CONCORD, N.C. (May 01, 2022) – John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS team dominated the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. After securing the No. 1 qualifying position and setting both ends of the track record, Force, the defending event winner, rallied to his 155th career victory, first of the season and third in the zMAX Dragway Four-Wide.Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy finished as runner-up to Force and the PEAK team. On the dragster side, Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac team exited in the second round while Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team went out in the first round. Continuing his record setting ways, John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF Chevy team would runner-up in the first quad with a 3.892-second pass at a blistering track-record speed of 335.07 mph that bettered his 334.24 from qualifying. Bob Tasca III would win the quad with a 3.878 at 331.20 sending Alexis DeJoria and her 3.899 at 324.98 home. Robert Hight and the Auto Club team left nothing to chance in their first quad, laying down a 3.880-second pass at 332.67 mph to better Cruz Pedregon, who would also advance, Tim Wilkerson and Jim Campbell. In the second quad, Force and Hight would line up with Tasca III and Cruz Pedregon. Force would handle the PEAK Chevy to a 3.934-second pass at 328.62 mph that was only bettered by Hight and the Auto Club Chevy’s 3.902 at 329.83. The John Force Racing teammates would face Mike McIntire Jr. and Ron Capps in the final quad. Force would leave the line first and go straight down the groove as the BlueDEF Camaro crossed the finish line at 3.914-seconds at 328.86 mph. In the Auto Club Camaro, Hight would have issues down track and have to slow going 4.038 at 267.85 for the runner-up finish. With the victory, Force now has more four-wide wins than any other Funny Car driver and is tied at three with Erica Enders for second most overall behind Steve Torrence who has six. This is now the 34th season in which Force has won at least one race. “It was a great weekend for all my sponsors. It was a great weekend for my team. Finally getting a win. This gave me confidence. I think that I can race. I turn 73 this week and I’m still out here winning races,” said Force who is now fourth in points. “Things just seem to happen where you’re destined to win. It was amazing. On some days, magical things just happen. Things went right and we were able to win the race. It was like it was destiny and it was a great weekend for my team. To finally get a win this year gives me a lot of confidence.” It was the 52nd one-two finish for John Force Racing and the third time drivers have finished first and second in a four-wide. “It was a great day for John Force Racing. Any time you can get two cars to the final, it’s a good day. If this Auto Club Chevy team is going to come up short, I’d rather it be to John and that PEAK Chevy than anyone else,” Hight said. “Ran into some issues there at the end that we’ll get figured out and be ready to come do it all again out in Richmond.” Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac team were quickest of their quad with a 3.732-second pass at 329.67 mph and would advance with Spencer Massey and his 3.749 at 323.27 that beat Leah Pruett on a holeshot and sent Tony Schumacher and his 3.753 at 320.89 home. In the second quad, the Flav-R-Pac dragster would run into smoke to only go 5.613-seconds for a second-round loss. “It was a tough weekend here in Charlotte. This Flav-R-Pac team came in here with back-to-back wins and just had that momentum moving forward. We went out qualified seventh, and it was a tough position to be in,” Force said. “We got past first round but in that second round we got beat and had to pack up early. It was still a good weekend for the John Force Racing teams with my dad winner and Robert getting the runner-up.” Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT dragster had a short race day at zMAX Dragway. The No. 8 qualifiers, who saw improvement through Friday and Saturday, were on a good pass until mid-track when something blew and disturbed the timing blocks. The NRHA relied on a photo finish that clearly put Prock finishing third despite no official time. Justin Ashley and Cameron Ferre advanced while Antron Brown was also out in the first round. “It was a frustrating way to end our weekend. I felt like we had a competitive car all weekend and I was hoping it would all come together this morning, but it didn’t,” Prock said. “First round losses are always tough to swallow, especially because we all had high expectations going into this morning. It was a tough break but luckily, we get to play again in Richmond. I think the team is definitely on the right track. We just have to get our ducks in a row, and we should be fine.” The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season continues May 13-15 with the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. |
All posts by ARP Trish
chevy racing–nhra–four-wide nationals–post race
| CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION CIRCLE K NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS ZMAX DRAGWAY IN CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA MAY 1, 2022 Chevrolet victorious as John Force adds to record win total• John Force gets Funny Car career win No. 155, first of 2022• Brittany Force remains points leader in Top Fuel• Chevrolet COPO Camaro captures victory in Stock Eliminator competition |
CONCORD, N.C. (May 1, 2022) — Legendary drag racer John Force was fast all weekend at zMAX Dragway and closed out the deal with his first win of 2022 and 155th overall in the Funny Car class.Force and his PEAK/BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS race team entered eliminations of the four-wide event in the No. 1 qualifying position for the 164th time in his career after a record-setting run on Friday night of 3.850 seconds at 334.24 mph. Force, who won the event in 2021, has three wins at zMAX Dragway in the four-wide format. He also won the first four-wide event at the track in 2010. Force’s teammate, Robert Hight, also made it to the final Funny Car quad and came in as runner-up in the Auto Club of Southern California Camaro SS. In Top Fuel, Austin Prock fell in the first round in his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, while teammate Brittany Force fell in the semifinals in the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy Chevy. She retained the championship points lead after six events. Darren Poole-Adams of Shelby, North Carolina, drove his Chevrolet COPO Camaro to victory in Stock Eliminator competition to give drivers of the powerful COPO Camaro five victories in the Sportsman category in six national event races. “Chevrolet Performance has given me awesome COPO Camaros to drive and I’m just blown away right now,” said Poole-Adams, who claimed his first national event victory. David Barton of Reading, Pennsylvania, was runner-up in his COPO Camaro in the second round of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. Len Lottig won the first of the eight scheduled races in the series in March at Gainesville., Florida. |
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| The Virginia NHRA Nationals on May 13-15 at Virginia Motorsports Park is the next event for Chevrolet Top Fuel and Funny Car teams. The event was not held in 2021 or 2020. FS1 will telecast eliminations at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, May 15. CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT TOP FUELBRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC/MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER: “It was a tough weekend here in Charlotte. This Flav-R-Pac team came in here with back-to-back wins and just had that momentum moving forward. We went out qualified seventh, and it was a tough position to be in,” Force said. “We got past first round but in that second round we got beat and had to pack up early. It was still a good weekend for the John Force Racing teams with my dad winner and Robert getting the runner-up.” AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER: “It was a frustrating way to end our weekend. I felt like we had a competitive car all weekend and I was hoping it would all come together this morning but it didn’t,” Prock said. “First round losses are always tough to swallow, especially because we all had high expectations going into this morning. It was a tough break but luckily we get to play again in Richmond. I think the team is definitely on the right track. We just have to get our ducks in a row and we should be fine.” FUNNY CARJOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “I walked down to the trailer and I said, ‘Danny, I got to get my energy up, you have got to get me fired up’ and he yells ‘swap motors’ and awe man, my blood pressure shot up and I was going to tip over. I want to take a minute to thank Blue Def, Power Solar, Auto Club, Cornwell, Monster, Flav-R-Pac, Montana Brand, and Chevrolet. And hey, Bruton, I love you. This one is for my daughter Adria and just shows that I can still hang in the fight. We just keep fighting and we are going to be fine. I wanted to do this last year for Bruton, you know what I am saying. I have been trying to find God for a lot of years, I am working on it, my wife works on it. So, I don’t want to get into that, but things just seem to happen to me in my life that are almost like you are destined. And Bruton Smith last year, when I spoke with him on the phone, was struggling but now he is better. To whatever degree, I got the win for him and mentioned him a few times down there. What was amazing is going up for the final, I was struggling as a driver, I will be honest. These kids are just good, and I have to jump on that tree and attack it whenever I can. What was funny was that we were sitting in the pits, and I told Danny, my crew chief, that they get the credit. I was standing there, and I said, ‘Danny, somebody fire me up. If I don’t get some energy I am going to go out there and get treed.’ And he goes, ‘how about this? Switch motors’. And I said, ‘what are you talking about?’ He said, ‘the motor is dead’. All the sudden they start ripping it apart. I was like, ‘no, its time to tow up, are you going to do this in ten minutes?’. Whatever time they took, they made it and it was amazing. But my energy went straight to the top. Its hard to find that moment that you need when you really need that fire in your belly. ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “It was a great day for John Force Racing. Any time you can get two cars to the final, it’s a good day. If this Auto Club Chevy team is going to come up short, I’d rather it be to John and that PEAK Chevy than anyone else,” Hight said. “Ran into some issues there at the end that we’ll get figured out and be ready to come do it all again out in Richmond.” |
chevy racing–indycar–grand prix of alabama– post race Pato O’Ward
CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA TEAM CHEVY RACE WINNER QUOTE PATO O’WARD MAY 1, 2022
PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARR OW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, captured the third win of his young NTT INDYCAR Series by taking his No. 5 Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Barber Motorsports Park.His first two victories were in 2021 at Texas Motor Speedway and the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.
The win kept Chevrolet in INDYCAR perfect thus far in the 2022 season.Chevrolet now sits at 99 victories out of 169 races since returning to the American open wheel series in 2012.O O’
PAT O’WARD QUOTE:WHAT A SMOOTH WEEKEND FOR THE 5 BUNCH. NICE TO SEE YOU IN VICTORY LANE PATO! WIN NUMBER THREE, BUT I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT HOW AGGRESSIVE YOU HAD TO PLAY THAT PASS ON VEEKAY TO GET THE LEAD. AT THE MOMENT DID YOU KNOW THAT MAYBE THAT WAS THE PASS FOR THE WIN?“Yeah, Taylor told me we are fighting for the win. We almost got them in the pit stops, so I said no this is your chance man. It’s so tough to follow just because it’s such a fast and flowing circuit. I knew if I would have the opportunity, it would have been right then and there. I got on my button and got around him into (Turn) five and then I knew if he would get into clean air, we can kind of control the thing. Once we did that it was a cruise to victory lane.” THERE WAS A LOT OF TURMOIL AROUND THIS TEAM JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. YOU CAME INTO LONG BEACH SAYING I’M PUTTING IT ALL BEHIND ME. HOW MUCH DID THAT MENTAL SHIFT HELP YOU BEHIND THE WHEEL?“Man, it sucks to be at war within your own team. I’m glad there’s been very positive talks for the future and man I wanted to do it for these guys. I wanted to do it for Arrow McLaren SP, Team Chevy. They’ve swept this year so far, so I think it’s great for them. Yeah, man I was just tired of being 10th and 11th and fifth. I said let’s get a win under our belt so we can claw our way back to this championship fight.”
CAPPS DEBUT IN GR SUPRA ENDS WITH FINAL ROUND APPEARANCE IN CHARLOTTE
Four-Wide Nationals Prove Daunting for Toyota Top Fuel Dragsters
CONCORD, N.C. (May 1, 2022) – The first race for defending Funny Car Champion Ron Capps behind the wheel of the new GR Supra resulted in a final-round appearance in the four-wide nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. Capps would finish in the third position and ultimately take semi-final points. The Toyota Top Fuel dragsters of Justin Ashley and Doug Kalitta made it to the second round, but in a day full of upset winners, their respective days ended in round two.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
zMax Dragway
Race 6 of 22
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS — Race Winner: Mike Salinas
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Justin Ashley | Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Round 2 | W. 3.735 vs. 3.841 (Ferre) vs. 5.623 (Brown) vs. 28.0 (Prock) L. 5.547 vs. 3.708 (Salinas) vs. 3.924 (Ferre) vs. 4.344 (Kalitta) |
| Doug Kalitta | Autodesk Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Round 2 | W. 3.725 vs. 3.765 (Salinas) vs. 3.806 (Laughlin) vs. 4.082 (Foley) L. 4.344 vs. 3.708 (Salinas) vs. 3.924 (Ferre) vs. 5.547 (Ashley) |
| Steve Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Round 1 | L. 3.967 vs. 3.748 (Millican) vs. 3.788 (Hart) vs. 4.028 (Langdon) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Round 1 | L. 5.623 vs. 3.735(Ashley) vs. 3.841 (Ferre) vs. 28.0 (Prock) |
| Shawn Langdon | CMR Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Round 1 | L. 4.028 vs. 3.748 (Millican) vs. 3.788 (Hart) vs. 3.967 (Torrence) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS — Race Winner: John Force
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Ron Capps | NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Semi-Finals | W. 3.923 vs. 3.892 (Todd) vs. 4.020 (Creasy Jr.) vs. 4.026 (Green) W. 3.954 vs. 4.031 (McIntire Jr.) vs. 8.168 (Hagan) vs. 10.389 (Todd) L. 4.253 vs. 3.914 (Force) vs. 4.038 (Hight) vs. 9.391 (McIntire Jr.) |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Round 2 | W. 3.892 vs. 3.923 (Capps) vs. 4.020 (Creasy Jr.) vs. 4.026 (Green) L. 10.389 vs. 3.954 (Capps) vs. 4.031 (McIntire Jr.) vs. 8.168 (Hagan) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Round 1 | L. 3.899 vs. 3.878 (Tasca) vs. 3.892 (Force) |
TOYOTA QUOTES
RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports
Final Result: Semi-Finals
What can you say about your first race weekend in the GR Supra Funny Car?
“Close to being a dream weekend, but I can’t thank Toyota enough for moving up the chance to run this GR Supra body. To be able to do this at four-wide and really have the data from everybody and really my first time driving the GR Supra was when we went out there in Q1 and went right down the track, which was – I probably gave Guido (crew chief) the biggest hug I’ve ever given him. I was so relieved and so happy. Having Slugger (Labbe, TGRNA) and all the guys that worked so hard to make this happen – just ecstatic really. A lot of hard work had to come together for us to be here and do this. Everyone from the design of the car, the paint scheme, but now we get out other Supra body and we’ll be raring to go for Richmond and we can start getting after it.”
J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports
Final Result: Round 2
How did the win in round one help your team continue to learn and move forward?
“We’ve just been struggling for whatever reason and stupid little things happen and some things are out of our control, but nonetheless, don’t worry about the past. We’re looking into the future. It would be a good day to win here at zMax for Toyota Gazoo Racing North America, DHL, CMR and all of our sponsors that are here this weekend. I was ready and I was third off the line and I thought I wasn’t that late. It’s tough out here right now in Funny Car.”
JUSTIN ASHLEY CLAIMS FIRST TOP-QUALIFIER
Addition of Capps Means Three GR Supra Funny Cars at Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. (April 30, 2022) – Justin Ashley claimed his first career top-qualifier with a 3.669 second run during Friday night’s qualifying session at the 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. Thursday’s announcement of Ron Capps joining the Toyota Gazoo Racing North America family means that three GR Supra Funny Cars will take to the track for Sunday afternoon’s event. In Capps’ inaugural race with Toyota, he took the number three qualifier position at 3.873 seconds.
Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
zMax Dragway
Race 6 of 22
TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Qualifying Position | First Round Opponent |
| Justin Ashley | Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 1 – (3.669) | C. Ferre (3.854)A. Prock (3.719)A. Brown (3.729) |
| Doug Kalitta | Autodesk Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 4 – (3.700) | A. Laughlin (3.777)M. Salinas (3.706)D. Foley (3.774) |
| Steve Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 3 – (3.694) | S. Langdon (3.798)J. Hart (3.715)C. Millican (3.756) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 9 – (3.729) | J. Ashley (3.669)C. Ferre (3.854)A. Prock (3.719) |
| Shawn Langdon | CMR Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 14 – (3.798) | S. Torrence (3.694)J. Hart (3.715)C. Millican (3.756) |
(*non-Toyota driver)
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Qualifying Position | First Round Opponent |
| John Force | JFR Funny Car* | 1 – (3.850) | B. Tasca (3.909)A. DeJoria (3.936) |
| Ron Capps | NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra | 3 – (3.873) | J. Todd (3.893)D. Creasy Jr. (4.100)C. Green (4.002) |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 6 – (3.893) | R. Capps (3.873)D. Creasy Jr. (4.100)C. Green (4.002) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car |
GOLDEN DRIVE AT SILVER DOLLAR: DAY CRUISES TO DOMINANT CHICO WIN IN DAVID TARTER MEMORIAL
(4/30/2022 – Alex Nieten) Chico, CA… The legend of Corey Day continues to grow.
The second-generation driver crushed the field in Saturday’s David Tarter Memorial at Silver Dollar Speedway to pick up his third career NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car victory in just his 15th series start at just 16 years of age. Day led all 35-laps of the Fujitsu Feature en route to what amounted to a $5250 payday factoring in the lap money he earned for pacing every circuit.
With the victory Day put his name next to the likes of Brad Sweet and Gio Scelzi on the all-time series win list, and he was quick to credit his crew for preparing a perfect race car and allowing him to do so.
“I’ve got to credit my dad again,” Day said in victory lane. “This thing basically drove itself tonight. I also can’t thank HP and Eddy enough. They made the five hour trip up here this weekend to help us.”
Day led the field to green in the Four CCCC’s Construction No. 41 with Blake Carrick alongside him. On the first circuit Landon Brooks, making just his third series start, drove around Carrick to secure second. Day distanced himself early on and just as he neared traffic the race’s first yellow flew as Tim Kaeding spun in turn two.
On the restart Justin Sanders jumped onto the podium in the Mittry Racing/Farmers Brewing Co. No. 2X by passing Carrick, but another yellow flew just two laps later as Max Mittry and Austin Wheatley tangled.
When racing resumed Sanders snatched second from Brooks, and a hard charging Sean Becker climbed to fourth after starting 13th. On lap 15 Day faced his only real challenge when, stuck in traffic, Sanders cleared him with a turn three slider, but a yellow for none other than Sanders’ teammate stopping negated the pass.
“I saw his (Sanders) teammate, Max Mittry, go off the edge and slow down,” Day recalled. “I was thankful for that because I knew that if he would’ve gotten the lead he would’ve probably left me. That yellow definitely saved our race there.”
On the restart Brooks stole second back from Sanders while Day drove away. As Day negotiated traffic Brooks began to fade as Sanders, Becker and a surging Dominic Scelzi went by him. Day’s lead continued to grow and grow in traffic as Scelzi began to battle with Sanders for second.
“The track was great,” Day said of what helped him in traffic. “Hats off to Colby (Copeland) and the whole track crew. It was really racy. There was a good bottom, a good top, and you could even roll through the middle there. It made getting through lap traffic a little easier with multiple lanes there.”
Ultimately Day crossed the line with a commanding margin of victory, his lead at the checkered flag a whopping 6.6 seconds, or roughly half the time it takes to circle Silver Dollar Speedway in a sprint car. Day’s David Tarter Memorial victory netted him $5250, and the wise teenager has prudent plans for the prize.
“Put it in the bank,” Day said of where the winnings will go.
Sanders held on to the runner-up spot.
Scelzi completed a solid charge from 10th to third in the Red Rose Transportation/Whipple Superchargers No. 41, his second consecutive podium to start the year in his bid for back to back titles.
“We were really good all feature long,” Scelzi said. “We just got a bad really bad start. We started on the outside, and I didn’t think that was a problem. I just got into (turn) one, and everybody sort of checked up and I kind of played it safe… To come from 10th after my crappy start I’m happy with that, another podium. We’ve got the speed. Guys like Corey and Justin, they’ve done their homework and got better, and it’s made it a lot of fun to race.”
A notable name could be found 15th in the rundown. Making his final Silver Dollar Speedway start in Clyde Lamar’s TRI-C Machine, Paul McMahan drove from 22nd to secure a solid 15th place result in his first Chico appearance since 2017.
FUJITSU GENERAL USA FEATURE (35 laps): 1. Corey Day 41X 2. Justin Sanders 2X 3. Dominic Scelzi 41 4. Sean Becker 16A 5. Tanner Carrick 83T 6. Shane Golobic 17W 7. Ryan Bernal 17WX 8. Kalib Henry 17 9. Blake Carrick 38B 10. Bud Kaeding 69 11. Joel Myers Jr. 83V 12. Mitchell Faccinto 21 13. Landon Brooks 5V 14. Willie Croft 29 15. Paul McMahan 3C 16. John Clark 12J 17. Tanner Holmes 18T 18. Tim Kaeding 42X 19. Chase Johnson 24 20. Michael Faccinto 56 21. Garen Linder 22 22. Billy Aron 26 23. Austin Wheatley 44W 24. Max Mittry 2XM
HOOSIER TIRE LAP LEADERS: Corey Day 1-35
SWIFT METAL FINISHING HARDCHARGER: Sean Becker 13th to 4th
ARP FAST QUALIFIER (30 cars): Max Mittry 12.525
BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (10 laps): Golobic, Wheatley, Brooks, Faccinto, Kaeding, Mittry, Johnson, McMahan
KIMO’s TROPICAL CAR WASH HEAT TWO (10 laps): Scelzi, Carrick, Sanders, Faccinto, Holmes, Linder, Foland Jr.
DIRT.TRAVEL CLUB HEAT THREE (10 laps): Becker, Henry, Croft, Clark, Aton, Fielding, Strole
KAEDING PERFORMANCE HEAT FOUR (10 laps): Bernal, Day, Carrick, Myers Jr., Kaesong, Kent, Bell
SUNNYVALLEY “POWERED BY BACON” TROPHY DASH (6 laps): Day, Carrick, Brooks, Henry, Sanders, Croft
STARR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SEMI (12 laps): Mittry, McMahan, Johnson, Kent, Linder, Forler, Strole, Foland Jr., Bell, Fielding
Runner Up Finish for Julie Nataas at Final SpringNationals
Apr 27, 2022 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results
When it was announced that there would be one final race at Houston Raceway before they closed their doors, Randy Meyer Racing knew they had to honor their past success there and give it one more go with drivers Julie Nataas and Hunter Green. Nataas scored another No. 1 qualifier and reached her 11th national event final round while Green went to the quarterfinals at the NHRA SpringNationals.
Coming into raceday, Julie continued her dominating performance as she drove straight down Houston Raceway in the final session to grab the No. 1 qualifying position with a 5.208-second pass at 279.27 mph. Green qualified No. 10 with a stable 5.394, 262.90.
First round, Julie used a major starting line advantage and a 5.305, 272.01 to defeat Buddy Domingue’s 9.003, 109.90. Hunter Green followed right behind with his first career national event round win with an .024-second reaction time and a 5.401, 264.49 to take out Steve Collier’s 5.488, 266.11.
Second round, Hunter Green once again had a large starting line advantage over his competitor Madison Payne but his 5.437, 267.32 wasn’t enough to outrun Payne’s 5.316, 272.94. Julie broke the beams on her bye run and pushed back to prepare for Sunday’s eliminations in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Julie staged up against Madison Payne. Julie was .039 on the tree and never looked back. Her 5.216, 279.79 lit up her win light in her left lane over Payne’s 5.349, 273.11.
In her 11th career national event final round, Julie took on Joey Severance; the pair had both won three times against the other in elimination rounds in prior events. Nataas and Severance left together on the starting line and the battle was on. Julie had to pedal her dragster but recovered with ease and still managed to clock in with a 5.358, 278.69 but it wasn’t enough to edge out Severance’s 5.239, 276.35.
chevy racing–indycar–grand prix of alabama advance
CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE APRIL 27, 2022
Better at Barber: Chevrolet Riding Strong History to Alabama GPTeam Chevy on rare run to open 2022 racing seasonDETROIT (April 27, 2022) – Chevrolet is hoping to add to a stellar start to the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES this weekend when its teams head to scenic Barber Motorsports Park for the Grand Prix of Alabama. Team Chevy is on a three-race win streak to open the season and heads to a venue where it has enjoyed incredible success during the past decade. It has been 10 years since Chevrolet opened an INDYCAR season with four consecutive victories to signal its return to North American open-wheel racing. The 2017 season was the last time the Bowtie Brand won four races in row when it won five times late the season. The odds appear to be in Team Chevy’s favor this weekend. A Chevrolet driver has won six times with the 2.2-liter, twin-turbo V6 engine at the 2.3-mile, 17-turn circuit just outside Birmingham including four straight from 2015-18. “It’s a gratifying feeling to be able to celebrate with our Chevrolet engineers, drivers and teams at the end of every race win,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet Program Manager for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. “To do so three times to start this season is extra special. I wouldn’t say we are completely surprised because we expect to win every race. But we also recognize the high level of competition in INDYCAR at the moment. Our engineers will continue to work hard to find improvements with our teams to keep Chevrolet at the front each weekend. “As to Barber itself, the track presents a number of challenges. It’s the first natural-terrain road course of the year. That means lots of elevation change and punishing runoff areas that always get the attention of drivers. Consistent power application and fuel management across the hills and around all 17 corners will be key. There’s nothing more we’d like than to go into the month of May and Indianapolis with another victory.” Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden is the hottest driver in INDYCAR with the points lead and consecutive victories at Texas and Long Beach. Now he heads to a Barber Motorsports Park where he has won three times – the most of any driver in the series. A win there by the No. 2 Team Penske Hitachi Chevrolet would net Newgarden the PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge, which rewards the first driver to win on an oval, street circuit and road course in the same season. That driver will share $500,000 with his or her team and donate $500,000 to that driver and team’s chosen charity. Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin won the season’s opening street race at St. Petersburg and sits second in points. With two pole positions in three races, Chevrolet also leads the Engine Manufacturer Championship. In addition to Team Penske, Ed Carpenter Racing has found its share of success at Barber. It won with Newgarden in 2015 and has two additional top-10 finishes at Barber. Chevrolet and the NTT INDYCAR Series continue the 2022 season at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 1 from Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. The race will air live on NBC, the Peacock streaming service and SiriusXM IndyCar Nation (Channel 160). Live timing and scoring will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com. TEAM CHEVY QUOTESJOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 PPG CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: “I love Barber and how close it is to Nashville. Before the Music City Grand Prix, it was kind of my home race to some degree. I love the high-speed nature of Barber. It’s a lot of high-speed commitment from a lot of the corners which makes it a lot of fun to drive. It suits my style, for sure. It’s all about flow and carrying big speed and putting the car on the edge. That’s what I like most about it.””It’ll be fascinating to see how we go on a permanent road course. I think we’ve proven we can have a good street-course car and a good oval car, but we need to have a good road-course car to complete the set. So I’m really looking forward to it.” SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 SONSIO CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET: “Excited to head back to Barber. I think for me it was my first race last year in INDYCAR and it was just trying to take it all in at that point. Now after having a year and a few more races under my belt I am excited to head back to a track I actually originally enjoyed. I love the track. I think it is a roller coaster. It reminds me a lot of the bravery and commitment you need on some of the big tracks in Australia. I think with the experience I’ve gained in the last 18 months, I feel really strong and excited to head back to a track. It really kicks off our road course campaign. It’s the first road course we’ve had this year. I’m excited to see how the car feels like. What the changes we have made in the off-season feels like. It’s been good on the street circuits and ovals. This will be our first road course test and I think we can be right at the front and put Team Chevy in Victory Lane.” DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE INSULATORS CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING: “Can’t wait to get on track at Barber. Barber’s always been one of the cool tracks on thecircuit–it’s a well-maintained, well-put-together circuit. It’s a fun track to drive and challenging physically. It can be hard to pass so we’ll have to be working on that. Obviously qualifying is going to be super important so we’ll be keeping that theme of focusing really aggressively on qualifying through the practice and getting ready for those qualifying runs to get a good start for the race. Looks like ticket sales are going great so looking forward to a busy weekend with all the INDYCAR fans there. The No. 4 K-Line Insulator crew will be ready.” PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN RACING SP:“I love Barber. It’s one of my favorite racetracks because it’s a very high commitment track. I’ve always said it’s one of the most beautiful and well taken care of facilities I’ve ever been too. It’s always a great turnout; I also heard it’s going to be a sold-out event on Sunday so I’m sure it’s going to be a great event for everyone to watch and for us to entertain. Looking forward to continuing on the momentum we have built and getting some great points for our championship.” FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE ARROW McLAREN SP CHEVROLET,ARROW McLAREN RACING SP: “It’s good to be going back to a proper road course, Barber, it’s the first one this year. It’s a great track; it’s a cool, physical, and mental challenge. It’s always a great joy to drive that track. I think as a team both Pato and I, and everyone working on the cars, are ready to have a solid result. We are looking forward to getting some good points to get the season going.” TATIANA CALDERON, NO. 11 ROKIT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING: “I’m really looking forward to Barber. Although I have been there in Star Mazda, I have to say I had to watch a lot of onboards to remember the whole track, so it will be a new track to learn for me. The only thing I remember from Barber was that I had my first podium in Star Mazda there. It’s our first permanent track of the year so I’m excited to be able to explore the limit of the car a bit more freely than in the first two rounds– it’s always tough to do that on a street circuit. “I have spent the last couple of weeks training hard in Florida (good for heat training), as according to some of the drivers and engineers, Barber is one of the toughest tracks physically. I have done a bit more strength work ahead of this weekend and the different format of having only the race on Sunday (and no warmup) may help for that. I expect a big challenge regardless and for sure trying to catch up as quick as possible as most of the drivers or rookies have tested in Barber recently. My goal is still the same to start off where we left in Long Beach and keep improving every session.” WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: “Barber will be interesting. People have tested there, so it could a tough race for us. I finished second there last year so hopefully we can build on the setup a little bit and be pretty good when we get there.” KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO. 14 ROKIT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING:“Looking forward to Barber, it’s an awesome race,” Kirkwood said. “I heard it’s sold out and we’re looking forward to getting back on a permanent road course. It’s a track I’m familiar with and a track that the team’s familiar with, and they’ve had pretty good races there in the past so hopefully that momentum continues and we’ll have a good weekend.” CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING:“Barber is a place where we have been able to test. It’s very fresh in our minds and is a very well-manicured circuit. It’s very different from our street races, obviously. But it also is one of the most physically demanding circuits on the schedule because it has very high G-loads and high levels of grip. It’s an enjoyable circuit to drive. It’s a tougher race circuit until the tires start to wear out and that creates some overtaking. The straights aren’t super-long but it’s a fun track. It’s a little narrow but it doesn’t seem as narrow as a place like Road America, for example.” RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING:“Before Long Beach, we had a great test at Barber Motorsports Park and it made me even more excited to get back there! We have a fast car that can challenge for a Top 5. Ed Carpenter Racing has a strong history at Barber, which is also very good. I really like the track and it’s pretty beautiful in the spring. I might also get a haircut at Barber because it makes sense.” CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 JUNCOS HOLLINGER CHEVROLET, JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING: “After testing the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week, we are looking forward to our first road course race of the season at Barber. Luckily I got the chance to test at Barber and iron out any little issues we may have had so hopefully we can hit the ground running at Barber. It’s a fun track. It will be difficult to overtake in the race, but hopefully we can get a better qualifying run and move up a few places. Otherwise the weather looks a bit questionable so that could make it a bit interesting, but we will have to see. It would be nice to see what this car is like in the wet.” BY THE NUMBERS: CHEVROLET IN INDYCAR· 1: Chevrolet’s position in the INDYCAR Engine Manufacturer standings after three races· 3: Career Barber wins for Josef Newgarden. All have been in Chevrolet-powered entries· 3: Consecutive victories by Chevrolet to open the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin won the pole and race at St. Petersburg. Penske teammate Josef Newgarden won at Texas and Long Beach.· 6: Wins for Chevrolet INDYCAR teams at Barber Motorsports Park· 6: Different Chevrolet drivers to win races dating back to the start of 2020. Scott McLaughlin was the most recent at St. Petersburg· 6: Number of Manufacturer Championships in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012· 6: Number of Team Chevy Driver/Entrant championships since 2012· 9: Wins from pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver· 13: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including past 10 with Chevrolet· 25: Wins by Will Power since 2012. All have come with Chevrolet, giving him the most of any driver with same manufacturer· 39: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver· 98: Chevrolet victories in NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012· 109: Earned poles by Chevrolet since 2012· 168: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR
DEX Imaging Team Ready To Take On Dover
April 27, 2022
Dover Motor Speedway bills itself as the Monster Mile, but Brian Wilson, crew chief of the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang, said he’s not intimidated over the prospects of racing on the fast, one-mile concrete oval.
In fact, he enjoys the challenges of racing there.
“Personally I think Dover is the most underrated track that we go to,” Wilson said. “I love the speed that we’re able to carry on entry [into the turns], the unloading on entry followed by the big landing moment in the center of the corner.
“I love that you can run a diamond in the center of the corner and also have to pay attention to how the track takes rubber with how that affects the line you run.
“It’s a very challenging race track for cars historically with the amount of load that suspension parts see, but it’s also challenging for crew chiefs in that you have to keep up with the track.
“All of that makes it incredibly rewarding when you run well there.”
Wilson said he, driver Harrison Burton and the rest of the DEX Imaging crew are anxious to get back to the race track and put a disappointing Talladega finish behind them.
“I know that everyone on our team is looking forward to the race on Sunday with plans to continue our team’s progress forward,” he said.
Practice for the DuraMAX Drydene 400 is set for Saturday morning at 10:30 Eastern Time followed by qualifying at 11:15.
Sunday’s 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.
Stage breaks are set for Laps 120 and 250.
Hart to Race with TechNet at Circle K Four-Wide Nationals
CHARLOTTE, NC (April 26, 2022) — Every racer eventually finds a race track that for whatever reason they have consistent success throughout their career. This weekend Josh Hart is hoping zMax Dragway outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, will become that track for the second year Top Fuel racer. The team will be racing under the TechNet banner for the first time this season. They will be riding with the two-time Top Fuel winner at the Richmond national event as well. Hart’s relationship with TechNet extends well behind the pit area of his race team.
“I am excited to be running the TechNet Top Fuel dragster this weekend in Charlotte and for the next couple of races,” said Hart, who owns and operates Burnyzz Speed Shop in Ocala, Florida. “They are an amazing partner for us at the track and at Burnyzz. We are proud to be a part of the TechNet family because they do things the way I do things which is offering only the best service and exceptional care.”
Josh Hart, TechNet Top Fuel dragster
TechNet Professional Automotive Service is an elite network of more than 15,000 repair shops across North America. They are locally owned and care about delivering exceptional customer care and service. Their staff is well-trained and only uses quality parts. Much like Burnyzz Speed Shop that are also very tied into their local communities.
The beginning of this NHRA season has seen Hart battle several issues including shaking down a brand-new 11,000 horsepower race car to random gremlins that have short circuited his success. Hart is putting all those issues behind him and heading to a track where he parked his race car in the winner’s circle the last time he was on the property and raced the final quad in his first attempt at four-wide racing.
“I am not a superstitious person, but I do think there are some tracks where racers just have better performance for whatever reason,” said Hart, who won the Carolina Nationals Top Fuel title last fall. “I think the facility at zMax Dragway is one of the nicest we go to on the tour and they have a great crowd. We just need to string together some good runs and put some of these weird issues that have hurt us in the rearview mirror.”
The highlight of the 2022 season has been a semifinal finish at the Arizona Nationals where Hart started as the No. 8 qualifier and then outran Leah Pruett and Rob Passey before dropping a close race to eventual winner Mike Salinas. The consistently quick elapsed times and momentum have popped up at the following two national events, but the team is focusing on building a strong foundation.
JUSTIN ASHLEY TAKING MOMENTUM TO CIRCLE K FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
CHARLOTTE, NC (April 26, 2022) — After a strong showing last weekend at the NHRA SpringNationals in Houston, third year pro Justin Ashley will head to the Circle K Four-Wide Nationals in search of his first four-wide win at the unique event. Ashley powered his Mike Green tuned Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot to the No. 4 position in qualifying and then raced to his second final round of the season. Ashley is solidly in third place in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings five races into the season.
“The Top Fuel category is very competitive, and it’s shown throughout the first few races of the season,” said Ashley. “Each round of racing is equally as important as the next and teams are ready to capitalize on every opportunity. I am looking forward to joining our team in competition at the Circle K Four-Wide Nationals this weekend.”
Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot, photo by Ron Lewis
The 2020 Rookie of the Year collected his third career victory at the season opening Winternationals and has added an additional semifinal finish to his ledger prior to the runner-up finish in Houston. Consistent qualifying times have put the young driver in a great position to succeed. As the second four-wide national event of the season opens this weekend with two qualifying runs on Saturday Ashley knows it will be critical to maximize every pass down zMax Dragway.
“The four-wide events present a unique style of racing we only participate in twice a year,” said Ashley. “One of the major benefits is having an extra qualifying session to get comfortable behind the wheel and collect data. Mike Green and Tommy DeLago do an outstanding job of dissecting that data. Using our technical alliance with Antron Brown Motorsports will be critical at a race like this because of the extra information and number of lanes.”
While the four-wide format has not been kind to Ashley he has enjoyed success at zMax Dragway including two semifinal finishes at the Fall national event. Ashley made his professional debut at the track located just 25 minutes from downtown Charlotte in 2019 qualifying No. 12 and then beating Mike Salinas and Auston Prock before losing a close semifinal race to eventual world champion Steve Torrence. Ashley unveiled a new sponsor at zMax Dragway and this weekend he has donated the firesuit he wore at that event to Speedway Children’s Charities to be auctioned off along with a meet and greet in his pit area. Fans can bid on the firesuit here.
“The work Speedway Children’s Charities does at SMI tracks across the country is amazing,” said Ashley. “When they asked about auctioning off my firesuit I was all for it and I am looking forward to handing it over to the lucky winner in our pits on Saturday. We had a lot of success in that firesuit, including winning the Stampede of Speed Texas Fall Nationals race in Dallas, and I am honored to pass it along in an effort to do our part in helping their cause.”
In addition to the firesuit charity auction Ashley in conjunction with primary sponsor Philips Connect has been raising money for families affected by the situation in Ukraine. Donations have been collected over the past several races with contributors’ names highlighted on the front wing of his Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot. Ashley sees these types of initiatives as being part of a larger movement to be a strong corporate citizen and has aligned himself with companies who share his focus.
Throughout his career he has built successful marketing and awareness programs with Auto Shocker, Lucas Oil, KATO Fastening Systems just to name a few. The young businessman is always looking to work with companies who see the value of NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and the diverse community of fans.
Four rounds of qualifying will highlight Friday and Saturday with final eliminations beginning at noon ET on Sunday. The race will air on FS1 beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Five Teams Compete for O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year
| Batavia, OH (April 26, 2022) – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series officials are thrilled to share the names of five teams that have declared to compete for the title of O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year in 2022: Aston Winger (Team 22, Inc.), Daulton Wilson (JRR Motorsports), Garrett Alberson (Roberts Motorsports), Ross Robinson (Dutch Star Motorsports), Spencer Hughes (PCC Motorsports). Ashton Winger began his racing career in 2009 and has quickly established himself as one of racing’s bright young stars. The youngest driver challenging for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year in 2022; Winger has over 40 career Late Model victories, including major events like the Coors Light Fall Classic and the Billy Clanton Classic. Winger recalls his most memorable moment as winning the Scott Thompson Memorial at East Bay Raceway Park in 2018. Winger has big goals in mind for the year. “I’m thankful for GR and Stacey Smith, and JC Clary for the opportunity. Rookie of the year would be nice but our goal the entire time has been a points championship.” Driver of the #89 Longhorn Chassis powered by Cornett Racing Engines, Winger hails from Hampton, GA. For more information about Winger, visit www.ashtonwinger.com. Daulton Wilson is looking to capitalize on his recent success this season. The 25-year-old has won prestigious races in the Southeast such as the Prelude to the Finals, Cash Money 100, and Carlton Lamm Memorial winner. Stepping into the JRR Motorsports entry this season, Wilson is looking forward to competing in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2022 and achieving his lifelong goals. “Racing at a national level has always been a lifelong dream of mine,” stated Daulton Wilson. “Thanks to James, Justin and the entire JRR Motorsports organization, that dream will come true this year. I look forward to the opportunity to represent everyone that has supported my racing career as I pursue the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Year title in 2022.” The Fayetteville, NC driver, Wilson, pilots the #18D Longhorn Chassis powered by Pro Power Racing Engines. Garrett Alberson brings nearly two decades of experience in his quest for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year. Alberson has been a staple on the Lucas Oil MLRA tour in recent years, winning the midwest regional tour’s Rookie of the Year title in 2020 and finishing second in the series’ championship standings in 2021. Alberson served as Crew Chief for the four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, Earl Pearson Jr., in 2018 and 2019. He has over 50 career victories, including major events like the Thawl Brawl and Harvest 50. “I’m so honored to be a part of this group of rookies taking on this challenge,” said Alberson. “This is for all the car owners and people that have put time and money into helping me pursue this level of racing, I hope I can make them proud. Big thanks to Ken Roberts for believing in me and giving me what it takes to go for it. I’m hoping we can race hard, fail gracefully, and learn what it takes to be competitive at the highest level in dirt late model racing.” Alberson drives a Black Diamond Chassis powered by Clements Racing Engines. For more information on this Las Cruces, NM driver visit www.garrettalberson.com. In 2022, Ross Robinson is celebrating his 25th year of racing by tackling the Lucas Oil Late ModelDirt Series. The Delaware ace began his career in 1997 at the age of seven. Ten years later, Ross made the move to super late models and has since garnered multiple track and regional series championships. Robinson and the Dutchstar Motorsports team now have their focus on achieving national success. Robinson was quick to say, “Being able to join the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series full time and make a run at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the year is more than just a dream come true. It’s a thank you to every person who believed in me and my dream of being a full-time racer. Also, it’s a way to honor my father, who passed away in September, who wanted nothing more than to see me on a national level. This year is going to be a great experience and I can’t thank everyone enough for making all of this possible.” Robinson drives the #7 Longhorn Chassis powered by a Clements Racing Engine. For more information about the Georgetown, DE native visit his website: www.rossrobinson7.com. Spencer Hughes began his racing career in karts in 2008. After much success, he moved to street stocks in 2015 and has since accumulated over 80 career wins along with multiple track championships in street stock, open wheel modified, crate late model and super late model. Now piloting the Indiana-based, PCC Motorsports entry, Hughes aspires to be one of the top performers in our sport. “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to compete in the 2022 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year,” said Spencer Hughes. “A huge thank you to O’Reilly’s for stepping up and being the title sponsor for the Rookie of the Year! As always, I would like to thank PCC Motorsports for giving me this opportunity to be able to compete at the highest level.” The driver of the #11 from Meridian, MS has Longhorn Chassis’ that are powered by Clements Racing Engines and Cornett Racing Engines. For more information about Hughes, visit www.pccmotorsports.com. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year program will pay $15,000 to the winner, $5,000 to the runner-up, and $2,500 to the 3rd place finisher in the Rookie of the Year standings. In addition to the increased cash awards, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year will receive additional product awards from multiple motorsports manufacturers that have partnered with the series in 2022. In addition to the increased cash awards for the Rookie of the Year program, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will pay a $100 cash award to the highest finishing rookie in each feature event from the time of declaration and will be paid out at every feature event throughout the season. O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year Standings: |
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Cadillac takes momentum into Laguna Seca race
| Cadillac DPi-V.R entries aim to complete sweep of podium in West Coast events |
| DETROIT (April 26, 2022) – Completing a West Coast podium sweep is the goal of Cadillac DPi teams this weekend in the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R won the 100-minute race April 9 on the streets of Long Beach (California) to lead a 1-2-3 Cadillac finish in the ultra-competitive class, and the four Cadillac teams will seek a repeat performance May 1. Cadillac Racing Laguna Seca fast facts: Storylines, notes, statistics, driver info and moreCadillac Racing 2022 media guide: Historical statistics, technology transfer and more |
| Following 24-hour, 12-hour and 100-minute races, the 2-hour, 40-minute race on the technical 2.238-mile, 11-turn natural-terrain road course will present its own set of car set-up, strategy, and traffic and tire management issues. Additionally, while the race is longer than the most recent event, the pace will be as intent. “It’s going to be all out,” said Alex Lynn, co-driver of the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R that holds the class points lead. “On our side, we have to maximize everything. It’s about executing the plans, about executing performance and just a lot of focus. Maximizing every single time you’re on track the game plan of each session and being very meticulous in preparation usually pays dividends.” Added Tristan Vautier, co-driver of the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R: “The track is very unforgiving so it’s just finding that right balance because when it’s time to go it’s time to go. You still have to push and be at the limit, but the track grip is so low that it’s very easy to make mistakes. “So, it’s just about finding that right balance between trying to make the most of it without overdriving.” |
| Vautier and co-driver Richard Westbrook, who have finished on the podium in all three races, are three points arrears of Lynn and co-driver Earl Bamber in the DPi standings. The No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R won at Sebring in March and was runner-up to its sister entry at Long Beach. The victory at Long Beach marked the 25th for Cadillac since the inception of the DPi class in 2017. Cadillac DPi entries finished second and third at Laguna Seca in the 2021 race, held on Sept. 12. Green flag is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET/12:10 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 1. The race will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock starting at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along with XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992. Cadillac DPi roster for Laguna Seca No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)Renger van der Zande, Sebastien BourdaisVan der Zande and Bourdais co-drove the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R to the victory on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting from the pole. … It was the 16th IMSA victory for van der Zande and eighth for Bourdais. … Bourdais set the qualifying lap record time in the event. He set the lap record time in earning the pole for the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring. … Van der Zande and Kevin Magnussen co-drove to a second-place finish in 2021 at Laguna Seca. … Van der Zande teamed with Marc Goossens to win the 2017 race at Laguna Seca. He also won the Prototype Challenge race in 2014. No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)Earl Bamber, Alex LynnFirst-year entry in expanded Cadillac Racing DPi program. Bamber and Lynn co-drove to a runner-up finish on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting second. … They, along with Neel Jani, co-drove to victory March 19 in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. … Bamber and Lynn are the DPi championship points leaders entering the Laguna Seca race weekend. No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)Tristan Vautier, Richard WestbrookVautier and Westbrook co-drove to third place on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting fifth. Vautier and Westbrook, joined by Loic Duval, drove to second place in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring and opened the ’22 season by starting second and finishing third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. … Only DPi team to finish on the podium in all three races. … Trails in the DPi championship standings by three points. … Westbrook is a three-time winner in IMSA competition at Laguna Seca (Daytona Prototype-2012, Prototype-2015, GTLM-2016). No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)Pipo Derani, Tristan NunezDerani and Nunez co-drove to fifth place on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting fourth. … Derani and Nunez, joined by Mike Conway, started second and finished third in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring. … The three-driver team started seventh and finished fourth in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season. … Derani and Felipe Nasr were the 2021 IMSA DPi Driver Champions and Whelen Engineering/Action Express Racing was the Team Champion. See the Cadillac lineup Spectators have the opportunity to view an array of Cadillac vehicles, including the exciting CT5-V Blackwing and Escalade-V, at the Cadillac display at the racetrack. Hours are 8 a.m-5 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. |
| Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R Laguna Seca results 2021-2017 2021: Second (No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen Third (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr Sixth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval2020: Third (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr Sixth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Renger van der Zande, Ryan Briscoe Seventh (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Sebastien Bourdais, Tristan Vautier Eighth (No. 84 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Stephen Simpson, Matheus Leist2019: Third (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr Fourth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor Fifth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Felipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa Eighth (No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Tristan Vautier, Misha Goikhberg Ninth (No. 84 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Stephen Simpson, Simon Trummer2018: Fifth (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran 12th in class, 30th overall (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first* – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor * pole DNS (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start ninth — Felipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa2017: Second (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Eric Curran, Dane Cameron Third (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first* – Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor * pole Fifth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start second – Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Bristol Bash Brings Sprint Cars Back to The Last Great Colosseum
Sprint Cars and Late Models Racing for $25,000-To-Win Both Nights at 1/2-Mile
BRISTOL, TN – April 26, 2022 – One of the most anticipated events of the 2022 season, the Bristol Bash, takes center stage this weekend.
The Greatest Show on Dirt is returning to The Last Great Colosseum for an epic doubleheader featuring the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series.
Fans will witness a star-studded field of gladiators battling for $25,000-to-win paydays on both Friday and Saturday at the dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway 1/2-mile. For those unable to attend the breathtaking event, you can watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.
BUY BRISTOL TICKETS (Thur-Sat)
Here’s what to watch for this weekend in Tennessee:
GRAVEL THE GLADIATOR: After a 20-year hiatus from the Bristol dirt, the World of Outlaws returned last year, and Watertown, CT’s David Gravel promptly swept the weekend in his Big Game Motorsports #2. A veteran of the wicked fast 1/2-mile surfaces, DG timed in first and second, won both of his heats, started front row both nights, and parked in victory lane after each Feature.
This weekend, Gravel gets a chance to overtake Sammy Swindell as the winningest Sprint Car driver in Bristol Motor Speedway history with a third triumph. The 29-year-old star enters the Bristol Bash third in points with two victories this season, both of them coming on 1/2-miles at Volusia (FL) and Perris (CA).
DOUBLE DUTY: Two weeks ago, reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson finished fourth on the Bristol dirt in the Cup Series. Now, the Team Hendrick superstar is trading his NextGen #5 for Paul Silva’s #57 Sprint Car and Kevin Rumley’s #6 Late Model as he returns to Bristol this weekend as the only driver doing double duty.
The Elk Grove, CA native is a 25-time winner with the Sprint Cars and two-time winner with the Late Models, the only driver in history to win with both premier Series in the World of Outlaws. He’s a NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series winner on the concrete but still remains winless through eight starts on the dirt. A weekend sweep would mean a $100,000 payday in Bristol.
BEEN HERE, DONE THAT: 10-Time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz is set to become the only driver to compete in every one of the eight Sprint Car events at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. More impressively, the Fargo, ND native has been a contender to win each of his previous appearances at the high-banked, high-speed 1/2-mile.
In the Features he finished, Schatz’s Bristol average is 3.0 with a 2001 victory to his credit. The only race he didn’t finish was due to a radiator while he was leading the first half of the race. The Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Ford Performance #15 was one of three drivers to finish in the top-five both nights last year with his best running coming in second on night two. He’ll be going for his second win at the track and second win of the season this weekend.
EN FUEGO: One of several outsiders making the trip to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend is the hottest Sprint Car driver in the country, Anthony Macri. The Dillsburg, PA native is up to eight 410 victories in 2022 with six of those wins coming in a 10-day stretch over the last week and a half.
The Concrete Kid beat the All Stars at Bloomsburg (PA) and Port Royal (PA) to go along with unsanctioned wins at Port Royal again, Williams Grove (PA), Selinsgrove (PA), and Bridgeport (NJ). He holds an average finish of 1.6 in April as the #39M prepares to hit the Bristol 1/2-mile for the first time this weekend.
BACK-TO-BACK: When it comes to the World of Outlaws tour, Carson Macedo and Jason Johnson Racing #41 enter Bristol with the most momentum following back-to-back wins at I-55 (MO) and Tri-State (IN). The Albaugh entry is currently sitting second in the championship standings (-44) and already owns four wins in 2022, twice as much as any other competitor.
With Philip Deitz on the wrenches, Macedo was impressive in his Bristol debut last year with finishes of third on night one and sixth on night two. The Lemoore, CA native is already the first back-to-back winner this year, and now looks to become the first to record a three-peat in 2022.
STREAKIN’ TO BRISTOL: Both the current championship leader in Brad Sweet and current Rookie of the Year leader in Spencer Bayston will take two of the most impressive streaks on tour to the Bristol 1/2-mile this weekend. Both drivers peaked with an eighth-place result last year in Tennessee, and hope for some improvement as they look to extend their stretches.
Since a season-opening trip to the work area which resulted in a 16th-place run, Sweet and the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49 have been nearly flawless with 14 consecutive top-seven finishes. The Grass Valley, CA native leads the Series in Podiums (8) and Top-Fives (12) with his closest challengers several away.
Although winless, Bayston and the CJB Motorsports #5 team have proven themselves as legitimate season-long contenders in only their first foray together. The 23-year-old Lebanon, IN native is at a career-best six straight top-10 finishes including a season-best second-place finish at Lake Ozark. Both Bayston in the Indy Race Parts #71 and CJB with Paul McMahan at the wheel were top-10 finishes at Bristol last year.
NEW CHANCES: For Logan Schuchart and Aaron Reutzel, this weekend represents a new chance at a Bristol win after coming so close in 2021. Both drivers were David Gravel’s biggest competition in stopping the sweep last year but barely missed out on sealing the deal.
Schuchart, of Hanover, PA, controlled the opening 23 laps of last year’s finale before engine issues saw $25,000 slip away from the #1S. The Shark Racing, DuraMAX, Drydene Performance Products #1S enters this weekend with their best streak of the year following three consecutive top-five finishes through Missouri and Indiana.
After finishing on the podium both nights last year in the Roth Motorsports #83, Reutzel returns to Bristol this week in the RSR, Toyota Racing, Mobil1 #8. The Texan sat on the pole of this year’s season opener and earned a third-place finish at the Volusia 1/2-mile.
Cruz pedregon–charlotte advance
NHRA® Team Report
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals – Charlotte
Pre-Race Report
Cruz Pedregon loves a good four-wide race and he and the team are looking forward to strengthening their fourth place standing in the NHRA Funny Car ranks this weekend. Fans will remember Cruz’s 2018 win in Charlotte that reenergized the team and earned him his 36th Wally as a Funny Car pilot. Heading into North Carolina, the team is coming off a quarter final finish in Houston last weekend and has worked to resolve some clutch issues to have the Snap-on® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge® SRT® Hellcat® ready for the zMAX Dragway Friday.
“Four-wide is my favorite format and at this sixth-race point in the season we’re solid, hanging right in there – that’s been our goal,” says Cruz. “We’re a top five car and we’re proving it since we’ve qualified top five for the first five events. It shows how fast and consistent our car is. We just need to get a little race luck and this weekend we plan to make our own luck.”
For the race, the Snap-on Dodge will once again sport the car body that highlights primary sponsor Snap-on’s call to the Makers and Fixers to share their stories at makersandfixers.com. The Nitro Franchisee on the side of Cruz’s car this week is a “maker and fixer” himself. Matt Hemby was an auto technician before he became a Snap-on franchisee six years ago. This will be his first NHRA race, so it will be a baptism by nitro for this self-proclaimed gearhead. Cruz will be riding along with Matt on his Snap-on route Thursday meeting customers and talking tools and NHRA racing.
CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA
| Monterey on our MindGTD PRO points lead for Garcia, Taylor, No. 3 Corvette and Chevrolet |
| For one, the Corvette has 80 additional kilograms of mass (176 pounds) and a 12 percent decrease in air flow, per updated GTD rules. The other big difference is the use of customer Michelin tires for GTD instead of specially designed Michelins that were allowed in GTLM. Lots of testing and hours of hard work have paid off as the team continues to understand how best to extract the maximum amount of performance from the current Michelin tire. That should come in handy given the high amount of tire degradation that typically occurs around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit. What’s more, this is the first “normal” two-hour and 40-minute IMSA race of the season. The previous three events have been 24 hours (Daytona), 12 hours (Sebring, a Corvette victory) and 100 minutes (Long Beach). | CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of this weekend’s Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship. Materials include: · IMSA race advance and quotes· Summary of changes to the GTD PRO Corvette C8.R· Corvette Racing Laguna Seca stats and figures· Corvette Racing Fast Facts· Driver biographies |
| Garcia and Taylor would like nothing more than to win on the Monterey coast and head into the Le Mans break with the championship lead. They placed second in GTLM the last two years, but there is a considerable amount of experience and success that they can use to challenge for a victory this year. Corvette Racing has won eight times at Laguna Seca since 2004, and the circuit is one of two that the team has raced at in each of its 24 seasons to date. Sebring is the other, and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta will join the list at the end of the season with the 10-hour Petit Le Mans. The Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET/12:10 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 1. The race will air live on the NBC Network and stream on Peacock starting at 3 p.m. ET/Noon PT. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along with XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992. |
| 2022 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After Three of 11 Events)Driver Standings1. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 9902. Mathieu Jaminet/Matt Campbell – 9603. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 9194. Cooper MacNeil – 8305. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 816 Team Standings1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 9902. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 9603. No. 14 VasserSullivan – 9194. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 8305. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 816 Manufacturer Standings1. Chevrolet – 1,0002. Porsche – 9603. Lexus – 9494. Mercedes-AMG – 9385. Aston Martin – 886 CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: By the Numbers• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 24 years at Laguna Seca: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.• 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 23 previous years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (later this year). • 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2020-present).• 4: Laguna Seca victories for the current Corvette Racing lineup – Antonio Garcia (three) and Jordan Taylor (one).• 8: Number of Laguna Seca victories for Corvette Racing dating back to 2004.• 12: Victories at Laguna Seca for Chevrolet in IMSA competition.• 13: Drivers who have competed for Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca. Of those, eight went on to win at Monterey.• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.• 25: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen.• 121: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 109 in North America and eight at Le Mans.• 254: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.• 13,294.73: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 23 previous trips to Laguna Seca. That represents 6,023 laps… or more than 780 trips around Carmel’s famous 17-Mile Drive.• 339,546.96: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history – covered “just” 248,655 miles. Simply put, the program has raced to the moon and back… and then some. Corvette Racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (wins in bold)1999No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel – 2nd in GTS 2000No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS (Fellows pole)No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Justin Bell/Kelly Collins – 4th in GTS 2001No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS 2002No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 5th in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS 2003No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS 2004No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GTS (O’Connell fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GTS (Beretta pole) 2005No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap) 2006No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 3rd in GT1No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Beretta fastest race lap) 2007No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 2008No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 2009No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT2 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 10th in GT2 2010No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 6th in GT2No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT2 2011No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 5th in GT 2012No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Gavin fastest race lap) 2013No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GT 2014No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM 2015No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 7th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM 2016No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM 2017No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM 2018No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM (Gavin pole) 2019No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap) 2020No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap) 2021No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap) |
Showtime Motorsports Battle Hard at Laguna Seca, Head to Sonoma for Better Luck
| Salinas, CALIFORNIA – April 25, 2022 – The Franklin Road Apparel Showtime Motorsports team has become accustomed to podium and high place finishes this season in both the TA and TA2 classes. This weekend the Tennessee-based outfit experienced the other side of the motorsports coin with both Cameron Lawrence and Carl Rydquist enduring the kind of misfortune that tests any driver’s patience with circumstances beyond their control. Round 4 of the 2022 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship season TA2 Class turned into a very rough race for Texan pilot Lawrence, who entered the event running P2 in the Championship. Past champions Lawrence and Rydquist lined up on the grid full of anticipation having qualified in P9 and P12 respectively in times of 1:28:996 and 1:29:374. This put both drivers in the top quarter of the crowded TA2 field. However, Cameron got spun round at Turn 3 on the very first lap after contact dropped him down to P21. By Lap 7, the two Franklin Road drivers were in P16 and P17, picking off the cars in front of them when the opportunity arose. Unfortunately, a braking issue meant that Carl found the gravel on Lap 17 but he remained positive afterwards, “Overall the weekend’s been really promising for the whole team. We have a car under us with a set up that’s much more drivable. I was really looking forward to the race. But then we have a brake leak issue that we thought we’d sorted out. It came back yesterday morning and we thought we’d identified what was wrong, but it materialized on Lap 3. I was hoping to finish the race but in the end the pedal went all the way down and I ended up in the gravel. Looking forward to Sonoma, we’ll be able to recover, and the car is intact. We’re super excited. The cars are very promising and qualifying within .75 of (2021 champion) Rafa (Matos), that’s a personal milestone.” Meanwhile, Cameron Lawrence had battled his way back to the top ten and was having an epic duel with Adam Andretti. At the final restart there was contact on track with multiple cars and Cameron was forced off the track. Showtime principal Ken Thwaits alluded to the rough nature of the race when we spoke to him afterwards. “It was a pretty exciting race for TA2 today. They went green the first half of the race. Cameron was battling and made it to the top ten and then on the last restart he got roughed up badly. Unfortunately, the driver and owner meetings don’t seem to be accomplishing anything, at least not for us.” “For TA2 at Sonoma we’ll replace body panels and brake pads and we’ll be ready to go. We’ve got solid cars. Every race the chalkboard is clean. We had a great time here at Laguna. We just don’t have the results to show for it.” Next up for Carl, Cameron and the Showtime team will head to the second leg of the California doubleheader continuing to Sonoma next weekend. CBS Sports Network Air Times This weekend’s races from Laguna Seca will air on CBS Sports Network the week following the event. TA/XGT/SGT/GT will premiere on Thursday, April 28 at 8:00 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation on Saturday, April 30 at 11:00 p.m. ET. TA2 will first air on Sunday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET, with an encore later that night at 10:00 p.m. ET. Check out all the action on the Trans Am Series channel here: https://youtube.com/c/TheTransAmSeries Fans can find the Franklin Road Apparel Trans Am clothing online here: https://www.franklinroad.com/search/trans+am/ Visit the team’s website for Showtime Motorsports showtimemotorsports.net. Learn more about the Showtime Motorsports team partner, Road Apparel, at franklinroad.com and keep up to date with the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at gotransam.com. #GoTransAm Check out the Showtime Motorsports Facebook page: facebook.com/showtimemotorsp/ and @ShowtimeMotorsp on Instagram. About Showtime Motorsports: The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwaits’ racing team and racecars, and an outstanding classic Camaro collection. Showtime Motorsports brings together a dynamic staff who employ diverse talents and share a passion for cars, racing and caring for clients like they are our own family members. |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Late Models Take on The Bristol Bash
Erb, Blair, Richards, Bloomquist and more get ready for Thunder Valley
BRISTOL, TN– April 25, 2022 – A rumble of high-speed thunder rolls through the Volunteer State as the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models return to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bristol Bash.
For the second consecutive April, The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet hit the high banks of “The Last Great Colosseum” in search of a win at one of the world’s iconic facilities.
Joining the Late Models at the three-night spectacular is the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars—the only time you’ll see both premier Series’ together until the World Finals in November.
The Bristol Bash kicks off Thursday, April 28 with a practice session before racing action begins on April 29-30.
Drivers will run a pair of 30-lap CASE Construction Equipment Features with $25,000 on the line, and the iconic Bristol sword.
TICKETS: https://bit.ly/39egVMG
If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App.
Here are the storylines to keep an eye on entering the Bristol Bash:
Tune Up the Band: Dennis Erb Jr. has caught fire to start the 2022 World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series title. The Carpentersville, IL driver extended his points lead last weekend at Atomic to 44 points over Rookie of the Year contender Max Blair.
After driving through the field to score back-to-back top-fives, Erb has shown he’s a factor in every race he enters.
His lone World of Outlaws win this season came at Volusia Speedway Park, a similar track to Bristol Motor Speedway in size. Erb hopes to keep his momentum rolling at a track he struggled at in 2021—his best finish is a 13th.
Pennsylvania Power: Blair is also off to a fast start in 2022.
In his last five World of Outlaws races, the Centerville, PA driver hasn’t finished outside the top ten, including a win at Cherokee Speedway and three top-fives.
While there’s a learning process in his first year on a National Tour, he tends to be better on the second night on a new track. This weekend will be the first laps he turns on the Bristol Motor Speedway surface, one he’ll have to tame to stay within striking distance of Erb.
Blair is also coming off a victory on Sunday night, scoring a $10,000 triumph at West Virginia Motor Speedway.
Rocket Repeat: Last season was the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models’ first appearance in Thunder Valley. The inaugural winner was one of the two most accomplished drivers in Series history—Josh Richards.
The “Rocket Man” inherited the lead from Jimmy Owens and held on to win the event in the Clint Bowyer Racing #14 car.
This season, he returns to Bristol behind the wheel of a car owned by fan-favorite Boom Briggs.
If Richards can find Victory Lane again this weekend, it’ll be his 79th career Series triumph, breaking the tie for most wins with reigning champion Brandon Sheppard.
He enters the weekend eighth in the points standings, 204 points behind Erb.
Rookie Shine: The Outlaw Invasion at Atomic Speedway saw Tyler Erb and Brandon Sheppard grab victories, but it was also a good weekend for the 2022 World of Outlaws Rookie Class.
Blair, Tanner English, and Gordy Gundaker scored a top-five over the weekend, while Kyle Hammer grabbed a top ten during Saturday’s event to go along with a Heat Race win.
While Blair has a stranglehold over the field in the battle for Rookie of the Year, they have shown they may be able to find Victory Lane on any given night as the season moves forward.
Yung Money Double: Only one driver is pulling double-duty this weekend with the World of Outlaws Late Models and Sprint Cars—2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson.
“Yung Money” is looking for his first win on dirt at Bristol and will make his first appearance in World of Outlaws CASE Late Models competition at the track this weekend.
The Elk Grove, CA, driver scored two Series wins in 2021 and finished third in his only appearance with the Series this year at Volusia Speedway Park.
Larson could take home a potential $100,000 if he sweeps all four Features at the track this weekend.
Smokin’ Hot: No driver has had more success at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2022 than Chris Madden.
“Smokey” has two victories at the half-mile already this year and has the chance to make it four by the end of the weekend. He also owns the track record.
The last time we saw the Gray Court, SC driver, he was in Victory Lane at Volusia Speedway Park and missed out on a DIRTcar Nationals “Big Gator Trophy” by one point.
Madden is searching for his 34th career Series Victory.
Superman Returns: Jonathan Davenport makes his return to World of Outlaws CASE Late Models competition this weekend at Bristol.
The last time “Superman” raced with the Series, he swept the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte and comes into the weekend with momentum.
Davenport scored his first win of 2022 last weekend at All-Tech Raceway and hopes to find a potential $50,000 in his bank account with a Bristol sweep.
The Blairsville, GA driver, finished eighth and 11th at last year’s Bristol Bash.
Black Sunshine is Back: 2004 World of Outlaws Series champion Scott Bloomquist is expected to return to Series competition this weekend at “The Last Great Colosseum.”
“Black Sunshine’s” last Victory came in 2020 at Thunder Mountain Speedway, but the Mooresburg, TN driver, has been knocking on the door for a checkered flag recently.
Bloomquist scored a fourth and a sixth at Bristol earlier this year and hopes to bring home state fans to their feet with a win this weekend.
LAST TIME OUT: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models are coming off a weekend at Atomic Speedway that saw Brandon Sheppard and Tyler Erb grab their first Series wins of 2022.
For Sheppard, it was his 78th career CASE Feature win tying him with Josh Richards for most all-time.
Tyler Erb’s victory was his third career World of Outlaws win—all at Atomic Speedway.
WHEN AND WHERE
April 28-30, Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN
ABOUT THE TRACK
Bristol Motor Speedway is a 1/2-High Banked track
Online – www.bristolmotorspeedway.com
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2022- Josh Richards on April 9, Devin Moran on April 11
TRACK RECORD
14.950 set by Chris Madden on April 1, 2022
On the Internet
World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series
Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
Around the Turn: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet travel Wisconsin for the 2nd Annual Dairyland Showdown at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, WI.
WHEN AND WHERE
April 28-30, Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN
ABOUT THE TRACK
Bristol Motor Speedway is a 1/2-High Banked track
Online – www.bristolmotorspeedway.com
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2022- Josh Richards on April 9, Devin Moran on April 11
TRACK RECORD
14.950 set by Chris Madden on April 1, 2022
On the Internet
World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series
Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
Around the Turn: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet travel Wisconsin for the 2nd Annual Dairyland Showdown at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, WI.
Feature Winners: (10 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA- 2
Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-1
Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1
Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1
Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
HEAT RACE WINNERS (23 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Dale McDowell-Chickamauga, GA-6
Brandon Sheppard- New Berlin, IL-6 - Chris Madden-Gray Court, SC-5
- Max Blair, Centerville, PA-3
Devin Moran-Dresden, OH-3 - Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2
Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-2
Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2
Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-2
Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-2
Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-2
Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-2 - Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE-1
Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1
Frank Heckenast, Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1
Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1
Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1
Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1
Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1
Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1
Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
Last Chance Showdown Winners (20 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Max Blair, Centerville, PA-3
- Cade Dillard-Robeline, LA-2
Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2 - Hudson O’Neal- Martinsville, IN-1
Logan Martin, Plains, MO-1
Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1
Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA-1
Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1
Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1
Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
Chase Osterhoff, Kankakee, IL-1
Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1
Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-1
Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1
Anthony Sanders, Spartanburg, SC-1
Banjo Duke, Sumter, SC-1
Steve Casebolt, Richmond, IN-1
Austyn Mills, Cincinnati, OH-1
Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
Andy Bond, Coolville, OH-1
PODIUM FINISHES (19 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums
- Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-4
Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-3
Max Blair, Centerville, PA-3 - Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2
Chris Madden, Gray Court, NC-2
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2 - Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1
Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1
Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1
Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1
Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1
Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1
Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1
Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER (9 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.
- Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-2
- Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1
Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1
Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1
Carson Ferguson, Concord, NC-1
Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1
SLICK WOODY’S QUICK TIME Award (8 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
- Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2 - Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-1
Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1
Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1
Trent Ivey, Union, SC-1
Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1
CASE Feature Lap Leaders (13 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led
- Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-65
- Max Blair, Centerville, PA-60
- Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-52
- Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-40
- Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-39
Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-39 - Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-29
- Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-25
- Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-25
Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-18 - Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-15
- Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-11
- Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-2
2022 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & Winners
No./ Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thursday, Jan. 20 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Dale McDowell (1)
2. Friday, Jan. 21/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Ashton Winger (1)
3. Wednesday, Feb. 16/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Brandon Overton (1)
4. Thursday, Feb. 17/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Dale McDowell (2)
5. Friday, Feb. 18/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Dennis Erb Jr. (1)
6. Saturday, Feb. 19/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Chris Madden (1)
7. Friday, March 25/Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, SC/Michael Brown (1)
8. Saturday, March 26/Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, SC/Max Blair (1)
9. Friday, April 22/Atomic Speedway, Waverly, OH/Tyler Erb (1)
10. Saturday, April 23/Atomic Speedway, Waverly, OH/ Brandon Sheppard (1)
ASHLEY MAKES FINAL ROUND APPEARANCE IN FINAL HOUSTON EVENT
J.R. Todd’s GR Supra to Semi-Finals
HOUSTON (April 24, 2022) – Justin Ashley drove his Toyota Top Fuel dragster to the final round in Sunday’s final NHRA national event at Houston Raceway Park. Ashley lost to a holeshot by race winner Brittany Force. J.R. Todd made a semi-final appearance with his GR Supra while Toyota teammate Alexis DeJoria was involved in an accident in Round 1, but was okay following the incident.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Houston Raceway Park
Race 5 of 22
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS — Race Winner: Brittany Force
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Justin Ashley | Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Final Round | W. 3.74 vs. 5.078 (Foley)W. 3.792 vs. 3.803 (Prock)W. 3.760 vs. 3.778 (S. Torrence)L. 3.763 vs. 3.767 (B. Force – holeshot win) |
| Steve Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Semi-Final | W. 3.711 vs. 4.041 (Hull)W. 3.744L. 3.778 vs. 3.760 (Ashley) |
| Billy Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Semi-Final | W. 3.726 vs. 3.772 (Kalitta)W. 3.799L. 3.924 vs. 3.848 (B. Force) |
| Shawn Langdon | DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Round 2 | W. 4.774 vs. 4.973 (Pruett)L. 5.589 vs. 3.773 (B. Force) |
| Doug Kalitta | Mobil 1 Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Round 1 | L. 3.772 vs. 3.726 (B. Torrence) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Round 1 | L. 5.439 vs. 3.754 (Millican) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS — Race Winner: Matt Hagan
Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Semi-Final | W. 4.008 vs. 5.475 (Tasca III)W. 4.004 vs. 4.074 (Campbell)L. 10.851 vs. 3.937 (Hagan) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Round 1 | L. (accident) vs. 3.957 (Bode) |
TOYOTA QUOTES
JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Davis Motorsports
Final Result: Final Round
Can you talk about the day overall and specifically the run in the final round?
“It was a good day. Truthfully, I didn’t do my job in the final round and that cost us the win and it’s very disappointing. We gave it all that we had today and the team did a great job. We had a little bit of an issue ther in the semi-finals and they were able to turn the car around and make it happen in time, which is just incredible. It’s a testament to the team and the entire group that I have. This one’s on me. We’ll regroup and get to Charlotte to get after the win.”
J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports
Final Result: Semi-Final
How do you feel about your progress in today’s event?
“This race track can definitely be the equalizer that we need, especially when the sun can get on the track. It has bumps and a lot of character. We’ve won here in the past so we know how to get it done. This is some good momentum with our GR Supra, but we’re still learning but making progress. Thank you to everyone at DHL and Toyota Gazoo Racing North America for the support.”
SHAWN LANGDON, DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
Final Result: Round 2
In Round 1, you won a ‘pedalfest’ against Leah Pruett, what was that like from the driver’s seat?
“Well I didn’t show it, but we got the win light which was good. It’s so hard at this track — it’s a good track, but it’s just getting through the whoop sections out there is a little bit difficult to navigate. I was just a little aggressive on getting back on the pedal and it kept smoking the tires and I really got lucky to get that round win. I didn’t really do a great job but better than our opponent and that’s all that matters. Got a round win and that’s good. We need that for DHL and CMR Roofing and Toyota, everybody. Everyone that has stuck with us through some challenges in recent races.”
ALEXIS DEJORIA, Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, DC Motorsports
Final Result: Round 1
What happened in Round 1 when the car made contact with the wall?
“I’m mad at myself. I just tried a little too hard and the backend came out on me and I hit the wall. Sorry to my guys. They have a lot of work to do. I think the chassis is messed up so that’s never a godo day. Just really mad and just sorry to everybody, especially my team. Just tried really hard and missed it.”
NARC SPRINT CARS HEAD TO CHICO FOR DAVID TARTER MEMORIA
(4/25/22) Sacramento, CA … The NARC Fujitsu General 410 Sprint Cars will travel to the historic Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California this Saturday, April 30th for the tenth annual David Tarter Memorial.
The event honors the late driver who tragically passed in 2012, less than a year after he claimed Silver Dollar Speedway’s Rookie of the Year honors. On top of being a promising talent behind the wheel, the Chico native was admired in the community, and his home track has hosted a night of racing in his honor since 2013. Saturday’s Fujitsu General USA Feature will award $3500 to the winner as a tribute to Tarter’s car number.
Proceeds and donations raised at the event will go to the David Tarter 35 Foundation which benefits the pediatric ward of Chico’s Enloe Medical Center. The foundation has already helped raise more than $20,000 for Enloe.
Saturday will mark the second race of the 2022 NARC campaign. The West Coast’s premier 410 sprint car series has made more than 200 trips to Silver Dollar Speedway since the first visit back in 1968, but this will be the first since the promising new promotional group, SLC Promotions, took the reigns.
The trio that composes the group, Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson, and Colby Copeland, are excited to welcome NARC for the special event as they continue to usher in a new era at the quarter mile dirt oval.
“Tarter was a great guy on and off the track because he would do anything for anyone to help them out,” Copeland said. “He didn’t have a very big budget at all but would give his shirt off his back if a guy needed it.
“It’s cool to help the David Tarter Memorial race keep going because he was loved by so many people,” Copeland added. “It’s awesome to see how many friends and family come out to support the Tarter race. Hopefully we can do a good job and live up to the hype the Tarter Memorial brings.”
Championship Chase
After high winds forced the cancellation of the Anthony Simone Classic, the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car standings look the same as they did after the season opener at Stockton early this month.
Colby Copeland leads the way courtesy of his dominant win at the NARC opener. However, with his promoting obligations this weekend Copeland will have to exit the cockpit and relinquish the points lead.
Full-time series drivers Dominic Scelzi (2nd in points), Mitchell Faccinto (3rd), and Willie Croft (5th) are primed to take over the point lead early in their championship hunts. A host of others chasing the title are also hoping to make leaps in the standings this weekend.
Who to Watch
A driver everyone will be keeping their eyes on is Elk Grove native Paul McMahan. The 1994 & 1995 NARC runner-up is flying in from his home in Tennessee and is climbing back in Clyde Lamar’s iconic TRI-C Machine with hopes to wheel it to Silver Dollar Speedway victory lane one more time as the ultimate tribute to the late car owner. Before he became a star on the World of Outlaws tour, McMahan cut his teeth in California and picked up his fair share of checkered flags in the No. 3C. McMahan is a four-time NARC feature winner at Silver Dollar Speedway with a trio of those coming in the TRI-C Machine. Also helping to honor Clyde Lamar will be a celebration of life at the track at 12:30 P.M. on Saturday.
“I’m semi-retired,” McMahan said. “But I couldn’t retire without driving Clyde Lamar’s car in Chico one last time.”
There is no track more synonymous with success on Tim Kaeding’s NARC resumé than Silver Dollar Speedway. Of TK’s 71 series victories, 18 of them have come in Chico. During one stretch of the San Jose driver’s career from 2003 to 2008, Kaeding put together a run of 20 consecutive NARC top-fives at Silver Dollar Speedway including 11 of his 18 total wins.
Aromas’ Justin Sanders has developed a reputation as one of the best on the bullrings, and he’ll look to add to that this weekend. Sanders has won in two of his last three series starts at Silver Dollar Speedway including NARC’s most recent trip for last year’s Louie Vermeil Classic finale.
A driver hungry to get to victory lane with a good shot Saturday is Colfax’s Willie Croft. Croft hasn’t snagged a NARC checkered flag since a 2018 triumph at none other than Silver Dollar Speedway. The track is also home to his inaugural series win back in 2004.
Also expected to compete this Saturday are Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Hanford brothers Mitchell and Michael Faccinto, Benicia’s Billy Aton, Hanford’s D.J. Netto, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Sebastopol’s Joel Myers Jr., Australian Kerry Madsen, Clovis’ Corey Day, Roseville’s Sean Becker, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, Idaho’s Logan Forler, the brothers from Lincoln Tanner and Blake Carrick, Angelique Bell from Sacramento, and more.
Fan & Competitor Info
The NARC-King of the West Hoosier Tire format will feature ARP Fast Time Qualifying, four 10-lap Heat Races, a six-lap Sunnyvalley Bacon Trophy Dash, a Kaeding Performance Semi and the Fujitsu General USA Feature.
The pit gates will open at 2:00 P.M. with the front gates following at 4:00 P.M. The drivers meeting will take place at 4:45, and cars will hit the track for wheel pack at 5:15 with hot laps and qualifying set to follow.
Adult General Admission tickets are $25. Seniors ages 60+ and juniors ages 12-15 will be admitted for $20. Kids ages 11 and under will be admitted for just $5. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or in advance via the following link: https://www.eventsprout.com/event/silver-dollar-speedway-2022.
Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds at 2343 Fair St, Chico, CA 95928. For more information visit silverdollarspeedway.com or call (530) 891-6535.
The David Tarter Memorial will be broadcast live on floracing.com along with the entire NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car schedule.
NARC RACE TEAMS: Flowmaster or Spintech mufflers are required at Silver Dollar Speedway.
David Tarter Memorial Winners
2013 – Sean Becker
2014 – Kyle Hirst
2015 – Craig Stidham
2016 – Kyle Hirst
2017 – Kyle Hirst
2018 – Kyle Hirst
2019 – Kyle Hirst
2020 – cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 – Justin Sanders
2022 NARC King of the West Fujitsu 410 Sprint Car Series
Championship Points Standings (After one event in 25-race series)
- Colby Copeland, Roseville – 117
- Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 115
- Mitchell Faccinto, Hanford – 113
- Shane Golobic, Elk Grove – 112
- Willie Croft, Colfax – 111
- Justin Sanders, Aromas – 110
- Tim Kaeding, San Jose – 109
- Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 108
- Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 107
- Corey Day, Salinas – 106
- Michael Faccinto, Hanford – 105
- Max Mittry, Redding (R) – 104
- Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR – 103
- Kerry Madsen – Sydney, AUST – 102
- Colby Thornhill, Emuclaw, WA – 101
- DJ Netto, Hanford – 100
- Billy Aton, Benicia (R) – 99
- Logan Forler, Boise, ID (R) – 98
- Blake Carrick, Lincoln – 97
- Dylan Bloomfield, Discovery Bay (R) – 96
- Geoffrey Strole, Hanford (R) – 95
- Joel Myers Jr, Sebastopol (R) – 94
- Josh Weisz, Colfax (R) – 93
- Angelica Bell, Sacramento (R) – 92
- Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA – 91
The NARC Fujitsu General USA Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires and Floracing.com. Associate and product award sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, Dirt.Travel, FK Rod Ends, Johnstone Supply, Kaeding Performance Center, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, KSE Racing Products, Maxim, Pyrotect, Roth Motorsports, Safecraft Safety Equipment, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, SCI Racing Products, Scelzi Enterprises, Starr Property Management, Swift Metal Finishing, Sunnyvalley Bacon, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Lite Brakes, Vortex Wings, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Winters Performance Products.
SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION
Website: www.NARC410.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NARCKingoftheWest
Facebook (history page): https://www.facebook.com/NARCSprintCarHistory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NARC410
Instagram: www.instagram.com/narc410
YouTube: NARC410
Live Stream PPV: Floracing.com
UPCOMING EVENTS:
May 13 – Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare – Peter Murphy Classic (Night One)
May 14 – Keller Auto Speedway, Hanford – $11,000 to win Peter Murphy Classic
May 21 – Petaluma Speedway, Salute to First Responders
May 26 – Southern Oregon Speedway, Central Point, OR – Fastest Four Days in Motorsports
May 27 – Willamette Speedway, Lebanon, OR – Fastest Four Days in Motorsports
May 28 – Grays Harbor Raceway, Elma, WA – Fastest Four Days in Motorsports
May 29 – Grays Harbor Raceway, Elma, WA – Fastest Four Days in Motorsports
CONCORD, N.C. (May 01, 2022) – John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS team dominated the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. After securing the No. 1 qualifying position and setting both ends of the track record, Force, the defending event winner, rallied to his 155th career victory, first of the season and third in the zMAX Dragway Four-Wide.
CONCORD, N.C. (May 1, 2022) — Legendary drag racer John Force was fast all weekend at zMAX Dragway and closed out the deal with his first win of 2022 and 155th overall in the Funny Car class.