FAIRBURY, IL (July 25, 2026) – It’s starting to feel like old times again for Rocket1 Racing and Brandon Sheppard.

The most dominant pairing in the history of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision won 71 races and four championships in an incredible five-year stretch from 2017 to 2021. After going their separate ways for two seasons before reuniting in 2025, nights like Saturday prove that Sheppard and Mark Richards still have a lot left in the tank.

The New Berlin, IL native won the Prairie Dirt Classic for the fourth time in his career, marking his first crown jewel win in the Rocket house car since the last time he won his home state’s biggest race in 2022. Sheppard’s 90th Series win was also his 128th national-touring triumph, which broke the tie with Scott Bloomquist and made Sheppard the winningest driver in the combined history of the World of Outlaws and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Sheppard’s road to the record involved getting around a driver looking for his first big league triumph. MD3 Rookie of the Year contender Trey Mills won a preliminary Showdown Feature on Friday and drew the Bilstein Pole for the big show on Saturday, and held off some of the biggest stars in Late Model racing for the first 63 laps. But as Mills’ tires started to fade in the second half of the race, the trio of Sheppard, Bobby Pierce and Hudson O’Neal saw their chance to pounce.

Sheppard found some grip on the low side while Mills continued to pound the cushion like he had been doing all race long, and one bobble up high gave Sheppard enough room to clear Mills exiting Turn 2. With slower traffic approaching on the bottom, Sheppard had no choice but to go back to the top and slide up in front of Mills in Turn 3 to seal the position.

Even after losing the lead, Mills remained in the hunt for a top-five finishing position for a few more laps until his right-rear tire finally gave out with 18 laps remaining. His night wasn’t over though, as the crew put on some fresh rubber and Mills wheeled his way back up to 11th at the checkered flag.

Up front, a rash of cautions meant Sheppard struggled to build any momentum out front. The ensuing restarts also meant Pierce and O’Neal had plenty of chances to make a bid for the top spot. Their last chance came after Ricky Thornton Jr. pounded the backstretch wall with four to go, but once again, no one could stop Sheppard from sealing the deal and earning the $50,000 top prize.

“You’ve kind of got to wait for a little while until the track starts to slow down, and then it gets to a point where there’s three lanes out there and you can run all over it,” Sheppard said. “You’ve got to make the right moves when it comes to that part of the race. Late in the race, when it gets slick and I can really run that momentum line like I do, you know, I passed those guys in basically the middle-bottom in [Turns] 1 and 2. Caution came out immediately, and I’m like, ‘Now what do I do? I don’t know where to be at.’ I just stuck to the old faithful line that I always seem to be pretty good with here, especially when I’m out front, and it definitely paid off.”

O’Neal came up one spot short of joining Jonathan Davenport and Kyle Larson as the third different driver to win the PDC in the K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6. Pierce finished third in his first weekend with his father and crew chief, Bob Pierce, back at the track after his stroke on July 15. Trailing the podium were Nick Hoffman and Tim McCreadie in fourth and fifth, respectively.

UP NEXT: The second of two back-to-back crown jewels comes next week at Cedar Lake Speedway with the USA Nationals, Thursday-Saturday, July 30-Aug. 1. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Kyle Bronson, Hudson O’Neal and Nick Hoffman won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Kyle Hammer won the Prairie Dirt Shootout.

Trey Mills won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Tim McCreadie won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

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

Bobby Pierce was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Jason Feger was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Gordy Gundaker was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Devin Moran was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Kaede Loudy was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

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

Kyle Hammer was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (100 Laps): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 6-Hudson O’Neal[18]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[14]; 4. 9-Nick Hoffman[19]; 5. 9M-Tim McCreadie[23]; 6. 25F-Jason Feger[3]; 7. 11-Gordy Gundaker[16]; 8. 1-Tyler Erb[10]; 9. 19R-Ryan Gustin[15]; 10. 74X-Ethan Dotson[24]; 11. 14-Trey Mills[1]; 12. 77-Devin Moran[20]; 13. 126-Kaede Loudy[9]; 14. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[11]; 15. 15-Justin Duty[8]; 16. 13-Dallon Murty[6]; 17. 16S-Sam Seawright[4]; 18. 45-Kyle Hammer[27]; 19. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[13]; 20. 89-Mike Spatola[26]; 21. 157-Mike Marlar[12]; 22. 58V-Daulton Wilson[21]; 23. 19-Dustin Sorensen[29]; 24. 36-Mckay Wenger[25]; 25. 40B-Kyle Bronson[17]; 26. 32S-Chris Simpson[7]; 27. 25-Shane Clanton[5]; 28. 22*-Zack Mitchell[28]; 29. 18-Shannon Babb[22]

Sheppard Becomes Four-Time Prairie Dirt Classic Champion at Fairbury

FAIRBURY, IL (July 25, 2026) – It’s starting to feel like old times again for Rocket1 Racing and Brandon Sheppard.

The most dominant pairing in the history of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision won 71 races and four championships in an incredible five-year stretch from 2017 to 2021. After going their separate ways for two seasons before reuniting in 2025, nights like Saturday prove that Sheppard and Mark Richards still have a lot left in the tank.

The New Berlin, IL native won the Prairie Dirt Classic for the fourth time in his career, marking his first crown jewel win in the Rocket house car since the last time he won his home state’s biggest race in 2022. Sheppard’s 90th Series win was also his 128th national-touring triumph, which broke the tie with Scott Bloomquist and made Sheppard the winningest driver in the combined history of the World of Outlaws and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Sheppard’s road to the record involved getting around a driver looking for his first big league triumph. MD3 Rookie of the Year contender Trey Mills won a preliminary Showdown Feature on Friday and drew the Bilstein Pole for the big show on Saturday, and held off some of the biggest stars in Late Model racing for the first 63 laps. But as Mills’ tires started to fade in the second half of the race, the trio of Sheppard, Bobby Pierce and Hudson O’Neal saw their chance to pounce.

Sheppard found some grip on the low side while Mills continued to pound the cushion like he had been doing all race long, and one bobble up high gave Sheppard enough room to clear Mills exiting Turn 2. With slower traffic approaching on the bottom, Sheppard had no choice but to go back to the top and slide up in front of Mills in Turn 3 to seal the position.

Even after losing the lead, Mills remained in the hunt for a top-five finishing position for a few more laps until his right-rear tire finally gave out with 18 laps remaining. His night wasn’t over though, as the crew put on some fresh rubber and Mills wheeled his way back up to 11th at the checkered flag.

Up front, a rash of cautions meant Sheppard struggled to build any momentum out front. The ensuing restarts also meant Pierce and O’Neal had plenty of chances to make a bid for the top spot. Their last chance came after Ricky Thornton Jr. pounded the backstretch wall with four to go, but once again, no one could stop Sheppard from sealing the deal and earning the $50,000 top prize.

“You’ve kind of got to wait for a little while until the track starts to slow down, and then it gets to a point where there’s three lanes out there and you can run all over it,” Sheppard said. “You’ve got to make the right moves when it comes to that part of the race. Late in the race, when it gets slick and I can really run that momentum line like I do, you know, I passed those guys in basically the middle-bottom in [Turns] 1 and 2. Caution came out immediately, and I’m like, ‘Now what do I do? I don’t know where to be at.’ I just stuck to the old faithful line that I always seem to be pretty good with here, especially when I’m out front, and it definitely paid off.”

O’Neal came up one spot short of joining Jonathan Davenport and Kyle Larson as the third different driver to win the PDC in the K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6. Pierce finished third in his first weekend with his father and crew chief, Bob Pierce, back at the track after his stroke on July 15. Trailing the podium were Nick Hoffman and Tim McCreadie in fourth and fifth, respectively.

UP NEXT: The second of two back-to-back crown jewels comes next week at Cedar Lake Speedway with the USA Nationals, Thursday-Saturday, July 30-Aug. 1. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Kyle Bronson, Hudson O’Neal and Nick Hoffman won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Kyle Hammer won the Prairie Dirt Shootout.

Trey Mills won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Tim McCreadie won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

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

Bobby Pierce was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Jason Feger was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Gordy Gundaker was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Devin Moran was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Kaede Loudy was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

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

Kyle Hammer was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (100 Laps): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 6-Hudson O’Neal[18]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[14]; 4. 9-Nick Hoffman[19]; 5. 9M-Tim McCreadie[23]; 6. 25F-Jason Feger[3]; 7. 11-Gordy Gundaker[16]; 8. 1-Tyler Erb[10]; 9. 19R-Ryan Gustin[15]; 10. 74X-Ethan Dotson[24]; 11. 14-Trey Mills[1]; 12. 77-Devin Moran[20]; 13. 126-Kaede Loudy[9]; 14. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[11]; 15. 15-Justin Duty[8]; 16. 13-Dallon Murty[6]; 17. 16S-Sam Seawright[4]; 18. 45-Kyle Hammer[27]; 19. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[13]; 20. 89-Mike Spatola[26]; 21. 157-Mike Marlar[12]; 22. 58V-Daulton Wilson[21]; 23. 19-Dustin Sorensen[29]; 24. 36-Mckay Wenger[25]; 25. 40B-Kyle Bronson[17]; 26. 32S-Chris Simpson[7]; 27. 25-Shane Clanton[5]; 28. 22*-Zack Mitchell[28]; 29. 18-Shannon Babb[22]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/sheppard-becomes-four-time-prairie-dirt-classic-champion-at-fairbury

FAIRBURY, IL (July 25, 2026) — Cole Falloway has already won several big races in his young career. But there was one on his bucket list that he had been eying since becoming one of the top DIRTcar UMP Modified drivers in the nation — the Prairie Dirt Classic.

On Saturday night, the 23-year-old Kentucky native punched through to Victory Lane on Fairbury Speedway’s biggest stage of the year, leading all 40 circuits around the iconic Illinois 1/4-mile racetrack to bank the $5,000 check and his fifth career DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Feature win.

“I’ve wanted this thing. I haven’t raced it a whole lot, but I knew it would just be a cool one to win with the amount of people here, the eyes on this race and everything,” Falloway said. “It’s one that I wanted, for sure.

“Anything you win here at Fairbury — it’s always tough to win here. There’s so many good cars and everything. It’s up there with a few really big ones that I’ve won. One of the top three, for sure.”

Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Merrill Downey Memorial. Mega 100. Plowboy Nationals. Troutman Memorial. Falloway’s list of marquee event wins in the DIRTcar UMP Modified world is rapidly expanding and now features a trophy from one of Illinois’ most prestigious motorsports events.

From outside of the front row, Falloway jumped to the lead on the opening lap, powering around the outside of Trevor Neville through Turns 1 and 2. The race’s first caution flag with 12 laps complete restacked the field and put Neville and three-time Fairbury track champion Michael Ledford on Falloway’s rear bumper for the restart.

Ledford got a strong restart on the top side of the track and pulled ahead of Neville to take second at the flag stand to complete Lap 13. Damian Kiefer and Ricky Thornton Jr. got by Neville around the halfway point to move into positions three and four and set their sights on Ledford in second. When Ledford stumbled out of Turn 2 on Lap 28, Kiefer and Thornton both went by in Turn 3 to take the podium spots.

A second caution flag flew one lap later, restacking the field once more and erasing the lead of over two-and-a-half seconds Falloway had built.

“I got hung up in some of that lapped traffic, but I knew I still had a decent lead, so I was kind of okay either way — getting back out of lapped traffic with a yellow or just staying in it,” Falloway said. “I got through like three of them there before that yellow, and I felt like I could put a decent cushion between me and whoever was behind me.”

Falloway picked up the throttle on the restart and resumed his drive through the middle groove on the track. Kiefer gave him a challenge to the inside through Turns 1 and 2 but was unable to get close enough to make a move as Falloway began to speed away in the closing laps.

“I saw Curtis (crew member), he had the sticks opened up a decent amount, and I felt like I was making pretty good laps and pretty good speed there through the middle,” Falloway said. “I just tried to watch him, and if he moved me, I knew there were some good cars behind me that could’ve made speed either around the bottom or the top. So, I just tried to keep making speed like I was through the middle and keep an eye on him in case he did try to move me.”

Uncontested in the final circuits, Falloway crossed underneath the checkered flag to seal the victory with Ledford getting back to second, Kiefer in third, Thornton in fourth and Tyler Nicely rounding out the top five.

Feature (40 laps) — 1. 66-Cole Falloway[2]; 2. 9-Michael Ledford[4]; 3. 0K-Damian Kiefer[5]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr.[8]; 5. 7N-Tyler Nicely[7]; 6. 96M-Mike McKinney[6]; 7. 777-Trevor Neville[1]; 8. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[17]; 9. 29-Chris Spalding[10]; 10. 18L-Michael Long[16]; 11. 13-Charlie Mefford[12]; 12. 77-Ray Bollinger[21]; 13. 5-Steven Brooks[23]; 14. 89-Austin Friedman[18]; 15. 21B-Hunter Breland[14]; 16. 01-Jeremy Nichols[15]; 17. B5-Matthew Baker[24]; 18. 8K-Levi Kissinger[19]; 19. 36W-Kenny Wallace[22]; 20. 4-Cody Laney[9]; 21. 12-Jeff Curl[20]; 22. 99-Blake Brown[11]; 23. 110-Landen Miller[3]; 24. 25W-Allen Weisser[13]

Cole Falloway Dominates at Fairbury to Win Modified Prairie Dirt Classic 

FAIRBURY, IL (July 25, 2026) — Cole Falloway has already won several big races in his young career. But there was one on his bucket list that he had been eying since becoming one of the top DIRTcar UMP Modified drivers in the nation — the Prairie Dirt Classic.

On Saturday night, the 23-year-old Kentucky native punched through to Victory Lane on Fairbury Speedway’s biggest stage of the year, leading all 40 circuits around the iconic Illinois 1/4-mile racetrack to bank the $5,000 check and his fifth career DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Feature win.

“I’ve wanted this thing. I haven’t raced it a whole lot, but I knew it would just be a cool one to win with the amount of people here, the eyes on this race and everything,” Falloway said. “It’s one that I wanted, for sure.

“Anything you win here at Fairbury — it’s always tough to win here. There’s so many good cars and everything. It’s up there with a few really big ones that I’ve won. One of the top three, for sure.”

Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Merrill Downey Memorial. Mega 100. Plowboy Nationals. Troutman Memorial. Falloway’s list of marquee event wins in the DIRTcar UMP Modified world is rapidly expanding and now features a trophy from one of Illinois’ most prestigious motorsports events.

From outside of the front row, Falloway jumped to the lead on the opening lap, powering around the outside of Trevor Neville through Turns 1 and 2. The race’s first caution flag with 12 laps complete restacked the field and put Neville and three-time Fairbury track champion Michael Ledford on Falloway’s rear bumper for the restart.

Ledford got a strong restart on the top side of the track and pulled ahead of Neville to take second at the flag stand to complete Lap 13. Damian Kiefer and Ricky Thornton Jr. got by Neville around the halfway point to move into positions three and four and set their sights on Ledford in second. When Ledford stumbled out of Turn 2 on Lap 28, Kiefer and Thornton both went by in Turn 3 to take the podium spots.

A second caution flag flew one lap later, restacking the field once more and erasing the lead of over two-and-a-half seconds Falloway had built.

“I got hung up in some of that lapped traffic, but I knew I still had a decent lead, so I was kind of okay either way — getting back out of lapped traffic with a yellow or just staying in it,” Falloway said. “I got through like three of them there before that yellow, and I felt like I could put a decent cushion between me and whoever was behind me.”

Falloway picked up the throttle on the restart and resumed his drive through the middle groove on the track. Kiefer gave him a challenge to the inside through Turns 1 and 2 but was unable to get close enough to make a move as Falloway began to speed away in the closing laps.

“I saw Curtis (crew member), he had the sticks opened up a decent amount, and I felt like I was making pretty good laps and pretty good speed there through the middle,” Falloway said. “I just tried to watch him, and if he moved me, I knew there were some good cars behind me that could’ve made speed either around the bottom or the top. So, I just tried to keep making speed like I was through the middle and keep an eye on him in case he did try to move me.”

Uncontested in the final circuits, Falloway crossed underneath the checkered flag to seal the victory with Ledford getting back to second, Kiefer in third, Thornton in fourth and Tyler Nicely rounding out the top five.

Feature (40 laps) — 1. 66-Cole Falloway[2]; 2. 9-Michael Ledford[4]; 3. 0K-Damian Kiefer[5]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr.[8]; 5. 7N-Tyler Nicely[7]; 6. 96M-Mike McKinney[6]; 7. 777-Trevor Neville[1]; 8. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[17]; 9. 29-Chris Spalding[10]; 10. 18L-Michael Long[16]; 11. 13-Charlie Mefford[12]; 12. 77-Ray Bollinger[21]; 13. 5-Steven Brooks[23]; 14. 89-Austin Friedman[18]; 15. 21B-Hunter Breland[14]; 16. 01-Jeremy Nichols[15]; 17. B5-Matthew Baker[24]; 18. 8K-Levi Kissinger[19]; 19. 36W-Kenny Wallace[22]; 20. 4-Cody Laney[9]; 21. 12-Jeff Curl[20]; 22. 99-Blake Brown[11]; 23. 110-Landen Miller[3]; 24. 25W-Allen Weisser[13]

ARTICLE: https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/news/cole-falloway-dominates-at-fairbury-to-win-modified-prairie-dirt-classic/

Sam Hafertepe Jr. Becomes First Three-Time Winner of Steve King Memorial at Dodge City DODGE CITY, KS (July 25, 2026) — Sam Hafertepe Jr. remains the biggest threat to win with the American Sprint Car Series at Dodge City Raceway Park.

The Series points leader enjoyed a near-perfect night in the Steve King Memorial with a hard-working effort for his third victory of the 2026 season and his fourth consecutive triumph at the 3/8-mile track.

The Sunnyvale, TX driver went fastest in Hot Laps and Qualifying, then won his Heat race before finishing second to Austyn Gossel in the Honest Abe Roofing Dash to start on the front row for Saturday’s 30-lap Feature.

At the start, Gossel secured the lead from Hafertepe, then took his No. 16G to the cushion as Matt Covington began to battle Hafertepe for the runner-up spot. Covington took the position on Lap 2, but was unable to equal Gossel’s pace until traffic came into view on Lap 10.

Hafertepe used the opportunity to retake second with a slide job on Covington on Lap 11, then tracked down Gossel by using the cushion until the only caution of the Feature waved on Lap 12.

On the restart, Gossel went back to building a lead from Hafertepe, commanding the field by 1.4 seconds until lap traffic played a factor in the race once more.

When three lapped cars gridlocked Gossel on the cushion with 10 laps remaining, Hafertepe took the chance to pounce for the lead by driving to the bottom lane, took the lead from Gossel through Turns 1-2, then sliced through the traffic to build a buffer over the Fort Collins, CO native by 1.5 seconds.

As Covington returned to the picture by racing Gossel for second, Hafertepe drove to a three-second margin over the two drivers as he took the twin checkered flags for his 91st Series win and became the first three-time winner of the Steve King Memorial. The win also moves him up to a 20-point difference over Covington in the standings.

“Yeah, I wish our car was a little bit better,” Hafertepe said. “We were probably the worst we’d been all night, but Austyn did a hell of a job. I knew he was gonna get antsy dealing with (lapped traffic), and they were down, up, down, not knowing where to go. He got a little hung up, and I did too.

“He never really tried the bottom, and we tried it a couple laps just to see what it would be if we hit it. That’s what you have to do on those restarts: see what you can do and what you can’t do. It’s hard to know where to be, especially if you haven’t tried anything, and he had no reason to try anything because he’s out there running good. I thought he drove a better race; I just got through traffic better.”

Gossel finished with a second-place result, and Covington earned his seventh podium in the last eight races with third. Seth Bergman finished fourth, and Kyler Johnson solidified the top five finishers.

Recap Notes:

Quick Time Award: Sam Hafertepe Jr. (13.665 sec.)

Heat Race Winners: Kyler Johnson, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Austyn Gossel

Honest Abe Roofing Dash Winner: Austyn Gossel

Last Chance Showdown Winner: Bradley Fezard

Hard Charger Award: Casey Wills (+6)

UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series will travel north to Minnesota for two nights of the Rock On Trucks Gopher State 360 Sprint Car Challenge at Worthington Speedway on Thursday, July 30, then Viking Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 1.

WORTHINGTON INFO

VIKING INFO

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

RESULTS: Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[2]; 2. 16G-Austyn Gossel[1]; 3. 95-Matt Covington[3]; 4. 23-Seth Bergman[7]; 5. 45X-Kyler Johnson[4]; 6. 1X-Bryant Wiedeman[6]; 7. 2-Whit Gastineau[5]; 8. 88R-Ryder Laplante[8]; 9. 88C-Brogan Carder[12]; 10. 3-Cole Schroeder[13]; 11. 2J-Zach Blurton[9]; 12. 68-Taylor Milton[15]; 13. 88-Terry Easum[10]; 14. 938-Bradley Fezard[16]; 15. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[17]; 16. 31-Casey Wills[22]; 17. 88K-Jordan Knight[21]; 18. 91-Jeff Stasa[11]; 19. 911-Ty Williams[14]; 20. 52H-Hayden Mabe[24]; 21. 65-Kohl Ricke[23]; 22. K88-Kelby Fetters[19]; 23. 72-Ray Seemann[20]; 24. 88J-Jeremy Huish[18]

Sam Hafertepe Jr. Becomes First Three-Time Winner of Steve King Memorial at Dodge City DODGE CITY, KS (July 25, 2026) — Sam Hafertepe Jr. remains the biggest threat to win with the American Sprint Car Series at Dodge City Raceway Park.

The Series points leader enjoyed a near-perfect night in the Steve King Memorial with a hard-working effort for his third victory of the 2026 season and his fourth consecutive triumph at the 3/8-mile track.

The Sunnyvale, TX driver went fastest in Hot Laps and Qualifying, then won his Heat race before finishing second to Austyn Gossel in the Honest Abe Roofing Dash to start on the front row for Saturday’s 30-lap Feature.

At the start, Gossel secured the lead from Hafertepe, then took his No. 16G to the cushion as Matt Covington began to battle Hafertepe for the runner-up spot. Covington took the position on Lap 2, but was unable to equal Gossel’s pace until traffic came into view on Lap 10.

Hafertepe used the opportunity to retake second with a slide job on Covington on Lap 11, then tracked down Gossel by using the cushion until the only caution of the Feature waved on Lap 12.

On the restart, Gossel went back to building a lead from Hafertepe, commanding the field by 1.4 seconds until lap traffic played a factor in the race once more.

When three lapped cars gridlocked Gossel on the cushion with 10 laps remaining, Hafertepe took the chance to pounce for the lead by driving to the bottom lane, took the lead from Gossel through Turns 1-2, then sliced through the traffic to build a buffer over the Fort Collins, CO native by 1.5 seconds.

As Covington returned to the picture by racing Gossel for second, Hafertepe drove to a three-second margin over the two drivers as he took the twin checkered flags for his 91st Series win and became the first three-time winner of the Steve King Memorial. The win also moves him up to a 20-point difference over Covington in the standings.

“Yeah, I wish our car was a little bit better,” Hafertepe said. “We were probably the worst we’d been all night, but Austyn did a hell of a job. I knew he was gonna get antsy dealing with (lapped traffic), and they were down, up, down, not knowing where to go. He got a little hung up, and I did too.

“He never really tried the bottom, and we tried it a couple laps just to see what it would be if we hit it. That’s what you have to do on those restarts: see what you can do and what you can’t do. It’s hard to know where to be, especially if you haven’t tried anything, and he had no reason to try anything because he’s out there running good. I thought he drove a better race; I just got through traffic better.”

Gossel finished with a second-place result, and Covington earned his seventh podium in the last eight races with third. Seth Bergman finished fourth, and Kyler Johnson solidified the top five finishers.

Recap Notes:

Quick Time Award: Sam Hafertepe Jr. (13.665 sec.)

Heat Race Winners: Kyler Johnson, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Austyn Gossel

Honest Abe Roofing Dash Winner: Austyn Gossel

Last Chance Showdown Winner: Bradley Fezard

Hard Charger Award: Casey Wills (+6)

UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series will travel north to Minnesota for two nights of the Rock On Trucks Gopher State 360 Sprint Car Challenge at Worthington Speedway on Thursday, July 30, then Viking Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 1.

WORTHINGTON INFO

VIKING INFO

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

RESULTS: Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[2]; 2. 16G-Austyn Gossel[1]; 3. 95-Matt Covington[3]; 4. 23-Seth Bergman[7]; 5. 45X-Kyler Johnson[4]; 6. 1X-Bryant Wiedeman[6]; 7. 2-Whit Gastineau[5]; 8. 88R-Ryder Laplante[8]; 9. 88C-Brogan Carder[12]; 10. 3-Cole Schroeder[13]; 11. 2J-Zach Blurton[9]; 12. 68-Taylor Milton[15]; 13. 88-Terry Easum[10]; 14. 938-Bradley Fezard[16]; 15. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[17]; 16. 31-Casey Wills[22]; 17. 88K-Jordan Knight[21]; 18. 91-Jeff Stasa[11]; 19. 911-Ty Williams[14]; 20. 52H-Hayden Mabe[24]; 21. 65-Kohl Ricke[23]; 22. K88-Kelby Fetters[19]; 23. 72-Ray Seemann[20]; 24. 88J-Jeremy Huish[18]

ARTICLE:https://ascsracing.com/recap/sam-hafertepe-jr-becomes-first-three-time-winner-of-steve-king-memorial-at-dodge-city/

The KCP Racing star digs out of a big hole after Qualifying to notch his seventh score of 2026

WEEDSPORT, NY (July 25, 2026) – Saturday night couldn’t have started much worse for Sheldon Haudenschild at Weedsport Speedway.

He’s proven to be one of the best qualifiers since climbing aboard the KCP Racing No. 18 this season, but Haudenschild timed in 16th of 21 cars in his flight. Overcoming a subpar Qualifying effort at the elite level of Sprint Car racing is tough to pull off, but Haudenschild is known to pull off uncommon feats from time to time.

That’s exactly what Haudenschild did on night one of the Empire State Challenge Weekend. The KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18 lined up all the way back in eighth for his Heat Race, and he ripped forward to second to put himself in the Toyota Dash. After drawing a three, the Wooster, OH native passed two cars in the Dash to put himself on the pole of the 30-lap Feature.

But it was Logan Schuchart getting the early advantage from outside the front row and setting up another hurdle for Haudenschild to overcome. Schuchart pulled ahead all the way to a nearly four-second advantage in the early stages. Haudenschild patiently chipped away as the race rolled into the second half and Schuchart began to struggle with lapped traffic. The gap was erased with less than 10 laps to go, and the winning move came on the 26th circuit. Haudenschild ripped the cushion in Turns 1 and 2 to clear Schuchart and take the top spot. David Gravel took second and nearly challenged Haudenschild but couldn’t quite find the run he needed as Haudenschild took the checkered flag.

“I think Logan just got in a tough spot,” Haudenschild said. “Those lappers were hard to get around. He tried the middle line, but I just don’t think that was the ticket. You just had to commit and go up to the berm and try to get a little drive up there. Honestly, it helped into (Turn) 3 as well because you had enough wing speed to be able to enter in the middle and be to the outside of the lappers. Man, what a tricky racetrack. You’ve got to be so patient for a track like that. The bottom is so thin, the middle is so slick, and there’s virtually nothing on the top. Hats off to (Kyle) Ripper, Adam (Clark), and Dauson (Heitritter). We didn’t unload probably quite how we wanted to and didn’t qualify very well. We just kept fighting all night.”

Haudenschild and the KCP crew are up to seven World of Outlaws victories in 2026, trailing only Michael “Buddy” Kofoid (nine) and David Gravel (eight). With his first win at Weedsport, he becomes the eighth different driver to visit Victory Lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the “Empire State” oval. Haudenschild also moved ahead of Kofoid to take control of the runner-up spot in the standings.

Gravel finished second. He’s still yet to miss the top two through seven tries at Weedsport since joining forces with Big Game Motorsports.

Schuchart rounded out the podium after pacing the first 25 laps. He and Shark Racing have now reeled off 12 consecutive top 10 finishes.

Donny Schatz and Carson Macedo completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Carson Macedo clocked the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

David Gravel bagged his 16th Simpson Quick Time of the year.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Carson Macedo (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), Logan Schuchart (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Bill Balog (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Donny Schatz.

Sheldon Haudenschild topped the Toyota Dash.

Matt Farnham won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Ashton Torgerson wheeled from 25th to 16th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Nate Dussel was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom’s 13th-place finish made him the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Logan Schuchart laid down the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

Cole Macedo was the Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle at Weedsport Speedway’s $20,000-to-win Empire State Challenge Weekend finale on Sunday, July 25. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[3]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz[4]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 6. 17-Spencer Bayston[13]; 7. 1-Nate Dussel[11]; 8. 17B-Bill Balog[8]; 9. 7S-Chris Windom[10]; 10. 83-Michael Kofoid[5]; 11. 01-Danny Varin[14]; 12. 23-Garet Williamson[17]; 13. 27-Emerson Axsom[18]; 14. 10C-Paulie Colagiovanni[15]; 15. 21-Alex Therrien[16]; 16. 51-Ashton Torgerson[25]; 17. 99L-Larry Wight[24]; 18. 98-Ricky Peterson[23]; 19. 7NY-Matt Farnham[21]; 20. 79-Jordan Thomas[22]; 21. 2C-Cole Macedo[19]; 22. 28M-Conner Morrell[12]; 23. (DNF) 7C-Dylan Swiernik[9]; 24. (DNF) 28-Jordan Poirier[20]; 25. (DNF) 45-Cory Eliason[6]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

DON’T QUIT: Sheldon Haudenschild Overcomes Slow Start for Wild Weedsport Win

The KCP Racing star digs out of a big hole after Qualifying to notch his seventh score of 2026

WEEDSPORT, NY (July 25, 2026) – Saturday night couldn’t have started much worse for Sheldon Haudenschild at Weedsport Speedway.

He’s proven to be one of the best qualifiers since climbing aboard the KCP Racing No. 18 this season, but Haudenschild timed in 16th of 21 cars in his flight. Overcoming a subpar Qualifying effort at the elite level of Sprint Car racing is tough to pull off, but Haudenschild is known to pull off uncommon feats from time to time.

That’s exactly what Haudenschild did on night one of the Empire State Challenge Weekend. The KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18 lined up all the way back in eighth for his Heat Race, and he ripped forward to second to put himself in the Toyota Dash. After drawing a three, the Wooster, OH native passed two cars in the Dash to put himself on the pole of the 30-lap Feature.

But it was Logan Schuchart getting the early advantage from outside the front row and setting up another hurdle for Haudenschild to overcome. Schuchart pulled ahead all the way to a nearly four-second advantage in the early stages. Haudenschild patiently chipped away as the race rolled into the second half and Schuchart began to struggle with lapped traffic. The gap was erased with less than 10 laps to go, and the winning move came on the 26th circuit. Haudenschild ripped the cushion in Turns 1 and 2 to clear Schuchart and take the top spot. David Gravel took second and nearly challenged Haudenschild but couldn’t quite find the run he needed as Haudenschild took the checkered flag.

“I think Logan just got in a tough spot,” Haudenschild said. “Those lappers were hard to get around. He tried the middle line, but I just don’t think that was the ticket. You just had to commit and go up to the berm and try to get a little drive up there. Honestly, it helped into (Turn) 3 as well because you had enough wing speed to be able to enter in the middle and be to the outside of the lappers. Man, what a tricky racetrack. You’ve got to be so patient for a track like that. The bottom is so thin, the middle is so slick, and there’s virtually nothing on the top. Hats off to (Kyle) Ripper, Adam (Clark), and Dauson (Heitritter). We didn’t unload probably quite how we wanted to and didn’t qualify very well. We just kept fighting all night.”

Haudenschild and the KCP crew are up to seven World of Outlaws victories in 2026, trailing only Michael “Buddy” Kofoid (nine) and David Gravel (eight). With his first win at Weedsport, he becomes the eighth different driver to visit Victory Lane with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the “Empire State” oval. Haudenschild also moved ahead of Kofoid to take control of the runner-up spot in the standings.

Gravel finished second. He’s still yet to miss the top two through seven tries at Weedsport since joining forces with Big Game Motorsports.

Schuchart rounded out the podium after pacing the first 25 laps. He and Shark Racing have now reeled off 12 consecutive top 10 finishes.

Donny Schatz and Carson Macedo completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Carson Macedo clocked the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

David Gravel bagged his 16th Simpson Quick Time of the year.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Carson Macedo (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), Logan Schuchart (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Bill Balog (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Donny Schatz.

Sheldon Haudenschild topped the Toyota Dash.

Matt Farnham won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Ashton Torgerson wheeled from 25th to 16th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Nate Dussel was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom’s 13th-place finish made him the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Logan Schuchart laid down the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

Cole Macedo was the Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle at Weedsport Speedway’s $20,000-to-win Empire State Challenge Weekend finale on Sunday, July 25. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[3]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz[4]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 6. 17-Spencer Bayston[13]; 7. 1-Nate Dussel[11]; 8. 17B-Bill Balog[8]; 9. 7S-Chris Windom[10]; 10. 83-Michael Kofoid[5]; 11. 01-Danny Varin[14]; 12. 23-Garet Williamson[17]; 13. 27-Emerson Axsom[18]; 14. 10C-Paulie Colagiovanni[15]; 15. 21-Alex Therrien[16]; 16. 51-Ashton Torgerson[25]; 17. 99L-Larry Wight[24]; 18. 98-Ricky Peterson[23]; 19. 7NY-Matt Farnham[21]; 20. 79-Jordan Thomas[22]; 21. 2C-Cole Macedo[19]; 22. 28M-Conner Morrell[12]; 23. (DNF) 7C-Dylan Swiernik[9]; 24. (DNF) 28-Jordan Poirier[20]; 25. (DNF) 45-Cory Eliason[6]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/dont-quit-sheldon-haudenschild-overcomes-slow-start-for-wild-weedsport-win/

SATURDAY RECAP – SEATTLE Race 12 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

HART’S THE SPEEDMASTER IN SATURDAY QUALIFYINGAll four JFR drivers make best qualifying runs in final session

SATURDAY RECAP – SEATTLERace 12 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

HART’S THE SPEEDMASTER IN SATURDAY QUALIFYINGAll four JFR drivers make best qualifying runs in final session

KENT, Wash. (July 25, 2026) – Josh Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel team returned to form by capturing their second No. 1 qualifying spot of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season with an impressive 3.685-second 335.40-mph blast in the final qualifying session of the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. The Speedmaster team earned their first No. 1 qualifying spot in the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., and then went on to win the event in Hart’s John Force Racing debut. The team will have a bye run in Sunday’s first round of eliminations and then in Round 2 face the winner of the Tony Stewart / Maddi Gordon first-round matchup. Saturday’s second and final qualifying session also proved beneficial for the three other John Force Racing entries, as each made their quickest run of the weekend heading into Sunday’s eliminations. Jack Beckman put the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car into the No. 2 qualifying position with a Q4 run of 3.890 seconds at 327.43 mph and will face No. 15 qualifier Tim Gibbons (4.091 seconds) in Round 1. Alexis DeJoria’s Q4 run of 3.900 seconds at a career-best 337.41 mph was the third quickest of the event. She’ll line up the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car on Sunday morning against No. 14 qualifier Dave Richards (4.083 seconds). Jordan Vandergriff put in a solid Q4 run of 3.936 seconds at 330.07 mph to earn the No. 9 spot. He and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team will match up against No. 8 qualifier Spencer Hyde (3.929 seconds) in Sunday’s first round of eliminations. Beckman and Vandergriff participated in the first round of Saturday’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge based on the former’s semifinal finish and the latter’s victory in last Sunday’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. Beckman lined up against Daniel Wilkerson, his semifinals opponent last week at Sonoma. The PEAK Chevy lost traction soon off the starting line, and Wilkerson’s car did the same soon after, but it was enough to take the win with a run of 4.895 seconds to Beckman’s 6.873 seconds. Vandergriff and Austin Prock left almost identically (.067 to .063, respectively) in their #2Fast2Tasty matchup but the Cornwell Tools Chevy lost traction early, slowing to a run of 6.821 seconds while Prock’s car lost traction toward the finish line but took the win with a run of 4.181 seconds at 265.95 mph. Race day will kick off with nitro eliminations on Sunday, July 26 at 10 a.m. PT. Quote from Josh Hart, Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster: “This No. 1 qualifier award belongs to Dave Grubnic, John Collins and all the guys on the Speedmaster team. They’ve been working so hard these past few weeks. I just go out there, do my job and hope I don’t screw it up so I’m very blessed to be here. It’s just so cool to be able to drive for John Force Racing and all the energy from these great fans here is amazing.” “I have a lot of emotions. I just learned that the rug can be yanked out from underneath you at any point so you do everything you can to think it through, stay calm no matter what the situation, and usually you prevail. I teach that to my kids, to just breathe. If you can think objectively, you’ll make it through anything.” Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “We had a really good Friday, earning bonus points in Q1 and Q2, so we had high expectations for today. We stumbled in Q3, though, which was the first round of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. That’s tough because you want to win everything and get down the track all the time, but sometimes those stumbles show you a direction that puts you on the right path. Tim and Dan (Fabrisi and Hood, crew chiefs) made the perfect call for Q4 and we laid down low ET of the final session, got three bonus points and moved up to the second slot. That sets up the PEAK SQUAD for a successful Sunday and now it’s time to convert that qualifying success into winning four rounds.” Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “The Bandero Café Chevy team really did a great job this weekend. We were the No. 2 qualifier yesterday and picked up points setting low ET in Q2. We had a great run today in the final session, which put us No. 3, so I can’t wait for first round tomorrow morning. The temperature should be in the mid-60s for first round tomorrow and not get much warmer throughout the rest of the day so the racing should be fantastic. I won my first Top Alcohol Funny Car race here in 2011 so I’d love to get my first win for John Force Racing here tomorrow.” Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “I didn’t have much concern going into the final qualifying session because I know Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker (crew chiefs) are going to figure it out and they’re going to have a good Cornwell Tools Chevy. The conditions kind of came back to us for the final qualifying session. We really just needed one solid run and that’s exactly what we got with that 3.93. It puts us ninth, just barely missing lane choice, but that’s okay because I don’t think it’s going to matter tomorrow. Q4 is always important for Sunday so we’ll see what we have tomorrow morning.”

CONCORD, NC (July 25, 2026) – It’s never too early to make next year’s racing plans.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series has finalized a four-race trip through the northeast in 2027.

First up, the tour will continue the rekindled tradition of heading across the northern border into Canada. Ohsweken, Ontario’s Ohsweken Speedway will open the stretch on Tuesday, July 20. The Greatest Show on Dirt returned to Glenn Styres’ fine facility in 2025 after an eight-year absence, and 2027 is set to be the third straight season Ohsweken owns a slot on the calendar.

Then it’s over to the eastern edge of Ontario where Long Sault’s Cornwall Motor Speedway takes the spotlight on Thursday, July 22. It’ll mark the tour’s first visit to the bullring since a 2014 Donny Schatz victory.

The swing is punctuated on US soil as the country’s top Sprint Car teams will cross into New York for Weedsport Speedway’s Empire State Challenge Weekend on Saturday-Sunday, July 24-25. The uniquely shaped track has been a mainstay of the schedule for more than a decade. Ticketholders for the 2026 Empire State Challenge Weekend can renew their tickets now for 2027.

For those seeking tickets to Ohsweken and/or Cornwall, keep an eye on World of Outlaws and track social media channels in the coming months for more information.

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

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

World of Outlaws Finalize Four-Race 2027 Northeast Swing

CONCORD, NC (July 25, 2026) – It’s never too early to make next year’s racing plans.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series has finalized a four-race trip through the northeast in 2027.

First up, the tour will continue the rekindled tradition of heading across the northern border into Canada. Ohsweken, Ontario’s Ohsweken Speedway will open the stretch on Tuesday, July 20. The Greatest Show on Dirt returned to Glenn Styres’ fine facility in 2025 after an eight-year absence, and 2027 is set to be the third straight season Ohsweken owns a slot on the calendar.

Then it’s over to the eastern edge of Ontario where Long Sault’s Cornwall Motor Speedway takes the spotlight on Thursday, July 22. It’ll mark the tour’s first visit to the bullring since a 2014 Donny Schatz victory.

The swing is punctuated on US soil as the country’s top Sprint Car teams will cross into New York for Weedsport Speedway’s Empire State Challenge Weekend on Saturday-Sunday, July 24-25. The uniquely shaped track has been a mainstay of the schedule for more than a decade. Ticketholders for the 2026 Empire State Challenge Weekend can renew their tickets now for 2027.

For those seeking tickets to Ohsweken and/or Cornwall, keep an eye on World of Outlaws and track social media channels in the coming months for more information.

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

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/world-of-outlaws-finalize-four-race-2027-northeast-swing/

Hocevar, Suarez Sweeps Front Row for the 2026 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP:  1st – Carson Hocevar2nd – Daniel Suarez6th – Michael McDowell8th – Alex Bowman9th – AJ Allmendinger10th – Kyle Larson

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

·        In just his third career NASCAR Cup Series start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar will lead the field to the green flag from the pole position for the 2026 Brickyard 400. The pole – Chevrolet’s fifth of the season and 11th all-time in NASCAR’s premier series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – came after the Michigan native laid down a lap of 48.232 seconds, at 186.598 mph, around the famed 2.5-mile Indiana oval.  ·        With a qualifying lap of 48.288 seconds in his No. 7 Chevrolet, Daniel Suarez landed second on the speed chart to give the Spire Motorsports pairing a front row sweep for the second time this season – an effort also accomplished by the teammates at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this season. ·        Saturday’s qualifying session for NASCAR’s premier series ended with Chevrolet earning the highest representation in the top-10 of the starting lineup for the crown jewel event. Michael McDowell posted a sixth-place qualifying effort to give all three Spire Motorsports entries a starting position within the top-10. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson were eighth and 10th, respectively, with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in ninth.

NASCAR Cup SeriesIndianapolis Motor SpeedwayBrickyard 400Team Chevy Post-Qualifying ReportJuly 25, 2026

Hocevar, Suarez Sweeps Front Row for the 2026 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP:  1st – Carson Hocevar2nd – Daniel Suarez6th – Michael McDowell8th – Alex Bowman9th – AJ Allmendinger10th – Kyle Larson

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

·        In just his third career NASCAR Cup Series start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar will lead the field to the green flag from the pole position for the 2026 Brickyard 400. The pole – Chevrolet’s fifth of the season and 11th all-time in NASCAR’s premier series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – came after the Michigan native laid down a lap of 48.232 seconds, at 186.598 mph, around the famed 2.5-mile Indiana oval.  ·        With a qualifying lap of 48.288 seconds in his No. 7 Chevrolet, Daniel Suarez landed second on the speed chart to give the Spire Motorsports pairing a front row sweep for the second time this season – an effort also accomplished by the teammates at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this season. ·        Saturday’s qualifying session for NASCAR’s premier series ended with Chevrolet earning the highest representation in the top-10 of the starting lineup for the crown jewel event. Michael McDowell posted a sixth-place qualifying effort to give all three Spire Motorsports entries a starting position within the top-10. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson were eighth and 10th, respectively, with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in ninth.

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet – Pole Win Quotes Carson, if you win tomorrow’s Brickyard 400, how are you going to top that Talladega celebration?“I don’t know. I don’t think the track is longer, but the grandstands are a little longer, so I could find plenty of other stuff to do. But I don’t know… I think it will just kind of come to me. I don’t want to say it out loud because I think Roger Penske would kill me if he knew some of the ideas I had. But also, too, there’s tradition here, so you’ve got to really watch yourself a little bit. But yeah, they were getting pumped up after qualifying, so I can’t imagine how loud they would be if we do win.”   With you being on the pole, some of the guys that are in the rear of the field, do you think they’re going to have to do some fuel strategy or flipping the stage and all that to kind of stay up with the lack of passing in this race?“Yeah, I’m sure they will. It’s a really good thing that they pay my crew guys a lot of money to figure that out for me. If I had to do more than just drive the car around in circles, we would all be screwed (laughs). Luckily, they’ve got really smart guys to know what the guys behind us are doing and the guys around us from a fuel strategy and pit strategy standpoint. I feel like it’s a lot easier to stay up front than get up front, especially on the fuel side of it. You’ve got to take your lumps at some point. Ultimately, hopefully, pit stall one helps, too.”  What is the significance of having a pole win here at a place like this for the Brickyard 400?“Yeah, it’s just cool for me to get anything here (at Indianapolis Motor Speedway). If I was 20 years into my career and I hadn’t won anything in Indy, I’d look into a marathon or something, just so I could get an award here. It doesn’t matter what it is, it’s just really cool to get something here. I get to look out at the backstretch behind this media center here and there’s a parking lot with a bunch of rubber. That’s where I grew up racing quarter midgets. I have a few bricks from that, and now, I can cherish a pole award at least on my third time here. Hopefully, that can give us a good advantage for tomorrow. Anything here is super important, just because the prestige of this place really raises everybody’s intensity. Everybody’s trying here, if not a little bit more, because they know how much it means to everybody. Yeah, it’s super cool.”   With you going off to all these galas and big events, do you need poles and wins more than others just to say, ‘OK, yes, I’m doing these things, but I’m also performing’?“Yeah, well, the fuel for the jets to all these places isn’t cheap, as well as the dirt late model stuff we run and everything. We’ve got to sell a lot of t-shirts, and people buy t-shirts for winners and pole award winners. The more t-shirts we can sell, the more cool galas, fun dirt races and stuff we can go to. My boss, Jeff (Dickerson), isn’t getting questioned of why we’re spending money.  But yeah, a pole award hopefully helps. I was in a dirt race a few days ago. It has no translation to Indianapolis Motor Speedway qualifying, but now I can sit here and say ‘yeah, I need to be in more dirt late model races because obviously it works’. At least that’s the excuse I’m going to use.”   You’ve been really stacking up just small victories here, one thing after another. You’re clearly not an overnight success, but if we could use that with you this year, it seems like you’ve been an overnight success. Is there a certain driver that maybe you aspired to be like when you were growing up, that you just kind of emulate where you’re at in your career now, or is this just part of the plan?“Yeah, I was a massive Dale Jr. fan. I just get to have fun doing and racing how I want to race. All these guys are guys I couldn’t have predicted racing with, and them allowing me to prep how I want to prep, race how I want to race, say and do the things I want to say, and spend my off days doing what I want to do. I feel like it’s a unique situation that I’m in, but I feel like if you were sitting here and asked the same question, I think they’d be like, he’s a pretty unique driver too, I guess. So, I guess it’s mutual.”   You posted earlier this week the prototype of your first win diecast car from Talladega. I guess you knew that was coming, the afterglow and the after effects of getting that win, but what is it like to actually see that become a reality?“It’s super cool for me to see that car with all the markings. I still remember it super vividly. It’s just fun that the real life car has been assembled and re-ran. But for me, I get to almost relive it with the diecast a little bit and get to see all the details they put into it. It’s almost as if they get to roll the car back into a showroom. Maybe 15 years ago with the old car, they could have rolled that over and retired that car. But with the Next Gen car, you’re like, ‘okay, cool, it’s Talladega, all right, we’re going to line this thing up for Richmond or something’. It just runs everywhere with these cars.”   How did the track today feel to you all the way around? “It felt good to me. It felt smooth. Somebody asked me what I thought about the racetrack with bumps, and I was like, yeah, I didn’t even know there were bumps. I just love running around this track. I could do it all day long.”  What is your favorite Brickyard 400 that you’ve watched or seen?“Man, honestly, it’s not a race. The one I always loved watching was the tire test from, I believe, 1992. The first tire test before they put the grass in. I love watching that because they’re running on the apron, so the second lane actually has more banking. They’re running the top, and the guys on the bottom are getting loose. And then, I believe they tested in ‘93 and then raced ‘94. They retested in ‘93 with the grass and stuff, and it was a lot more single file. It’s really funny for me to hear Rusty Wallace and AJ Foyt complain about dirty air. So I was like, ah, hell, you look at Twitter, that wasn’t a thing. You know, in the 1990s, there was no such thing. So it was really funny to hear that in ’93. There were some races here and there that the finish was cool, but Dale Jr. never really ran great here, so I was like, I’ll just stick to watching the Indy 500. I loved watching the 500, obviously. But from the Cup side, I was just watching the ’92 tire test and all the old footage.”

FAIRBURY, IL (July 24, 2026) — Sixteen drivers have punched their tickets into one of the biggest DIRTcar UMP Modified races of the season and are ready to battle for a $5,000 grand prize.

Friday night of the 36th annual Prairie Dirt Classic for the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals brought Tyler Nicely, Mike McKinney, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Trevor Neville to Fairbury Speedway Victory Lane in the four Showdown Features. The top four finishers in each of the 15-lap events transferred to Saturday’s main event, and the top two in each will redraw during opening ceremonies for their starting spots in the main event.

Here’s how each Showdown Feature played out:

Summit Racing Equipment Showdown #1 — Tyler Nicely

The inaugural Modified Prairie Dirt Classic winner is back in FALS Victory Lane. Tyler Nicely cruised to his third career PDC Showdown victory, leading all 15 laps uncontested to secure the win and punch his ticket into the redraw on Saturday.

“The atmosphere — this place is awesome,” Nicely said. “I came up here for that Street Stock race, and I’m not gonna miss the PDC as long as I’m still racing a Modified. I’ve got to thank Allgaier Performance, the Allgaier family, Kelly Kovski, Johnny, and everybody at their place for the opportunity. We’ve had some struggles, but this thing is pretty good right now.”

Two-time Summit Modified winner in 2026 Damian Kiefer finished second, fourth-starting Cody Laney finished third and third-starting Allen Weisser got the final transfer spot in fourth. 2026 Summit Modified champion Zeke McKenzie rounded out the top five.

Showdown #1 — 1. 7N-Tyler Nicely[1]; 2. 0K-Damian Kiefer[2]; 3. 4-Cody Laney[4]; 4. 25W-Allen Weisser[3]; 5. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[5]; 6. 150-Collin Alexander[6]; 7. 77-Ray Bollinger[12]; 8. 8K-Levi Kissinger[7]; 9. 757-Bradley Jameson[15]; 10. 2-Brayden Doyle[9]; 11. 10Y-Trent Young[8]; 12. O5-Dave Wietholder[14]; 13. 88S-Alan Stipp[11]; 14. 3F-Carson Friedman[10]; 15. 121-Deece Schwartz[13]

All-Star Performance Showdown #2 — Mike McKinney

For the third time in his career, Mike McKinney is a Prairie Dirt Classic Showdown winner after leading flag-to-flag in the second Showdown race of the night. With an outside front row starting spot, the 2024 Summit Modified champion powered around the outside of Chris Spalding in Turns 1-2 on the opening lap and never looked back enroute to the checkered flag.

“We’ve been really good at this place,” McKinney said. “We can go really slow out here in the slick, and we weren’t too bad. I was able to get a really good start there, roll that middle and get down to the bottom. I know my buddy Cole was on me there in the end, but I was scared to search around — I just wanted to protect that bottom because I knew that’s where it was gonna be.”

Defending DIRTcar UMP Modified national champion Cole Falloway finished second, Spalding finished third, while Mississippi native Hunter Breland secured the final transfer spot in fourth.

Showdown #2 — 1. 96M-Mike McKinney[2]; 2. 66-Cole Falloway[3]; 3. 29-Chris Spalding[1]; 4. 21B-Hunter Breland[4]; 5. 27-Beau DeYoung[6]; 6. 24H-Mike Harrison[9]; 7. 5X-Jerry Bowersock[5]; 8. J82-Treb Jacoby[12]; 9. 99G-Hunt Gossum[7]; 10. 94-Mike Spatola[8]; 11. 7-Brad Deyoung[10]; 12. 51-Timmy Hill[14]; 13. 21D-John Dimmitt[13]; 14. 99M-Charlie Mohr[11]

HotRod Septic Treatment Showdown #3 — Ricky Thornton Jr.

He’s felt the high of winning the Prairie Dirt Classic in a Late Model, and now, Ricky Thornton Jr. has put himself in position to win it in a Modified as well with a victory in Showdown Feature #3.

The national Dirt Late Model champion from Chandler, AZ, had to work for the win, however, as three-time Fairbury track champion Michael Ledford pressured him throughout the first half of the 15-lap event. While Thornton stuck to the bottom lane around the 1/4-mile oval, Ledford raced one groove higher and pulled to the No. 20RT’s right quarter panel multiple times but was unable to make the pass.

“I couldn’t hear [Ledford] on the outside of me, and a couple times on the back straightaway I got tight, so I figured he was there,” Thornton said. “Our car was good, I think I gave it 150 percent in the Late Model, so there I just gave about 50 percent. Outside of that, I think our stuff’s a little better than what we were showing there. Probably had the wrong right-rear (tire) on — I think I should’ve went hard instead of soft. Heck, it’s only my first time running one of these outside of Volusia, so hopefully we can be just as good as Mike and those guys tomorrow and we can be up front.”

In the end, “RTJ” found the speed around the bottom to drive away from Ledford and under the checkered flag, punching his ticket into Saturday’s main event with Ledford, third-place Blake Brown and fourth-place Jeremy Nichols.

Showdown #3 — 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr.[1]; 2. 9-Michael Ledford[3]; 3. 99-Blake Brown[5]; 4. 01-Jeremy Nichols[2]; 5. 5-Steven Brooks[6]; 6. 12-Jeff Curl[7]; 7. 14C-Rick Conoyer[9]; 8. 8A-Austin Holcombe[4]; 9. 28M-Frank Marshall[10]; 10. B5-Matthew Baker[11]; 11. 111-Tyler Spalding[8]; 12. T23-John Toppozini[13]; 13. 36-Eric Vaughan[14]; 14. 27B-Kyle Barker[12]

Collision Concepts Showdown Feature #4 — Trevor Neville

Trevor Neville had won with the Summit Modifieds before, but never during the Prairie Dirt Classic. Friday night, he checked the box off his list in convincing fashion, taking the lead on a Lap 4 restart and driving away for his first Modified PDC Showdown win.

Polesitter Landen Miller jumped to the early lead, hugging the bottom lane around the track while Neville made speed on the top. An early caution flag restacked the field for a restart on Lap 4, and Neville took advantage right away, racing Miller into Turn 3 on the high side and making great speed off Turn 4 to zoom into the lead.

Miller didn’t go away, however, picking up his pace around the bottom and putting more pressure on Neville’s No. 777 over the next few laps — pulling even with him on multiple instances. In the end, Neville was not going to be denied, keeping Miller behind him at the checkered flag to secure the win.

“We came out here for Qualifying and I felt like I was two tenths off the pace. I knew we were a lot better than that,” Neville said. “It was a couple of changes I made, but then we went back and got to work. Everybody sticking me down there on the bottom, I didn’t know if it was (Michael) Long or Landen (Miller) — I didn’t mean to run down on them, but I did, so my apologies to everybody on that.”

Miller crossed in second, Kentucky native Charlie Mefford was third, followed by 2024 Modified PDC winner Michael Long getting the final transfer spot in fourth.

Showdown #4 — 1. 777-Trevor Neville[2]; 2. 110-Landen Miller[1]; 3. 13-Charlie Mefford[3]; 4. 18L-Michael Long[5]; 5. 89-Austin Friedman[6]; 6. 36W-Kenny Wallace[7]; 7. 35-Michael Altobelli[11]; 8. 5CS-Curt Spalding[8]; 9. 21S-Danny Schwartz[13]; 10. 97-Charles Hess[12]; 11. 26D-Derick Doerr[4]; 12. 14L-Dalton Lane[14]; 13. 21-Lyndon Whitfill[10]; 14. C40-Mike Chasteen Jr[9]

UP NEXT

The Summit Modifieds wrap up the 2026 campaign at Fairbury in the Prairie Dirt Classic finale on Saturday, July 25, with a 40-lap, $5,000-to-win Feature.

Any remaining tickets will be sold at the track. If you can’t be there in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

PDC FRIDAY: Nicely, McKinney, Thornton, Neville Win Modified Showdowns at Fairbury

FAIRBURY, IL (July 24, 2026) — Sixteen drivers have punched their tickets into one of the biggest DIRTcar UMP Modified races of the season and are ready to battle for a $5,000 grand prize.

Friday night of the 36th annual Prairie Dirt Classic for the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals brought Tyler Nicely, Mike McKinney, Ricky Thornton Jr. and Trevor Neville to Fairbury Speedway Victory Lane in the four Showdown Features. The top four finishers in each of the 15-lap events transferred to Saturday’s main event, and the top two in each will redraw during opening ceremonies for their starting spots in the main event.

Here’s how each Showdown Feature played out:

Summit Racing Equipment Showdown #1 — Tyler Nicely

The inaugural Modified Prairie Dirt Classic winner is back in FALS Victory Lane. Tyler Nicely cruised to his third career PDC Showdown victory, leading all 15 laps uncontested to secure the win and punch his ticket into the redraw on Saturday.

“The atmosphere — this place is awesome,” Nicely said. “I came up here for that Street Stock race, and I’m not gonna miss the PDC as long as I’m still racing a Modified. I’ve got to thank Allgaier Performance, the Allgaier family, Kelly Kovski, Johnny, and everybody at their place for the opportunity. We’ve had some struggles, but this thing is pretty good right now.”

Two-time Summit Modified winner in 2026 Damian Kiefer finished second, fourth-starting Cody Laney finished third and third-starting Allen Weisser got the final transfer spot in fourth. 2026 Summit Modified champion Zeke McKenzie rounded out the top five.

Showdown #1 — 1. 7N-Tyler Nicely[1]; 2. 0K-Damian Kiefer[2]; 3. 4-Cody Laney[4]; 4. 25W-Allen Weisser[3]; 5. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[5]; 6. 150-Collin Alexander[6]; 7. 77-Ray Bollinger[12]; 8. 8K-Levi Kissinger[7]; 9. 757-Bradley Jameson[15]; 10. 2-Brayden Doyle[9]; 11. 10Y-Trent Young[8]; 12. O5-Dave Wietholder[14]; 13. 88S-Alan Stipp[11]; 14. 3F-Carson Friedman[10]; 15. 121-Deece Schwartz[13]

All-Star Performance Showdown #2 — Mike McKinney

For the third time in his career, Mike McKinney is a Prairie Dirt Classic Showdown winner after leading flag-to-flag in the second Showdown race of the night. With an outside front row starting spot, the 2024 Summit Modified champion powered around the outside of Chris Spalding in Turns 1-2 on the opening lap and never looked back enroute to the checkered flag.

“We’ve been really good at this place,” McKinney said. “We can go really slow out here in the slick, and we weren’t too bad. I was able to get a really good start there, roll that middle and get down to the bottom. I know my buddy Cole was on me there in the end, but I was scared to search around — I just wanted to protect that bottom because I knew that’s where it was gonna be.”

Defending DIRTcar UMP Modified national champion Cole Falloway finished second, Spalding finished third, while Mississippi native Hunter Breland secured the final transfer spot in fourth.

Showdown #2 — 1. 96M-Mike McKinney[2]; 2. 66-Cole Falloway[3]; 3. 29-Chris Spalding[1]; 4. 21B-Hunter Breland[4]; 5. 27-Beau DeYoung[6]; 6. 24H-Mike Harrison[9]; 7. 5X-Jerry Bowersock[5]; 8. J82-Treb Jacoby[12]; 9. 99G-Hunt Gossum[7]; 10. 94-Mike Spatola[8]; 11. 7-Brad Deyoung[10]; 12. 51-Timmy Hill[14]; 13. 21D-John Dimmitt[13]; 14. 99M-Charlie Mohr[11]

HotRod Septic Treatment Showdown #3 — Ricky Thornton Jr.

He’s felt the high of winning the Prairie Dirt Classic in a Late Model, and now, Ricky Thornton Jr. has put himself in position to win it in a Modified as well with a victory in Showdown Feature #3.

The national Dirt Late Model champion from Chandler, AZ, had to work for the win, however, as three-time Fairbury track champion Michael Ledford pressured him throughout the first half of the 15-lap event. While Thornton stuck to the bottom lane around the 1/4-mile oval, Ledford raced one groove higher and pulled to the No. 20RT’s right quarter panel multiple times but was unable to make the pass.

“I couldn’t hear [Ledford] on the outside of me, and a couple times on the back straightaway I got tight, so I figured he was there,” Thornton said. “Our car was good, I think I gave it 150 percent in the Late Model, so there I just gave about 50 percent. Outside of that, I think our stuff’s a little better than what we were showing there. Probably had the wrong right-rear (tire) on — I think I should’ve went hard instead of soft. Heck, it’s only my first time running one of these outside of Volusia, so hopefully we can be just as good as Mike and those guys tomorrow and we can be up front.”

In the end, “RTJ” found the speed around the bottom to drive away from Ledford and under the checkered flag, punching his ticket into Saturday’s main event with Ledford, third-place Blake Brown and fourth-place Jeremy Nichols.

Showdown #3 — 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr.[1]; 2. 9-Michael Ledford[3]; 3. 99-Blake Brown[5]; 4. 01-Jeremy Nichols[2]; 5. 5-Steven Brooks[6]; 6. 12-Jeff Curl[7]; 7. 14C-Rick Conoyer[9]; 8. 8A-Austin Holcombe[4]; 9. 28M-Frank Marshall[10]; 10. B5-Matthew Baker[11]; 11. 111-Tyler Spalding[8]; 12. T23-John Toppozini[13]; 13. 36-Eric Vaughan[14]; 14. 27B-Kyle Barker[12]

Collision Concepts Showdown Feature #4 — Trevor Neville

Trevor Neville had won with the Summit Modifieds before, but never during the Prairie Dirt Classic. Friday night, he checked the box off his list in convincing fashion, taking the lead on a Lap 4 restart and driving away for his first Modified PDC Showdown win.

Polesitter Landen Miller jumped to the early lead, hugging the bottom lane around the track while Neville made speed on the top. An early caution flag restacked the field for a restart on Lap 4, and Neville took advantage right away, racing Miller into Turn 3 on the high side and making great speed off Turn 4 to zoom into the lead.

Miller didn’t go away, however, picking up his pace around the bottom and putting more pressure on Neville’s No. 777 over the next few laps — pulling even with him on multiple instances. In the end, Neville was not going to be denied, keeping Miller behind him at the checkered flag to secure the win.

“We came out here for Qualifying and I felt like I was two tenths off the pace. I knew we were a lot better than that,” Neville said. “It was a couple of changes I made, but then we went back and got to work. Everybody sticking me down there on the bottom, I didn’t know if it was (Michael) Long or Landen (Miller) — I didn’t mean to run down on them, but I did, so my apologies to everybody on that.”

Miller crossed in second, Kentucky native Charlie Mefford was third, followed by 2024 Modified PDC winner Michael Long getting the final transfer spot in fourth.

Showdown #4 — 1. 777-Trevor Neville[2]; 2. 110-Landen Miller[1]; 3. 13-Charlie Mefford[3]; 4. 18L-Michael Long[5]; 5. 89-Austin Friedman[6]; 6. 36W-Kenny Wallace[7]; 7. 35-Michael Altobelli[11]; 8. 5CS-Curt Spalding[8]; 9. 21S-Danny Schwartz[13]; 10. 97-Charles Hess[12]; 11. 26D-Derick Doerr[4]; 12. 14L-Dalton Lane[14]; 13. 21-Lyndon Whitfill[10]; 14. C40-Mike Chasteen Jr[9]

UP NEXT

The Summit Modifieds wrap up the 2026 campaign at Fairbury in the Prairie Dirt Classic finale on Saturday, July 25, with a 40-lap, $5,000-to-win Feature.

Any remaining tickets will be sold at the track. If you can’t be there in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/news/pdc-friday-nicely-mckinney-thornton-neville-win-modified-showdowns-at-fairbury/

FAIRBURY, IL (July 24, 2026) – Sixteen drivers have punched their ticket into the 2026 running of the Prairie Dirt Classic.

Friday’s program at Fairbury Speedway featured four $5,000-to-win Showdowns for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision won by Jason Feger, Sam Seawright, Brandon Sheppard and Trey Mills.

Showdown 1

The “High Side Hustler” lived up to his name on Friday, as Feger jumped out to the early lead and remained committed to the cushion with pressure from behind from Dallon Murty and Ricky Thornton Jr.

A flurry of cautions halted the momentum in the second half of the race, but the finish turned out to be worth the wait. With three laps remaining, Thornton used a strong run off Turn 2 to send it to the inside of Feger in Turn 3 and try the slide job. The move cleared, but Feger turned down and used the crossover to go side-by-side down the frontstretch under the two-to-go signal. Feger nosed out in front through Turns 1 and 2 and drove the No. 25F deep into Turn 3 to clear Thornton and take the lead for good.

“Man, this feels good,” Feger said. “We were the only one out there on a hard right-rear tire, and those yellows were killing me. I felt like every time I would get in a good rhythm there was another yellow, another yellow. I felt like I burned up every trick I had on every restart. Ricky’s pretty sly, I knew there was one point where he was going to get me timed up just right. I appreciate him racing me clean.”

Feger will have the chance to start on the pole in the PDC for the second time after doing so in 2024 if luck is on his side in the Redraw. Thornton dropped back to the fourth and final transfer spot at the end behind Murty in second and Kaede Loudy in third, two drivers who will both make their first PDC start on Saturday night.

Showdown Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 25F-Jason Feger[1]; 2. 13-Dallon Murty[3]; 3. 126-Kaede Loudy[14]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 6. 8-Matthew Larson[8]; 7. 19-Dustin Sorensen[22]; 8. 515-Bubba Roling[12]; 9. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[13]; 10. 1M-Mike Mataragas[10]; 11. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 12. 30-Mike Glasscock[15]; 13. 36-Mckay Wenger[17]; 14. 74-Mitch McGrath[9]; 15. 09-Michael Leach[6]; 16. 51-Matt Furman[20]; 17. 11B-Lance Brasington[19]; 18. 11R-Josh Rice[4]; 19. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[18]; 20. 38J-Jake Little[16]; 21. 17SR-Brody Smith[2]; 22. 18M-Jimmy Miller[21]

Showdown 2

Hudson O’Neal in the K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6 was the one to beat by far in the early stages of the race, but his night turned upside down when he cut his left-rear tire past halfway. Rather than pit and drop to the back, O’Neal elected to stay out and hope for the best, and he held on for a few green-flag laps with the soft tire until it went down completely with six laps to go.

That misfortune put Chris Simpson at the front of the field on the restart ahead of Dennis Erb Jr. and Brenden Smith, but the true beneficiary was fifth-starting Sam Seawright. The Alabama native pounded the cushion to get to third in one lap after going back green, and he stayed up there to work past Erb and then Simpson to lead the final three laps.

“I really wasn’t that good on the bottom and I felt like they were all over me,” Seawright said. “I said, ‘I’m going to just go up here and beat the wall down, see what I got.’ It’s pretty cool because the fans were so pumped up, I could see them on the backstraightaway when I was ripping through there. That’s the coolest moment of my life. We’ll just tweak on it a little bit and see what we’ve got tomorrow.”

Simpson held on for second to make the Saturday Feature along with Erb in third and Ryan Gustin in fourth.

Showdown Feature 2 (25 Laps): 1. 16S-Sam Seawright[5]; 2. 32S-Chris Simpson[8]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[6]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[17]; 5. 58V-Daulton Wilson[14]; 6. 24-Ryan Unzicker[7]; 7. 12-Ryan Montgomery[11]; 8. 6-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 9. 16-Tyler Bruening[12]; 10. 17SS-Brenden Smith[4]; 11. 22*-Zack Mitchell[2]; 12. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[15]; 13. 4G-Bob Gardner[13]; 14. 11S-Austin Smith[9]; 15. 55E-Eli Johnson[16]; 16. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 17. 729-Mike Winn[20]; 18. 15T-Steven Tippens[19]; 19. 0-Jake O’Neil[10]; 20. 22M-Sean Mattingly[18]; 21. 14C-Doug Carls[21]

Showdown 3

The opening laps saw Justin Duty flex some muscle, as the Oregon driver who spends most of the season competing regionally in the Midwest kept the hottest Late Model driver in the nation, Bobby Pierce, in his tire tracks. The two drivers had roughly equal pace on the cushion, and traffic on the bottom hindered Pierce’s ability to find room to go for a slider.

A Lap 21 restart allowed Tyler Erb to briefly get around Pierce in the first corner after the restart, while Brandon Sheppard also joined the party to make it a three-way race for second. That battle gave Duty a chance to build a gap, but once Sheppard secured second he didn’t need much time to catch Duty. The No. 15 caught the Turn 3 cushion wrong with three to go, and that gave Sheppard all the room he needed to sneak through and win his seventh PDC Showdown.

“Right off the get go, I thought my car was pretty good,” Sheppard said. “I kind of got stuck on the bottom behind those guys longer than I would have liked to, but I think it played out in my favor a little bit. I was able to conserve my tires for a few more laps before I really got up there. About the time I thought I had a clear lane, [Ashton] Winger passed me, and the next thing you know, I’m back there battling with all them guys. They just do such a great job with this racetrack here at FALS. It’s amazing, really. You never know what you’re going to get, and it’s always a little bit different, but it always races really well.”

Joining Sheppard in the transfer spots were Duty, Erb and Pierce in second, third and fourth, respectively.

Showdown Feature 3 (25 Laps): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[7]; 2. 15-Justin Duty[2]; 3. 1-Tyler Erb[6]; 4. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 5. 9-Nick Hoffman[9]; 6. 77-Devin Moran[11]; 7. B1-Brent Larson[5]; 8. 18-Shannon Babb[12]; 9. 111-Max Blair[8]; 10. 8S-Kyle Strickler[14]; 11. 12W-Ashton Winger[10]; 12. T2-Brayton Wallace[3]; 13. 89-Mike Spatola[4]; 14. 15S-Shane Stephens[15]; 15. 6H-Clay Harris[13]; 16. 1Z-Logan Zarin[16]; 17. M27-Mike Provenzano[19]; 18. Z61-Alex Wilson[20]; 19. 122-Timmy Dick[17]; 20. 130-Chase Osterhoff[18]; 21. 33-Collin Rutledge[21]; 22. 99-Garrett Alberson[22]

Showdown 4

A pair of Illinois regional favorites shared the front row of the night’s final race, with Caden McWhorter on the pole and Rich Bell to his outside.

McWhorter’s time out front only lasted four laps, as Shane Clanton cleared him in Turn 3 and took command. Ten laps later, a different No. 14 car came knocking in the form of World of Outlaws rookie Trey Mills. After spending a few laps on the cushion sizing Clanton up, Mills used a short slider that barely cleared Clanton entering Turn 1 to grab the top spot. Clanton returned the favor the next time around, but Mills held strong and had enough pace at the end to pull away and end the battle.

“I was getting a little worried with about 10 or so to go,” Mills said. “The tire was going flat, I could feel the right-rear start dipping over, so I was just trying to make sure I didn’t lean on that cushion too hard, just kind of roll to it.”

Clanton will partake in Saturday’s 5-8 Redraw after holding on for second ahead of Mike Marlar in third and Gordy Gundaker in fourth.

Showdown Feature 4 (25 Laps): 1. 14-Trey Mills[7]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[4]; 3. 157-Mike Marlar[6]; 4. 11-Gordy Gundaker[3]; 5. 21B-Rich Bell[2]; 6. 9M-Tim McCreadie[11]; 7. 84-Myles Moos[10]; 8. 18J-Chase Junghans[8]; 9. 3S-Brian Shirley[16]; 10. 75-Daniel Adam[13]; 11. 45-Kyle Hammer[9]; 12. 96-Tanner English[5]; 13. 14M-Caden McWhorter[1]; 14. 88-Trent Ivey[18]; 15. 17A-Austin Howes[12]; 16. 95-Jerry Bowersock[20]; 17. 90-Brian Rickman[14]; 18. 32H-Cam Harris[21]; 19. 3-Sam Moore[15]; 20. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[17]; 21. 11G-Trevor Gundaker[19]

UP NEXT: Prairie Dirt Classic weekend concludes at Fairbury Speedway on Saturday, July 25, with three Last Chance Showdowns, the Prairie Dirt Shootout and the 100-lap main event. General admission tickets will be available at the gate.

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

Feger, Seawright, Sheppard, Mills Lock In Prairie Dirt Classic Spots With Showdown Wins

FAIRBURY, IL (July 24, 2026) – Sixteen drivers have punched their ticket into the 2026 running of the Prairie Dirt Classic.

Friday’s program at Fairbury Speedway featured four $5,000-to-win Showdowns for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision won by Jason Feger, Sam Seawright, Brandon Sheppard and Trey Mills.

Showdown 1

The “High Side Hustler” lived up to his name on Friday, as Feger jumped out to the early lead and remained committed to the cushion with pressure from behind from Dallon Murty and Ricky Thornton Jr.

A flurry of cautions halted the momentum in the second half of the race, but the finish turned out to be worth the wait. With three laps remaining, Thornton used a strong run off Turn 2 to send it to the inside of Feger in Turn 3 and try the slide job. The move cleared, but Feger turned down and used the crossover to go side-by-side down the frontstretch under the two-to-go signal. Feger nosed out in front through Turns 1 and 2 and drove the No. 25F deep into Turn 3 to clear Thornton and take the lead for good.

“Man, this feels good,” Feger said. “We were the only one out there on a hard right-rear tire, and those yellows were killing me. I felt like every time I would get in a good rhythm there was another yellow, another yellow. I felt like I burned up every trick I had on every restart. Ricky’s pretty sly, I knew there was one point where he was going to get me timed up just right. I appreciate him racing me clean.”

Feger will have the chance to start on the pole in the PDC for the second time after doing so in 2024 if luck is on his side in the Redraw. Thornton dropped back to the fourth and final transfer spot at the end behind Murty in second and Kaede Loudy in third, two drivers who will both make their first PDC start on Saturday night.

Showdown Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 25F-Jason Feger[1]; 2. 13-Dallon Murty[3]; 3. 126-Kaede Loudy[14]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 6. 8-Matthew Larson[8]; 7. 19-Dustin Sorensen[22]; 8. 515-Bubba Roling[12]; 9. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[13]; 10. 1M-Mike Mataragas[10]; 11. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 12. 30-Mike Glasscock[15]; 13. 36-Mckay Wenger[17]; 14. 74-Mitch McGrath[9]; 15. 09-Michael Leach[6]; 16. 51-Matt Furman[20]; 17. 11B-Lance Brasington[19]; 18. 11R-Josh Rice[4]; 19. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[18]; 20. 38J-Jake Little[16]; 21. 17SR-Brody Smith[2]; 22. 18M-Jimmy Miller[21]

Showdown 2

Hudson O’Neal in the K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6 was the one to beat by far in the early stages of the race, but his night turned upside down when he cut his left-rear tire past halfway. Rather than pit and drop to the back, O’Neal elected to stay out and hope for the best, and he held on for a few green-flag laps with the soft tire until it went down completely with six laps to go.

That misfortune put Chris Simpson at the front of the field on the restart ahead of Dennis Erb Jr. and Brenden Smith, but the true beneficiary was fifth-starting Sam Seawright. The Alabama native pounded the cushion to get to third in one lap after going back green, and he stayed up there to work past Erb and then Simpson to lead the final three laps.

“I really wasn’t that good on the bottom and I felt like they were all over me,” Seawright said. “I said, ‘I’m going to just go up here and beat the wall down, see what I got.’ It’s pretty cool because the fans were so pumped up, I could see them on the backstraightaway when I was ripping through there. That’s the coolest moment of my life. We’ll just tweak on it a little bit and see what we’ve got tomorrow.”

Simpson held on for second to make the Saturday Feature along with Erb in third and Ryan Gustin in fourth.

Showdown Feature 2 (25 Laps): 1. 16S-Sam Seawright[5]; 2. 32S-Chris Simpson[8]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[6]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[17]; 5. 58V-Daulton Wilson[14]; 6. 24-Ryan Unzicker[7]; 7. 12-Ryan Montgomery[11]; 8. 6-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 9. 16-Tyler Bruening[12]; 10. 17SS-Brenden Smith[4]; 11. 22*-Zack Mitchell[2]; 12. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[15]; 13. 4G-Bob Gardner[13]; 14. 11S-Austin Smith[9]; 15. 55E-Eli Johnson[16]; 16. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 17. 729-Mike Winn[20]; 18. 15T-Steven Tippens[19]; 19. 0-Jake O’Neil[10]; 20. 22M-Sean Mattingly[18]; 21. 14C-Doug Carls[21]

Showdown 3

The opening laps saw Justin Duty flex some muscle, as the Oregon driver who spends most of the season competing regionally in the Midwest kept the hottest Late Model driver in the nation, Bobby Pierce, in his tire tracks. The two drivers had roughly equal pace on the cushion, and traffic on the bottom hindered Pierce’s ability to find room to go for a slider.

A Lap 21 restart allowed Tyler Erb to briefly get around Pierce in the first corner after the restart, while Brandon Sheppard also joined the party to make it a three-way race for second. That battle gave Duty a chance to build a gap, but once Sheppard secured second he didn’t need much time to catch Duty. The No. 15 caught the Turn 3 cushion wrong with three to go, and that gave Sheppard all the room he needed to sneak through and win his seventh PDC Showdown.

“Right off the get go, I thought my car was pretty good,” Sheppard said. “I kind of got stuck on the bottom behind those guys longer than I would have liked to, but I think it played out in my favor a little bit. I was able to conserve my tires for a few more laps before I really got up there. About the time I thought I had a clear lane, [Ashton] Winger passed me, and the next thing you know, I’m back there battling with all them guys. They just do such a great job with this racetrack here at FALS. It’s amazing, really. You never know what you’re going to get, and it’s always a little bit different, but it always races really well.”

Joining Sheppard in the transfer spots were Duty, Erb and Pierce in second, third and fourth, respectively.

Showdown Feature 3 (25 Laps): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[7]; 2. 15-Justin Duty[2]; 3. 1-Tyler Erb[6]; 4. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 5. 9-Nick Hoffman[9]; 6. 77-Devin Moran[11]; 7. B1-Brent Larson[5]; 8. 18-Shannon Babb[12]; 9. 111-Max Blair[8]; 10. 8S-Kyle Strickler[14]; 11. 12W-Ashton Winger[10]; 12. T2-Brayton Wallace[3]; 13. 89-Mike Spatola[4]; 14. 15S-Shane Stephens[15]; 15. 6H-Clay Harris[13]; 16. 1Z-Logan Zarin[16]; 17. M27-Mike Provenzano[19]; 18. Z61-Alex Wilson[20]; 19. 122-Timmy Dick[17]; 20. 130-Chase Osterhoff[18]; 21. 33-Collin Rutledge[21]; 22. 99-Garrett Alberson[22]

Showdown 4

A pair of Illinois regional favorites shared the front row of the night’s final race, with Caden McWhorter on the pole and Rich Bell to his outside.

McWhorter’s time out front only lasted four laps, as Shane Clanton cleared him in Turn 3 and took command. Ten laps later, a different No. 14 car came knocking in the form of World of Outlaws rookie Trey Mills. After spending a few laps on the cushion sizing Clanton up, Mills used a short slider that barely cleared Clanton entering Turn 1 to grab the top spot. Clanton returned the favor the next time around, but Mills held strong and had enough pace at the end to pull away and end the battle.

“I was getting a little worried with about 10 or so to go,” Mills said. “The tire was going flat, I could feel the right-rear start dipping over, so I was just trying to make sure I didn’t lean on that cushion too hard, just kind of roll to it.”

Clanton will partake in Saturday’s 5-8 Redraw after holding on for second ahead of Mike Marlar in third and Gordy Gundaker in fourth.

Showdown Feature 4 (25 Laps): 1. 14-Trey Mills[7]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[4]; 3. 157-Mike Marlar[6]; 4. 11-Gordy Gundaker[3]; 5. 21B-Rich Bell[2]; 6. 9M-Tim McCreadie[11]; 7. 84-Myles Moos[10]; 8. 18J-Chase Junghans[8]; 9. 3S-Brian Shirley[16]; 10. 75-Daniel Adam[13]; 11. 45-Kyle Hammer[9]; 12. 96-Tanner English[5]; 13. 14M-Caden McWhorter[1]; 14. 88-Trent Ivey[18]; 15. 17A-Austin Howes[12]; 16. 95-Jerry Bowersock[20]; 17. 90-Brian Rickman[14]; 18. 32H-Cam Harris[21]; 19. 3-Sam Moore[15]; 20. 8K-Tyler Kuykendall[17]; 21. 11G-Trevor Gundaker[19]

UP NEXT: Prairie Dirt Classic weekend concludes at Fairbury Speedway on Saturday, July 25, with three Last Chance Showdowns, the Prairie Dirt Shootout and the 100-lap main event. General admission tickets will be available at the gate.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/feger-seawright-sheppard-mills-lock-in-prairie-dirt-classic-spots-with-showdown-wins/

FRIDAY RECAP – SEATTLE Race 12 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

DEJORIA QUALFIES SECOND IN DAY 1 OF NW NATSBeckman 4th, Hart 12th, Vandergriff 15th after first day of qualifying

FRIDAY RECAP – SEATTLERace 12 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

DEJORIA QUALFIES SECOND IN DAY 1 OF NW NATSBeckman 4th, Hart 12th, Vandergriff 15th after first day of qualifying

KENT, Wash. (July 24, 2026) – Alexis DeJoria’s second qualifying run Friday of 3.955 seconds at 326.56 mph was the quickest of the session at Pacific Raceways and put the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car in the No. 2 spot after the first day of qualifying for the Muckleshoot Resort Casino NHRA Northwest Nationals. DeJoria, who won the 2011 NHRA Northwest Nationals Top Alcohol Funny Car class, earned a $2,500 Oris watch from local jeweler Ben Bridge for having the quickest Funny Car run of Q2. Her John Force Racing Funny Car teammate Jack Beckman put the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car in the No. 4 spot with his run of 3.975 seconds at 322.73 mph while last week’s winner, Jordan Vandergriff, had issues in both runs and posted the 15th-quickest run of 4.495 seconds at 193.77 mph. In Top Fuel, the Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster dropped cylinders in both runs and sits 12th with a best run of 3.939 seconds at 290.51 mph. Local temperatures will be at least 10 degrees cooler for Saturday’s two qualifying sessions scheduled for 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. PT. Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “I know it’s qualifying, but anytime I come up against one of my teammates (she lined up against Vandergriff in Q2), I get an extra little boost of ‘I want to kick your butt.’ That run felt great. The Bandero Café Chevy went right down the groove. The top end was a little greasy but that’s nothing new for Funny Car. It’s part of the fun. With that good run today, they’re talking about cooler temperatures tomorrow in the 60s and low 70s. That’s throw down weather and we have the capability to do just that. Tomorrow’s going to be a good day.” “That Oris watch is absolutely gorgeous. These Friday qualifying programs give everybody an extra incentive, and it’s exciting for the fans who won a watch, as well. We want the Wallys most of all but any time you get something unique from a specific track is special.” Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “It’s always frustrating when you don’t go to the top of the chart but, a lot of times, these cars don’t run quite as quick as we tune them for. They might be a couple hundredths slower than the tuneup we plug into it. But sometimes they run quicker than we set them up for. I have a strong suspicion that Cruz’s (provisional No. 1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon) first qualifier run did just that and kudos to them. That was an outstanding run for the conditions. I’m pleased with the PEAK Chevy. We were second low in the first session and third in the second session which gave us three bonus points. This is going to be one of those odd races because we didn’t have a Friday night qualifying session and Q2 is usually the hero run. It looks like we’re going to get cooler weather tomorrow so Saturday’s runs should supersede today’s. It’s awesome going to bed tonight knowing when I wake up tomorrow, we’ll have a very legitimate shot back at the pole position.” Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “We were chasing it a little bit today. I think our 60-foot times looked good on both runs but we smoked the tires in Q1 and put a hole out in Q2 so Chris (Cunningham, crew chief) shut me off early. It’s not what we wanted but I think we were game planning for tomorrow anyway. Saturday is going to be the day that sets the field so we are still very confident in this Cornwell Quality Tools Chevy for tomorrow.” Quote from Josh Hart, Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster: “The stars are aligning for the John Force Racing Speedmaster team tomorrow. The weather will be cooler and in our favor for Q3 and Q4.” TV ScheduleTelevision coverage includes qualifying action at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, July 24, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 26 on FS1, leading into eliminations Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on FOX.

DODGE CITY, KS (July 24, 2026) — Brogan Carder is using the time available to log as many laps as he can to become one of the top drivers with the American Sprint Car Series.

After competing with the National Tour as a rookie in 2025, the Sioux Falls, SD teenager is using his sophomore year to apply the first-year lessons and the notes gathered through the first half of the 2026 season.

“I think definitely one of the biggest things is that all the tracks we’ve gone back to, I have an idea of how the track’s going to play out,” Carder said. “I can communicate that to my team, and what we have now, one of our guys joined us halfway through last year, so it’s his first time going to these places too. 

“The notes weren’t very good because we were struggling to make it out of the (Last Chance Showdown). So this time, we’re testing new things in Hot Laps and Qualifying so we can run better in the Heat race and come Feature time. It’s a mix of things, really.”

Carder has shown an overall improvement throughout the first half of the season. He’s started 14 of 15 Features contested, scored two top-10s – the most he’s scored in a season – and tied his all-time highest ASCS finish at 81 Speedway (eighth).

While the “Dakota Outlaw” is glad that the results show the work his team has poured into the program, he’s looking to form a pattern of consistently racing inside the top-10 and top five each night.

“I can definitely say that I’m not unhappy, but I definitely think they can be better,” Carder said. “I think it’s more so driver mistakes, being on track and the positions I put myself in. I think our results could be a lot better because what shows on film is a lot better than the results on the track. 

“Every time we’re on track, I’m still learning things as we go. With the seat time I’ve had, it’s so much more beneficial to see these tracks for a second time because we already have a notebook to build from, so hopefully we can keep up the momentum. I think I just need a little more seat time so I can get a little bit more comfortable than I already am.”

Next on the docket for the 15-year-old is a visit to Dodge City Raceway Park for the Steve King Memorial. While he didn’t make the Feature in his maiden voyage to the Kansas 3/8-mile, Carder enjoyed the experience at the track as he gets the chance to prove himself in the No. 88C Triple X Chassis.

“I liked Dodge a lot when I went there last year,” Carder said. “The results didn’t really show that I did very well, and the notes that we got weren’t very good. Hopefully we can go into this weekend where I can carry our momentum from the earlier races there. I think we can do well and do a lot better than we did last year, make the (Feature) and hopefully compete for a top 10 or top five.”

After Dodge City, he’ll be part of the inaugural ASCS National Tour visits to Worthington Speedway and Viking Speedway as part of the Rock On Trucks Gopher State 360 Sprint Car Challenge.

While the two tracks are brand new to the Series, Carder has prepared for the moment. He visited Worthington three times in 2026, finishing a high of fourth on May 28. Viking will be a first-time experience when the National Tour arrives on Saturday, Aug. 1.

“It’s like a small 3/8-mile, but it’s hard to judge what it’s gonna do because it’s been different the three times we’ve been there,” Carder said. “Having laps before the National Tour comes in is as beneficial as anything else. The first time we went, it didn’t really slick off until the end, then it took rubber the last time we went. 

“It’s a tricky track to read because they don’t normally have Sprint Cars on it a whole lot. They’re still trying to get used to prepping it for Sprint Cars and trying to make it a good show for the fans. So hopefully we can get a good run there with the good notes we’ve been able to add.”

Carder’s progression in ASCS has earned him a seventh-place points standing with the second half of the year on the horizon as multiple tracks on the schedule make him optimistic for what is ahead in the campaign.

“I think we have a lot better notes, and I was a lot better in the second half of the season than in the first half,” Carder said. “I think we’ll be able to do a lot better this year because we have good notes that we can base our new setups on. I think the Montana swing, we had a pretty good run at almost every track. We had some unfortunate luck on some of the nights, but I think with our experience, we should be able to run up front this year.”

The South Dakota racer will continue his sophomore season with the ASCS National Tour at Dodge City for the Steve King Memorial on Saturday, July 25.

DODGE CITY INFO

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

Brogan Carder Improves in Sophomore ASCS Season, Chasing Strong Finish to 2026 DODGE CITY, KS (July 24, 2026) — Brogan Carder is using the time available to log as many laps as he can to become one of the top drivers with the American Sprint Car Series.

After competing with the National Tour as a rookie in 2025, the Sioux Falls, SD teenager is using his sophomore year to apply the first-year lessons and the notes gathered through the first half of the 2026 season.

“I think definitely one of the biggest things is that all the tracks we’ve gone back to, I have an idea of how the track’s going to play out,” Carder said. “I can communicate that to my team, and what we have now, one of our guys joined us halfway through last year, so it’s his first time going to these places too. 

“The notes weren’t very good because we were struggling to make it out of the (Last Chance Showdown). So this time, we’re testing new things in Hot Laps and Qualifying so we can run better in the Heat race and come Feature time. It’s a mix of things, really.”

Carder has shown an overall improvement throughout the first half of the season. He’s started 14 of 15 Features contested, scored two top-10s – the most he’s scored in a season – and tied his all-time highest ASCS finish at 81 Speedway (eighth).

While the “Dakota Outlaw” is glad that the results show the work his team has poured into the program, he’s looking to form a pattern of consistently racing inside the top-10 and top five each night.

“I can definitely say that I’m not unhappy, but I definitely think they can be better,” Carder said. “I think it’s more so driver mistakes, being on track and the positions I put myself in. I think our results could be a lot better because what shows on film is a lot better than the results on the track. 

“Every time we’re on track, I’m still learning things as we go. With the seat time I’ve had, it’s so much more beneficial to see these tracks for a second time because we already have a notebook to build from, so hopefully we can keep up the momentum. I think I just need a little more seat time so I can get a little bit more comfortable than I already am.”

Next on the docket for the 15-year-old is a visit to Dodge City Raceway Park for the Steve King Memorial. While he didn’t make the Feature in his maiden voyage to the Kansas 3/8-mile, Carder enjoyed the experience at the track as he gets the chance to prove himself in the No. 88C Triple X Chassis.

“I liked Dodge a lot when I went there last year,” Carder said. “The results didn’t really show that I did very well, and the notes that we got weren’t very good. Hopefully we can go into this weekend where I can carry our momentum from the earlier races there. I think we can do well and do a lot better than we did last year, make the (Feature) and hopefully compete for a top 10 or top five.”

After Dodge City, he’ll be part of the inaugural ASCS National Tour visits to Worthington Speedway and Viking Speedway as part of the Rock On Trucks Gopher State 360 Sprint Car Challenge.

While the two tracks are brand new to the Series, Carder has prepared for the moment. He visited Worthington three times in 2026, finishing a high of fourth on May 28. Viking will be a first-time experience when the National Tour arrives on Saturday, Aug. 1.

“It’s like a small 3/8-mile, but it’s hard to judge what it’s gonna do because it’s been different the three times we’ve been there,” Carder said. “Having laps before the National Tour comes in is as beneficial as anything else. The first time we went, it didn’t really slick off until the end, then it took rubber the last time we went. 

“It’s a tricky track to read because they don’t normally have Sprint Cars on it a whole lot. They’re still trying to get used to prepping it for Sprint Cars and trying to make it a good show for the fans. So hopefully we can get a good run there with the good notes we’ve been able to add.”

Carder’s progression in ASCS has earned him a seventh-place points standing with the second half of the year on the horizon as multiple tracks on the schedule make him optimistic for what is ahead in the campaign.

“I think we have a lot better notes, and I was a lot better in the second half of the season than in the first half,” Carder said. “I think we’ll be able to do a lot better this year because we have good notes that we can base our new setups on. I think the Montana swing, we had a pretty good run at almost every track. We had some unfortunate luck on some of the nights, but I think with our experience, we should be able to run up front this year.”

The South Dakota racer will continue his sophomore season with the ASCS National Tour at Dodge City for the Steve King Memorial on Saturday, July 25.

DODGE CITY INFO

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

ARTICLE:https://ascsracing.com/news/brogan-carder-improves-in-sophomore-ascs-season-chasing-strong-finish-to-2026/

The 2024 Brickyard 400 winner, Kyle Larson, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

NASCAR CUP SERIESINDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESJULY 24, 2026

The 2024 Brickyard 400 winner, Kyle Larson, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes: What was it like winning the Brickyard 400 two years ago, given that was the year you ran the double with the Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500? Did it feel like a redemption for what happened in May that you won in July?“Yeah, I remember it feeling — I don’t know if redemption is the right word, but it was just extra satisfying to have won given how the month of May went. Just the way the race played out, it just felt like there was another power that wanted me to win. Just the way that the strategy worked out, people running out of fuel and inheriting the front row, it was just stuff that you can’t really script, or if you do, it’s going to sound fake. Yeah, it just seemed meant to be.”   The Hollywood Reporter had a story about how Paramount is going ahead with the Days of Thunder 2. I know Hendrick Motorsports was very much involved in the production of the first film. Do you know if Rick (Hendrick) has had any conversations about Days of Thunder and being involved? Just speaking in terms of Days of Thunder, in general, how excited are you to finally see a sequel?“Yeah, I have no clue on what conversations have been had about anything, but if there is a sequel, that’s really exciting. I think all of us in here can say that Days of Thunder is one of the best, if not the greatest, racing movie out there, so to have another one will be pretty awesome. Hopefully they can make a great story out of it and captivate how our sport is today compared to how it was back then.”   What are your thoughts on Alex Bowman announcing his retirement?“Yeah, he’s been an amazing teammate, probably the best teammate you could ask for. I’ve really enjoyed my time with him. He’s made us all better. I really enjoyed having him around the debriefs and all that because he brings a dry sense of humor that we all enjoy. He can drive the heck out of racecars, so he brings a lot to the race team. I’m happy that he’s able to do it on his own terms. I think he’s had his injuries and stuff throughout his career that easily he could have just quit probably on the spot, but to now get to have a runway out is good. I’m happy for him. He’s got a lot going on in his life with building a family, a home and all the things. So, yeah, it’s good for him.”   What are some of the biggest challenges here at Indy?“I feel like Indy is a difficult place to pass, so with that, your team is just even more important than I feel like it would be at any other track. You know, everybody has to be on the top of their game to have a shot to win. You have to have a fast car, which is all the things you need every weekend, but you have to have a fast car, good starts and restarts, pit stops, strategy. All of it has to come together here to have a good shot at winning. So, yeah, with that, it’s not the most fun track to drive on, but to me, it’s a really fun race because it does take everybody. I always enjoy this one. It’s a crown jewel, as well, so it just means a lot. When you win here, it just means more for the whole team, I think.”  I know the last three weeks haven’t been good results-wise, but you look before that, you had four straight top-fives. What do you feel like the state of the No. 5 team is right now and the resilience of this group with Cliff Daniels in the middle?“Yeah, I wish we could have kept that streak going. I messed up at Chicago. At Atlanta, we got caught up in a wreck off of turn four, and then went to the back and wrecked myself on the way back through. And then last week (at North Wilkesboro) was just kind of, not bad luck, but just a messy situation on pit road that got us behind and you had to fight from wherever we were. I feel like we had, again, fifth- to seventh-place speed, but just didn’t get to really show it. So, yeah, I mean, I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now. I think we’re a fourth- to seventh-place car and just need to do our best to finish there. And if you continue to run in that window, you’ll hopefully have the opportunity for wins to pop up. But yeah, we’re always working hard to get better. We’re working harder than ever to get better, so hopefully it’ll come together.”  With Alex’s departure, obviously, there will be an opening for the No. 48 car. What are some of the mental demands that come with driving for Hendrick Motorsports because, obviously, the standard is so high. What are some of the things that maybe you didn’t know before you got into Hendrick Motorsports that you’ve learned since your time?“I don’t know. I don’t ever feel like there’s pressure or expectation, really. I mean, it’s just kind of—like when I came in in 2021, they were fresh off of the championship. So, I don’t know, that just gave me confidence that our cars were going to be fast. I didn’t really feel any pressure from it or feel like I needed to go out there and have the season that we had.  I just enjoy being at a place where there are hundreds of people that are the best in the sport. And like even right now, you know, we’re not where we want to be, but that’s been fun because you get to see everybody’s hard work and dedication really shine. So, I think for whoever comes in, it’s going to be just an added boost of confidence, I would imagine, because you do know you have the resources that you need to go compete for wins and championships. So, yeah, in my opinion, I’ve only gotten to race at two NASCAR teams, but it’s hard to beat Hendrick Motorsports in the level that they perform at.”   With your team being as close as you have been to getting back to victory lane, if you do get a win here pretty soon, do you feel like you’ll reel off some more? “Yeah, I feel like we’ve been inching closer and closer all year. I mean, a lot of times, I just feel like our sport is so close that you can feel so far from winning and so far from being good, when in reality, I think you’re much closer than you feel like. So, yeah, you never know. I mean, maybe your car gets a little bit better, you get a win and you go on a string. But, yeah, right now, like I said, we’re kind of like that fourth- to seventh-place on speed, so we still have room to improve, but hopefully we’re not too far away from that.”  Did you see Scott Dixon’s comments about the length of Cup Races, and if so, what were your thoughts about that? “Well, I’ll start off by saying yes, I agree that a lot of our Cup races are too long. I just think the way that the world has kind of gone and how people consume sports, I definitely think our races are too long. I think three hours is too long. But as far as a nap, I don’t know, it doesn’t really bother me. But I agree with what he was saying.”   Iowa (Speedway) is up next and Hendrick Motorsports is looking for back-to-back wins there. With the strength of the team there, what’s your comfort level going there?“Yeah, I haven’t really put too much thought into Iowa yet. We were extremely strong there the first year we went, and I messed up and crashed. I couldn’t even tell you how we ran there last year. I don’t have any idea how we did. But yeah, it’s a fun track. There’s a lot of dirt racing fans there, so I’ve enjoyed the event. Hopefully we can hit our car balance and have a good weekend.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY TRANSCRIPT JULY 24, 2026

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, and Jeff Andrews, President and General Manager of Hendrick Motorsports, addressed the media onsite at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following the recent announcement regarding Bowman’s final full-time NASCAR Cup Series campaign during the 2027 season.

NASCAR CUP SERIES INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY TRANSCRIPT JULY 24, 2026

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, and Jeff Andrews, President and General Manager of Hendrick Motorsports, addressed the media onsite at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following the recent announcement regarding Bowman’s final full-time NASCAR Cup Series campaign during the 2027 season.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  Alex, how difficult was it to arrive at this decision? Obviously, there’s a lot of thought that goes into something like this. Did it take you long to land on either coming back at all or deciding to step away?Bowman: “Yeah, I mean, I think for me, it’s always been in this time frame. I would say like kind of this three-year block. Whether it was 2026, ‘27 or ‘28, that’s something we’ve talked about for a really long time and what I’ve always had circled. I think with what went on in March, I feel like in my head, I had looked at this year being it quite a bit. But yeah, just trying to make the best decision for me and obviously the best decision for Hendrick Motorsports. I think I really want to end on a more positive note than kind of how this year has been, so that gave me a little more motivation to come back and go one more year. I think it is better for me, personally. It’s better for Hendrick Motorsports.  It’s been a lot of fun. Obviously, it’s been a dream come true to get to drive for HMS and work with everybody there. We’re doing our best to end this year strong and have a really strong year next year.”  There’s kind of a theory that when a driver is ready to retire, that it’s very difficult to do all the work and handle all of everything that’s required. I’m curious, how are you going to handle these next 51 weeks or 51 races without feeling like you just want to hang it up there?Bowman: “You just made that number sound really big… that got depressing (laughs).  No, for me, I’m doing more work right now than I ever have at any point in my entire career, between doing PT on my back every single day and all the work that that has taken to stay in the racecar. I’m training harder than I ever have. I signed up for some road bike climb challenge thing with Josh (Wise) that I’m highly regretting at this point. I’m walking like a baby deer because my legs are sore from this week (laughs).  But yeah, I think for me, coming out and saying it and being like ‘next year’s it’ makes it easier to be all in for the next 53 weeks. I mean, I’m ready to rip. I’ve always been all in. I’m not worried about not wanting to do the work. I think that has never been a problem for me and I’m excited to have 53 more chances at it.”   Why not just say, hey, I’ve signed a one-year deal with Hendrick and open the possibility that if things go great that you might continue racing?Bowman: “I mean, because I’m just not going to continue racing. I would love to end on a really high note. Like, I mean, everything goes perfect and we go win a championship and I can walk out that way… that would be amazing, right? That’s not going to make me want to stay. I think for me – health-wise, mental health-wise, kind of everything – this is what I needed to do that was best for me and things I want to do outside of the car.  I think also, if it was my choice, I wouldn’t have made a retirement announcement. I would have just raced until the end of next year and disappeared, but that’s not how this sport works. So, it’s part of what we do to make an announcement like this. I’m excited to kind of end the questions and go to work.”   We’ve seen athletes, not only in racing but other sports as well, with injuries like this and just sustained injuries over time, they make a decision and say, alright, this is the last season because they can’t really do it any further just because of their health and all that. For you, why was it that you decided next year you’re going to retire instead of this year given some of the health problems that you’ve had in the past?Bowman: “Yeah, I don’t think physical health is a number one contributor here in this situation for me. Obviously, I’ve had my fair share of injuries, but I can still do it. I still feel like I can do it and I think with everything that we’ve figured out through the course of this season, everybody helping me in the athletic center with PT every day, I think I’m in a good spot there and can continue doing it. I think for me, much more of it is things I want to do outside of the racecar; other goals I have in life and stuff I want to do. If it was straight up like I can’t do this any more, it probably would have been this year. But I do feel like I can continue to do it at a high level. Hopefully, we can go prove that.”   Alex, it was July 14, 2016, when you were named to fill in as an interim driver for Dale Jr. in the Cup Series when he had his concussion. Then, a year later, July 20, was when you were named a full-time HMS driver for 2018. From those moments leading up to right now, tell us what the journey’s been like and what are some top moments you’re going to remember as you look forward to finishing off leading up to 2027?Bowman: “Yeah, I mean, it has been a journey, for sure. It hasn’t gone exactly how I would have hoped, I guess, in some ways. But at the same time, I’ve learned so much. I’ve grown so much as a person. I’ve got to be teammates with some incredible people; learn from some awesome people and be a part of an amazing organization. It’s been a lot of fun. Even though the stat sheet might not read what I want it to read, it’s still been great in a lot of ways. In 2016, before I filled in, I was broke; selling my seats to pay rent and barely getting by. To end up at Hendrick Motorsports for a decade, it’s been incredible. It’s been a lot of fun, and it means a lot to have the support of everybody at HMS.”   Alex, when you said you would just like to race and then just disappear, does that mean that you’re not possibly considering a post-racing career in broadcasting? Jeff, how long did it take you all to convince him to come back for next year? How many months did you talk to him about that?Bowman: “I don’t know that anybody wants to listen to me on the broadcast, if I’m being honest (laughs). I don’t know that I would be any good at that. That looks really hard. The broadcasting thing, I would say some dumb stuff and probably get fired pretty quickly. I can’t believe that hasn’t happened to me in my driving career. But yeah, I don’t know. Maybe. I plan to stay at Hendrick Motorsports, probably on the performance side, and do some stuff there. There are some other cars that I want to go race and drive some really fun stuff. But yeah, I hadn’t really thought about broadcasting, and broadcasting probably hadn’t really thought about me. But I’m not saying never.” Andrews: “I think from a time standpoint, there was never really a definitive date to which we said, ‘hey, we’re going to start talking about this now, and we need to finish and have a decision by this date’. As Alex has stated, this is a process. For us, this is really understanding and listening to what Alex wanted and how Alex wanted to go out. He’s been with us for 10-11 years now and he’s family. We want to do the right thing for him and allow him to write his story as he exits this sport. We were fully supportive of whatever those terms were, along with our great partner at Ally. They’re part of this decision, and I know they are looking forward to next year and really celebrating this with Alex as he goes into retirement.  But you mentioned it and I said it before – Alex is family. There are certainly some other opportunities within the Hendrick organization on the performance side. You know, he’s a car guy. He loves cars and he loves to go fast. Mr. Hendrick has quite a few cars, as we know, so there’s a tie there. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex is around our campus and part of the Hendrick family for quite some time after next year.”  How do former drivers contribute to Hendrick Motorsports? I mean, Jeff Gordon is a super example of that, but what kind of role do you see in former drivers?Andrews: “I think we feel like there’s always a mentorship role, an opportunity there, for our drivers who have experience. They have all kinds of things to offer, whether it be at or away from the racetrack. I mean, we certainly have been very fortunate to have quite a few guys that have gone through our program. You look at Jimmie (Johnson) and you mentioned Jeff (Gordon). There are always opportunities there within our company for those kind of individuals to have an impact on our younger drivers and be out there on the lookout for who’s next and what opportunities might be out there for the future of Hendrick Motorsports. Right now, we’re obviously focused on Alex and excited about our final year together with him in 2027 on the racetrack. We’re really excited that he would want to continue to be part of our family after that.”  You referenced your back and the amount of physical therapy you’re having to do on that. How much would you say that the sprint car wreck you had in 2023 has lingered over the past three years for you?Bowman: “Yeah, honestly, I would argue that Michigan last year did as much damage. I think since then is kind of when everything’s popped back up and I have had to be constantly working through that. I mean, breaking your back isn’t good by any means. I think I was in a pretty good spot until Michigan last year. So, yeah, since then, it’s just been a lot of work to kind of try to stay on the right side of things. You know, post-Michigan and Mexico and kind of everything that went on there, I probably got it to an okay spot. And then, I kind of forgot about it; let it build up and it kind of took a minute to get it back under control this year. I have a lot of really smart people helping me kind of work through all that stuff. Some days are good, some days hurt, but that’s life.”  Jeff (Gluck) referenced that you were in a really bad midget car accident when you were 16 years old. Did that affect you in any way that maybe we didn’t see or really didn’t think about the past dozen or so years, or did that not really come into consideration?Bowman: “No, I don’t think that really affected anything. I was pretty young. I was pretty messed up after that one, but that was a really long time ago. I think concussions definitely stack up, right? We all know that. I’ve had my fair share, unfortunately. But this really isn’t a physical thing. I think if I would have had no injuries over the last 10 years, this time frame was still going to be this time frame. This is kind of always what I wanted. This sport has given me a lot. I love this sport, obviously. I love NASCAR racing. I think the guys that race forever, that’s super cool. That just was never going to be me. I’m excited for what the rest of my life holds. I’m honestly really just ready to be a normal person, in a lot of ways. So, yeah, I think my back’s okay, and we’ll keep digging on it.”   Obviously, today is about Alex and what’s next for him. But that obviously means that there’s going to be an opening in the No. 48 car. How does Hendrick Motorsports go about finding its next driver for that team?Andrews: “Yeah, I think we’re fortunate enough that we don’t go through this all that often at Hendrick Motorsports. And when these cycles do happen, obviously there’s a process there of looking for someone with the right fit, not only from a performance standpoint, but for our company and our culture.  And so, again, today, as you mentioned, is about Alex. And in the near future, it’ll be about Alex and his story. We’ll begin that process on what’s next for the No. 48 team in 2028 very soon.”  Jeff, for an organization like yours built on winning, it’s been 10 races since your last win. How do you guys assess things where they are right now? Andrews: “Well, I think the standards of Hendrick Motorsports are, of course, to win races and compete for championships. Two wins at this time of the season is certainly below where we’d want to be. What I am most proud of is the effort that’s being put back into these racecars. All the men and women at Hendrick Motorsports are working so hard to get that better. I can tell you it’s not for lack of effort. We’re learning a lot every week that we go to the racetrack with the new body on this car. Our goal is to continue that inch forward, so to speak, and by the time we get to the Chase, be ready to compete for wins and compete for that championship. There’s a lot of fight in this company and there’s a lot of passion in this company. That’s the people. The important thing for us is to make sure that we keep the morale up, we keep fighting and we keep working hard. We admit that we’ve got some work to do, and certainly weekends like last weekend were unfortunate circumstances. But that is racing. Sometimes you’re on the wrong end of those things. We’re going to continue to work hard and keep our heads down. We believe in the direction we’re going and the results will come.”

Beckem Daniels (No. 32), Adam Costan-Wood (No. 88), and Christian Knox (No. 69) racing in the AFT ProSport 450 class at Ventura Raceway. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 24, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, announced today that the Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational will be held as part of the Caterpillar Peoria TT on Saturday, August 22. Invitations have been extended to riders who earned AFT Pro Sport licenses through the Road to AFT Program during the 2026 season. A $4,000 purse will be on the line for the invited field as it competes alongside the Progressive AFT national championship program at Peoria. Each invited rider will also receive complimentary event entry and two event pit passes. The AFT ProSport 450 Invitational class at the Caterpillar Peoria TT honors the legacy of Dan Bromley, a third-generation racer who captured the 2018 AFT Singles championship and the 2025 AFT AdventureTrackers championship. Bromley’s consistency, versatility, humility and presence in the paddock left a lasting impact throughout the flat track community. By bringing the sport’s rising talent to one of its most iconic stages, the invitational will celebrate the future of American Flat Track while recognizing a champion whose influence extended far beyond his results on the track. The Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational will add another dimension to a full day of racing at the Caterpillar Peoria TT, one of the longest-running and most celebrated events in American motorcycle racing. Get tickets to the Caterpillar Peoria TT on Saturday, August 22: https://www.tixr.com/groups/peoriamotorcycleclub/events/2026-peoria-tt-185253

Caterpillar Peoria TT to Host Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational

Beckem Daniels (No. 32), Adam Costan-Wood (No. 88), and Christian Knox (No. 69) racing in the AFT ProSport 450 class at Ventura Raceway. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 24, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, announced today that the Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational will be held as part of the Caterpillar Peoria TT on Saturday, August 22. Invitations have been extended to riders who earned AFT Pro Sport licenses through the Road to AFT Program during the 2026 season. A $4,000 purse will be on the line for the invited field as it competes alongside the Progressive AFT national championship program at Peoria. Each invited rider will also receive complimentary event entry and two event pit passes. The AFT ProSport 450 Invitational class at the Caterpillar Peoria TT honors the legacy of Dan Bromley, a third-generation racer who captured the 2018 AFT Singles championship and the 2025 AFT AdventureTrackers championship. Bromley’s consistency, versatility, humility and presence in the paddock left a lasting impact throughout the flat track community. By bringing the sport’s rising talent to one of its most iconic stages, the invitational will celebrate the future of American Flat Track while recognizing a champion whose influence extended far beyond his results on the track. The Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational will add another dimension to a full day of racing at the Caterpillar Peoria TT, one of the longest-running and most celebrated events in American motorcycle racing. Get tickets to the Caterpillar Peoria TT on Saturday, August 22: https://www.tixr.com/groups/peoriamotorcycleclub/events/2026-peoria-tt-185253

Next Up Progressive American Flat Track heads to the historic Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, South Dakota, for two nights of racing during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The doubleheader begins with the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT on Saturday, August 8, and concludes with the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track on Monday, August 10.

Event: Brickyard 400 presented by PPGDate/Time: Sunday, July 26, 2026, 2 p.m. ETLocation: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, IndianaLayout: 2.5-Mile OvalTV/Radio: TNT, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR RadioOne of NASCAR’s crown jewel events awaits Josh Berry and the No. 21 PPG team this weekend as they take on the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG. Like every driver in the field, Berry has a deep appreciation for the history and prestige of the famed 2.5-mile oval.“The Brickyard is one of those races that every driver wants to win,” Berry said. “It’s such a special place with so much history, and anytime you get the chance to race there, you know what it means.“Last year we had a really solid run going before we ran out of fuel at the end, so hopefully we can build on that this weekend.”After another frustrating outing last Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Berry remains confident the No. 21 team is capable of turning its season around.“We’ve had some tough breaks lately, but I know this team is better than what our recent results have shown,” he said. “Hopefully this is the weekend we can put everything together. It’s also a big weekend for PPG, so it’d be great to deliver a strong run for them.“I think our car looks awesome with the red, white and blue twist on the traditional PPG scheme.”Practice for the Brickyard 400 is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. ET, with qualifying set for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Both sessions will be televised on truTV.Sunday’s 160-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, with stage breaks planned for Laps 50 and 100. TNT will provide race coverage.Josh BerryAge: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)Hometown: Hendersonville, TennesseeCrew Chief: Miles StanleyIG: @joshberry88X: @joshberry

The champion makes it three in a row in Canada with an impressive drive

OHSWEKEN, ON, CANADA (July 22, 2026) – David Gravel may just be unstoppable at Ohsweken Speedway.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars returned to the Canadian track last season after eight years away, and Gravel and the Big Game Motorsports group dominated by sweeping both nights. Other competitors led both Features, but each time Gravel patiently worked his way to the front for the win.

A similar scenario played out Wednesday night as the tour visited Ohsweken for the $20,000-to-win Federated Auto Parts Six Nation Showdown. Gravel fired off from the pole position for the 35-lapper, but it was Carson Macedo getting the early advantage from his outside.

Gravel kept the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 within his sights as the opening half of the race unfolded. He matched Macedo’s every move in traffic, waiting for the right time. The door opened at the race’s halfway point when Macedo slipped out of Turn 4, and Gravel used a huge run to dart to his inside down the front straightaway and muscle by in the first set of corners. Then it was time for Gravel to work his magic on the slick surface as he motored away for a third consecutive Ohsweken score.

“Just like last year I felt like we weren’t that great early on, and then once we burned this fuel load off, the car came to life,” Gravel said. “Carson was really good with the fuel load. Right about halfway the car started coming to me, and I got the wing back. For whatever reason it was kind of déjà vu. I’ve got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), and Luke (Vaughn) for giving me a great race car all night long. What a night.”

Gravel became the first driver through 15 Series visits to top three in a row at the Ontario, Canada oval, and he’s now one away from equaling Donny Schatz for the most total. The Big Game Motorsports No. 2 is up to eight wins in 2026 with The Greatest Show on Dirt. It was also another $20,000 in the pocket of the sport’s highest earning team this year. Gravel’s point lead grew to 136 markers as he chases a third championship in a row.

Logan Schuchart brought the Shark Racing/Federated Auto Parts No. 1S home second for his 11th straight Series top 10 and sixth top five over that span.

Sheldon Haudenschild drove the KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18 to a third-place effort for his 16th podium of the season.

D.J. Christie made the home fans proud by turning his first World of Outlaws Feature start into a fourth-place run.

Donny Schatz completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Sheldon Haudenschild ripped the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

David Gravel clocked his 15th Simpson Quick Time of 2026 in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Sheldon Haudenschild (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), Carson Macedo (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Bill Balog (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to David Gravel.

Gravel also topped the Toyota Dash.

Jordan Poirier won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Chris Windom wheeled the Sides Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink No. 7S from 25th to 13th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Buddy Kofoid was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom was the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Carson Macedo set the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Skylar Gee.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars make their only New York visit of the year at Weedsport Speedway on Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26 for the Empire State Challenge. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6]; 3. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[3]; 4. 5-DJ Christie[5]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz[4]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog[8]; 7. 83-Michael Kofoid[10]; 8. 45-Nick Sheridan[12]; 9. 2C-Cole Macedo[13]; 10. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[9]; 11. 41-Carson Macedo[2]; 12. 7NY-Matt Farnham[11]; 13. 7S-Chris Windom[25]; 14. 39T-Cory Turner[15]; 15. 10-Dale Blaney[19]; 16. 15T-Ryan Turner[23]; 17. 79-Jordan Thomas[16]; 18. 23-Garet Williamson[18]; 19. 69K-Christopher Bell[20]; 20. 17-Spencer Bayston[14]; 21. 41R-Dalton Rombough[24]; 22. 16C-Skylar Gee[7]; 23. 27-Emerson Axsom[17]; 24. 28M-Conner Morrell[27]; 25. (DNF) 51-Ashton Torgerson[26]; 26. (DNF) 28-Jordan Poirier[21]; 27. (DNF) 22-Jonathan Preston[22]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

DÉJA VU DOMINANCE: Gravel Rolls by Macedo for Third Straight Ohsweken Score

The champion makes it three in a row in Canada with an impressive drive

OHSWEKEN, ON, CANADA (July 22, 2026) – David Gravel may just be unstoppable at Ohsweken Speedway.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars returned to the Canadian track last season after eight years away, and Gravel and the Big Game Motorsports group dominated by sweeping both nights. Other competitors led both Features, but each time Gravel patiently worked his way to the front for the win.

A similar scenario played out Wednesday night as the tour visited Ohsweken for the $20,000-to-win Federated Auto Parts Six Nation Showdown. Gravel fired off from the pole position for the 35-lapper, but it was Carson Macedo getting the early advantage from his outside.

Gravel kept the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 within his sights as the opening half of the race unfolded. He matched Macedo’s every move in traffic, waiting for the right time. The door opened at the race’s halfway point when Macedo slipped out of Turn 4, and Gravel used a huge run to dart to his inside down the front straightaway and muscle by in the first set of corners. Then it was time for Gravel to work his magic on the slick surface as he motored away for a third consecutive Ohsweken score.

“Just like last year I felt like we weren’t that great early on, and then once we burned this fuel load off, the car came to life,” Gravel said. “Carson was really good with the fuel load. Right about halfway the car started coming to me, and I got the wing back. For whatever reason it was kind of déjà vu. I’ve got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), and Luke (Vaughn) for giving me a great race car all night long. What a night.”

Gravel became the first driver through 15 Series visits to top three in a row at the Ontario, Canada oval, and he’s now one away from equaling Donny Schatz for the most total. The Big Game Motorsports No. 2 is up to eight wins in 2026 with The Greatest Show on Dirt. It was also another $20,000 in the pocket of the sport’s highest earning team this year. Gravel’s point lead grew to 136 markers as he chases a third championship in a row.

Logan Schuchart brought the Shark Racing/Federated Auto Parts No. 1S home second for his 11th straight Series top 10 and sixth top five over that span.

Sheldon Haudenschild drove the KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18 to a third-place effort for his 16th podium of the season.

D.J. Christie made the home fans proud by turning his first World of Outlaws Feature start into a fourth-place run.

Donny Schatz completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Sheldon Haudenschild ripped the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

David Gravel clocked his 15th Simpson Quick Time of 2026 in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Sheldon Haudenschild (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), Carson Macedo (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Bill Balog (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to David Gravel.

Gravel also topped the Toyota Dash.

Jordan Poirier won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Chris Windom wheeled the Sides Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink No. 7S from 25th to 13th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Buddy Kofoid was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom was the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Carson Macedo set the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Skylar Gee.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars make their only New York visit of the year at Weedsport Speedway on Saturday-Sunday, July 25-26 for the Empire State Challenge. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6]; 3. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[3]; 4. 5-DJ Christie[5]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz[4]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog[8]; 7. 83-Michael Kofoid[10]; 8. 45-Nick Sheridan[12]; 9. 2C-Cole Macedo[13]; 10. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[9]; 11. 41-Carson Macedo[2]; 12. 7NY-Matt Farnham[11]; 13. 7S-Chris Windom[25]; 14. 39T-Cory Turner[15]; 15. 10-Dale Blaney[19]; 16. 15T-Ryan Turner[23]; 17. 79-Jordan Thomas[16]; 18. 23-Garet Williamson[18]; 19. 69K-Christopher Bell[20]; 20. 17-Spencer Bayston[14]; 21. 41R-Dalton Rombough[24]; 22. 16C-Skylar Gee[7]; 23. 27-Emerson Axsom[17]; 24. 28M-Conner Morrell[27]; 25. (DNF) 51-Ashton Torgerson[26]; 26. (DNF) 28-Jordan Poirier[21]; 27. (DNF) 22-Jonathan Preston[22]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/deja-vu-dominance-gravel-rolls-by-macedo-for-third-straight-ohsweken-score/

CANADAIGUA, NY (July 22, 2026) – Land of Legends Raceway brought a DIRTcar Sportsman Series thrill ride to Ontario County Fair Wednesday night, handing out a $1,000 check and a championship.

The event set up a Central Region versus West Region duel with 31 cars lining up for the 30-lap Feature.

Richard Murtaugh, looking for his first Series win of the season, entered with momentum and confidence, already holding a victory and the points lead at the track. And it showed, setting Quick Time and winning his Heat Race.

He started sixth in the Feature, but his No. 33 Modified had a hunger like no other for the lead. Murtaugh darted to third on the first lap and then claimed the lead on Lap 2. From there, it was a showcase of how many fast laps he could set out front.

Behind him, the field played musical chairs with each position. The most impressive player of them all was Cody McPherson, on the charge from his 21st starting position.

McPherson started the night with a 10-point lead in the West Region championship finale, and with every lap, he saw the points situation fall back into his favor. 

Murtaugh led 29 laps en route to his first Series victory of the season and a significant points gain over his Central Region championship challenger Hunter Hollenbeck, who finished seventh, with one race to go in the Region’s schedule.

Behind him, McPherson ended his charge with a second-place finish and secured the West Region title.

RESULTS
Sportsman Series 40 (30 Laps): 1. 33-Richard Murtaugh[6]; 2. 1-Cody McPherson[21]; 3. 10-Karl Comfort[5]; 4. 21J-Justin Liechti[12]; 5. 25-Evan Nugent[2]; 6. 10G-Austin Germinio[10]; 7. 72-Hunter Hollenbeck[18]; 8. 41S-Chase Spoor[1]; 9. 78JR-Nigel Pendykoski[11]; 10. 31B-Quinn Wallis[24]; 11. 0F-Tony Finch II[26]; 12. 111-Brett Senek[23]; 13. 82-David Hackett[13]; 14. F28-Tyler Stevenson[29]; 15. 7G-Tyler Guzzardi[15]; 16. 123-Dale Welty[19]; 17. 43J-Jayden Wust[20]; 18. 18R-Madyson Rouse[30]; 19. 54-Sullivan Dickey[25]; 20. 212-Martin Polhill[27]; 21. 10H-Trevor Houghton[31]; 22. (DNF) 6M-Cody Manitta[28]; 23. (DNF) 113J-Frank Guererri[3]; 24. (DNF) 64-Tyler Corcoran[7]; 25. (DNF) 9-Tim Baker[4]; 26. (DNF) 28$-Brian Harber[22]; 27. (DNF) 714-Chris Darling[17]; 28. (DNF) 12G-Matt Guererri[9]; 29. (DNF) 07W-Taylor Wason[14]; 30. (DNF) 99JR-Matteo Panunte[16]; 31. (DNF) 35-Nick Cooper[8]

UP NEXT
DIRTcar Sportsman Series Central Region will crown its champion when it returns to action at Fulton Speedway on Saturday, July 25. The 30-lap Feature will award $1,000 to the winner.

For more on the DIRTcar Northeast, follow the DIRTcar Northeast Facebook page. 

Richard Murtaugh Powers to Land of Legends Win; Cody McPherson Claims West Region Title

CANADAIGUA, NY (July 22, 2026) – Land of Legends Raceway brought a DIRTcar Sportsman Series thrill ride to Ontario County Fair Wednesday night, handing out a $1,000 check and a championship.

The event set up a Central Region versus West Region duel with 31 cars lining up for the 30-lap Feature.

Richard Murtaugh, looking for his first Series win of the season, entered with momentum and confidence, already holding a victory and the points lead at the track. And it showed, setting Quick Time and winning his Heat Race.

He started sixth in the Feature, but his No. 33 Modified had a hunger like no other for the lead. Murtaugh darted to third on the first lap and then claimed the lead on Lap 2. From there, it was a showcase of how many fast laps he could set out front.

Behind him, the field played musical chairs with each position. The most impressive player of them all was Cody McPherson, on the charge from his 21st starting position.

McPherson started the night with a 10-point lead in the West Region championship finale, and with every lap, he saw the points situation fall back into his favor. 

Murtaugh led 29 laps en route to his first Series victory of the season and a significant points gain over his Central Region championship challenger Hunter Hollenbeck, who finished seventh, with one race to go in the Region’s schedule.

Behind him, McPherson ended his charge with a second-place finish and secured the West Region title.

RESULTS
Sportsman Series 40 (30 Laps): 1. 33-Richard Murtaugh[6]; 2. 1-Cody McPherson[21]; 3. 10-Karl Comfort[5]; 4. 21J-Justin Liechti[12]; 5. 25-Evan Nugent[2]; 6. 10G-Austin Germinio[10]; 7. 72-Hunter Hollenbeck[18]; 8. 41S-Chase Spoor[1]; 9. 78JR-Nigel Pendykoski[11]; 10. 31B-Quinn Wallis[24]; 11. 0F-Tony Finch II[26]; 12. 111-Brett Senek[23]; 13. 82-David Hackett[13]; 14. F28-Tyler Stevenson[29]; 15. 7G-Tyler Guzzardi[15]; 16. 123-Dale Welty[19]; 17. 43J-Jayden Wust[20]; 18. 18R-Madyson Rouse[30]; 19. 54-Sullivan Dickey[25]; 20. 212-Martin Polhill[27]; 21. 10H-Trevor Houghton[31]; 22. (DNF) 6M-Cody Manitta[28]; 23. (DNF) 113J-Frank Guererri[3]; 24. (DNF) 64-Tyler Corcoran[7]; 25. (DNF) 9-Tim Baker[4]; 26. (DNF) 28$-Brian Harber[22]; 27. (DNF) 714-Chris Darling[17]; 28. (DNF) 12G-Matt Guererri[9]; 29. (DNF) 07W-Taylor Wason[14]; 30. (DNF) 99JR-Matteo Panunte[16]; 31. (DNF) 35-Nick Cooper[8]

UP NEXT
DIRTcar Sportsman Series Central Region will crown its champion when it returns to action at Fulton Speedway on Saturday, July 25. The 30-lap Feature will award $1,000 to the winner.

For more on the DIRTcar Northeast, follow the DIRTcar Northeast Facebook page. 

ARTICLE: https://dirtcar.com/news/richard-murtaugh-powers-to-land-of-legends-win-cody-mcpherson-claims-west-region-title/

FAIRBURY, IL (July 22, 2026) — Few Late Model and Dirt Modified races in the country compare in prestige to Fairbury Speedway’s Prairie Dirt Classic. The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals wraps up its 2026 campaign and crowns its champion in 36th running of the historic event this Friday and Saturday night.

The biggest race weekend of the Summit Modified season begins on Friday, July 24, with Qualifying and four Showdown Features, which will take the top four finishers from each into Saturday’s main event, and the top two into the redraw. Saturday’s program will consist of Last Chance Showdowns for non-qualified cars, the redraw, and the 40-lap, $5,000-to-win Feature event.

Ten previous editions of Summit Modified action during the Prairie Dirt Classic have produced six different winners since their event debut in 2015. Mike Harrison tops the ranks with four main event wins, followed by Nick Hoffman with two, and single-time winners Tyler Nicely (2015), Levi Kissinger (2016), Mike McKinney (2022) and Michael Long (2024).

The Modifieds will run in support of the headlining program for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision. All event information including ticket prices, facility FAQ and a complete schedule of events is available at the link below.

PRAIRIE DIRT CLASSIC EVENT INFO

If you can’t be at the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

MODIFIED MASTER — There’s no Modified driver more accomplished in the Prairie Dirt Classic than Mike Harrison.

The 51-year-old veteran from Highland, IL, is the four-time and defending winner of the Modified race, having topped the main event in 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2025. Last year, Harrison drove his Aggressive Sign Co. No. 24H to Victory Lane, holding off young talents Michael Ledford and Cole Falloway in the closing laps to take the checkered flag in the event, which was run in August after rain on the night of the Prairie Dirt Classic forced the Modified portion’s postponement.

This year, the six-time Summit Modified champion will contend for the win in both the Modified and Late Model division, doing “double duty” behind the wheel of his own Modified and the Steve Lampley-owned No. 33 Late Model. During the Summit Modified main event at Fairbury in June, Harrison led laps but was bested only by the new champion-to-be, Zeke McKenzie.

KRYPTONITE — The last time Zeke McKenzie raced with the Summit Modifieds at Fairbury, he scored one of the biggest wins of his career against one of DIRTcar UMP Modified racing’s all-time greats.

McKenzie, 41, of Claypool, IN, started on the pole of the Feature and led most of the race before Mike Harrison took the top spot on a late restart. But McKenzie battled back on the bottom, pulling ahead of Harrison two laps later and leading the rest of the way to bag his second career Summit Modified win and first in nearly six years.

Less than two weeks ago on July 11, McKenzie went back to Summit Modified Victory Lane at Oakshade Raceway in Ohio. He’s been the most familiar face to the tour this summer, leading the points standings and topping all drivers with 17 Feature starts. During Friday’s opening ceremonies, he will officially be crowned 2026 Summit Modified champion before going on track in pursuit of his first Prairie Dirt Classic win.

NO.1 CONTENDER — The weekly racing fans at Fairbury won’t soon forget the year Mike McKinney finally broke through for his first Prairie Dirt Classic win in the Modified division, and neither will he.

McKinney, 33, of Plainfield, IL, took the checkered flag in the marquee event for the first time in 2022, besting five-time Summit Modified champion Nick Hoffman in a thrilling, side-by-side battle for the lead in the second half of the race. In his career, the 2024 Summit Modified champion has also won two Prairie Dirt Classic Showdown Features and a third-most five Summit Modified Features on the famed Illinois bullring, making him one of the biggest contenders for another PDC triumph this weekend.

The 2021 UMP Modified track champion is currently on his way to a second track championship, leading the weekly FALS Cup points standings by 76 over Steven Brooks, with three wins to his name at the track this year. Nation-wide, McKinney is solid as well, ranked No. 2 in the national DIRTcar UMP Modified points standings with 10 Feature wins total.

THE FUTURE IS NOW — Cole Falloway has proven his worth at Fairbury before. This weekend, he’ll try for his first win in its most prestigious event.

The 23-year-old native of Owensboro, KY, put together the best season of his career last year with 20 DIRTcar-sanctioned Feature wins total and his first national DIRTcar points championship. Two of those came at Fairbury — one of which was the Illinois Dirt Shootout, which drew 50 Modified entries and netted the No. 66 team a $10,000 check. That same weekend, Falloway finished third in the makeup Prairie Dirt Classic Feature.

In 2026, he’s riding on eight Feature wins — one at Fairbury — and currently sits ninth in the national DIRTcar points standings.

NOT A LONG-SHOT — Michael Long has won the Modified portion of Prairie Dirt Classicbefore and will try to become only the third driver to win it multiple times this weekend.

Long, 44, of Fowler, IL, topped the 58-car field in 2024 for one of the most prestigious wins in his career. That win was one of 28 he compiled that season enroute to clinching the DIRTcar UMP Modified national championship.

While he took a DNF in last year’s main event, Long is back on the entry list this weekend in pursuit of the big check. He’s not raced as much in 2026 compared to previous seasons, making only 14 DIRTcar-sanctioned appearances so far this year, but does have a win at Fairbury on May 29.

SO CLOSE — Michael Ledford came within one spot of the biggest win of his career at Fairbury last year. He’ll saddle up again this weekend with one more position on his mind.

The 21-year-old from Pontiac, IL, ran second to Harrison in the Prairie Dirt Classic makeup Modified race last year, challenging the veteran late in the race but ultimately coming up short. He has, however, been to Victory Lane in the marquee event, winning a Showdown Feature in 2023.

This year, Ledford has been solid across the DIRTcar landscape, winning six times at six different racetracks, including one Late Model win. He topped the field at Fairbury on May 23 and currently sits 10th in the national DIRTcar points standings.

Modified Prairie Dirt Classic Winners:

2015 — Tyler Nicely
2016 — Levi Kissinger
2017 — Mike Harrison
2018 — Mike Harrison
2019 — Nick Hoffman
2020 — N/A
2021 — Nick Hoffman
2022 — Mike McKinney
2023 — Mike Harrison
2024 — Michael Long
2025 — Mike Harrison

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Summit Modified Prairie Dirt Classic Brings DIRTcar’s Best to Fairbury

FAIRBURY, IL (July 22, 2026) — Few Late Model and Dirt Modified races in the country compare in prestige to Fairbury Speedway’s Prairie Dirt Classic. The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals wraps up its 2026 campaign and crowns its champion in 36th running of the historic event this Friday and Saturday night.

The biggest race weekend of the Summit Modified season begins on Friday, July 24, with Qualifying and four Showdown Features, which will take the top four finishers from each into Saturday’s main event, and the top two into the redraw. Saturday’s program will consist of Last Chance Showdowns for non-qualified cars, the redraw, and the 40-lap, $5,000-to-win Feature event.

Ten previous editions of Summit Modified action during the Prairie Dirt Classic have produced six different winners since their event debut in 2015. Mike Harrison tops the ranks with four main event wins, followed by Nick Hoffman with two, and single-time winners Tyler Nicely (2015), Levi Kissinger (2016), Mike McKinney (2022) and Michael Long (2024).

The Modifieds will run in support of the headlining program for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision. All event information including ticket prices, facility FAQ and a complete schedule of events is available at the link below.

PRAIRIE DIRT CLASSIC EVENT INFO

If you can’t be at the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

MODIFIED MASTER — There’s no Modified driver more accomplished in the Prairie Dirt Classic than Mike Harrison.

The 51-year-old veteran from Highland, IL, is the four-time and defending winner of the Modified race, having topped the main event in 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2025. Last year, Harrison drove his Aggressive Sign Co. No. 24H to Victory Lane, holding off young talents Michael Ledford and Cole Falloway in the closing laps to take the checkered flag in the event, which was run in August after rain on the night of the Prairie Dirt Classic forced the Modified portion’s postponement.

This year, the six-time Summit Modified champion will contend for the win in both the Modified and Late Model division, doing “double duty” behind the wheel of his own Modified and the Steve Lampley-owned No. 33 Late Model. During the Summit Modified main event at Fairbury in June, Harrison led laps but was bested only by the new champion-to-be, Zeke McKenzie.

KRYPTONITE — The last time Zeke McKenzie raced with the Summit Modifieds at Fairbury, he scored one of the biggest wins of his career against one of DIRTcar UMP Modified racing’s all-time greats.

McKenzie, 41, of Claypool, IN, started on the pole of the Feature and led most of the race before Mike Harrison took the top spot on a late restart. But McKenzie battled back on the bottom, pulling ahead of Harrison two laps later and leading the rest of the way to bag his second career Summit Modified win and first in nearly six years.

Less than two weeks ago on July 11, McKenzie went back to Summit Modified Victory Lane at Oakshade Raceway in Ohio. He’s been the most familiar face to the tour this summer, leading the points standings and topping all drivers with 17 Feature starts. During Friday’s opening ceremonies, he will officially be crowned 2026 Summit Modified champion before going on track in pursuit of his first Prairie Dirt Classic win.

NO.1 CONTENDER — The weekly racing fans at Fairbury won’t soon forget the year Mike McKinney finally broke through for his first Prairie Dirt Classic win in the Modified division, and neither will he.

McKinney, 33, of Plainfield, IL, took the checkered flag in the marquee event for the first time in 2022, besting five-time Summit Modified champion Nick Hoffman in a thrilling, side-by-side battle for the lead in the second half of the race. In his career, the 2024 Summit Modified champion has also won two Prairie Dirt Classic Showdown Features and a third-most five Summit Modified Features on the famed Illinois bullring, making him one of the biggest contenders for another PDC triumph this weekend.

The 2021 UMP Modified track champion is currently on his way to a second track championship, leading the weekly FALS Cup points standings by 76 over Steven Brooks, with three wins to his name at the track this year. Nation-wide, McKinney is solid as well, ranked No. 2 in the national DIRTcar UMP Modified points standings with 10 Feature wins total.

THE FUTURE IS NOW — Cole Falloway has proven his worth at Fairbury before. This weekend, he’ll try for his first win in its most prestigious event.

The 23-year-old native of Owensboro, KY, put together the best season of his career last year with 20 DIRTcar-sanctioned Feature wins total and his first national DIRTcar points championship. Two of those came at Fairbury — one of which was the Illinois Dirt Shootout, which drew 50 Modified entries and netted the No. 66 team a $10,000 check. That same weekend, Falloway finished third in the makeup Prairie Dirt Classic Feature.

In 2026, he’s riding on eight Feature wins — one at Fairbury — and currently sits ninth in the national DIRTcar points standings.

NOT A LONG-SHOT — Michael Long has won the Modified portion of Prairie Dirt Classicbefore and will try to become only the third driver to win it multiple times this weekend.

Long, 44, of Fowler, IL, topped the 58-car field in 2024 for one of the most prestigious wins in his career. That win was one of 28 he compiled that season enroute to clinching the DIRTcar UMP Modified national championship.

While he took a DNF in last year’s main event, Long is back on the entry list this weekend in pursuit of the big check. He’s not raced as much in 2026 compared to previous seasons, making only 14 DIRTcar-sanctioned appearances so far this year, but does have a win at Fairbury on May 29.

SO CLOSE — Michael Ledford came within one spot of the biggest win of his career at Fairbury last year. He’ll saddle up again this weekend with one more position on his mind.

The 21-year-old from Pontiac, IL, ran second to Harrison in the Prairie Dirt Classic makeup Modified race last year, challenging the veteran late in the race but ultimately coming up short. He has, however, been to Victory Lane in the marquee event, winning a Showdown Feature in 2023.

This year, Ledford has been solid across the DIRTcar landscape, winning six times at six different racetracks, including one Late Model win. He topped the field at Fairbury on May 23 and currently sits 10th in the national DIRTcar points standings.

Modified Prairie Dirt Classic Winners:

2015 — Tyler Nicely
2016 — Levi Kissinger
2017 — Mike Harrison
2018 — Mike Harrison
2019 — Nick Hoffman
2020 — N/A
2021 — Nick Hoffman
2022 — Mike McKinney
2023 — Mike Harrison
2024 — Michael Long
2025 — Mike Harrison

ARTICLE: https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/news/what-to-watch-for-summit-modified-prairie-dirt-classic-brings-dirtcars-best-to-fairbury/

Transcript of Jack Aitken, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

DETROIT (July 22, 2026) – Jack Aitken, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, was a guest on an IMSA media teleconference to discuss the upcoming Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix on August 2 from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Aitken will drive with Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti.  Transcript of select questions: You’ve had a lot of success recently, how do you keep it going at Road America? “I think just treat it like a normal day, normal weekend. Obviously, we’re in a pretty good groove at the moment, as a team, as a crew. I think we’ve had some good progress this year with the evo update on the Cadillacs as well, and that’s been, it was a lot of hard work in the offseason to get that ready and ship shape and doing what we wanted it to do, and that’s helped. So, a lot of things come together. I don’t think we are in a position where we’re really desperately trying to hold onto a streak. You know, it’s a great thing to have, but the reality is we’re coming into every weekend, trying to do the best job we can. The streak will end at some point, and I don’t know if that’ll be this weekend with a hat trick of 4th places, or if we can keep it going even longer, but, we feel good, and just want to keep enjoying it and we’re working well, so why would we change anything at the moment?”

The race is now six hours, how to you prepare for that?  “I mean, we have three drivers instead of two, but that’s not a decision that the majority of the field usually takes. Having Fred (Vesti) back with us is nice, and he’s already tested the car at Road America and done a good job of getting back up to speed with it. Other than that, it’s a bit more interesting from a street strategic point of view. We’re kind of expecting it to be a very yellow, heavy race, just going on previous years, and the way that the endurance races often go. So there’s a little bit more thought on that side, but otherwise, you know, the two-hour, 40-minute races are long enough that you get multiple stops, so it doesn’t affect as much as you might think. So, yeah, not a huge amount.”

You have a decent championship lead. Is it a confidence booster or slightly more added pressure?  “I think it goes back to what I was saying at the start that there’s no reason to change the way that we’ve been racing. because it’s been working well. We’re certainly not doing the win it or bin it strategy at the moment and obviously it wouldn’t make sense to switch over. I think we’re just looking to be as quick as we can, and then make sensible decisions in the race, and that gets you, like, 99 percent of the way there, and it always will. I’ve been in a few championship fights now. It’s hard to not have some pressure come into the team. But, that’s what we keep repeating, that we’re doing things well, and we just need to stick to those guns. There will be weekends when, even if we do things right, we’re not going to get the results that we have been getting, and that’s just life. That’s racing. It’s going to happen, doesn’t mean that we’re doing the wrong things all of a sudden. So, we’re going to keep trucking, try not to worry too much about the point situation until maybe the last few hours of Petit Le Mans. It looks like a big leap, but frankly in IMSA, the point swings can be quite aggressive. So, I don’t think it’s over by any stretch.” Having the dual program between WEC and IMSA, how has that helped this year? “I think it’s been really helpful, massively helpful. Because at the end of the day, it gives me, and Earl (Bamber), who does the same thing. Something that you can’t really get these days, which is more track time. It’s very difficult to spend more laps in the car, without some kind of compromise, whether it’s, you know, you have to have less drivers at the track for tests or you’re simply not allowed to most of the time. I feel like it’s taking my driving to another level this year. I saw the same with Earl when he partnered with us for the first time last year that, I thought he was, he was driving extremely well. He brings a lot of knowledge outside of the car, that was very helpful, and helped to align a lot of the teams, because although it’s the same hardware between here and here and WEC, the teams can still run the cars in their own way, you know, whether it’s different ways of doing the car build or setup philosophies or even just running procedures there’s a lot that you can find out, improve test. So just helping everyone on the Cadillac program to centralize all of that and pick the best of the bunch. It’s really important for the progression of the program, I think.”

Do like going to Road America?  “Yep, it’s like the other guys have said, it’s definitely a highlight in the calendar. It’s one of the tracks, I think, that can still scare you a little bit. It’s definitely a bit of a thrill because it’s very high consequence, and you’re never far away from potentially having quite a big accident. So it’s nice, but it’s also very challenging and racing wise, it’s difficult to pass, but I think with it being quite often being a fuel race or strategic there are opportunities to move up and down the field. And it’ll be even more so this year of the six hours. So yeah, definitely one of my, my favorite tracks.” How hard is it to set up the cars for Road America? “I think it’s similar in a lot of ways to Watkins Glen, fast and flowing, and requires a car that works well aerodynamically, so you’re really trying to optimize the platform, working with a car that’s quite stable. It’s a fine balance you want a car that has front to be able to place it and to be accurate, especially in the high speed stuff, like the carousel and the kink. Because the penalty for being offline is extremely high. But you need a car that you can rely on as well on the other side. So there’s no major sharks but it’s similar to Watkins Glen. I’m very lucky to have teammates that are quite flexible. We generally don’t, don’t need to argue too much about what direction we are going and that makes life very easy. So yeah, never, never a big point of discussion for us.” How has running both the WEC and IMSA programs helped this year?  “I think we’re looking for the same things really. So, success on either side of the pond is appreciated and encouraged and we all take a bit of joy when we see any Cadillac team doing well. I know the Action guys were supporting all of the Le Mans crews, and watching from home quite intently, although they would have loved to have been there themselves as well. There was a lot of camaraderie and good spirit there, and the same thing JOTA watched for a lot of Daytona, even had some people on the ground with us, which was fantastic, and there’s a good team spirit there. So, yeah, it’s a nice atmosphere and at the end of the day, we all want the program to do well, even occasionally when we’re racing on the same bit of track. It’s all for the same course.” What are your thoughts on Road America?  “I think it’s a combination of, it’s not a very forgiving track, so if you do go off there’s a high chance that you’ll either hit something or get stuck in the gravel. That’s a common feature in a lot of the IMSA tracks. So it’s not the only reason. I think the track itself does produce pretty good racing, but it’s difficult to make pass. There are a few big braking zones where you can try. And a lot of places where you can go side by side, but it needs cooperation. And we’ve had plenty of races, I think, over the last year, however many years, several years, where cooperation is not always given. You get body parts, debris, cars off in the gravel, and all of those things can lead to cautions. Whether being an endurance round now as well, you do have a lot of cars, a lot of drivers that are not full-time, full season entries, with a bit less time in the seat, and that can also contribute to yellow. So yeah, there’s a few different things going on.” Can you talk about the physical fitness needed to compete at this level? “Yep, made the trip to the cafe and then came back. That’s my style of exercise (laughs). And it’s going to stay that way. Joking aside we have some time to do a little bit but in the heat of the season, it is difficult to attribute time to it, in the same way that you can off season. Combined with the fact that we’re driving the cars pretty often at the moment, you’re pretty race ready and acclimated. It’s still a challenge if it’s hot. I’m particularly not a fan of the heat being from the U.K., but there’s nothing you can do about it and we’re pretty used to it at this point, so it is what it is. I’ll do the occasional run or bike ride for a bit of fun, but that’s about it.” Is there something different that you can kind of that you’re starting to notice that you’re able to extract out of yourself this year compared to the last few years? Is there just something that you’ve been able to hit on that maybe you weren’t hitting on over the last couple of seasons at the same level? “When we were talking about the double-program stuff earlier, that’s definitely helped. More tracks time is never a bad thing, and I do feel like I’ve benefited from it. I also just feel like I’m reaching a maturity with IMSA. This is my is my third full-time season, so I know the championship much better than I did before and just more comfortable with the tracks, more in tune with the races and what generally happens on the strategy side of things. And in the same breath, I’m very comfortable with the team with Action Express and Cadillac. I think I’ve got some great relationships that mean that I enjoy my work and I turn up, always, you know, happy to be there and things are going well, so it always helps. But I have to say that, you know, I think we run a fantastic streak, but part of that is down to fortune and a bit of good luck here and there. There are definitely times when we probably shouldn’t have finished on the podium or, or been on the top step and we somehow managed it. I believe in in balancing the stuff all balances out in the long run. So I’ll probably do some bad luck at some point. So you know, I think it’s going really well and I’m very happy about it. Like I said, I’m enjoying it, but I also think I’m the same driver I was before. You know the championship is not tied up by any means. Just going into the last few races with eyes open and try and do the, as good a job as I can and look forward to relying on my teammates and my crew.” How big would a championship be to you? “It would obviously be fantastic because to win any championship of that scale IMSA, is right up there in the racing world, not just in the endurance or sports car world. It’s a championship that I truly enjoy racing in, which means a lot as well. And to do it with people that I enjoy working with, that would mean a lot as well. You balance that against as, as the more championships that I do and the more races I do, the more that I measure success in a bit of a different way, because you can only do what’s in your control, what’s in your hands, so I’m taking more and more pleasure these days from doing those things well, and that means that, you know, you don’t take the DNFs or the bad results quite as hard when you, you feel like you’ve done your job. But it also means that when you win, you’re a bit more circumspect about, about it. I will be over the moon if we can do it very proud of what we’ve achieved. But I will still be very proud, even if we don’t do it. So I guess that’s what I’m trying to say.” Do you have to relearn these tracks when you come back? “I feel like once I’ve learned it, it’s good to go in the memory bank unless you haven’t been there for a long time, but the first time I went to Road America, it was quite a shock to the system because that was still my first year of IMSA. So still recalibrating a little bit from European trucks where you generally get a lot more space, a lot more forgiveness. I think it was just, it was either just after or just before they’d done the resurfacing and it was so cold that it was actually snowing that day, so grip was not you know, plentiful. And that added to the experience and generally I found it pretty terrifying. It’s probably the only time in recent history that has taken me a long time to get up to speed. But just because I was sure that I was going to hit something and it would probably be quite hard. So now that I’ve come back and done it in the summer, it’s great and I love it. The back end of the circuit, when you get through the carousel, the kink and Canada corner, even the last couple corners, they’ve got a great flow to it. You really get a great sensation of speed with how hemmed in you are by the trees. So, it’s turned into one of my favorites, but the American tracks in general, like I say, are much less forgiving, and you do bear that in mind when you’re getting up to speed on them.”

Transcript of Jack Aitken, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

DETROIT (July 22, 2026) – Jack Aitken, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, was a guest on an IMSA media teleconference to discuss the upcoming Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix on August 2 from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Aitken will drive with Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti.  Transcript of select questions: You’ve had a lot of success recently, how do you keep it going at Road America? “I think just treat it like a normal day, normal weekend. Obviously, we’re in a pretty good groove at the moment, as a team, as a crew. I think we’ve had some good progress this year with the evo update on the Cadillacs as well, and that’s been, it was a lot of hard work in the offseason to get that ready and ship shape and doing what we wanted it to do, and that’s helped. So, a lot of things come together. I don’t think we are in a position where we’re really desperately trying to hold onto a streak. You know, it’s a great thing to have, but the reality is we’re coming into every weekend, trying to do the best job we can. The streak will end at some point, and I don’t know if that’ll be this weekend with a hat trick of 4th places, or if we can keep it going even longer, but, we feel good, and just want to keep enjoying it and we’re working well, so why would we change anything at the moment?”

The race is now six hours, how to you prepare for that?  “I mean, we have three drivers instead of two, but that’s not a decision that the majority of the field usually takes. Having Fred (Vesti) back with us is nice, and he’s already tested the car at Road America and done a good job of getting back up to speed with it. Other than that, it’s a bit more interesting from a street strategic point of view. We’re kind of expecting it to be a very yellow, heavy race, just going on previous years, and the way that the endurance races often go. So there’s a little bit more thought on that side, but otherwise, you know, the two-hour, 40-minute races are long enough that you get multiple stops, so it doesn’t affect as much as you might think. So, yeah, not a huge amount.”

You have a decent championship lead. Is it a confidence booster or slightly more added pressure?  “I think it goes back to what I was saying at the start that there’s no reason to change the way that we’ve been racing. because it’s been working well. We’re certainly not doing the win it or bin it strategy at the moment and obviously it wouldn’t make sense to switch over. I think we’re just looking to be as quick as we can, and then make sensible decisions in the race, and that gets you, like, 99 percent of the way there, and it always will. I’ve been in a few championship fights now. It’s hard to not have some pressure come into the team. But, that’s what we keep repeating, that we’re doing things well, and we just need to stick to those guns. There will be weekends when, even if we do things right, we’re not going to get the results that we have been getting, and that’s just life. That’s racing. It’s going to happen, doesn’t mean that we’re doing the wrong things all of a sudden. So, we’re going to keep trucking, try not to worry too much about the point situation until maybe the last few hours of Petit Le Mans. It looks like a big leap, but frankly in IMSA, the point swings can be quite aggressive. So, I don’t think it’s over by any stretch.” Having the dual program between WEC and IMSA, how has that helped this year? “I think it’s been really helpful, massively helpful. Because at the end of the day, it gives me, and Earl (Bamber), who does the same thing. Something that you can’t really get these days, which is more track time. It’s very difficult to spend more laps in the car, without some kind of compromise, whether it’s, you know, you have to have less drivers at the track for tests or you’re simply not allowed to most of the time. I feel like it’s taking my driving to another level this year. I saw the same with Earl when he partnered with us for the first time last year that, I thought he was, he was driving extremely well. He brings a lot of knowledge outside of the car, that was very helpful, and helped to align a lot of the teams, because although it’s the same hardware between here and here and WEC, the teams can still run the cars in their own way, you know, whether it’s different ways of doing the car build or setup philosophies or even just running procedures there’s a lot that you can find out, improve test. So just helping everyone on the Cadillac program to centralize all of that and pick the best of the bunch. It’s really important for the progression of the program, I think.”

Do like going to Road America?  “Yep, it’s like the other guys have said, it’s definitely a highlight in the calendar. It’s one of the tracks, I think, that can still scare you a little bit. It’s definitely a bit of a thrill because it’s very high consequence, and you’re never far away from potentially having quite a big accident. So it’s nice, but it’s also very challenging and racing wise, it’s difficult to pass, but I think with it being quite often being a fuel race or strategic there are opportunities to move up and down the field. And it’ll be even more so this year of the six hours. So yeah, definitely one of my, my favorite tracks.” How hard is it to set up the cars for Road America? “I think it’s similar in a lot of ways to Watkins Glen, fast and flowing, and requires a car that works well aerodynamically, so you’re really trying to optimize the platform, working with a car that’s quite stable. It’s a fine balance you want a car that has front to be able to place it and to be accurate, especially in the high speed stuff, like the carousel and the kink. Because the penalty for being offline is extremely high. But you need a car that you can rely on as well on the other side. So there’s no major sharks but it’s similar to Watkins Glen. I’m very lucky to have teammates that are quite flexible. We generally don’t, don’t need to argue too much about what direction we are going and that makes life very easy. So yeah, never, never a big point of discussion for us.” How has running both the WEC and IMSA programs helped this year?  “I think we’re looking for the same things really. So, success on either side of the pond is appreciated and encouraged and we all take a bit of joy when we see any Cadillac team doing well. I know the Action guys were supporting all of the Le Mans crews, and watching from home quite intently, although they would have loved to have been there themselves as well. There was a lot of camaraderie and good spirit there, and the same thing JOTA watched for a lot of Daytona, even had some people on the ground with us, which was fantastic, and there’s a good team spirit there. So, yeah, it’s a nice atmosphere and at the end of the day, we all want the program to do well, even occasionally when we’re racing on the same bit of track. It’s all for the same course.” What are your thoughts on Road America?  “I think it’s a combination of, it’s not a very forgiving track, so if you do go off there’s a high chance that you’ll either hit something or get stuck in the gravel. That’s a common feature in a lot of the IMSA tracks. So it’s not the only reason. I think the track itself does produce pretty good racing, but it’s difficult to make pass. There are a few big braking zones where you can try. And a lot of places where you can go side by side, but it needs cooperation. And we’ve had plenty of races, I think, over the last year, however many years, several years, where cooperation is not always given. You get body parts, debris, cars off in the gravel, and all of those things can lead to cautions. Whether being an endurance round now as well, you do have a lot of cars, a lot of drivers that are not full-time, full season entries, with a bit less time in the seat, and that can also contribute to yellow. So yeah, there’s a few different things going on.” Can you talk about the physical fitness needed to compete at this level? “Yep, made the trip to the cafe and then came back. That’s my style of exercise (laughs). And it’s going to stay that way. Joking aside we have some time to do a little bit but in the heat of the season, it is difficult to attribute time to it, in the same way that you can off season. Combined with the fact that we’re driving the cars pretty often at the moment, you’re pretty race ready and acclimated. It’s still a challenge if it’s hot. I’m particularly not a fan of the heat being from the U.K., but there’s nothing you can do about it and we’re pretty used to it at this point, so it is what it is. I’ll do the occasional run or bike ride for a bit of fun, but that’s about it.” Is there something different that you can kind of that you’re starting to notice that you’re able to extract out of yourself this year compared to the last few years? Is there just something that you’ve been able to hit on that maybe you weren’t hitting on over the last couple of seasons at the same level? “When we were talking about the double-program stuff earlier, that’s definitely helped. More tracks time is never a bad thing, and I do feel like I’ve benefited from it. I also just feel like I’m reaching a maturity with IMSA. This is my is my third full-time season, so I know the championship much better than I did before and just more comfortable with the tracks, more in tune with the races and what generally happens on the strategy side of things. And in the same breath, I’m very comfortable with the team with Action Express and Cadillac. I think I’ve got some great relationships that mean that I enjoy my work and I turn up, always, you know, happy to be there and things are going well, so it always helps. But I have to say that, you know, I think we run a fantastic streak, but part of that is down to fortune and a bit of good luck here and there. There are definitely times when we probably shouldn’t have finished on the podium or, or been on the top step and we somehow managed it. I believe in in balancing the stuff all balances out in the long run. So I’ll probably do some bad luck at some point. So you know, I think it’s going really well and I’m very happy about it. Like I said, I’m enjoying it, but I also think I’m the same driver I was before. You know the championship is not tied up by any means. Just going into the last few races with eyes open and try and do the, as good a job as I can and look forward to relying on my teammates and my crew.” How big would a championship be to you? “It would obviously be fantastic because to win any championship of that scale IMSA, is right up there in the racing world, not just in the endurance or sports car world. It’s a championship that I truly enjoy racing in, which means a lot as well. And to do it with people that I enjoy working with, that would mean a lot as well. You balance that against as, as the more championships that I do and the more races I do, the more that I measure success in a bit of a different way, because you can only do what’s in your control, what’s in your hands, so I’m taking more and more pleasure these days from doing those things well, and that means that, you know, you don’t take the DNFs or the bad results quite as hard when you, you feel like you’ve done your job. But it also means that when you win, you’re a bit more circumspect about, about it. I will be over the moon if we can do it very proud of what we’ve achieved. But I will still be very proud, even if we don’t do it. So I guess that’s what I’m trying to say.” Do you have to relearn these tracks when you come back? “I feel like once I’ve learned it, it’s good to go in the memory bank unless you haven’t been there for a long time, but the first time I went to Road America, it was quite a shock to the system because that was still my first year of IMSA. So still recalibrating a little bit from European trucks where you generally get a lot more space, a lot more forgiveness. I think it was just, it was either just after or just before they’d done the resurfacing and it was so cold that it was actually snowing that day, so grip was not you know, plentiful. And that added to the experience and generally I found it pretty terrifying. It’s probably the only time in recent history that has taken me a long time to get up to speed. But just because I was sure that I was going to hit something and it would probably be quite hard. So now that I’ve come back and done it in the summer, it’s great and I love it. The back end of the circuit, when you get through the carousel, the kink and Canada corner, even the last couple corners, they’ve got a great flow to it. You really get a great sensation of speed with how hemmed in you are by the trees. So, it’s turned into one of my favorites, but the American tracks in general, like I say, are much less forgiving, and you do bear that in mind when you’re getting up to speed on them.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Indianapolis Motor Speedway / Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway ParkJuly 24-26, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR will venture back to the Midwest to take over the city recognized as the “Racing Capital of the World”. For Chevrolet’s drivers and teams in the Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, this weekend serves as an opportunity to add onto the manufacturer’s already storied history at one of the most prestigious venues in motorsports – Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR’s top-two divisions will once again take on the hallowed grounds of the track’s 2.5-mile oval configuration, highlighted by Sunday’s Brickyard 400 – the Cup Series’ third crown jewel event of the season. For the Craftsman Truck Series, its regular season schedule will take them just down the road to Brownsburg, Indiana, where the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park will welcome the division back to its facility for the fifth-consecutive season to kick off the sport’s annual visit to the Hoosier state.

Chevrolet at “The Brickyard”:Chevrolet’s deep-rooted history with Indianapolis Motor Speedway spans across a variety of racing disciplines, most notably known as the only manufacturer that competes in two of the biggest events in motorsports – the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.  The Bowtie brand’s 18 NASCAR Cup Series wins on the track’s oval configuration is a record more than double its competitors, with Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson being the manufacturer’s most recent driver to kiss the iconic bricks in the 2024 Brickyard 400 when the crown jewel event returned to the oval for the first time in the Next Gen era. In over a three-decade long history for the crown jewel event, the Chevrolet-Hendrick Motorsports partnership have earned 11 victories together – a record-setting journey that dates back to the inaugural event in 1994 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. That was only the start of Gordon’s success at the Indiana-based venue, with the Chevrolet driver going on to tally five Brickyard 400 wins throughout his career – a record that still stands today.

LARSON’S HOOSIER STATE HISTORY Kyle Larson ranks second among the NASCAR Cup Series’ active drivers with three career crown jewel wins, one of which came in the 2024 Brickyard 400 when the event made its return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. While the series’ stint on the oval configuration has been short in the Next Gen era, Larson’s 2024 victory, along with a runner-up finish one year ago, undoubtedly puts him at the top of the leaderboard with an average finish of 1.5. Overall, throughout his eight starts on the Indiana-based oval, his win has been accompanied by three top-fives and five top-nines to boast a career average finish of 12.4 (fourth-best), as well as series-leading numbers with an average running position of 10.012 and 1,104 laps completed in the top-15.

VAN GISBERGEN CONTINUES TO CLOSE IN ON A CHASE BIDShane van Gisbergen and the Stephen Doran-led No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team put together yet another exceptionally executed race in the NASCAR Cup Series return to North Wilkesboro Speedway. With an eighth-place starting position courtesy of the metric, the New Zealander remained a steady fixture in the top-10 throughout the entirety of the evening – collecting top-five points in each stage en route to his career-best short-track finish of fifth. The effort ended with an accumulation of 47 points – the third-highest of the field – to add a double-digit increase in his cushion to sit 54 points above the cutline with just five races remaining in the regular season. Points aside, it was statistically one of his strongest overall oval performances. He was second-best of the field with 49 laps led, which was also a career-best feat on an oval. Among the 450 laps completed, he ran 355 laps in the top-five and 442 laps in the top-10 – both of which beat his previous records in a single event.

AVERAGES IN THE SUMMER STRETCHThe summer stretch has played a pivotal role in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, and with the introduction of the new Chase format, consistency is more important than ever. Over the past six races, William Byron’s average finish of 13.2 has ranked him fifth-best of the field. Among that timeframe includes a pair of top-four finishes that came at Pocono Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway. Entering the crown jewel affair, Byron sits with an 84-point cushion over the cutline and on the horizon of a strong set of tracks for the No. 24 team. The Rudy Fugle-led team has earned victories in two of the five tracks that conclude the regular season, including one win at Iowa Speedway and three wins at Daytona International Speedway.

ALLGAIER’S CAREER SEASON CONTINUESTeam Chevy veteran driver, Justin Allgaier, continues to add onto an already career season in his quest for a second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship title. In the series’ last event at EchoPark Speedway, the Illinois native made an impressive charge from seventh to first on an overtime restart to claim his sixth victory of 2026, making it the winningest season of his career. Reaching a 240-point lead over the series’ reigning champion, Jesse Love, Allgaier was able to make an early clinch of the regular season title with three races still remaining. Indianapolis Motor Speedway sets up for the opportunity for yet another strong points day for the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team. In his past four starts on the Indiana-based oval, Allgaier has scored one win (2018) and three top-nine finishes, along with points no worse than sixth in every stage.

ECKES, ENFINGER AMONG IRP FRONTRUNNERS Christian Eckes and the No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet team are finding consistency at just the right time, entering the final three-race stretch towards the end of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular season with a streak of three top-10 finishes, including back-to-back showings in the top-five. Sitting comfortably in the fourth position of the standings, Eckes will head to a track where history indicates that his breakthrough back into victory lane could be right around the corner. His two of three career starts at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park have come under the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing banner – both of which saw the Team Chevy driver earn a runner-up finish. In his most recent start at the track (2024), he topped the field in a variety of statistical categories including a sweep of the stage wins, a race-high 73 laps led and an average running position of 2.1.

Despite a challenging run at North Wilkesboro Speedway last weekend, Grant Enfinger and the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team maintained their ninth-place position in the rankings heading into the Indianapolis race weekend. The Team Chevy veteran driver has one Truck Series win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, which came in his first career start at the track (2022). Since then, he has amassed three top-four finishes, qualifying efforts no worse than eighth and top-seven points in all but one stage.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race weekend with the Corvette Stingray pacing the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in their respective events.  ·        Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Kyle Larson – one win (2024) ·        In 29 NASCAR Cup Series races on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, Chevrolet has earned 18 victories – a record more than double the next leading manufacturer, Ford, with six victories. Of those victories includes a streak of 12-straight, recorded between Aug. 2003 – July 2014.  ·        With Grant Enfinger’s win at Lime Rock Park, Chevrolet sits just two wins away from its milestone 300th all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.  ·        With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.  ·        In 164 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 73 victories – a winning percentage of 44.5%.  ·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.  ·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 887 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.   FOR THE FANS:Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which features a variety of vehicles including: Traverse RS, Silverado EV Trail Boss, Colorado Trail Boss, Tahoe Z71, Silverado HD LTZ, Silverado 1500 ZR2, Corvette Grand Sport, Corvette ZR1, NASCAR Cup Series Camaro ZL1 show car. Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:Friday, July 24: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Saturday, July 25: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Sunday, July 26: 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Saturday, July 25: Corey Day: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Jeb Burton & Blaine Perkins: 1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Anthony Alfredo & Parker Retzlaff: 2:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.  Sunday, July 26: Carson Hocevar: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Connor Zilisch: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Alex Bowman: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Chase Elliott: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 am.Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Shane van Gisbergen: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series at IMSBrickyard 400Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m. ETTNT Sports and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at IMSPennzoil 250 Presented by Take 5 Oil ChangeSaturday, July 25, at 4 p.m. ETCW and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at IRPTSport 200 presented by Warn IndustriesFriday, July 24, at 8 p.m. ETFS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletYou tested at Indy earlier this year. Is there anything you can really bring back for this weekend? What does racing at Indy mean to you?“Tire testing there last month got me reacclimated with the track a bit but it changes every day with the different weather, so it will still be a challenge this weekend. I enjoy the oval and that’s what everyone knows the Brickyard as, the oval, not so much the road course, but no matter the course layout, I still enjoy racing there and really want a trophy from there. It is a crown jewel after all. It’s such a unique track when you drive through the tunnel, the pagoda is a huge landmark in the infield that you see in all of the photos of Indy. I can’t imagine what it’s like for the Indy 500. That’s one thing I wish I would’ve made more of an effort to go to before I got into Cup racing, and that’s the Indy 500 to see all of the pomp and circumstance and the race.” What is the benefit of having a long practice session?“I think that should be the standard every week, 50 minutes, at a minimum. That gives fans more time to watch, and to watch the cars pull in and out of the garage – watching from the fan zone and watching on TV. When I was watching as a fan, I know I enjoyed that. I think it’s important for the teams, too.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat’s it like racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?“Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a Crown Jewel Race for our sport. It’s a big, flat track. When you walk across the bricks, it’s special. I’m so glad that we’re racing on the oval. It’s just such a prestigious race. Everyone wants to win it, and everyone knows how hard it is to win there. We’re heading into the race weekend with some momentum, and anxious to prove ourselves after having a stretch of less-than-stellar finishes during the early part of this summer. The entire BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) team is heading into the weekend with confidence after having a strong Chevy at North Wilkesboro Speedway this past weekend.”    Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletAs you prepare for Indianapolis, what’s the biggest focus for you and the team?“Indianapolis is one of those places that is special for every driver. When you get here, you can feel the history and everything this track means to our sport, but once we get on the track, it’s all about doing our job. We have to learn as much as we can, make our Chevrolet have the balance it will need for the race during our practice session, qualify in a good position and execute all day with no mistakes. If we can do that and put ourselves in contention at the end, I like our chances to fight for the win.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWhat does Indianapolis Motor Speedway mean to you personally and professionally? “I love this racetrack. To me, Indy will always be the pinnacle of motorsports when it comes to racetracks. It’s the place I always dreamed about racing at growing up. It’s the mecca of racing to me, so I’ve definitely had some great memories there. I’ve had some crazy things happen there as well. We’ve had speed there in our Cup car in the past and I thought our test went well. Hopefully, we can go out there and put a solid weekend together for Grizzly Nicotine Pouches.” This year marks the 30th anniversary of the iconic kissing the bricks tradition, which began when Dale Jarrett and Todd Parrott celebrated their 1996 Brickyard victory by kissing the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s start-finish line. What did it feel like kissing the bricks after winning two races there? “The most special moments of my career will always be kissing the bricks and winning the Cup race there. That was such a cool moment—something I had kind of thought might never happen. To me, it’s one of the greatest moments of my racing career. Then to follow it up the next year by winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race was really something else.” Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Describe the four corners of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.“All four corners are different, but from my view when working to make the car better, I gauge off of Turns 1 and 3 being a connected corner and Turns 2 and 4 being a connected corner. Out of the four corners, Turn 2 is probably the hardest because when you turn into the corner, the banking is opposite of what Turn 4 is. You go over a crest and if you turn in too late, you will miss the bottom. Turns 2 and 4 are the most important corners though. You still want Turns 1 and 3 to be good to setup for Turns 2 and 4, but if you can’t get off Turns 2 and 4 with a lot of pace, you will get ate up all day. Track position will be important, so qualifying will need to be a focus for our FICO Chevrolet team.”    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Indy is one of the biggest races of the year, and it’s always exciting to get back there. Qualifying and track position will be important, so hopefully we can put our Brazier Lumber Supply Chevrolet up front early and be in the mix all day.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“Indy is one of the most historically significant racetracks in America, if not the most historically significant track, period. It’s got more than 100 years of history, and the races that have been run, with the personalities who have competed there and won there, it’s so incredibly competitive.  Every time you drive into the track and you see that Pagoda, you immediately get hit with the track’s aura, its atmosphere, and what it really means to be racing there. It’s one of those things where, no matter how the race weekend goes, it serves as a reminder to just take in the experience and appreciate the opportunity you have to be racing there at the highest level of stock car racing. It’s always an honor to race at Indy.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat would it mean to win on the oval and road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?“Indy is such a special place for all drivers. Growing up, I always thought I’d be here running INDYCAR, not in a stock car but to have a win at Indy is something I’ll never forget. I came up through the Road to Indy program and ended up deviating from that to get to where I am today. Winning on the road course was nothing short of special, and I’m thankful I was able to share that moment with my family. This weekend is a date we have circled. We didn’t have the race we wanted last year after some early damage and just had to nurse it home, so we are looking for a little redemption in our No. 71 NEFCO Chevrolet Camaro.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletYou have expressed how Indianapolis is one of your favorite tracks. Why?“I like Indy because it is so different compared to anywhere else. Growing up in the Midwest, the Indy 500 was the holy grail. Every kid who runs quarter midgets dreams of winning the Indy 500. Indianapolis is the epicenter of IndyCar, USAC and sprint car racing. It’s super fun to go there and have a shot at the Brickyard when we come to town. It is one of my favorite tracks to drive, let alone race. It is flat, smooth, and fast. You know how hard it is to win there.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat about your thoughts going into one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races this Sunday at Indianapolis?“I’m excited for it. I’ve always enjoyed racing at the Brickyard and being at one of our most historic tracks in the country. We had a good run there last year in the O’Reilly car and I hope we can do that again this go around with Trackhouse, Red Bull, and everybody involved. I’m kind of in need of a good run and it’d be really cool to be able to do it at the Brickyard. I feel like Indy is one of my better tracks. I ran well at Indianapolis last year and I enjoyed it, so I hope that translates to Sunday.” What is it like coming out of Turn 4 looking down the iconic front straightway at Indianapolis as you head into Turn 1?“I remember my first time getting there to drive on the racetrack and be able to see what it was like. It was one of the coolest things that, you know, as a race car driver, I’ve experienced, just being able to drive across the yard of bricks and to be able to experience that for the first time. I feel like every time I go back and go under the tunnel and get inside the speedway, it always gives you that exciting feeling to, you know, to be back at one of the greatest places on earth.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow do you navigate Indianapolis Motor Speedway?“It’s tough. You have to qualify well, which we did last year. It’s nearly impossible to pass there, so qualifying is a big focus. We had an issue last year that dropped us back during the race. So, we just need to get up front and stay there all day. Indy is such a cool track, so I’m looking forward to it. We have a 50-minute practice session on Friday and that will help a lot in preparation for Sunday’s race.” A great result last weekend on a short track. What would you say is the last thing for you to master as you make your progression in NASCAR?“I’m still weak on intermediates, I think. Those are probably my lowest ranked tracks. I’m definitely getting better at the drafting tracks. But on the intermediates, I’m weak and we are weak as a team. We really need to improve as a team on those type of tracks.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2025): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2025 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2025): 34First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29 Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2026 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 6Poles: 4Laps Led: 1,598Top-Fives: 38Top-10s: 73Stage Wins: 15 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 887 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 770Laps led to date: 258,332Top-fives to date: 4,474Top-10s to date: 9,224                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,221           Chevrolet: 887           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 851                                                                                          Ford: 751           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 215

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCEIndianapolis Motor Speedway / Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway ParkJuly 24-26, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR will venture back to the Midwest to take over the city recognized as the “Racing Capital of the World”. For Chevrolet’s drivers and teams in the Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, this weekend serves as an opportunity to add onto the manufacturer’s already storied history at one of the most prestigious venues in motorsports – Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR’s top-two divisions will once again take on the hallowed grounds of the track’s 2.5-mile oval configuration, highlighted by Sunday’s Brickyard 400 – the Cup Series’ third crown jewel event of the season. For the Craftsman Truck Series, its regular season schedule will take them just down the road to Brownsburg, Indiana, where the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park will welcome the division back to its facility for the fifth-consecutive season to kick off the sport’s annual visit to the Hoosier state.

Chevrolet at “The Brickyard”:Chevrolet’s deep-rooted history with Indianapolis Motor Speedway spans across a variety of racing disciplines, most notably known as the only manufacturer that competes in two of the biggest events in motorsports – the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.  The Bowtie brand’s 18 NASCAR Cup Series wins on the track’s oval configuration is a record more than double its competitors, with Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson being the manufacturer’s most recent driver to kiss the iconic bricks in the 2024 Brickyard 400 when the crown jewel event returned to the oval for the first time in the Next Gen era. In over a three-decade long history for the crown jewel event, the Chevrolet-Hendrick Motorsports partnership have earned 11 victories together – a record-setting journey that dates back to the inaugural event in 1994 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. That was only the start of Gordon’s success at the Indiana-based venue, with the Chevrolet driver going on to tally five Brickyard 400 wins throughout his career – a record that still stands today.

LARSON’S HOOSIER STATE HISTORY Kyle Larson ranks second among the NASCAR Cup Series’ active drivers with three career crown jewel wins, one of which came in the 2024 Brickyard 400 when the event made its return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. While the series’ stint on the oval configuration has been short in the Next Gen era, Larson’s 2024 victory, along with a runner-up finish one year ago, undoubtedly puts him at the top of the leaderboard with an average finish of 1.5. Overall, throughout his eight starts on the Indiana-based oval, his win has been accompanied by three top-fives and five top-nines to boast a career average finish of 12.4 (fourth-best), as well as series-leading numbers with an average running position of 10.012 and 1,104 laps completed in the top-15.

VAN GISBERGEN CONTINUES TO CLOSE IN ON A CHASE BIDShane van Gisbergen and the Stephen Doran-led No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team put together yet another exceptionally executed race in the NASCAR Cup Series return to North Wilkesboro Speedway. With an eighth-place starting position courtesy of the metric, the New Zealander remained a steady fixture in the top-10 throughout the entirety of the evening – collecting top-five points in each stage en route to his career-best short-track finish of fifth. The effort ended with an accumulation of 47 points – the third-highest of the field – to add a double-digit increase in his cushion to sit 54 points above the cutline with just five races remaining in the regular season. Points aside, it was statistically one of his strongest overall oval performances. He was second-best of the field with 49 laps led, which was also a career-best feat on an oval. Among the 450 laps completed, he ran 355 laps in the top-five and 442 laps in the top-10 – both of which beat his previous records in a single event.

AVERAGES IN THE SUMMER STRETCHThe summer stretch has played a pivotal role in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, and with the introduction of the new Chase format, consistency is more important than ever. Over the past six races, William Byron’s average finish of 13.2 has ranked him fifth-best of the field. Among that timeframe includes a pair of top-four finishes that came at Pocono Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway. Entering the crown jewel affair, Byron sits with an 84-point cushion over the cutline and on the horizon of a strong set of tracks for the No. 24 team. The Rudy Fugle-led team has earned victories in two of the five tracks that conclude the regular season, including one win at Iowa Speedway and three wins at Daytona International Speedway.

ALLGAIER’S CAREER SEASON CONTINUESTeam Chevy veteran driver, Justin Allgaier, continues to add onto an already career season in his quest for a second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship title. In the series’ last event at EchoPark Speedway, the Illinois native made an impressive charge from seventh to first on an overtime restart to claim his sixth victory of 2026, making it the winningest season of his career. Reaching a 240-point lead over the series’ reigning champion, Jesse Love, Allgaier was able to make an early clinch of the regular season title with three races still remaining. Indianapolis Motor Speedway sets up for the opportunity for yet another strong points day for the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet team. In his past four starts on the Indiana-based oval, Allgaier has scored one win (2018) and three top-nine finishes, along with points no worse than sixth in every stage.

ECKES, ENFINGER AMONG IRP FRONTRUNNERS Christian Eckes and the No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet team are finding consistency at just the right time, entering the final three-race stretch towards the end of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular season with a streak of three top-10 finishes, including back-to-back showings in the top-five. Sitting comfortably in the fourth position of the standings, Eckes will head to a track where history indicates that his breakthrough back into victory lane could be right around the corner. His two of three career starts at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park have come under the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing banner – both of which saw the Team Chevy driver earn a runner-up finish. In his most recent start at the track (2024), he topped the field in a variety of statistical categories including a sweep of the stage wins, a race-high 73 laps led and an average running position of 2.1.

Despite a challenging run at North Wilkesboro Speedway last weekend, Grant Enfinger and the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team maintained their ninth-place position in the rankings heading into the Indianapolis race weekend. The Team Chevy veteran driver has one Truck Series win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, which came in his first career start at the track (2022). Since then, he has amassed three top-four finishes, qualifying efforts no worse than eighth and top-seven points in all but one stage.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race weekend with the Corvette Stingray pacing the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in their respective events.  ·        Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Kyle Larson – one win (2024) ·        In 29 NASCAR Cup Series races on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, Chevrolet has earned 18 victories – a record more than double the next leading manufacturer, Ford, with six victories. Of those victories includes a streak of 12-straight, recorded between Aug. 2003 – July 2014.  ·        With Grant Enfinger’s win at Lime Rock Park, Chevrolet sits just two wins away from its milestone 300th all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.  ·        With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.  ·        In 164 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 73 victories – a winning percentage of 44.5%.  ·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.  ·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 887 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.   FOR THE FANS:Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which features a variety of vehicles including: Traverse RS, Silverado EV Trail Boss, Colorado Trail Boss, Tahoe Z71, Silverado HD LTZ, Silverado 1500 ZR2, Corvette Grand Sport, Corvette ZR1, NASCAR Cup Series Camaro ZL1 show car. Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:Friday, July 24: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Saturday, July 25: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Sunday, July 26: 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Saturday, July 25: Corey Day: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Jeb Burton & Blaine Perkins: 1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Anthony Alfredo & Parker Retzlaff: 2:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.  Sunday, July 26: Carson Hocevar: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Connor Zilisch: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Alex Bowman: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Chase Elliott: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 am.Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Shane van Gisbergen: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series at IMSBrickyard 400Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m. ETTNT Sports and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at IMSPennzoil 250 Presented by Take 5 Oil ChangeSaturday, July 25, at 4 p.m. ETCW and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at IRPTSport 200 presented by Warn IndustriesFriday, July 24, at 8 p.m. ETFS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletYou tested at Indy earlier this year. Is there anything you can really bring back for this weekend? What does racing at Indy mean to you?“Tire testing there last month got me reacclimated with the track a bit but it changes every day with the different weather, so it will still be a challenge this weekend. I enjoy the oval and that’s what everyone knows the Brickyard as, the oval, not so much the road course, but no matter the course layout, I still enjoy racing there and really want a trophy from there. It is a crown jewel after all. It’s such a unique track when you drive through the tunnel, the pagoda is a huge landmark in the infield that you see in all of the photos of Indy. I can’t imagine what it’s like for the Indy 500. That’s one thing I wish I would’ve made more of an effort to go to before I got into Cup racing, and that’s the Indy 500 to see all of the pomp and circumstance and the race.” What is the benefit of having a long practice session?“I think that should be the standard every week, 50 minutes, at a minimum. That gives fans more time to watch, and to watch the cars pull in and out of the garage – watching from the fan zone and watching on TV. When I was watching as a fan, I know I enjoyed that. I think it’s important for the teams, too.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat’s it like racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?“Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a Crown Jewel Race for our sport. It’s a big, flat track. When you walk across the bricks, it’s special. I’m so glad that we’re racing on the oval. It’s just such a prestigious race. Everyone wants to win it, and everyone knows how hard it is to win there. We’re heading into the race weekend with some momentum, and anxious to prove ourselves after having a stretch of less-than-stellar finishes during the early part of this summer. The entire BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) team is heading into the weekend with confidence after having a strong Chevy at North Wilkesboro Speedway this past weekend.”    Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletAs you prepare for Indianapolis, what’s the biggest focus for you and the team?“Indianapolis is one of those places that is special for every driver. When you get here, you can feel the history and everything this track means to our sport, but once we get on the track, it’s all about doing our job. We have to learn as much as we can, make our Chevrolet have the balance it will need for the race during our practice session, qualify in a good position and execute all day with no mistakes. If we can do that and put ourselves in contention at the end, I like our chances to fight for the win.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWhat does Indianapolis Motor Speedway mean to you personally and professionally? “I love this racetrack. To me, Indy will always be the pinnacle of motorsports when it comes to racetracks. It’s the place I always dreamed about racing at growing up. It’s the mecca of racing to me, so I’ve definitely had some great memories there. I’ve had some crazy things happen there as well. We’ve had speed there in our Cup car in the past and I thought our test went well. Hopefully, we can go out there and put a solid weekend together for Grizzly Nicotine Pouches.” This year marks the 30th anniversary of the iconic kissing the bricks tradition, which began when Dale Jarrett and Todd Parrott celebrated their 1996 Brickyard victory by kissing the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s start-finish line. What did it feel like kissing the bricks after winning two races there? “The most special moments of my career will always be kissing the bricks and winning the Cup race there. That was such a cool moment—something I had kind of thought might never happen. To me, it’s one of the greatest moments of my racing career. Then to follow it up the next year by winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race was really something else.” Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Describe the four corners of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.“All four corners are different, but from my view when working to make the car better, I gauge off of Turns 1 and 3 being a connected corner and Turns 2 and 4 being a connected corner. Out of the four corners, Turn 2 is probably the hardest because when you turn into the corner, the banking is opposite of what Turn 4 is. You go over a crest and if you turn in too late, you will miss the bottom. Turns 2 and 4 are the most important corners though. You still want Turns 1 and 3 to be good to setup for Turns 2 and 4, but if you can’t get off Turns 2 and 4 with a lot of pace, you will get ate up all day. Track position will be important, so qualifying will need to be a focus for our FICO Chevrolet team.”    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Indy is one of the biggest races of the year, and it’s always exciting to get back there. Qualifying and track position will be important, so hopefully we can put our Brazier Lumber Supply Chevrolet up front early and be in the mix all day.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“Indy is one of the most historically significant racetracks in America, if not the most historically significant track, period. It’s got more than 100 years of history, and the races that have been run, with the personalities who have competed there and won there, it’s so incredibly competitive.  Every time you drive into the track and you see that Pagoda, you immediately get hit with the track’s aura, its atmosphere, and what it really means to be racing there. It’s one of those things where, no matter how the race weekend goes, it serves as a reminder to just take in the experience and appreciate the opportunity you have to be racing there at the highest level of stock car racing. It’s always an honor to race at Indy.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat would it mean to win on the oval and road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?“Indy is such a special place for all drivers. Growing up, I always thought I’d be here running INDYCAR, not in a stock car but to have a win at Indy is something I’ll never forget. I came up through the Road to Indy program and ended up deviating from that to get to where I am today. Winning on the road course was nothing short of special, and I’m thankful I was able to share that moment with my family. This weekend is a date we have circled. We didn’t have the race we wanted last year after some early damage and just had to nurse it home, so we are looking for a little redemption in our No. 71 NEFCO Chevrolet Camaro.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletYou have expressed how Indianapolis is one of your favorite tracks. Why?“I like Indy because it is so different compared to anywhere else. Growing up in the Midwest, the Indy 500 was the holy grail. Every kid who runs quarter midgets dreams of winning the Indy 500. Indianapolis is the epicenter of IndyCar, USAC and sprint car racing. It’s super fun to go there and have a shot at the Brickyard when we come to town. It is one of my favorite tracks to drive, let alone race. It is flat, smooth, and fast. You know how hard it is to win there.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat about your thoughts going into one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races this Sunday at Indianapolis?“I’m excited for it. I’ve always enjoyed racing at the Brickyard and being at one of our most historic tracks in the country. We had a good run there last year in the O’Reilly car and I hope we can do that again this go around with Trackhouse, Red Bull, and everybody involved. I’m kind of in need of a good run and it’d be really cool to be able to do it at the Brickyard. I feel like Indy is one of my better tracks. I ran well at Indianapolis last year and I enjoyed it, so I hope that translates to Sunday.” What is it like coming out of Turn 4 looking down the iconic front straightway at Indianapolis as you head into Turn 1?“I remember my first time getting there to drive on the racetrack and be able to see what it was like. It was one of the coolest things that, you know, as a race car driver, I’ve experienced, just being able to drive across the yard of bricks and to be able to experience that for the first time. I feel like every time I go back and go under the tunnel and get inside the speedway, it always gives you that exciting feeling to, you know, to be back at one of the greatest places on earth.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow do you navigate Indianapolis Motor Speedway?“It’s tough. You have to qualify well, which we did last year. It’s nearly impossible to pass there, so qualifying is a big focus. We had an issue last year that dropped us back during the race. So, we just need to get up front and stay there all day. Indy is such a cool track, so I’m looking forward to it. We have a 50-minute practice session on Friday and that will help a lot in preparation for Sunday’s race.” A great result last weekend on a short track. What would you say is the last thing for you to master as you make your progression in NASCAR?“I’m still weak on intermediates, I think. Those are probably my lowest ranked tracks. I’m definitely getting better at the drafting tracks. But on the intermediates, I’m weak and we are weak as a team. We really need to improve as a team on those type of tracks.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2025): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2025 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2025): 34First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29 Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2026 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 6Poles: 4Laps Led: 1,598Top-Fives: 38Top-10s: 73Stage Wins: 15 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 887 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 770Laps led to date: 258,332Top-fives to date: 4,474Top-10s to date: 9,224                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,221           Chevrolet: 887           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 851                                                                                          Ford: 751           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 215