The 10-time Series champion has mastered the iconic Ohio oval through the course of his career

ROSSBURG, OH (July 17, 2025) – A major piece of Eldora Speedway lore is a story surrounding the charismatic Earl Baltes, and Donny Schatz is no exception.

Well before he was even close to earning the first of his now 10 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car championships, the aspiring racer made the mistake of downplaying Eldora with a camera on and a microphone in front of him.

“Back in the days when we had TNN doing the coverage, Steve Evans was a commentator,” Schatz recalled. “When we went to Bristol that first time, Steve Evans wanted to compare Eldora and Bristol, and honestly, there was no comparison. That Bristol place was an insane amount of banking, insane speed. It had so much bank that if there was a car next to you, it was a different elevation up, and you couldn’t see them out the right side at all.

“So, Steve Evans, he came and asked me a question about what I thought of it. And I’m like, ‘Man, I don’t know what to say.’ Anyway, I just said it makes Eldora look like a wussy track. I was young and wasn’t very refined with what came out of my mouth or pretty much anything at the time. Man, did Earl take offense to it. He singled me out at the next drivers meeting. He went after me and called me a joker and said that I’d never won at his racetrack.”

Welcome to Eldora, Donny.

But like most stories involving track founder Baltes, that moment was merely a bump in the road on the path to profound friendship between him and the Schatz family. And that “joker” Baltes called out wound up finding his way to Eldora Victory Lane on more than a few occasions.

The Rossburg, OH oval has become one of the largest pieces of Schatz’s sure-fire Hall of Fame résumé. He’s won 19 times at the iconic 1/2-mile dirt track, including six Kings Royal crowns, just one shy of Steve Kinser’s record for the most and a record he could equal this weekend (July 18-19) at the 42nd running of the crown jewel. Another highlight is topping the 2002 Historical Big One.

One of the ways Schatz stands out at Eldora is his maneuverability. He’s become known for being able to find speed in any of the many lanes Eldora offers, especially in the slick, where several struggle. That expertise didn’t come overnight. The Fargo, ND legend worked and worked, determined to be able to go where few are willing to go for pace.

“When the big races came around in the summer, everything got slick and that’s when the money was up,” Schatz said. “We really focused on trying to work on the slick stuff. There were times when there’s a car on the top and car on the bottom, you didn’t have much of a choice. You had to try to run through. It’s not like we ever just focused on the middle; we just tried getting our car stuck.”

Schatz’s Eldora success is special to him beyond the history and prestige the track already holds. It’s amplified by the fact he’s done most of his winning there while driving for the same man who now owns the track, Tony Stewart.

“Smoke” purchased “The House that Earl Built” in 2004, and Schatz began driving for Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing in 2008. Since joining forces, Schatz has taken the No. 15 on 16 trips to Eldora Victory Lane, including all but one of his Kings Royal crowns. Through that time, Stewart has continued to push Eldora to new heights in many ways and carry on the legacy established by Baltes. Both Schatz and Stewart have progressed and evolved their interests over the years, and Eldora unites them.

“Tony’s got great people in everything he’s ever been involved in,” Schatz said. “He’s obviously got great people at Eldora. Even though times change and people change, he still has great people there. It’s kind of funny; it’s one of those places where you’d think we’d go there and get a good parking spot or something, but when this truck rolls in, they make sure if they’re going to be hard on someone, they’re hard on this one. It’s almost like a competition to show him that we don’t care who you are, we’re going to do the best we can by anybody. He’s done a tremendous job with it. It’s crazy to see how the races have grown. The crowds have grown.”

The latest measurement of growth will be this weekend as The Greatest Show on Dirt invades Eldora for the 42nd running of the Kings Royal. Saturday’s winner will take home a record $200,000 in riches. Even with some 2025 struggles, expect Schatz to be in the running for another trip to the throne.

Six of Schatz’s last seven Eldora visits have resulted in podiums, including five runner-ups. The tricky 1/2 mile still suits Schatz perfectly. He’s still got the fire. He’s still got the drive. He wants to be crowned King once again.

“When you look back at the guys that have won it, Steve Kinser, Jac Haudenschild, Sammy Swindell, they’re all guys that I looked up to as a young driver,” Schatz said. “When you think of the Kings Royal, you think of that great big throne and the cape and the crown and the scepter and all those things. I remember the first time I won it. I was so excited. It’s kind of like someone giving you a hat, and you’ve got to give it back after the pictures are over, and I was like, ‘You guys aren’t getting this stuff back.’ And they were like, ‘Oh no, we’re getting it back.’ So, I said, ‘Over my dead body you are. I’m putting this on the wall at home. I’m keeping this. Yeah, I had to pay for it. I got in trouble.”

Schatz goes after a record-tying seventh Kings Royal crown this weekend (July 18-19) at Eldora Speedway. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

TULSA, OK (July 17, 2025) — This Friday at Creek County Speedway, the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) family salutes one of its closest friends and one of Tulsa’s biggest dirt track racing supporters in the fifth annual Don Swope Classic.

Swope, a carpenter by trade, was one of the most respected workers and loved friends of the construction team that transformed the Tulsa Expo Center into the venue that has held the marquee Chili Bowl Nationals and Tulsa Shootout events.

After working as part of ASCS founder Emmett Hahn’s crew at the iconic motorsports events for many years, Swope passed away from cancer in 2020 at the age of 66. In his honor, the Don Swope Classic memorial event was spawned in 2021, and today continues to honor his local legacy with the presentation of the big check, case of libations and pair of overalls — as Swope regularly wore around the racetrack.

“Swope was the go-to for anything we ever needed,” said Chili Bowl Nationals announcer and publicist Bryan Hulbert. “He worked for Emmett and Fuzzy Hahn at Expo since the early days on the carpenter crew. He helped out at Creek (County Speedway) even in the early days when it was being built. He built a lot of the stuff that we used at Creek for years.

“Swope was there anytime we needed him. The thing about him is he would quite literally give you the shirt off his back. And we joke with him because he always wore overalls, so we said, ‘Well, he won’t give you the shirt, but he’ll give you the overalls.’”

Swope first appeared around the racetracks of Oklahoma, racing six-cylinder Modifieds at places like Creek County, during the time when Hahn was also in his driving career. However, as Hahn explains, it wasn’t until several years later that he befriended Swope and discovered his talent outside the racetrack.

“When we remodeled our house about 10 years ago, he and another guy spent almost a year doing a complete makeover on our house, and that’s when I really got to know him,” Hahn said. “He was there every day.”

Swope was also known for taking care of all Chili Bowl Nationals and Tulsa Shootout staff and officials in an RV compound behind the west end of the building, known to those as “the outback.” As Hahn says, it was a space for staff to come and get a cooked meal from Swope and a break from the non-stop racing.

“At Chili Bowl and Shootout and everything, when it came to me needing something done, he was just my right arm,” Hahn said. “If I needed steps made up here to this or a door over here on this… I’d just call him and forget it because he’d just get it done.

“Without Swope there, The Outback is just not what it used to be. Without Swope, it’s just not the same.”

Don’t miss the American Sprint Car Series stars salute Don Swope at Creek County Speedway this Friday, July 18, in the fifth annual Don Swope Classic. Tickets for the event will be sold at the gate on race day.

If you can’t be there to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto1.786-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuitToronto, OntarioRace AdvanceJuly 18-20 Detroit (July 18, 2025) – Fourteen Chevrolet-powered drivers and their teams head ‘north of the border’ to Canada for the Toronto Indy for the 39th INDYCAR SERIES race on the 1.786-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuit.  The middle stop in a gruelling stretch of four races between July 12th and 27th, that has the NTT INDYCAR SERIES travel from Newton, Iowa, to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Monterey, California.  Since 1987, 207 drivers have made starts on the shores of Lake Ontario in the shadow of the CN Tower, powered by Chevrolet engines, with iconic names like Fittipaldi, Unser Jr., Andretti, Tracy, Bourdais, Newgarden, Power, and Pagenaud all taking the Bowtie to victory.  At 90 laps, this year’s race around Exhibition Place is five laps longer than last year and the longest race on the street circuit since 2003. Team Chevy Bright Spots  One driver, Álex Palou has won over half of the season’s races, however, there have been several bright spots for Team Chevy drivers. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward is the only driver to complete all 1685 laps contested so far this season, while his teammate Lundgaard has only missed a single lap of action, with A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci only missing two laps, making them the top three on the percentage of laps completed leader board. O’Ward, Lundgaard, Ferrucci and Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Conor Daly are four of the six drivers that do not have a DNF (Did Not Finish) on their 2025 resume. Lundgaard has been running at the end of 19 races going back to the 2024 season, the longest streak of the active drivers. O’Ward and Palou are tied with an average finishing position of 2.7 across the four oval races so far this season, with the Arrow McLaren driver outscoring his rival 168 points to 167 points on the ovals.

The No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crew of O’Ward and Palou’s No. 10 crew have 11 top ten finishes in the Firestone Pit Performance Awards, tying them for best groups on pit road.Ferrucci has the been the busiest NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver on race day, gaining 72 spots from where he started in the dozen races contested this year.

Chevrolet on the Streets Of Toronto  Chevrolet-powered drivers representing seven teams have visited victory lane at Exhibition Place in Toronto 13 times, with the current twin-turbo, 2.2L V6 engine winning seven of the thirteen races since 2012 and the turbo-charged 2.65L V8 winning six of seven races between 1987 and 1993. That included Michael Andretti’s first of seven wins on the tricky street circuit, as well a popular and raucous win by West Hill, Ontario’s Paul Tracy, the first and only Canadian to win an INDYCAR SERIES on home soil. (final lap video below)

Cars with a Bowtie on the engine have earned 12 poles, and started from the inside of the front row 13 times, including six pole wins by Team Penske, including drivers Simon Pagenaud (twice), Danny Sullivan (twice), Emerson Fittipaldi and Josef Newgarden. Between 1987 and 1993, Danny Sullivan finished second or third on five occasions, powered by Chevrolet to lead the podium parade for the Detroit, Michigan-based manufacturer, which has had 36 drivers stand on the podium. That includes 19 in the twin-turbo, 2.2L V6 era and 13 total by Team Penske. Twenty-four Chevrolet-powered drivers have led 1194 laps on the unique street circuit on the shores of Lake Ontario, with Al Unser Jr. (182), Michael Andretti (153), Emerson Fittipaldi (123) and Josef Newgarden (113) all leading over 100 laps.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES): A.J. FOYT RACING David Malukas, No. 4 Clarience Technologies/A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet You had a great start and finish at Iowa, and you have two top-six starts in three races at Toronto. These tracks are polar opposites. Why do you think that you are good at both? DM: “I think it comes down to having good cars. It’s something that we’ve had success in– running on street courses and ovals. Those kind of tracks have been more of my strong suit. Even going back through the ladder series, going up to IndyCar, we seem to have had success at these tracks. So I don’t know why but it’s something that I’ve just managed to jump and connect with at both. And obviously the results show on track.” You earned a second top-five finish last weekend. How important was that race to boost morale for you and the team? DM: “It was, of course, very important. We learned a lot from race one, and we took our learnings into race two and managed to secure that result. We were on for a really good race, but of course, IndyCar and yellows. It’s just how the story played out, and we still ended up fighting back to a p4 finish, which was a really good race for us. So we’ve been on a really good qualifying streak, so to start seeing some more consistent result in the races, feels good.” What is the most challenging part of the Toronto track? DM: “Obviously the bumps and close quarters with all the walls, the whole track is very tough. I guess you could say the first sector, so after the alternate start line, right where pit lane is, that whole sector is very high speed, and having some close quarters with the walls, that is probably the toughest part of the circuit. But in general, the whole Toronto track requires a lot of technique and skill to make sure that you’re fast, but also pushing the limits on those walls.” What is the key to going fast there? DM: “It’s all about risk management. How far can you push the car to get as close to the walls as possible without actually hitting them. That is how you’re going to be fast there. That’s how you get the maximum speed. And there’s a fine balance that all the drivers need to work on to try to be quick there.” What is your favorite restaurant in Toronto? DM: “My favorite restaurant? I don’t know exactly what the name was called, but it is a sushi restaurant, and it’s a tradition that I go there every year. I have it saved on my phone on Google Maps, but I don’t remember the exact name. It’s a sushi place that’s very, very good.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Sexton Properties/A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet:You had a wild ride at Toronto last year. What triggered that? And does it cause you any trepidation going back this year. SF: “The wild ride was due to IndyCar not calling a yellow fast enough. But no, it doesn’t cause me any concern this year. I think it was a freak, freak accident. So I’m excited to get back and have a good result.” This will be your fourth start at the track that hasn’t been very kind to you. What did you learn from the street courses this season that will help you at Toronto? SF: “You know, I think Toronto has been more unlucky than unkind. And you know, I’ve been just consistent at the other tracks, and I think if I can have some of that same consistency this weekend, it’ll go well for us.” What is the most challenging part of the Toronto track? SF: “I see the most challenging part of the track is probably the area by pit lane. Just very bumpy, very technical, just a massive string of four corners put together where you really need a solid car balance.” What’s the key to going fast there? SF: “I think the key to going quick at Toronto is just to make sure that we have the front grip that we’ve been lacking in some of these potential other street courses, and we used to have a really good feeling for the car, and that’s kind of the biggest thing.” What is your favorite restaurant in Toronto? SF: “Favorite restaurants? Probably Barberian’s, a classic Steakhouse, obviously. A.J. used to love it there. I go every year. I’ve already got my reservation to go back again on Saturday.” ED CARPENTER RACING Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet:“The Toronto circuit is one that is always a great mix of exciting and challenging. I am looking forward to competing there again after missing last year’s race. The fans really help make the event and it has a great atmosphere! We have had a challenging couple of weekends but we are ready to get back to fighting at the front.”Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Chevrolet: “I’m really looking forward to racing this weekend in Toronto! We had two Top 10s last weekend, so there’s definitely some momentum on our side. Hopefully we can keep building on that and come away with another strong result.” PREMA Piers Phillips – CEO, PREMA Racing INDYCAR “Toronto is a classic street course – tight, technical and completely unforgiving. There is very little room for error between the walls, and it demands a lot from the car and driver. This is also the fourth race in a run of five, which makes it even tougher for the whole team. We’ve learnt a lot from the other street courses this season, so we will put all of that together to aim for a good result in the final one this year.” TEAM PENSKE Josef Newgarden, No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet: “Toronto has always been a special place for me. It was one of my first INDYCAR SERIES wins in 2015 and helped me get to the place I am today with Team Penske. It’s a very demanding circuit but that makes it so much sweeter when you win there. The fans are passionate with great energy, and you can feel that in the car.”  Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Gallagher Team Penske Chevrolet“The backdrop of downtown Toronto – one of the largest cities in the world – makes this such a unique event. It has been one of the models of what a street race could be, and you see this type of racing becoming popular in all types of series around the world. It’s a beast of a track with the Canadian winters making it an ever-changing surface that is tough to begin with.” Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet: “Toronto has been one of the premier events on the schedule for years. Canadians love our sport and have contributed a lot of great drivers over the years. But it’s also one of our most challenging tracks and probably the street circuit that undergoes the most change year over year. That makes it a great challenge every time we go back, and we all love that about Toronto.”

Chevrolet on the Streets Of Toronto Chevrolet wins on the Streets Of Toronto: 13 2019 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske 2017 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2016 – Will Power – Team Penske2015 – Josef Newgarden – Ed Carpenter Racing2014 Race #2 – Mike Conway – Ed Carpenter Racing2014 Race #1 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology2012 – Ryan Hunter-Reay – Andretti Global1993 – Paul Tracy – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Al Unser Jr. – Galles Racing1989 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1988 – Al Unser Jr. – Galles Racing1987 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Patrick Racing Chevrolet poles on the Streets Of Toronto: 12 2019 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske2018 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2017 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske2016 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing2015 – Josef Newgarden – Ed Carpenter Racing2014 – Race #1 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology1993 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1992 – Bob Rahal – Rahal Hogan Racing1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1989 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Patrick Racing1988 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske  Chevrolet podiums on the Streets Of Toronto: 36 Chevrolet podiums on the Streets Of Toronto by driver:  Danny Sullivan (5), Helio Castroneves (4), Michael Andretti (3), Sebastien Bourdais (3), Emerson Fittipaldi (3), Tony Kanaan (2), Josef Newgarden (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Will Power (2), Bob Rahal (2),  Al Unser Jr. (2), Mario Andretti (1), Eddie Cheever (1), Mike Conway (1), Luca Filippi (1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1), Felix Rosenqvist (1), and Paul Tracy (1) Chevrolet podiums on the Streets Of Toronto by team: Team Penske (13), Galles Racing (5),, Ed Carpenter Racing (4), Newman Haas Racing (4), Chip Ganassi Racing (3), Dragon Racing (2), Patrick Racing (2) Andretti Global (1), Arrow McLaren (1), KV Racing Technology (1), and Rahal Hogan Racing (1) Chevrolet laps led on the Streets Of Toronto: 1109 Chevrolet laps led on the Streets Of Toronto by driver: Al Unser Jr. (182), Michael Andretti (153), Emerson Fittipaldi (123) Josef Newgarden (113), Will Power (97), Simon Pagenaud (84), Sebastien Bourdais (79), Helio Castroneves (74), Scott Dixon (56), Paul Tracy (54), Danny Sullivan (50), Ryan Hunter-Reay (36), Scott McLaughlin (28), Tony Kanaan (19), Rinus VeeKay (18), Mike Conway (7), Mario Andretti (6), Jordan King (6), Pato O’Ward (3), Luca Filippi (2), JR Hildebrand (1), Charlie Kimball (1), Spencer Pigot (1) and Felix Rosenqvist (1) Chevrolet laps led on the Streets Of Toronto by team: Team Penske (519), Galles Racing (182), Newman Haas Racing (159), Chip Ganassi Racing (74), Patrick Racing (74), Ed Carpenter Racing (64), Andretti Global (36), Dragon Racing (20), Arrow McLaren (4), A.J. Foyt Racing (1), Carlin (1) and Panther Racing (1) Manufacturer History on the Streets Of Toronto Wins (with competition): 13 – Chevrolet (2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 Race #2, 2014 Race #1, 2012, 1993, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987)10 – Honda (2024, 2023, 2022, 2018, 2013 Race #1, 2013 Race #2, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1996)4 – Ford (2000, 1995, 1994, 1992)1 – Toyota (2002)1 – Mercedes (1997)1 – Cosworth (1986) Earned Poles (with competition): 12 – Chevrolet (2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 Race #1, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988)11 – Honda (2024, 2023, 2022, 2013 Race #2, 2013 Race #1, 2012, 2001, 2000 1999, 1998, 1996)2 – Ford (1995, 1994)2 – Cosworth (1987, 1986)1 – Toyota (2002)1 – Mercedes (1997) ** 2014 Race #2 – Helio Castroneves (Team Penske Chevrolet) started from the pole on driver points after qualifying was rained out** Historical Chevrolet in the INDYCAR SERIES information INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturer Championships (since 1979) Chevrolet-Powered Wins in the Twin-Turbo 2.2L V6 Era (2012-present) Chevrolet-Powered Wins (All-time)

Interview with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA team principal Dieter Gass and notesDETROIT (July 17, 2025) – An interview with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA team principal Dieter Gass, former head of Audi Motorsport, and additional Rolex 6 Hours of Sāo Paulo notes following Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA 1-2 finish: * The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R is the only of FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar entry to score points in each of the five races. CHART* Cadillac, in its third year of WEC Hypercar competition covering 20 races, sits second in the Manufacturers’ Championship with three races left. It gained two positions with the Sāo Paulo results.* The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R (Alex Lynn, Norman Nato, Will Stevens) moved up three positions to third (68 points) in the Drivers’ Championship and is 37 points out of the lead with a maximum 91 points available over three races.* The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, which has started from the pole the past two races, is the only Hypercar entry to qualify in the top 10 in each race.* The victory Sunday was Cadillac Racing’s 32nd (IMSA/WEC since joining prototype competition in 2017).* Cadillac Racing has 235 podiums (IMSA/WEC) since 2017.

Q: First year as a factory team, five races in, a lot to digest and learn, and now a second consecutive pole and double podium. You must be quite proud?“Well, it was a fantastic day for us really, for everybody at JOTA and GM, everybody was really craving for that success. And the car was fast. We’ve seen that many times already last year, but the results didn’t come until Sunday. Everything was falling together and we even managed to get a one-two, which is really something absolutely outstanding.”Q: With your long involvement in global motorsports, you know it’s not easy or quick to put together a successful program. Would you speak to some of the things that have gelled for JOTA and GM?“I think, at the end of the day, we’re still learning. You have to admit that. In Sāo Paulo, everything fell together nicely so that was good, but we’re still learning. I mean five races into that program, into that cooperation with Cadillac is not a lot. There’s still plenty of things to discover as well as plenty of things to improve. So, obviously, I’m not going to sit back and relax. We’re going to try and move on and hopefully carry on that way.” Q: From the competition side, the engineering side, the drivers, open communication, is it difficult to make those things mesh quickly and be on the same page?“I think open and transparent communication has always been a JOTA thing. We have always done that from day one. We have been pushing that as well in the cooperation with GM and with the IMSA teams, because we have seen it as well in the previous years with where we were a customer team with a different manufacturer. In the first year, they were struggling a lot. I think they were benefiting from us getting original information, but at the end of the day, between year one and year two, they made a big step and that was mainly because they managed to coordinate the two programs in IMSA and WEC. And this is something that we could observe from the first row, basically. And that was one of the reasons why we have been pushing that from the beginning, why we are interested in doing that and why we’re going to continue pushing that. But there’s still plenty of things to learn as well with the drivers for me is still a reasonably big thing as well because if we know everybody’s super emotional with a thing and especially the drivers when they’re in the car. For me, personally, there’s still a lot to be understood on how they think, how they work and how effectively get the best out of them.” Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA is back in action September 5-7 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, where Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber qualified third and drove to a fourth-place finish in the Cadillac V-Series.R in 2024.

Media resources* Photos for editorial use | * Cadillac 2025 WEC statistics | * Cadillac all-stime statistics

Davis Fisher (67), James Ott (19), Briar Bauman (3) and Dallas Daniels (32) race during the Mission Challenge at the Silver Dollar Short Track. [Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 16, 2025) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is pleased to announce that the Jackpine Gypsies Super TT will take place on Friday, August 8, 2025, at the legendary Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, South Dakota. With the help of Caterpillar’s cutting-edge grade and payload technology, AFT Events and the Jackpine Gypsies will construct a one-of-a-kind hybrid track featuring both dirt and asphalt sections that will provide exciting challenges for riders and a thrilling experience for fans to watch. With the Jackpine Gypsies Short Track Doubleheader kicking off the week on Monday, August 4 and Tuesday, August 5, the updated date for the third AFT National will provide a thrilling close to the 85th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally week. Tripleheader of American Flat Track Nationals at the 85th Sturgis Rally With the addition of the August 8 Jackpine Gypsies Super TT, Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club will now host all three of the American Flat Track Nationals during the 85th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The Jackpine Gypsies are the founders of the Black Hills Rally & Races which started in 1938 with a flat track motorcycle race and has grown into the cultural center of American motorcycling that it is today. With the 2025 schedule of racing at Jackpine Gypsies, fans will once again have the opportunity to experience multiple rounds of AMA Pro Racing-sanctioned professional motorcycle competition at one of the country’s longest-running AMA-chartered motorcycle clubs. Here’s the stacked schedule of American Flat Track events scheduled to take place at Jackpine Gypsies during rally week in 2025:Monday, August 4 – Jackpine Gypsies Short Track I: Round 10 of the 2025 season features the new Mission Triple Challenge format with three consecutive races for the top 16 riders in the AFT Singles and Mission AFT SuperTwins classes, plus the season debut of the AFT AdventureTrackers division.Tuesday, August 5 – Jackpine Gypsies Short Track II: Round 11 of the season, all three classes will take on the traditional flat track format of Heats, LCQs and Main Events under the lights.Friday, August 8 – Jackpine Gypsies Super TT: Round 12 of the season, where riders will tackle a TT course that includes portions of the Short Track and surrounding area with right-hand turns, a jump and even an asphalt section for the first time at this venue. This is a can’t-miss finale to AFT’s Rally Week presence.Gates open for fans at 4:30pm MT each day, with practice & qualifying set to kick off at 5:00 p.m. MT and with opening ceremonies scheduled for 8:00 p.m. MT, the stars of American Flat Track are set to provide three nights of bar-banging, dirt track motorcycle racing for rally-goers and racing enthusiasts alike. AFT AdventureTrackers Expansion Not only will the world’s fastest flat track motorcycle racers in Mission AFT SuperTwins and AFT Singles presented by KICKER classes be gunning for precious championship points, but fans will also witness the thrilling return of the AFT AdventureTrackers class at all three Sturgis events. The new AFT AdventureTrackers class debuted last year on the streets of downtown Sturgis, showcasing intrepid racers on dual-sport/adventure motorcycles and tapping into the Class C racing roots that served as the foundation of both the rally and the sport of flat track. In addition, the AFT AdventureTracker class is now a four-round AMA Pro Racing National Championship, starting in Sturgis and ending at the Peoria TT on August 16, 2025, where the inaugural class champion will receive the coveted AMA National #1 plate. As all four rounds for AFT AdventureTrackers are now scheduled to take place at traditional flat track venues, adjustments to the technical rules will be made to provide additional opportunities for participation from manufacturers and riders with mid-displacement dual-adventure motorcycles. Fan Experience Highlights The new partnership between AFT Events and the Jackpine Gypsies will also bring entertainment features to the fan experience, including:Free Pit Access: Every ticket includes paddock access from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., meaning every fan will have a pit pass during those hours to get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.Family-Friendly Admission: Kids 12 and under get in free with a paid adult, making it an affordable outing for families. Student general admission is just $20 with ID, so college and high school fans don’t miss out.Pre-Race Q&A: Get insider insights with rider Q&A sessions before Opening Ceremonies. Hear from championship contenders about how they plan to tackle the short track and the TT course.Choose Your Viewing Experience: There are plenty of ways to catch the action, from grass-roots hillside seating to upgraded seating options in the main grandstand, portable stadium chairs or VIP access for those looking for premium comfort and enhanced views.Tickets for all three races, the Jackpine Gypsies Short Track I & II (August 4 & 5) and the Jackpine Gypsies Super TT (August 8), are now available via Tixr, American Flat Track’s official ticketing vendor. To purchase Jackpine Gypsies Short Track I tickets, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2025-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-i-144070 To purchase Jackpine Gypsies Short Track II tickets, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2025-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-ii-144071 To purchase Jackpine Gypsies Super TT tickets, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2025-jackpine-gypsies-super-tt-151359 How to Watch  FloRacing  For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2025. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.  FS1  FOX Sports coverage of the Jackpine Gypsies Super TT, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 24, at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT). For the full season broadcast schedule and more information on Progressive AFT, visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

For many drivers, Dover Motor Speedway lives up to its “Monster Mile” nickname. But in his relatively short NASCAR career, Josh Berry has shown a knack for taming the high-speed concrete oval. This weekend, Berry will return to one of his favorite tracks carrying the red and yellow colors of Advance Auto Parts on the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Wood Brothers Racing. Berry’s resume at Dover speaks for itself. In three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he’s posted one win and two runner-up finishes. Since moving to the NASCAR Cup Series, he’s earned a pair of top-15 finishes – 10th and 14th – at the demanding one-mile circuit. “From the first time I went there in the Xfinity car I felt really comfortable,” Berry said. “I remember before I went there for the first time I was pretty intimidated going to a place like that and not knowing what to expect.” As it turned out, that apprehension quickly faded. “Even back then when I was making my first start there we didn’t have practice or qualifying either, so it’s a place that I took to well,” he said. “We obviously got the win there with [JR Motorsports]. Their cars were always really strong there, and I was able to carry that confidence into the Cup Series too. “It’s a place that’s probably my favorite track. It’s a lot of fun racing there. I’ve had some really good days, so it’s one I’ve got circled coming up that I’m excited to get to.” Despite its reputation for speed and intensity, Berry says that’s part of what makes Dover so enjoyable. “It’s fast,” he said. “I think that’s what I enjoy the most about it. I think it’s just how fast it is and how it feels to have it down in the corners there. I just felt really comfortable going that fast.” It might seem unexpected from a driver whose roots are in short-track racing, but Berry has always felt at ease on high-speed circuits. “Even when I first started Xfinity racing, as much as I short track raced, going to some of the intermediate [tracks] I always felt really comfortable at the two-mile intermediates – places like that that are fast, and Dover kind of fits that,” Berry said. “I’m excited to get there for sure.” As part of the race weekend festivities, Berry will be signing autographs at the Advance Auto Parts store in Dover (422 S. Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901) on Saturday, July 19, at 9 a.m. The No. 21 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang show car will also be on display. Spots are limited to the first 150 customers with proof of purchase – no minimum spend required – so fans are encouraged to arrive early. Practice for Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover is scheduled for Saturday at 1:35 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 2:45 p.m. ET. The green flag is set to wave Sunday just after 2 p.m. ET, with Stage breaks planned at Laps 120 and 250. TNT will carry live coverage throughout the weekend.

BATAVIA, Ohio (July 16, 2025) – The Summit Racing Equipment “Super Twelve” awarded the top twelve drivers in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP, each earning a cash bonus based on their position in the championship point standings. The Summit Racing Equipment Super Twelve is the second of four bonus rounds in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP. The Summit Racing Equipment Super Twelve honors the top twelve drivers competing for a record points fund exceeding $1.3 million.  Jonathan Davenport claimed the top spot in the Chase for the Championship and earned $5,000, while each driver afterward received a $1,000 bonus. The rest of the top twelve included Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Garrett Alberson, Brandon Sheppard, Brandon Overton, Daulton Wilson, Carson Ferguson, Donald McIntosh, Daniel Hilsabeck, and Spencer Hughes. Summit Racing Equipment Super Twelve Payout: 1. $5,000, 2. $1,000, 3. $1,000, 4. $1,000, 5. $1,000, 6. $1,000, 7. $1,000, 8. $1,000, 9. $1,000, 10. $1,000, 11. $1,000, 12. $1,000 = Total $16,000

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Dover Motor SpeedwayJuly 19-20, 2025

With a pair of road courses in the rearview mirror, the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series will return to a traditional oval – taking on the track deemed the “Monster Mile”.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Kicking off the sport’s annual visit to Dover Motor Speedway will be the Xfinity Series in Saturday’s BetRivers 200, where Chevrolet will contest to extend its monstrous season win streak to 12-straight in the division. On Sunday, NASCAR’s premier series will take its turn on the concrete oval in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. The 400-mile race will mark the penultimate race in NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, where Kaulig Racing’s Ty Dillon will carry the banner for the Bowtie brigade into the Final Four.  Chevrolet at the “Monster Mile”In over 55-years of playing host for NASCAR, Chevrolet has earned a combined 76 wins across the sport’s top-two divisions at Dover Motor Speedway including 43 Cup Series wins and 33 Xfinity Series wins – a record that leads its manufacturer competitors.

The Bowtie brand last visited victory lane at Dover Motor Speedway in the debut race for the Next Gen car (2022) – a win by Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott that led the manufacturer to a podium sweep with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (second) and Ross Chastain (third). In addition to leading the series in overall wins, Chevrolet also holds the record for consecutive wins in NASCAR’s top division at the track with six-straight (2013-2015). Also earning record-setting success at the “Monster Mile” is Hendrick Motorsports, who heads into the weekend with 22 all-time Cup Series wins at the track – a feat exactly double the next leading organization, Joe Gibbs Racing, with 11 wins. Four of the six active past Dover winners come from the Chevrolet camp including Kyle Busch, who is the series’ only active three-time winner at the Delaware venue.

TY DILLON REPRESENTS TEAM CHEVY IN FINAL FOUR On a final lap pass at Sonoma Raceway, the Cinderella story continued for Team Chevy’s Ty Dillon – driving his No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet to yet another upset finish en route to a spot in the Final Four for NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge. The race to the one-million-dollar grand prize started at EchoPark Speedway, where Dillon picked up a season-best eighth-place finish. The 33-year-old Welcome, North Carolina, native has since driven his Kaulig Racing-prepared Chevrolet to a trio of top-20 finishes to keep their team in the fight – a journey that saw matchups with top seed driver, Denny Hamlin, and former Cup Series champion, Brad Keselowski. Next on deck, Dillon and the No. 10 team will face Toyota’s John H. Nemechek for a spot in the championship round.

EYEING DOUBLE-DIGITS With yet another masterful performance making left- and right-hand turns, Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen took the checkered flag at Sonoma Raceway to become the NASCAR Cup Series’ fourth three-time winner this season. With now three-straight wins for the Bowtie brigade, the manufacturer will look to climb into a double-digit win count in Sunday’s 400-mile race at Dover Motor Speedway. Chevrolet’s series-leading nine trips to victory lane have come with five different drivers – giving the manufacturer the most early playoff berths heading into the final six races of the series’ regular season.

Busch Closing InWith a pair of top-10 finishes and stellar points days, Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team has been the biggest mover up the playoff standings – gaining nine points to now sit just 37-points below the cutline heading into the Dover race weekend. The momentum comes in advance of a strong track for the 40-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, native. Busch most recently drove his Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet to a fourth-place result at the “Monster Mile” – his 14th career top-five finish at the track to lead the series’ active drivers. The feat is among a handful of series-leading statistics for Busch at the Delaware venue, with the Team Chevy driver also pacing the field with three wins, four runner-up finishes, 22 top-10s and 1,375 laps led in 36 career starts.

JR MOTORSPORTS CLOSING IN ON A MILESTONEIt’s been a strong summer stretch for JR Motorsports, with the Chevrolet organization earning a trip to victory lane in five of the past six NASCAR Xfinity Series races. With its most recent win at Sonoma Raceway last weekend, the Chevrolet organization is closing in on milestone feat – heading to Dover Motor Speedway with 98 all-time Xfinity Series wins.  JR Motorsports made the leap into the Xfinity Series in 2005, with the organization’s first win coming at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2008 with Mark Martin behind the wheel. JR Motorsports reached its first landmark victory during the 2020 season at Richmond Raceway when veteran driver, Justin Allgaier, drove the organization’s No. 7 Chevrolet entry to its 50th all-time win in the series. A partner from its inception, JR Motorsports has helped power Chevrolet to its last two milestone victories in the series with Chase Elliott’s victory at Richmond in Sept. 2015 marking the Bowtie brand’s 400th all-time Xfinity Series win, and Josh Berry delivering the manufacturer its 500th all-time Xfinity Series win at Las Vegas in Oct. 2022.

Scott, Caruth Among Notable NXS EntriesA trio of Team Chevy drivers with Rev Racing roots will be reunited at Dover Motor Speedway this weekend. Joining Rev Racing alumni and now full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Nick Sanchez, for Saturday’s 200-mile race will be Lavar Scott and Rajah Caruth.  Lavar Scott is set to make his Xfinity Series debut at the “Monster Mile” with Alpha Prime Racing. The 21-year-old New Jersey native is currently in his sixth season competing with Rev Racing. Last season, Scott took on the ARCA Menard Series full-time – closing out the campaign with the ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors. With his sophomore season well underway, the Team Chevy driver currently sits third in the points standings and just 17-points out of the lead.  Rajah Caruth will be making his return to the Xfinity Series for the first time since 2023 this weekend – piloting a third entry for Jordan Anderson Racing. Caruth made his series’ debut at Richmond Raceway in April 2022, with this weekend’s trip to Dover Motor Speedway marking his 20th career start in the division. The 23-year-old Georgia native signed with Rev Racing in 2019 – becoming the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity Development driver that began his racing career on iRacing. Caruth moved up into the NASCAR national ranks in 2022 to compete in his rookie campaign in the Truck Series. The accolades in his young Truck Series career includes two victories, as well as the title as the series’ Most Popular Driver (2024).

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 20 NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 9Poles: 10Laps Led: 2,459Top-Fives: 42Top-10s: 89Stage Wins: 19

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete: Wins: 17Poles: 12Laps Led: 2,366Top-Fives: 65Top-10s: 125Stage Wins: 27

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 15 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete: Wins: 6Poles: 2Laps Led: 854Top-Fives: 35Top-10s: 71Stage Wins: 7

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Dover Motor Speedway:   Kyle Busch – three wins (2017, 2010, 2008)Chase Elliott – two wins (2022, 2018)Alex Bowman – one win (2021)Kyle Larson – one win (2019) ·        In 106 NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover Motor Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 43 victories – two of which came in the series’ last four races at the track with Chase Elliott (2022) and Alex Bowman (2021).  ·        With Connor Zilisch’s win at Sonoma Raceway, Chevrolet carries a double-digit win streak of 11 consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series wins this season. The victory – Chevrolet’s 17th in 19 Xfinity Series races this season – have been earned by 10 drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.  ·        Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 12 of the 20 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.  ·        In 128 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 61 victories – a winning percentage of 47.66%.  ·       With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 875 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Challenge Round 4 – AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400Sunday, July 20, at 2 p.m. ET(TNT, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity SeriesBetRivers 200Saturday, July 19, at 4:30 p.m. ET(CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhen you see Dover Motor Speedway coming up on the calendar as a driver, what are some things that come to mind that you know you have to concentrate on or be key on, that you may not have to worry about at other tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule?“Intensity is the first thing I think. You know, you’re going to have a wicked up pace at Dover Motor Speedway. It’s a fast, impressive place, and breathtaking when you go off in the corner.  It’s one of those places that it gets the heart pumping.” You have three top-10s at Dover Motor Speedway. What’s it going to take to get a fourth, and why is this track so tough?“It’s physically demanding. The car is getting beat up a lot. I feel like the way the track is, you’re going from these big elevation changes down into the corner and out of the corner. It puts a lot of G-force load on you. I think trying to find a car that works well while your tires are worn from the concrete is tough. There are a lot of challenges at Dover Motor Speedway, and it’s not the easiest place to pass once it gets rubbered up.” For a new fan, how would you explain the difference between driving on concrete versus asphalt tracks?“When the rubber starts to fill those crevices in the concrete, the best way I could explain it is your front tires feel very greasy, like they just kind of slide across the top of the track and you don’t really feel them ever take a good bite. You’re sliding up, and when it’s ready to go back left, you pick up the gas and try and get back going. On asphalt tracks, you always have that edge. You can feel the right front. At Dover Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, you’re a little bit on top of the track as it rubbers up.” Dover Motor Speedway is challenging because you go from 24 degrees of banking to nine degrees. Is this one of the tracks that you have to play that game the most of ‘loose is fast’?“Our practice session on Saturday morning is important because as the track changes during the race, you need one balance at the beginning of practice that you probably aren’t going to have during the race. So you’re trying to set up for race pace, but you go really fast at the beginning when the track rubbers down, so the pace changes tremendously and you’ve got to have a good team behind you that can keep up with that. As a driver, I’ve got to know that it’s not going to drive perfect at all times. You look forward to when the rubber gets laid down because you’re going to have a better car at that point in the race.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet“Our (No.) 5 Team always seems to be fast at Dover; I like that it has multiple grooves, and you can move around to find speed. Our team could really use a good solid weekend to get back on track.”   Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletComing off a strong performance in Sonoma, what are you looking forward to at Dover Motor Speedway?“We had a great weekend in Sonoma and finished strong. That momentum will help us this weekend at Dover to get a strong qualifying draw. I feel like Dover hasn’t changed much over the years and there’s not a big resin build up on the track. I think it takes all weekend to get the rubber built up to make it racy. I feel like the Cup cars are super-fast there and it’s packed with fans. Dover is a fun track and I’ve always enjoyed the Monster Mile, so we’re hoping for a strong result this weekend.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletElliott on approaching the final races of the regular season: “We want more. We want more wins, more of all of it. We want it all. For us, it’s just about continuing to bring the pace that we’ve brought over the last month and a half or so. I’ve been really pleased with just where we’re at and the things we’re talking about and the things we’re working on and the things we’re doing – a lot of really good stuff right now.”    AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“Dover has always been a track I enjoy racing. The last couple years we have had really good speed and that’s made it even more fun driving the Next Gen car around Dover. We have the opportunity to have a solid weekend and get back on track after Sonoma.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m excited to get back to a more ‘normal’ oval this weekend. It’s been awhile but we’re strong at these types of tracks coming up. Last week was solid and we needed that but now this is almost like a reset button to get back to what we do best. We’ve always been strong at Dover (Motor Speedway) just haven’t been able to close the deal. I’m confident we will have speed off the truck, just looking to execute and hopefully close the deal finally.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Dover has always been a really good track for us, and I’m focused on getting back to finishing these races strong.”   Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBowman on leaving road courses for Dover Motor Speedway: “Honestly, I like road courses, but I am happy about returning to an oval. Dover has always been a place that fits my driving style. It’s fast, it’s technical, and it demands a lot from both the driver and the car. The transitions off the corners are intense, and the concrete surface makes it unlike anywhere else we go. That 2021 win is still one of my favorite moments with this team.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are your thoughts heading back to a track where you have back-to-back top-10’s and how do you feel about NASCAR’s attempt at street racing?“I wish I knew how to figure it out. Dover has been one of those tracks that is just so tough for me. I think Dover is fun because of the commitment, the speed and the way that you drop into the hole. It is just a cool experience. The track will still take your breath away. It’s nerve-wracking when you unload and qualify. I enjoy the challenge, I just haven’t run well there. Last year was the first year where we were putting together a really solid race and we finished top-10 in the First Stage but I had a penalty on pit road, and then the right-front hub broke. It felt like that was the first time we could contend for a top-10 or a top-five finish there. So, I am going to build off that and focus on last year and not the 14 years before that, because it has been a tough place for me. That being said, I enjoy that. I enjoy the places where we struggle. I enjoy the struggle. I enjoy when it sucks, because I am determined for that to not be the case and I want to fix it. I want to focus on fixing it and I am determined to fix it. So, for me it is one of those places where the challenge creates some sort of opportunity, and last year we were 60 percent of the way to fixing it. Hopefully ,this year we can fix it all the way and have a good run.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat is it like to race at Dover?“If we didn’t have Bristol on the schedule, I think Dover would be a very eye-opening experience. It reminds me a lot of Bristol with the concrete surface and banking, but at Dover you’re carrying a lot more speed. The lap time isn’t as fast and it feels slower than it really is, but it’s definitely a handful. Dover is its own challenge, just because you have to figure out how to get your car to a place where you’re comfortable carrying so much speed through those really high-banked corners. There are definitely moments where your mind is probably saying there’s no way we can run almost wide open here in qualifying, but we do it every time. It’s a tough track mentally and physically.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet“Dover is high banked, high grip, concrete racetrack. A lot of rubber gets put down and the track changes a lot throughout a run, and you have to keep up with how it changes throughout the race. We were fast at Bristol and finished second at Nashville, the other concrete tracks we go to, so I’m optimistic about this weekend. I won the ARCA race at Dover last year and I really enjoy that racetrack. We’ve been fighting for wins on these tracks so hopefully we can have a solid day and be there when it counts at the end. I’m excited to keep the momentum up that we’ve had the last couple of months with our Carolina Carports team.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2025 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 9Poles: 10Laps Led: 2,459Top-Fives: 42Top-10s: 89Stage Wins: 19 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 875 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 763Laps led to date: 255,170Top-fives to date: 4,411Top-10s to date: 9,096                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,209           Chevrolet: 875           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 844                                                                                          Ford: 744           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 196

LONG BEACH, CA (July 16, 2025) — NHRA Funny Car driver Buddy Hull, representing Jim Dunn Racing, is heading into the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, July 18-20, with renewed energy and a fresh look. The Dallas-based driver will debut a Lescure Mechanical Services livery on his 12,000-horsepower Funny Car, marking the first time this season the team will feature the California-based mechanical contractor as the primary sponsor on the car’s paint scheme.   In addition to Lescure Mechanical Services, this weekend Hull will also be repping season-long sponsors Blaze Exhaust Probes, KGC Construction, Mooneyes, Vertex Roofers and General Contractors, Crow Safety, Koppl Pipeline Services, True Brand, USD, Wiley X and Compass Facility Services. Fans and sponsors alike can catch Hull on the NHRA stage on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. leading New Fan Orientation with Hannah Rickards.   “I’m really grateful to everyone who supports myself and Jim Dunn Racing, including the NHRA who continue to use me as a mouthpiece for the sport. I love representing everything that makes the NHRA great, and I plan on showing off for our fans in the northwest this weekend.”   Lescure Mechanical Services is a family-based company that was started in 1947 by Marcel and Charlotte Lescure. Built initially as a mechanical shop, Lescure is now a general contractor specializing in jobs covering all scopes of work. They have the highest quality of work for fuel delivery systems, water reclamation systems, general contracting, mechanical and plumbing.   Additionally, Alo Drinks, the No. 1 aloe vera beverage brand, will be flying down the track with Jim Dunn Racing again. The great flavor of Alo Drinks comes from their dedication to using real aloe vera straight from the leaf harvested from sustainable farms in Thailand, and combining them with fruit and vegetable juices, and only the best non-GMO or organic ingredients. Farmers harvest the organic aloe vera plants and the leaves are hand- filleted and the pulp is removed. The aloe vera arrives at the bottling facility within 24 hours, the ingredients are mixed with the aloe vera and the drinks are bottled and ready to ship to stores. All of Alo’s aloe vera and fruits are non-GMO project verified.      “We have had a great relationship with Alo Drinks and having them on our Funny Car again starting in Seattle is a great addition,” said Jon Dunn. “We have built relationships with companies like Alo and Lescure because we are delivering for them on and off the track. Buddy is a great ambassador, and we have an incredibly passionate fan base that loves products like Alo.”     This event is the 11th race of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and carries added importance as only four races remain until the Countdown to the Championship begins. Hull is focused on building momentum during this crucial stretch of the season.   “This part of the year is all about getting hot at the right time,” said Hull. “We’re in the fight to break into the Top 10, and this western swing is a huge opportunity for us to make some big moves.”   The Northwest Nationals kicks off a return to the west coast following a string of races across the Midwest and East Coast. Hull, now in his sophomore season in the Funny Car class, is looking forward to returning to Pacific Raceways, one of the few tracks on tour he has only competed at as a Funny Car driver.   “There’s something special about racing out here,” said Hull. “The fans are passionate, the track is challenging, and we’ve got a car that’s capable of making some noise.”   Hull is especially eager for Friday night’s single qualifying session, a prime-time opportunity where cooler track temps and packed grandstands often lead to big numbers and bigger statements.   “Night qualifying is what it’s all about. Huge header flames, clean air, and a chance to put up a run that really sets the tone for the weekend,” said Hull. “Then we’ve got three runs on Saturday, which do a great job simulating Sunday conditions. That’s invaluable for the crew and for driver confidence heading into eliminations.”   The weekend also is the first of a back-to-back stretch on the NHRA calendar, which Hull sees as a great way to generate rhythm and consistency.   “When you’ve got races coming in rapid succession like this, it’s the perfect time to build momentum,” said Hull. “The team is dialed in, and we’re excited to roll into Pacific Raceways with a brand-new look and a lot of optimism.”   Jim Dunn Racing is celebrating 75 years of success with a host of special events taking place throughout the season. The longevity of Jim Dunn Racing can be traced to their passion for drag race and the unwavering love the fans have for the organization. Last year during the season ending NHRA championship banquet Jim Dunn received the NHRA Lifetime Achievement Award. During his speech he spoke fondly of a variety of drivers who have driven for him and the joy he has experienced with current driver Buddy Hull. Seattle is particularly special to Jim Dunn who won there with Tony Bartone as the driver in 2008 and he personally raced at the iconic track in the northwest for decades.     Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will have one qualifying run on Friday, July 18 and then three more qualifying runs on July 19 at Pacific Raceways. The 16 quickest Funny Cars after four rounds of qualifying will compete for a Wally on race day on Sunday, July 20 at 10:30 a.m. PT. Fans can watch the race on FS1 and the finals on FOX. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Northwest Nationals visit nhra.com.

LEWISTOWN, IL – July 16, 2025 – Marking its second year on the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota journey, the 3/8-mile high-banks of Spoon River Speedway return for a doubleheader weekend in 2025. 

The Series will visit the “Land of Lincoln” for the third time this season at a staple dirt track of the state as the Midwest Open Wheel Association Sprint Cars join alongside the Midgets for the twin summer nights. 

After the racing on Friday night, the Honest Abe Roofing Cookout will provide food and drinks for drivers and teams to enjoy. To help give back to the Illinois community, race fans attending Spoon River can use code STJUDERUNS when purchasing their tickets, and $5 will be donated to the St. Jude Canton to Peoria Run. 

SPOON RIVER TICKETS

WATCH ON DIRTVISION

Here are the top storylines to keep an eye on: 

Cannon’s Sizzle – Cannon McIntosh has found his spark aboard the No. 71K Mobil 1 Toyota LynK Chassis in 2025 as he goes for a second consecutive Series title. 

The Bixby, OK native has won three out of the last five Series races, then added USAC National Midget wins that included his second BC39 win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Dirt Track. 

Entering the Spoon River swing, McIntosh is the last winner at the track with the Series as he attempts to close the 101-point gap to his Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports (KKM) teammate Jacob Denney. 

Loud & Clear – Jacob Denney has made his presence known with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets through the first half of the season, leading the Series points and the Xtreme-POWRi Challenge Series championship, and claiming four Feature wins. 

In his most recent triumph at the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff finale, the pilot of the No. 67 JBL Audio Toyota had to start in 24th after swapping to a backup car, then climbed through the field to pass KKM teammates Gavin Miller and McIntosh for his first win at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park. 

The last time the Galloway, OH driver raced on a 3/8-mile oval with the Series, he took victory at 81 Speedway. Denney also joined the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets in 2024, posting a third-place finish in the Spoon River finale. 

Rookie Uprising – The rookies of the Series have shown signs of promise through the first 1/3 of the 2025 season as the high banks alongside the Spoon River await. 

Occupying fifth through ninth in the overall top-10 standings are first-year contenders, including Kameron Key, Michael Faccinto, Colton Robinson, Hayden Wise, and Alex Karpowicz, respectively. 

Key, of Warrensburg, MO, made his first start during the Xtreme Spoon River weekend in 2024, but raced with the MOWA Sprint Cars. The other Series rookies of 2025 are making their first laps around the Illinois track during the Canton Clash. 

Illinois Defense – The Illinois drivers of the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets will look to defend home turf at Spoon River in the July showdown. 

Springfield, IL’s Chase McDermand sits second in the Series points as he will race to best his previous best finish of fifth in the Series debut. 

Inaugural Series champion Zach Daum, of Pocahontas, IL, will pilot the Pat O’Dell-owned No. 5D after leading early laps in the Friday Feature at I-55. 

Previous Challenge Series points leader Karter Sarff will be back aboard the No. 21K Toyota for the Canton Clash after his last Series race saw him flip from the lead in Pevely, MO. “The Shark” owns two wins in 2025 from the World of Outlaws Illini 100 and King of Coles weekends. 

When and where 

Friday-Saturday, July 18-19, at Spoon River Speedway in Lewistown, IL 

On the internet 
Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota 
Twitter/X – @Xtreme_Outlaw 
Instagram – @XtremeOutlaw 
Facebook – @XtremeOutlawSeries.WRG 

Live broadcast 
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com. Annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month. 

Current Xtreme Outlaw Midgets Points Standings (View Full Standings) 

1. Jacob Denney: 1950 points | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 67
2. Chase McDermand: -78 points | Chase McDermand Racing No. 40
3. Gavin Miller: -98 points | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 97
4. Cannon McIntosh: -101 points | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 71K
5. Kameron Key: -180 points | Trifecta Motorsports No. 9U
6. Michael Faccinto: -245 points | Trifecta Motorsports No. 5U
7. Colton Robinson: -286 points | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 67K
8. Hayden Wise: -349 points | Ninety-Four Motorsports No. 94
9. Alex Karpowicz: -364 points | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports No. 72
10. Tyler Edwards: -402 points | Mounce-Stout Motorsports No. 56E

Toyota Feature winners (3 drivers) 

4 wins – Jacob Denney 

3 wins – Cannon McIntosh 

2 wins – Karter Sarff 

Toyota Feature laps led (8 drivers) 

60 laps – Cannon McIntosh 

59 laps – Jacob Denney 

31 laps – Karter Sarff 

22 laps – Chase McDermand 

21 laps – Gavin Miller 

14 laps – Hayden Wise 

10 laps – Ethan Mitchell 

9 laps – Zach Daum 

4 laps – Ryan Mueller 

Smith Titanium Quick Time Awards (6 drivers) 

2 awards – Gavin Miller, Chase McDermand, Karter Sarff 

1 award – Jacob Denney, Corbin Rueschenberg, Ethan Mitchell 

Heat Race winners (20 drivers) 

3 wins – Colton Robinson 

2 wins – Thomas Meseraull, Cannon McIntosh, Jacob Denney, Hayden Wise, Kaiden Manders, Chase McDermand, Michael Faccinto, Zach Daum 

1 win – Karter Sarff, Joe B. Miller, Steven Snyder Jr, Ethan Mitchell, Gavin Miller, Bradley Cox, Kameron Key, Brandon Carr, Steven Snyder Jr, Joe Wirth, Shannon McQueen 

High-Points Honors (7 drivers) 

2 honors – Jacob Denney, Chase McDermand 

1 honor – Thomas Meseraull, Hayden Wise, Karter Sarff, Ethan Mitchell, Michael Faccinto 

Summit Racing Equipment Hard Charger Awards (6 drivers) 

3 awards – Jacob Denney 

2 awards – Tyler Edwards 

1 award – Chase McDermand, Kameron Key, Karter Sarff, Cannon McIntosh 

Podium finishes (9 drivers) 

5 podiums – Karter Sarff, Jacob Denney, Cannon McIntosh, Gavin Miller 

2 podiums – Kameron Key 

1 podium – Chase McDermand, Corbin Rueschenberg, Zach Daum, Thomas Meseraull 

Top-10 finishes (24 drivers) 

9 top-10s – Jacob Denney, Chase McDermand 

7 top-10s – Cannon McIntosh, Kameron Key, Colton Robinson 

6 top-10s – Gavin Miller, Michael Faccinto 

5 top-10s – Hayden Wise, Karter Sarff, Zach Daum 

4 top-10s – Tyler Edwards 

3 top-10s – Trevor Cline, Brandon Carr, Alex Karpowicz 

2 top-10s – Corbin Rueschenberg 

1 top-10 –  Kyle Jones, Cale Coons, Brecken Reese, Bradley Cox, Thomas Meseraull, Steven Snyder Jr, Joe B. Miller, Ethan Mitchell, Joe Wirth 

2025 XTREME OUTLAW MIDGET SCHEDULE 

No. | Date | Track | Location | Winner (Total Wins) 

* Denotes Xtreme-POWRi Challenge Series 

*Friday, April 11 | Farmer City Raceway | Farmer City, IL | Jacob Denney (1) 

*Saturday, April 12 | Farmer City Raceway | Farmer City, IL | Karter Sarff (1) 

Friday, May 9 | Humboldt Speedway | Humboldt, KS | Jacob Denney (2) 

Saturday, May 10 | 81 Speedway | Park City, KS | Jacob Denney (3) 

Saturday, May 24 | Airport Raceway | Garden City, KS | Cannon McIntosh (1) 

*Friday, May 30 | Coles County Speedway | Mattoon, IL | Karter Sarff (2) 

*Saturday, May 31 | Coles County Speedway | Mattoon, IL | Cannon McIntosh (2) 

*Friday, June 20 | I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park | Pevely, MO | Cannon McIntosh (3) 

*Saturday, June 21 | I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park | Pevely, MO | Jacob Denney (4) 

ROSSBURG, OH (July 16, 2025) – It’s been a decade since the world was introduced to an 18-year-old kid from Oakwood, IL by the name of Bobby Pierce.

These days, the dirt Late Model superstar is getting ready to chase back-to-back Prairie Dirt Classic wins as part of his quest for a second championship with the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision. But a unique debut at Eldora Speedway on July 22, 2015, almost sent him down a different path.

Ten years ago, Pierce was fresh off his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals title and was one of the rising stars of Late Model racing, but he was largely unknown outside of the dirt community. That was until he secured a ride with Mittler Brothers Motorsports for the third-annual NASCAR Truck Series event at Eldora.

“My dad, he knew Mike Mittler, he bought lots of Mittler Brothers machinery tools from him over the years,” Pierce said. “We saw Mike every year at the PRI Show in Indy, we would be walking by, and every time we saw him, my dad would give him crap, saying ‘Hey, someday my kid’s going to drive your truck.”

Once the younger Pierce was old enough to begin the NASCAR licensing process, he went to work on fulfilling the prophecy.

“I wanted to do Eldora, and I wanted to do some other asphalt races too,” Pierce said. “You’ve kind of got to do it in stepping stones, you have to get asphalt experience from something else before you can race NASCAR in general. Even though Eldora was on dirt, I still had to go race asphalt and get some experience. I ran a Crate Late Model, my very first race was Memphis [Motorsports Park], that was at the end of 2013.

“Then in 2014 I think it was, I raced at New Smyrna [Speedway] in an asphalt Late Model. I raced Dale Jr.’s asphalt Late Model at Hickory Motor Speedway one time. Josh Berry, I raced against him that one weekend at Hickory, and I think he won the race and then got disqualified or something and I got second.”

With approval from NASCAR secured, Pierce turned his sights towards “The Big E.” A young driver making his Truck Series debut in the Mittler Brothers No. 63 would normally only be aiming to finish the race and gain experience – after all, the team’s most recent top 10 was with Carl Edwards in 2002. But Pierce wanted more than that.

“The Mittler Brothers team, they were one of the teams that was always known for being one of the lowest-budget teams out there,” Pierce said. “They didn’t really have trucks that could go and win an asphalt race, but since it was on dirt, it doesn’t really require all the motor, the technology that it would require on the asphalt track, so we actually had a fighting chance.”

At long last, race day arrived, and it was time for Pierce to climb in and make his first laps as a NASCAR driver. Once he got on track for practice, it didn’t take long for him to figure out that he was in for a challenge unlike anything else he had done before.

“That first practice, I’m pretty sure I spun it out,” Pierce said. “I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got to see where the limits are.’ One of the tricks we realized was the truck didn’t countersteer to the right very far, the steering wheel stopped. So, I couldn’t really turn right very far, so we adjusted that and went back out there and I was able to kind of drive it more like my Late Model.

“I kind of compared it to driving a Street Stock. Which I never drove a Street Stock, but I just imagine it would probably feel that way. Kind of like a school bus, it just floated around there. It wasn’t stuck to the surface like a dirt Late Model is. Obviously, the speeds were a lot slower, but when you throw in the handling of it wasn’t very good, it was still a challenge.”

Whatever learning curve Pierce went through early in the day, he had things figured out by the time Qualifying rolled around. His lap was more than half a second quicker than the next closest competitor in Johnny Sauter, and he followed that up with a Heat Race win to earn the pole for his NASCAR debut.

Pierce admitted that he already had butterflies in his stomach from the start, and those butterflies quickly turned into eagles once he became the center of attention prior to the main event.

“I was obviously a little nervous,” Pierce said. “There’s lots of eyes on that event. Lots of people didn’t know who I was. If you were a fan of Late Models, you kind of knew who I was at the time, but there’s a lot of people in the NASCAR world that only watch NASCAR, that’s all they pay attention to. They were like ‘who’s this guy?’

“Before I went out to qualify, I remember Devin Moran was there watching. I was legit just about to go out on the track for Qualifying, and I was like, ‘Hey, come here.’ I was like ‘I’m a bit nervous,’ I remember telling him that. He just said, ‘You got it.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll drive it like a Late Model and I guess we’ll see what happens.’ And I went out there and set Quick Time, that was pretty cool.”

With hundreds of thousands of eyes on the “Smooth Operator” for the first time, Pierce settled into the zone once the Feature rolled onto the track. If he was still feeling the jitters once the green flag dropped, he didn’t show it, as Pierce battled side-by-side with John Hunter Nemechek on the start before slotting into the lead.

The battle was on from there, as Pierce, Nemecheck, Austin Dillon and Christopher Bell spent the opening stages of the race swapping the top spot. Pierce had no trouble going toe-to-toe with the future Cup Series stars around him on raw driving ability, but some of the other aspects of running a NASCAR race served as a reminder that he was still a teenager with barely any stock car experience.

“I do remember that the restarts were not my friend,” Pierce said. “I was still learning how to shift that thing and do it good. We had to be in second gear coming to green and then shift into third and fourth. I don’t know if it was just because the Mittler’s truck, maybe the transmission wasn’t the best in it, but it was having a hard time shifting. I really hated the restarts. And also, being a NASCAR race, I wasn’t entirely sure on their restart procedure as far as them calling jump starts, so I didn’t want to ruin it by jumping the start.”

Pierce got plenty of practice that night, as 13 caution flags plagued the 150-lapper. He was running second when the final one came out with three laps to go, setting up a green-white-checkered run to the finish between Pierce and Bell with both of them chasing their first NASCAR victory.

Like he had on previous occasions, Pierce struggled to get going on the restart and watched Bell take command. He spent the next two laps abusing the right-rear quarter panel against the wall in an effort to run down the No. 54 and tried a last-corner slide job, but he wasn’t close enough.

It would have been easy for Pierce to kick himself after getting so close to a NASCAR victory only to come up short, but the scene around the truck after the race was nothing but celebratory. His performance showcased the talent level in dirt Late Model racing for the world to see and established him as one of the faces of the sport, a status he’s maintained ever since.

“I think I made some fans,” Pierce said of his rise in notoriety upon returning to his usual Late Model schedule. “A lot of people weren’t necessarily my fans, but then they were because I kind of went out there and represented Late Model drivers as a whole. All the Late Model people were probably cheering me on at those races because it was a way to represent us.”

However, a bump in merchandise and sponsorship sales were far from the only things Pierce gained from his night in the spotlight. Following Eldora, Pierce made six more Truck Series appearances on pavement for the Mittler Brothers in late 2015 and early 2016, scoring a best finish of 16th at Phoenix Raceway. Those starts marked the end of Pierce’s stock car career, but the lessons learned became invaluable on his rise to the top of dirt Late Model racing.

“I was two laps down in a race at Kansas [Speedway] in the last 20 laps of the race,” Pierce said. “I kind of knew it was my last race, at least for that year in NASCAR. I realized I wasn’t really going to go down that path. But knowing it was my last race, I was on the gas. I was two laps down, and I was setting lap times that were just as fast as the leaders. So that was pretty cool, and especially to do that in a Mittler Brothers truck.

“So, after that race at Kansas, I think it was the next day, I ran a race at Fairbury [Speedway]. And I feel like it made me better in the Late Model, because racing NASCAR, definitely on asphalt, it got me way out of my comfort zone. So, then when I got back in my comfort zone racing on dirt, it made me better. It kind of slowed things down in a sense, because in that truck, I was going pretty darn fast. Probably 160-some miles an hour at Kansas I would imagine, definitely the fastest I’ve ever been.”

With a World of Outlaws championship, hundreds of Feature wins and a growing collection of crown-jewel trophies to his name, Pierce’s decision to put all his eggs in the dirt basket has clearly paid off.

While he won’t have a Truck race at Kansas to warm up with this time, Pierce will head to Fairbury Speedway once again for the resumption of the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision season in the Prairie Dirt Classic, Friday-Saturday, July 25-26. Click here for more event information.

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

SAPULPA, OK (July 15, 2025) — The American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) salutes a longtime friend of the Tulsa racing community in the fifth running of the Don Swope Classic on Friday, July 18.

Creek County Speedway — the home track of ASCS — will host the national 360 Sprint Car series for the 34th time in track history. The event, co-sanctioned by the ASCS Sooner Region, is run in memory of the late Don Swope — a dear friend of ASCS founder Emmett Hahn and the family and crew that put on the marquee Chili Bowl Nationals and Tulsa Shootout events.

Grandstand gates are set to open at 4 p.m. with Hot Laps at 7 p.m. General admission tickets will be sold at the gate — $25 for adults, seniors/military are $20, kids 11–14 are $15, and children 13 and under are free. Pit passes are $40.

Tickets for the event will be sold at the gate on race day. If you can’t be there to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow:

KING OF THE CREEK — Through 33 Series events contested at Creek County, nobody has won more than Sam Hafertepe Jr.

The five-time Series champion from Sunnyvale, TX, scored his first ASCS win at the track on opening night of the 2016 edition of Fuzzy’s Fall Fling, and has scored subsequent victories in 2018, 2019, as well as two of the three Series events held there last season. Hafertepe won the ASCS Speedweek event there in June before taking the checkers again in the finale of Fuzzy’s Fall Fling last November.

The Hill’s Racing No. 15H has been the standout driver through 11 races for the Series in 2025, winning five races — including a sweep of Belleville High Banks two weeks ago — and currently leads the chase for the Emmett Hahn Trophy by 126 points over Blake Hahn.

HOMETOWN HERO — When it comes to Creek County, few drivers know how to get around its 1/4-mile confines like Blake Hahn.

The two-time Series champion from Sapulpa, OK, has won in a Winged 360 Sprint Car, a Non-Wing 360 Sprint Car, and a Midget at the track with several different sanctioning organizations. This includes six ASCS regional Feature wins and two on the national circuit, two Non-Wing Sprint Car wins with the USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series, and two wins with the POWRi National Midget League.

The most recent of Hahn’s Creek County wins came in March when he topped the opening night of the ASCS Sooner Region schedule. Hahn also scored his first career (points-paying) ASCS National win last November on opening night of the Fuzzy’s Fall Fling.

REGIONAL RINGER — Creek County is a home track for five-time ASCS Sooner Region champion Sean McClelland, and he’s made a habit of winning there in his 25-plus-year career.

The 50-year-old from Tulsa, OK, has won a total of nine Sooner Region races at the track in his career, and in 2023 scored his first national ASCS win at Creek, topping Chance Morton and Jordon Mallett for his second career win on the national circuit and first since 2006.

McClelland last raced with the National Series in April at Salina Highbanks Speedway, running third to Seth Bergman and Sam Hafertepe Jr. In the Sooner Region opener at Creek in March, he finished fourth to Hahn, Bergman and New Mexico racer Caleb Saiz.

COMING ON STRONG — Following back-to-back podium finishes two weeks ago at Belleville, Jason Martin is coming into Creek County on the upswing, looking to cut into the deficit he faces in the points standings.

Martin, the 2023 Series champion from Liberal, KS, currently sits fourth in the standings, 176 points behind leader Hafertepe. He’ll try and cut into that deficit at Creek on Friday, where he’s won twice in his career — once with the Sooner Region in 2002, and for the first time with the national Series in 2022.

In the three starts he made at the track last year, Martin bagged a fifth-place finish on June 13 before producing results of sixth and seventh during the season finale at Fuzzy’s Fall Fling in November.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE
Friday, July 18 at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, OK

TRACK FACTS

• Semi-banked, 1/4-mile oval
• Track Record — 11.057 seconds set by Wayne Johnson on Oct. 28, 2022

ON THE INTERNET
X — @ASCSRacing
Instagram — @ascs_racing
Facebook — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
YouTube — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
DIRTVision — DIRTVision.com (Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (11/34 Races)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1152pts)
2. Blake Hahn 1026pts (–126)
3. Matt Covington 1019pts (–133)
4. Jason Martin 976pts (–176)
5. Brady Baker 891pts (–261)
6. Kyler Johnson 871pts (–281)
7. Zach Blurton 870pts (–282)
8. Austyn Gossel 848pts (–304)
9. Garrett Benson 843pts (–309)
10. Landon Britt 834pts (–318)

FEATURE WINNERS (5 Drivers):

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5 wins)
2. Justin Peck (3 wins)
3. Matt Covington, Zach Blurton, Blake Hahn (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (8 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (95 laps)
2. Justin Peck (65 laps)
3. Matt Covington (48 laps)
4. Zach Blurton (25 laps)
5. Brian Brown (15 laps)
6. Blake Hahn, Austyn Gossel (13 laps)
7. Jason Martin (11 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (9 Drivers)

1. Matt Covington, Seth Bergman (2 awards)
2. Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Kyler Johnson, Roger Crockett, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Jason Martin, Blake Hahn (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (24 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (7 wins)
2. Matt Covington (6 wins)
3. Justin Peck, Blake Hahn (3 wins)
4. Scotty Thiel, Whit Gastineau, Seth Bergman, Jason Martin, Garrett Benson, Hank Davis (2 wins)
5. Chris Martin, Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Sean McClelland, Caleb Saiz, Bradley Fezard, Bryan Gossel, Jake Bubak, Jordon Mallett, Austyn Gossel, Cameron Martin, Bryant Wiedeman, Harli White (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (35 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (9 appearances)
2. Matt Covington (7 appearances)
3. Blake Hahn (6 appearances)
4. Seth Bergman (4 appearances)
5. Justin Peck, Kyler Johnson, Whit Gastineau, Jason Martin, Garrett Benson (3 appearances)
6. Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Scotty Thiel, Danny Dietrich, Cole Macedo, Brady Bacon, Daison Pursley, Jordon Mallett, Austyn Gossel, (2 appearances)
7. Hank Davis, Jordan Thomas, Scotty Thiel, Chris Martin, Brian Brown, Sean McClelland, Caleb Saiz, Chance Morton, Bradley Fezard, Zach Blurton, Bryan Gossel, Jake Bubak, Roger Crockett, Brady Baker, Bryant Wiedeman, Joey Danley, Cameron Martin (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (7 Drivers)

1. Blake Hahn, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Clem, Kyle Clark, Bryant Wiedeman, Jason Martin, Harli White (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (9 Drivers)

1. Brady Baker (3 awards)
2. Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Blake Hahn, Landon Britt, Jordon Mallett, Jason Martin, Brad Bowden, Stu Snyder (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (17 Drivers)

1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (8 podiums)
2. Jason Martin (4 podiums)
3. Justin Peck, Blake Hahn (3 podiums)
4. Brian Brown, Matt Covington (2 podiums)
5. Emerson Axsom, Cole Macedo, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman, Sean McClelland, Zach Blurton, Austyn Gossel, Kyler Johnson, Brady Baker, Cameron Martin, Joey Danley (1 podium)

2025 SCHEDULE + WINNERS
Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

1. Thu, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (1)
2. Fri, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (2)
3. Sat, Feb. 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (3)
4. Sat, April 12 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1)
5. Sat, May 10 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Matt Covington (1)
6. Fri, May 30 / Salt City Speedway / Hutchinson, KS / Zach Blurton (1)
7. Sat, May 31 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2)
8. Sat, June 7 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3)
9. Sat, June 21 / Batesville Motor Speedway / Locust Grove, AR / Blake Hahn (1)
10. Thu, July 3 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (4)
11. Fri, July 4 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5)

Ocala, FL (July 16, 2025) — The second half of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series starts this weekend at the historic Pacific Raceways, home of some of the most notable drag races over the past fifty years. For Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team making the trek to the Pacific Northwest is about making their own history and advancing the success of their independently owned team. Hart, a successful entrepreneur who owns Burnyzz Speed Shop with his wife Brittanie is looking to establish his brand of business and racing with his Top Fuel team across the country. This weekend’s Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals and next week’s Sonoma Nationals in northern California are the furthest west the operation has a chance to make an impact.
 
“When we come to Pacific Raceway, we travel over 2,000 miles from the shop in Indy and barely over 3,000 miles from Burnyzz in Ocala,” said Hart. “This is a huge commitment, and we want to make the most of this two-week trip. Both tracks have a lot of history, but Seattle is an amazing facility. The track is surrounded by trees, and you can make quick runs especially with the Friday night, late night session. That run really sets up your whole weekend.”

 Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster will be ready to tackle the Northwest Nationals this weekend, photo credit Krista Zivcic Photography

Fans will be treated to a Friday night qualifying session that will include a race for the Deecell Power Systems “After Dark Low Qualifier” bonus. The bonus money will go to the low qualifiers with the low qualifier in Top Fuel and Funny Car earning $4,000 each. More tracks are spicing up their Friday night qualifying with special bonuses or trophies and Hart thinks these added incentives are a plus for the fans and the teams.
 
“We are out here to win and anytime you put a carrot out there every team wants to win the money or the specialty trophy so that makes it exciting for the fans,” said Hart. “We had a special deal in Epping and in Dallas they do a big bonus on Friday night. Friday night in Seattle should be pretty spectacular with header flames and low ETs.”
 
This season Hart and his R+L Carriers Top Fuel team have advanced to the quarterfinals six times. The team is looking for its first win of the season but with every race they are gathering more data to make a push on the back half of the season. These two races will have a mix of racing conditions with hot and cool track temps so Hart is confident his team can hit the target and make solid runs throughout qualifying. Saturday will feature three rounds of qualifying in race-like conditions.
 
“We are consistently getting out of the first round in eliminations, and our goal is to work on getting better qualifying positions for even more favorable first round matchups,” said Hart. “The tricky part is there are so many good teams out here there are no easy first rounds. We have to come off the trailer and get a good run on Friday night or we will be playing catch-up all-day Saturday. That is the issue for every team out here when we do the qualifying schedule like this. You put a lot of eggs in that Q1 session.”
 
Hart is a multi-time Top Fuel national event winner and picked up the Pep Boys Top Fuel All-Star Callout big money win in 2023. Those wins continue to motivate Hart and the R+L Carrier team but success this season is even more tantamount. Four more races remain in the regular season and while the newly announced regular season championship is out of reach, a run for the world championship is still very much a possibility. The Countdown playoff six-race season ending dash is already on Hart’s mind and a solid Northwest Nationals will go a long way in preparing for a final season push.
 
“The regular season is important, especially since they are going to start crowning champions for the regular season, but we are racing for a world championship,” said Hart. “We are in the Top Ten, but we could move up to six or seven over the next four races and then we are right in the mix for the championship. It all starts here in Seattle and Sonoma. I am looking forward to getting on track after a two-week layoff.”
 
Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will have one qualifying run on Friday, July 18 and then three more qualifying runs on July 19 at Pacific Raceways. The 16 quickest Top Fuel dragsters after four rounds of qualifying will compete for a Wally on race day on Sunday, July 20 at 10:30 a.m. PT. Fans can watch the race on FS1 and the finals on FOX. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Northwest Nationals visit nhra.com.

EL MIRAGE, AZ (July 16, 2025) — Funny Car rookie Dylan Winefsky will be making his second professional start at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort Northwest Nationals squaring off with full-time Mission Foods Drag Racing Series teams that he has admired his entire life. The 20-year-old is not intimidated by the prospect, considering his race team has received support from many of the teams, drivers and crew chiefs. The fact that he made a solid impression in his debut race in Las Vegas earlier this season also has established the team as a welcome addition to the NHRA tour. Winefsky, a second-generation driver, is looking to continue to improve his Nitro Funny Car skills and build on years of experience racing fuel altereds, this weekend at Pacific Raceways.
 
“The fuel altered was the same 125-inch wheelbase as my Funny Car, but it didn’t have the down force,” said Winefsky, who started his career like so many current pros in the NHRA junior dragster ranks. “They kind of danced around a little bit at the top end. Control wise, and everything they are almost all the same procedure. They all handle a little differently. I did Frank Hawley’s school to get my Super Comp license, and then I got into our fuel altered. That’s all I’ve driven, aside from the Funny Car.”

 The Nitro Moose Funny Car is ready for its Seattle debut with rookie driver Dylan Winefsky,
photo credit Nitro Moose Racing

Winefsky wears many hats for the up-and-coming team from Arizona. The week leading up to the race the Funny Car driver will also be the team’s truck driver in charge of getting the 12,000 horsepower Funny Car from Arizona to Seattle. He has been driving his rig since he was 16 years old and enjoys the time on the road in advance of the races.
 
“You get a lot of time to think when you are on the road,” said Winefsky. “The only big issue we ever had while driving the truck was back in 2023, we were going to Bakersfield for the March Meet, and it snowed so the mountain overpasses were closed. We ended up having to go like 16 or 17 hours out of our way in the truck, we had to go back down to LA and up the coast to Paso Robles and then head back east.”
 
The team also receives support from several companies and individuals to get the team on track. Seattle-based Versatile Drilling Contractors and Bob Jackson Body Repair from Lewiston, Idaho, along with Lewiston ID made a huge impact to get the team to Seattle. Roberts Car Care, Stith Printing, Outlaw Race Engines and Motley Industries have been with the team from the beginning of the season and continue to support Winefsky’s rookie season efforts.

 Dylan Winefsky will make his second professional start this weekend at Pacific Raceways in the Nitro Moose Funny Car, photo credit Nitro Moose Racing

“We wouldn’t be able to get to races like Seattle without the help of Versatile Drilling Contractors and Bob Jackson Body Repair,” said Winefsky. “Lewison ID also stepped up for this race. Our full-season support from Roberts Car Care, Stith Printing, Outlaw Race Engines and Motley Industries means a lot too. Our goal is to try and get them some recognition and spread the word about their products and services.”
 
Following his debut at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals Winefsky and his team have been busy at their shop. The team learned a lot from their first NHRA national event in the Funny Car class. They feel even more prepared for the Muckleshoot Northwest Nationals
 
“We had to do a little body repair because the paint got a little messed up in Las Vegas,” said Winefsky. “We got another short block, so we were building that. We got a new crank for the motor that’s in the car. Doing little things here and there to help the program. Tool-wise and everything, just stepping up the program and then having the second trailer. We’ve been organizing that to lay it out how we want it.”
 
Just getting to the Las Vegas National event was a whirlwind for the young driver. The Funny Car raced in the Arizona Nationals with Jon Capps behind the wheel to shake it down and then Winefsky made his final licensing passes on the following Monday. The team worked on a few things and then went right into competition in Las Vegas.
 
“The fact that we were able to get my two runs in for my licensing in Arizona, and then a week and a half later we were racing in Las Vegas was a big accomplishment,” said Winefsky. “Since then, things have calmed down a bit, and we’re now ready for Seattle. Everyone in the Funny Car class was great. Ron Capps and Dean Antonelli, they’ve been a big help with getting parts and everything. Dell Worsham has been great. The guys over at JFR, they’ve been a great help getting all the little parts and pieces for the chassis. Everyone’s been really welcoming.”
 
The support from veteran driver and crew chief Del Worsham has been a huge plus for Winefsky. The multi-time world champion driver has provided insight, and their relationship goes back to Winefsky’s days of racing junior dragsters alongside Worsham’s daughters.
 
“It was really cool having Del sign off on my license,” said Winefsky. “We used to race juniors when his kids raced juniors. I’ve known Del for a long time. He’s always been a great guy to talk to about anything. And if you have any questions, he’s always happy to answer them. Just a great guy to have in your corner.”
 
The Winefsky Racing team is a family operation much like Worsham’s and like so many independent teams on the NHRA tour. Dylan is following in his father, Robert’s, tire treads and the team gets assistance from several friends who have become like family over the years.
 
“It’s really cool to be doing this with my dad and other longtime crew guys,” said Winefsky. “One of our crew guys, Bill, he’s like an uncle to me. He was there when I made my first run in my junior dragster, about 10 years ago. He’s like family. Everyone on our crew has helped us at some point with the old car.”
 
This weekend at the Muckleshoot Northwest Nationals Winefsky will have four shots at making the 16-car qualified field. All the Funny Car and Top Fuel teams will participate in the Friday night qualifying session and race for the Deecell Power Systems “After Dark Low Qualifier” bonus.
The bonus money will go to the low qualifiers with the low qualifier in Top Fuel and Funny Car earning $4,000 each. On Saturday the Nitro Moose Funny Car team will have three qualifying runs to prepare for Sunday’s elimination rounds.
 
Prior to the two days of qualifying Seattle area fans will be able to meet Winefsky along with several other competitors on Thursday night at the NHRA FanFest presented by Explore Auburn. For the third consecutive year on Thursday, July 17, an impressive NHRA driver lineup will officially kick off the race weekend. The event takes place from 5-7 p.m. PT on Thursday, July 17, in front of Dave & Buster’s at The Outlet Collection (1101 Outlet Collection Dr. SW, Auburn, WA 98001), with autographs and a meet and greet with NHRA standouts taking place from 6-7 p.m.
 
For more information on Dylan Winefsky visit https://dylanwinefsky.com/ and for tickets to the Muckleshoot Casino Resort Northwest Nationals visit https://www.nhra.com/nhra.

The Series returns to the Putnamville, IN track for the first time in nearly a decade

PUTNAMVILLE, IN (July 15, 2025) – Another fan-favorite track is returning to the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series schedule for the first time in nearly a decade with the addition of Lincoln Park Speedway in October.

The Series will make its fourth visit to the Indiana bullring on Friday, Oct. 17, serving as another key stop on the road to the championship finale as it’ll kick off the five-races-to-go mark before World of Outlaws World Finals.

It also creates a tripleheader weekend for the World of Outlaws in October with the Series visiting LaSalle Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 18, and Angell Park Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 19.

“We are excited to bring world-class entertainment such as the World of Outlaws to not only Lincoln Park Speedway, but to the central part of Indiana to finish out our racing season,” Lincoln Park Speedway general managers Tommie and Jen Estes said in a joint statement.

The World of Outlaws and Lincoln Park Speedway already share a partnership with Honest Abe Roofing, which sponsors the track and sponsors Qualifying all year for the World of Outlaws.

There have been three different winners in the Series’ three visits to Lincoln Park – each taking place in a different era. Steve Kinser won the Series’ first race at the track in 1979, Tim Gee won the second race in 1988, and Donny Schatz won the last World of Outlaws race there in 2016. Of the current full-time World of Outlaws drivers, David Gravel and Logan Schuchart also competed in the 2016 event – Gravel finished second and Schuchart finished 11th.

Lincoln Park Speedway has a rich history of hosting Non-Wing Sprint Car and Midget races. Because of that, World of Outlaws drivers who’ve worked their way up the open-wheel ranks through Non-Wings and Midgets already have several laps around the facility. Chris Windom and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid have each won a USAC Midget race at the track. Kofoid also won a 410 Sprint Car race at Lincoln Park in 2022.

Don’t miss the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series’ return to Lincoln Park Speedway on Friday, Oct. 17, by getting your tickets in advance now.

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

Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery

SEATTLE, Wash. (July 16, 2025) – On a track on which her dad won nine times in his spectacular Funny Car career, two-time World Champion Brittany Force tries to start a streak of her own this week when she sends her HendrickCars.com Chevrolet after the Top Fuel championship in the 36th NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. 

“(I’m) excited to be back in the HendrickCars.com colors this weekend,” said the 18-time tour winner and only woman to have won as many as 300 racing rounds in drag racing’s signature category. “I’ve been coming to this track since I was a kid and have so many great memories.  

“I stood in my sister Courtney’s first winner’s circle back in 2012,” she said, recalling her younger sibling’s final round Funny Car win over Matt Hagan, “and I watched my dad make his way through the stands with the fans to celebrate his 150th win (in 2019) alongside Austin Prock,” who won the same race in a JFR Top Fuel dragster.

“The goal this week is to stand in that same winners’ circle with my nine talented HendrickCars.com crewmates,” she said, “and the key to doing that is consistent runs in qualifying and on race day.”

The NHRA national record holder for time (3.623 seconds) and speed (341.59 miles per hour), Force and a team led by crew chiefs David Grubnic and John Collins slowly have begun to regain the power and consistency that propelled them to the 2022 series championship in a season in which they qualified No. 1 at 10 of 22 races and posted top speed at 17 events. 

Significantly, that was the year that the second youngest of Force’s daughters had her best outing at Pacific Raceways, qualifying No. 1 and powering her way to the final before losing to Tony Schumacher.

She aims to go one round further Sunday and become the seventh different JFR driver to win the tour’s northwesternmost event following her dad, Eric Medlen (the 2005 Funny Car winner), her sister, Tony Pedregon (2002 FC winner), Robert Hight (FC champion in 2017 and 2022) and Prock.

Friday’s late night qualifying session will afford the former NHRA Rookie of the Year an opportunity to flex the performance muscles in her 11,000-horsepower hybrid, one of only three drag racing vehicles to have reached the finish line at a speed exceeding 340 mph.  

In addition to flying the HendrickCars.com banner, Brittany continues to support a philanthropic initiative launched by her sister and brother-in-law through the Graham and Courtney Rahal Foundation (GCRF) and Graham Rahal Performance (GRP).  

Funds from the campaign support the expansion of the Optimal BrainHealth for Warfighters program at the University of Texas-Dallas which, in partnership with Virginia High Performance, addresses specific brain health issues of members of the military.

Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery

SEATTLE, Wash. (July 16, 2025) – Poised to become just the 26th professional to win as many as 500 competitive rounds in drag racing’s premier series, “Fast Jack” Beckman hopes to celebrate that milestone this weekend with the crew of his PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS and fans attending the 36th NHRA Northwest Nationals.

“The entire PEAK Squad took the two-week break to overprepare (for this week’s race) and we’re looking forward to putting our Chevrolet SS back in the winners’ circle,” said the 59-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran, who is back in competition at Pacific Raceways for the first time in six years.

“I’m not sure what I’m most looking forward to,” said the cancer survivor and 2012 Funny Car World Champion, “making our first qualifying run Friday at close to 10 p.m. when the conditions are going to be spectacular, getting to make THREE more qualifying hits on Saturday, or seeing all the great Northwest fans for the first time since 2019.”

Regardless, the 37-time pro tour winner whose lone Seattle win came in his first appearance in 2007 obviously is excited about his chances of again winning an event in which John Force, from whom he took the reins of the PEAK Chevy after last year’s crash at Richmond, Va., won a record nine times.

An accomplished driving instructor and former World Champion in the NHRA Sportsman division (Super Comp in 2003), Beckman has won 498 racing rounds since turning pro in 2005, all but four of them at the wheel of a Funny Car, first for Don Schumacher Racing and, since last August, for John Force Racing.

That he has the opportunity to reach 500 is a bit surreal insomuch as he had resigned himself to the fact that his driving career was over when sponsorship issues compelled Schumacher to park two of his Funny Cars at the end of the 2020 season.

Without a ride, Beckman returned to his job as an elevator repair technician and, frankly, never expected to leave it.

However, that all changed following the accident that left Force with a Traumatic Brain Injury for which he continues to receive treatment on an outpatient basis.

Over the last eight races of 2024, Beckman won twice (both times in the Countdown to the Championship) and, after starting sixth in Mission Foods points, wound up second behind only JFR teammate Austin Prock, who is the only driver ahead of him in the current standings.

In a PEAK Chevy tuned to 335 mile-an-hour perfection by Daniel Hood, Chris Cunningham and Tim Fabrisi, he has won two more races this season, one of them at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in California, a track on which he has won his last four Funny Car starts. 

Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery

SEATTLE, Wash. (July 16, 2025) – Reigning World Champion Austin Prock doesn’t have to look very far for reasons to celebrate this week’s return to Pacific Raceways, the track on which he and his national record-holding Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS are favored to repeat as Funny Car champions in the 36th NHRA Northwest Nationals. 

“Excited to be in Seattle this weekend,” said the 29-year-old who is seeking his third straight victory on the Mission Foods tour. “This is a track that has a special place in my heart. Winning my first event here in Top Fuel back in 2019 while the boss (John Force) captured his 150th was a memory for the books.”

That breakthrough Top Fuel win, which came at the expense of then World Champ Steve Torrence, was the catalyst in securing NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year recognition for the fourth-generation racer.  

“I’m ready to get back in the office and I’m itching for that first session on Friday night,” Prock said of his return to the Northwest. “The fans are in for a treat. The conditions should be good. The trees (that surround the track) will be letting off some fresh O2, the Gs’ will be high, and the front end will be light on the ‘Prock Rocket.’”

That’s a recipe that has produced success not only for Prock, who is racing Funny Cars for just the second season, but also for his predecessor in the Cornwell Chevrolet, three-time World Champion Robert Hight.

The common denominator is a crew led by Austin’s dad, Jimmy, that, since the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, has sent a Cornwell Chevy to the final round in 40 of 113 races with 26 wins, two of them at Pacific Raceways where Hight hoisted the trophy in 2022.

“I really, truly enjoy drag racing,” Prock said, alluding to his past success driving quarter midgets and sprint cars out of Tony Stewart’s shop with the help of his brother, Thomas, now a key member of the Cornwell crew. “I loved running the Top Fuel car (in the 2019, 2022 and 2023 seasons), but Funny Car is where I belong. 

“I’ve said before that I always dreamed of driving one like my grandpa (1970s era Funny Car driver Tom Prock), and I am having an absolute blast,” he beamed. “I’m loving every second of it. I love the challenge of these cars. I love sitting behind the engine.  I love the body dropping. And to top it off, I’m doing it with my family.”

Since first sliding into the seat of the Cornwell Chevy to start the 2024 season, Prock has won 12 times while racing to the fastest speed in NHRA history, a national record-setting 341.68 miles per hour last fall at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, and posting the quickest unofficial time ever at 3.793 seconds last March in testing at Bradenton, Fla.

Before he begins his Seattle title defense on Sunday, the professionally trained chef will participate in the Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge that provides semifinalists from the most recent event in the series a “do-over” opportunity during Saturday qualifying that pays off in both points and cash. 

BATAVIA, Ohio (July 16, 2025) – All eyes are on Huset’s Speedway as the high-banked oval prepares to host the 15th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals Presented by MyRacePass, July 16-19. The action will kick start on Wednesday, July 16, with a complete program for the Tri-State Late Model Series and the IMCA Stock Cars. Then, the Lucas Oil Late Model Series presented by FloRacing will take center stage with a complete program of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 40-lap, $10,000 to win A-Main both Thursday and Friday. The Malvern Bank Super Late Model Series (SLMR) joins the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing on Thursday and Friday with a complete program on tap each night. Saturday’s Silver Dollar Nationals finale saw a significant purse boost of over $40,000 in 2025. Another complete program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing will culminate in a 100-lap, $75,000-to-win, $2,500-to-start finale. The Late Model Street Stocks will also be part of Saturday’s program at Huset’s Speedway. Huset’s Speedway, carved from a soybean field in 1953, is located between Sioux Falls and Brandon, South Dakota on Highway 11. Take I-90 east of Sioux Falls to exit 406, then go south three miles on SR 11. For more information or to purchase advance tickets, please visit www.husetsspeedway.com. Jonathan Davenport holds a 25-point advantage over Ricky Thornton Jr. in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP standings. Hudson O’Neal has moved to third, followed by Devin Moran and Garrett Alberson, completing the top five. Donald McIntosh leads the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year chase over Daniel Hilsabeck and Dan Ebert. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Thursday, July 17: 1. $10,000, 2. $5,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,700, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,000, 15. $950, 16. $925, 17. $900, 18. $875, 19. $850, 20. $825, 21. $800, 22. $800, 23. $800, 24. $800 = $48,575 Friday, July 18: 1. $10,000, 2. $5,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,700, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,000, 15. $950, 16. $925, 17. $900, 18. $875, 19. $850, 20. $825, 21. $800, 22. $800, 23. $800, 24. $800 = $48,575 Saturday, July 19:Silver Dollar Nationals: 1. $75,000, 2. $25,000, 3. $10,000, 4. $9,000, 5. $8,000, 6. $7,000, 7. $6,000, 8. $5,000, 9. $4,500, 10. $4,000, 11. $3,800, 12. $3,700, 13. $3,600, 14. $3,500, 15. $3,400, 16. $3,300, 17. $3,200, 18. $3,100, 19. $3,000, 20. $2,900, 21. $2,800, 22. $2,700, 23. $2,600, 24. $2,500 = $197,600 Non-Qualifiers Race: 1. $2,000, 2. $1,500, 3. $1,400, 4. $1,300, 5. $1,200, 6. $1,150, 7. $1,100, 8. $1,090, 9. $1,080, 10. $1,070, 11. $1,060, 12. $1,053, 13. $1,053, 14. $853, 15. $753, 16. $553, 17. $553, 18. $553, 19. $553, 20. $553 = $20,427 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rule:Left Front – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3, (90) W30sRight Front/Left Rear – Hoosier (90) NLMT3, (90) W30sRight Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) W30s, (92) NLMT4 Previous Silver Dollar Nationals Winners:2024 – Devin Moran2023 – Brandon Sheppard2022 – Jonathan Davenport2021 – Kyle Bronson2020 – Brandon Sheppard2019 – Bobby Pierce2018 – Jonathan Davenport2017 – Tim McCreadie2016 – Jonathan Davenport2015 – Scott Bloomquist2014 – Scott Bloomquist2013 – Jimmy Owens2012 – Brian Birkhofer2011 – Don O’Neal

Tom Drane (59) and Chase Saathoff (88) race during the AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event at the DuQuoin Mile July 5th. [Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 16, 2025) – A heated battle atop the AFT Singles presented by KICKER standings arrives with Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, as it makes its Wheatland, Missouri, debut for the first-ever Short Track at Lucas Oil Speedway on Friday, July 18.  …And in This Corner…  Entering the 2025 season, all eyes were on presumed 450cc title fighters Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R).  As it went, the class’ three-time but not-defending champion, Kody Kopp (No. 1 Bob Lanphere/KTM/Fastrack Racing KTM 450 SX-F), wasn’t quite ready to relinquish the spotlight, claiming double victory at the season opener during DAYTONA Bike Week.  And then rookie sensation Kage Tadman (No. 288 Roof Systems/Old Oak Ranch KTM 450 SX-F) came from seemingly nowhere to upend the class’ power hierarchy with a pair of stunning wins in his first two attempts.  But now as the season opens its second half – Drane and Saathoff have returned to centerstage.  Drane is absolutely rolling, having secured three victories in succession while soaring up the class’ career leaderboards in multiple categories.  Saathoff, meanwhile, has been nearly as quick, and, as a result, remains the only rider left in the chase who sits within single-race striking distance.  And it’s not just that the two are finally proving themselves the class of the field as expected, there’s also the undeniable heat to their rivalry.  The fact that they are as well matched in terms of speed and skill as they are has naturally created multiple chances for on-track clashes throughout their young careers. Those chances have resulted in crashes of both the near and actual variety, along with heightened emotion and exchanged words.  While a chummier paddock than most, rivalry is very much a feature of the sport. And any number of champions over the years have found the benefit in viewing their adversaries as, well, adversaries. Some might even argue that the legendary Jared Mees sought ways to make it so, as his prior and resumed friendships with the likes of Bryan Smith and Briar Bauman were put on temporary hold during the peak of their times as competing title fighters.  Fortunately, both Drane and Saathoff are mature beyond their years and calculated in their respective approaches. So long as everything stays above board, the past drama only makes the prospect of their future battles that much more intriguing.  Rookies Rising Along with Kopp’s successful send-off and the evolution of Drane vs. Saathoff, the third major story of the season has been the bumper crop of rookies.  Tadman is the headliner with those remarkable back-to-back wins in his first two professional events. However, he is far from alone.  Walker Porter (No. 100 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) hit the ground running despite jumping in near midseason. The 2024 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award winner showed himself to be a top-five talent in his debut weekend, and he has the ability to do much more than that as the second half of the season plays out.  Meanwhile, Ryder Reese (No. 244 Mission Foods/Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) made his Progressive AFT debut the same weekend as Porter. And despite being lost in the long shadows cast by Tadman and Porter, he also came away with a top ten in his first weekend as a pro.  That same feat was pulled off earlier in the season, when Ethan Kitchen (No. 105 Lucky Thumb M/C Yamaha YZ450F) did it at the Daytona opener.  And finally, there’s Skylar Sentell (No. 249 Hoffer Performance/Stauffer Motors KTM 450 SX-F), who finished tenth at the Lima Half-Mile II – a race that featured four rookies in the top ten.  There are some other quick first-year riders in the field who continue to get closer and closer to making their mark as well.  The sport’s future is not just coming. It’s already here.  Emergence Day  Between Drane/Saathoff and the rookies is a healthy next group, with any number of contenders hoping to make the leap to the front.  Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) is the hardest to place because he’s somewhere between that first and next group. While he did defeat Drane to take the checkered flag in the Lima Half-Mile I Mission Triple Challenge Race II, Brunner is still seeking his first official race victory of 2025. You have to think it’s coming – he’s yet to go winless in four prior seasons in the class despite battling with the likes of Dallas Daniels and Kody Kopp over that span.  Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R) has been the next best. He’s taken yet another step forward with a pair of podium finishes in ‘25. That said, he’s got to make another big jump in order to become a regular thorn in the sides of the leading duo.  Beyond Brunner and Santero, you have the likes of Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F), Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F), Jared Lowe (No. 63 Big R/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R), and Hunter Bauer (No. 24 Vinson Construction/Reel Medics Yamaha YZ450F) – all of whom seem to take turns in demonstrating genuine brilliance but none of whom have yet to find a way to channel it consistently.   But AFT Singles is the class where bouts of inconsistency can get ironed out and done so in a hurry.   Go Party, Go Play, and Go Kart  Fans who come out to the track on Friday night will find no shortage of entertainment options beyond just the world-class racing.   The Fan Party – complete with a Rider Q&A session – will run from 5:00 p.m. local time right up until Opening Ceremonies at 7:00 p.m.   Those in attendance will also have a chance to take advantage of the on-site go-karting, the Diamond Bar, DJ’d music, a multitude of vendors lining the midway, Jumbotron viewing, designated motorcycle parking, and a variety of food and beverage options.  Seats, Suites, and Fan Experiences  General Admission Grandstand tickets for the Short Track at Lucas Oil Speedway are just $25 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult ticket), while Reserved Grandstand tickets are available for $40 (all ages). Students can purchase a GA Grandstand ticket for just $20 at the gate the day of the event with a valid ID.  There are multiple options to enjoy the facility’s 21 VIP Luxury Suites, starting with an Individual Suite ticket ($99), which includes a private outdoor box seat along with access to the indoor lounge.  Private Indoor Suites are available for groups of up to 18 ($2000) and 27 ($3000), both of which include infield group experience with a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line, photo op included, and early race viewing from the infield.  Also available for purchase is the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience ($99), which includes reserved seating, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line, photo op included, and up-close viewing of Opening Ceremonies and a portion of the night’s race action.  Finally, fans have the option to purchase the Practice Viewing Trackside Fan Experience as a $25 upgrade to a GA Grandstand or Reserved Grandstand ticket, which provides a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line, photo op included, and up-close viewing of a practice session.  Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2025-lucas-oil-short-track-141381 to reserve your seats today.  Gates will open for fans at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.