Federated Auto Parts will serve as title sponsor of DIRTcar Nationals and multiple World of Outlaws Sprint Car events, while Federated Car Care will sponsor the World of Outlaws Sprint Car work area

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 13, 2023) – Federated Auto Parts has entered a multi-year agreement to sponsor the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car work zone, select events and serve as title sponsor for DIRTcar Nationals.

The iconic auto parts brand will commence its new partnerships in 2023 with the 52nd DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 6-18, which will feature the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, Feb. 9-11.

“We’re excited to partner with a leading motorsports event and series as we continue to grow our support in the dirt racing community,” said J.R. Bishop, director of event marketing & member services, Federated Auto Parts. “The World of Outlaws and DIRTcar have one of the most passionate fanbases with many already being loyal customers of ours. This will be a great opportunity to build and expand upon those relationships.”

For every World of Outlaws Sprint Car race, throughout the 87-race season, spanning from February to November, the work area will be known as the Federated Car Care Work Zone. Not only is the work zone a key element to every race, giving drivers and teams a space to work on their cars during a race, it also is one of the best representations of camaraderie in the sport. No matter the car, fans always see several teams pitch in and share parts to help with any issue.

The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals will showcase two weeks of racing with seven different series and five drivers earning the prestigious Big Gator Championship. Week 1 will see racing for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, All Star Circuit of Champions and World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. Then, Week 2 will have USAC Non-Wing Sprint Cars, DIRTcar Late Models, Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds and World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models.

Federated Auto Parts will also serve as the title sponsor of four World of Outlaws Sprint Car events, which will be announced at a later date. In addition to those events, Federated Auto Parts will be the sponsor of the prestigious Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Aug. 4-5.

“Federated Auto Parts has been a staple in dirt racing and motorsports for generations, so it is exciting to have them become a direct partner with DIRTcar Nationals and the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars,” World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter said. “I know their partnership and dedication to the sport will help further enhance the event and series.”

Tickets to DIRTcar Nationals and World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series events are on sale and every race can be viewed on DIRTVision.

DETROIT (Jan. 11, 2023) — Cadillac Racing enters a new era of prototype sports car racing with the competition debut of the Cadillac V-LMDh in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Three Cadillac V-LMDh race cars will attempt to secure the pole Jan. 22 for the 61st edition of the race on Jan. 28-29. Global Vice President of Cadillac Rory Harvey participated in a Zoom media conference hosted by IMSA with other OEM principals. Transcript of Harvey sections of the Q&A:

HOW DOES THIS SPLATFORM SUPPORT CADILLAC’S MOVE TOWARD AND ALL-ELECTRIC FUTURE?“We’ve had a long association with the IMSA championship. I’ve personally been privileged to pick up the Manufacturers Championship trophy on a couple of occasions. It gives us the ability to showcase what we do from a technology perspective, from a performance perspective, from and aerodynamics perspective, etc. It gives us the ability to transfer technology across to our road cars, whether it be looking at the aerodynamics as an example. Cadillac has our V-Series and our V-Series Blackwings, which are very successful. We work with IMSA to make sure we can maximize this opportunity and make sure we can replicate some of this on the road. We did the Track Editions last year that sold out virtually immediately, which shows in terms of the target audience that it dovetails into what we want to achieve. If you look at the powertrains this year and our stated ambition to be all-electric by 2030, we have the 5.5-liter V8 and the hybrid technology, so from that point of view we’re looking to learn, develop and look to further take those lessons into our EV portfolio as we move forward.”

AS ANDRETTI CADILLAC MOVES FORWARD WITH A FORMULA ONE EFFORT, COULD THAT HAVE ANY AFFECT ON THE LMDH PROGRAM?“No, we’re super excited about that opportunity as well. The process is in the very early stages; we’re looking to submit an Expression of Interest. From our perspective, it will complement what we do in this series. We don’t see it impacting this series in any way.” WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF CADILLAC IN LMDH?“We have a pedigree of motor racing. It’s well over 70 years since we entered motorsport and have been very successful in a number of series over the years. The U.S. is massively important to us and the IMSA series is very important to us. In addition, we’re looking to complement it with the commonization of the regulations so we can compete in the World Endurance Championship. We sell Cadillacs throughout the globe and that gives us greater coverage and greater reach in geographical locations where we also look to perform. And then being able to complement what we do here with the opportunity, should we be successful, of entering Formula One. We see that as another piece of the jigsaw puzzle and very fitting to the Cadillac brand and the heritage of both Cadillac Racing and General Motors Racing. It’s a big commitment. We believe that the partnership that we discussed last week is wonderful and gives us the ability to perform. We believe that we have a blend of skills sets across the organizations that means we can use the expertise from both parties to put together a package that ensures that we’ll be competitive.” WHERE ARE THINGS WITH SUPPLY CHAINS; IS IT GETTING BETTER?“I’d love to say that everything is normalized and things are back at the levels where we think it should be, but it isn’t. Progress continues to be made. I think the speed bumps in the system seem to be small and less frequent, so we are definitely seeing progress. If you look at it in terms of vehicles we build for the road, GM continues to build stock. We’re still at very low levels compared to the traditional levels of stock overall, as I think most manufacturers are, but from our perspective there are some lessons there and we do believe we can work more efficiently and more effectively going forward. We’re taking some of those lessons and applying them to the supply chain going forward. Things are slowly starting to improve and becoming more stable. We’re getting greater line of sight in terms of what product availability is there going forward, what challenges we may have. I have to say the team has done an outstanding job in terms of ensuring that we can drive our performance forward. For North America year end as an example, Cadillac was able to grow 13.9 percent last year, which was a strong performance out of the luxury brands in the U.S.” IS HAVING THE WEC CAR AT DAYTONA A NUMBERS GAME?“We’ve run multiple cars in past seasons. We have the partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express Racing – two valued partners with a lot of experience. We’re going into the World Endurance Championship as well; we will have one of those vehicles running full time in the WEC. From our perspective, it’s good to have the coverage of the three vehicles, bearing in mind that we will be competing both of the series this year.” IS THE FORMULA COST-EFFECTIVE?“We evaluate our performance both on and off the track. We look at the costs of the program and there are some cost efficiencies in terms of the program and we’re very happy to work with the teams and to bring exciting racing together. This season, with some new entrants into the event, it’s going to be super exciting. The fans are going to absolutely love it and it gives us the ability to showcase our vehicles. We’re happy with the championship overall.” WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING YOU HOPE TO LEARN TO CARRY OVER TO THE ROAD CAR SIDE?“There are multiple things that we take from the program, whether it be the revisions to the regulations, the 5.5-liter V8 and the hybridization of that as an example. Those are standard. We still get the ability to learn from that. If you look at our vehicles, they were designed by our design team, they were designed for racing but it gives us great ability to be able to further our experience in terms of aerodynamics. We take those learnings and portray them on our performance vehicles albeit that we’re in that transition phase between internal combustion engines and going all EV. Racing has been part of our DNA. Performance vehicles on the road have been part of our DNA and we will have that going forward in terms of performance. From our perspective, there are so many things that we translate whether it be now with our internal combustion engines or whether it be in the future with some of the learnings. Some of the things will be common in terms of aerodynamics, etc., and some things will be very new such as the EV powertrains compared to ICE vehicles. So we are in that transition and the regulations that have been put forth here enable us to combine our internal combustion engine with hybridization, so we will take learnings out of that and we will apply those learnings to our existing vehicles and our future vehicle portfolio.” WHAT’S BEEN THE REACTION FROM THE COMPANY AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE F1 EFFORT AND WHERE DOES IT STAND?“We think that in terms of the partnership between Andretti and General Motors and Cadillac that we have a very good proposition. We wouldn’t have gone forward in announcing our intent to submit an Expression of Interest if we didn’t think it was a proposition that fulfilled the requirements and give us the ability to succeed. From that point of view, there is a long way to go yet in this process. The Expression of Interest and the details have not come out exactly yet, so we have that to go as a first step. We’ll need to submit our Expression of Interest and then see how the process plays out. I don’t want to speculate in terms of some of the articles that have been written. Internally, we’re super excited. I know from the Andretti organization’s perspective they are super excited and we will do our very best in terms of our Expression of Interest and be able to showcase what we believe that we could bring to Formula One.” HOW INVOLVED IS THE MANUFACTURER IN HELPING THE TEAMS DELIVER A CHAMPIONSHIP?“We work very closely with the teams. We have our 5.5-liter V8 powertrain, which is developed by our Performance Engineering division in Pontiac (Michigan). We work very closely with the chassis provider Dallara as well. It’s about getting the best from the strengths the teams bring along with the strengths of the OEM. It’s about blending those together so you have as good a competitive proposition as you can. It’s integral that we all work together to blend those experiences to come up with the most competitive proposition. Activation, as an example, whether it be social media, whether it be our V-Series websites, and our drivers and teams are very happy to support those events as well. In terms of the Rolex 24, we’ll have all of our expertise on site. The teams have their expertise on site. We collectively work together to optimize what we see during the race. The first thing is to make sure we have a fast car. The second thing is to make sure it’s durable. The third thing is to make sure we have contingencies should any unplanned incidences occur. We’re working hard to make sure we can maximize, but there’s no doubt on occasion there is course correction in an event, particularly the length of 24 hours. The teams are supported by the GM team in terms of the expertise and we blend those two together hopefully influence to outcome to be effect.”

The West Plains, MO driver earned three victories in the 2022 season

CONCORD, NC– January 11, 2023 – Logan Martin hasn’t been a stranger to the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series in his career. 

However, when the 2023 season begins at Volusia Speedway Park during Sunshine Nationals on Jan. 18-21, he’ll encounter a new experience.

The West Plains, MO driver will join the tour full-time as he aims for Rookie of the Year honors—an opportunity he said came together at the right time.

“It’s just something I kind of always wanted to do,” Martin said. “The timing was right for us and our team, and with what I have going on in my life right now. The stars just kind of lined up, and we had a couple of sponsors step up to help us out a little bit.

“So, everything just kind of worked out good for us.”

Martin has competed with the Series on occasion in the past few years, earning a top five at Boone Speedway in 2021, along with setting quick time at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 last season.

Those flashes of success are something he hopes to build on in 2023.

“I’ve always felt like we’ve had streaks of lightning with the Outlaws,” Martin said. “I’ve always felt like we’ve been competitive and been up front, but we’ve never ran with them consistently to show we consistently deliver. We’re excited to be able to do that this year and maybe build a little more consistency into our streaks we’ve had in the past.

“That’s kind of a goal is to get out of the gate strong and find some consistency pretty quick.”

While many rookies are joining a Series for the first time, that’s not the case for the Show-Me State competitor.

Martin is a 2-time Comp Cams Super Dirt Series champion, a regional Series run primarily in the Deep South region.

He hopes the experience of traveling up and down the road gets him acquainted quickly with the 53-race grind drivers will face this season.

“Running a tour in the past, although it’s not the Outlaw tour, it teaches you a lot of things,” Martin said. “Like how to get up and down the road, how to be efficient with your time. Not even on the track, but getting up and down the road, where to travel, where to go, when’s the best places to stop.

“It also teaches you how to points race and take that ninth-place car and get a fifth or sixth out of it. That’s the trick to it all, and just being able to put those pieces to the puzzle together.”

As Martin begins his inaugural World of Outlaws CASE Late Models experience at Volusia Speedway Park, he understands what’s ahead of him—and the mindset he needs to have when the season officially starts.

“Just show up prepared,” Martin said. “It’s easy to come out the first race of the year when everyone’s excited to get to the track, but you have to realize these are points-paying races, and they’re going to set the tone for the first half of your season.

“You’ve got to come out with the level of intensity that you want to end the season with.”

The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models commences their 2023 season in Florida at Volusia Speedway Park during Sunshine Nationals on Jan. 18-21. The event is a True Late Model Palooza, as joining the Series are the DIRTcar Late Models and 602 Late Models.

The Carpentersville, IL driver leads the Series into Sunshine Nationals Jan. 18-21 at Volusia Speedway Park

BARBERVILLE, FL – JANUARY 12, 2023 – Dennis Erb Jr’s crew chief, Heather Lyne, said it best after Erb won the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models championship in 2022: “We’ve raised the bar, and now we have to clear it.”

The dynamic duo will take their first step toward clearing that bar when the Series opens its season at Volusia Speedway Park during Sunshine Nationals on Jan. 18-21. 

Erb couldn’t sit and enjoy his 2022 title for too long, as only 75 days fell between the final night of the World of Outlaws World Finals and the opening race of the season. 

However, the hard-working approach he and Lyne take toward each race had them ready to prepare for the short offseason.

“It doesn’t take long,” Erb said. “By the time we get home and get everything unloaded and start getting things cleaned up, we’re back at it working hard, getting things freshened up, getting a new car put together. 

“The offseason is really short now, so we don’t have that much time to relax.”

Erb said early in the 2022 season that he had a focus on going out and winning the championship. That fire hasn’t stopped burning for the Illinois driver as he attempts a repeat performance.

“We had a real good year last year,” Erb said. “Things were working good. The car was working good. We finished off on a good note and plan to pick up right where we left off. We’re real confident, and we hope everything works out, but I think we’ll be right there in the battle again.”

With a couple of new Rocket Chassis at his disposal for 2023, he’s looking forward to what’s to come—including a return to his home state and Farmer City Raceway.

READ MORE: 2023 Schedule: Multiple High-Dollar Purses, Several New Venues Await World of Outlaws Late Models

“Looking at the 2023 schedule, we’ve got a few new places we’re going to, and we’re always looking forward to that,” Erb said. “We just enjoy going to new places and our normal races we’ve got.

“Hopefully, we can get the [Illini 100] in. That’d be good to run there this year, a lot of the stuff in the Midwest and the tracks we’ve run at throughout my career. I like going back to those places, too.”

While Erb thrives in the Midwest, the season opens at another place where he’s found success.

He scored one of his four Series victories at Volusia in 2022 during DIRTcar Nationals.

“We’ve run real good at Volusia,” Erb said. “Like I said, hopefully, we’ll be able to pick up right where we left off last year there. We’re pretty confident in getting around that place, and we’ve had some pretty good runs there and won some races there.

“We’re looking to start off real good coming out of the box.”

Erb knows where the bar is set and takes his first leap toward clearing it when the Series opens its 2023 season at Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.

Joining the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models are the DIRTcar Pro Late Models and 602 Late Models as part of the Late Model Palooza.

Federated Auto Parts will serve as title sponsor of DIRTcar Nationals and multiple World of Outlaws Sprint Car events, while Federated Car Care will sponsor the World of Outlaws Sprint Car work zone
CONCORD, NC (Jan. 12, 2023) – Federated Auto Parts has signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car work zone, select events and serve as title sponsor for DIRTcar Nationals.
The iconic auto parts brand will commence its new partnerships in 2023 with the 52nd Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 6-18, which will feature the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, Feb. 9-11.
“Federated Auto Parts has been a staple in dirt racing and motorsports for generations, so it is exciting to have them become a direct partner with DIRTcar Nationals and the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars,” World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter said. “I know their partnership and dedication to the sport will help further enhance the event and series.”
Throughout the 87-race World of Outlaws Sprint Car season, spanning from February to November, the work zone will be known as the Federated Car Care Work Zone. Not only is the work zone a key element to every event, giving drivers and teams a space to work on their cars during a race, it's also one of the best representations of camaraderie in the sport. No matter the car, fans always see several teams pitch in and share parts to help with any issue.
Federated Auto Parts will also serve as the title sponsor of three World of Outlaws Sprint Car events, which will be announced later.
The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals will showcase two weeks of racing with seven different series and five drivers earning the prestigious Big Gator Championship. Week 1 will see racing for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, All Star Circuit of Champions and World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. Then, Week 2 will have USAC Non-Wing Sprint Cars, DIRTcar Late Models, Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds and World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models.
Tickets to DIRTcar Nationals and World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series events are on sale, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch every race live on DIRTVision.

Federated Auto Parts will serve as title sponsor of DIRTcar Nationals and multiple World of Outlaws Sprint Car events, while Federated Car Care will sponsor the World of Outlaws Sprint Car work zoneCONCORD, NC (Jan. 12, 2023) – Federated Auto Parts has signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car work zone, select events and serve as title sponsor for DIRTcar Nationals.The iconic auto parts brand will commence its new partnerships in 2023 with the 52nd Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 6-18, which will feature the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, Feb. 9-11.“Federated Auto Parts has been a staple in dirt racing and motorsports for generations, so it is exciting to have them become a direct partner with DIRTcar Nationals and the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars,” World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter said. “I know their partnership and dedication to the sport will help further enhance the event and series.”Throughout the 87-race World of Outlaws Sprint Car season, spanning from February to November, the work zone will be known as the Federated Car Care Work Zone. Not only is the work zone a key element to every event, giving drivers and teams a space to work on their cars during a race, it’s also one of the best representations of camaraderie in the sport. No matter the car, fans always see several teams pitch in and share parts to help with any issue.Federated Auto Parts will also serve as the title sponsor of three World of Outlaws Sprint Car events, which will be announced later.The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals will showcase two weeks of racing with seven different series and five drivers earning the prestigious Big Gator Championship. Week 1 will see racing for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, All Star Circuit of Champions and World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. Then, Week 2 will have USAC Non-Wing Sprint Cars, DIRTcar Late Models, Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds and World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models.Tickets to DIRTcar Nationals and World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series events are on sale, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch every race live on DIRTVision.

Bold colors on the new hybrid prototype represent Cadillac V-Series emblem

DETROIT (Jan. 12, 2023) — Cadillac today revealed the liveries for the three all-new electrified V-LMDh race cars that will make their competition debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona this month. The three distinctive designs represent the teams campaigning the all-new Cadillac V-LMDh, each with a different bold color from the Cadillac V-Series emblem. Resource: French version “Cadillac is ready to compete against the very best in North America and internationally — including one of the world’s toughest races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Global Vice President of Cadillac Rory Harvey. “As Cadillac builds toward an all-electric future, the all-new V-LMDh furthers our dedication to exploring new advanced performance technologies.” Cadillac Racing will be competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the No. 01 Cadillac Racing and No. 31 Whelen Engineering V-LMDh cars and in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the No. 2 Cadillac Racing V-LMDh. The three liveries share a V-Series graphic-and-color theme. Each car wears one of the primary colors of the V-Series logo, including No. 01 in gold, No. 2 in blue and red on the No. 31.  The V-LMDh is powered by Cadillac’s all-new LMC55R 5.5L DOHC V-8 that’s paired with the LMDh common hybrid system. Developed in-house, the naturally aspirated racing engine is rated up to 670 horsepower, per series specifications, and is backed by a seven-speed sequential gearbox.Co-developed by Cadillac Racing, Cadillac Design and Dallara, the final Cadillac V-LMDh design was informed by the Project GTP Hypercar that debuted in June 2022. It incorporates distinctive Cadillac design elements such as vertical lighting and floating blades.  “From an aesthetic point of view, the LMDh regulations allowed us to create a vision for the car that is clearly Cadillac,” said Chris Mikalauskas, lead exterior creative designer, Cadillac. “And that’s really exciting for fans and for people who are true enthusiasts, every car is unique.”The teamEach Cadillac Racing driver contributed to the V-LMDh’s development. Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook will co-drive the No. 2 Cadillac V-LMDh in FIA WEC competition, including the centenary Le Mans 24 Hours, and the Rolex 24 At Daytona, where the car will compete as No. 02. The No. 2 is in homage to the first Cadillac entry at Le Mans in 1950, Briggs Cunningham’s “Le Monstre.”  Additionally, Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande will drive the No. 01 Cadillac V-LMDh in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. They will be joined by six-time INDYCAR champion and four-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Scott Dixon for the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims will drive the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-LMDh in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Throughout the season they will be joined by Jack Aitken. A history of racing successCadillac’s expanded 2023 racing program builds on a long history of racing success. In fact, Cadillac is the only high-volume luxury American manufacturer to compete at Le Mans for the overall win since 1969.  The brand has competed since 2017 at the forefront of American sports car racing in the Cadillac DPi-V.R. Before that, Cadillac Racing scored several wins in the Pirelli World Challenge. Recent highlights include: * Winning the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship three times: 2021, 2018 and 2017* Winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona four consecutive times: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017* Winning the Michelin North American Endurance Cup four consecutive times: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017* Earning five Pirelli World Challenge Manufacturer Championships (2015, 2014, 2013, 2007 and 2005) and five Driver Championships (2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2005).  This rich history influenced the Project GTP Hypercar that previewed the all-new Cadillac V-LMDh prototype race car. It is Cadillac’s third-generation prototype race car and represents the start of the fifth generation of the brand’s storied V-Series.  Since 2004, V-Series has embodied Cadillac’s commitment to performance, on and off the track. When it comes to road-going models, the lineup has grown recently to include the 2023 Escalade-V. It joined the CT4-V and CT5-V, along with the track-capable CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing.  The Rolex 24 At Daytona kicks off an action-packed racing season that will see the trio of race cars continue to compete around the world. Following Daytona, Cadillac Racing will compete at the 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 17 with the No. 2 car, with the No. 01 and 31 competing in the Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 18.

Sent on behalf of 1st Impressions Racing JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (January 11, 2023) 1st Impressions Racing is proud to announce its plans to field Chad Cose and James Ott on Husqvarna FC 450 motorcycles in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class for the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season. The team has also signed two-time Mission Production Twins champion Cory Texter to oversee the revamped program as the Team Manager, while Paul Ott will serve as Crew Chief and Ashley Kruppenbacker as Lead Mechanic. Cose is a veteran rider who has been winning races at the professional level for the entirety of his career, most recently as a member of 1st Impressions Racing in last year’s Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event at the Cedar Lake Short Track. Cose, who finished as the Mission Production Twins runner-up to Texter in 2021, is motivated to be a consistent force at the front of the field in 2023. Ott enters his first season on the team with considerable experience riding Austrian-based motorcycles. He concluded the 2022 season ranked inside the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles championship top ten on the strength of a pair of top-five finishes. Eric Hoyt – Team Owner 1st Impressions Racing “We have had some success so far in the Progressive American Flat Track series, but for 2023 we are making huge changes to the program. Hiring Cory has been an incredible addition. Not only in a management role, but “CTex” is such a great rider coach and mentor that he’ll get the boys in top-notch shape during the off-season. Bringing back Chad was key and well deserved considering his accomplishments and getting us our first win last year in Wisconsin. And I have been watching James for a few years now, and he is an underrated, fast rider with a bright future. The addition of Paul Ott has been a game changer with his set-up knowledge of the motorcycles and building the bikes. And our mechanic Ashley Kruppenbacker crushes it in the shop during the week and at the track. It’s been a lot of fun prepping for the year and I would put our team up against any out there in the series.” Cory Texter – Team Manager “I am excited to still be involved with the series for 2023 as the Team Manager for 1st Impressions Racing. Eric has been great to work with and is really putting a lot of trust in me to elevate his program in order to run up front with the factory-supported teams. It’s going to be a learning year, but I am confident in both Chad and James as the riders. I am excited to start working with them this offseason. With their talents, the sky’s the limit. I am also thankful that I was able to bring Paul Ott onto the team. He was crucial to the success I had as a rider these last couple of seasons and is extremely underrated when it comes to his ability to set up a motorcycle. Our lead mechanic Ashley Kruppenbacker is a hard worker and has been a pleasure to work. It’ll be a fun season and I am confident we will shake up the results frequently throughout the year.” Chad Cose – #49 “I am eager to sign again with 1st Impression Racing for the 2023 season. Being able to get the team a win shows we have the potential to run up front. I am excited about the switch to Husqvarna motorcycles. It’ll be a cool dynamic having another California guy like James as a teammate and Paul as our crew chief. Bringing in CTex was a huge addition to the program. Cory and I have been buds a long time and having him there to work with me during the offseason and be in our corner all year will be priceless. It’s going to be a grind, but we will be ready to go.” James Ott – #19 “I am super stoked going into 2023. In the past, my dad and I have always pieced together what we could on a limited budget. Being on a team like 1st Impressions is an amazing opportunity. They are committed to winning. It’ll be cool having a teammate in Chad this year and someone like Cory to get involved with his knowledge and experience as well. I am ready to get the season started.” Paul Ott – Crew Chief “I am super excited for the opportunity to mechanic motorcycles for James and Chad on the 1st Impressions Husqvarna team in 2023. I am equally excited to continue working with Cory in this new capacity as well as Ashley Kruppenbacker and the entire team. I want to give a special thanks to Eric Hoyt for allowing us all to have the creative freedom to build what is truly becoming a ground-up Husqvarna FC 450 effort. I look forward to the challenges the 2023 AFT season will bring and know that our team has the tools it takes to emerge successfully.” Ashley Kruppenbacker – Lead Mechanic “Next year is going to be awesome with the changes Eric is bringing to the team. Switching to the FC 450 and bringing in a second rider in James Ott alongside our current rider Chad Cose is going to make our team a contender next year. It’s equally exciting to have Cory Texter involved as well. We have a lot of work to do this offseason, but I am excited to spin the wrenches.”

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World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, World of Outlaws Late Models and Super DIRTcar Series will qualify on Wednesday and have full race programs Thursday through Saturday CONCORD, NC (Jan. 11, 2023) – The World of Outlaws World Finals format has been enhanced this year for fans to see all three series on all four days of the event when all dirt roads lead to The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Nov. 1-4.Continuing to feature the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models and Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds, the 2023 edition of World Finals will see Qualifying (for Thursday and Friday’s programs) for the three series completed on Wednesday and then full race programs for each series Thursday through Saturday – like last year, points earned throughout the week will set the lineups for Saturday’s Heat Races.It all culminates to the electrifying championship finale on Saturday where the 2023 champion will be crowned from each series at the end of the night.“Expanding the World of Outlaws World Finals into a four-day show last year proved to be a success, giving fans an extra day of exciting racing and another chance to meet the drivers, but we realized to enhance that experience we wanted to give fans a chance to see all three series every night,” said Jeff Hachmann, World Racing Group executive director of events. “Now, the championship storylines will build all four nights for each series.”Wednesday will be all about speed. The Low-E Insulation Qualifying rounds for the Sprint Cars, Late Models and Big Block Modifieds will showcase the fastest laps of the week as drivers will be keen to find every ounce of speed their car has, pushing every component to its limit. Where they line up could not only determine their chance to win, but also their chance for a title.The first round of qualifying for each series will set the lineup for Thursday’s Heat Races, then they’ll do another round of qualifying to set the lineup for Friday’s Heat Races. After Qualifying is compete, a Pit Party will be held.Fans will then be treated to full race programs — minus qualifying — the rest of the week for all three series. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 5pm (ET) on Thursday and Friday and 3pm (ET) on Saturday.Saturday’s event will also feature the flag ceremony and fan-favorite 3X4 Wide Salute to the Fans with cars in all three series on the track at the same time.On Thursday and Friday, the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars are scheduled to run a 25 lap Feature, the World of Outlaws Late Models 25 laps and the Super DIRTcar Series 30 laps. For the finale on Saturday, the Sprint Cars are scheduled to run a 30 lap Feature, the Late Models 50 laps and the Big Blocks 40 laps.Giving fans the unique experience of seeing three champions crowned at the same time, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion, World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion and Super DIRTcar Series champion will be honored together on stage at the conclusion of Saturday’s program with a blaze of fireworks and bath of confetti.“The World of Outlaws World Finals has grown to be one of the biggest events in Charlotte, and by expanding it to four days with more on track action and more fan activities, we continue to establish the event as one of the most marquee attractions in motorsports,” said Eric Singhaus, Charlotte Motor Speedway event manager. “I’m excited for fans to experience the new format this year and get to see all three Series every night.”For tickets to the epic four-day World of Outlaws World Finals championship finale, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: NOS Energy Drink (Official Energy Product), Case Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Toyoyta, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ACME Trading, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), Micro-Lite LLC, MSD, My Place Hotels; manufacturer sponsors include Dirt Car Lift, FIREBULL, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, and Sea Foam.

Over $148,000 in total prize money distributed over six nights of racing, up 118 percent from 2022

BARBERVILLE, FL – Jan. 10, 2023 – This February, the “Ironmen” of the DIRTcar Nationals will take on an all-new format and a purse increase for the 52nd edition of the historic Florida Speedweeks tradition.

Since the turn of the century, the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds have consistently brought the highest car count in any division competing to Volusia Speedway Park. With over 100 entrants in each of the past two years, and as many or more expected for 2023, a new event format is in order – one that gives even more drivers a chance to win throughout the week, start the Gator Championship on Saturday and put more money in their pockets.

The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds kick off the first week of DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 6-11, alongside the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars and the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

PURSE INCREASE

Over $148,000 in prize money will be distributed to competitors over the six days of competition this February – a 118% increase from the 2022 purse – not counting the $100 check given to any driver that does not qualify for the Gator Championship Feature on Saturday night. The new format will showcase six Features a night Monday through Friday and the $5,000-to-win Gator Championship race on Saturday.

On Monday, each Feature will pay $600 to win, Tuesday’s Features will pay $700 to win, Wednesday’s Features will pay $1,000 to win, Thursday’s Features will pay $600 to win, and Friday’s Features will pay $1,000 to win.

NEW FORMAT BREAKDOWN

• Mon-Wed, Feb. 6-8 – The first three days of the six-day grind are all identical in format and put emphasis on drivers gaining as many points as possible over a series of Feature events. In years past, a complete program was conducted with Heats, Last Chance races and a single Feature. This year, only Qualifying and Features will take place on these nights.

Drivers will pill draw at sign-in each night of competition to set the Qualifying order and run three timed laps on the clock. No groups will be assigned; all drivers will Qualify against each other. Each driver’s best lap will be taken to set the six Feature lineups, staggered from fastest-to-slowest.

Once the lineups are set, drivers will race their 20-lap Feature and earn points based on finishing position. Three-straight days of Feature points collected will give everyone a total to be used to set the Feature lineups for Thursday night’s events.

• Thu, Feb. 9 – Similar in style to the former “All Features Night,” drivers will not Qualify and instead be lined up into one of six Features based on point totals from the three previous nights. The top-15 to top-20 (depending on weeklong car count) will make up Feature #1, the next 15-to-20 will follow in Feature #2, and so on. The top-10 starting spots will be inverted.

• Fri, Feb. 10 – It’s time for the Gator Qualifiers. This night will start to solidify the field for the 30-lap, $5,000-to-win Gator Championship event on Saturday night.

Similar to the first three nights, Friday begins with a pill draw to set the Qualifying order. However, the field will be split in half, meaning drivers will Qualify and Feature race against only the cars in their half. Fastest lap times will again set six Feature lineups, staggered, three in each group.

The top-three finishers in each Feature will be locked into Saturday’s Gator Championship; everyone else will have to try again on Saturday to transfer into the main event. The top-two finishers will take part in a redraw on Saturday to set the first 12 spots in the Gator Championship.

• Sat, Feb. 11 – Gator Championship night starts with four Heat Races for any driver not yet qualified for the Feature. The top-two finishers will transfer to the Feature; everyone else will get one final shot in one of two Last Chance Showdown races. Two Last Chance races will be lined-up, taking only the winners into the Feature. Four additional provisionals will make up the final four spots.

Thirty-two cars will start the 30-lap, $5,000-to-win Gator Championship Feature for DIRTcar Nationals immortality. The overall DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator champion will also be crowned on Saturday, based on the driver with the most points collected throughout the entire week.

The bonuses include prize money for the driver that wins the most Features, the driver that wins the most Heat Races and the driver that wins the most Last Chance Showdowns

CONCORD, NC – (Jan. 10, 2023) – Hass Horizontal has partnered with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series, giving drivers three more chances to end the 2023 season with an extra payday.

The company has created three end-of-the-year bonus programs, rewarding drivers who have the most Feature wins, most Heat Race wins and most Last Chance Showdown victories.

At the end of the season, the victor of the Hass Horizontal Feature Winner Jackpot will receive $3,500. The winner of the Heat Money Challenge will receive $1,500. And the winner of the Last Chance Cash will receive $1,500.

“We at Hass Horizontal are happy to be one of the many sponsors for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series for the 2023 season,” said Robert Hass, President and Owner of Hass Horizontal. “We feel it is going to be one of the best seasons ever with the talent they have lined up for 2023. We are glad to be a small part of it.”

Hass Horizontal, headquartered in Houston, TX, specializes in heavy civil construction, boring and tunneling, dewatering systems and hydro/vacuum excavation.

The company’s partnership with the World of Outlaws adds to purse increases and new Winner Circle program introduced in December.

In 2023, the Series will see a more than $780,000 overall championship purse – over a quarter of a million-dollar increase from the 2022 points fund – and more than $1 million available between the points fund and monthly Winner Circle bonus.

The Winner Circle program pays $2,500 a month to each of the top-12 full-time drivers (from February to November) – meaning if a contracted driver runs the entire season and maintains a top-12 points position, they will earn an extra $25,000 by the end of the season. So, now the 2023 champion will earn $175,000 – $150,000 from the points fund (a $25,000 increase from 2022) and an additional $25,000 from the Winner Circle monthly program.

On top of the points fund increase and Winner Circle program, drivers will contend for an overall purse in excess of $3 million spread through the 53-race schedule in 2023, including six events with a weekend purse worth more than $200,000 – two boasting more than $250,000.

“It’s exciting to be able to present such a lucrative package for drivers this year that goes beyond the points fund,” Series Director Steve Francis said. “From increased purses to these new bonuses for Feature, Heat Race and Last Chance Showdown winners, we’re finding ways to support every driver that competes with the World of Outlaws across the board. We have an incredible field of drivers this season and the healthier we can make them the better the Series is for everyone.”

Contending for these prizes will be one of the most stout and exciting rosters of drivers in Series history, including reigning champion Dennis Erb Jr., four-time champion Brandon Sheppard, 2022 Rookie of the Year Tanner English, multi-time DIRTcar Modified champion Nick Hoffman and many more.

READ MORE: World of Outlaws Set To Showcase Exciting New Roster

After taking the top spot as the OIDC champion in 2022, Baggsy and the team are very exited to get back out their and defend their title!

The OIDC is spread over four rounds; 12-13th January 19-20th January 9-10th February 16-17th February

On November 16th 2022 the team shipped the Nissan PS13 and all equipment off to Oman. The PS13 arrived safely in Oman on 31st December 2022 and is now waiting to be reunited with the team, ready for another exiting season!

If you want to keep up to date with the action, you can tune into the livestream, the link will be posted to socials. Keep an eye out!

The new season of “Behind the drift” will be out on our youtube soon!The first episode showcasing the teams trip to Oman for Round 1 of OIDC.

Tickets for Select Rounds on Sale Now!

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 9, 2023) – AMA Pro Racing has confirmed its finalized 18-round schedule for the upcoming 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season. The previously announced provisional schedule laid out an ideally balanced slate in terms of discipline, geography, and pacing. Other key features were visits to venues both historic and new, the alignment of the calendar with multiple high-profile rallies and holiday weekends, and a more compact timeframe that fits all 18 rounds in during motorcycle riding season. The final schedule features five Miles, five Half-Miles, four Short Tracks, and four TTs. The final schedule further solidifies that intent with the confirmation of the return of the Arizona Super TT and the West Virginia Half-Mile. The Arizona Super TT returns following its 2019 debut, joining the entertainment options planned during the weekend of the 29th annual Arizona Bike Week on April 1. The ‘19 event marked the first Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event win of JD Beach’s career – one that kicked off a run that has seen him score six of seven TTs wins in the years since. On July 1, Progressive AFT will compete in the state of West Virginia for the first time since 2006 with the West Virginia Half-Mile. The event will take place at the scenic West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells, W.V. This mountainside 5/8-mile track is both renowned for its high speed and beautiful settings, promising to serve as an incredible stage for the world’s greatest motorcycle dirt track racers next summer. The final 2023 Progressive American Flat Track schedule follows: March 9, 2023 – DAYTONA Short Track I, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL March 10, 2023 – DAYTONA Short Track II, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL March 25, 2023 – Senoia Short Track, Senoia Raceway, Senoia, GA April 1, 2023 – Arizona Super TT, Chandler, AZ April 22, 2023 – Dallas Half-Mile, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Mesquite, TX May 6, 2023 – Ventura Short Track, Ventura Raceway, Ventura, CA May 13, 2023 – Sacramento Mile, Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA May 27, 2023 – Red Mile, The Red Mile, Lexington, KY                                                                              June 17, 2023 – DuQuoin Mile, Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, Du Quoin, IL June 24, 2023 – Lima Half-Mile, Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH July 1, 2023 – West Virginia Half-Mile, West Virginia Motor Speedway, Mineral Wells, WV July 8, 2023 – Orange County Half-Mile, Orange County Fair Speedway, Middletown, NY July 22, 2023 – Bridgeport Half-Mile, Bridgeport Speedway, Swedesboro, NJ July 30, 2023 – Peoria TT, Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL August 6, 2023 – Buffalo Chip TT, Sturgis Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD August 12, 2023 – Castle Rock TT, Castle Rock Race Park, Castle Rock, WA September 2, 2023 – Springfield Mile I, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL September 3, 2023 – Springfield Mile II, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL Tickets for select rounds are on sale now, and the remainder of the rounds will be made available for purchase in the weeks ahead at https://www.americanflattrack.com.

Santa Ana, California [January 6, 2023] — Follow the tire smoke and it will lead you to the NMRA’s season opener in Orlando, Florida. With the series celebrating its silver anniversary in 2023, it was only fitting to bring something a little extra special to the festivities courtesy of Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his band of merry Fun-Havers that will join the party on Saturday, March 4th.  “We’re thrilled to kick off NMRA’s 25th Anniversary season at Orlando Speed World, a venue that offers not just a proven drag strip but a drift pad that expands the possibilities for the event this year and moving forward,” Steve Wolcott, Co-Founder of NMRA, said. “Including Fun-Havers like Vaughn, Chelsea, and Shane is certain to offer even more for Ford fans to love.” The move to a new facility featuring a custom drift pad opened up the possibility of bringing amazing tire-shredding action and leveraging the full capabilities of Orlando Speed World. Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his Team RTR lead driver in the Formula Drift series, Chelsea DeNofa, will perform drift exhibitions, meet their fans at the track, and more. The duo will also further support a special Ford Drift Invitational on the Orlando Speed World drift pad.

Along with Vaughn and Chelsea, Shane England and his Fun-Haver backed Big Kahuna monster truck will be on hand meeting and greeting fans at the NMRA Spring Break Shootout.  “We’re pumped to bring some untraditional fun to the NMRA season opener in Orlando. Chelsea and I will be drifting door to door and we also have a grudge to settle with our Fox-bodies on the drag strip,” Vaughn said. “Shane is excited to debut his all-new Big Kahuna monster truck with a new look and you know plenty of Nitto tires will be burnt down on the drift pad. We’re looking forward to seeing all the fellow Fun-Havers out there!”

Vaughn and Chelsea won’t be the only Fox Mustang pilots on the property, thanks to another new feature in Orlando — the new Fox Body Reunion. Co-hosted by the organizer behind the massive Foxtoberfest show, Foxy Events, this celebration of Fox-platform machines will bring them together with a dedicated car show section, drag racing and more. And, while Vaughn and company will keep fans entertained on the drift pad, the Spring Break Shootout will also deliver traditional heads-up and index all-Ford drag racing, including the thrilling Renegade speedsters and 8.60 Street Race machines, along with the massive True Street field. For more on the must-attend NMRA Spring Break Shootout and the full Holley NMRA Ford Nationals’ 25th Anniversary season, visit NMRAdigital.com.

Six-Race Series Visits Volusia, Port Royal, Williams Grove and Lincoln in March with a $20,000 purse to be split between three driversBARBERVILLE, FL (Jan. 6, 2023) – The Low-E Insulation FL to PA Spring Showdown will be more lucrative than originally planned as the company has doubled the purse for the early-season six-race series.Utilizing the standard World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series points system, the top-three points earners during the stretch from Volusia Speedway Park (March 5-6), Port Royal Speedway (March 10-11), Williams Grove Speedway (March 17), and Lincoln Speedway (March 18) will earn $10,000 for first, $6,000 for second, and $4,000 for third.The company, which offers distribution locations near racing fans in Scranton, PA, and Orange Park, FL, will also serve as the official sponsor of Qualifying for The Greatest Show on Dirt in 2023.”It’s exciting to give Sprint Car fans an added storyline to follow with the FL to PA Spring Showdown,” said Tom Miller, president of Low-E Insulation. “The dirt racing community in both areas is incredibly passionate, so we’re excited to not only grow our involvement with the Series but with the drivers, the tracks, and the fans as well. We’re excited to see who can come out on top.”Beginning at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL, the six-race series starts with a “Bike Week” special on Sunday and Monday, March 5-6. Six of the 2022 full-time World of Outlaws drivers have already won at Volusia, led by the two champions Donny Schatz (14 wins) and Brad Sweet (6 wins). The return to “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile” comes three weeks after DIRTcar Nationals, meaning Volusia will host a record five World of Outlaws races in 2023.Driving from the Sunshine State to the Keystone State, teams will head north along the east coast and find two weeks of racing against the Pennsylvania Posse – something never done before in the month of March.Port Royal Speedway welcomes the World of Outlaws for the first of four shows on Friday and Saturday, March 10-11. Over the last 10 Series events at “The Speed Palace,” wins have been split with four to the invaders, four to the Outlaws, and two to the Posse – including Anthony Macri’s dominant weekend sweep of the Nittany Showdown last fall.On Friday, March 17, Williams Grove Speedway will expand its record as the most-visited track in Series history by hosting the first of seven World of Outlaws races with a one-night battle in Mechanicsburg, PA. Among active drivers, the winningest stars at the paperclip half-mile are Donny Schatz (21), Lance Dewease (17), David Gravel (8), Brent Marks (3), Carson Macedo (2), and Danny Dietrich (2).On Saturday, March 18, Lincoln Speedway takes center stage with the first of two stops in Abbottstown, PA this season. Since returning to “The Pigeon Hills” in 2012, the Series has hosted 12 races and it’s been a perfect six-six split between the Outlaws and the Posse. The most recent winner is Jacob Allen, who claimed an emotional first-career win at his home track last spring aboard the Shark Racing #1A.”Anytime you can bring new sponsors into the sport it’s a great thing, especially when they’re committed to helping the racers,” said reigning World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year, Spencer Bayston, who drives for Pennsylvania-based CJB Motorsports. “There’s room for improvement for us at Volusia, but I know Barry [Jackson] is super comfortable at those Pennsylvania tracks and the #5 unloads extra-fast out of the box when we’re close to the shop. This will be an exciting little mini-series to get the year going.”Prior to the FL to PA Spring Showdown, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series officially begins the 2023 season at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL with the 52nd DIRTcar Nationals on February 9-11. Tickets are available for purchase HERE.If you can’t make it to the event, the entire 2023 season will be live on DIRTVision – available either online or through the DIRTVision App.

Drellos plans to run his Late Model at Sunshine Nationals and his Big Block Modified at DIRTcar Nationals

BARBERVILLE, FL (Jan. 6, 2023) – Demetrios Drellos is venturing south to Volusia Speedway Park four weeks earlier than usual this year.

Drellos, the Big Block Modified star from Queensbury, NY, will step back behind the wheel of his 604 Late Model for the DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, Jan. 18-21.

It’ll be Drellos’ second appearance in his #111 Late Model after making his debut in the division during the Battle in Barberville at Volusia in December.

“It’s such a different experience,” he said. “Just the way you race is totally different with dirty air and where you need to position your car around people when you race and how you have to make runs. It’s a totally different style of racing. Some people have mastered it. Obviously, I haven’t come close to getting used to it. But it is a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to get back in it.”

Drellos was fastest in opening night practice during the Battle in Barberville, but a poor qualifying run but him behind when it came to race night. He managed a seventh-place finish in the 30-lap Feature.

With that experience under his belt, Drellos said he and his team should be able to come back with a more aggressive approach to race with the DIRTcar Pro Late Models.

“There will be a tone of cars down there,” he said about the Late Model Palooza-sized field Sunshine Nationals attracts. “A lot of heavy hitters in that 604 class, a lot of guys coming to run it. You know, I think we’re just going to go down there with the mindset that if we can make the shows, that’ll be good for us. We’re definitely going to race. We’re not driving 20 hours not to race. I’ll bend some sheet metal if we have to. We’re going to do what we need to do to race.”

The New Yorker has been racing Modifieds for six years with a Super DIRTcar Series win under his belt. However, he’s yet to pick up a win at Volusia. With plans to run with the Super DIRTcar Series again during the 52nd DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 15-18, Drellos said while his Big Block and Late Model are vastly different, running Sunshine Nationals will still help him prepare to chase a Big Gator championship.

“I think we’ll have a better idea of what the track is going to do,” he said. “We only run the Big Block at Volusia five times a year, so if I get to hit the track four more times than everyone else, I feel that will help me. I don’t care if it’s in a golf cart. It’s like home track experience a little bit.

“I’ll understand what the track is going to do throughout the night a little bit. That’s the big thing with Volusia. The more times you see it and what’s going to happen with that racetrack, if you can have better notes, I don’t care what it is, if you’re just watching the race, you’ll be better. I’m sure it’ll help me when I bring the Modified back.”

The biggest difference between the Big Block and the Late Model is how much dirty air comes into play with the Late Model. When he runs up on someone going into a turn with a Big Block, he said, he can stay on their bumper through the turn. In a Late Model, it feels like dropping a snowplow as the car pushes up a lane in the turn.

“I didn’t expect how much dirty air would come into play,” Drellos said. “But at Volusia, where the speeds are so fast, it does come into play. In the Big Block it doesn’t affect you that much, maybe 10 to 15 percent but with [the Late Model] it’s 80 percent.

“You could have all the grip in the world when you’re going around by yourself, but the second you get within 15 feet of a car in front of you it’s like your front tires are on ice. You’re going to push toward the outside of the car in front of you. It’s like you just jumped the whole lane until you get your nose back into clean air.”

Knowing that now, Drellos is eager to take what he learned into Sunshine Nationals for another round of Late Model racing at Volusia.

“We’ll come prepared a little bit better,” he said. “See where we were lacking when we came down in the early night track. We figured out, ‘OK, this is what we messed up on, we’ll make some adjustments to that.’ We’ll talk to a lot of people about getting the right tire stagger for there. Volusia is a different animal, compared to any track. The only people that go good at Volusia are people that live near there and go there on a consistent basis. It’s a totally different ball game for everyone.”

The DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals will showcase one of the biggest fields in Late Model racing, featuring the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models. DIRTcar Pro Late Models and 602 Late Models. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

CONCORD, NC – Jan. 5, 2023 – The Mid-South’s premier Super Late Model tour is going racing under the DIRTcar Racing banner in 2023.

The COMP Cams Super Dirt Series embarks on its 17th consecutive season in March, and for the first time in its history, will operate as part of the DIRTcar family.

All 30 Series events on the 2023 schedule will earn any participating driver points in DIRTcar Late Model national and regional point standings and will require drivers to conform to DIRTcar Late Model technical rules.

The Series, which began operation in 2007, holds races primarily around its home state of Arkansas and has since expanded to include events in Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas. Brian Rickman, of Columbus, MS, captured the $10,000 Series championship in 2022, becoming the first driver from the State of Mississippi to win the regional Super Late Model points title.

Several DIRTcar Racing legends have made appearances in COMP Cams Victory Lane, including four-time UMP Modified national champion Jimmy Owens, 2002 DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion Scott Bloomquist and National Dirt Late Model Hall-of-Famer Billy Moyer. More recently, a new generation of rising stars have carried the circuit to new heights – two-time Series champion Logan Martin, 2022 runner-up Kyle Beard, and two-time Feature winner BJ Robinson, among others.

The growth of the Series and reaching new drivers across the nation was a core value at the forefront of the decision to join DIRTcar this year. Drivers from locations more northward will now have easier access to participating in COMP Cams Series events, knowing they don’t have to make wholesale changes to their cars to conform to different rule packages.

Series Director Chris Sullivan had taken note of Hoosier Racing Tire’s new universal Late Model tire compounds for 2023 and recalled his past conversations with DIRTcar Director Sam Driggers about the opportunity for the pairing, and the two reached an agreement.

“Sam and I had talked for a couple years about the possibility of, one day, this happening,” Sullivan said. “With the tire rules changing and the opening happening, it just sorta all worked out together.

“It was about, one – tire availability. Plus, when we go to a show, [drivers] would have to buy different tires just to be able to race with us one time, not counting our regulars. Now that we’re on this national tire rule, it made it easier for us to be able to make that switch.”

Though this will not be DIRTcar’s first Texarkana-area series sanctioning, it could potentially be the most impactful in the modern era. Sullivan’s professional relationship with Driggers formed over the years when brother Jack Sullivan competed with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.

“It’s a matter of respect, teaming up with DIRTcar to present a professional setting for [the Series and drivers],” Sullivan said. “I think we’ll be able to work well with them. They are one of the top [sanctioning bodies] in the country, so to be able to work hand-in-hand with them, Steve Francis with the World of Outlaws, and of course Sam – we’ve known Sam for a long time – I just think it allows us to be able to present something great for our racers.”

Driggers echoed Sullivan’s sentiments and is looking forward to working with the Series, as DIRTcar prepares to celebrate a milestone weekly racing season and its 40th anniversary in 2023.

“We’re excited to bring the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series and the new faces of the Mid-South region into the DIRTcar family,” Driggers said. “Forty years into DIRTcar’s history books, and the growth of our Late Model driver base and broadening of our reach throughout the country is just as important today as it was years ago. Regulars of the COMP Cams Series will now have even greater access to competing in more DIRTcar-sanctioned events without having to worry about changing their cars to conform to technical specifications.”

The COMP Cams Super Dirt Series begins its 2023 campaign with a two-day trip to Boothill Speedway in Greenwood, LA, on March 10-11. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the Series at COMPDirt.com.

DETROIT (Jan. 4, 2023) — Cadillac Racing enters a new era of prototype sports car racing with the competition debut of the Cadillac V-LMDh in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Three Cadillac V-LMDh race cars will attempt to secure the pole Jan. 22 for the 61st edition of the race on Jan. 28-29. Action Express team manager Gary Nelson and Chip Ganassi Racing director of operations Mike O’Gara participated in a Zoom media conference hosted by IMSA with the other team leaders to preview the season. Transcript of Nelson and O’Gara sections of the Q&A:

WHAT HAS THE UNDERTAKING BEEN LIKE FOR THE TEAM TO LAUNCH THIS PROGRAM AND HOW HAS IT COMPARED TO PREVIOUS LAUNCHES?Mike O’Gara: “It’s been a huge undertaking and most of the folks on this call have been living in the same world that we have for the last six to 12 months with ramping up this program. In the 30-year history of Chip Ganassi Racing, we’ve been fortunate to be part of a lot of different vehicle launches, whether that’s been for INDYCAR, Indy Racing League or Champ Car or the Ford GT program. This one is by far the most intense, the most complex and, honestly, the most exciting for the company. I think the timelines we’ve been holding to have been difficult with supply chain issues, trying to put adequate miles on the cars to be ready and the level of complexity of the cars with the hybrid system and the other control systems. It’s just more than we’ve ever undertaken before. An added complexity is going to race this car in two different series on two different continents. We have one eye on getting our WEC program up and running, getting a facility over there, appropriate personnel and equipment as well. That adds another layer of complexity, but everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing is excited and looking forward to representing Cadillac around the world. It’s a great time of us.” YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCES WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT RACE CARS. HOW DOES THAT PLAY INTO THIS NEW CAR?Gary Nelson: “This new car, to me, is such a great challenge. My whole career in racing I’ve always wanted the trophy that’s hardest to get. They are always harder when you don’t have a logbook or set-up book or all the other things ready to go when you get to the track. We’re going to create pretty much from a blank sheet of paper a program that we’re expecting to win the Daytona 24 hours. We know everybody has all the same challenges and issues, and I think it’s the most pumped up I’ve been for many years to try to get all these little things all to line up and get that car to go 24 hours and be at the front at the end. That’s going to be one of the biggest challenges. The hybrid, the different rules, the new car, the way of doing the pit stops, everything is much easier when you go to a 24-hour race and you’ve got some muscle memory from other races in the past. Here, it’s all new and I’m looking forward to getting a shot at that trophy.” WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE KEYS TO GETTING TO THE FINISH?Gary Nelson: “Probably, the reliability of all of the new components. We have a lot more things that go by wire now. Where we used to have manual shift, we went to shift by wire and paddle shift and then we went to throttle by wire. And multiply that by four or five other different components on the car that are now going through a computer. So, probably electronics will be the focus on trying to make sure all of those computers do what they’re supposed to do.”Mike O’Gara: “My first prototype race was in 2004. Back then in the earlier days of Grand Am it was who could recover from a mistake or failure quickest, and the cars evolved to a point where they were pretty reliable. So, then, it was who could go the fastest for 24 hours without making a mistake. I feel like we’re coming back full circle from the early days of Grand Am. It’s who’s going to be reliable, and if you’re not reliable who can recover from some issue the quickest. We’ve all puta lot of miles on these cars, but until you race them in anger and start banging wheels you’re not going to see all the issues. It’s going to be not only survival of the fittest but who can recover from any issues the quickest.” WHEN WILL WE SEE A REPRESENTATIVE UNDERSTANDING OF PACE?Mike O’Gara: “To get the handling dialed in and the tire durability we’re never just putting around. I think qualifying is the first time you’ll see 10-10ths out of everyone.” WITH A ONE-TEAM APPROACH UNDER THE CADILLAC RACING BANNER, HOW HAS THAT BROUGHT THE TWO TEAMS TOGETHER?Gary Nelson: “It’s been a pleasure working with Mike and his group. I think we’ve advanced the technology a lot quicker because with each test we’ve done one group would test one series of items and the other another set. We were organized on who was doing what and we would get together at the end of each day – or sometimes part way through the day – and say, ‘We were having a little trouble with this part. You might want to check it on your car’ or ‘We just learned this change made a big difference. You might want to try it on your car.’ We’ve had that back and forth discussion and I welcome it very much.”Mike O’Gara: “It’s definitely been a learning experience for both teams and, quite honestly, a bit of a culture shift for Chip Ganassi Racing. We always pride ourselves on how we communicate internally. At the Indy 500 last year we have five race cars that were all capable of running at the front, so sharing info is what we do. But we haven’t often shared info outside of this building. But I think it’s gone amazingly well so far, sharing info with not just Action Express but with our GM Powertrain partners, with Dallara, with Michelin. It takes a village, and so far I think the partnership with AXR has gone really well. We’re figuring out who is better at what things and we divide and conquer. Hopefully, that will show in a couple of weeks.” HOW DOES THAT WORK INTO RACE WEEKENDS? ARE YOU GOING TO BE SHARING SIMILAR LEVELS OF INFORMATION OR ON YOUR OWN?Mike O’Gara: “I think a big part of winning this race is reliability, so we’re going to be huddling up constantly. Especially with car issues and things like that. We work closely with Dallara on set-up stuff, so the cars will all be mechanically identical and then we’ll go race on Saturday and Sunday to see out of all of us who can get it done.”Gary Nelson: “We have such common connections with the GM Powertrain folks, the Bosch folks, the Williams folks, the Dallara folks. If we learn something we want to make sure that the other Cadillacs know it and if they learn something they pass it to us because at the end we want a Cadillac to win the Daytona 24. I’d like it to be our Cadillac, but we still want a Cadillac to be in the winner’s circle.” WHAT HAVE YOU HAD TO ADD IN EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL, EXPERTISE IN MOVING FROM DPI TO LMDH?Gary Nelson: “The first part was training on how to work with the high-voltage system of the MGU – the hybrid system – so a lot of training, a lot of safety procedures. And every new car takes new equipment – the set-up equipment is different. They don’t even fit in the trailer the same, so everything takes a bit of adjustment whenever you bring in a new platform. Over the years, that has gotten so much better with the companies that provide the equipment that we need. Personnel-wide, we’ve probably increased our group 20 percent with the folks working on the car. When we were a one-car team in DPi, we could pretty much take everything in one hauler to the racetrack. Now, we’re a one-car team going into ’23 and we have two haulers and a trailer to get everything to the racetrack. So, somehow we have a lot more equipment than we had in the past.” WILL SPECTATORS SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON THE TRACK BETWEEN THE GTP CARS AND LMP2 CARS?Mike O’Gara: “There should be enough of a performance differential that the GTP cars should clearly be quicker. There will be some challenges. The braking systems are quite different between a GTP car and a P2, so I think our car will be a lot better under braking but top speeds may be similar. It will make for some interesting racing, but I fully expect a GTP car to the at the top of the podium.” WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOUR DRIVERS TO LEARN THE HYBRID SYSTEM AND ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS?Mike O’Gara: “Once you get rolling, it’s pretty much like any other race car. It’s starting it and launching it and diagnosing issues are where some of the challenges have been. We’re lucky enough to have drivers who have raced in Formula E, that have raced a Porsche P1 car, so those guys have helped the others who have never driven a hybrid or anything electrified before. It’s a manual that’s pretty thick on not necessarily on driving the car but procedures for starting it or restarting it or if you see a red light what to do. The race car is the race car but it’s all these other control systems that make it unique from what we’ve done before.” IS THE HYBRID SYSTEM A BIGGER TOOL THAN WHAT YOU’VE HAD IN THE PAST FOR FUEL MILEAGE?Mike O’Gara: “That’s one of our goals at the Roar to learn more about how to manage our fuel. It’s not a tank of fuel anymore, it’s a virtual fuel tank and the car fuel in addition to the energy you spend. It’s figuring out what’s the best use of deploying the hybrid power with the ICE engine. There is refueling time that has to be factored in, so I think you’ll see from many teams long runs to figure out energy per stint and the best combination. It’s no longer a knob for fuel trims. It’s a few knobs, a couple of switches and many a paddle or two that affect all it. We’re leaning every time that car leaves the pit box.” HOW DIFFICULT WILL IT BE TO KEEP THE HYBRID UNIT FULLY CHARGED GIVEN THE LACK OF BRAKING AT DAYTONA?Gary Nelson: “Even though there are not as many turns as a traditional road course, at Daytona the top speed has to be scrubbed off so much going into the Bus Stop and going into Turn 1 and then through the infield that you regenerate a lot more than you would imagine when you look at a road course with a lot of braking zones. Those are shorter braking zones, so we’re on the brakes pretty hard. I didn’t hear that in any of the engineering meetings if that was an issue.”  HOW MANY 24-HOUR RACES HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN AND WHAT’S YOUR SECRET TO MAKING THOSE CRITICAL DECISIONS AT THE END?Gary Nelson: “My first 24-hour that I was involved in in the pits was 2007 and I’ve been to every one since. I’ve stayed up all night in almost all of them. I have a motorhome that I can sneak off to and get a few hours of sleep, but I only do that if things are going smooth. Hopefully, this year I’ll get a few hours sleep but I’m prepared if not to stay up all night.”Mike O’Gara: “Most since 2004 with a few Le Mans races in there. The key for me to stay awake and alert is to have a car that’s running at the front and competing for a win. There’s nothing worse in an endurance race than to have an issue at the beginning and run around at the back all day and night.”

BATAVIA, Ohio (January 4, 2022) – The Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup returns in 2023, adding a worthwhile bonus to an already lucrative season on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The mini-series within the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule consists of sixteen (16) events that pay $30,000 or more to the winner. Drivers with perfect attendance on the tour will earn points in these sixteen (16) events based on their respective finishes. The driver that earns the most points at the sixteen (16) Crown Jewel Cup events will be crowned the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Champion – earning a $15,000 cash bonus at the year-end awards banquet. The drivers who finish second through fifth in the Crown Jewel Cup standings will earn $6,000, $4,000, $3,000, and $2,000 in cash, respectively for a total point fund of $30,000 for these sixteen (16) events. “We want to thank Arizona Sport Shirts for their continued support of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series,” stated Wayne Castleberry, Sales and Marketing for Lucas Oil. “Arizona Sport Shirts has and continues to play an important role in the growth of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The Crown Jewel Cup program is a great compliment to the point fund and other contingencies that will be awarded in 2023.” “Our partnership with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is a validation of our continued commitment to dirt late model racing,” said Gerald Newton, Sr. VP of Operations at Arizona Sport Shirts. “We’re thrilled to support programs like the Crown Jewel Cup that add even more excitement to the tour.” Arizona Sport Shirts will continue to have a presence onsite at all series events with the Official Merchandise Trailer, along with their extensive online store: https://www.gottarace.com/collections/lucas-oil-late-model-dirt-series About Arizona Sports Shirts:Founded more than four decades ago, Arizona Sport Shirts has provided bold, unique, and effective apparel for race teams, businesses, and special events. Today, Arizona Sport Shirts continues its commitment to providing cutting edge apparel and merchandise found nowhere else. More information on Arizona Sport Shirts, including online ordering details, is available at: www.ArizonaSportShirts.com. 2023 Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Schedule: Sat. May 13 – Fairbury Speedway – Fairbury, IL – $30,000Sat. May 27 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO – $50,000Sat. Jun. 3 – West Virginia Motor Speedway – Mineral Wells, WV – $50,000Sat. Jun. 17 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Maryville, TN – $50,000Sat. Jun. 24 – Lernerville Speedway – Sarver, PA – $50,000Sat. Jul. 1 – Muskingum County Speedway – Zanesville, OH – $30,000Sat. Jul. 8 – Deer Creek Speedway – Spring Valley, MN – $50,000Sat. Jul. 22 – Huset’s Speedway – Brandon, SD – $53,000Sat. Aug. 12 – Florence Speedway – Union, KY – $75,000Sat. Aug. 19 – Batesville Motor Speedway – Batesville, AR – $50,000Sat. Aug. 26 – Port Royal Speedway – Port Royal, PA – $50,000Sun. Sep. 3 – Tyler County Speedway – Middlebourne, WV – $30,000Sat. Sep. 16 – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA – $50,000Sat. Sep. 23 – Brownstown Speedway – Brownstown, IN – $30,000Sat. Sep. 30 – Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway – Imperial, PA – $30,000Sat. Oct. 21 – Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH – $100,000

The Des Moines, IA driver will join the 2023 Rookie Class when the season starts at Sunshine Nationals

CONCORD, NC – January 4, 2023 – Todd Cooney is preparing for an opportunity he won’t forget in 2023. 

As the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models get ready for their season opener on Jan. 18-21 during Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, he’ll join the field as a Rookie of the Year contender—all while igniting his passion for racing.

“Late Model racing is my passion,” Cooney said. “I live, eat, and breathe racing. I live for this stuff and it’s what I work for.”

Work commitments and health issues kept the Des Moines, IA, driver from living out his dream in the past. However, that changes in 2023 as Cooney’s ability to work from the road allows him to run a national tour.

“About five years ago, I had a lot of health issues, and I’m at the point where I don’t necessarily be on-site to work,” Cooney said. “I can do some of my work from the road now. It’s always been a dream to do this stuff, and it’s my first opportunity to be able to go do it. I have great guys that work for me, and they basically said go live your dream and have fun.”

While Cooney will battle for Rookie of the Year, he’s no stranger to success. He’s found Victory Lane three times at one of Iowa’s most prestigious events—the IMCA SuperNationals at Boone Speedway.

Despite his success at Boone, where the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models will compete in August, he understands what to expect when the season begins.

“We’ve won (IMCA) SuperNationals three times,” Cooney said. “Then I got sick, and Ricky (Thornton Jr.) won it for me twice. So, we’ve won it five times.

“But as far as the racing goes, there’s no comparison between what I’ve done in the past and what I’m getting ready to get into. So as far as the experience goes, it’s going to be new for me.”

Boone isn’t the only track Cooney has experience at on the 53-race schedule. He also raced at Volusia—a place he started visiting as a kid.

“I’ve been going to Volusia since I was seven years old with my dad,” Cooney said. “We go for (DIRTcar Nationals) every year, and I don’t miss a race. I don’t care if it’s the Sprint Cars, Late Models; I go to every race at Volusia. I’ve just always loved the place.”

“We did decent there with the Limited (Late Model) stuff, and we went in there last year (at DIRTcar Nationals) and sucked,” Cooney said. “We tried to go into last year prepared, but because of the shortage of parts, shortage of this, and shortage of that. Honestly, we weren’t as prepared as we should’ve been.”

That experience at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile” gave him a new perspective on what’s to come at Sunshine Nationals.

“Something I learned is that when you go into one of these deals with the World of Outlaws, you better have your shit together,” Cooney said. “That was a big learning curve last year, and it’s still a big learning curve.”

Cooney won’t let the opportunity to live out his dream go to waste when he straps in his Longhorn by Wells at Sunshine Nationals. He said he feels it’s only a matter of time before he is ready to contend.

“From where I’m coming from, we’re just working-class people, and we’re going to go try to race,” Cooney said. “I think with a little time, we’ll be in the game.”

The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models kick off their 2023 season at Volusia Speedway Park during Sunshine Nationals Jan. 18-21. They’ll be joined by the DIRTcar Pro Late Models and 602 Late Models, making the event a True Late Model Palooza.