittall, Chad Trout, Brenham Crouch, Giovanni Scelzi, Joel Myers Jr., Joe B. Miller

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (18 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
2 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Chris Windom, Garet Williamson
1 LCS Wins – Cameron Martin, Bill Balog, Blake Hahn, Landon Crawley, Bryce Norris, Giovanni Scelzi, Logan Schuchart, Doug Hammaker, Daryn Pittman, Kerry Madsen, Spencer Bayston, Skylar Gee, Justin Henderson, Emerson Axsom

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (15 Drivers):
5 Hard Chargers – Carson Macedo
3 Hard Chargers – Donny Schatz
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Michael Kofoid, Spencer Bayston
1 Hard Charger – Chris Windom, Giovanni Scelzi, Ryan Timms, Logan Schuchart, Brady Bacon, Sheldon Haudenschild, Tyler Ross, Cameron Smith, David Gravel, Emerson Axsom

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (16 Drivers):
4 Fastest Laps – Michael Kofoid
2 Fastest Laps – Bill Balog, David Gravel, Brady Bacon, Carson Macedo, Aaron Reutzel
1 Fastest Lap – Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brad Sweet, Kelby Watt, Kasey Kahne, Giovanni Scelzi

RACE READY CLOTHING HOTTEST LAP OF THE NIGHT AWARDS (13 Drivers):
7 Hottest Laps – David Gravel
3 Hottest Laps – Michael Kofoid
2 Hottest Laps – Logan Schuchart, Garet Williamson, Sheldon Haudenschild
1 Hottest Lap – Austin McCarl, Brent Marks, Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney, Ryan Timms, Daryn Pittman, Giovanni Scelzi

2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner
Wed, Feb 4 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Spencer Bayston (1)
Fri, Feb 6 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Michael Kofoid (1)
Sat, Feb 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (1)
Sun, March 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
Mon, March 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (2)
Fri, March 6 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Donny Schatz (1)
Fri, March 13 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / David Gravel (1)
Fri, March 20 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK / David Gravel (2)
Sat, March 21 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / David Gravel (3)
Fri, March 27 / US 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Carson Macedo (1)
Sat, March 28 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Michael Kofoid (2)
Fri, April 10 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Michael Kofoid (3)
Sat, April 11 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Michael Kofoid (4)
Sun, April 19 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Tyler Courtney (1)
Fri, April 24 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brad Sweet (1)
Sat, April 25 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (4)
Tues, May 5 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Michael Kofoid (5)
Fri, May 8 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Kasey Kahne (1)
Sat, May 9 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / David Gravel (5)
Fri, May 15 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Rico Abreu (1)
Sat, May 16 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Logan Schuchart (1)
Tues, May 19 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Carson Macedo (2)
Sat, May 23 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Aaron Reutzel (1)
Sun, May 24 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Michael Kofoid (6)
Fri, May 29 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sun, May 31 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Fri, June 5 / Hartford Speedway / Hartford, MI
Sat, June 6 / Plymouth Dirt Track / Plymouth, WI
Sun, June 7 / Angell Park Speedway / Sun Prairie, WI
Fri, June 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Sat, June 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Wed, June 17 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Thurs, June 18 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, June 19 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sat, June 20 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, June 26 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Sat, June 27 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Fri, July 10 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Sat, July 11 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Tues, July 14 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH
Fri, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Sat, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Tues, July 21 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON, Canada
Wed, July 22 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON, Canada
Sat, July 25 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
Sun, July 26 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
Wed, July 29 / BAPS Motor Speedway / York Haven, PA
Fri, July 31 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, Aug 1 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Fri, Aug 7 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Sat, Aug 8 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Wed, Aug 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Thurs, Aug 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Fri, Aug 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Sat, Aug 15 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Fri, Aug 21 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN
Sat, Aug 22 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN
Fri, Aug 28 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sat, Aug 29 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND
Fri, Sept 4 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sat, Sept 5 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sun, Sept 6 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, Sept 11 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS
Sat, Sept 12 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS
Mon, Sept 14 / El Paso County Raceway / Calhan, CO
Fri, Sept 18 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA
Sat, Sept 19 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA
Tues, Sept 22 / Kings Speedway / Hanford, CA
Fri, Sept 25 / Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway / Bakersfield, CA
Sat, Sept 26 / Ventura Raceway / Ventura, CA
Fri, Oct 2 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, Oct 3 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Thurs, Oct 8 / Millstream Speedway / Findlay, OH
Fri, Oct 9 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Sat, Oct 10 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Fri, Oct 16 / Lincoln Park Speedway / Putnamville, IN
Sat, Oct 17 / TBA
Fri, Oct 23 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR
Sat, Oct 24 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR
Wed, Nov 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thurs, Nov 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Fri, Nov 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Sat, Nov 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC

*denotes unofficial split-field prelim race.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/top-five-storylines-rivers-cities-nodak-return-bring-world-of-outlaws-to-schatzs-home-turf/

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (MAY 27, 2026) – As the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series marches toward heat of the summer, Alexis DeJoria and John Force Racing’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team have turned up wick on their recent performances leading into the inaugural May 29-31 NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway.

With a semifinal finish two races ago in the Southern Nationals and a runner-up showing two weeks ago in the Route 66 Nationals, the Mike Neff / Jonnie Lindberg-led team is providing DeJoria with a race car capable of going rounds and eventually capturing her first NHRA Funny Car event victory since October 2021 in Bristol, Tenn.

DeJoria started off the 2026 season with a final-round appearance but was followed by a first-round exit in Phoenix. Since then, she has won at least one round of eliminations in each of the four succeeding races. To put aa point on it, DeJoria’s 10 round wins after just six events this season matches the total number she earned in the entire 2025 season.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after six of 20 races are: 1. (tie) Ron Capps, 468; J.R. Todd, 468; 3. Matt Hagan, 459; 4. Chad Green, 443; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 416; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 389; 7. Spencer Hyde, 312; 8. Jack Beckman, 311; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 233; 10. Dave Richards, 222.

Quotes

What are your expectations for the inaugural Potomac Nationals?

“Honestly, I don’t have any expectations heading to Maryland. We’ve never raced there, so it’s new territory for all of us. There are so many factors at play when it comes to assessing a new track. One thing I can say is we have a great tune-up for hot or cold weather.

How has your season progressed?

Now that we have the consistency we were working on, Mike (Neff) and Jonnie (Lindberg) will be shooting for those low E.T.s and high mph. At John Force Racing, we have a team full of experts who know what they are doing, which means a high level of confidence for me as a driver, even when we’re looking at a new facility. My faith in this crew is unwavering. After winning the Mission #2fast2tasty Challenge and getting another runner-up in Chicago, we’re on a good trajectory.”

Weekend Appearances

Sat., March 30, 9:30-10 a.m. ET, autograph session at Mission Foods display, NHRA Midway; Sat., March 30, 10-10:30 a.m. ET, autograph session at Cornwell Tools display, NHRA Midway.

Track Schedule

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 2:30 and 5 p.m. ET on Fri., May 29, with the final two rounds Sat., May 30, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. ET. Final eliminations are scheduled for Sunday, May 31, at 11 a.m. ET.

TV Schedule

Television coverage on FS1 includes a qualifying show Fri., May 29, from 7 – 8 p.m. ET, a second qualifying show Sat., May 30, from 7 – 8 p.m. ET, and the eliminations broadcast Sunday, May 31, from 3 – 6 p.m. ET.

2026 Results

DEJORIA’S PERFORMANCE HEATS UP AS SUMMER NEARS

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (MAY 27, 2026) – As the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series marches toward heat of the summer, Alexis DeJoria and John Force Racing’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team have turned up wick on their recent performances leading into the inaugural May 29-31 NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway.

With a semifinal finish two races ago in the Southern Nationals and a runner-up showing two weeks ago in the Route 66 Nationals, the Mike Neff / Jonnie Lindberg-led team is providing DeJoria with a race car capable of going rounds and eventually capturing her first NHRA Funny Car event victory since October 2021 in Bristol, Tenn.

DeJoria started off the 2026 season with a final-round appearance but was followed by a first-round exit in Phoenix. Since then, she has won at least one round of eliminations in each of the four succeeding races. To put aa point on it, DeJoria’s 10 round wins after just six events this season matches the total number she earned in the entire 2025 season.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after six of 20 races are: 1. (tie) Ron Capps, 468; J.R. Todd, 468; 3. Matt Hagan, 459; 4. Chad Green, 443; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 416; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 389; 7. Spencer Hyde, 312; 8. Jack Beckman, 311; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 233; 10. Dave Richards, 222.

Quotes

What are your expectations for the inaugural Potomac Nationals?

“Honestly, I don’t have any expectations heading to Maryland. We’ve never raced there, so it’s new territory for all of us. There are so many factors at play when it comes to assessing a new track. One thing I can say is we have a great tune-up for hot or cold weather.

How has your season progressed?

Now that we have the consistency we were working on, Mike (Neff) and Jonnie (Lindberg) will be shooting for those low E.T.s and high mph. At John Force Racing, we have a team full of experts who know what they are doing, which means a high level of confidence for me as a driver, even when we’re looking at a new facility. My faith in this crew is unwavering. After winning the Mission #2fast2tasty Challenge and getting another runner-up in Chicago, we’re on a good trajectory.”

Weekend Appearances

Sat., March 30, 9:30-10 a.m. ET, autograph session at Mission Foods display, NHRA Midway; Sat., March 30, 10-10:30 a.m. ET, autograph session at Cornwell Tools display, NHRA Midway.

Track Schedule

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 2:30 and 5 p.m. ET on Fri., May 29, with the final two rounds Sat., May 30, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. ET. Final eliminations are scheduled for Sunday, May 31, at 11 a.m. ET.

TV Schedule

Television coverage on FS1 includes a qualifying show Fri., May 29, from 7 – 8 p.m. ET, a second qualifying show Sat., May 30, from 7 – 8 p.m. ET, and the eliminations broadcast Sunday, May 31, from 3 – 6 p.m. ET.

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	11	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Spencer Hyde, J.R. Todd; lost to Chad Green	3-1	2
Phoenix	12	Lost Jordan Vandergriff	3-2	6
Pomona1	7	Beat Dave Richards; lost to Ron Capps	4-3	7
Charlotte	5	Won 1st Quad; lost 2nd quad	5-4	6
Valdosta	10	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan; lost to J.R. Todd	7-5	6
Chicago	12	Beat Spencer Hyde, Dave Richards, Matt Hagan; lost to Chad Green	10-6	6