DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 2, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is set to showcase its thrilling Grand National Championship title fight before a rapt audience of diehard motorcycle enthusiasts at this weekend’s The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sunday, August 6. The high-profile event will be featured at this year’s 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally – which is expected to draw more than 500,000 attendees – and comes just a week removed from an explosive Peoria TT that had the potential to completely upset a raging Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle championship battle. Ultimately, however, the dramatic affair resulted in just a three-point swing at the top of the order. That was enough, however, to move reigning class king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) back into first, one point ahead of his young challenger, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). While still very much either riders’ championship to win, the outcome in Peoria could still prove pivotal. Rather than looking to gain back ground at Black Hills Speedway, Mees is now operating from a position of strength at a venue he’s won at three times in the past (‘15, ‘17, and ‘18). That, along with his status as the winningest Half-Miler in the history of the series, makes Mees the pre-race favorite coming into the weekend. However, Daniels did manage to upset Mees the last time the two squared off on a Half-Mile with his 0.095-second victory at the Drag Specialties Bridgeport Half-Mile a week-and-a-half-back. Last year’s Black Hills Half-Mile saw its Mission SuperTwins Main rained out, but the lead-up to that point hinted at a clash featuring not just Mees and Daniels, but also Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) and last weekend’s winner, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). Due to the inclement weather, Bauman actually stands as the most recent winner of the race, having captured victory at Black Hills Speedway in 2019. Several others have the potential to play the role of spoiler this weekend while sorting out their own championship disputes. Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) currently holds a small lead over Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) as they contend for fifth in the standings along with bragging rights as the top independent Indian. Meanwhile, the likes of Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), and Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) will continue to look for ways to make waves. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER While the commanding title lead of defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) and incredible second half of Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) have naturally made them the focus of attention, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) has emerged a genuine force to be reckoned with. Brunner has climbed to second in the championship order with three top-two finishes over his last four attempts, including his first victory of the season this past weekend in Peoria. The Estenson Racing pilot now carries that momentum into Black Hills Speedway where he won at a year ago. Considering Kopp’s Half-Mile chops and Drane’s current form, they are obvious contenders for victory as well. Others to keep tabs on are the Turner Honda Racing trio of Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). Saathoff is less than ten points removed from second in the championship having already netted seven podiums on the season, while Mischler and Lowe went 2-3 here a year ago. Fourth place in last year’s race went to Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), who showed renewed speed with a run to fifth in Peoria. Meanwhile, there are a pair of former Black Hills Half-Mile winners who are itching to make similar resurgences in Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 450 SX-F) and Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), the duo having won here in 2018 and 2019, respectively. There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Sunday as well, including numerous vendors and dedicated motorcycle parking. General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $25 (kids 12 and under $5), with Premium General Admission Grandstand tickets only $10 more. VIP tickets, which offer access to an exclusive indoor viewing area and include food and beverage, are $125. Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/black-hills-half-mile-73564 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT). For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv. FOX Sports coverage of theThe City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 13, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT). For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

Inside Line Promotions – ALGER, Wash. (Aug. 2, 2023) – Dominic Scelzi jumpstarted his summer in a big way last week when he recorded four feature triumphs during five races with the Western Sprint Tour.

Despite missing the first two races of the Speedweek, Scelzi climbed to fifth in the final standings thanks to wins at three different tracks in Oregon and Washington.

“It’s been a really grueling season,” he said. “Our plan was to go up to Skagit Speedway and have a good run at Summer Nationals, which is the second largest 360 race on the West Coast in my opinion. We wanted to race on the way up. I’d always wanted to run in Banks and Cottage Grove so it worked out to make a week out of it.”

The busy week began last Monday at Sunset Speedway in Banks, Ore., where Scelzi set quick time during qualifying before he advanced from sixth to fourth place in a heat race, from third to second place in the dash and from second to win the A Main during his debut at the track.

“We led every lap and luckily for us there weren’t any close calls,” he said. “The race track was really good and it got better in the main event. There was a little grip about two feet off the fence and right on the bottom. I ran the majority of the race on the bottom in turns one and two. In turns three and four I was entering against the cushion and exiting through the middle. I was trunked on the wing early because it was super slick. I raced it momentum-like. It was a lot of fun.”

The next two nights were spent at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. Scelzi opened Tuesday’s action – his first-ever race at the track – by setting quick time during qualifying. He hustled from sixth to second place in a heat race and from fifth to third place in the dash. Scelzi marched from third to capture the main event.

“The track was wet and fast and kind of hard to pass,” he said. “We got to second in the feature and with eight laps to go we had a restart. I had just gotten to the leader and got under him in turns three and four just before that caution. When the yellow came out I felt it changed the dynamic of the race as his entry changed into turn one and he started slipping off turn two after we restarted. He was entering low and sliding up on the exit. I was on the very bottom of turns one and two and diamonding turns three and four. I was able to get a good run off turn four and slide up in front of him in turns one and two with about two laps to go. He got underneath me entering turn three and I went four wheels above the cushion to drive by him for the win.”

Wednesday nearly featured a sweep of the program for Scelzi, who was quickest in qualifying, won a heat race from sixth, placed second in the dash from fourth and scored the feature triumph after starting on the outside of the front row.

“We led every lap of the main event and the track was slick and wide,” he said. “We lapped up to sixth and I think we won by a little more than seven seconds. The race went green to checkered. Around Lap 12 I was in traffic and was just hanging out. The guy in second got under me into turn three. When I saw that I did a big move on the lapped cars in front of me and then tried to run as ragged as I could the rest of the race. It worked out for our third win in a row.”

The team headed north to Skagit Speedway on Friday for the opening night of the Bob’s Burgers & Brew Summer Nationals. Scelzi was second quickest out of 45 drivers in qualifying before advancing from sixth to third place in a heat race. He maneuvered from 10 ^th to sixth place in the A Main to earn enough points to rank second in the event standings, locking into the dash on Saturday.

“We were really good throughout the preliminary night,” he said. “We were just a little tight in the feature. I wasn’t very good against the cushion and had to run the bottom the majority of that race. I think what I took away from Friday was we had speed, but needed to be better if we wanted to compete for the win on Saturday.”

A fourth-place finish in the dash on Saturday started Scelzi on the outside of the second row in the main event.

“The track was really slick across and had a big curb,” he said. “My focus was trying not to get too tight into the curb. I got a good start and followed Trey (Starks) into second on the first lap. I stayed with him the first half of the race and then I got him in traffic off turn four. After that I had to maneuver traffic well and I think we did a good job. My car got better and better as the race went. It was huge to win the Summer Nationals and to close the week with our fourth win in five races.”

Scelzi will return to action Aug. 18-19 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., during the Johnny Key Classic with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour.

QUICK RESULTS –

July 24 – Sunset Speedway in Banks, Ore. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 4 (6); Dash: 2 (3); Feature: 1 (2).

July 25 – Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 2 (6); Dash: 3 (5); Feature: 1 (3).

July 26 – Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 1 (6); Dash: 2 (4); Feature: 1 (2).

July 28 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 3 (6); Feature: 6 (10).

July 29 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Dash: 4 (2); Feature: 1 (4).

SEASON STATS –

31 races, 9 wins, 21 top fives, 24 top 10s, 28 top 15s, 30 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Aug. 18-19 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., for the Johnny Key Classic with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour

Bobby Pierce scored his second Hawkeye 50 victory and sixth World of Outlaws win of 2023, extending his points lead to 84 over Chris Madden

BOONE, IA (Aug. 1, 2023) – Displayed behind Bobby Pierce, watching him talk and smile to the cameras, was his newest trophy. The Hawkeye 50 trophy – second of his career.

While the event title represents Iowan’s nickname and the number of laps around Boone Speedway, it’s also a perfect summarization of Pierce’s performance Tuesday night; 50 laps of hawk-eyed vision for grip around the 1/4-mile track.

The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series returned to Boone Speedway for the third straight year to kick off racing in August during the Summer of Money, boasting a $15,000 payday.

Taking place two days after the Prairie Dirt Classic, where Pierce was passed late in the race by Ricky Thornton Jr. for the win and had to settle for another runner-up finish, the Hawkeye 50 was a chance for many to make up for their PDC loss. Or, for Thornton Jr., grab a second straight win with the Series – a feat he’d yet to do.

The start of the night saw Dennis Erb Jr. scoring the Simpson Quick Time Award, but then finishing second to Bobby Pierce in CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat #1. Then, redraw found them 1-2, again.

Erb, the reigning Series champion, drew the pole. Pierce, the current Series points leader, drew the outside pole.

However, when the Feature commenced, Pierce picked up where he left off in the Heat race, darting around the outside of Erb and powered ahead to the lead. Once in clean air, Pierce pulled ahead by more than a second in the first few laps.

Behind him, Thornton was showing signs of putting on another memorable march from the sixth position. He snuck to fourth on the first lap and passed English for third by Lap 12. Two laps later, he took second from Erb. But that only lasted another three laps before Erb slid back by.

Four laps later, on Lap 22, Thornton threw his #20RT into Turn 3 and slid from the bottom to the top, clearing Erb for second. From there, full force ahead to try and catch Pierce.

The seeing-red charge Thornton put in place to run down and pass Pierce for the PDC win wasn’t fully manifesting this time around. He’d close a little, then lose a little. Close a little, lose a little.

Then, Pierce about slid people off their seats as he almost slid off the track. Entering Turn 1, his car washed high, a little too high, and his right rear tire went over the berm. Dancing with the throttle and wheel, he managed to keep his car going straight and on track, but before he could regain his composure, Thornton was looking underneath him.

“I think I went in there a little too easy and I didn’t get it whipped out enough. The right rear hit that cushion and kind of set the front end over and I was going a little too fast at the time too,” Pierce said. “When it happened, I saw Ricky right here (pointing to the left side of his car) and I was like, shoot, man, he all most got into me because he had nowhere to go. From then on, I knew I had to go something different. It wasn’t going to work doing that.”

At that point, Pierce started trying every line he could think of and make up. While he was top dominate most of the race, Pierce ran the low line for a few laps. But when he did that, Thornton moved to the top and closed on Pierce each time they hit a straightaway.

That wasn’t going to work either. New idea. 

Pierce began running an awkward slider line, coming into turn like he was going to run the bottom, but then let his car slide to the middle of the track. That tactic helped him find the grip Thornton didn’t have and pull away again.

“Once that lip of cushion went off the racetrack, you couldn’t get that boost anymore, so you wasted time going out there,” Pierce said. “So, I knew it was either bottom or middle. Neither of them felt good, so I was like f*** it, I’m just going to go in there. I’ve seen some guys do that in Qualifying and it works out alright. I figured it was dirty enough I could do all that again. I just cut that corner time off and just matted down the straightaways.”

His hawk-eyed observation of the surface paid off, leading Pierce to a 1.2 second victory of Thornton. It was Pierce’s second Hawkeye 50 triumph (first was the Hawkeye 100 in 2021), and sixth Series win of the year. He’s also on a streak of four top-two finishes in a row with the World of Outlaws.

With roles reversed, Thornton found himself in second behind Pierce this time. He knew once Pierce found his line his car had nothing more to give.

“I felt pretty good, I knew it was going to be tough to beat Bobby off the front row,” Thornton said. “He’s really good wherever it’s dirty like this. He’s a little bit better in that condition than we are… Overall, a really good night for us. I went with a little bit of a different tire-wise than they did. Really, I didn’t want the yellow (on Lap 39). I felt like I was maintaining or maybe a tick better than he was before the yellow and then after that he was way better than I was. I think I just burned my stuff up trying to get up to him.”

After the caution on Lap 39, English took advantage of the tightened field to challenge and pass Erb for the final spot on the podium.

“We’ve been struggling a little bit since we left Kansas,” English said. “Back on the same tires and back on kind of some of the same tracks. Maybe there is something to that. Maybe that is why we run good… I wasn’t as good as I thought I needed to be tonight. I felt not very good and I was really surprised I was able to hang with them there at the end. I’m just happy to have a good finish.”

Chris Madden finished fourth and Ryan Gustin 11th, swapping them in points with Madden back up to second. However, with Pierce winning, Madden is back by 84 points. Gustin, in third is now 90 points back.

After the cameras had their time with Pierce in Victory Lane, he didn’t need be hawk-eyed or eagle-eyed to spot the two-foot-tall trophy staring at him. It said everything it needed to about his night.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series returns to Cedar Lake Speedway for the prestigious $50,000-to-win USA Nationals, Aug. 3-5. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS:
CASE Construction Equipment Late Mode Feature (50 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 3. 96V-Tanner English[3]; 4. 44-Chris Madden[7]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[1]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[11]; 7. 97-Cade Dillard[5]; 8. 25-Shane Clanton[9]; 9. 18D-Daulton Wilson[10]; 10. 30-Todd Cooney[13]; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin[4]; 12. 11-Gordy Gundaker[12]; 13. 9-Nick Hoffman[15]; 14. B1-Brent Larson[19]; 15. B5-Brandon Sheppard[14]; 16. 1ST-Johnny Scott[8]; 17. 40B-Kyle Bronson[21]; 18. 32B-Cody Laney[22]; 19. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[16]; 20. 8-Kyle Strickler[18]; 21. 25S-Chad Simpson[17]; 22. 14W-Dustin Walker[23]; 23. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[24]; 24. 32S-Chris Simpson[20]

Second in GTD PRO points, No. 3 C8.R wants more starting in Elkhart Lake DETROIT (Aug. 1, 2023) – It’s getting close to crunch time for Corvette Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. And there’s no better place for the perennial powerhouse team to accelerate its title push than historic Road America. The 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course is the site of the upcoming IMSA SportsCar Weekend, which culminates Sunday with the eighth round of this year’s GT Daytona (GTD) PRO championship. The Corvette Racing duo of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor are hoping for a return to its winning ways in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.

The pairing won last month in class at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – the first victory of 2023. A second win this season would go along nicely with a 2020 triumph at Road America in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. With only four races to go, victories are what will help the Garcia/Taylor tandem and the No. 3 C8.R team most in the hunt for the GTD PRO title.

CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of this weekend’s IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America. Materials include:  · Road America race advance and quotes· Corvette Racing stats and figures· Corvette Racing racecar comparisons· Corvette Racing Fast Facts· Driver biographies· Corvette Racing photography for IMSA and FIA WEC

Although they finished fourth two weeks ago at Lime Rock Park, the result was enough to move into second in class championship standings – 151 points from the leaders with 1,500 points still available with four races left. However, pole positions and race wins are the most immediate goals for Garcia and Taylor with points taking care of themselves after that. To get back on the top step of the class podium, Corvette Racing will need to come to grips – literally – with a recently repaved Road America surface. In years past, Road America was notorious for eating up tires with high levels of degradation. That very likely won’t be the case this year with substantially more grip available to the field of 46 cars.  Road America and the Corvette brand have a lengthy history dating back nearly 60 years. Chevrolet routinely used the track to test and validate the performance of early-generation Corvettes with that tradition continuing into the present day. Road America was the site of the first on-track running of the Corvette C8.R in 2018, and the mid-engine Corvette continues to write new chapters at each event. The IMSA SportsCar Weekend race at Road America is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 6. The race will air live on USA beginning at 11 a.m. ET and stream live on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Friday morning’s practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We don’t really know what to expect at Road America. It’s a kind of track where you can run a completely different configuration that is completely opposite than the rest. So maybe there’s more room to play with setup in order to go completely against everyone else. At most other IMSA tracks, everybody is kind of running the same full-downforce, full-everything. At Road America, there’s a little bit more play. I don’t know how the new surface will affect things. Tire degradation used to be very big there, but I anticipate the tire deg to not be as big as such a big thing there this year. Let’s see. We are definitely knocking on the door every single race.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Road America is great and has given me a lot of good memories. One of my first wins with the C8.R was there in a downpour late in the race. It wasn’t necessarily our strongest track last year, so hopefully with the new repave we can make some gains on everyone else. We’ve done some simulation work to perfect what we can do on our side to get as much performance out of the car as possible. From this point, it’s all about going for race wins.”

2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After seven of 11 events) Driver Standings1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 2,4622. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2,3113. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 2,3024. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 2,2815. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 2,083 Team Standings1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 2,4622. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 2,3113. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 2,3024. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 2,2815. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2,083 Manufacturer Standings1. Lexus – 2,4622. Chevrolet – 2,3113. Mercedes-AMG – 2,3024. Porsche – 2,2815. Aston Martin – 2,094 CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: By the Numbers• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette• 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Road America since 2002 – Corvette C5-R (2002-2004), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2016-19) and Corvette C8.R (2020-current). This year’s race is the second at the track for the GTD-spec, mid-engine racing Corvette• 4: Number of cars Tommy Milner passed in the final 15 minutes of the 2016 Road America race. He and Oliver Gavin went on to win in class and capture the GTLM Drivers Championship• 8: Number of victories at Road America for Corvette Racing, the most of any entrant in IMSA• 8: Pole positions at Road America for Corvette Racing by four different drivers• 10: Number of drivers who have won races at Road America for Corvette Racing – Gavin (four); Olivier Beretta (three); Johnny O’Connell (two); and Kelly Collins, Ron Fellows, Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Milner, Andy Pilgrim and Jordan Taylor (one each)• 12: Fastest race laps for Corvette Racing drivers at Road America. That includes the last three of the last four seasons: Tommy Milner (2019 and 2021) and Antonio Garcia (2020)• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001• 14: Number of IMSA victories at Road America for Chevrolet, the second-most of any manufacturer in IMSA• 22: Number of Road America events for Corvette Racing counting this year’s IMSA race• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship• 126: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, eight at Le Mans and one in the FIA WEC• 278: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999• 12,395.03: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 20 previous trips to Road America. That represents 3,054 laps or 105 trips across Lake Michigan.• 359,327.91: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back! Corvette Racing at Road America (wins in bold)2002No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GTS (Fellows pole; Gavin fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 1st in GTS 2003No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 5th in GTS (Gavin pole, fastest race lap) 2004No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS (Beretta pole, fastest race lap) 2005No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin pole, Beretta fastest race lap) 2006No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GT1No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap) 2007No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 2008No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 3rd in GT1 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap) 2009No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 3rd in GT2No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 6th in GT2 2010No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Johnny O’Connell – 4th in GT2No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT2 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap) 2011No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 14th in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 5th in GT 2012No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GT 2013No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GT 2014No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM 2015No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM 2016No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM (5th to 1st in final 15 minutes) 2017No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM 2018No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM (Garcia fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM 2019No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM (Gavin pole, Milner fastest race lap) 2020No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Garcia fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM 2021No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap) 2022No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3rd in GTD PRO

RICHMOND, VA – July 31, 2023 – Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher won Sunday’s Cook Out 400, earning a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. This weekend’s win marked Buescher’s first win of the season, 139th win for car owner Jack Roush, and second since the forming of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. The triumph also marks Ford’s 723rd all-time win in NASCAR Cup Series competition and comes on the birthday of Ford Motor Company founder, Henry Ford.

“Congratulations to Jack, Brad, Scott, Chris, and everyone at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing on the race win at Richmond,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Both RFK cars raced their way to the front of the field and were strong throughout the race.”

“Our Fastenal Mustang was so good firing off today, so good in practice. I didn’t get the job done in qualifying. I had to pass a bunch of cars today and have some great strategy and some great pit stops. Everybody at RFK Racing who has worked so hard to get us to this point. This is awesome. I knew that last restart was gonna be tough, but I knew we had the speed in this thing.” commented Buescher.

Sunday’s 400 lap race was physically demanding for the drivers with temperatures reaching as high as 135 degrees inside of the racecars. Chris Buescher started the race in 26th position but steadily worked his way to the front of the field, cracking the top-5 by lap 160. Buescher along with fellow teammate and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski combined to lead 190-of-400 laps with Keselowski taking the Stage 2 victory. There was only one caution throughout the race which happened during the closing laps. Buescher was able to maintain the lead on the restart and win over Denny Hamlin by 0.549 seconds.

A total of six Ford Performance drivers finished in the top-10: Team Penske’s Joey Logano finished in P4, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Preece in P5, Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Brad Keselowski in P6, and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola and Kevin Harvick in P8 and P10.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced on Saturday at Road America. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst finished in P5 while RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg finished in P13. Both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series head to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan this weekend.

35 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 451 WINS – 417 POLES

CHEVROLET IN NHRA 2023 DENSO NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS SONOMA RACEWAY SONOMA, CALIFORNIA JULY 28-30, 2023 CHEVROLET LOOKS TO GO BACK-TO-BACK IN VICTORY WITH JOHN FORCE RACING AT SONOMA DETROIT (JULY 27, 2023) – For the 12th round of the 2023 NHRA season, the Chevrolet Top Fuel and Funny Car teams at John Force Racing round out the Western Swing in wine country at this weekend’s 2023 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals. Nestled in the beautiful Sears Point, Calif.-area, Sonoma Raceway hosts this weekend’s event, with Brittany Force eyeing a back-to-back victory this year after capturing the Wally trophy in 2022. Qualifying No. 5 in 2022 with a run of 3.705 ET at 335.15 MPH, B. Force knocked out John Force Racing teammate Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, in the first round, then Steve Torrence in Round 2, then Shawn Langdon in Semifinals before racing to the 2022 Sonoma win over Mike Salinas with her run of 3.709 ET at 335.48 MPH. “Heading into our final race of the Western Swing in Sonoma, California this season, B. Force said. “This Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is excited to get there just because of how we dominated on Sunday last season. We set records and had four solid runs running in the 3.60s which was just unbelievable. We got to bring home a win and the specialty wine goblet. It was probably one of our best wins of the season last year. Our game plan going into Sonoma Raceway this season is we want to repeat, we want to do that again. We want back-to-back Sonoma Nationals victories. So we’re looking forward to getting the weekend started.” Making a final round appearance at Sonoma Raceway in 2022, John Force, the 16-time champion, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and team owner at John Force Racing, finished runner-up and has his eyes focused on the Winner’s Circle. “Coming to the end of the Western Swing up in Northern California. Looking forward to getting back in my PEAK Chevy. We’re doing good. We have some work to do but we’ve had some good runs, just need to get it together on race day,” J. Force said. “Another Bruton Smith track, they’ve done some work on the facility, maintaining it, keeping it beautiful. I love racing here, I guess who doesn’t? I’ve done well in the past so hopefully that’s a sign for this weekend. Looking for a win for PEAK, Chevy, Cornwell Tools, NK Seeds, and all our sponsors.” Racing to the semifinals after defeating Jeff Diehl and Jim Campbell, Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing, faced an early exit versus eventual event winner Bob Tasca III in 2022. Heading to Sonoma in 2023, however, Hight looks to cap off his Western Swing with a win for the Bowtie brand. Currently idle, the Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock teams will be back in action in Topeka, Aug. 11-13, 2023. Additionally, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown Chevrolet teams return for the biggest event of the season soon, the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Sept. 1-4, 2023.   The 2023 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in the beautiful Sears Point, California-area airs first with Friday’s qualifying on Saturday, July 29 at 12 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday’s qualifying airs Sunday, July 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET, with Sunday’s Finals following on FOX at 4 p.m. ET. Coverage streaming live throughout the weekend can be found through NHRA.tv, available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:Austin Prock, driver of the Rocky Mountain Twist / Montana Brands Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:“I’m excited to get going at the final race of the Western Swing in Sonoma, California. This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist car is running well, we see it. I believe we can leave Sonoma Raceway with a Wally. I’m looking forward to making sight solid runs and getting the job done.” Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:“I’m excited to be back in Northern California, this is my home track, I grew up coming here. I’ve never missed this national event,” Hight said. “I think this Cornwell Tools team is due for a win. We’ve struggled a bit, and had some bad luck, but I know this team, we know how to win. We keep putting in the work and it will pay off. Hopefully, it’s this weekend and we can break back into the top three in points. The Countdown is coming, and we want to be in a strong position to start the battle for another championship.”    TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS1,434: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).605: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 621.375: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 255 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body.166: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).157: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.79: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time).77: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro body.47: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force.27: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.24: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car.18: Number of Pro Stock championships.20: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA.16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force.7: Number of Funny Car driver championships.2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships. UPCOMING NHRA MILESTONES950: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) is second all-time with 921 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule. 621: Robert Hight achieved 605 Funny Car elimination wins in Chicago to rank 13th on the all-time NHRA list; Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) sits 12th with 621. 445: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record to 445 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2002 at Pomona 2, and he holds the longest career qualifying streak in NHRA. 138: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) ranks third on the NHRA all-time list with 121 No. 1 qualifiers. He will tie Warren Johnson (Pro Stock, 138) for second to John Force (165) on the list. 270: By qualifying for his next race, Robert Hight will extend his NHRA record to 270 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2010 at Pomona 2, and he currently sits seventh in career qualifying streaks in NHRA (Doug Kalitta is sixth at 276). 65: Robert Hight moved into the top 10 on the all-time NHRA victory list with his win in Pomona 1 with 63. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is next ninth on list with 65. 46: Erica Enders has 44 career Pro Stock victories (all with Chevrolet, first win coming at Chicago, 2012 and last win at Las Vegas 2, 2022). Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) is the all-time NHRA female leader with 46.  18: Brittany Force (16 Top Fuel career wins) will move past Shirley Muldowney (18 wins) into third on the NHRA all-time victory list for females. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 44) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, 46) are ahead. 6: Erica Enders (Pro Stock) could tie Warren Johnson (6 Pro Stock championships) for second on the class list. The same holds for Greg Anderson. Bob Glidden is the leader with 10. 3: Brittany Force (Top Fuel, 2 championships) would tie Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) for second on the NHRA all-time championship list by females with another title in 2023. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 5) is the leader.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE

Richmond Raceway / Road AmericaJuly 29-30, 2023

NASCAR CUP SERIES: ROUND TWO AT RICHMOND The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) is set for round two at Richmond Raceway this weekend with the .75-mile oval marking just the series’ second repeat visit to a track this season. The final short-track remaining in the regular season, Chevrolet heads into Sunday’s Cook Out 400 as Richmond Raceway’s reigning winner following Kyle Larson’s (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1) victory during the venue’s spring event. Adding onto the momentum for the Bowtie brigade, Larson led the manufacturer to a sweep of the podium in the race with Josh Berry – who was filling in for an injured Chase Elliott – taking the runner-up position, and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain rounding out the top-three.

Larson’s victory took Chevrolet to its 40th all-time victory in NASCAR’s premier series at Richmond Raceway – a record among its manufacturer competitors. Three of Chevrolet’s active NCS drivers have reached victory lane at the Virginia short-track including Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, who leads the series with six career NCS wins, and Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman (one NCS win – 2021).

AT A GLANCE: FIVE-TO-GOThis weekend marks just five races remaining in the NASCAR Cup series’ regular season – each contested on a distinctly different race track configuration. The journey to the series’ championship title run includes a short-track, an intermediate oval, a pair of road courses and a superspeedway – with Chevrolet holding the reigns as the series’ most recent winner at four of the remaining tracks on the regular season schedule:

–       Richmond Raceway – Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 (April 2023)-       Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course – Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 (August 2022)-       Watkins Glen International – Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 (August 2022)-       Daytona International Speedway – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1 (February 2023).

Five drivers from four different Chevrolet teams have already notched their spot in the series’ 16-driver playoff field with at least one win to their name. Four of the five spots just below the playoff cutline are occupied by Team Chevy drivers who still have an opportunity to point their way into the post-season. The first driver on the outside looking in is Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger, who moved into the 17th position in the points standings and just 17-points below the cutline following last weekend’s event. After getting caught-up in an accident that resulted in a DNF at Pocono Raceway, Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez moved to the 18th position in the points standings and 23-points below the cutline. After both missing a handful of races due to injuries at the beginning of the season, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott sit in the 20th and 21st positions, respectively, in the points standings – but are both on the horizon of tracks they have found success, including victory lane.

LARSON STELLAR ON SHORT-TRACKSTeam Chevy’s Kyle Larson has found success on every type of race track configuration that the NASCAR Cup Series competes at, but one that stands-out this season is at the short-tracks. Larson’s two points-paying NCS wins this season came during the series’ three-race short-track swing this spring – first at Richmond Raceway in April, with the driver visiting victory lane at Martinsville Speedway just two weeks later. The former champion also put on a dominating performance during NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro Speedway in May for the non-points paying All-Star Race – leading 145 of the race’s 200 laps en route to the one-million-dollar grand prize.

In the NCS’ six points-paying races on tracks one-mile or less this season, Larson has finished no worse than fourth in four of those events. On top of his wins at Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway, the Team Chevy driver also collected a fourth-place finish at Phoenix Raceway in March, as well as a third-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway just a few weeks ago.

BUSCH WITH STORIED HISTORY AT RICHMONDAn automatic favorite heading to “America’s Premiere Short Track” is Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch. In 35 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway, the 38-year-old Nevada native has found victory lane a series-leading six times. Of those triumphs includes a sweep of the events in 2018, making Busch just one of two active drivers to post consecutive wins at the Virginia short-track. On an even more impressive note, Busch has yet to post a DNF in any of his career NCS starts at Richmond Raceway. Taking it one step further, he’s completed all but one lap in his 35 career NCS starts at the track – running 14,208 of the 14,209 laps.

CLOSING OUT THE NCTS REGULAR SEASONThe NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) has reached the final race of its 2023 regular season – with 250 laps around the .75-mile oval of Richmond Raceway determining the three remaining spots in the series’ 10-driver playoff field.

As the points currently stand heading into the regular season finale, Team Chevy drivers account for five of the top-10 spots above the playoff cutline. Coming off his sixth top-five finish of the season, GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger took over the third position in the points standings – now 59-points behind the leader. The 38-year-old Alabama native is one of the three Team Chevy drivers that have already clinched a spot in the post-season title run. Joining Enfinger on that list is Christian Eckes and Carson Hocevar, who sit in the sixth and seventh positions, respectively, in the standings. Team Chevy’s Matt DiBenedetto and Nike Sanchez maintained their positions above the playoff cutline following last weekend’s trip to Pocono Raceway – with DiBenedetto in the eighth position (+31 points above the cutline) and Sanchez in the ninth position (+21 points above the cutline).

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: RETURNING TO ROAD AMERICAThree of the next four events for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will be contested on a road course – with the first stop featuring the 14-turn, 4.048-mile circuit of Road America. Saturday’s Road America 180 will mark the series’ 14th consecutive appearance at the Wisconsin circuit. Chevrolet recorded its first NXS win at Road America in June 2011 with Reed Sorenson behind the wheel of the No. 32 Chevrolet for team owner Steve Turner. The manufacturer has since made its way to victory lane at the circuit a manufacturer-leading seven times. Of those slated to compete in this weekend’s event, only three drivers have found victory lane at the circuit – all of which come from the Chevrolet camp (Justin Allgaier – 2018; Jeremy Clements – 2017; AJ Allmendinger – 2013). Chevrolet has already made one trip to victory lane in the series on a road course this season after Allmendinger defended his winning title at Circuit of The Americas in March.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       NASCAR Cup Series victories by active Chevrolet drivers at Richmond Raceway:    Kyle Busch – series-leading six wins (2018 sweep, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009)Kyle Larson – two wins (2023, 2017)Alex Bowman – one win (2021)  ·       In 133 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Richmond Raceway, Chevrolet has recorded 40 victories and 48 poles – both of which are series-best feats.   ·       Chevrolet recorded six consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victories at Richmond Raceway from 2006 to 2008 – a record for the longest streak of consecutive wins by a single manufacturer at the .75-mile Virginia oval.  ·       Hendrick Motorsports leads all active NASCAR Cup Series teams with 57 short-track wins, recorded by 14 different drivers. 12 of those victories came at Richmond Raceway.  ·       Three of the five repeat winners in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season come from Team Chevy: William Byron: series-leading four wins (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington & Atlanta 2)Kyle Busch: three wins (Auto Club, Talladega, WWTR)Kyle Larson: two wins (Richmond & Martinsville) ·       In 21 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (12), top-fives (48), top-10s (91), stage wins (18) and laps led (2,344). ·       Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 12 victories in 21 NASCAR Cup Series races, 10 victories in 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and nine wins in 15 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.  ·       With William Byron’s win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 297 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories – all recorded with Chevrolet.  ·       Chevrolet’s series-leading 12 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing).  ·       Chevrolet drivers have recorded 18 of the 42 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (seven; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (three), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).  ·       Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 57 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 54 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 46 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  ·       With Grant Enfinger’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway, GMS Racing is now the winningest Chevrolet organization in NCTS’ history with 44 all-time wins in the series.  ·       With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 845 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 Richmond Raceway.  ·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Silverado 1500 ZR2, Silverado 2500, Colorado ZR2 Premier, Camaro ZL1, Corvette Z51, Trax.  Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Saturday, July 29·       Matt DiBenedetto: 1 p.m. ·       Nick Sanchez: 3 p.m. ·       Christian Eckes & Jake Garcia: 3:15 p.m. ·       Chase Purdy & Matt Mills: 3:30 p.m.  Sunday, July 30·       Noah Gragson: 12:15 p.m. ·       Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 12:30 p.m.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: ·       Saturday, July 29: 10 a.m. ·       Sunday, July 30: 9 a.m.

TUNE IN: NASCAR Cup Series: Richmond RacewayCook Out 400 Sunday, July 30, at 3 p.m. ET(USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Xfinity Series: Road AmericaRoad America 180 Saturday, July 29, at 3 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Richmond RacewayWorldwide Express 250 Saturday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1Where would you evaluate your No. 1 team is heading into these final few races before the Playoffs?“My team is rock solid. This is year three with these guys and I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else. What’s good is we know we are going to get to do this together for a long time. We have fun. Our hauler has fun. There’s not many people who have more fun in the Cup Series garage than we do. I’m having a blast and living my dream. I feel great about where we are.” It looks like it’s a busy weekend for Worldwide Express in Richmond?“It’s cool to see a partner like Worldwide Express make such a splash in a race market like Richmond. We go to so many different markets each year it’s good to leave it in a better place and really show the people that even though there is a race, there’s other elements too. How cool is it to get an opportunity to drive around the track in your street car and raise a little money! The Worldwide Express people are like family and it’s going to be a busy and fun weekend in Richmond.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Larson on racing at Richmond Raceway:“All of our wins this year have been on short-tracks: Richmond, Martinsville and North Wilkesboro. We were good at Loudon- even compared to the (HMS) teammates. Honestly, we have been pretty good everywhere this year. Especially early on in the year, we were really good on 1.5-mile tracks, intermediate tracks and super speedways even. I’ve been upfront, but crash or whatever. I’m excited about going to Richmond this weekend and going back to a track that we won at earlier this year. As the season progresses, setups change and the weather is going to be different than it was earlier this year. It’s not going to be the same, but I’m confident because we have been good on all the short-tracks.” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Daniels on racing at Richmond Raceway:“We are planning to try to respect the track as much as we possibly can. This place is so difficult. We were very fortunate to have a great race car and race overall in the spring. It’s certainly been a tough place for us in the past and we know that so we are trying to have a healthy amount of respect to make sure we do the right things and study ourselves right. We won’t rest on our lorals of a great race in the spring or be lazy about our approach. We will certainly look at everything that we can or need to from the spring race and make any adjustments that we see needed. Kyle was pretty happy with the car, but we can always be better. Hopefully we can execute a very solid race and be in the top-10 by the end of it and have a shot (to win). KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 X WORLD WALLET CAMARO ZL1How much did you learn at the first Richmond race earlier this season that will help you when you go back? “I think some of the biggest things that we learned at the first Richmond race earlier this year was what our short track package had that was good what our short track package that was bad. All year has kind of been a struggle at the at the lower downforce, shorter track races. We’re still trying to get to the bottom of all that and figure it out. We know that there is a lot of room for improvement and sometimes little things can mean big improvements. We’ll just keep working at it.” Do you think the combination of higher track temperatures and increased tire wear will make for better racing at Richmond? “More times than not I would say that the higher track temperature and increased tire wear does make for better racing anywhere because it allows you to save your stuff at times compared to other drivers and not have to run as hard and that will reward you in the long run. But it doesn’t always equate to that. You just have to play it by ear as the race goes along. Typically, when you get increased tire wear, that allows you to move around on the racetrack and get higher on the racetrack as the day goes.” Do you miss the night races at Richmond? Is that something that you’d like to see back on the schedule? “I really loved the night races at Richmond. I definitely feel like at least one of them can be a night race on the schedule. It’s hot during the day, but also being a Saturday night race always lends itself to putting on a good race and having the day off on Sunday is nice when you’re able to be home and chill out.” AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 KAULIG RACING CAMARO ZL1“In the Next Gen car, Richmond has probably been our worst racetrack and a place we still need to figure out. Our short track program has been getting better, and with what we are learning, we should go there and hopefully have a better race. Where that puts us at the end of the day, I’m not sure. Of the tracks left in the regular season, Richmond is definitely the one we have circled that we need to improve at. If we do that, I think that will give us confidence for the rest of them and have a shot to make the playoffs.” JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1“We struggled quite a bit the last time we raced at Richmond. We have been working hard as a team preparing for this race and improving our short-track program, and I think as long as we control everything we can control and execute like we have been lately; we will be in a good spot going into the race.” NOAH GRAGSON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1“Richmond was a great track for me in Xfinity and we had a crash there in the spring so we didn’t get to finish the race. Going to tracks for the second time this season will be helpful as we have notes from the previous races. Hopefully last week’s finish in Pocono, and not having any in-race issues, will carry over to this weekend and a solid outcome.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1“Richmond has been okay, kind of an up and down place, but the overall track itself is just like that for everyone. You’re either going to hit on it well, but if you are a little bit off, it seems like you’re way off. I thought we had some work to do there from the spring, I think we have some different ideas and different things that can help us out. We have had some solid speed there at times in the NextGen cars, we just haven’t been able to put it together. I am hoping this is the one where we can do that and put it all together. Looking back on my career there have been some races where I feel like we were running well there, and I know the feeling that I had. So, I am just trying to get back to that and put it all together to have a good one at Richmond!” RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KLEENEX CAMARO ZL1“We’re really looking forward to Richmond. We feel like that one owed us a good finish earlier this season. And, it feels good to be locked in the Playoffs. We felt strong about making it, but you never want to count your cards before everything is finished. Being locked in, we can really focus on what we have been talking about. That’s executing and taking a car and finishing better than where we should. That’s what we have got to do in the Playoffs. We’ve got to make sure that we maximize our day, no matter how our car is handling.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 JOCKEY CAMARO ZL1How disappointed were you after Sunday in Pocono?“Extremely disappointed but you can only control what you can control. You get mad but you have to forget about it and move on. We are totally focused on Richmond this week and getting a good finish there. There is a lot of racing remaining and we have to focus on today, not what happened last week or what is going to happen in the future.” What are your thoughts with five races remaining the regular season?“We feel like we should be part of the playoffs and that we are strong enough to make some noise once we get in the playoffs. Overall, I think we have fast cars 90 percent of the time and we have to take advantage of it. We have some tracks coming up where we have run really well. It’s going to be about execution and avoiding bad luck. We just have to do it.” GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RSTYou’ve ran really well in all of your previous starts at Richmond, what is it about this type of track that fits your driving style?“I love the tracks that are low on grip and have tire falloff. Richmond is one of the toughest short tracks that we have when it comes to tire management, and it’s important to manage your stuff because of all the long runs that the place puts on. Last year I felt like we had a top-five truck, but I feel like Jeff Hensley has made our package better since then. I’m confident in all of the preparation that Jeff and the guys have put in on improving our Champion Power Equipment Chevy this time around, and would love if we could finish out the regular season with another win to give us the momentum heading into the playoffs.” RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 CAMP CULTIVATION SILVERADO RSTRichmond Raceway is one of the top tracks that hold a special place in your heart, so what would a win in your home race mean to you and your team?“It would be so special and moving to get it done this weekend. It’s been such a tumultuous last year and some change, so to be able to potentially get my first win and lock us into the playoffs would be storybook. I’m thankful to everybody that has been supporting our program here at GMS Racing this year, and it’s special to run a Camp Cultivation paint scheme this weekend. I know how hard Warrick, Chinique, and the team at the Wendell Scott Foundation and New College Institute have been working on putting that program together. It was fun to join them at the camp last week and I’m sure that running with it represented on our truck is going to help spread the word for next time. We can get it done this weekend. Whatever it takes!” DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 BULL & BOAR BARBECUE SHOP / LIFTEDTRUCKSFORSALE.COMSILVERADO RSTAs we wrap up the regular season this weekend, can you describe some of the things that you have learned and improved on by running in the Truck Series?“I’d say this season has definitely been a much larger learning experience compared to what I was used to running with the last couple of years in the ARCA Series. The Truck Series is way more developed, and the aggression level is way higher. So, I’ve been learning how to race with all of these guys with that level of aggression, but also maintain and walk that line of being smart. Our group on the No. 43 team has definitely improved on our communication throughout the season, and I’m feeling more confident as a driver, so overall I would say that it’s been a good experience for us. I’ve never raced at Richmond before, but it reminds me of some of the characteristics of the short tracks that I grew up on, so I think we have the opportunity to run well this weekend. I’m looking forward to it.” CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RSTWhat is your approach heading into Saturday’s race?“I would say our approach is to do everything we can to put ourselves in position to win. That’s our only option to make the playoffs and that’s what we plan to do.” Is there a track that you’ve raced at in any series that is similar to Richmond?“Richmond is similar to 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola (Florida) in a lot of ways. It’s a worn out short track where you have to manage and save tires and be there at the end of the race. I’ve had a lot of strong runs at 5 Flags — won the Snowflake and almost won the Derby — so I feel like Richmond is a place where I can go out and compete for the win.” MATT MILLS, NO. 51 J.F. ELECTRIC SILVERADO RSTWhat do you think the differences between driving a Xfinity car and a truck will be at Richmond?“In the truck I feel like I’ll be able to be a tad more aggressive off the corners. In the Xfinity car, being able to feather the throttle off the corners kind of fits my driving style not having to be so aggressive and attacking every lap. Hopefully, the style of driving the Xfinity car will be able to transfer over to the truck. I think you’ll have to be a little bit more aggressive with the truck but still feel like you have an egg under the throttle and make sure that you take care of your tires. It’s usually a race where you have to be smooth throughout the race and be there at the end.” Have you set any goals for this weekend?“The way I look at it is I want to prove that I’m not wasting this opportunity. A top 10 would be good, top five would be great and if I’m able to win it would be a dream come true. Really, this is going to be a learning curve for me. It’s going to be a great experience and kind of open up my eyes to the sport and see how the upper echelon teams operate. I feel like I need to go out there and not make a fool of myself, gain respect and take everything that I learn this weekend at Richmond and go out and be even better when we show up at Milwaukee.”

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: 12Poles: 7Laps Led: 2,344Top-five finishes: 48Top-10 finishes: 91Stage wins: 18·       Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)·       William Byron – 7 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte)·       Kyle Larson – 3 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono)·       Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)·       Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)  CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 845 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 741Laps led to date: 247,888Top-five finishes to date: 4,269op-10 finishes to date: 8,803                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,179           Chevrolet: 845           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 822                                                                      Ford: 722           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 177

SONOMA, Calif. (July 26, 2023) – Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster team enter this weekend’s DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway as the defending event champions. Still looking for their first win of the season, they’ll hope to repeat their dominating performance from last year. En route to her breakthrough 2022 win, Force and the Flav-R-Pac team improved their performance each run ultimately leaving the weekend having set both ends of the track record. They would set the track elapsed-time record at 3.662 seconds against teammate Austin Prock in the first round. For three consecutive runs, Force would better the track speed record from 336.07 mph in the first round to 336.49 in the second round and finally the standing track record 337.75 in the semifinals. In addition to her win in 2022, Force also has two No. 1 qualifier starts in 2014 and 2021. “Heading into our final race of the Western Swing in Sonoma, California this season. This Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is excited to get there just because of how we dominated on Sunday last season. We set records and had four solid runs running in the 3.60s which was just unbelievable. We got to bring home a win and the specialty wine goblet. It was probably one of our best wins of the season last year,” Force said. “Our game plan going into Sonoma Raceway this season is we want to repeat, we want to do that again. We want back-to-back Sonoma Nationals victories. So we’re looking forward to getting the weekend started.” Force enters the final race in the Western Swing in fourth place in the Camping World Drag Racing Series points standings, just one point behind third. Already this season she’s secured four No. 1 qualifying positions including the final event at Bandimere Speedway, the Mile-High Nationals where she set her 14th NHRA track speed record.

LET’S GET TO KNOW MIKE SALINAS

Event: 

Denso Sonoma Nationals

            Sonoma Raceway; Sonoma, California

Scrappers Racing Competitors:

            Mike Salinas, Top Fuel

            Jianna Evaristo, Pro Stock Motorcycle

SONOMA, Calif. (July 26, 2023) – NHRA’s Western Swing is coming to a close this weekend with the Sonoma Nationals at Northern California’s Sonoma Raceway. This also marks the end of the Salinas family’s three-week motorcycle road trip as they come home to San Jose – marking nearly 3,500 miles on their journey. 

And with Sonoma being the home track for Scrappers Racing, there’s no better time to take a moment and get to know team owner and driver, Mike Salinas. The 62-year-old father of four daughters (Jasmine, Jaquelin, Jianna and Janae) and husband of wife, Monica spent time answering 10 questions and a bonus 11th prior to the Sonoma race weekend to give fans a glimpse into the mind of a successful business owner and Top Fuel driver.

10 Questions with Mike Salinas

Why did you choose Top Fuel and not Funny Car?

“Because Top Fuel is the king of the sport. You don’t buy a penthouse on the bottom floor.”

What are your racetrack rituals?

“Relax, have fun and make sure you enjoy yourself. Before I get in the race car, I always hit the chutes, the tires and the injector – every time. Those are signs to remind me of something. I have little things to remind myself and everything I do is steps to remind myself of something.”

Describe a normal day when you’re not at the racetrack.

“Controlled chaos.”

What’s it like being surrounded by your wife Monica and four daughters?

“It’s awesome actually. It’s like being in high school and harassing our friends and of course getting harassed back. It’s great.”

Best advice you can give someone.

“Integrity, happiness and harmony in life will allow you to see the positive side of things and allow you to do good in your life.”

What made you want to become a NHRA Top Fuel driver?

“I saw somebody else doing it and Janae (Salinas) told me at nine years old, ‘I don’t think you can do it.’ So, I said, ‘Let’s go see, I can do it.’ That’s actually how we got here. We were watching it on TV and J.R. Todd was driving way back when and Janae and I saw him qualify number one at Sonoma and we were watching the drag races and she says, ‘How come you don’t go do that?’ And I said, ‘We can.’ And she said, ‘I don’t think you can.’ That’s how it started.”

Do you get more nervous racing your Top Fuel car or watching your daughters compete?

“Not nervous at all for any of it. You have to trust that you’ve put them with the right people and you have the right people behind you. If you’re nervous or scared, you can’t be in this sport because you’ll get hurt.”

What is your favorite vacation destination and when you’re on vacation, are you able to unwind?

“Kauai, Hawaii is my favorite because we already know people there. I can’t unwind, but I’m trying really hard to learn how to relax.”

What is the secret to your success in the business world and life overall?

“Be positive, have integrity and do the right thing when nobody is looking.”

What was it about NHRA drag racing that initially got your attention?

“I used to come do this to relax and it started out as relaxation. But it turned into another business.”

Bonus Questions – What is something no one knows about you?

“I like serenity and I like being by myself. I like just being a great person, that’s all.”

SONOMA, Calif. (July 26, 2023) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster team come into this weekend’s DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway sitting fifth in points, just 31 away from entering the top three. Prock’s current points position is a result of winning the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals alongside teammate Robert Hight whose crew chiefs include Prock’s father, Jimmy, and brother, Thomas. Austin also earned runner-up honors in the Winternationals at Pomona, Calif. in a Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster now tuned by the crew chief tandem of Chris Cunningham, formerly of Robert Hight’s team, and Joe Barlam who has been with Prock since 2022. “I’m excited to get going at the final race of the Western Swing in Sonoma, California. This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist car is running well, we see it,” Prock said. “I believe we can leave Sonoma Raceway with a Wally. I’m looking forward to making sight solid runs and getting the job done.” At Sonoma Raceway, Prock has yet to advance beyond the quarterfinals, and last year, after qualifying 12th, had a first-round loss to eventual race winner, teammate, and reigning world champion Brittany Force. In his rookie season, the only other start he has in Northern California, Prock was the No. 6 qualifier and lost to that year’s eventual world champion Steve Torrence in the second round. The DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway starts with qualifying Friday at 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Eliminations will begin Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with two qualifying shows Saturday at 12:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will be on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET.

SONOMA, Calif. (July 26, 2023) – Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevy Camaro SS team are hoping a victory at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway, historically one of their favorite tracks, will give them a points and confidence boost with the NHRA Countdown to the Championship fast approaching. Hight has attended all 34 races contested at Sonoma as either a spectator, a crew member or a driver. Growing up, it was the closest track to his home in Alturas, Calif. He has driven his Jimmy Prock-tuned Cornwell Tools Chevy to victory in three of his last four appearances (2018, 2019 and 2021). In addition to his three most recent victories, Hight also won at Sonoma in 2008 and started from the No. 1 qualifying position in 2006, 2017, 2019 and 2022. He is the track record holder for time and speed at 3.807 seconds and 339.87 miles per hour, both set on July 28, 2017. The speed mark is also the official NHRA national Funny Car record. As the No. 1 qualifier last year, he advanced to the semifinals. “I’m excited to be back in Northern California, this is my home track, I grew up coming here. I’ve never missed this national event,” Hight said. “I think this Cornwell Tools team is due for a win. We’ve struggled a bit, and had some bad luck, but I know this team, we know how to win. We keep putting in the work and it will pay off. Hopefully, it’s this weekend and we can break back into the top three in points. The Countdown is coming, and we want to be in a strong position to start the battle for another championship.”   Bidding this year to become just the fourth driver to win as many as four NHRA Funny Car championships (after John Force, Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme), Hight is fourth in Camping World points on the strength of wins at the Arizona Nationals and Four-Wide Nationals at Charlotte. His wins and a pair of No. 1 starts in Chicago and Bristol enabled Hight to extend to 18 the number of years in which he has won a race and started a race from the No. 1 spot. That’s every year he has contested the championship.

NHRA^® Team Report

NHRA Sonoma Nationals

Pre-Race Report

Cruz Pedregon says the crew has the Snap-on^® “Own It” Dodge^® SRT^® Hellcat^® ready for Sonoma, and for what would be his third win at this track, with a strong set-up to overcome the dropped cylinders his Funny Car has been fighting. 

“The good news is, the guys on the team got together and figured out the issue we’ve been having with dropping cylinders on our recent runs,” Cruz says. “We’re really encouraged by the car’s performance and a quarter-final finish last weekend and feeling confident about the direction we’re headed as we close out these back-to-back races of the NHRA western swing. It’s been more than a decade since my last Sonoma Wally, so it’s time to bring home another one for the trophy case.”

Cruz’s Funny Car will again have the “Own It” Snap-on franchise tribute paint scheme to honor the franchisees of the team’s primary sponsor. Before many races, Cruz rides along with franchisees in NHRA cities to visit shops and professionals who love talking tools and racing. The “Own It” paint scheme is a reminder that the Snap-on franchise opportunity is a way to own your own business, and it’s a “thank you” to current and future Snap-on franchisees.

This weekend’s Snap-on Nitro Franchisee featured on the side of Cruz’s car is John Schilling. He was an automotive tech prior to becoming a franchisee two years ago. In his free time, John does Circle Track racing on clay ovals in his IMCA modified car. He says he’s looking forward to watching Top Fuel and hanging out with Cruz in the pit this weekend. 

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

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

SONOMA, Calif. (July 26, 2023) – John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS team head to the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway to attempt to extend to 35 the number of seasons the 16-time championship team has won at least one NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour event. Force has history on his side at Sonoma Raceway. His eight wins at Sonoma are the most by anyone in any pro category. He took home the Wally in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2007, and 2016 and has been the Funny Car runner-up on six other occasions. There was a streak of seven years that Force found himself in the final round (1990-1996). “Coming to the end of the Western Swing up in Northern California. Looking forward to getting back in my PEAK Chevy. We’re doing good. We have some work to do but we’ve had some good runs, just need to get it together on race day,” Force said. “Another Bruton Smith track, they’ve done some work on the facility, maintaining it, keeping it beautiful. I love racing here, I guess who doesn’t? I’ve done well in the past so hopefully that’s a sign for this weekend. Looking for a win for PEAK, Chevy, Cornwell Tools, NK Seeds, and all our sponsors.” Force has qualified No. 1 eight times (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2011) and whenever he’s done so, he never has failed to reach the semifinals, winning from No. 1 in 1994 and 2002. Last year, after a No. 15 start, he took his PEAK Coolant and Antifreeze Chevy Camaro SS all the way to the final round before finishing runner-up. Force enters the Sonoma Nationals coming off a No. 1 qualifying position at the Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals marking the 166th of his career and now the 32nd season of his career from which he started race day in the top spot.

Aug. 25-26GRAND FORKS, ND (July 26, 2023) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series makes its final trip of 2023 to North Dakota for a doubleheader weekend at two fan-favorite tracks.First, the Series will make its second trip of the year to River Cities Speedway for the 2nd Leg of the Northern Tour on Friday, Aug. 25. Then, the Series returns to Red River Valley Speedway for The Duel in The Dakotas on Saturday, Aug. 26.Ten-time Series champion Donny Schatz, of Fargo, ND, has mastered both tracks, scoring 12 Series wins at River Cities and six at Red River Valley. Overall, he has 23 wins at River Cities and nine at Red River Valley. However, his last Series win at River Cities came in 2019 and his last at Red River Valley came in 2021.Championship contender David Gravel won at River Cities earlier this year and Carson Macedo earned his first win at Red River Valley last year.What you need to know: RIVER CITIES SPEEDWAY, Aug. 25 (Gerdau presents the 2nd Leg of the Northern Tour) Track: 1/4-mile in Grand Forks, ND Track Record: 9.269 seconds by Jason Meyers on Aug. 21, 2009 More Even InfoTimes (CT): 2 p.m. Pit Gate Opens 4 p.m. Grandstands Open 6:30 p.m. Hot Laps/Qualifying -Racing to followTickets: Available HEREPrevious winners: 2023 – David Gravel on June 2 2022 – Carson Macedo on June 3, Brad Sweet on Aug. 26 2021 – Brad Sweet on Aug. 25 2020 –Kyle Larson on Aug. 21 2019 – Logan Schuchart on June 7, Donny Schatz on Aug. 16 2018 – Donny Schatz on June 15, Donny Schatz on Aug. 17 2017 – David Gravel on June 16, Donny Schatz on Aug. 18 2016 – Donny Schatz on June 17, Donny Schatz on Aug. 26 2015 – Donny Schatz on June 19, Donny Schatz on Aug. 21 2014 – Donny Schatz on June 20, Daryn Pittman on Aug. 15 2013 – Cody Darrah on June 21, Donny Schatz on Aug. 16 2012 – Kraig Kinser on June 15, Sammy Swindell on Aug. 17 2011 – Craig Dollansky on June 17, Craig Dollansky on June 18, Steve Kinser on Aug. 19 2010 – Steve Kinser on June 19, Joey Saldana on June 20 2009 – Donny Schatz on June 19, Craig Dollansky on Aug. 21 2008 – Donny Schatz on June 27 2007 – Joey Saldana on June 29RED RIVER VALLEY SPEEDWAY, Aug. 26 (Gerdau presents The Duel in The Dakotas) Track: 3/8-mile track in West Fargo, ND Track Record: 11.460 seconds by Kasey Kahne on Aug. 21, 2021 More Event InfoTimes (CT): 2 p.m. Pit Gate Open 4 p.m. Grandstands Open 6:30 p.m. Hot Laps/Qualifying -Racing to followTickets: Available HEREPrevious winners: 2022 – Carson Macedo on Aug. 27 2021 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 21 2020 – Kyle Larson on Aug. 22 2018 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 18 2017 – Jason Johnson on Aug. 19 2012 – Sammy Swindell on June 16 2009 – Jason Meyers on June 20 2008 – Daryn Pittman on Aug. 12 2007 – Jac Haudenschild on June 30 2006 – Donny Schatz on June 16, Donny Schatz on June 17 2005 – Brian Paulus on July 1, Jason Meyers on July 2, Steve Kinser on Aug. 16 2004 – Joey Saldana on July 8, Jason Meyers on July 9, Joey Saldana on July 10 2003 – Steve Kinser on June 12, Donny Schatz on June 13, Danny Lasoski on June 14 2002 – Joey Saldana on July 4, P.J. Chesson on July 5, Donny Schatz on July 6 2001 – Steve Kinser on July 5, Sammy Swindell on July 6, Craig Dollansky on July 7 2000 – Sammy Swindell on July 6, Danny Lasoski on July 7, Sammy Swindell on July 8 1999 – Andy Hillenburg on July 8, Stevie Smith on July 9, Steve Kinser on July 10 1998 – Steve Kinser on July 9, Steve Kinser on July 10, Sammy Swindell on July 11 1997 – Steve Kinser on July 11, Stevie Smith on July 12 1996 – Mark Kinser on July 6, Sammy Swindell on July 7 1995 – Sammy Swindell on July 7, Sammy Swindell on July 8 1994 – Dave Blaney on July 9, Steve Kinser on July 10 1993 – Steve Kinser on July 9, Johnny Herrera on July 10 1992 – Steve Kinser on July 10, Steve Kinser on July 12 1991 – Doug Wolfgang on July 5, Doug Wolfgang on July 6 1990 – Doug Wolfgang on July 6, Doug Wolfgang on July 7 1989 – Doug Wolfgang on July 7, Jeff Swindell on July 8 1988 – Sammy Swindell on July 8, Doug Wolfgang on July 9 1987 – Steve Kinser on July 11 1986 – Sammy Swindell on July 11, Steve Kinser on July 12 1985 – Mark Kinser on July 12, Steve Kinser on July 13 1984 – Jeff Swindell on July 13, Steve Kinser on July 14 1983 – Sammy Swindell on July 8, Sammy Swindell on July 9 1982 – Sammy Swindell on July 12, Steve Kinser on July 13 1981 – Sammy Swindell on July 13If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch both events live on DIRTVision.

Mark your calendars… the Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag is coming to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, August 25-27!  Watch as the World’s Fastest Muscle Cars of NMCA race heads-up and wheels-up all weekend long! Other special features include Tom Bailey and his Drag & Drive Invitational, COPO and Cobra Jet Shootouts, True Street Racing, HEMI Shootout, Saturday & Sunday Car Show, huge Manufacturers Midway and much more! Bring the whole family!More Event Features Daily Schedule DirectionsC

OCALA, FL (July 25, 2023) — Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team know that the valleys make the view from the peaks that much better. The two-time Top Fuel national event winning team is ready to take advantage of a great view from the NHRA Sonoma Nationals this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Since opening the season with a huge win at the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout race, Hart has raced to just one final round and two semifinal finishes through the first eleven races. The team is working its way through just its second full-time season, but Hart is digging in looking for positive results.

 Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“We came out hot our rookie season on a partial schedule and I don’t that it spoiled us, but we definitely got a taste for winning and going rounds,” said Hart, who in his first 13 races raced to six semifinals with two wins. “It wasn’t easy, but I do think we might have snuck up on some people. We are not sneaking up on anyone now. They know we are out here, and we are hungry.”
 
The passion and determination have fueled Hart, an independent team owner and businessman to invest in his team at the highest possible level with top-tier parts and talent. The team is led by championship caliber crew chief Ron Douglas and a talented group of crewmen.
 
“Ron does an amazing job with the tune-up and the crew,” said Hart. “You look at some of our wins and losses and we are running with the top teams. We have won some close races and we have lost some close races. I would like to get these close losses out of the way now before the Countdown. The biggest thing I think is I am really comfortable in the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster.”
 
Since Hart had a tough start to the season his race car has raced to at least the quarterfinals in six of the last eight races. He is holding onto a spot in the Top Ten but with four races before the end of the regular season Hart is focusing on moving up in the standings. He is currently less than 100 points behind the driver in fifth place in the Top Fuel standings, a deficit that could be easily erased with a couple strong outings.
 
“This R+L Carriers dragster is creating a lot of horsepower and we are just working on transferring it to the track,” said Hart. “We worked on a few things earlier this season and now our car is running more consistently in all conditions. It will be cool on Friday night in Sonoma and then it will heat up over the weekend. We have a racecar that can run in both situations.”
 
Last year Hart made is Sonoma Nationals debut with a No. 7 qualifying effort and a run to the quarterfinals. The experience of racing in northern California was a positive experience for the young driver and team owner. This year Hart is looking to make more of an impact on the track.
 
“Last year we participated in the Western Swing for the first time and it was quite an experience,” said Hart. “This year I have a better handle on the tracks and I am looking forward to getting back to Sonoma. That track can be really fast so I am going to be looking to try and get some of those qualifying bonus points and also make the most of the four qualifying sessions.”
 
The R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster will make two runs on Friday, July 28, at 5:00 and 8:10 p.m. with two more runs on Saturday, July 29, at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Final eliminations will begin at 10:30 a.m. PST with the race being broadcast on FOX nationally from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. PST.
 

PLAINVIEW, NY (July 25, 2023) — As the Western Swing winds down with the final stop this weekend, for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 28-30, at picturesque Sonoma Raceway Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team powered by Okuma are looking to get their momentum back. This season the fourth year Top Fuel team owner and driver has collected four wins and five final round appearances, both career highs for a season, through eleven NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series National events. The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year has also won five Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge specialty races, collecting $50,000 and possibly more valuable 15 championship points. The first two races of the swing have not been as successful as Ashley would have liked but he is focusing on the future not the past.

 Justin Ashley and Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Okuma, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“The first two races of the swing are in the past and we are focused on how we can continue to get better in the present moment,” said Ashley. “We have great data from Seattle that we hope to apply this weekend in Sonoma. The track will be fast and we get four qualifying sessions which is ideal for our Phillips Connect Toyota team powered by Okuma.”
 
This will be Ashley’s third time racing at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, a track with a long history of quick elapsed times and high speeds. The facility also draws fans and supporters from across the country and region thanks to its proximity to the world-famous wine country. The allure of seeing record times could also bring the “Phillips Connect 300 at the 1/8” program for any Top Fuel or Funny Car driver to break that speed barrier at the 1/8-mile mark into jeopardy and add a $30,000 bonus to their bank account for the effort. 
 
“Sonoma is a race that we’re really looking forward to because of the record-setting conditions that are often available during the Friday night session,” said Ashley, who is entering his second season with Phillips Connect as his primary sponsor. “We’ll have Phillips Connect representatives in attendance and would love nothing more than to join the Phillips Connect 300 at the 1/8 club. A lot of teams, ourselves included, want to be the first to do so.”
 
Last year Ashley raced to the quarterfinals after qualifying No. 6 in a tight Top Fuel field. He took out Alex Laughlin in the first round before dropping a second round race to Mike Salinas, who raced to the final round. In his first time competing at Sonoma Raceway in 2021, his day was cut short in the first round with a loss to Leah Pruett.
 
“Sonoma Raceway has a lot of history and officially kicks off the second half of the season,” said Ashley. “It’s important to have a good race because we’re getting closer to the countdown. We have gone some rounds at Sonoma in the past and now our goal is to qualify well and put our team in a position to win on raceday.”
 
Prior to the race Ashley will be donating some time and racing skills to the Speedway Children’s Charity NHRA Charity Karting Tournament event on Thursday afternoon. Participants will start their day with professional karting instruction, followed by an on-track instructional round, practice round, and end with team time trials. Following the event Ashley will join a group of NHRA drivers, crew chiefs and supporters at Turn 11 for the 15th annual Eric Medlen Nitro Night dinner. Guests will enjoy a casual barbeque dinner, live auction, raffle, and gather to celebrate the life of the late Eric Medlen.
 
“Thursday will be a very special day because I will spend time go-karting with fans and attending the Eric Medlen Nitro Night dinner to help raise money for Speedway Children’s Charity of Sonoma,” said Ashley. “Dustin Davis, Phillips Connect and our marketing team were instrumental in reviving this event last year and it has really taken off again. I didn’t have the privledge of knowing Eric Medlen but the impact he made on the lives of so many within the NHRA community has been invaluable. I am grateful for the opportunity to join others as we celebrate his life.”
 
The Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team will have two qualifying runs on Friday and two on Saturday. Final eliminations will begin at 10:30 a.m. PST on Sunday with the qualified Top Fuel drivers looking to add their name to the storied list of Sonoma Nationals winners. The race will be broadcast nationally on the FOX network Sunday afternoon.
 

FAIRBURY, IL (July 25, 2023) – Tyler Nicely will have his name etched in the history books alongside Modified legends Mike Harrison, Kenny Wallace and Nick Hoffman during the 33rd Prairie Dirt Classic, July 28-29.

The Owensboro, KY driver will officially be crowned the 2023 DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals champion during the Series’ finale at Fairbury Speedway, making him the fourth champion in Series history.

“It means a lot,” Nicely said. “I’ve never been a big points series racer. I’ve always let it fall into place. If it is meant to be, it’s meant to be. This year, I really wanted to get one of those under my belt. Under the names of Nick (Hoffman), Kenny Wallace, Mike Harrison, all the guys that’s won one. It’s cool to have your name on it.”

In 15 starts during the 2023 Summer Nationals Hell Tour, Nicely scored five wins, 10 top fives and 13 top 10s, giving him a more than 400-point advantage over Zeke McKenzie going into the weekend to lock the title.

His Summer Nationals success comes on top of a more than 20-win season, so far, including five wins during Florida Speedweeks with the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds – three during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals – and three wins with the MARS Modified Series, where he’s also the current points leader.

The reason for that success? Nicely pointed to a new chassis and help from last year’s Summer Nationals Modified champion as key elements.

“We switched back to an Elite Chassis this year,” Nicely said. “Nick (Hoffman, the owner of the chassis company) has been very helpful. He’s made sure I had the speed I’ve needed all year. Now this new car has been really good all year. We picked up 22 wins, so far, this year. Mainly, just that and having good people behind me, making sure I have everything I need to go out and compete every night.”

Hoffman, the five-time DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals champion and all-time winningest driver in the Series with 69 wins, has more than 100 Elite Chassis racing around the country. With Nicely, Hoffman said he sees a lot of himself in the 28-year-old; a young guy, racing with a couple of young crew members.

“I help him out a bunch,” Hoffman said. “He’s just really good. He takes care of his own deal. Races his Modified just like how I did, as far as running up and down the road…It’s cool to see.”

Along with set up help, Nicely said Hoffman was key in helping him with his confidence during tough weeks, reminding him to leave the bad races behind him and keep looking forward.

During a stretch on the Hell Tour, Nicely broke two rear ends in one week. However, with the support of the Allgaier family, giving him a shop to work in and helping fix the rear ends, Nicely was able to put the issues behind him and continue chasing the Summer Nationals title.

Now, he’ll look ahead to try and score his second Prairie Dirt Classic victory. He earned his first in 2015 and won a Showdown race in 2019 and 2022.

“Fairbury has been good to me, and it’s been bad to me,” Nicely said. “We haven’t had the car we needed to win there I feel like…But I think we’ll be alright. The car has been good here as of late. We’ll just put our heads down. The main thing will be to qualify good Friday night and put yourself in position for those first few rows come Saturday.”

The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds will join the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Modelsat the 33rd Prairie Dirt Classic – an event that serves as one of the biggest events of the year for both divisions.

“That there is probably the most atmosphere other than the [Gateway Dirt Nationals],” Nicely said. “The atmosphere, the fans, just everything about it is awesome. Fairbury pretty much shuts down the town for that whole weekend. We’ll go up Wednesday night and hang out Thursday and get ready for Friday and Saturday. It is amazing what Matt Curl (owner and promoter of Fairbury Speedway) has done with that place and how the fans are so involved. It is pretty awesome.”

For tickets to the 33rd Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury Speedway, Friday-Saturday, July 28-29, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

Four-time NHRA champion takes over Top Fuel points lead

KENT, Wash. (July 23, 2023) – Steve Torrence won Sunday’s Top Fuel final at Pacific Raceways near Seattle to earn the 200th victory for Toyota in NHRA competition. Torrence topped Doug Kalitta in an all-Toyota Top Fuel final to earn the milestone victory.

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd advanced to the final round and came home runner-up by inches to race-winner Tim Wilkerson on Sunday. This continues Todd’s performance surge as the former champion has finished in the semi-finals or better four of the last five races.

Toyota Post-Race Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

Pacific Raceways

Race 11 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Winner	W. 3.736 v. 3.750(J. Hart) W. 3.752 v. 8.811(B. Force) W. 4.016 v. 4.074(S. Langdon) W. 3.940 v. 4.861 (D. Kalitta)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finalist	W. 3.753 v. 4.384(R. Smith) W. 4.975 v. No Run(Bye) W. 3.813 v. 3.947(C. Millican) L. 4.861 v. 3.940 (S. Torrence)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-Finals	W. 3.779 v. 4.755(A. Brown) W. 3.792 v. 4.772(M. Salinas) L. 4.074 v. 4.016(S. Torrence)
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W. 3.740 v. 3.785(T. Schumacher) L. 3.807 v. 3.973(C. Millican)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L. 4.755 v. 3.779(S. Langdon)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Finalist	W. 3.909 v. No Run(A. Laughlin) W. 3.964 v. 4.085(C. Pedregon) W. 3.988 v. 3.974(Holeshot Win –C. Green) L. 4.014 v. 4.007 (T. Wilkerson)
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Second Round	W. 4.481 v. 12.260(J. Diehl) L. 4.958 v. 4.006(T. Wilkerson)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L. 4.176 v. 3.963(C. Green)

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

Final Result: Winner

How does it feel to head to Sonoma with all of this momentum after today’s win?

“It’s a great feeling. Just kind of a monkey off your back sense of accomplishment feeling. In the year’s past, we’ve had such a dominant race car and I think you can get a little complacent and winning is a norm and it’s really not and never should be. The performance today – I’ll tell you, two rounds were stellar, and two rounds were not stellar. You’ve got to be confident. It’s difficult when things are not going absolutely great to be as confident as you need to be to drive these things successfully. And, like I said, you just need to take a step back, reevaluate the situation and just see how thankful, grateful, fortunate and blessed we are to be able to do what we do with such great partners like what we have. This is a great place to win and at the right time to feel like we’re getting some momentum going. We’re getting that race car that we’ve had in year’s past back where you go out there and call your shots. I knew that as the day got hotter and the track was a little more susceptible to spinning the tires out there, we struggled but we did better than the guy or girl beside us. Right now, our confidence is back. I don’t think that it’s as good as it can be, but it’s definitely moving in the right direction. You’re only as good as your last shot so you need to continue moving forward. I think that we have a really good race car going into Sonoma. Conditions will probably be a much different situation there where you have to move a lot faster and it just won’t be as warm, maybe, but we’ll see how it goes. Hats off to the Capco Contractors boys at home that are taking care of us and keeping us out here. And Toyota that just makes sure we have all the right information for the track, excited to get the 200^th win for Toyota here today. Also, thanks to Red Line Tools that supports us. We’re a family-owned and family-run team and we’re really close to the vest and careful with who we partner with so we’re proud of the people that support us.”

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

Final Result: Finalist

Are you happy after a good points day for the team?

“Obviously, getting beat in the final there’s not a lot of positive things to say, but it was a good weekend for us. Going to the final again. All of my guys have worked hard on this thing, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve got going on. It was there for the taking in the finals, so it was one of those deals that we let one get away. I really appreciate everyone’s support.”

 

July 23, 2023

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team took advantage of some savvy strategy calls that put them in the lead pack in the final laps of Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway and came away with an eighth-place finish.

It was Burton’s second top-10 of the season, the first being a sixth place at Darlington in May, and the fourth of his Cup Series career. 

In the early laps of Sunday’s 400-miler on the Tricky Triangle, Burton moved up two spots from his 26th starting position then finished the first 30-lap Stage in 15th place by staying on the track as others ahead of him made pit stops just prior to the end of the Stage.

Crew chief Brian Wilson brought Burton to pit road during the caution period at the end of the Stage then called for several more stops under caution, at Laps 36 and 46, which allowed the DEX Imaging team to make a green flag stop with just four laps remaining in Stage Two.

When a group of drivers pitted at the end of the Stage, Burton moved up to 13th position for the start of the third and final segment of the race.

Burton was back on pit road at Laps 106, and that strategy allowed him to move up to second place during the next round of green-flag stops.

The No. 21 Mustang hit pit road at Lap 138 for two tires and six laps later was back in the top 10 with 15 of 160 laps left to run.

Burton, with his No. 21 Mustang responding well to some mid-race adjustments, did his best driving of the day over an action-packed final 10 laps as two more incidents caused restarts, with the racing as aggressive as it had been all day.

The final green flag flew with three laps remaining, and Burton picked up three positions to eighth place before a stalled car on the track caused the race to end under the caution flag. 

“We were mired in traffic all day and that makes it hard,” Burton told reporters after the race. “We struggled for handling but made a few changes at the end and that got the car pretty good right before the long green-flag cycle and I could kind of run long. 

“A lot of those guys pitted themselves into traffic, and we were able to have clean air and click off faster lap times. 

“We pitted and came out in front of a lot of those guys, so that helped us a lot.”

Burton said the varying strategies employed at Pocono make the racing much more interesting. 

“It’s fun to kind of know what’s going on and know that you have to go run fast laps because the guys behind you are trying to do the same,” he said. “It worked out to where we pitted out in front of them. The guys did a good job on pit road to do that, and the last few restarts I just tried to be aggressive and keep moving forward and got a few more spots.”

Burton said the strong run and top-10 finish were a big boost for him and the No. 21 team. 

“The last two weekends have been better for us,” he said. “This weekend I was disappointed the first little bit because it wasn’t very good, and then found a way to keep digging and claw out of it. Last weekend was the opposite. The first three-quarters of the race was really good and then the end just got cycled back on some restarts.

“It’s good to finish on the good side of it this weekend and keep fighting through the day and not give up on making the race car better. We definitely did that. 

“I’m proud of our guys. There’s not a lot of quit on this race team. We’ve been through hell and high water, but we’re still fighting.”

Next up for Burton and the Wood Brothers team is a Sunday afternoon 400-lapper at Richmond Raceway.