Crew chief Connor Ridge, father Andy Reinbold reflect on driver’s fledgling talent

CONCORD, NC (Oct. 25, 2023) – As Hayden Reinbold climbed atop the cage of his Midget, checkered flag in hand, the annoying ‘0’ in his win column finally turned to ‘1’.

In the final race of the 2023 season for the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota at I-44 Riverside Speedway, Reinbold scored his first career national Midget Feature win.

Showered in red and white confetti, the moment was more like a cherry atop the sundae, highlighting the improvement he and the Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports team had spent all season concocting.

“I was excited, but I felt like it was well-deserved – we worked really hard this season,” Reinbold said. “We came a really long way.”

In the first half of the Xtreme Outlaw season, his rookie struggles entangled him, compiling an average finish of 14.6 with only two top-10 finishes through the first 15 races. But Reinbold spawned a dramatic turnaround through the last 14 events on the schedule, notching three podium finishes, 10 top-10s and an average finish of 7.6.

An improvement of that caliber midway through the season is a rarity in motorsports. So, what parted the clouds for his “Arizona sun” to shine so suddenly?

“Comfortableness,” Reinbold, of Chandler, AZ, said. “I feel like Connor (Ridge) and Jacob (Johnston) kept giving me consistent cars, and it just allowed me to keep improving and getting better.

“They just kept pushing me. They never gave up on me.”

Standing by his side for Victory Lane photos after I-44 was crew chief Connor Ridge, who had coached the 19-year-old since 2021 after joining the Reinbold/Underwood team the year prior. Earlier, he and Reinbold went through their pre-race routine, but the feeling was a little different this time. The AME Electrical, Spike/Stanton No. 19AZ was starting on the pole with a massive championship battle going on behind him.

“I always push him out on the four-wheeler, and I just tell him, ‘Give me 30 good laps, and I’ll see you on the front stretch,’” Ridge said.

Reinbold responded with 30 good laps. Thirty untouched laps. Nobody, not even newly crowned champion Jade Avedisian, could get close enough to make a move for the lead by the checkered.

Though the race on the track was over, Ridge’s heartbeat still raced within.

“There were a couple times when I was like, ‘Come on Hayden, keep rolling, keep up your tempo, keep doing your thing,’” Ridge said. “There was a point in time where I was like, ‘Oh man, we’re gonna throw this thing away and all this work’s gonna be for nothing.’

“But he pulled through and did his job like he should’ve done. I’m very proud of his efforts; very proud to be in the role that I am here at Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports.”

While the team rode the rollercoaster of emotions at the track, quite the opposite emotion was shown from Hayden’s father and team owner, Andy Reinbold, who was watching live on DIRTVision.

“I really felt pretty comfortable about it the whole race; didn’t really worry too much,” he said. “It was apparent to me that he was the best car and the best driver on the track that day.”

Growing up, Hayden was a basketball and football player. It wasn’t until shortly after the pandemic restrictions of 2020 were lifted that he asked Andy to try racing for himself. The two went out on the road with a Midget for Hayden’s first season, and right away, Andy saw the signs of a future national Midget series competitor.

“When he started – at the time, I had a crew chief that worked on Sprint Cars for me, and Hayden and I just messed around with Midgets for a very small part of time, about a year,” Reinbold said. “I could just tell he had what it took. I could tell when he’s there to race and when he’s there to win, or when he’s struggling. As a parent, you can see that.”

Andy was a Non-Wing Sprint Car racer himself in the early 2000s before expanding ownership into the Midget world and handing off the driving duties to other drivers – several of which served as teammates to Hayden when he first got behind the wheel.

“His teammates have always been Tanner Thorson, Logan Seavey, Daison Pursley – it’s never been able to be just Hayden Reinbold,” Andy said. “We always have a high-caliber driver as a teammate. He doesn’t whine or complain about that stuff. He just stays even keeled.”

When Hayden was paired with Ridge as a driver-crew chief duo during the 2021 season, the two started taking steps down the long-and-winding road to the top of the national Midget scene. A couple wins notched in local competition at Jacksonville Speedway in Illinois in 2022 were among the first saplings of success they saw and continued to build on in 2023.

“Every night when we get done racing, we always try and take a step back and say, ‘What’s something I need to get better with on the car?’ or ‘What’s something that [Hayden] needs to get better with his driving?’” Ridge said. “He’s a good enough kid and recognizes when it’s him or it’s the car, and he has no problem saying one or the other. I think that helps us out a lot.”

Through Chili Bowl Nationals, the 29-race Xtreme Outlaw Series plus several starts with USAC and POWRi, the two have refined their at-track dynamic in 2023. Ridge said it’s been a tough task at times balancing his own instincts as a crew chief and Reinbold’s needs as a driver, but it was that balance they found in the second half of the season that brought them more consistent, competitive finishes.

“What Hayden wants sometimes isn’t the same thing that I see the car needs,” Ridge said. “So, a lot of times, I just started giving him what he wants.

“If he wants a little bit better of this, or a little bit more of that, I have no problem giving him that. At the end of the day, he’s the one driving it.”

From where they began 2023, Reinbold/Underwood’s Midget operation has improved throughout, boasting Xtreme Outlaw wins with Daison Pursley in August and Reinbold’s first only two weeks ago. Now, it’s all eyes on taller mountains in 2024.

“At the beginning of the year, it was just keep getting laps, keep improving, keep getting better,” Reinbold said. “I never would have thought the improvement would have come so fast.”

“As relieved as I was to get the big win, I’m even more excited to see what the future holds for us,” Ridge said.

TEAM CHEVY NASCAR: RACE ADVANCE Martinsville SpeedwayRidgeway, VirginiaOctober 28-29, 2023

WHITE-FLAG ON THE 2023 NASCAR SEASONThe Round of Eight for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will come to a close this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, with the checkered-flag in Saturday’s NXS Dead on Tools 250 and Sunday’s NCS Xfinity 500 determining the four drivers in each series that will compete for their respective championship titles. NASCAR’s oldest and shortest track on the circuit – the historic Martinsville Speedway has been a part of the playoff picture since the inception of the postseason format into the series in 2004, with this year marking its fourth consecutive season hosting the Round of Eight elimination race for both series.   Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson and Sam Mayer each have a Round of Eight win in their respective series, already solidifying their chances to compete for a championship title. In NASCAR’s premier series, Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron sits in the best position of the six drivers looking for a championship berth – entering the series’ elimination race with a 30-point advantage over the playoff cutline. Of the three positions left up for grabs in the NXS Championship Four, the series’ regular-season champion Austin Hill is fourth in the standings and three-points above the playoff cutline.

·       Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway:Famously known as “The Paperclip”, Martinsville Speedway is the only track that has hosted a NCS race every year since the inception of the series in 1949, with Sunday’s 500-lap event marking the series’ 150th appearance at the track. Chevrolet is the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR’s premier series at Martinsville Speedway, with Kyle Larson’s win in the series’ spring event delivering the Bowtie Brand its 60th all-time victory at the track – doubling the next ranking manufacturer competitor.  The first of Chevrolet’s series-leading wins at Martinsville Speedway came in 1957 when Buck Baker drove his Chevrolet 150 to victory lane. The Bowtie Brand went on a winning streak at the track on a couple of different occasions, including seven in a row from October 2004 to October 2007, as well as eight consecutive triumphs from April 2011 to October 2014. Four of the series’ last six appearances at Martinsville Speedway saw a Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet make its way to victory lane. The organization’s recent success at the track dates back to Chase Elliott’s victory in November 2020 – the first time the South Virginia short-track hosted the series’ Round of Eight elimination race. Elliott capitalized on a must-win situation to take the win and a berth into the title-deciding race – ultimately leading the Georgia native to his first career championship in NASCAR’s top division. Since then, each of Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates have tallied a win at the track with Alex Bowman (October 2021), William Byron (April 2022) and Kyle Larson (April 2023).

NCS PLAYOFF PICTURE WITH ONE-TO-GOAlready earning a spot into the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four, Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson can focus on executing a momentum-building weekend before heading into the season-finale at Phoenix Raceway. Despite an unfortunate ending to the team’s day at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team put on a championship-caliber performance through much of the day. The former series champion posted top-three finishes in each stage, including a win in Stage One – going on to lead a race-high 96-laps before an incident entering pit road during a green-flag pit cycle took the team out of the race.  Turning the page to Martinsville Speedway, the 31-year-old California native will return to the South Virginia venue as the series’ most recent winner at the track. In his five career starts at Martinsville Speedway since joining Hendrick Motorsports, Larson has tallied one win (April 2023), three top-five finishes and an average finish of 8.2 at the track. Two of Larson’s four points-paying wins this season have come on a short-track, with the driver also taking the win at Richmond Raceway in April. Larson also added a non-points paying short-track win to his name this season with his dominating performance in the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.  Looking for his first career bid into the NCS Championship Four, Team Chevy’s William Byron currently sits in the best position among the six playoff contenders left vying for the two remaining spots – with the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team heading into the Round of Eight elimination race with a 30-point cushion above the playoff cutline. The 25-year-old North Carolina native netted a fourth-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend, bringing his postseason average finish to an impressive 5.5. Martinsville Speedway has been good to Byron in recent years, with the driver collecting one win, three top-five finishes, four top-10s and an average finish of 8.00 in his last five starts at the track.  A look at Team Chevy’s playoff contenders heading into the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway:

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 2nd in Playoff Standings; Clinched Championship Four position with his win at Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayVictories: 4Poles: 2Top-Fives: 14 Top-10s: 16Laps Led: 1,127Average Finish: 15.2Stage Wins: 8 At Martinsville Speedway:      Wins: 1 Top-Fives: 4Top-10s: 5Average Finish: 18.235William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 3rd in Playoff Standings; 30-points above the cutlineVictories: 6 Poles: 3Top-Fives: 14Top-10s: 20Laps Led: 921Average Finish: 11.1Stage Wins: 8  At Martinsville Speedway:  Wins: 1Top-Fives: 4Top-10s: 6Average Finish: 15.182

MAKING HIS MARK AT MARTINSVILLEAt Martinsville Speedway just one year ago, Team Chevy’s Ross Chastain made an iconic move that will forever be etched into NASCAR history. With one lap to go and on the outside looking in of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four, Chastain pulled an unprecedented move now known as the “Hail Melon” – riding the wall of the final two corners to move from the 10th to the fifth position, passing Denny Hamlin at the line to take the fourth and final position in the series’ Championship Four. The move gave Chastain his first career opportunity to compete for the championship title in NASCAR’s premier series, with the Trackhouse Racing driver ultimately leading Chevrolet in the runner-up position of the final points standings.  To commemorate the one-year mark of the historic move, the actual No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1 that performed the “Hail Melon” will make its return to Martinsville Speedway this weekend as a part of the Chevrolet Racing Display. Fans at the South Virginia short-track will have the chance to relive history and get a first-hand look at Chastain’s Chevrolet-powered machine throughout the race weekend.

MAYER SET TO RUN FOR FIRST CAREER NXS TITLEIn only his second full-time season in the series, JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer will make his first run at the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship title. The 20-year-old Wisconsin native collected the first guaranteed ticket into the series’ Championship Four after taking his No. 1 Camaro SS to the team’s fourth victory of the season.  Mayer became a first-time winner in the series at Road America in July, with the JR Motorsports driver going on to score two more road course victories at Watkins Glen (August) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course earlier this month. Entering the second race of the Round of Eight below the playoff cutline, Mayer scored top-five points in both stages, going on to lead the last 30 circuits around Homestead-Miami Speedway to record his first career oval victory in the series. Mayer’s victory also clinched the series’ manufacturer championship title for Chevrolet with still two races remaining. The prestigious honor marks Chevrolet’s 25th – and seventh consecutive – Bill France Performance Cup in the NXS.

NXS Playoff Update: Four Team Chevy NXS playoff contenders will vie for the three remaining positions in the series’ Championship Four. Of those entering the elimination race above the playoff cutline includes the series’ regular-season champion Austin Hill, who occupies the fourth position in the standings and three-points above the playoff cutline.  Just shy of the top-four in the standings is JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, who currently sits in the fifth position in the standings and three-points below the playoff cutline. Allgaier knows how to navigate postseason pressure with the series’ veteran being the only driver to make the NXS playoffs every season since the format was introduced to the series in 2016. In six career NXS starts at Martinsville Speedway, Allgaier has notched three top-five finishes – all of which have come in the series’ fall race at the track.  Kaulig Racing’s Chandler Smith and Richard Childress Racing’s Sheldon Creed sit in the seventh and eighth positions, respectively in the playoff standings – both facing a must-win situation in order advance into the Championship Four.

HOCEVAR, ENFINGER SET TO REPRESENT CHEVROLET IN NCTS CHAMPIONSHIP FOURWith the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) Championship Four set, Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar and GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger will have the opportunity to compete for Chevrolet’s 15th NCTS Driver Championship title.

Hocevar claimed his first career berth into the NCTS Championship Four after picking up the victory in the series’ Round of Eight elimination race at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. The 20-year-old Michigan native drove his No. 42 Silverado RST to the lead with 11 laps to go en route to his fourth victory of the season – a feat making him the winningest driver in the series this season. Hocevar also delivered Chevrolet its first championship title of the season, with the victory clinching Chevrolet’s 11th NCTS Manufacturer Championship.  Entering the series’ elimination race on the outside looking in, GMS Racing’s Enfinger channeled his veteran experience to point his way into the Championship Four after picking up a fourth-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This season will mark the 38-year-old Alabama native’s second career appearance in the series’ Championship Four as the Team Chevy driver will look to deliver GMS Racing its third NCTS Driver Championship title in the organization’s final season of competition.

CHEVROLET LOOKS TO CAP OFF MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP SWEEP AT MARTINSVILLENASCAR’s annual trip to Homestead-Miami Speedway saw Chevrolet already claim two championship titles – the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturer Championship and the 2023 Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.  Following Carson Hocevar’s win in the series’ Round of Eight elimination race at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval, Chevrolet clinched the 2023 NCTS Manufacturer Championship. Competing in the NCTS since the series’ inception in 1995, the Silverado claimed the manufacturer championship title in the series’ inaugural season, with the Bowtie Brand going on to win four-straight. This season marks Chevrolet’s 11th time earning the NCTS manufacturer championship title.  Chevrolet made its way back into Homestead-Miami Speedway’s victory lane later that afternoon, with JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer claiming the NXS victory and a ticket into the series’ Championship Four. The win also delivered Chevrolet the Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – marking the manufacturer’s 25th time receiving the prestigious title. The Chevrolet Camaro made its debut as the automaker’s flagship vehicle in the NXS in 2013, and has since earned nine titles in the series with 2023 marking its seventh consecutive title-winning season. With the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championship still up for grabs, Chevrolet enters this weekend’s event at Martinsville Speedway with a 74-point lead in the manufacturer points standings. Capturing the 2023 NCS Manufacturer Championship would mark Chevrolet’s fifth time sweeping the manufacturer championship titles across all three NASCAR national series – a feat the manufacturer also accomplished in 2012, 2005, 1998 and 1996.

WRAPPING UP 2023 ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMPAIGN For the 13th consecutive year, Chevrolet has partnered with the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative. The specially-themed pink Camaro ZL1 will serve as the official pace vehicle for three NASCAR Cup Series races during the month of October, including Sunday’s NCS Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. For every caution lap the pink Camaro ZL1 completes, Chevrolet will make a donation of $350 (up to $50,000) to the American Cancer Society to honor the ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative.  The second of three NCS events that are part of the initiative took place at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. With the pink Camaro ZL1 pace car leading NASCAR’s premier series for 35 laps under caution during last Sunday’s race, Chevrolet will contribute $12,250 towards the campaign, bringing the total to $18,900 with one race remaining in the campaign.  The pink Camaro ZL1 pace car will return to the track this weekend, serving as the pace car for the 500-lap/263-mile NCS Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway – marking the third and final race of this year’s campaign.

BOWTIE BULLETS: ·       Chevrolet will pace the field in the doubleheader race weekend at Martinsville Speedway. The Camaro SS will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Saturday’s Dead on Tools 250; and the specially-themed pink ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday’s Xfinity 500.  ·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Martinsville Speedway: Kyle Busch – two wins (2016 & 2017)Kyle Larson – one win (2023)William Byron – one win (2022)Chase Elliott – one win (2020) ·       In 149 NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-best 60 wins – doubling the next ranking manufacturer competitor. ·       In 34 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (17), top-fives (74), top-10s (145), stage wins (25) and laps led (3,293). ·       Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 17 victories in 34 NASCAR Cup Series races, 16 victories in 31 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 13 wins in 22 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a winning percentage of at least 50 percent.   ·       Chevrolet’s series-leading 17 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by seven drivers from five different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports), Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing) and AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing).  ·       Chevrolet drivers have recorded 25 of the 68 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (eight), Kyle Larson (eight), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (two). ·       With Carson Hocevar’s win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Round of Eight elimination race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Chevrolet clinched the 2023 NCTS Manufacturer Championship – the Bowtie Brand’s 11th time earning the manufacturer championship title in the series.  ·       With Sam Mayer’s win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Round of Eight elimination race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Chevrolet clinched the 2023 Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – the manufacturer’s 25th time earning the manufacturer championship title in the series.  ·       Heading into the Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet continues to sit atop the NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer points standings with a 74-point lead over its manufacturer competitors. ·       Chevrolet has swept the manufacturer championships across all three NASCAR national series in a single season four different times (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996). ·       With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships and 850 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

FOR THE FANS:·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Martinsville Speedway. ·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display. ·       Fans will also have a special viewing of Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1 – the actual race car that performed the iconic move now known as the “Hail Melon” at Martinsville Speedway last year.      Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Saturday, October 28·       Jeremy Clements: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. ·       Sam Mayer: 12:45 p.m. – 1 p.m. ·       Jeb Burton: 1 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. ·       Sheldon Creed: 1:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ·       Austin Hill: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Sunday, October 29·       Alex Bowman: 11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. ·       Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ·       Carson Hocevar: 11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. ·       Ty Dillon: 11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m. Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: ·       Friday, October 27: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.  ·       Saturday, October 28: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. ·       Sunday, October 29: 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

TUNE IN: NASCAR Cup Series: Xfinity 500Round of Eight Elimination Race  Sunday, October 29, at 2 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Xfinity Series: Dead on Tools 250 Round of Eight Elimination RaceSaturday, October 28, at 3:30 p.m. ET(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTESRoss Chastain, No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1Now that you look back on the “Hail Melon” move what do you think about it?“It’s wild to think that it has been one year since the wall ride. Obviously, it was huge for my team because we got a chance to run for the championship in Phoenix but it ended up being a huge moment for our sport. Its wild how many people outside of racing saw it and the amount of attention it got. That’s great though. We brought more eyes to the sport of NASCAR and hopefully gained some new fans.” Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1Larson on racing at Martinsville Speedway:“It’s obviously both comforting and exciting to know that the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team is locked into the Championship 4 by our Vegas (Motor Speedway) win. Martinsville (Speedway) had historically been a challenging track for me.. and transparently not a favorite. April of this season, our team was able to help change that. Securing my first win at the Virginia short-track was super rewarding. Our team is always actively trying to build consistency, so really focusing on another solid weekend in Martinsville would help us build a good mindset to tackle the Championship at Phoenix (Raceway).” Cliff Daniels, Crew Chief, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1Daniels on racing at Martinsville Speedway: “We certainly enjoy going to Martinsville (Speedway). It’s a track I’ve gone to since I was a kid and it’s also just a tough track in general. I know Kyle (Larson) doesn’t give himself the credit he deserves coming to Martinsville (Speedway) and he has come a long way. We’ve had some strong runs there lately but would recognize the fact that you’ve got to be sharp- on your set up, balance and approach to the race. We’ve got to do the things we can do to make sure Kyle (Larson) is comfortable making speed with. We have all of those things on our minds. We want to perform at a very high level and keep our strength at a high level to keep us operating at the level that we need to going into Phoenix.” Kyle Busch, No. 8 BetMGM Camaro ZL1Do you think that Martinsville is the most challenging short track on the schedule? How physically and mentally demanding is racing at Martinsville?“Martinsville is a challenging short track. I think with the Next Gen race car it’s become a bigger challenge just with the fact that everybody being a lot closer. Little setup differences with the old car meant an awful lot in speed and it seems like little setup differences with this car doesn’t really mean a whole lot so everybody runs the same speed no matter what so it just makes it tough to pass. Track position is everything. The aero affects when you get behind guys makes it tough to move around and find grip in other grooves in order to make moves. It seemed like with the old car you could definitely follow a lot better and keep yourself closer to the guy in front of you so if he made a little, tiny mistake you could pounce on that and make a pass. The racing there is pretty demanding. I mean, you’re on the brakes all the time and steering all the time. You’re trying to feel that grip and not slip. You want to carry your speed as fast as you can while off the gas. The biggest thing that I learned that made me better at Martinsville is how fast can you go slow. You actually spend more of the lap off the throttle than you do on the throttle so it’s about figuring out how to go slow fast.”  How important is it to qualify well at Martinsville, not only for track position to start the race but also regarding pit selection?“Qualifying well at Martinsville I think now is more important than what it once was. I remember it used to be that it didn’t matter how you qualified. I was never a really good qualifier at Martinsville but you could always race towards the front, pick up some positions on pit road, and get yourself in a good position for the end of the race. I think track position and pit selection with qualifying well is very important. There’s four to five really, really good pit stalls on pit road and if you can get one of those pit stalls then that can really make or break your day on pit road.” AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1“Martinsville is completely different now with this car and how much we shift. Our short track program has been a bit of a struggle, but I felt like the first race there we at least made a lot of gains. I think we can go back there and have more speed than we have had in the past. I’ve always loved this race. It’s definitely different now but it’s just a fun racetrack to go to. Short tracks are our weak point, but we are getting better. I am really looking forward to getting to Martinsville and trying to build off of everything we have learned this year.” Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Camaro ZL1Martinsville hot dogs or shifting at short tracks, which are you more a fan of?“I’m a fan of Martinsville hot dogs, but I probably need to be more of a fan of eating them post-race though. I ate some before the race when we had a rain delay last year. Ross (Chastain) and I didn’t think we were going to race so we started ‘pounding dogs’ and all of the sudden they told us we were going to go racing and we just looked at each other and said, ‘oh no’. I’m excited to get back there though, because it’s always been a fun racetrack with the trucks. I don’t know if I’m going to be a fan of shifting at short tracks; it just seems like there’s a bunch going on, but I’ve never done it before so I can’t say yes or no yet. Hopefully we can qualify up front for the race with our Sunseeker Resort Chevy, because that’s going to be the key for sure. It’ll be good to hop back in the No. 42 car to finish out the year with these last two races for LEGACY M.C.!” Erik Jones, No. 43 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Camaro ZL1“Martinsville is always a crazy race this time of year, with it being a cutoff for the playoff guys, and going into Phoenix, there is a lot of chaos that normally happens in Martinsville. I feel like we have improved our short package, in general, going into Martinsville, so hopefully we can go there and have a solid day.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger / Reese’s Camaro ZL1“In the spring, we left Martinsville with my best finish there. We got pinned a lap down when we pitted under green and an untimely caution occurred. We were able to capitalize on a late-race strategy that placed us back on the lead lap with about 60 laps to go. We got into a rhythm and were able to hold on for a top-10 finish. We’re ready to get back to Martinsville with our No. 47 Kroger / Reese’s Camaro and apply what we learned in April.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2022): 41First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) 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 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2023 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 17Poles: 8Laps Led: 3,293Top-five finishes: 74Top-10 finishes: 145Stage wins: 25·       Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)·       William Byron – 8 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte), (Watkins Glen)·       Kyle Larson – 8 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono), (Kansas), (Texas), (Las Vegas x2), (Homestead)·       Chase Elliott – 2 (Talladega), (Charlotte RC)·       Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)  CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 850 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 742Laps led to date: 248,837Top-five finishes to date: 4,295Top-10 finishes to date: 8,857                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,184           Chevrolet: 850           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 827                                                                      Ford: 727           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 180

LAS VEGAS (October 25, 2023) – This weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will wrap up another successful season of Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Dodge Drag Paks and Ford Cobra Jets battling it out across the country. The culmination of the 10-race season will celebrate the championship season of Aaron Stanfield, who will clinch his third Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series world championship with his first qualifying run Friday, as well as the success of most recent winner Lenny Lottig, who will be looking to close out 2023 with back-to-back wins.

 Lenny Lottig, Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Texas Fall Nationals winner, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Lottig and the ITI Trailers & Truck Bodies COPO Camaro were the No. 1 qualifiers at the Texas Fall Nationals and then raced to his third victory of the season at Texas Motorplex. This weekend he will come into the NHRA Nevada Nationals with the $1,000 Flexjet Bounty up for grabs and the veteran driver will be racing to increase that prize with another win.
 
“I love the Flexjet bounty program. I would love to see it carry over into 2024 if we win this weekend,” said Lottig, who successfully held onto the bounty earlier this season. “We won two races in a row earlier this season with Charlotte and Chicago so Lee Hartman got a $2,000 payday in Bristol. I want that money to keep growing because that will mean I am still winning.”
 
Aaron Stanfield and his Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro will enter the weekend looking to cap a championship season with a third win. The young driver from Louisiana will be chasing his third Nevada Nationals title after picking up wins in 2020 and 2021.
 
“We have had good luck at Las Vegas and this race will be special because we will have the championship in the bag and can race without any pressure,” said Stanfield. “I want to carry positive momentum into the off-season and getting one more win at the Nevada Nationals would be a perfect way to wrap up 2023.”

 Aaron Stanfield, Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Pep Boys Nationals winner, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Stephen Bell and his Stanfield Racing COPO came up just short in his championship bid against Stanfield but he is also looking to cap the season on a high note. Bell raced his way to victory at the Norwalk, Ohio event and has two runner-up finishes on the season, the first at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind. and the second at the St. Louis, the Midwest Nationals.
 
“Aaron and I are best friends. I gauge every season on a couple things, if I get a win and if we are competitive at most races,” said Bell. “We’ve had a good year this season. We were chasing that first championship and we came close. I am appreciative of Greg and Aaron Stanfield for giving a customer like me a car that can compete for the championship.”
 
Competition in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class begins with qualifying Friday at 2:05 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. PT with a third and final qualifying session on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. PT. Eliminations are slated to start Saturday afternoon with round one at 5:10 p.m. PT. The final three rounds will be contested Sunday.
 
 
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The duo is separated by 50 points heading into the World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 1-4

CONCORD, NC (October 25, 2023) – Brad Sweet and David Gravel can’t seem to get away from each other.

For the third consecutive year, the two are heading to The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the World Finals (Nov. 1-4) engaged in a war for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car championship. Sweet – the four-time and reigning titlist – holds a 50-marker advantage with a trio of points-paying races remaining.

It should come as no surprise that these two are once again locked in battle. After all, their careers with the World of Outlaws boast many similarities. Being born on opposite coasts led them down different paths to The Greatest Show on Dirt. But ever since they arrived, Sweet and Gravel have climbed the record books alongside each other.

Gravel grabbed the 2013 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, then Sweet did the same in 2014. Both have remained consistent forces in the years since as they’ve become the two leading drivers on the tour.

Sweet is up to 89 career wins while Gravel sits close behind at 87. They both cleared the 800 Feature starts milestone this season. Both have won two legs of the sport’s Triple Crown with Gravel owning Knoxville Nationals and National Open titles, while Sweet has topped Knoxville and the Kings Royal. “The Big Cat” holds the lead in career podiums with 286 to Gravel’s 225. But Gravel has the advantage in Quick Times with 110 over Sweet’s 75. Throughout their careers, as they’ve both improved, they’ve forced each other to elevate their game.

“David’s a great racer and has a lot of experience as do I now,” Sweet said. “He has his strong suits as do I. We’re just pretty evenly matched. A lot of it comes down to just a few little things throughout a season that kind of separates us. I feel like he’s really stepped his program up, and they’ve definitely kept us on our toes. It’s been fun competing. I love the competition. I love that we’re pushing each other to be better.”

“Our win totals are close,” Gravel said. “We used to run third and fourth in points it seemed like every year. It was Daryn (Pittman) and Donny (Schatz) up front. Then, we kind of took the jump to get ahead of Daryn and run second and third every year for a while. Now, Brad’s been able to win the last several championships. I feel like we’re both at the top of our games. We’re just a half a step behind in points. But as far as wins and big wins, we’re right there.”

They’ve been neck and neck once again all throughout 2023. Through 68 races, Gravel is slightly ahead in wins (11 to Sweet’s 10) and podiums (34 to 29). But Sweet has been in the top 10 more often (60 to Gravel’s 57) and has zero DNFs. Gravel didn’t finish didn’t finish at U.S. 36 Raceway and Tri-State Speedway in the spring and then at Jackson Motorplex one night in August.

“It’s not been our best season we’ve ever had, but it’s certainly not been our worst,” Sweet said. “I think every Outlaw tour has its peaks and valleys. Really, what defines a season, I think, is how you get through the adversity. I’ve said that for a lot of years. Typically, when you’re running good, things are easy. It’s when you have to go through hard nights or hard stretches and wrecks and things like that, that’s what’s going to win or lose you a championship.”

Sweet and his team are fresh off combatting adversity at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. A Feature flip left them with a severely damaged race car. But they managed to make repairs and salvage a seventh-place finish with his NAPA Auto Parts #49 machine, limiting the amount Gravel was able to cut into their lead.

For Gravel, he feels that his Huset’s Speedway/Billion Automotive #2 has been the fastest ride throughout the year, but a handful of unfortunate nights have caused his current deficit in the standings.

“I think it’s definitely our best season to date,” Gravel said. “I feel like we’ve been the best car all year long. We’ve just had a lot more bad nights that sadly we can’t take away. We’ve had a couple part failures. A couple people crashing in front of us. Crashing one night at U.S. 36. There’s probably about six nights this year that kind of wavered our year. The DNFs and blowing a tire halfway at Jackson then getting crashed the next night. A lot of bad nights. It’s not just one night. I think it’s really impressive that we’re still in the hunt with all the things we’ve had to battle through all year.”

Now, Sweet and Gravel are fully focused on four nights of World of Outlaws World Finals action on The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The two will lay down laps on Wednesday, Nov. 1, on Low-E Insulation Qualifying Night to position themselves for the three points-paying races on Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 2-4. And then one man will stand atop the championship stage when the dust settles on Saturday night.

Gravel’s overall résumé at Charlotte suggests he has the upper hand with five victories at the 4/10-mile, good enough for second most. Sweet is yet to win at Charlotte but has podiumed four times in his last nine starts and hasn’t missed the top 10 over that stretch.

“We’re continuing to fight,” Gravel said. “We’ve had a great stretch here the last month or so. We’re going to keep putting our head down and control what we can control. It would be very satisfying to beat him, but he still hasn’t had a DNF this year and we have three. I feel like when you’ve got a guy that’s as consistent and there every night, it’s hard to make that up. We’re going to try to win three races at Charlotte, and wherever we end up is where we end up.”

Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (Oct. 25, 2023) – Dominic Scelzi produced one of his most successful weekends during the famed 29 ^th annual Abreu Vineyards Trophy Cup presented by Rudeen Racing.

Scelzi was one of 60-plus drivers who invaded Thunderbowl Raceway last weekend for the marquee 360ci winged sprint car event. He recorded a top-five finish each night before finishing fourth in the overall points standings.

“It’s hard to be thrilled, but hard to be upset,” he said. “I’m happy with our consistency night in and night out. We had good speed. We had a good car all weekend long. We just didn’t get the yellows when we needed them or the breaks. At the end of the day we weren’t good enough to win the Trophy Cup.”

The action got underway last Thursday with Scelzi qualifying ninth quickest in his group. A run from fourth to second place in a heat race and from sixth to third place in a B Main earned a spot in the main event as the fifth starter.

“We were pretty good,” he said. “The track was really slick. We were able to run guys down off turn two when they’d hang and I’d slide them into turn three. We got to second and got to the leader and a yellow came out with about nine laps to go. I tried to do the diamond move again. I didn’t hit it as good as I needed and Rico (Abreu) was able to get by me and the leader. The track started to lay a little bit of rubber. I slipped out of it in turn two and that cost me another spot so I finished fourth.”

Scelzi showcased similar results on Friday, timing in sixth quickest in his group before maneuvering from fifth to third place in a heat race and from sixth to third place in a B Main. He started and finished fourth in the feature.

“We made some changes to get ourselves better and it wasn’t as good as we normally are,” he said. “We were still good, but I never made any ground on anybody.”

Scelzi started the finale on Saturday by placing seventh in a heat race, which lined him up on the outside of the third row in the 50-lap A Main.

“It started off fast, but we were really good,” he said. “We got right to fourth and it took us some time to work to third. We kept getting better and was all over second place. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get by before the halfway race stop. After we restarted the race track was really fast and when it slowed down I got racing for second. I got chopped a couple of times and short slid back. I wasn’t able to put second place away. On a restart I tried to hail mary the top and got passed.”

Scelzi ended fourth, but moved up a position when another driver was disqualified. His third-place result marked his 35 ^thtop five of the season.

Next up will be a NARC 410 Sprint Car Series event this Saturday at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, Calif. Scelzi enters the event ranked third in the championship standings.

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 19 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 9; Heat race: 2 (4); B Main: 3 (6); Feature: 4 (5).

Oct. 20 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 6; Heat race: 3 (5); B Main: 3 (6); Feature: 4 (4).

Oct. 21 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Heat race: 7 (7); Feature: 3 (6).

SEASON STATS –

51 races, 12 wins, 35 top fives, 41 top 10s, 45 top 15s, 49 top 20s

UP NEXT –

DALLAS (October 25, 2023) — With two Countdown playoff races left in the 2023 season Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB), the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans, will build on a record setting participation following the Texas Fall Nationals. With the Nevada Nationals on tap this weekend October 27-29 and then the World Finals slated for In-N-Out Burgers Dragstrip in Pomona, November 10-12, thousands of fans are enjoying the free and fun bracket-style online game experience.

 Midwest Nationals Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Gaige Herrera signs winner plaque for DRBB

Five new winners from the Texas Fall Nationals added their names to the DRBB record books with Tim I., of Fort Mohave, Arizona, posting a record setting win for the overall Texas Fall Nationals title earning 111.92 points, the most points ever for one player. Dee S. from Geneva, Illinois, took Top Fuel honors and Doug L. from Lake Alfred, Florida, won in Funny Car. The Pro Stock titles went to Ray W., of Hanover Township, Penn., and Noah C., from Indianapolis, Ind., in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle respectively. Through five events, the U.S. Nationals and four Countdown playoff races, DRBB has awarded driver-signed plaques to 24 different fans from across the country.
 
“The Texas Fall Nationals saw another big jump in players signing up and filling out brackets on Saturday night and Sunday morning,” said Elon Werner, Drag Race Bracket Bonanza creator. “We got great support from track owners Christie Meyer Johnson and her husband Barry with multiple locations promoting Drag Race Bracket Bonanza. We also had our DRBB logos on several race cars including Justin Ashley, Josh Hart, Buddy Hull and Camrie Caruso.”

DRBB highlighted on Josh Hart’s Top Fuel dragster rear wing at Texas Fall Nationals, photo by Werner Communications

 
During the Texas Fall Nationals the DRBB marketing team placed promotional signage on the spectator side of the Texas Motorplex by the spectator entrance as well as in the fan zone behind the three-story tower building. Table toppers were also placed throughout the suites and in the Champions Club.
 
Heading into the Nevada Nationals DRBB will have PA announcements and social media support from the NHRA including a marketing email blast to tens of thousands of NHRA fans. Momentum continues to grow, and plans are already moving forward for user interface improvements for 2024 including the development of an app version of DRBB.
 
The goals for DRBB continue to be creating a fun game for drag racing fans and to drive fan interest online through social media posts and to encourage fans to watch the NHRA broadcasts on FOX and FS1. Several Twitter and Facebook posts have shown that people are engaging and watching to see how their brackets turn out. Fans can follow Drag Race Bracket Bonanza social media for stats, updates and info on Twitter/X at @dragracebb or Instagram and Facebook, @DragRaceBracketBonanza.
 
For additional information and to sign up anytime fans can visit www.dragracebracketbonanza.com.
 

October 25, 2023

The No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team is headed home this weekend to compete in the Xfinity 500 at historic Martinsville Speedway.

The venerable half-mile oval, which hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series race in 1949, is the home track of the Wood Brothers, who are from nearby Stuart, Va.

The Woods, who made their Martinsville debut in 1953 with the late team founder Glenn Wood at the wheel of a Lincoln, will be making their 125th Cup start there this weekend.

Martinsville also is home turf for crew chief Jeremy Bullins, who is from Walnut Cove, a North Carolina town just south of the speedway.

Driver Harrison Burton is a North Carolina native but his parents are from South Boston, Va., which is about an hour’s drive east of Martinsville.

Bullins said there are few venues on the Cup circuit as near to his heart as Martinsville Speedway.

“To say I love racing at Martinsville is an understatement,” Bullins said. “I grew up near the track, just into North Carolina, so it’s my home track on the circuit, and my dad used to take me to races there when I was young.   

“I look forward to it every time and can’t wait to be back there with the 21 car.” 

Bullins said he’s encouraged about the team’s prospects this weekend, especially considering Burton’s past results at Martinsville. He won an Xfinity Series race there in the fall of 2020 and sat on the pole and finished seventh the following spring.

“Harrison has had some strong runs there and grew up with a lot of short track racing in his background,” Bullins said. “We have some new variables this week with Goodyear bringing a new tire since the spring race.   

“Qualifying is going to be super important, so we will work hard to get a good starting spot and try to keep our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford up front all day.”

Practice at Martinsville is set for Saturday at 12:35 p.m. Eastern Time and will be followed by qualifying at 1:20. USA Network will carry the TV broadcast.

Sunday’s 500-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2 p.m., with TV coverage on NBC.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 130 and 260.
 

MOORESVILLE, NC (October 24, 2023) — Second year Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso is looking to drive her Powerbuilt Tools/Tequila Comisario Day of the Dead Chevrolet Camaro into the winner’s circle this weekend at the NHRA Nevada Nationals to close out a successful sophomore season. After collecting Rookie of the Year honors last year Caruso won her first national event, the NHRA Arizona Nationals, and taken the trophy as the first ever Pro Stock Allstar Callout champion in 2023. With two more races left on her NHRA schedule Caruso is poised to secure a spot in the Pro Stock Top Ten for the first time and become a multi-time Pro Stock national event winner.

 
“Our Powerbuilt Tools/Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro has been running really well during the Countdown there are just a ton of great cars in this category,” said Caruso. “We just need everything to come together on race day and we could see four win lights for sure. I love that we get four qualifying runs and that will give us some great data. This KB Titan Racing team is looking to have a long day on Sunday.”
 
Racing with KB Titan Racing power for the first time this season Caruso has shown dramatic improvement under the hood and behind the steering wheel. As a rookie driver and team owner last season Caruso’s schedule was packed with team and driver duties. This season under the KB Titan Racing umbrella Caruso has been able to focus on driving and marketing her upstart team. The transition continues to evolve but the ability to focus more on the racecar has been a blessing for Caruso.
 
“Last year coming into Las Vegas we were definitely battling to keep everything together,” said Caruso. “It was the end of our rookie season which was the longest season of my career. I don’t really remember too much about those last few Countdown races last year because so much was going on and we were just trying to do our best. This season has been awesome with KB Titan Racing, Powerbuilt Tools and Tequila Comisario. All our partners have stepped up and we are working on 2024 now so we will be even stronger next season.”
 
This Countdown experience has been a complete turnaround from last year for Caruso as she has advanced to multiple quarterfinals and has held onto her Top Ten position through the first four Countdown races. The challenge this weekend will be the tricky desert and altitude conditions that come with racing The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The support of her team and family will continue to keep Caruso focused on the task at hand.
 
“I couldn’t be out here without my family support,” said Caruso, a third generation drag racer. “My dad and Papa are at almost every race and that is a huge help. My teammates at KB Titan Racing have been super helpful and we all want to try and take out as many competitors to Greg (Anderson) since he has the best shot for the championship from the KB Titan Racing team. Greg, Dallas (Glenn) and Kyle (Koretsky) have been so supportive had helpful this season we want to finish as strong as possible.
 
Caruso and the Powerbuilt Tools/Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro will be on track on Friday at noon and 3 p.m. PT for two qualifying runs. On Saturday they will make their final two qualifying passes at noon and 3 p.m. PT and the quickest 16 Pro Stock race cars will be on track for the first round of eliminations at noon PT on Sunday. The race will be televised nationally on FS1.

NHRA^® Team Report

NHRA Nevada Nationals 

Pre-Race Report

With Las Vegas as the scene of Cruz Pedregon’s epic 2016 Funny Car wheelie, one of drag racing’s all-time memorable moments, the team will be bringing the Snap-on^® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge^® SRT^® Hellcat^® to the Nevada Nationals with renewed energy from recent late-season solid runs.

“We plan to build off the ‘88s we had in Dallas and finish the season strong here in Vegas and at the final race in Pomona…both are tracks we’ve won in the last two years,” Cruz says. “We took home the commemorative 1000^th NHRA Event Wally from Vegas in 2021 and have a history of doing well here.”

This will be the final run this season for the pink paint scheme on Cruz’s El Mero Mero Funny Car body. It’s in honor of the team’s primary sponsor Snap-on and its franchisees for their work that has resulted in more than $1 million in donations to support the PinkFund.org and KellyShiresFoundation.org and the organizations’ important work to cover non-medical expenses of patients undergoing breast cancer treatment. The pink design features the Snap-on Socket to Breast Cancer logo along with the Pink Fund and Kelly Shires Foundation logos. 

Before the race, Cruz rode along on Snap-on Nitro Franchisee Jeff Dages’ route. Jeff was an auto technician for 30 years before taking on his Snap-on franchise. He’s busy motorcycle racing when he’s not working or setting up his camper here at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Follow Cruz and Snap-on on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

To see the latest Cruz news, like his Facebook page, on Twitter, and Instagram.

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 23, 2023) – Super DIRT Week staff members took their seats in the auditorium of the Oswego Community Christian School as the clock neared 8 a.m. Coffee hovered to the lips of most. Eyelids drooped. Muscles, every muscle, fatigued.

It was Monday, Oct. 9. Day nine of Super DIRT Week 51 at Oswego Speedway. For some, day “who knows anymore.” About four inches of rain fell the night before in the area, on top of the rain that had already plagued a promising week on Friday and Saturday.

Jeff Hachmann, Super DIRT Week’s executive director of events, walked between the cluster of chairs and zombified staff members, clipboard in hand, directed toward the podium in front of them all. With no need to spare seconds, he delivered the medicine everyone needed. A message many feared may never come.

“We’re racing.”

For the first time in Super DIRT Week’s 51 years, the northeast epic ran on Monday, producing three unforgettable Features and an unforgettable experience for those involved. Because getting to that point was a trial in overcoming the impossible.

On Saturday, Sept. 30 – more than a week before the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 – Hachmann initiated talks with Precision Weather Service and Meteorologist Wayne Mahar, who provided daily weather updates, to map out what was expected for the week.

Monday through Thursday, great. Friday through Sunday…

As the week progressed, the forecast never improved. With that knowledge, the first proactive move came Wednesday after the city parade, moving all Time Trials to Thursday.

“Knowing what was potentially going to happen over the weekend, we were trying to get to the point where we could set the field,” Hachmann said. “So, if worst case scenario is we don’t get to do anything or time to do anything, we can still run Features. So, that’s why we set all the qualifying on Thursday.

“We were told that Friday was a chance, and that Saturday was our best chance to get racing in. We were always focused on trying to get to Saturday, knowing Sunday, all week long, looked like a complete wash out. The whole intent was to get the fans home on the day they were planning on getting home.”

Mother Nature didn’t care about intents. She closed the initial window to get racing in on Friday and canceled the entire day. But what resulted from that was a moment rarely seen in any form of motorsports. Officials invited all 200-plus drivers on site to a town hall-style meeting to discuss options for the rest of the weekend.

“We had a small group that included, production, officials, operations, track crew, ticketing and PR, that I kept consistent throughout the weekend when making decisions, everything was thought out,” Hachmann said. “But we knew we were starting to mess with format and people’s time and the overall completion of the event and felt like the drivers needed to be up to speed on the situation and give them that one-to-one conversation, give them that opportunity to ask questions, instead of just putting out a press release.”

From the guidance of Precision Weather Service, the best window to get racing in was 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday was never presented as a viable option. Monday was the rain date, but also had a threat of rain and presented several logistical issues.

So with that information, it was decided to try and give drivers and fans all the Features – the Billy Whittaker Cars 200, DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150, DIRTcar Sportsman Chevrolet 75 and DIRTcar Pro Stock 50 – on Saturday. But, to do so, the Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Sportsman Qualifying Heats had to be scrapped. Instead, the Top-30 Super DIRTcar Series qualifiers and Top-26 DIRTcar Sportsman qualifiers would be locked in. Drivers in both divisions would at least get to try and race their way in through Last Chance Showdowns on Saturday. Also, the Sportsman Feature had to be cut to 50 laps and the Pro Stock Feature to 25.

After presenting drivers with the changes at the Friday meeting, Super DIRTcar Series Director Dean Reynolds left surprised and relieved by their unanimous understanding.

“I’ll tell ya, about 260 drivers were at that meeting and only about 10 of them had gripes. And legitimate gripes,” Reynolds said. “I think the one thing we gotta say is the race teams were understanding. They really were. When Doug (Leonard, the Race Director) had the drivers meeting and said what we were going to do and we were going to cut these laps, and everything, we stood there and stayed and really it was some one-on-ones and that was it.

“I think they knew the forecast and I think they really put their trust in us.”

The meeting was a new experience for Jimmy Phelps. In his more than 30 years of racing at Super DIRT Week, he couldn’t recall seeing one like it before.

“I thought that was good,” said Phelps, who also had the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole for the Billy Whittaker Cars 200. “It seemed the decisions were certainly around trying to get it in, trying to get us a paycheck. It was disappointing that we lost the Big Block Heats, but it was probably a good call and a necessary evil. I think everyone made the best decision.

“It was disappointing for some of the fans that couldn’t stay. I didn’t really see that there were too many people upset. Everyone that was there, they were paying attention to what Mother Nature was dealing for a hand.”

With everyone in agreement on Saturday’s plan, track crews massaged and cared for the track in preparation of a massive Super DIRT Week Saturday. In the 50 years of the event, the main Big Block Modified Feature had not run on Sunday only twice – Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005, and Saturday, April 15, 1978.

However, when the day came, the 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. window that had been touted all week tightened to 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Once the rain moved out at 2:45 p.m., the mission for the day became, “go, go, go!” Hachmann said.

Two Super DIRTcar Series Last Chance Showdowns, done. The 25-lap DIRTcar Pro Stock Feature, done. Two DIRTcar 358 Modified Last Chance Showdowns, done. Three DIRTcar Sportsman Last Chance Showdowns, done.

Then, it looked like it was finally going to happen. Big Block Modifieds, accompanied by four wheelers and toolboxes, staged in the infield.

Curious eyes peaked at phones and watches, then quickly veered away. The estimated window was closing. Fast.

With cars in place on pit road and drivers at their cars, the ‘200’ was seconds away from getting the green light. Seconds that turned into a fantasy with the first drop of water from the sky. Hopes of it being a passing cloud vanished as the sprinkle turned into an assault of rain drops.

“It rained hard enough that we knew there was nothing to do,” Hachmann said. “It wasn’t a tough decision. We knew, OK, now we’re in it.”

The release that night said the three remaining Features would be moved to Sunday, but officials would reevaluate the situation in the morning. Hachmann stated there wasn’t much confidence from any party that there would be racing on Sunday as Precision Weather Service called for the day to be a washout all week. But it would’ve been a disservice to fans if the option wasn’t left open.

When he woke up the next morning, the decision was easy. A bucket of precipitation was dropped on Oswego, accompanied by flood warnings and gale warnings.

Wasting no time when he got to the podium in the auditorium of the Oswego Community Christian School – used as the command center for Super DIRT Week staff during the week – Hachmann’s message was clear:

“We’re not racing today.”

Instead, for the next two hours, everyone focused on how to make Monday a reality for the first time in the history of Super DIRT Week. The ticketing department worked out how to accommodate those who could and couldn’t make it back. The track crew devised a plan on what they’d do to have the track ready in the morning. The facilities crew planned out what was needed to keep the grounds in good shape for an extra day. The public relations department constructed messaging and storylines everyone needed to know. Competition directors worked out the best plan of attack to get all the racing in. DIRTVision adjusted broadcast plans for fans who had purchased tickets but couldn’t stay for Monday. The events team meticulously mapped out details for the entire day.

And in addition to the event itself, there were several factors outside of it that needed to be addressed. Flights and rental cars needed to be changed. Hotels needed to be extended. Camper rentals needed to be extended. Internet service needed to be extended on the property. Porta-Johns needed to stay another day. The church school needed to stay closed another day for staff and security. The state needed to extend the event’s mass gathering permit. Oswego City Mayor William Barlow needed to enact an executive order to keep certain roads closed for an extra day. And more, and more.

Monday was the last chance to make Super DIRT Week 51 happen in 2023.

The day presented the largest window of opportunity to get racing in, but Mother Nature tried to throw one more curve ball at ruining the event. Nearly four inches of rain fell Sunday night, putting doubt in the mind of many if racing would still be possible.

“At 6:30 (Monday morning), I texted (the track crew) Larry Fink, Eric Fink and Paul Kirkland, and asked, ‘So, what do you guys think?’ Waiting for the answer to be, ‘We’re flooded, we’re not going to be able to do anything,’” Hachmann said, before pausing. “I’m going to get emotional here… Paul’s answer was, ‘We’ll have cars on the track by 11 (a.m.).’ Wow… Talk about the sunlight popping out of the clouds.”

When Hachmann returned to the podium in front of the group of tired and fatigued staff members for the 8 a.m. Monday morning ready meeting, he, again, wasted no time to deliver a clear message. This time, it dispersed through the audience like a divine message.

“We’re racing,” were words of healing, replacing torturous anxiety with excitement.

Cars rolled to the infield at 10 a.m. as committed fans filed into the grandstands, and the four-wide parade lap for the DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 rolled at 11 a.m. The DIRTcar 358 Modifieds proved the track was even better than many expected with multiple lead changes, a smooth surface and cars able to run multiple lanes.

“The racetrack proved a lot of us wrong,” Phelps said.

The day progressed without a hitch – although Mother Nature, with her ever apparent sense of humor, spit a few sprinkles during the DIRTcar Sportsman race that never evolved into anything more – leading to a historic Super DIRT Week and Billy Whittaker Cars 200, won for the third time by Mat Williamson.

For Hachmann, it was a Super DIRT Week he’d never experienced before. And hopes to never experience again. But, despite the stress and chaos, it’ll forever be one of the most important moments in his career and for the World Racing Group team.

“I look at it as a team effort and we really showed the true colors of our ability to fight adversity and succeed,” Hachmann said. “Albeit all the pain of the rain and the pain of rescheduling and all the changes that had to be made, I’d say this Super DIRT Week had to be one of the most gratifying for myself in the sense that we were challenged, we had to make tough decisions that ended up being good decisions and ended up creating a sense of success for something that could’ve just been a wash.

“I saw something that you don’t always see. There are close to 250 employees and contractors and vendors that work Super DIRT Week and I saw a consistent vison that we are going to get this in. A consistent positive message around the group… On the drop of the green flag on the 358 race, I’ll tell you, a tear came to my eye. It felt good that we got there. We never gave up.”

Fans can renew their tickets for Super DIRT Week 52 at Oswego Speedway, Oct. 7-13, now at SuperDIRTWeek.com or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.

NEW WESTON, Ohio (October 22, 2023) – Brandon Sheppard won his record-tying fifth General Tire Dirt Track World Championship – Presented by ARP on Sunday night at Eldora Speedway. Sheppard tied with Freddy Smith for the most wins in the 43-year history of the race as the Illinois racer earned $100,000 for his victory.  Sheppard who had just enough fuel to coast across the finish line barely edged out Hudson O’Neal for the win in a race that saw a record eight lead changes. The previous high for lead changes was the inaugural Dirt Track World Championship in 1981 where five different drivers led the race. O’Neal with his runner-up finish claimed his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Seres National Championship which will earn him and his car owner Mark Richards a dirt late model record $200,000. O’Neal finished 0.084 seconds behind Sheppard at the finish.  Devin Moran battled with O’Neal for several laps as the two went back and forth to decide the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title. Moran came home in third in the final race rundown which clinched second place in the championship points. Tim McCreadie clinched fifth in the championship points by placing fourth in the Dirt Track World Championship. Dale McDowell rounded out the top five drivers in the 100-lap race.  Jonathan Davenport jumped to the lead at the start and would lead the first six laps of the race. It was a close battle up front with Davenport and Mike Marlar, who led lap seven. O’Neal, who in his last appearance at Eldora won the World 100 in September, came from the sixth position to grab the lead on the eighth circuit. The car on the move was West Virginia’s Tyler Carpenter, who roared from his 17th starting spot to pass O’Neal for the race lead on lap 24. Carpenter was in front until lap 32 when Brian Shirley would become the fifth different driver to lead the race. However, Shirley’s lead was short lived as mechanical issues sent him pit side under caution ending his night. Carpenter, who was third at the time, also pitted during this time. McCreadie would pick up the lead for four laps before Bobby Pierce took command after being involved in an early race caution that also involved Ricky Thornton Jr. who suffered severe right front suspension damage which forced to pit side, loosing several laps in the process. Pierce would stay in front until lap 60 when Sheppard became the eighth and final leader of the race. A caution with 97 laps complete would show Sheppard in front with McCreadie holding down the second spot. On the final restart Sheppard would hold the lead, but his car started to show signs he was low on fuel. O’Neal and Moran were able to close on the final lap, but Sheppard was able to eke out the win. Sheppard, who led the final 40 laps for his 31st career win with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series was relieved to make it to the finish line. “I was able to make it to the line, Hudson almost got me there. That was a pretty crazy end to the night. When I crossed the line for the white flag I ran out of gas. I had just enough gas to make it to the line, every time I have driven this car it has been good all year. It was phenomenal. The first couple of laps I don’t know what happened. I think we knocked the brake line loose on the left rear or something. I came in and the guys got it tightened up. I didn’t have time to get the brakes bled. I went back out and the caution came back out, luckily really quick, and we were able to come in get it bled out. It was perfect after that.” “I went pretty hard there at the beginning just to get some distance just in case the leaders would come around and I would get lapped,” Sheppard added. “There about halfway I was running around the middle to the bottom, and I really felt pretty good there. Also, about midway through the race I found a line that worked pretty good for me through the middle in one and two. Once I saw some of those drivers dropping out, and we were picking a few of them off, I thought I was finally trying to wake up.”O’Neal came up just short of his first Dirt Track World Championship victory, but secured his first Lucas Oil title. “This is unbelievable. It was a war of attrition. I had two flat tires, led at one point, was a lap down at one point, so I had every emotion I could think of that happened during that race. What a race it came down to with me and Devin. It was kind of rough and tumble out there, but the way it came out it made a great race for the championship and it about made it a great race for the win. I think somebody [Sheppard] ran out of fuel coming to the checkered or something. Hats off to my whole team and family. This sport will drive you crazy sometimes, it helps to have a good backdrop of people to rely on.” O’Neal joins his father, Don who won the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title in 2014. “I can’t believe it turned out the way it did. Hats off to the Eldora track crew. They worked their tails off all weekend no matter what the racetrack was they couldn’t help it; they did the best they could. It rained for three days straight they did a great job.”  Moran, earning his best career finish in the Dirt Track World Championship and in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship points, went back and forth with O’Neal in the final laps. “It was a great comeback year. We got off to a good start in Speedweeks and then we really struggled in the first month or two after that. That was about as exciting there at the end as it could get. I think everyone is going to talk about this for a very long time. Thanks to the whole Lucas Oil family for a great series to race with.” The winner’s Sheppard-Riggs Racing, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, True Timber Camo, Dennis G. Woodworth Attorney at Law, Wyld Gear, Riggs Drilling Solutions, Sheppard Auto Sales and Salvage, D&E Marine, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Bilstein Shocks. Completing the top ten were Bobby Pierce, Jimmy Owens, Ricky Thornton Jr., Garrett Smith, and Jonathan Davenport. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 43rd Annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARPSunday, October 22, 2023Eldora Speedway – New Weston, OH Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jimmy Owens | 15.165 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Garrett Smith | 15.370 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 4. 9H-Nick Hoffman[5]; 5. 96V-Tanner English[4]; 6. C4-Freddie Carpenter[6]; 7. 11K-Austin Kirkpatrick[9]; 8. 22*-GR Smith[7]; 9. 3:16-Mike Bargo[11]; 10. (DNS) 18B-Shannon Babb; 11. (DNS) 20C-Duane Chamberlain Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 2. 8S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 17M-Dale McDowell[6]; 4. 12-Jason Jameson[5]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 6. 111B-Max Blair[8]; 7. 21H-Robby Hensley[7]; 8. 88G-Chad Green[9]; 9. 25-Jason Feger[4]; 10. 79-Bill Lewis[10] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 00-Carson Ferguson[3]; 3. 28C-Tyler Carpenter[5]; 4. 69-Jon Hodgkiss[2]; 5. 6JR-Parker Martin[4]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[8]; 7. 3-Austin Neely[7]; 8. 03-Gregg Haskell[9]; 9. (DNS) 111-Steven Roberts; 10. (DNS) 5N-Dustin Nobbe AP1 Insurance Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 3. B5-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[1]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 6. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[8]; 7. 187-David McCoy[7]; 8. 0-Scott Bloomquist[6]; 9. (DNS) 16-Tyler Bruening; 10. (DNS) 63-Terry Rushlow Lucas Oil Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 3. 174-Ethan Dotson[8]; 4. 6-Ross Bailes[3]; 5. 7W-Ricky Weiss[9]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 7. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[10]; 8. 11-Spencer Hughes[4]; 9. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 10. 15K-Cody Overton[5] Lucas Oil Heat Race #6 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 2. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[1]; 3. 22F-Chris Ferguson[6]; 4. 89M-Mike Spatola[3]; 5. 130-Chase Osterhoff[9]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey[5]; 7. S8-Chris Stotts[8]; 8. 49B-Brian Ruhlman[7]; 9. 11A-Austin Smith[4]; 10. (DNS) 8-Rob Anderzack Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 9H-Nick Hoffman[1]; 2. 96V-Tanner English[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 4. C4-Freddie Carpenter[5]; 5. 12-Jason Jameson[2]; 6. 22*-GR Smith[9]; 7. 11K-Austin Kirkpatrick[7]; 8. 21H-Robby Hensley[8]; 9. 3:16-Mike Bargo[11]; 10. 88G-Chad Green[10]; 11. 111B-Max Blair[6]; 12. 79-Bill Lewis[13]; 13. (DNS) 25-Jason Feger UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 10-Garrett Smith[2]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 3. 6JR-Parker Martin[3]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[5]; 5. 187-David McCoy[8]; 6. 3-Austin Neely[7]; 7. 0-Scott Bloomquist[10]; 8. 03-Gregg Haskell[9]; 9. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[6]; 10. 69-Jon Hodgkiss[1] MyRacePass B-Main Race #3 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss[3]; 2. 89M-Mike Spatola[2]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 4. 88-Trent Ivey[6]; 5. 11-Spencer Hughes[9]; 6. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[7]; 7. 49B-Brian Ruhlman[10]; 8. 130-Chase Osterhoff[4]; 9. S8-Chris Stotts[8]; 10. 15K-Cody Overton[13]; 11. 6-Ross Bailes[1]; 12. (DNS) 7-Ross Robinson; 13. (DNS) 11A-Austin Smith Jim Dunn Memorial Non-Qualifier Finish (16 Laps): 1. 12-Jason Jameson[6]; 2. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[2]; 3. 99B-Boom Briggs[4]; 4. 11K-Austin Kirkpatrick[11]; 5. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[10]; 6. 3-Austin Neely[9]; 7. 88G-Chad Green[19]; 8. 187-David McCoy[7]; 9. 49B-Brian Ruhlman[13]; 10. 3:16-Mike Bargo[17]; 11. 6JR-Parker Martin[1]; 12. 79-Bill Lewis[23]; 13. 69-Jon Hodgkiss[20]; 14. 22*-GR Smith[8]; 15. C4-Freddie Carpenter[3]; 16. 130-Chase Osterhoff[16]; 17. (DNS) 88-Trent Ivey; 18. (DNS) 0-Scott Bloomquist; 19. (DNS) 21H-Robby Hensley; 20. (DNS) 03-Gregg Haskell; 21. (DNS) S8-Chris Stotts; 22. (DNS) 15K-Cody Overton; 23. (DNS) 6-Ross Bailes 43rd Annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARP Feature Finish (100 Laps):

Race Statistics  Entrants: 62Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Devin MoranLap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-6); Mike Marlar (Lap 7); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 8-23); Tyler Carpenter (Laps 24-33); Brian Shirley (Laps 34-39); Tim McCreadie (Laps 40-43); Bobby Pierce (Lap 44-59); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 60-100) Wieland Feature Winner: Brandon SheppardArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: Brandon Sheppard Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Brandon Sheppard Margin of Victory: 0.084 seconds Gorsuch Performance Solutions Cautions: Nick Hoffman, Mike Spatola (Lap 7); Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 8); Daulton Wilson (Lap 14); Garrett Smith (Lap 22); Ricky Weiss, Tanner English (Lap 25); Tanner English (Lap 34); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 35); Tyler Carpenter (Lap 40); Tyler Carpenter (Lap 41); Tyler Erb (Lap 74); Bobby Pierce (Lap 95)Series Provisionals: Max Blair; Earl Pearson, Jr.Fast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: Garrett Alberson; Spencer HughesTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Devin MoranPenske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Tim McCreadie, Dale McDowellTodd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Brandon Sheppard (Advanced 13 Positions) Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Jimmy OwensDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Daulton WilsonEarnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (40 Laps) Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.; Hudson O’Neal; Jonathan Davenport; Devin Moran O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Max Blair Etchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 1 – 16.562 seconds) MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Kevin Rumley (Brandon Sheppard) ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brandon Overton (15.165 seconds)Time of Race: 1 hour 24 minutes 19 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:

About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2023, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 56 events across 16 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap.  The series receives national exposure through a television package streamed live via MAVTV on FloRacing, with select broadcasts on MAVTV Motorsports Network.   The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com.

(10/23/23 Ben Deatherage) Bakersfield, California … The 900+ horsepower winged 410’s of the NARC Sprint Car Series, presented by NAPA Auto Parts, will be making their lone 2023 appearance at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park on Saturday, October 28th for the highly-anticipated Halloween Spook-tacular.  This will be your only chance to see the cars and stars of the NARC tour kick the clay up at the action-packed 1/3-mile clay oval. 

“Kern County is such a nice facility and a fast little place,” says Justyn Cox, driver of the Bates-Hamilton Racing #42X entry, “I remember last year it was a little heavy but slick in some spots, but you could pass cars so nothing wrong with that.”

Despite traveling to KCRP in 2017 for the first time, there have been some pretty good races over the years when the NARC 410 Sprint Cars have come to town. Fremont’s Shane Golobic has notched up an incredible win tally with three trips to victory lane, including last year.

Companion divisions for the evening include the W.R.A. Vintage Cars and Southern California Dwarf Cars.  Children wearing Halloween costumes (accompanied by a parent) will be admitted at no charge.  In addition, there will be hayrides through the pit area and a special trick-or-treat session during opening ceremonies at 6:00 p.m.

The weather is predicted to be in the high 70s for the day and low 50s at night, which makes for a perfect fall Saturday to enjoy racing, and with the track conveniently located right next to Interstate 5, there’s no reason you should make the trip with all your family, friends, and acquaintances!

 Who to Watch

Current NARC 410 Sprint Car Series point leader Corey Day is looking to nab his first career KCRP triumph and will be among the favorites to watch.  The Clovis sensation carries a 28-point advantage in the points table, piloting the Meyers Racing #14 entry with just two races left.

Justin Sanders, from Aromas, is the man who trails Day in the current standings. Sanders, aboard the Mittry Motorsports #2x machine, won his lone victory at the facility in October of 2021. He enters the race as the driver who won the last NARC points-paying portion of the Morrie Williams Memorial and overall champion of that event a few weeks ago in Hanford.

Dominic Scelzi has managed to collect two wins at Kern County. The two-time defending series champion from Fresno swept the pair of visits the tour made in 2019 and is anticipating a third trophy to the case.

Cox has a lone start at KCRP, and that came last year when he was called up by the BHR that October. It was an eighth-place finish, and no doubt the Roseville racer is looking to build off that statistic.

Campbell pilot Bud Kaeding will be back in the familiar all-black BK Racing #69.    The 2017 NARC champion has an incredible record at Kern, with no finishes outside the Top 10 and a second-place effort in 2019.  

Chase Johnson may not have won a NARC show at Kern County, but he’s got the most victories of the drivers above. The Penngrove, CA driver has five total wins at the track, including three with the USAC-West Coast 360 series and two with the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets.  His most recent win at KCRP was on October 7th of this year. 

Other NARC 410 Sprint Car Series regulars to expect are Dylan Bloomfield from Oakley, Benicia traveler Billy Aton, and Tucson, Arizona native and rookie of the year candidate Nick Parker. 

Other Central Valley drivers to look out for are Lemoore’s Cole Macedo, Hanford natives Gauge Garcia and 2019 NARC title winner D.J. Netto, Easton teenager Caeden Steele, and many more. 

Some national caliber talent planning to attend are two-time defending USAC-National Midget champion Michael “Buddy” Kofoid from Penngrove and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma’s Ryan Timms.

Fan & Competitor Info

The Dirt Track at Kern County is located at 13500 Raceway Boulevard Interstate 5 and South Enos Lane in Bakersfield.

Ticket prices are $25.00 for Adults, $10.00 for Juniors (6-10), and Kids (5 and Under) are FREE. Kids in costume will be admitted for FREE. 

Pit Gates open at 2:00 pm, Front Gates at 4:00, Hot Laps at 4:40, and Racing is scheduled to kick off around 6:00. 

Additional information is available at www.kernraceway.com. 

The NARC racing format includes qualifying, four 10-lap heat races, an exciting six-lap trophy dash, a 12-lap last chance race, and a 30-lap NAPA Auto Parts-sponsored main event.

The NARC 410 Sprint Series, presented by Napa Auto Parts, is the leading 410 Sprint Car tour west of the Rocky Mountains. Since 1960, they have enthralled countless thousands of fans from tracks up and down the Pacific Coast. For more information, visit their website at www.narc410.com or social media pages.

The event at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park can be viewed live on Floracing.com, along with every NARC 410 Sprint Car Series race.

The NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires, Floracing.com, and NAPA Auto Parts. Associate and product award sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies-Raymond James Financial, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, D & D Roofing, Diversified Machine Inc., Johnstone Supply, Kaeding Performance Center, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, KSE Racing Enterprises, Lifeline LLC, Maxim Racing Products, Mettec Titanium, Pyrotect, Safecraft Safety Equipment, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Scelzi Enterprises, SCI Racing Products, Starr Property Management, Sunnyvalley Bacon, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Lite Brakes, Williams Roofing, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Winters Performance Products.

NARC 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES 
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
(AFTER 18 EVENTS IN 20-RACE SERIES – 10/23/23)

1. Corey Day, Clovis – 2362
2. Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2334
3. Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 2315
4. Justyn Cox, Roseville – 2304
5. Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 2290
6. Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 2228
7. Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 2166
8. Billy Aton, Benicia – 2160
9. Nick Parker, Tucson, AZ (R) – 2143
10. DJ Netto, Hanford – 1581
11. Cole Macedo, Hanford – 1487
12. Tanner Holmes, Central Point, OR – 1483
13. Joel Myers Jr., Sebastopol – 1465
14. Shane Golobic, Fremont – 1381
15. Burt Foland Jr., San Jose (R) -1220
16. Colby Copeland, Roseville – 1207
17. Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton (R) – 1146
18. Joey Ancona, Concord (R) – 1023
19. Karl Hoffmans, Australia – 816
20. Andy Caruana, Australia – 799

Upcoming Events:
November 4th – Stockton Dirt Track – 40th Annual Tribute to Gary Patterson

November 5th – Championship Celebration at the Brookside Country Club in Stockton, CA.

October 22, 2023

Sunday’s 4EVER 400 ended early for Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang.

Burton drove the No. 21 to the garage at the end of the second Stage, his engine done for the day.

It already wasn’t the best of days for the DEX Imaging team. Burton started 28th and moved up to 25th by Lap Nine. He made a green-flag pit stop at Lap 31 and was back in 25th by Lap 47. He finished the first 80-lap Stage in 26th place but one lap behind the leaders.

In the second Stage he ran between 25th and 28th but lost a second lap after a green-flag stop at Lap 128.

He finished the Stage in 29th but retired with an overheated engine during the ensuing caution period, dropping to 36th in the final rundown.

Burton and the No. 21 team now head to the Wood Brothers’ home track, Martinsville Speedway, for next Sunday’s Xfinity 500 on the paper-clip-shaped, half-mile oval.

NASCAR CUP SERIES HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY4EVER 400 PRESENTED BY MOBIL 1TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT OCTOBER 22, 2023

Byron, Allmendinger Take Top-10 Finishes at Homestead-Miami Speedway ·       Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron led Chevrolet to the finish in the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight at Homestead-Miami Speedway – driving his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 to a fourth-place result for the team’s14th top-five finish of the season.  ·       Three drivers from three different Chevrolet teams recorded top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval with Byron leading Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in fifth and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon rounding out the top-10.  ·       Heading into the Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway, William Byron sits third in the points standings with a 30-point advantage over the playoff cutline.

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER4th      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL15th      AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Campers Inn RV Camaro ZL110th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1  The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight elimination race will get underway at Martinsville Speedway with the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, October 29, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.                                                                                                                TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1Finished: 31st“We were outside the top-10 and needed to work our way back up into the top-five there. We needed to catch a lucky caution to be back into the mix. Just ran out of room — I don’t think it was anyone’s fault, just four-wide coming off turn two.” Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident entering pit road in the final stage. Finished: 34thWe know this series is all about inches – taking every inch you can get. I know you were trying to get aggressive to come onto pit road there. Take us through what happened. “Yeah, that’s just it. I was just trying to push it as much as I could. He (Ryan Blaney) had a great car and I felt like if he was to come off pit road the leader, he was going to end up winning the race or beating me. I was just trying to maximize my pit-in, and honestly I felt like I was doing a really good job. I just didn’t anticipate him slowing down as much as he did. But on the replay, it looks like I just missed it by a lot. I need to look at data. I knew where the yellow line was and thought I was going to be under control getting there, and then yeah, he just slowed down – I locked the brakes up, slid to the right and clipped him and the barrels.  I’m pretty upset at myself, more than anything. Whether he got to pit road speed sooner than the yellow line or not, I could have just done a little bit better job judging it. I hope they are able to recover. I hope he can get a good finish or get a win and get the finish that he deserves.  Just a bummer, but we had a great No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy today.” We talked before the race about the fact that you’re already locked-in. You wanted to get this win here today. How frustrating was it? It seemed like you had a great car early on, but as the run went, I could tell the frustration. How much did your car drop off? “There in the middle portion of the second stage, I was racing hard and got my tires hot. If not for that, we would have been able to keep stretching the lead out in the second stage. I just got loose for a few laps, and then I could never recover from it. I was just kind of hanging on there at the end of the second stage and gave him control of the race, and it kind of just led to this. Just have to do a little bit better job.” Was there a point there where you were like – guys, I have to hit the barrels or else I’m going to run into him? “Yeah, I mean honestly, I don’t really know what I was thinking during the initial part. I was trying to stay off him. As I knew I was going to probably hit him, I just locked the brakes up; I locked the fronts up and slid to the right and clipped the right-side of his rear bumper, and that kind of shot me even more right into the barrels.  Yeah, I don’t know – was in control in my car, I just didn’t anticipate him getting to pit road speed as early as he did.” Do you feel like you had a winning car up to that point? “Yeah – we won the first stage and we had a great No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy in the second stage. Just ran hard for a few too many laps; got my right-rear hot and gave him the second stage. But other than that, we were good.”  AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Campers Inn RV Camaro ZL1Finished 5th“Our No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy was really good. We started the race in the 25th position and drove right up into the top-10 there. The track was tricky – you got on one side of the race track and we fought tight through the middle-half of the race. Our crew chief made some really good adjustments there, and we got some more clean air and I was able to make some moves. I thought maybe we were one of the fastest cars there at the end, but overall, just a really solid day. It’s always great when you can get a top-five finish.” How close to the front do you think you go.. do you think you could have had just a little bit more? “Well don’t get me wrong, it entered my head what the four people in front of me were racing for, so I was never going to force the issue. I was going to take it if I had an opportunity. It was just a great day. We executed the best job on pit road all year. The guys did a great job, so I’m happy.” How good were you at riding up high against the fence? “I didn’t have to ride up against the fence. With this car around this place, you can find different lanes that work. It was a lot of fun.” William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1Finished 4thThat last run there – you got up towards the front; kind of slipped back a little bit, but still finished up in the top-five. Take us through that last run.“We just didn’t have the turn in our car to go into a run, so we just struggled there to fire-off. I was doing all I could to air-block; move my line around and try to take his air, but it just wasn’t enough. I couldn’t get through the middle well enough to maintain pace.  But our No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet was really solid all day. We just needed more there at the end, but we had good execution, good pit stops and put ourselves in position to win.” Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1Finished: 14th“Just an OK, up-and-down, day for the No. 43 Allegiant Chevy team. We had some good runs and some bad runs, but overall, ended up with a decent day. We needed that. We’ve had some bad finishes; some weren’t necessarily all our fault; we were just in a bad spot. It’s nice to come home with an OK day, and hopefully go to Martinsville (Speedway) and get it a little bit better.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES: STAGE ONE: ·       Coming off his win in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 team led the field to the green-flag in the 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. ·       Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron took the green-flag from the seventh position and quickly went to work to climb the leaderboard – moving his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 into the top-five less than 10 laps into the race. Just after reporting to his team that his Camaro ZL1 was building tight, Byron made a pass on then-race leader Martin Truex Jr. – ultimately taking the lead on lap 20. ·       The first round of green-flag pit stops got underway just shy of the halfway mark in Stage One. Continuing to pace the field, Crew Chief Rudy Fugle called Byron down pit road on lap 34 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment – returning to the track in the seventh position. ·       As the field cycled through upon completion of green-flag pit stops, Team Chevy’s playoff contenders Larson and Byron continued to lead the Bowtie brigade in the second and third positions, respectively, with 30 laps remaining in Stage One. ·       Larson quickly closed the gap on then-race leader Brad Keselowski to under a one-second margin. Despite reporting tight conditions on exit in his Camaro ZL1, Larson was able to make a pass for the lead and settle into the top position with 27 laps to go in the stage. ·       Continuing to work his way through traffic, Larson built nearing a three-second lead when the first caution of the race came out with four laps to go in the stage. Unable to return to green-flag conditions before the end of the stage, Larson led the field to the completion of Stage One – marking his eighth stage win of the season. ·       Team Chevy Stage One: Top-101st      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL14th      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL18th      Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1 STAGE TWO:·       Under the stage break, Larson reported that the handling of his Camaro ZL1 was good while running the bottom and middle lines, but he was struggling with tight conditions as he moved closer to the wall. Looking to improve the handling conditions in the top lane, Crew Chief Cliff Daniels called Larson to pit road for four tires, fuel and a round of adjustments – maintaining the top position in the race off pit road to lead the field to the start of Stage Two. ·       Larson was able to defend the lead at the drop of the green-flag, going on to build a nearly one-second lead when the race hit the 100-lap marker. Continuing to click-off laps running his Camaro ZL1 just inches off the wall, crew chief Daniels called Larson to pit road on lap 114 to start the next round of green-flag pit stops. Continuing to struggle with tight conditions against the wall, Daniels called for another round of adjustments on the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1. Getting back up to race pace, the benefit of four fresh tires proved dividends – clocking-in lap times nearly four mph faster than the leaders that had yet to make their scheduled stops. ·       As the final lead-lap car came to pit road, Larson returned to command of the race – already building on his 4.5-second lead over second-place Keselowski with 35 laps to go in the stage. ·       Racing hard in traffic during the closing laps of the stage, Larson’s pace started to fade, allowing Ryan Blaney and Byron to close the gap to the race leader. Both drivers were able to make the pass on the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 with three laps remaining in Stage Two en route to the green-white checkered flag. ·       Team Chevy Stage Two: Top-102nd      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL13rd      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL19th      Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1 FINAL STAGE / POST-RACE NOTES: ·       Following back-to-back top-five stage results, Byron was looking for “longer rear longevity” at the end of the run. Fresh with feedback, crew chief Fugle called Byron to pit road during the stage break for four tires, fuel and both a chassis and air pressure adjustment. Choosing the bottom lane for the restart, Byron and the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 team led the field to the green-flag for the start of the final stage. ·       Also pitting during the stage break, Larson chose fifth for the green-flag marking 94 laps to go in the race. With the start of the final stage underway, Larson slowly started to make gains on the leaders – moving into the runner-up position 20 laps into the stage. ·       With another round of green-flag pit stops underway, Larson brought out a caution at lap 215 following an incident entering pit road. Damage sustained on his No. 5 HendrickCars.comCamaro ZL1 was deemed too much to repair – resulting the team to retire early from the race.·       With 39 laps to go, Byron was running in the second position in a three-wide battle for the lead when the caution flew. Crew chief Fugle called Byron down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment – with the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 pit crew getting the driver off pit road first for the restart. ·       At the restart with 25 laps to go, Byron powered his Camaro ZL1 to the lead – pacing the field until the Christopher Bell made a pass around Byron for the lead, with the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 ultimately taking the checkered-flag in the fourth position.

Gravel snags first Devil’s Bowl win with thrilling finish in the track’s final raceMESQUITE, TX (Oct. 21, 2023) – The anticipation was sky high. The final race at the birthplace of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars in 1978 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway. The stands were filled to capacity. Could the finale live up to the hype?Absolutely it could.After chasing James McFadden for the entirety of the 30-lap finale, David Gravel saw an opening on the final lap and capitalized. With the checkered flag in sight, Gravel slipped to McFadden’s outside coming out of Turn 4, the two touched wheels, and Gravel stole the victory at the finish line.The thousands of fans rose to their feet to watch a photo finish with a .015 second margin of victory. Oddly enough, the lapped car right next to them was none other than Riley Goodno, who was driving a car that paid tribute to Kenny Woodruff’s machine that Jimmy Boyd took to Victory Lane in the first ever World of Outlaws race at Devil’s Bowl. The perfect punctuation to the decades of Devil’s Bowl history.“What a way to send off Devil’s Bowl. How about that?” Gravel said., “I’m sick of running second. I saw a stat that I ran six seconds in the last 10 races, so that was way too many. I was sending it no matter what. I know Carson (Macedo) and Brad (Sweet) were having trouble, but at the end of the day, I’ve just got to try to win races no matter what they do. Happy to finally get one.”Gravel’s win at Devil’s Bowl marked his first at the Mesquite, TX track in his 17th attempt with The Greatest Show on Dirt. The Watertown, CT’s 87th career Series victory gives him sole possession of 10th all-time, breaking a tie with Daryn Pittman. On the track’s final night of racing, the Big Game Motorsports driver became the 30th different competitor to win a World of Outlaws race at the birthplace of the Series.Gravel started the race in the second spot with McFadden to his inside on the pole after the two ran first and second in the Toyota Racing Dash. McFadden jumped ahead early on, but a major moment in the race came on a restart with 2 laps complete. Lining up in the second row, teammates Brad Sweet and Kasey Kahne came together resulting in both of them flipping on the front straightaway.Sweet, the points leader, brought the battered KKR #49 to the Federated Car Care Work Zone in need of many repairs. After non-stop thrashing on the Napa Auto Parts machine, Sweet was able to rejoin the field. On the ensuing restart, McFadden again powered ahead of Gravel to maintain the top spot. Way back in the field, Sweet began picking through cars. But trouble struck again for the four-time champion as his left rear tire shredded on the eighth lap. Back to the Work Zone Sweet went, and back to the track be returned with a new tire.The race endured a couple more yellow flags over the next dozen laps, and the last one helped set up a finish for the ages. McFadden favored the low line of the racetrack in the latter stages while Gravel looked to the top to locate a potential lane by McFadden. As the laps dwindled, Gravel managed to continue cutting into McFadden’s advantage. When the two reached traffic with only a handful of laps to go, Gravel had his momentum built up and was ready to make a move.On the final lap, McFadden found himself stuck behind a slower car in the preferred inside line. While the bottom might’ve been faster, Gravel had no intentions of staying behind and settling for second after posting six runner-ups in the previous 10 races.As the two screamed out of Turn 4 on the last lap, Gravel found enough momentum and space to squeeze through to the outside. McFadden stayed heavily on the gas, but the momentum and win belonged to David Gravel and his Big Game Motorsports team by inches over McFadden.Gravel put his name in the record books as the final driver to top a World of Outlaws race at Devil’s Bowl with an all-time finish.“Obviously, I wasn’t alive in 1978,” Gravel said. “But this is where it all started. It’s cool to put my stamp on the end of the race. What a great crowd tonight, probably the biggest crowd ever in the history of Devil’s Bowl.”It was a bitter pill to swallow for McFadden who claimed the runner-up spot after leading the entire race except the final few feet in the Roth Motorsports #83. And even though disappointed, McFadden kept the larger perspective in mind of the fans being treated to a memorable conclusion to Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s last race.“It sucks to lose it by a nose,” McFadden said. “But it’s a good way to send the place off. Hopefully the fans enjoyed that. My car was really, really good, but then sort of over the last eight laps I got really, really tight.”Rounding out the final Devil’s Bowl podium was Donny Schatz aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15. The 10-time champion moved forward from ninth and even passed Gravel at one point for second before slipping back a spot.“We thought when we got racing with David there we were going to have a chance to get going,” Schatz explained. “I moved up the racetrack a little bit and got in his dirty air, and for some reason I was just stuck. I kept trying it. We got by him, but once I got myself back in clean air I was kind of in trouble and he went back by.”Giovanni Scelzi and Cory Eliason completed the top five. Scelzi also claimed the KSE Racing Hard Charger after advancing from 15th to his fourth place finishing position.After flipping and two trips to the Federated Car Care Work Zone, Brad Sweet managed to drive all the way back up to seventh. Gravel’s win brought him within 50 points of Sweet with only the World Finals remaining.Sweet snagged the Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award, his fourth in the last five races.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to Kasey Kahne. NOS Energy Drink Heats Two and Three were topped by Sheldon Haudenschild and Spencer Bayston.Logan Schuchart won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars wrap up the 2023 season and crown a champion with four nights of World Finals action at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Nov. 1-4. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[2]; 2. 83-James McFadden[1]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[9]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[15]; 5. 11-Cory Eliason[14]; 6. 5-Spencer Bayston[4]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet[3]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart[19]; 9. 7S-Robbie Price[20]; 10. 1-Brenham Crouch[16]; 11. 20G-Noah Gass[10]; 12. 4-Austin Mundie[22]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[11]; 14. 41-Carson Macedo[13]; 15. 1J-Danny Jennings[18]; 16. J2-John Carney II[8]; 17. 21W-Riley Goodno[21]; 18. (DNF) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[17]; 19. (DNF) 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]; 20. (DNF) 95-Matt Covington[24]; 21. (DNF) 9-Kasey Kahne[6]; 22. (DNF) 84-Scott Bogucki[7]; 23. (DNF) 52-Blake Hahn[12]; 24. (DNF) 19-Ayrton Gennetten[23]

October 21, 2023

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang are set to start 28th in Sunday’s 4EVER 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Burton took that spot with a lap at 166.287 miles per hour in Saturday morning’s qualifying session.

In practice earlier on Saturday, Burton was 23rd on the speed chart with a best lap at 165.320, which he posted on the second of the 27 laps he ran in the session.

He was 19th best among drivers who ran 10 consecutive laps with a speed of 161.751 mph over his first 10 laps.

Sunday’s 4EVER 400, named in honor of retiring driver Kevin Harvick who drives the No. 4 Ford, is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2:30 p.m., with TV coverage on NBC.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165. 
 

Seventh Consecutive Title for Camaro SS

DETROIT (October 21, 2023) – With two races remaining, Chevrolet has clinched the 2023 Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. JRM Motorsports’ Sam Mayer’s win in the series’ second race of the Round of Eight at Homestead-Miami Speedway delivered the Bowtie Brand the Bill France Performance Cup for a series-leading 25th time.  The Chevrolet Camaro made its debut as the automaker’s flagship vehicle in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2013, and has since earned nine titles in the series with 2023 marking its seventh consecutive title-winning season.  “It is a tremendous honor earning the Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the seventh consecutive year,” said Jim Campbell, General Motors U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “Thank you to the Chevrolet drivers, crew chiefs and teams for all of their hard work to contribute valuable points toward this special championship.” Seven drivers have recorded a combined 16 wins in the Camaro SS this season, led by Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer with four wins each. Mayer’s teammate and fellow playoff contender Justin Allgaier has collected three wins. Kaulig Racing has four wins with three different drivers, including series rookie Chandler Smith (one) and Team Chevy NASCAR Cup Series drivers AJ Allmendinger (two) and Kyle Larson (one). Jordan Anderson Racing also collected its first-ever NASCAR Xfinity Series win with Jeb Burton. Team Chevy’s Sheldon Creed, Josh Berry, Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Parker Kligerman also contributed to the title with valuable points throughout the season.  “Thank you to all of the Chevrolet teams who work hard each and every week to make this Manufacturer Championship possible,” said Shane Martin, GM Racing Program Manager for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. “Every point matters during the season to reach this accomplishment. I’m very proud of the team effort and contributions made by everyone involved in this program, and look forward to racing for a Driver Championship.” The end of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season saw Austin Hill take the title, leading Chevrolet to a manufacturer-leading nine playoff contenders. Now reaching the Round of Eight, five Team Chevy drivers remain in title contention with Mayer’s win at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval punching his ticket into the Championship Four and the opportunity to compete for the Chevrolet’s 22nd NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Championship title.   # # # #

NASCAR CUP SERIES HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY4EVER 400 PRESENTED BY MOBIL 1TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT OCTOBER 21, 2023

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with the media ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Media Availability Quotes:  Obviously the high line here is talked about every time we come here. Why is it so important to be able to run the wall well here? “I don’t know, for me it is.. it’s important. It seems to be how I’ve figured out how to go fast here. You have to be comfortable against the wall and I know there’s a lot of drivers that aren’t that comfortable against it. So that gives guys like myself and (Tyler) Reddick an advantage when we come here.  Yeah, I don’t know. It just seems like the Next Gen car is a little bit easier to run up against the wall. It was a big advantage last year on the long run and hopefully we’ve gotten our car better on the short run, but still really good on the long run like we were last year.” (Inaudible)“Well I don’t know. It’s obviously a longer way around, but you can get to the gas so early. As long as you’ve entered high enough, you can get to the gas early and just build that momentum and the lap times just compounds from there. I know last year, there were points of the race on the long runs where we’d be like three-quarters of a second faster. Just being able to enter with a lot of speed and then carry a lot of speed on exit.” What is it like being a driver coming into a race where, you want to win obviously, but you’re already set for Phoenix. What is the mindset for you guys and how does that feel when everyone else you’re competing against has all this pressure? “I don’t know. Obviously the pressure is a lot less than what other drivers are feeling, but I feel like I want to win just as bad as everybody else does, too. I’m not treating this weekend, or these next two weekends, like they don’t matter. I think they matter just as much to me as everybody else, but it’s nice not having to think about the points or feel the pressure all week. Yeah, as the rounds go on, you definitely feel more pressure. I’ve only been in the Round of Eight three times, and two of them, I won the first race. So I don’t really remember, honestly, what the pressure is like. But I know what it’s like in the other rounds and I know what I felt like at the ROVAL, so I can only imagine that as each race moves on, you feel more pressure and that’s not a fun feeling.” How much of this week was spent on Homestead and how much was spent on Phoenix?“For me, zero on Phoenix (Raceway).. all Homestead (Miami Speedway). Yeah, I mean obviously your mind thinks about Phoenix a little bit, but I haven’t watched any film. I haven’t looked at any data or anything like that. I love this weekend. I love Homestead and just trying to watch as much video of this place as I could to get my mind ready to run the wall.” What do you remember that you did well a couple of years ago at Phoenix to win the title that you hope to repeat? “Well we started the weekend off by getting the pole.. that was huge to get the number one pit stall. And then in the race, at different points, we had a good car. And then in other points, we weren’t. I felt like at certain points of the race, all four of us had the best car. Not that we had the best car at the end of the race, but our pit crew did a really good job and that number one pit stall paid off. So yeah, going back, obviously I know how important that pit stall is, so you put a big emphasis on qualifying. We had a weekend similar to 2021 earlier this year in the spring – getting the pole and then just didn’t execute the last restart right. Looking at those sort of little mistakes that we had in the spring, and then also just try to execute like we did in 2021, I think is where my mind is at on what we need to do to win the championship. And two, you need a fast car, which I know we will and we’ll have a good weekend.” Normally on your schedule, you’re a busy dude. You’re going from this race, to that race – from what I understand, correct me if I’m wrong, you’ve kind curtailed that now that the championship is getting closer. Is it more pressure not to be doing all that stuff because you get in a groove, or is there a sense of FOMO or anything? “I mean I’d be racing if there were races to run. It’s not that I cut it back because I want to focus on this. It’s more that there’s no more mid-week racing left. I’m not going to race in Texas last night and then come to Homestead and be in the media center at 8 a.m. the next day (laughs).  Yeah, I just can’t race. It’s been a busy week. I tested the late model on Monday. And then we’ve been in Oklahoma Wednesday and Thursday, and then flew here yesterday. Owen was there racing. I think next week is fairly calm for me, and then it’s Phoenix and my racing picks back up after that.  Yeah, it’s not that I’m cutting back because I need to. I’m cutting back because I don’t have the opportunity to go race.” In the Next Gen era – of all the ovals, is this the track where the driver can do the most or control the most with the ability to run the high line, or are there other tracks where the driver can make that much of a difference?“Yeah, I mean I don’t know – that’s a good question. I won this race last year, so I want to say it’s all driver, but I don’t know. I think for whatever reason, it didn’t seem like you could run the wall quite as good as I could last year, so we were able to have a big advantage on the long run. But yeah, I don’t know – I still think it’s a little harder to pass, probably, than what the old car would have been potentially. I don’t know – I spent most of the race in the lead last year, but when I caught traffic and stuff, it looked like there were like big groups of people like it was tough to pass.  Yeah, I don’t know – hopefully our car is good again and we can be upfront the whole race; have good pit stops, restarts, stuff like that. But yeah, I think regardless, I do think Homestead is probably a track where the driver probably means a little bit more than somewhere else.” Can you refresh my memory how you figured out that the high line was going to work so well for you here? “Well I remember when I ran the truck race here in 2012, that was my first time here. We had a really good race and led some of it. I got to battle with Kyle Busch for a while. I was running fairly high and then he passed me and stuck his hand out the window and told me to get higher, so I just started running as high as I could. There were points in the corner where I’d get really close to the wall and once you do that a few times, you can feel the effect that the right-side of the car has against the wall. So then over time, you start pushing it – entering higher and you start getting to the wall at an earlier point in the corner and eventually you just end up running up next to the wall the whole lap. I watched a little bit of my first Xfinity race I ran here in 2013 last night and just seeing the difference of how I ran back then – even back then, I cheated the entry some and would slide up to the wall. I think just as years go on, like I said, you just get more comfortable entering higher. Obviously they’re reading lap times off to you and you can feel it, too. But when you read a lap time off that’s two-tenths better than the lap before, you know that it was faster so you just keep pushing it. Obviously I’ve hit the wall here a lot, but to get comfortable, you have to make those mistakes.” (No Mic.)“(Laughs) No, he wasn’t flipping me off, I know that. Maybe he wasn’t saying that back then, but he did that again somewhere this year. He passed me and like stuck his hand out. I asked him later, I was like – what were you telling me.. I was already running the top. And he said – no, that was me telling you that I was going to run the bottom and I’m going to leave you a lane up top for some fresh air. So maybe that’s what he was telling me back then, but I took it as I needed to run higher. Like I was this young rookie – I mean it was only my fourth-ever truck race at the time, so I took it as I needed to get higher, so I just started running higher and passed him back a few laps later and we’ve been really good here ever since.” You seem to have an ability at the extreme lane that not everybody has. Tyler Reddick is kind of the same way. Does that relate, at all, to all the years the two of you spent banging cushions in sprint cars and midgets over the years? “Yeah, I mean I definitely think coming from the background that we have, it definitely helps. I think Homestead, to me, it reminds me a lot of Eldora (Speedway) – the way both ends are.. the way you kind of cup into turn one. Three and four seems a little flatter and all that, but you still run against the wall. It just feels similar to me. And then, also the feel that you get of packing the air against the wall, kind of feels like running a soft cushion at a dirt track.  Yeah, I think that’s why dirt guys kind of excel here. I can’t think of any pavement-background driver that is really comfortable against the wall. Maybe (Martin) Truex Jr., he’s really good. Denny (Hamlin) is good on occasion running the wall. But yeah, Reddick and myself, we seem to be really good at running the wall here.” Somes drivers say you can actually hear the sound – do you go off the sound.. are you able to do that when you’re running the wall if you can’t see as well? Have you been in that situation? I don’t think for Cup here, that the sun will be a problem.. “Yeah, I think you use all your senses. You use sight, sound, feel.. all that. The sound gets really loud as you touch the wall, so you don’t really want it to change too much. But yeah, the sun is really bad in (turn) one, so I’m guessing that’s where he (Cole Custer) was talking about it being difficult. As it gets later into the day, it’s kind of right in your eyes on the high line into turn one, and it needs to get behind the suites and stuff there in one to be able to see well enough again.  But yeah, I think I just more go off the feel of the air pushing against your car and the wall. That’s kind of where I get most of my feel from I think, but I’m sure sound, as well.” How often in your mind are you completely sure that you’re there at that line and not going over it, and how many times would you take the chance when you’re running the wall to get so much closer?“You still get into the wall – like last year, I ran up next to the wall the whole race basically. You scuff it a little bit here and there. It’s less of a penalty now to scrap the wall now as it was with the old car because the bodies are so tough. So that allows you to be a little bit more aggressive with how close you get to the wall, I feel like.  But yeah, I don’t know – you race these cars every weekend so you get a good feel for the proximity of yourself to the wall and others. So yeah, that helps. And two, like I said, you can just feel it – you can feel the air really easily, so that is a good gauge, for sure.” You finished second at Martinsville Speedway. Do you have any recollection of what was going on behind you with Ross Chastain? “Yeah, I was in second, but I remember – like they didn’t say anything on the radio or anything like that, but I came off turn four. You look in the mirror to see kind of how close the guy is behind you, and I remember just seeing something kind of going on… like coming off turn four, there was a new car in my mirror, so that’s all I really remember from that. And then you see the replay and all that. Yeah, that was crazy, for sure, and I’m sure we’ll see the highlight of it a million more times as we lead into Martinsville. But yeah, that was definitely wild.” As Owen gets older, does he have a little bit more of an understanding and appreciation of what dad is doing going for a championship? “I don’t know – that would be a good question, I think, for him. He would get nervous if you were asking him a question, I’m sure.  I don’t know – I think he understands what we did last week and what that means for a few weeks from now. But I don’t know if he thinks it’s like cool.. I don’t know what he thinks about it (laughs).  I know he knows that we get to race for a championship and all that. Even Audrey, she was three years old – she sees the pictures of her sitting in the trophy and all that, and she understands what that races means a little bit. Maybe not to the magnitude that all of us think that race is and what a championship really means to somebody. But yeah, I think as he gets older and all my children get older, they’ll understand a little bit more. I think when a kid is that young, dad’s not really that cool yet (laughs), so I think as they get older, they’ll really appreciate it even more.” You were talking earlier about things you learned at Phoenix. Are there things, even with the success of 2021, that you’ll look to go back and change this time around? “No, I mean I feel like that whole week was a great experience last time. It’s your first opportunity at a championship, so there’s a lot of friends and family coming and all that. That was really special to me, and basically the same group of people are already planning on coming this trip. So yeah, hang out with them – grab dinner and all that. Try and treat it as a fairly normal week and not try to distance myself from my friends and family. So yeah, I plan on doing basically the same stuff I did last time.  I’m curious how media week will be different. Stuff like that will probably be a little bit different.. where that location is and stuff like that. But yeah, my friends and family are really important to me, so it was awesome they were there last time and we got to celebrate afterwards. I’m happy that they’re coming back and hopefully we’ll get to celebrate again later that night.” Looking back on the championship race in 2021 – I think four of the five pit crew members on your team today were pitting your car back then. To see them be able to continue to be an elite crew despite the change from the five lugs to the single lug – how important has that been to the success of the No. 5 team, and is there any kind of bond you have with those guys since they’ve been on your car for so long? “Yeah, I mean they’ve been in the sport for a long time, even before I got into the sport. So I’m not sure how many championships a few of them have, but it’s got to be a lot because they were on Jimmie’s (Johnson) team, as well. But yeah, this year for sure, they’ve done a great, great job. In 2021, they were the best pit crew all season. This year, they’ve been in the top two or three all season. A big improvement from where they were at last year.. I think there was a lot to be learned with the new style of pit stops last year, and it just took them a little bit of time. But all season, they’ve been really strong. All of Hendrick Motorsports, really, has been really strong on pit road.  Yes, they’ve been important to every one of our wins this year. To win a Cup Series race, it just takes your whole team, for sure. Like last week, we gained two spots on pit road – got control of the race for the last run and that was it. Richmond, Darlington.. they’re a part of every win in a big way.  Yes, I hope we can continue that. I think what I like the most about them is that they’re the best when it matters at the end of the race. That’s really important to win these races.” Do you have a favorite Kevin Harvick story on the track? “I’ve just really enjoyed racing with him. He’s such a tough racer. I feel like he can do a lot more with his race car than most drivers can. I’ve had some great battles with him. I think he’s only been mad at me like one time, so that’s pretty good, I feel like. He probably doesn’t even remember when he was mad.” What was he mad about? “It was Phoenix.. I don’t know, a long time ago. He was battling to make it into the Championship Four. There was a restart – I think Joey (Logano) ended up winning the race, but he was second row and I was third row, inside. I didn’t even like get in there, but I just kind of showed my nose and he was mad about that. He came down afterwards – I can’t remember exactly what he said, but I explained to myself that he wasn’t going to win anyways and he was fine with it afterwards. That went smoother than I thought it was going to. He was walking over and I was kind of scared (laughs). He’s just an intense guy.” What about off the track? “Off the track, I just really appreciate, notice and pay attention to how great of a father he is. How dedicated he is to Keelan, for sure, but even his daughter Piper. You can tell she’s a daddy’s girl, and Audrey is a daddy’s girl, as well. So yeah, watching him balance all of that. I feel like his kids are very well behaved and very mature for their ages. So yeah, just try to pay attention to how he parents and put a little bit of that into my parenting, as well.”

Macedo takes the Jason Johnson Racing #41 back to Devil’s Bowl Victory Lane for seventh with of the season

MESQUITE, TX (Oct. 20, 2023) – Throughout his time in racing, Jason Johnson always viewed Devil’s Bowl Speedway as one of his favorite tracks. The Mesquite, TX oval is roughly five hours from Johnson’s hometown of Eunice, LA. The “Ragin’ Cajun” experienced plenty of success at the half mile including a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victory in 2017.

And on Friday night, current Jason Johnson Racing pilot – Carson Macedo – honored Johnson with a win at Devil’s Bowl on night one of the Sprint Car Stampede. 

The Lemoore, CA native started on the pole of the 25-lap Feature and delivered a phenomenal drive. A strong start. A timely lane change. And excellent movement through traffic ushered Macedo to his first checkered flag at the historic facility during the track’s final weekend.

After the checkers, members of Johnson’s family joined the celebration. A jubilant Jaxx (Jason’s son) rose atop the wing of the Albaugh #41 with Macedo as the crowd roared. The Jason Johnson Racing machine made it back to Devil’s Bowl Victory Lane.

“It’s really special,” Macedo commented. “Devil’s Bowl has got a lot of history. The Johnson family, a lot of them are from this area or close to it and it’s special for them. Craig and Debra are here – Jason’s parents. Bobbi and Jaxx. Jaxx was able to get up on the wing with me.

“My guys just did an incredible job. Philip and Brooke (Dietz) owning this #41 car, they give us first class equipment. And Philip, Clyde (Knipp), and Nate (Repetz) just executed all night. I feel like we laid down a really respectable lap in Qualifying. We were able to get into the Dash, win the Dash from second, and then capitalize on that pole starting spot and lead every lap of the Feature.”

Macedo is up to 35 career victories with The Greatest Show on Dirt, moving him within one of tying Shane Stewart for 20th on the all-time win list. Devil’s Bowl becomes the 23rd different track where Macedo owns a World of Outlaws triumph. It’s Macedo’s second win in the state of Texas, and this one makes him and the JJR crew $12,000 richer.

Courtesy of topping the Toyota Racing Dash, Macedo led the field to green and jumped out to an early advantage. 

An early caution with five laps complete set up a pivotal restart. Macedo darted ahead again, but second-starting David Gravel didn’t allow him to escape. Gravel ripped the cushion aboard the Big Game Motorsports #2 while Macedo stayed in the grip down low. The different lines allowed Gravel to close in. But right when it looked as if he may slip around him, Macedo shifted to the top to take the line.

“I didn’t really know where to be in (Turns) 3 and 4, especially early. It seemed to kind of be letting go on me a little bit there off of (Turn) 4,” Macedo explained. “I didn’t feel like I could get off that corner as nice as I wanted to. I could look over and see Gravel kind of trailing my right rear (tire) on the top and decided it was time to move up and felt pretty good after that.”

After moving to the top, Macedo began to pull away again as the race cleared the halfway mark. Behind him, Gravel and a surging Brad Sweet were in a duel for second. Sweet closed on Gravel’s tail tank multiple times but couldn’t quite find a lane around.

As the race dipped inside of five laps to go, both Gravel and Sweet closed on Macedo as he struggled with a slower car. The lead was trimmed below half a second with only three circuits remaining. But Macedo delivered the winning move by clearing the lapped car coming to the white flag and driving by another in the final set of turns to keep the challengers behind him and lock up the victory and end a 16-race winless streak.

“I was really nervous at the end there,” Macedo admitted. “That lapper at the end there, I was having a really hard time guessing where he was going to go. He’d kind of last minute lane change down to the bottom and kind of halfway miss it, but then grab the grip and just mess up my air enough to where my pace was slowing way down.

“Sprint Car racing is a weird thing. You could have all the tools in the world, good equipment, an amazing mechanic in Phil Dietz, and two great guys in Clyde and Nate, and I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job, but still just not quite get the job done, not winning races. And you start to kind of doubt yourself and get in a little bit of a slump. But, man, Devil’s Bowl is a great place to get out of that.”

Behind Macedo, Gravel held off Sweet to claim the runner-up spot, his sixth second place finish in the last 10 races. The Watertown, CT native increased his Series-leading podium total to 33 in 2023. The repeated runner-ups without a win continued to fuel Gravel’s hunger for a trip back to Victory Lane before the season wraps up.

“I felt like Carson was just as good as us, and I thought Brad was just as good. I heard him a few times, as well,” Gravel said. “It’s just like playing a game of chess. A guy goes high and you go low and vice versa. It sucks. We’ve finished second a lot this year. It’s not a bad thing, but you definitely want to win.”

Rounding out the top three was the championship point leader – Sweet. Another solid run contributing toward his ongoing effort of a fifth straight title as he allowed Gravel to only take two points out of the gap between the two. The difference now sits at 64 points with four races to go. Sweet felt if he could’ve lined up a little closer to the front, he might’ve been able to wheel the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 to the win.

“We made some really good adjustments for the A (Feature) and were able to kind of drive up through there and honestly contend there for second,” Sweet said. “And I didn’t feel like Carson was pulling away. I felt like we had a car capable of winning, just needed a little track position. It was definitely getting slicker and more technical.”

Completing the top five was Spencer Bayston and Robbie Price notching a season-best run of fifth.

Sheldon Haudenschild grabbed the KSE Racing Hard Charger with a 19th to 13th drive, his Series-leading seventh Hard Charger of the year.

Brad Sweet snagged his third Simpson Performance Products QuickTime in the last four races, fifth overall in 2023, and the 74th of his career.

CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to David Gravel. James McFadden and Spencer Bayston topped NOS Energy Drink Heats Two and Three.

Sheldon Haudenschild won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Noah Gass after he climbed as high as eighth in the Feature before slipping to 20th.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are back at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 21 for the final race at the birthplace of the Series. The finale of the Sprint Car Stampede will pay $20,023 to the winner and $1,978 to start. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[6]; 4. 5-Spencer Bayston[4]; 5. 7S-Robbie Price[3]; 6. 83-James McFadden[5]; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[9]; 8. 1T-Tanner Holmes[8]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[12]; 10. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[14]; 11. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[15]; 12. 52-Blake Hahn[11]; 13. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[19]; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart[13]; 15. 1-Brenham Crouch[7]; 16. 95-Matt Covington[17]; 17. 84-Scott Bogucki[21]; 18. 9-Kasey Kahne[20]; 19. 11-Cory Eliason[18]; 20. 20G-Noah Gass[10]; 21. 72-Harli White[16]; 22. 87J-Jace Park[23]; 23. J2-John Carney II[22]; 24.

11th Title for Silverado

DETROIT (October 21, 2023) – Chevrolet has clinched the first championship title of the season in the NASCAR national ranks by earning the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) Manufacturer Championship. This marks the 11th time in NCTS history that Chevrolet has captured the title.  Chevrolet has been racing the Silverado model exclusively in the NCTS since the series’ inception in 1995, producing 275 all-time victories and 14 driver championships – both of which are series-leading feats.  “Winning the Manufacturer Championship title is a tremendous accomplishment for everyone involved in Chevrolet’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program,” said Dayne Pierantoni, GM Racing Program Manager for the NASCAR Truck Series. “The dedicated and focused effort among Chevrolet’s teams, engineers and technical partners throughout the season have resulted in this prestigious title. Congratulations to all on winning the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturer Championship, and we are looking forward to a strong finish to the season.” Five drivers from five different Chevrolet teams have driven to victory lane in the NCTS this season, earning a combined 13 wins with 22 races complete. Team Chevy drivers contributing to those wins include NCTS full-time competitors Carson Hocevar (four wins) and Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger (three wins each), as well as Team Chevy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch (two wins) and Kyle Larson (one win). William Byron and Chandler Smith also collected finishes that contributed to this season’s manufacturer championship title.                                                                                                                                In pursuit of the 2023 NCTS Driver Championship, Chevrolet maintained 50 percent of the series’ playoff field through both rounds of its postseason competition, with Carson Hocevar and Grant Enfinger advancing to the Championship Four to compete for the championship title at Phoenix Raceway.