All posts by ARP Trish

Wayne Taylor Racing Delivers first GTP Era Win for Cadillac at road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (Aug. 2, 2026) – Cadillac Racing scored their third straight victory as Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor, drivers of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R won the Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor, drivers of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, finished third after a wild six-hour event.  Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Fredrick Vesti, drivers of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, were in podium position at the end but were involved in an accident with the No. 6 Porsche car which caused the No. 31 to finish ninth in the GTP class and 18th overall.  The No. 10 led 36 laps en route to victory while the No. 40 led 24 circuits. It was 36th victory for Cadillac and 54th IMSA class win for Wayne Taylor Racing which broke a tie with Brumos Racing and Champion Racing for sixth most all-time. 
It was the 14th IMSA class win for Albuquerque, and his last win was at 2024 Detroit Street in GTP. There were 20 starts between wins, breaking his longest career winless streak. It was his second win at Road America.  For Ricky Taylor, it was his 33rd IMSA class victory and like Albuquerque, his last win was at 2024 Detroit Street in GTP and the 20 starts between broke his longest career winless streak. This was his third win at Road America.  Aitken still leads the point standings by 108 points over Laurin Heinrich while the Whelen Cadillac team has a 175-point lead over the No. 93 Acura. Cadillac leads the manufacturer standings by 112 points over Porsche. The next IMSA GTP event is the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The two-hour 40-minute race starts at 3:10 pm EDT on September 20 and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed Peacock and IMSAs YouTube page (outside United States). IMSA Radio will stream live audio coverage on XM 206, Channel 996 on the SiriusXM app and IMSA.com.
What they’re saying:
No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Filipe Albuquerque: “I don’t know any more this feeling, it’s been a while. But winning is so special. Yeah, I love Road America. Have great memories. Yeah, today was just a special day. The beginning of the race was just kind of follow along. But then when Ricky (Taylor) went on, strategy came a little bit to us. Great pit stops from the boys. Ricky putting up there on the top three, following the sister car (No. 31) in P2. You start to get a little bit nervous. Then for the end I got in, was funny because it’s just like it’s been such a struggle for us with pace that sometimes we doubt ourselves, what is it, what is it there, is it here? Just went down there and said just go in there and just be you, do your thing. I think everything came perfectly. We passed the 31, went to the lead. We maintained it there. Ten laps to go, okay, cruising, because it was a nice lead. Those restarts were tricky because I knew that the Porsche is very, very strong. I needed to be very focused on that. I managed to get ahead of him, caught him off guard on both restarts. It’s more than a win. We’ve been winning more races, but this feels way more special than others, almost like a championship, because of how much we overcame and being together as a team and working hard. When you come from the bottom to the top, proving yourself to everybody that you can still do is a great, great feeling, especially just before holidays.” Ricky Taylor: “I think Filipe said most of it. Yeah, I think for all of us, it’s a big relief. But nobody on the team, obviously like since changing manufacturers, we haven’t performed at the level I think the expectations were. The results weren’t coming and the confidence was dropping. Everybody starts doubting themselves. But I think the important thing is that the team never blamed each other. We just kept working harder and harder and harder, and the results weren’t coming. So now to have a result, I feel like the way the race went, it wasn’t a lucky one, the team did everything right. We were sort of in the race for the second half of the race, fighting for the win. I just think it’s awesome that Filipe was in the car at the end. The relationship we’ve had since 2021, we work so well together on and off track. Yeah, I think to share it with him, obviously the team is tight knit, it’s more than a family team. Everybody on the team feels like family at this point. I think for everybody, it’s a huge relief and nice testament to the work that everybody’s doing.”
Wayne Taylor Racing Delivers first GTP Era Win for Cadillac at Road America
Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom
ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (Aug. 2, 2026) – Cadillac Racing scored their third straight victory as Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor, drivers of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R won the Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor, drivers of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, finished third after a wild six-hour event.  Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Fredrick Vesti, drivers of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, were in podium position at the end but were involved in an accident with the No. 6 Porsche car which caused the No. 31 to finish ninth in the GTP class and 18th overall.  The No. 10 led 36 laps en route to victory while the No. 40 led 24 circuits. It was 36th victory for Cadillac and 54th IMSA class win for Wayne Taylor Racing which broke a tie with Brumos Racing and Champion Racing for sixth most all-time. 
It was the 14th IMSA class win for Albuquerque, and his last win was at 2024 Detroit Street in GTP. There were 20 starts between wins, breaking his longest career winless streak. It was his second win at Road America.  For Ricky Taylor, it was his 33rd IMSA class victory and like Albuquerque, his last win was at 2024 Detroit Street in GTP and the 20 starts between broke his longest career winless streak. This was his third win at Road America.  Aitken still leads the point standings by 108 points over Laurin Heinrich while the Whelen Cadillac team has a 175-point lead over the No. 93 Acura. Cadillac leads the manufacturer standings by 112 points over Porsche. The next IMSA GTP event is the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The two-hour 40-minute race starts at 3:10 pm EDT on September 20 and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed Peacock and IMSAs YouTube page (outside United States). IMSA Radio will stream live audio coverage on XM 206, Channel 996 on the SiriusXM app and IMSA.com.
What they’re saying:
No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Filipe Albuquerque: “I don’t know any more this feeling, it’s been a while. But winning is so special. Yeah, I love Road America. Have great memories. Yeah, today was just a special day. The beginning of the race was just kind of follow along. But then when Ricky (Taylor) went on, strategy came a little bit to us. Great pit stops from the boys. Ricky putting up there on the top three, following the sister car (No. 31) in P2. You start to get a little bit nervous. Then for the end I got in, was funny because it’s just like it’s been such a struggle for us with pace that sometimes we doubt ourselves, what is it, what is it there, is it here? Just went down there and said just go in there and just be you, do your thing. I think everything came perfectly. We passed the 31, went to the lead. We maintained it there. Ten laps to go, okay, cruising, because it was a nice lead. Those restarts were tricky because I knew that the Porsche is very, very strong. I needed to be very focused on that. I managed to get ahead of him, caught him off guard on both restarts. It’s more than a win. We’ve been winning more races, but this feels way more special than others, almost like a championship, because of how much we overcame and being together as a team and working hard. When you come from the bottom to the top, proving yourself to everybody that you can still do is a great, great feeling, especially just before holidays.” Ricky Taylor: “I think Filipe said most of it. Yeah, I think for all of us, it’s a big relief. But nobody on the team, obviously like since changing manufacturers, we haven’t performed at the level I think the expectations were. The results weren’t coming and the confidence was dropping. Everybody starts doubting themselves. But I think the important thing is that the team never blamed each other. We just kept working harder and harder and harder, and the results weren’t coming. So now to have a result, I feel like the way the race went, it wasn’t a lucky one, the team did everything right. We were sort of in the race for the second half of the race, fighting for the win. I just think it’s awesome that Filipe was in the car at the end. The relationship we’ve had since 2021, we work so well together on and off track. Yeah, I think to share it with him, obviously the team is tight knit, it’s more than a family team. Everybody on the team feels like family at this point. I think for everybody, it’s a huge relief and nice testament to the work that everybody’s doing.”
No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Louis Deletraz: “First of all, amazing job by the whole team this weekend. P1 and P3, so we can be very happy and proud. Thanks a lot to Cadillac, thanks to Wayne Taylor Racing.  Obviously a little bit disappointing. We’ve had such a good and strong race. I apologize for my mistake on the yellow, that truck was in a really bad position. I was the first one to come there. And yeah, I just took evasive maneuver to avoid hitting a safety car that was in the middle of the road and I guess that’s the penalty. But we came back, we fought, we didn’t give up and thanks a lot to everyone and to Jordan for the awesome job.” Jordan Taylor: “Another disappointing day. Another way our years have been going the past three years. We had a winning car, we let a lot of laps, which was nice, but yeah, just too bad, pressing the 40 side not to get another result, but great for the 10 car to get a win. I think our team’s been, you know, on the wrong side of some unlucky yellow flags and things like that through this year. So, it’s nice to finally get a result from the team. But yeah, for us on the 40 it’s disappointing.” Wayne Taylor, owner of Wayne Taylor Racing: “As you know, we’ve been having such a hard time. It’s very much in my stomach. As long as you keep working harder, digging deeper and pushing everybody, it does happen. Today was just tremendous. Thank you to Mark Reuss (President of General Motors). Thank you to Rory Harvey (General Motors Executive Vice President and President, Global Markets), Eric Warren (Vice President, Global Motorsports Competition for General Motors), and everybody at GM. We could never have done this without them.”  Eric Warren, Vice President, Global Motorsports Competition for General Motors: “These guys work so hard. It takes a lot to put it together. You see the chaos of the race; that’s what makes IMSA and sportscar so exciting. It comes down to the very end, just incredible racing. What a great job Felipe (Albuquerque) did on some of those restarts. I couldn’t be happier for everybody.”No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R Jack Aitken: “I think it’s a real shame because despite maybe not being quite where we wanted to be in terms of pace, the guys ran a really fantastic race and we managed to put ourselves in the fight for a win and a podium. And I just think that the driving by some of the others around us was over the line. Like I said, it’s a shame because a lot of effort goes into these days and we could have had another good result to go on the back of a really strong year, but we’ll pick up the pieces, move on and crack on with the last two races. Obviously, fantastic that the 10 got the win and closed that out. Really happy for them. And we’ll come back stronger in Indianapolis.” Earl Bamber: “First of all, congrats to the No. 10. A tough day for us, but still great that another Cadillac won, kept that three-race win streak in a row and we got really good manufacturer points. For us, we battled all day in typical Whelen and 31 fashion. Our guys on the pit crew did an amazing job, kept cycling us to the front. And then Jack was sort of battling hard there at the end, and it was just a bit sad for motor racing that other people need to stoop to those levels, to take cars out in order to hold their position. It’s pretty clear… the expectation of IMSA to leave clear, fair racing room, and I feel we fight very fairly. And it just feels like our competitors want to test the absolute limits of that and then, unfortunately, take out Jack. But, yeah, glad Jack’s okay. The guys are rebuilding, we’ll come back at Indy.” Frederik Vesti: “It was intense day at Road America. Obviously, on the podium up until right at the end, but we had some ups and downs throughout the race. I had a really good stint. Came out of the car feeling really happy, but then got a speed-limit penalty (in the pit lane), a drive through that Earl had to serve, which was frustrating and took us back. But with some good strategy and a bit of full-course yellow help, we got back in the race and then that was good. Jack was going all-out at the end trying to overtake the Porsche. And in the end, he was put straight to the wall. I mean, we’re not here to do unfair racing, but I think today showed that some people are and are willing to take more risk than you should as a racing driver. We are trying to be fair and race fair, and we expect that from our competitors as well, so that’s quite frustrating to see. But I’m just glad Jack is all right. It was a high-speed crash. And this car will be rebuilt, and we’ll be back hunting next month. Congrats to the 10 car and super happy for Cadillac.”

Pierce Wins Third USA Nationals in Four Years, Ties Single-Season Win Record

NEW RICHMOND, WI (August 1, 2026) – Bobby Pierce can never be counted out, and Saturday night was proof of why.

The two-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision champion has dominated the dirt Late Model world all summer long, but Thursday’s opening night of the USA Nationals was a rare lackluster showing. Pierce qualified poorly, didn’t gain much ground in his Heat Race and finished 12th in the Feature, his worst Series run of the season.

But the No. 32 team wasn’t keen on settling for mediocrity on Saturday with $100,000 on the line. The decision was made to switch to the backup car, which most recently won at Adams County Speedway on July 14. Saturday morning was spent swapping parts over to the spare chassis with a smaller engine and preparing it for battle, and Pierce made sure to reward his crew’s extra effort when the green flag dropped in the 100-lap main event.

From his 10th-place spot in the starting lineup, Pierce quickly worked his way up to sixth and stayed there for most of the long green-flag run that lasted for the first 54 laps of the race. That first caution was the first of many in the second half of the Feature, which kept the field bunched up and gave Pierce ample opportunities to gain more positions.

Pierce was up to second in time for a Lap 33 restart, which placed him on the outside of his closest championship challenger, Nick Hoffman, coming to green. Pierce went wide around Turn 4 on the initial launch, generating enough steam to switch to Hoffman’s inside and throw the slider into Turn 1.

That move cleared, but Pierce then had Brandon Sheppard to deal with on his inside exiting Turn 2 in a three-way race for the lead. Sheppard thought about a slide job of his own in Turn 3, but he wasn’t clear and had to slot in behind Pierce. From that point on, Pierce was the dominant car on track on his way to a six-figure payday.

“I think we made the right call,” Pierce said. “Once again, I’ve got to say thanks to my crew. They got up early today and got these cars switched around, unloaded, shocks off and everything. We went through them hard, just really went through the setup top to bottom. I like this track again. I kind of didn’t like it last year because I was getting lapped, and now I like it again.”

Pierce’s third USA Nationals title made him the fourth driver to win the race three or more times, joining Billy Moyer, Scott Bloomquist and Jonathan Davenport. It was also the fourth six-figure victory of Pierce’s career and his first outside of Eldora Speedway, with the first three coming in the Dirt Track World Championship in 2024 and 2025 and the 2026 Dirt Late Model Dream.

The “Smooth Operator” now stands on the verge of World of Outlaws history, as his 18th Series win on the year tied the record for the most in a single season, matching the mark previously set by Josh Richards in 2016 and Brandon Sheppard in 2017 and 2019. Pierce’s first chance to break the record will come at the next stop on tour at Maquoketa Speedway, where he won last year.

Sheppard fell one spot short of his second USA Nationals victory, while Ethan Dotson recorded the best crown-jewel finish of his career in third. Behind them, Hudson O’Neal and Dustin Sorensen rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision kicks off a five-race tour of Iowa at Maquoketa Speedway with the Hawkeye 100 on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

RACE NOTES:

Chris Madden set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap

Michael Leach won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Tanner English won Heat 1.

Ethan Dotson won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Chris Madden won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Nick Hoffman won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Brandon Sheppard won Heat 5.

Dan Ebert won Heat 6.

Trey Mills and Hudson O’Neal won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Shannon Babb won the Last Chance Qualifier.

Dan Ebert won the Dash.

Trevor Gundaker won the FANS Fund Dash.

Dan Ebert won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Hudson O’Neal won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Brandon Sheppard was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Hudson O’Neal was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Tanner English was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Cody Overton was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Jason Feger was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Zack Mitchell was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Clay Harris was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (100 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[10]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 74X-Ethan Dotson[6]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[20]; 5. 19-Dustin Sorensen[14]; 6. 96-Tanner English[4]; 7. 9M-Tim McCreadie[9]; 8. 97-Cody Overton[11]; 9. 25-Jason Feger[18]; 10. 1-Tyler Erb[17]; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin[16]; 12. 22*-Zack Mitchell[8]; 13. 6-Clay Harris[13]; 14. 14-Trey Mills[19]; 15. 49-Jake Timm[24]; 16. 44-Chris Madden[5]; 17. B1-Brent Larson[28]; 18. 9-Nick Hoffman[3]; 19. 09-Michael Leach[7]; 20. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 21. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[26]; 22. 13-Dallon Murty[22]; 23. 1Z-Logan Zarin[29]; 24. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[25]; 25. 58V-Daulton Wilson[21]; 26. 8S-Kyle Strickler[15]; 27. 0-Jake O’Neil[12]; 28. 18-Shannon Babb[23]; 29. 11G-Trevor Gundaker[27]

Pierce Wins Third USA Nationals in Four Years, Ties Single-Season Win Record

NEW RICHMOND, WI (August 1, 2026) – Bobby Pierce can never be counted out, and Saturday night was proof of why.

The two-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision champion has dominated the dirt Late Model world all summer long, but Thursday’s opening night of the USA Nationals was a rare lackluster showing. Pierce qualified poorly, didn’t gain much ground in his Heat Race and finished 12th in the Feature, his worst Series run of the season.

But the No. 32 team wasn’t keen on settling for mediocrity on Saturday with $100,000 on the line. The decision was made to switch to the backup car, which most recently won at Adams County Speedway on July 14. Saturday morning was spent swapping parts over to the spare chassis with a smaller engine and preparing it for battle, and Pierce made sure to reward his crew’s extra effort when the green flag dropped in the 100-lap main event.

From his 10th-place spot in the starting lineup, Pierce quickly worked his way up to sixth and stayed there for most of the long green-flag run that lasted for the first 54 laps of the race. That first caution was the first of many in the second half of the Feature, which kept the field bunched up and gave Pierce ample opportunities to gain more positions.

Pierce was up to second in time for a Lap 33 restart, which placed him on the outside of his closest championship challenger, Nick Hoffman, coming to green. Pierce went wide around Turn 4 on the initial launch, generating enough steam to switch to Hoffman’s inside and throw the slider into Turn 1.

That move cleared, but Pierce then had Brandon Sheppard to deal with on his inside exiting Turn 2 in a three-way race for the lead. Sheppard thought about a slide job of his own in Turn 3, but he wasn’t clear and had to slot in behind Pierce. From that point on, Pierce was the dominant car on track on his way to a six-figure payday.

“I think we made the right call,” Pierce said. “Once again, I’ve got to say thanks to my crew. They got up early today and got these cars switched around, unloaded, shocks off and everything. We went through them hard, just really went through the setup top to bottom. I like this track again. I kind of didn’t like it last year because I was getting lapped, and now I like it again.”

Pierce’s third USA Nationals title made him the fourth driver to win the race three or more times, joining Billy Moyer, Scott Bloomquist and Jonathan Davenport. It was also the fourth six-figure victory of Pierce’s career and his first outside of Eldora Speedway, with the first three coming in the Dirt Track World Championship in 2024 and 2025 and the 2026 Dirt Late Model Dream.

The “Smooth Operator” now stands on the verge of World of Outlaws history, as his 18th Series win on the year tied the record for the most in a single season, matching the mark previously set by Josh Richards in 2016 and Brandon Sheppard in 2017 and 2019. Pierce’s first chance to break the record will come at the next stop on tour at Maquoketa Speedway, where he won last year.

Sheppard fell one spot short of his second USA Nationals victory, while Ethan Dotson recorded the best crown-jewel finish of his career in third. Behind them, Hudson O’Neal and Dustin Sorensen rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision kicks off a five-race tour of Iowa at Maquoketa Speedway with the Hawkeye 100 on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

RACE NOTES:

Chris Madden set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap

Michael Leach won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Tanner English won Heat 1.

Ethan Dotson won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Chris Madden won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Nick Hoffman won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Brandon Sheppard won Heat 5.

Dan Ebert won Heat 6.

Trey Mills and Hudson O’Neal won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Shannon Babb won the Last Chance Qualifier.

Dan Ebert won the Dash.

Trevor Gundaker won the FANS Fund Dash.

Dan Ebert won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Hudson O’Neal won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Brandon Sheppard was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Hudson O’Neal was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Tanner English was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Cody Overton was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Jason Feger was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Zack Mitchell was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Clay Harris was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (100 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[10]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 74X-Ethan Dotson[6]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[20]; 5. 19-Dustin Sorensen[14]; 6. 96-Tanner English[4]; 7. 9M-Tim McCreadie[9]; 8. 97-Cody Overton[11]; 9. 25-Jason Feger[18]; 10. 1-Tyler Erb[17]; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin[16]; 12. 22*-Zack Mitchell[8]; 13. 6-Clay Harris[13]; 14. 14-Trey Mills[19]; 15. 49-Jake Timm[24]; 16. 44-Chris Madden[5]; 17. B1-Brent Larson[28]; 18. 9-Nick Hoffman[3]; 19. 09-Michael Leach[7]; 20. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 21. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[26]; 22. 13-Dallon Murty[22]; 23. 1Z-Logan Zarin[29]; 24. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[25]; 25. 58V-Daulton Wilson[21]; 26. 8S-Kyle Strickler[15]; 27. 0-Jake O’Neil[12]; 28. 18-Shannon Babb[23]; 29. 11G-Trevor Gundaker[27]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/pierce-wins-third-usa-nationals-in-four-years-ties-single-season-win-record/

Kyler Johnson Bags Awaited First ASCS National Tour Victory at Viking Speedway; ALEXANDRIA, MN (August 1, 2026) — After 124 starts, Kyler Johnson has completed the dream of becoming an American Sprint Car Series winner.

Kyler Johnson Bags Awaited First ASCS National Tour Victory at Viking Speedway ALEXANDRIA, MN (August 1, 2026) — After 124 starts, Kyler Johnson has completed the dream of becoming an American Sprint Car Series winner.

The Quinter, KS native achieved a four-year-long quest with a standout 25 laps in the National Tour’s first trip to Viking Speedway for the Rock On Trucks Gopher State 360 Sprint Car Challenge.

Before Saturday night, Johnson finished on the Series podium six times, including three second-place runs. The seventh podium of his career is the sweetest one to arrive.

“We knew we had a car to win several races,” Johnson said. “We should have won in Arizona, then you go back to Pevely last year. We just had a couple (wins) get away from us there late in the race, and just like that in the Feature, some of the lapped cars were battling in front of me. Dad, we did it. Finally.”

Johnson began the night by setting the track record in Qualifying with a 16.7-second lap time, then started fourth for the Feature at the “High Flyin’ Half Mile.”

Matt Covington and Austyn Gossel set the front row for the start, with Johnson and Seth Bergman making up the row behind them. While Covington held the lead through the first two turns, Gossel slid under him through Turns 3-4 to claim the top spot as Johnson took over second from Covington.

Johnson tracked Gossel down through the cushion through three laps, then threw a slide job through Turns 1-2 on Lap 4 to get to the inside of the No. 16G across the backstretch, then completed the pass off the exit of Turn 4 to become the new leader.

Behind Johnson, Bergman overtook Covington with a slide job on Lap 8 for third as Series points leader Sam Hafertepe Jr. joined the mix after starting the Feature in ninth place. As he attempted to pass Covington for fourth on Lap 9, Hafertepe hit the infield tractor tire and lost control of the No. 15H to create the sole caution of the program.

On the restart, Johnson scurried away from Gossel as Bergman overtook the No. 16G BG Automotive Triple X Chassis for the runner-up position as Johnson grew the lead to a two-second advantage over the Snohomish, WA driver through the halfway point until lapped traffic began to hamper his ability to use the outside line effectively.

Within the final seven laps, Bergman turned the tide in his direction by chopping the gap from 2.1 seconds to 0.7 seconds as five laps remained on the Alexandria, MN 1/2-mile. Johnson responded by putting lapped cars behind him to form a buffer over the 2024 Series champion.

As the white flag waved, Johnson had to navigate a three-car group of lapped cars as Bergman prepared to make a final charge for the win. The pilot of the No. 45X Maxim Chassis squeezed through the traffic to emerge ahead of the field and score his maiden ASCS National Tour triumph.

“I was really able to be smooth up top,” Johnson said. “This thing was the easiest to drive tonight. This place is awesome; it’s kind of right up my style of racetrack – a big, slick 1/2-mile. Shoutout to my brother and wife, this thing was on rails. We’ve been out here for four years, and we were flat out getting our butts kicked. So we knew if we could stick it out long enough that’d be capable of winning. I won’t forget this one.”

Bergman finished the night in second place, and Gossel wound up in third for his second consecutive Series podium appearance. Ryder LaPlante drove to fourth, and Hafertepe came back from the early caution to finish the night at Viking in fifth.

Recap Notes:

Quick Time Award: Kyler Johnson (16.70 sec.)

Heat Race Winners: Seth Bergman, Austyn Gossel

Rock On Trucks Hard Charger Award: Sam Hafertepe Jr. (+4)

Rock On Trucks Highest-Finishing Non-ASCS Driver: Scott Winters

Rock On Trucks Lucky Dog Award: Cole Schroeder

UP NEXT: The “Sprint Car Capital of the World” is next for the American Sprint Car Series as Knoxville Raceway hosts three nights of the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals, Aug. 6-8.

360 NATIONALS TICKETS

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

RESULTS: Feature (25 Laps): 1. 45X-Kyler Johnson[4]; 2. 23-Seth Bergman[3]; 3. 16G-Austyn Gossel[2]; 4. 88R-Ryder Laplante[5]; 5. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[9]; 6. 95-Matt Covington[1]; 7. 88-Terry Easum[6]; 8. 23W-Scott Winters[8]; 9. 88C-Brogan Carder[11]; 10. 17B-Ryan Bickett[10]; 11. 3-Cole Schroeder[7]; 12. 33-Trevor Smith[12]; 13. 20G-Owen Graf[14]; 14. 86-Jori Hughes[13]; 15. 91-Reed Allex[15]

Kyler Johnson Bags Awaited First ASCS National Tour Victory at Viking Speedway ALEXANDRIA, MN (August 1, 2026) — After 124 starts, Kyler Johnson has completed the dream of becoming an American Sprint Car Series winner.

The Quinter, KS native achieved a four-year-long quest with a standout 25 laps in the National Tour’s first trip to Viking Speedway for the Rock On Trucks Gopher State 360 Sprint Car Challenge.

Before Saturday night, Johnson finished on the Series podium six times, including three second-place runs. The seventh podium of his career is the sweetest one to arrive.

“We knew we had a car to win several races,” Johnson said. “We should have won in Arizona, then you go back to Pevely last year. We just had a couple (wins) get away from us there late in the race, and just like that in the Feature, some of the lapped cars were battling in front of me. Dad, we did it. Finally.”

Johnson began the night by setting the track record in Qualifying with a 16.7-second lap time, then started fourth for the Feature at the “High Flyin’ Half Mile.”

Matt Covington and Austyn Gossel set the front row for the start, with Johnson and Seth Bergman making up the row behind them. While Covington held the lead through the first two turns, Gossel slid under him through Turns 3-4 to claim the top spot as Johnson took over second from Covington.

Johnson tracked Gossel down through the cushion through three laps, then threw a slide job through Turns 1-2 on Lap 4 to get to the inside of the No. 16G across the backstretch, then completed the pass off the exit of Turn 4 to become the new leader.

Behind Johnson, Bergman overtook Covington with a slide job on Lap 8 for third as Series points leader Sam Hafertepe Jr. joined the mix after starting the Feature in ninth place. As he attempted to pass Covington for fourth on Lap 9, Hafertepe hit the infield tractor tire and lost control of the No. 15H to create the sole caution of the program.

On the restart, Johnson scurried away from Gossel as Bergman overtook the No. 16G BG Automotive Triple X Chassis for the runner-up position as Johnson grew the lead to a two-second advantage over the Snohomish, WA driver through the halfway point until lapped traffic began to hamper his ability to use the outside line effectively.

Within the final seven laps, Bergman turned the tide in his direction by chopping the gap from 2.1 seconds to 0.7 seconds as five laps remained on the Alexandria, MN 1/2-mile. Johnson responded by putting lapped cars behind him to form a buffer over the 2024 Series champion.

As the white flag waved, Johnson had to navigate a three-car group of lapped cars as Bergman prepared to make a final charge for the win. The pilot of the No. 45X Maxim Chassis squeezed through the traffic to emerge ahead of the field and score his maiden ASCS National Tour triumph.

“I was really able to be smooth up top,” Johnson said. “This thing was the easiest to drive tonight. This place is awesome; it’s kind of right up my style of racetrack – a big, slick 1/2-mile. Shoutout to my brother and wife, this thing was on rails. We’ve been out here for four years, and we were flat out getting our butts kicked. So we knew if we could stick it out long enough that’d be capable of winning. I won’t forget this one.”

Bergman finished the night in second place, and Gossel wound up in third for his second consecutive Series podium appearance. Ryder LaPlante drove to fourth, and Hafertepe came back from the early caution to finish the night at Viking in fifth.

Recap Notes:

Quick Time Award: Kyler Johnson (16.70 sec.)

Heat Race Winners: Seth Bergman, Austyn Gossel

Rock On Trucks Hard Charger Award: Sam Hafertepe Jr. (+4)

Rock On Trucks Highest-Finishing Non-ASCS Driver: Scott Winters

Rock On Trucks Lucky Dog Award: Cole Schroeder

UP NEXT: The “Sprint Car Capital of the World” is next for the American Sprint Car Series as Knoxville Raceway hosts three nights of the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals, Aug. 6-8.

360 NATIONALS TICKETS

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

RESULTS: Feature (25 Laps): 1. 45X-Kyler Johnson[4]; 2. 23-Seth Bergman[3]; 3. 16G-Austyn Gossel[2]; 4. 88R-Ryder Laplante[5]; 5. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[9]; 6. 95-Matt Covington[1]; 7. 88-Terry Easum[6]; 8. 23W-Scott Winters[8]; 9. 88C-Brogan Carder[11]; 10. 17B-Ryan Bickett[10]; 11. 3-Cole Schroeder[7]; 12. 33-Trevor Smith[12]; 13. 20G-Owen Graf[14]; 14. 86-Jori Hughes[13]; 15. 91-Reed Allex[15]

ARTICLE:https://ascsracing.com/recap/kyler-johnson-bags-awaited-first-ascs-national-tour-victory-at-viking-speedway/

OUTLAW EXCELLENCE: Gravel Holds Off Schuchart for Williams Grove Summer Nationals Score

The defending champion survives Schuchart’s last gasp for his 10th win of the season and $20,000

MECHANICSBURG, PA (August 1, 2026) – Pennsylvania will always be a special place for David Gravel no matter how loud the boos get.

Competing in the “Keystone State” helped launch the Watertown, CT’s racing career. Battling the PA Posse is one of the best ways for any young racer to sharpen their skills and see if they’ve got what it takes to make it in Sprint Car racing.

That’s part of the route Gravel took on his way to becoming a two-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion. And while he may represent the enemy when he crosses the Pennsylvania border, he still enjoys every trip, especially ones that end in Victory Lane.

That’s exactly what happened at Saturday’s C&D Rigging Summer Nationals finale hosted by Williams Grove Speedway, the track where Gravel first wheeled a 410 Sprint Car. The 34-year-old put the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 on the pole for the 30-lap, $20,000-to-win finale and never looked back when the green flag dropped. Logan Schuchart made it close on the final circuit but couldn’t find a lane by as Gravel grabbed the checkered flag.

“This place was the first race where I ever drove a Sprint Car was at Williams Grove Speedway,” Gravel said. “I did about four laps the whole night then went to Lincoln (Speedway) the next night and crashed in the Heat Race. Yeah, P-A is where I got my start. I’ve got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), and Luke (Vaughn) for busting their butts.”

Saturday made it 10 wins for Gravel in 2026 as he equaled Michael “Buddy” Kofoid for the most. It’s also the fourth straight and fifth overall in which he and the Big Game crew have reached double digits. They’re up to 72 victories as a pairing since Gravel came aboard in 2021. He’s now at 130 career triumphs with The Greatest Show on Dirt, and “The Grove” is most responsible for them with 11.

The World of Outlaws swept the weekend over the PA Posse thanks to Gravel’s Saturday score and Buddy Kofoid’s on Friday and now lead the rivalry this year four wins to two.

Logan Schuchart fell just short of his second win of the year with a runner-up finish in the Shark Racing No. 1S. The Hanover, PA native continues to be one of the most consistent drivers over the summer with five podiums in the last nine races and nine top fives in the last 12.

Manchester, PA’s Logan Rumsey came home third to notch his first career World of Outlaws podium and lead the way for the Posse contingent.

Dylan Norris and Sheldon Haudenschild completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

David Gravel clocked the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

Logan Rumsey set Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Logan Rumsey (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Daryn Pittman (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), David Gravel (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Justin Whittall (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to David Gravel.

Gravel also topped the Toyota Dash.

Brent Shearer won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Buddy Kofoid moved from 25th to 18th for KSE Racing Products Hard Charger honors.

Justin Whittall was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom grabbed another Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

David Gravel ripped the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Cole Macedo.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to Pevely, MO’s I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park for the grueling Ironman 55 on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 7-8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[4]; 3. 71-Logan Rumsey[3]; 4. 17N-Dylan Norris[2]; 5. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]; 6. 48-Danny Dietrich[10]; 7. 67G-Justin Whittall[6]; 8. 69K-Daryn Pittman[7]; 9. 19-Brent Marks[12]; 10. 39M-Anthony Macri[11]; 11. 23D-Chase Dietz[8]; 12. 1A-Cameron Smith[13]; 13. 41-Carson Macedo[14]; 14. 23-Garet Williamson[15]; 15. 11-TJ Stutts[9]; 16. 17-Spencer Bayston[18]; 17. 22-Doug Hammaker[17]; 18. 83-Michael Kofoid[25]; 19. 27W-Troy Wagaman Jr[26]; 20. 51R-Freddie Rahmer[22]; 21. 39-Lucas Wolfe[19]; 22. 27-Emerson Axsom[24]; 23. 12-Brent Shearer[21]; 24. 15-Donny Schatz[27]; 25. 2C-Cole Macedo[23]; 26. 17B-Bill Balog[20]; 27. (DNF) 91-Preston Lattomus[16]; 28. (DNF) 1W-Buddy Schweibinz[28]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

OUTLAW EXCELLENCE: Gravel Holds Off Schuchart for Williams Grove Summer Nationals Score

The defending champion survives Schuchart’s last gasp for his 10th win of the season and $20,000

MECHANICSBURG, PA (August 1, 2026) – Pennsylvania will always be a special place for David Gravel no matter how loud the boos get.

Competing in the “Keystone State” helped launch the Watertown, CT’s racing career. Battling the PA Posse is one of the best ways for any young racer to sharpen their skills and see if they’ve got what it takes to make it in Sprint Car racing.

That’s part of the route Gravel took on his way to becoming a two-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion. And while he may represent the enemy when he crosses the Pennsylvania border, he still enjoys every trip, especially ones that end in Victory Lane.

That’s exactly what happened at Saturday’s C&D Rigging Summer Nationals finale hosted by Williams Grove Speedway, the track where Gravel first wheeled a 410 Sprint Car. The 34-year-old put the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 on the pole for the 30-lap, $20,000-to-win finale and never looked back when the green flag dropped. Logan Schuchart made it close on the final circuit but couldn’t find a lane by as Gravel grabbed the checkered flag.

“This place was the first race where I ever drove a Sprint Car was at Williams Grove Speedway,” Gravel said. “I did about four laps the whole night then went to Lincoln (Speedway) the next night and crashed in the Heat Race. Yeah, P-A is where I got my start. I’ve got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), and Luke (Vaughn) for busting their butts.”

Saturday made it 10 wins for Gravel in 2026 as he equaled Michael “Buddy” Kofoid for the most. It’s also the fourth straight and fifth overall in which he and the Big Game crew have reached double digits. They’re up to 72 victories as a pairing since Gravel came aboard in 2021. He’s now at 130 career triumphs with The Greatest Show on Dirt, and “The Grove” is most responsible for them with 11.

The World of Outlaws swept the weekend over the PA Posse thanks to Gravel’s Saturday score and Buddy Kofoid’s on Friday and now lead the rivalry this year four wins to two.

Logan Schuchart fell just short of his second win of the year with a runner-up finish in the Shark Racing No. 1S. The Hanover, PA native continues to be one of the most consistent drivers over the summer with five podiums in the last nine races and nine top fives in the last 12.

Manchester, PA’s Logan Rumsey came home third to notch his first career World of Outlaws podium and lead the way for the Posse contingent.

Dylan Norris and Sheldon Haudenschild completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

David Gravel clocked the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

Logan Rumsey set Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Logan Rumsey (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Daryn Pittman (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), David Gravel (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Justin Whittall (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to David Gravel.

Gravel also topped the Toyota Dash.

Brent Shearer won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Buddy Kofoid moved from 25th to 18th for KSE Racing Products Hard Charger honors.

Justin Whittall was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom grabbed another Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

David Gravel ripped the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Cole Macedo.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to Pevely, MO’s I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park for the grueling Ironman 55 on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 7-8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart[4]; 3. 71-Logan Rumsey[3]; 4. 17N-Dylan Norris[2]; 5. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]; 6. 48-Danny Dietrich[10]; 7. 67G-Justin Whittall[6]; 8. 69K-Daryn Pittman[7]; 9. 19-Brent Marks[12]; 10. 39M-Anthony Macri[11]; 11. 23D-Chase Dietz[8]; 12. 1A-Cameron Smith[13]; 13. 41-Carson Macedo[14]; 14. 23-Garet Williamson[15]; 15. 11-TJ Stutts[9]; 16. 17-Spencer Bayston[18]; 17. 22-Doug Hammaker[17]; 18. 83-Michael Kofoid[25]; 19. 27W-Troy Wagaman Jr[26]; 20. 51R-Freddie Rahmer[22]; 21. 39-Lucas Wolfe[19]; 22. 27-Emerson Axsom[24]; 23. 12-Brent Shearer[21]; 24. 15-Donny Schatz[27]; 25. 2C-Cole Macedo[23]; 26. 17B-Bill Balog[20]; 27. (DNF) 91-Preston Lattomus[16]; 28. (DNF) 1W-Buddy Schweibinz[28]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/outlaw-excellence-gravel-holds-off-schuchart-for-williams-grove-summer-nationals-score/

Vandergriff out early in cornwell tools night under fire 2026

NHRA championship racing resumes in three weeks at Brainerd International Raceway
NORWALK, Ohio (Aug. 1, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff and John Force Racing’s Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car grabbed the lead off the starting line against Ron Capps but came up short in the first round of eliminations of the 49thannual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. Vandergriff’s reaction time provided a solid holeshot advantage (.027 to .059) but soon after a fire bottle malfunction tripped the safety system and shut down the 12,000-horsepower engine on the Cornwell Tools Chevy. That allowed Capps to streak past to a run of 3.896 seconds at 333.94 mph to Vandergriff’s 5.411 seconds at 105.92 mph. “We had fun competing in the Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire here at Summit Motorsports Park,” said Vandergriff. “It didn’t go our way but it was just an honor to be part of this great event. Thank you to the Bader family and everybody involved. My first experience here was really cool and I can’t wait until next year to have another shot at it. “We had a fire bottle malfunction and it tripped the safety system and threw everything out. I was out on Capps and we were on a good pass. The numbers show that we were gonna run quicker than a 3.91 at least, and that would have got it done. But that’s drag racing. We’ll go to Brainerd in a few weeks with a great Cornwell Tools Chevy ace car and a shot at the regular season championship.” Capps faced his teammate and protégé Maddi Gordon in the Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire King of Nitro Funny Car vs. Top Fuel dragster final, with Capps taking the win after the staggered start with a run of 3.843 seconds at 333.91 mph to Gordon’s 3.733 seconds at 338.09 mph.
The 13th of 20 races on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the Aug. 20-23 NHRA Brainerd Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway. The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after 12 of 20 races are: 1. Shawn Langdon, 1,107; 2. Doug Kalitta, 1,102; 3. Leah Pruett, 898; 4. Antron Brown, 755; 5. Tony Stewart, 700; 6. Maddi Gordon, 681; 7. Josh Hart, 673; 8. Billy Torrence, 618; 9. Justin Ashley, 535; 10. Clay Millican, 489. The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after 12 of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 884; 2. Jack Beckman, 847; 3. J.R. Todd, 842; 4. Jordan Vandergriff, 830; 5. Matt Hagan, 820; 6. Chad Green, 703; 7. Austin Prock, 687; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 685; 9. Spencer Hyde, 578; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, 577. 

Cadillac Racing to Start AThree Cars in Top Seven at Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (Aug. 1, 2026) – Louis Delétraz, driver of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, qualified fourth for the Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. 
Delétraz turned a lap of 1 minute, 49.613 seconds (132.947 mph) as the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian won the pole position. 
Jack Aitken, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, qualified sixth with a lap of 1 minute 50.361 seconds (132.046 mph). 
Filipe Albuquerque, driver of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R was seventh with a lap of 1 minute 50.381 seconds (132.022 mph). 
Rain was present during the morning practice session, but by qualifying the sun was out and the track was dry. The Six-Hour race starts at 10:40 am CDT and will be streamed on Peacock and streamed on IMSA’s YouTube page (outside United States). IMSA Radio will stream live audio coverage on XM 206, Channel 996 on the SiriusXM app and IMSA.com.
Louis Delétraz, No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R: “Very happy with P4 and I think it’s the most we had today. It seems like the cars that have a slight-paced advantage to us, but I think on our side, we’ve can really exhibited very well to do right calls on car set up, especially to make a race car, not select a qualifying car. Big thanks to Cadillac and Wayne Taylor Racing for giving me a good car, and tomorrow we have six hours to fight. The luck hasn’t been on our side in the last few races, but we have a pace to be up there and hopefully we can bring on a trophy.”
Jack Aitken, No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing:  “It was, yeah, a bit of a struggle to get the lap time out of it. It’s just been a very up and down day with the weather, and we weren’t really sure what conditions we were going to get. It ended up being dry and not too bad I would say, in terms of grip. But just missing that last little bit. So we’re just going to have a dig around tonight, see what we can find, and get ready for six hours tomorrow, because that’s obviously what counts.”
Cadillac Racing to start three cars in top seven at Road America 
Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom
ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (Aug. 1, 2026) – Louis Delétraz, driver of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, qualified fourth for the Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. 
Delétraz turned a lap of 1 minute, 49.613 seconds (132.947 mph) as the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian won the pole position. 
Jack Aitken, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, qualified sixth with a lap of 1 minute 50.361 seconds (132.046 mph). 
Filipe Albuquerque, driver of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R was seventh with a lap of 1 minute 50.381 seconds (132.022 mph). 
Rain was present during the morning practice session, but by qualifying the sun was out and the track was dry. The Six-Hour race starts at 10:40 am CDT and will be streamed on Peacock and streamed on IMSA’s YouTube page (outside United States). IMSA Radio will stream live audio coverage on XM 206, Channel 996 on the SiriusXM app and IMSA.com.
Louis Delétraz, No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R: “Very happy with P4 and I think it’s the most we had today. It seems like the cars that have a slight-paced advantage to us, but I think on our side, we’ve can really exhibited very well to do right calls on car set up, especially to make a race car, not select a qualifying car. Big thanks to Cadillac and Wayne Taylor Racing for giving me a good car, and tomorrow we have six hours to fight. The luck hasn’t been on our side in the last few races, but we have a pace to be up there and hopefully we can bring on a trophy.”
Jack Aitken, No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing:  “It was, yeah, a bit of a struggle to get the lap time out of it. It’s just been a very up and down day with the weather, and we weren’t really sure what conditions we were going to get. It ended up being dry and not too bad I would say, in terms of grip. But just missing that last little bit. So we’re just going to have a dig around tonight, see what we can find, and get ready for six hours tomorrow, because that’s obviously what counts.”
Filipe Albuquerque, No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R:  “Well, that was pretty good, to be honest. It’s always a blast to qualify here in Road America. I don’t think it’s for us the pole position today. Yeah, and I think the 10 is still trying to figure out the gap to the 40 in qualifying. So try to understand that and we go on. I mean, the race is long. I think we have a good car for the race, to be honest. felt very good. We move on.”

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Close to the Front

Strong showings for GTD PRO, GTD Corvettes at National Park of Speed ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (August 1, 2026) – Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will start at the sharp end of both GT grids for the start of the six-hour Motul Endurance SportsCar Grand Prix at Road America following Saturday’s qualifying sessions.
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Alexander Sims qualified third in GTD PRO with a 2:04.264 (117.272 mph) in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R that he drives with Antoino Garcia. Sims, with two poles this season, was 0.222 seconds shy of pole position and less than a tenth to the front row.He and Garcia were race-winners at Detroit and would like to take another at the end of IMSA’s first six-hour race at the famed 4.048-mile, 14-turn Road America circuit. Sunday’s race is the fourth of five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds with the last set for the season finale at the 10-hour Petit Le Mans. Like always, the margin in GTD PRO was razor thin. The No. 4 Corvette of Tommy Milner was sixth in class but was closer to Sims’ time than the No. 3 was to pole position. Milner and Nicky Catsburg are second in the GTD PRO championship and will seek their first victory of the season.  The combined effort of the Pratt Miller-run Corvettes have put Chevrolet out front in the Manufacturers Championship, which it won in 2025.
CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Close to the FrontStrong showings for GTD PRO, GTD Corvettes at National Park of Speed ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (August 1, 2026) – Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will start at the sharp end of both GT grids for the start of the six-hour Motul Endurance SportsCar Grand Prix at Road America following Saturday’s qualifying sessions.
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Alexander Sims qualified third in GTD PRO with a 2:04.264 (117.272 mph) in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R that he drives with Antoino Garcia. Sims, with two poles this season, was 0.222 seconds shy of pole position and less than a tenth to the front row.He and Garcia were race-winners at Detroit and would like to take another at the end of IMSA’s first six-hour race at the famed 4.048-mile, 14-turn Road America circuit. Sunday’s race is the fourth of five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds with the last set for the season finale at the 10-hour Petit Le Mans. Like always, the margin in GTD PRO was razor thin. The No. 4 Corvette of Tommy Milner was sixth in class but was closer to Sims’ time than the No. 3 was to pole position. Milner and Nicky Catsburg are second in the GTD PRO championship and will seek their first victory of the season.  The combined effort of the Pratt Miller-run Corvettes have put Chevrolet out front in the Manufacturers Championship, which it won in 2025.
CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES
ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was pretty reasonable, to be honest. The GTD session was probably the toughest with the drizzle continuing throughout that session, but it pretty much stopped for ours, actually. So it was just a nice dry session. Our Corvette was working pretty well and pretty dialed in. Nice to run it on new tires and low fuel, and quality trim. I think we made a good call to do a warmup lap on the old tires, to get the car hot and get a nice peak out of the new tire with hot brakes and stuff. It seemed to work pretty well. I enjoyed it, and am looking forward to a good and long race tomorrow.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “An OK qualy. The Corvette felt pretty good. My last time in the car was soaking wet and then the first practice Friday was on old tires and stuff like that, so quite a bit of a different feel. We made some changes from Friday practice, and I think we’ve put ourselves in a pretty good window for a good racecar. It was good for qualifying, too. No big complaints for me. It’s pretty close like always… four-tenths to P1. Obviously unfortunate that we just slowly lose little bits of points here and there to the BMW. But obviously it’s a long race tomorrow and I’m looking forward to another solid result.”
OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The Corvette was fantastic today. The balance was there right from the start, and the team gave me a car that was really enjoyable to drive. I’m really happy with how the car feels heading into tomorrow. Road America is a long six-hour race, and having a strong, consistent race car is what matters most. I’m excited to get back behind the wheel and see what we can do.”
MASON FILIPPI, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was a good session. We didn’t have any testing, no qualy sims or anything so we went in kind of blind. It’s awesome competition in this class where a half-second puts us in P1. So I think that it’s one of those things where you just keep chipping away and you keep learning. The car is really great here. You can feel how solid the Z06 GT3.R is and the platform that it has. We just have to focus on moving forward tomorrow. I think it’ll be really important to set things up for Robbie and then Charlie at the end. Obviously we want to be as far forward as possible, so we’ll keep pushing forward to try and make that happen.”
CASPER STEVENSON, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “So close to the front row! I feel that the time was there somewhere, so it’s a little frustrating how close. But the car was strong. And I think if it was wet, it would also be very good. But I’m happy. We’re building momentum, you know? And that’s clear. I know I could have probably gotten the poll, but could have also been slower. So yeah, overall I’m pleased. I think we’ll be good in the race. The key is to stay out of trouble at the start and then give it over to Alec and Giacomo who also are quick, too. We’re really in a good place and I just want to try and do my bit.”

OUTLAWS BACK ON TOP: Kofoid Dominates Williams Grove’s Summer Nationals Opener

The Roth Motorsports crew becomes the first to double digit victories with a triumph over the PA Posse

MECHANICSBURG, PA (July 31, 2026) – The Pennsylvania Posse struck first this week, but the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series answered.

After York, PA’s Chase Dietz knotted up the 2026 scoreboard of the sport’s fiercest rivalry with a Wednesday win at BAPS Motor Speedway, it was Michael “Buddy” Kofoid putting The Greatest Show on Dirt back on top.

The tour rolled into Mechanicsburg, PA’s Williams Grove Speedway Friday Night for the C&D Rigging Summer Nationals opener. Kofoid lined up on the pole for the 25-lapper in the Roth Motorsports No. 83 and crushed the competition. Daryn Pittman tried to wheel the Kreitz Racing No. 69K up to Kofoid to challenge but couldn’t find the speed he needed. Kofoid pulled away in traffic on the way to the checkered flag.

“It’s definitely special,” Kofoid said of his 10th win of the season. “A couple years ago at this time I think we were only at one or two. I think last year we were at six or seven. So, it’s nice to just be progressively have a little bit more around this time. I got my first Williams Grove win a couple years ago. Then I didn’t feel that great last year but still could contend in the top five thinking hopefully I could get another one. I’ve had a rough few races, and then we were really good at BAPS. Then we just put it all together today at a place where it’s extremely hard to do that. Dylan (Buswell), Nate (Knotts), and Gage (Tyra) knocked it out of the park.”

The win made it 10 trips to Victory Lane with the World of Outlaws for Kofoid and the Roth crew in 2026. They’re the first to reach the double digit mark this season. It halted their longest winning drought of the campaign at eight races. Adding Friday’s score to his 2024 National Open prelim victory, Kofoid becomes the 33rd different driver to top multiple races with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the Mechanicsburg, PA oval. The Penngrove, CA native also reclaimed the second spot in points after recently losing it to Sheldon Haudenschild.

The World of Outlaws now lead the scoreboard over the PA Posse this year with three wins to two.

Daryn Pittman brought the Kreitz Racing ride home second in only the ninth Sprint Car race of the year for the semi-retired driver out of Owasso, OK.

David Gravel finished third in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 for his fifth consecutive podium.

Logan Schuchart and Brent Marks completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Logan Rumsey laid down the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

Daryn Pittman set Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying

Heat Races belonged to Daryn Pittman (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), David Gravel (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), Garet Williamson (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Brent Shearer (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Buddy Kofoid.

Kofoid also topped the Toyota Dash.

Justin Whittall won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Carson Macedo wheeled from 22nd to 14th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Logan Rumsey was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

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

Buddy Kofoid clocked the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

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

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle the Pennsylvania Posse for $20,000 at Williams Grove Speedway’s C&D Rigging Summer Nationals finale on Saturday, Aug. 1. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 83-Michael Kofoid[1]; 2. 69K-Daryn Pittman[2]; 3. 2-David Gravel[4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6]; 5. 19-Brent Marks[5]; 6. 39M-Anthony Macri[12]; 7. 71-Logan Rumsey[3]; 8. 23D-Chase Dietz[14]; 9. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[10]; 10. 23-Garet Williamson[8]; 11. 2C-Cole Macedo[9]; 12. 48-Danny Dietrich[17]; 13. 17N-Dylan Norris[13]; 14. 41-Carson Macedo[22]; 15. 12-Brent Shearer[7]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz[18]; 17. 8-Lance Dewease[24]; 18. 16C-Skylar Gee[11]; 19. 27W-Troy Wagaman Jr[26]; 20. 27-Emerson Axsom[15]; 21. 17B-Bill Balog[23]; 22. 67G-Justin Whittall[21]; 23. 17-Spencer Bayston[25]; 24. (DNF) 22-Doug Hammaker[27]; 25. (DNF) 1A-Cameron Smith[16]; 26. (DNF) 11A-Austin Bishop[20]; 27. (DNF) 1X-Chad Trout[19]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

OUTLAWS BACK ON TOP: Kofoid Dominates Williams Grove’s Summer Nationals Opener

The Roth Motorsports crew becomes the first to double digit victories with a triumph over the PA Posse

MECHANICSBURG, PA (July 31, 2026) – The Pennsylvania Posse struck first this week, but the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series answered.

After York, PA’s Chase Dietz knotted up the 2026 scoreboard of the sport’s fiercest rivalry with a Wednesday win at BAPS Motor Speedway, it was Michael “Buddy” Kofoid putting The Greatest Show on Dirt back on top.

The tour rolled into Mechanicsburg, PA’s Williams Grove Speedway Friday Night for the C&D Rigging Summer Nationals opener. Kofoid lined up on the pole for the 25-lapper in the Roth Motorsports No. 83 and crushed the competition. Daryn Pittman tried to wheel the Kreitz Racing No. 69K up to Kofoid to challenge but couldn’t find the speed he needed. Kofoid pulled away in traffic on the way to the checkered flag.

“It’s definitely special,” Kofoid said of his 10th win of the season. “A couple years ago at this time I think we were only at one or two. I think last year we were at six or seven. So, it’s nice to just be progressively have a little bit more around this time. I got my first Williams Grove win a couple years ago. Then I didn’t feel that great last year but still could contend in the top five thinking hopefully I could get another one. I’ve had a rough few races, and then we were really good at BAPS. Then we just put it all together today at a place where it’s extremely hard to do that. Dylan (Buswell), Nate (Knotts), and Gage (Tyra) knocked it out of the park.”

The win made it 10 trips to Victory Lane with the World of Outlaws for Kofoid and the Roth crew in 2026. They’re the first to reach the double digit mark this season. It halted their longest winning drought of the campaign at eight races. Adding Friday’s score to his 2024 National Open prelim victory, Kofoid becomes the 33rd different driver to top multiple races with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the Mechanicsburg, PA oval. The Penngrove, CA native also reclaimed the second spot in points after recently losing it to Sheldon Haudenschild.

The World of Outlaws now lead the scoreboard over the PA Posse this year with three wins to two.

Daryn Pittman brought the Kreitz Racing ride home second in only the ninth Sprint Car race of the year for the semi-retired driver out of Owasso, OK.

David Gravel finished third in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 for his fifth consecutive podium.

Logan Schuchart and Brent Marks completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Logan Rumsey laid down the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

Daryn Pittman set Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying

Heat Races belonged to Daryn Pittman (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), David Gravel (Knoxville Bound Heat Two), Garet Williamson (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Brent Shearer (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Buddy Kofoid.

Kofoid also topped the Toyota Dash.

Justin Whittall won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Carson Macedo wheeled from 22nd to 14th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Logan Rumsey was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

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

Buddy Kofoid clocked the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

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

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle the Pennsylvania Posse for $20,000 at Williams Grove Speedway’s C&D Rigging Summer Nationals finale on Saturday, Aug. 1. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 83-Michael Kofoid[1]; 2. 69K-Daryn Pittman[2]; 3. 2-David Gravel[4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6]; 5. 19-Brent Marks[5]; 6. 39M-Anthony Macri[12]; 7. 71-Logan Rumsey[3]; 8. 23D-Chase Dietz[14]; 9. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[10]; 10. 23-Garet Williamson[8]; 11. 2C-Cole Macedo[9]; 12. 48-Danny Dietrich[17]; 13. 17N-Dylan Norris[13]; 14. 41-Carson Macedo[22]; 15. 12-Brent Shearer[7]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz[18]; 17. 8-Lance Dewease[24]; 18. 16C-Skylar Gee[11]; 19. 27W-Troy Wagaman Jr[26]; 20. 27-Emerson Axsom[15]; 21. 17B-Bill Balog[23]; 22. 67G-Justin Whittall[21]; 23. 17-Spencer Bayston[25]; 24. (DNF) 22-Doug Hammaker[27]; 25. (DNF) 1A-Cameron Smith[16]; 26. (DNF) 11A-Austin Bishop[20]; 27. (DNF) 1X-Chad Trout[19]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/outlaws-back-on-top-kofoid-dominates-williams-groves-summer-nationals-opener/

VANDERGRIFF TO REPRESENT JOHN FORCE RACING AT CORNWELL TOOLS NIGHT UNDER FIRE

Funny Car rookie will be vying for King of Nitro title
VANDERGRIFF TO REPRESENT JOHN FORCE RACING AT CORNWELL TOOLS NIGHT UNDER FIREFunny Car rookie will be vying for King of Nitro title
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (July 29, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team will represent John Force Racing for the opportunity to earn the King of Nitro title at the 49th annual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire on July 31 – Aug. 1 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The unique nitro racing all-star event will showcase four of the best Funny Car teams and four of the best Top Fuel teams first racing in their own categories. The winner from each category will then go head-to-head in a Funny Car versus Top Fuel final round to determine who will be named the King of Nitro and take home the lion’s share of the $430,000 guaranteed purse. The Funny Car banner will be held by Vandergriff, Ron Capps, Spencer Hyde, and Cruz Pedregon while Top Fuel will be represented by Antron Brown, Maddi Gordon, Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican. “The King of Nitro title is on the line and I’ll be there representing John Force Racing and Cornwell Quality Tools against some of the best Funny Car and Top Fuel drivers in the world,” said Vandergriff. “It’s racing without all the pressure of earning NHRA championship point. We’re going to have a lot of fun and go fast but there’s also $430,000 on the line so we won’t be holding back. I want to be known as the King of Nitro at the end of Saturday night. “I have never attended the Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire but, from everything I’ve heard, it’s quite the spectacle. It’s the show that everybody wants to see. The Bader family packs the house, has an unbelievable fireworks show, and does a fantastic job with everything else.” Vandergriff is currently fourth in the 2026 NHRA Funny Car point standings after 12 of 20 races. With two races remaining in the regular season, they’re just 12 points behind J.R. Todd in third place, 17 behind John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman in second, and 54 to leader Capps. This year’s Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire will have a global audience for the first time via live stream on FloRacing.

Sunoco Race Fuel Returns as the Title Sponsor of Florence Speedway’s Historic North/South 100

Sunoco Race Fuels Returns as Title Sponsor of Florence Speedway’s Historic North/South 100
BATAVIA, Ohio (July 28, 2026) – Florence Speedway is proud to announce the return of Sunoco Race Fuels as the title sponsor of the prestigious Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 presented by Lucas Oil, continuing one of the most recognizable and enduring partnerships in dirt late model racing. For decades, Sunoco Race Fuels has been synonymous with premier motorsports competition, and its continued support of the North/South 100 reinforces a longstanding commitment to one of the sport’s crown jewel events. “The North/South 100 has long been one of the marquee events in dirt late model racing, and we’re excited to continue our relationship with Sunoco Race Fuels,” said Florence Speedway promoter Josh King. “Sunoco has been an incredible partner for many years, and their support has helped elevate this event into one of the most prestigious races on the calendar. We’re proud to have them back as the title sponsor.” The 43rd Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 presented by Lucas Oil will once again attract the nation’s top dirt late model drivers to Florence Speedway, where they’ll compete for one of the sport’s most coveted victories in front of thousands of passionate fans. The North/South 100 is well-known for countless memorable moments and has become a must-win event for the biggest names in dirt late model racing. To purchase tickets or find more information regarding the Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 presented by Lucas Oil, visit: FlorenceSpeedway.com

3…2…ONE WEEK Until Knoxville Nationals

World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars
American Sprint Car Series
IN JUST ONE WEEK… THE SPRINT CAR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD COMES ALIVE!
ASCS Xtream 360 Knoxville NationalsAugust 6-8 | Knoxville Raceway
360 Knoxville Nationals
The nation’s top 360 Sprint Car drivers take center stage for three nights of relentless competition at the Sprint Car Capital of the World. It’s where rising stars make a name for themselves, unforgettable moments unfold under the Iowa sky, and the energy of Knoxville race week first comes alive. Be there from the very beginning.
EVENT INFO
BUY TICKETS
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint CarKnoxville NationalsAugust 12-15 | Knoxville Raceway
410 Knoxville Nationals
The moment you hear the engines fire, you’ll understand why they call it The Granddaddy of ‘Em All. For four unforgettable nights, Knoxville Raceway transforms into the center of the sprint car universe as the world’s best drivers chase racing’s most coveted prize and a historic $200,000 payday.  The grandstands will be packed, the anticipation will build with every lap, and one driver will leave forever etched into Knoxville Nationals history. Don’t be the fan wishing you had been there.
EVENT INFO
BUY TICKETS
Watching From Home?Nothing compares to experiencing Knoxville Raceway in person, but if you can’t join us, don’t miss a second of the action on DIRTVision. Please note that the 410 Knoxville Nationals and 360 Knoxville Nationals are only available to Annual Subscribers or as a Pay-Per-View purchase—they are not included with a Monthly Fast Pass. Upgrade now or secure your PPV early so you’re ready when the green flag drops.
DIRTVision
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars
American Sprint Car Series
IN JUST ONE WEEK… THE SPRINT CAR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD COMES ALIVE!
ASCS Xtream 360 Knoxville NationalsAugust 6-8 | Knoxville Raceway
360 Knoxville Nationals
The nation’s top 360 Sprint Car drivers take center stage for three nights of relentless competition at the Sprint Car Capital of the World. It’s where rising stars make a name for themselves, unforgettable moments unfold under the Iowa sky, and the energy of Knoxville race week first comes alive. Be there from the very beginning.
EVENT INFO
BUY TICKETS
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint CarKnoxville NationalsAugust 12-15 | Knoxville Raceway
410 Knoxville Nationals
The moment you hear the engines fire, you’ll understand why they call it The Granddaddy of ‘Em All. For four unforgettable nights, Knoxville Raceway transforms into the center of the sprint car universe as the world’s best drivers chase racing’s most coveted prize and a historic $200,000 payday.  The grandstands will be packed, the anticipation will build with every lap, and one driver will leave forever etched into Knoxville Nationals history. Don’t be the fan wishing you had been there.
EVENT INFO
BUY TICKETS
Watching From Home?Nothing compares to experiencing Knoxville Raceway in person, but if you can’t join us, don’t miss a second of the action on DIRTVision. Please note that the 410 Knoxville Nationals and 360 Knoxville Nationals are only available to Annual Subscribers or as a Pay-Per-View purchase—they are not included with a Monthly Fast Pass. Upgrade now or secure your PPV early so you’re ready when the green flag drops.
DIRTVision

Tyler Erb Opens USA Nationals in Victory Lane at Cedar Lake

NEW RICHMOND, WI (July 30, 2026) – Tyler Erb has a colorful history at Cedar Lake Speedway, one that now includes a victory.

“Terbo” has been a regular at the USA Nationals since 2016, scoring a best finish in the main event of third in 2022. But his most infamous moment in New Richmond, WI had nothing to do with his results, as Cedar Lake was the site of his on-track retaliation incident against Bobby Pierce in 2020 that resulted in a suspension.

Six years later, Erb is doing his best to put his bad boy days behind him. He’s now engaged to fiancée Emma Hodge with a baby on the way, and he approaches his racing career with a renewed sense of maturity and discipline. That growth has led to some gains in the win column in recent years, and he’s now up to three in 2026 with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision after his Cedar Lake win on Thursday night.

“I haven’t ran good here since I got police escorted out,” Erb said. “I mean, I have ran good here before, just had one bad weekend and I feel like I’ve paid for it every time I’ve come here since. Last week, felt like we had a really good car all week at Fairbury [Speedway]. When it doesn’t work out, it’s really hard for me to just not lose my mind and go postal. I’m working on that, and tonight’s just a testament to that.”

History will show a wire-to-wire performance for Erb in the 30-lap Feature, but his path to the win included plenty of challenges. The biggest one came from Hudson O’Neal, who worked his way from fifth in the starting order to second in time for a Lap 8 restart. O’Neal briefly got alongside Erb in Turn 2 after going back green, but Erb had enough momentum around the top to drive away down the backstretch.

Erb hadn’t seen the last of O’Neal, because the No. 71 remained right behind Erb for most of the race. While both drivers agreed on running the bottom through Turns 3 and 4, the other end of the track was where O’Neal tried over and over to get the lead. Erb and O’Neal both entered low, but Erb then drifted toward the wall through the middle of the corner, opening the door for O’Neal to stay low and try to slide up in front on the exit of Turn 2. O’Neal never found enough speed around the inside to get clear, allowing Erb to hold the lead as the laps clicked by.

One final restart on Lap 23 brought Brandon Sheppard into the picture, and he rallied around the cushion to take second from O’Neal, but he was unable to track down Erb before he took the checkers to claim his first Cedar Lake win.

“This track changes so much,” Erb said. “When I was following cars, it was in dirty air, I was like, ‘I need to move down at some point, someone’s going to drive by me.’ I could see Hud kind of half slide me there. I saw Shepp got to second on the board, and I was like, ‘Well I’ll be damned, here we go.”

Sheppard made up the second half of a Rocket Chassis 1-2 ahead of O’Neal in third. Nick Hoffman and Devin Moran completed the top five.

UP NEXT: The USA Nationals continue at Cedar Lake Speedway with Qualifying, Heat Races, the pole Dash and the FANS Fund Dash on Friday, July 31. Tickets will be available at the gate.

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

RACE NOTES:

Brian Shirley set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Tanner English won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Devin Moran won Heat 1.

Hudson O’Neal won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Ethan Dotson won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Brandon Sheppard won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Tyler Erb won Heat 5.

Jake O’Neil won Heat 6.

Tanner English and Jason Feger won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Tyler Erb won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Ryan Gustin won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Brandon Sheppard was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Hudson O’Neal was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Devin Moran was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Jake Timm was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Cody Overton was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Tanner English was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Bobby Pierce was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Tyler Bruening was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Jake O’Neil was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[6]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 4. 9-Nick Hoffman[9]; 5. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 6. 14-Trey Mills[15]; 7. 49-Jake Timm[10]; 8. 9M-Tim McCreadie[14]; 9. 97-Cody Overton[12]; 10. 96-Tanner English[19]; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin[22]; 12. 32-Bobby Pierce[13]; 13. 16-Tyler Bruening[17]; 14. 0-Jake O’Neil[3]; 15. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[11]; 16. 25-Jason Feger[20]; 17. 74X-Ethan Dotson[2]; 18. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[25]; 19. 3S-Brian Shirley[8]; 20. B1-Brent Larson[26]; 21. 22*-Zack Mitchell[23]; 22. 60-Dan Ebert[7]; 23. 58V-Daulton Wilson[24]; 24. 09-Michael Leach[21]; 25. 19-Dustin Sorensen[16]; 26. 13-Dallon Murty[18]

Tyler Erb Opens USA Nationals in Victory Lane at Cedar Lake

NEW RICHMOND, WI (July 30, 2026) – Tyler Erb has a colorful history at Cedar Lake Speedway, one that now includes a victory.

“Terbo” has been a regular at the USA Nationals since 2016, scoring a best finish in the main event of third in 2022. But his most infamous moment in New Richmond, WI had nothing to do with his results, as Cedar Lake was the site of his on-track retaliation incident against Bobby Pierce in 2020 that resulted in a suspension.

Six years later, Erb is doing his best to put his bad boy days behind him. He’s now engaged to fiancée Emma Hodge with a baby on the way, and he approaches his racing career with a renewed sense of maturity and discipline. That growth has led to some gains in the win column in recent years, and he’s now up to three in 2026 with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision after his Cedar Lake win on Thursday night.

“I haven’t ran good here since I got police escorted out,” Erb said. “I mean, I have ran good here before, just had one bad weekend and I feel like I’ve paid for it every time I’ve come here since. Last week, felt like we had a really good car all week at Fairbury [Speedway]. When it doesn’t work out, it’s really hard for me to just not lose my mind and go postal. I’m working on that, and tonight’s just a testament to that.”

History will show a wire-to-wire performance for Erb in the 30-lap Feature, but his path to the win included plenty of challenges. The biggest one came from Hudson O’Neal, who worked his way from fifth in the starting order to second in time for a Lap 8 restart. O’Neal briefly got alongside Erb in Turn 2 after going back green, but Erb had enough momentum around the top to drive away down the backstretch.

Erb hadn’t seen the last of O’Neal, because the No. 71 remained right behind Erb for most of the race. While both drivers agreed on running the bottom through Turns 3 and 4, the other end of the track was where O’Neal tried over and over to get the lead. Erb and O’Neal both entered low, but Erb then drifted toward the wall through the middle of the corner, opening the door for O’Neal to stay low and try to slide up in front on the exit of Turn 2. O’Neal never found enough speed around the inside to get clear, allowing Erb to hold the lead as the laps clicked by.

One final restart on Lap 23 brought Brandon Sheppard into the picture, and he rallied around the cushion to take second from O’Neal, but he was unable to track down Erb before he took the checkers to claim his first Cedar Lake win.

“This track changes so much,” Erb said. “When I was following cars, it was in dirty air, I was like, ‘I need to move down at some point, someone’s going to drive by me.’ I could see Hud kind of half slide me there. I saw Shepp got to second on the board, and I was like, ‘Well I’ll be damned, here we go.”

Sheppard made up the second half of a Rocket Chassis 1-2 ahead of O’Neal in third. Nick Hoffman and Devin Moran completed the top five.

UP NEXT: The USA Nationals continue at Cedar Lake Speedway with Qualifying, Heat Races, the pole Dash and the FANS Fund Dash on Friday, July 31. Tickets will be available at the gate.

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

RACE NOTES:

Brian Shirley set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Tanner English won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Devin Moran won Heat 1.

Hudson O’Neal won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Ethan Dotson won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Brandon Sheppard won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Tyler Erb won Heat 5.

Jake O’Neil won Heat 6.

Tanner English and Jason Feger won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Tyler Erb won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Ryan Gustin won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Brandon Sheppard was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Hudson O’Neal was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Devin Moran was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Jake Timm was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Cody Overton was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Tanner English was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Bobby Pierce was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Tyler Bruening was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Jake O’Neil was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[6]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 4. 9-Nick Hoffman[9]; 5. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 6. 14-Trey Mills[15]; 7. 49-Jake Timm[10]; 8. 9M-Tim McCreadie[14]; 9. 97-Cody Overton[12]; 10. 96-Tanner English[19]; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin[22]; 12. 32-Bobby Pierce[13]; 13. 16-Tyler Bruening[17]; 14. 0-Jake O’Neil[3]; 15. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[11]; 16. 25-Jason Feger[20]; 17. 74X-Ethan Dotson[2]; 18. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[25]; 19. 3S-Brian Shirley[8]; 20. B1-Brent Larson[26]; 21. 22*-Zack Mitchell[23]; 22. 60-Dan Ebert[7]; 23. 58V-Daulton Wilson[24]; 24. 09-Michael Leach[21]; 25. 19-Dustin Sorensen[16]; 26. 13-Dallon Murty[18]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/tyler-erb-opens-usa-nationals-in-victory-lane-at-cedar-lake/

FOES VANQUISHED: McKenzie Reflects on Road to Summit Modified Championship

CONCORD, NC (July 30, 2026) — Zeke McKenzie made history with the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals six years ago, doing what no driver had ever dared in attempting every race on the schedule.

Fast forward to 2026, and he’s made history again.

On the strength of two wins, 16 top fives and 18 top-10 finishes in 18 Feature starts, the 41-year-old becomes the first driver from the state of Indiana to clinch the Series points championship. In doing so, he joined Mike Harrison, Kenny Wallace, Nick Hoffman, Mike McKinney and Tyler Nicely as the sixth different person to win the Modified Hell Tour title in its 16 seasons.

His big check and trophy have been a long time coming. Since eclipsing a double-digit total of starts in a single season for the first time in 2020, McKenzie has finished on the podium in the final points standings twice – second in 2023 and third in 2024. During those two seasons, he recorded twice as many top-five finishes (12) as he had in all years prior, including his Summit Modified debut in 2015 (6).

In 2026, the leap in progress was exponential, tripling his career win total and recording no finishes outside the top 10 on tour all summer. For his efforts, McKenzie adds one of the biggest trophies in DIRTcar UMP Modified racing to his cabinet.

“It feels great. To add your name to that list… since it started, there’s only been six winners, so to put your name on that list is something special, for sure,” McKenzie said.

The Claypool, IN-native first went to Summit Modified Victory Lane in July 2020 at Kokomo Speedway during an event dubbed the Hoosier Dirt Shootout — a replacement for the COVID-19 pandemic-impacted Prairie Dirt Classic. There, at the famed 1/4-mile bullring in his home state, McKenzie stood in Victory Lane alongside top Modified talents Nick Hoffman, Derek Losh and Mike McKinney as a Showdown Feature winner — an accomplishment that signaled the arrival of both his own name and the brand he’d founded one year earlier — Vanquish Race Cars.

“We did that whole Hell Tour in 2020 to get our stuff better, do the research and things we needed to do,” McKenzie said. “Obviously, the competition in Illinois is tough, and that definitely progressed us to where we are today. With the advancements that we’ve made on the car and things — that’s stuff we learned from 2020 and kept continuing to build on.”

The car he was driving that afternoon was one forged right in his own shop. Established in 2019, Vanquish Race Cars started as McKenzie’s custom race chassis and has since evolved into one of Dirt Modified racing’s trusted fabrication brands. Now seven years into business, McKenzie and wife Ricki Creamer have produced 35 total frames for customers including Ray Bollinger, Dalton Lane, Mark Clary, and Beau DeYoung, among others.

“We had some business partners back then and they sort of pushed to do our own cars,” McKenzie recalled about the genesis of the brand. “That just progressed into what we thought we needed to do. We definitely had to stand out and be different.

“We had to keep the price under control. Facts are facts, and in the Modified world, guys work 40 hours a week and have kids at home. So, we definitely had to keep our prices down and be competitive, and that’s what we’ve brought to the table.”

One of the brightest moments in Vanquish brand history came this past June at Fairbury Speedway, where McKenzie passed six-time Summit Modified champion Mike Harrison for the lead after a late restart and went on to his second career Series victory and first since that triumph at Kokomo nearly six years prior.

In Victory Lane, the smile couldn’t be wiped from his face.

“I would say it’s definitely at the top,” McKenzie said, comparing his Fairbury win to others. “It wasn’t the biggest-paying race, but with the competition and the crowd and the people here, it was definitely at the top.”

Standing beside him in Victory Lane was his wife and most dedicated crew member, Ricki Creamer. Together, the two have traveled up and down the Midwest highways every summer, chasing this goal.

“We’ve been together for 16 years now, and we started the Vanquish brand in 2019, so she’s been with it since the start,” McKenzie said. “It hasn’t been a sunny day every day, but it’s definitely turned around, and we’re happy with where we’re at.”

In all his time on the road, McKenzie has garnered a sizable notebook on car setup, track conditions, and general life-on-the-road knowledge. While racing has been in his life for a long time, the Summit Modified trail has been the platform for some of the biggest performance leaps of his career.

“It’s definitely taught me how to drive a race car better,” McKenzie said. “Being at a different track every day, learning the dirt and how the tracks transition has been huge. It definitely helps you as a driver bouncing back and forth. You have really technical tracks, tracks that are wide open. It makes you a better driver.

“It forces you to make better decisions on how you set your car up, too. So, that’s how we can learn so much in that month that it really helps all of our customers, and us especially. Just going through all that is huge, knowing what to change and what the track is transitioning to.”

Looking back, racing has been McKenzie’s biggest lifelong passion. Whether it’s in the seat or at the shop, it’s taken every ounce of effort for him and his team to get to the place they stand today. Through his struggle, McKenzie has shown he’s willing to go the extra mile for his biggest personal achievements and the next generation of racers he inspires.

“We love helping people; being in this business, you’ve got to want to help people and make people better,” McKenzie said. “We’re sort of an open book when it comes to our customers and stuff. We enjoy helping the customers that we have and look forward to more in the future.”

McKenzie and Vanquish Race Cars are supported by J. Baker Trucking, Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Shocks, ShopAngryDuck, Toro Superior Sales & Service, D&N Autobody, Strange Trucking, Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno, Mullins Race Engines, PEM Racing, and Sweet Manufacturing.

FOES VANQUISHED: McKenzie Reflects on Road to Summit Modified Championship

CONCORD, NC (July 30, 2026) — Zeke McKenzie made history with the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals six years ago, doing what no driver had ever dared in attempting every race on the schedule.

Fast forward to 2026, and he’s made history again.

On the strength of two wins, 16 top fives and 18 top-10 finishes in 18 Feature starts, the 41-year-old becomes the first driver from the state of Indiana to clinch the Series points championship. In doing so, he joined Mike Harrison, Kenny Wallace, Nick Hoffman, Mike McKinney and Tyler Nicely as the sixth different person to win the Modified Hell Tour title in its 16 seasons.

His big check and trophy have been a long time coming. Since eclipsing a double-digit total of starts in a single season for the first time in 2020, McKenzie has finished on the podium in the final points standings twice – second in 2023 and third in 2024. During those two seasons, he recorded twice as many top-five finishes (12) as he had in all years prior, including his Summit Modified debut in 2015 (6).

In 2026, the leap in progress was exponential, tripling his career win total and recording no finishes outside the top 10 on tour all summer. For his efforts, McKenzie adds one of the biggest trophies in DIRTcar UMP Modified racing to his cabinet.

“It feels great. To add your name to that list… since it started, there’s only been six winners, so to put your name on that list is something special, for sure,” McKenzie said.

The Claypool, IN-native first went to Summit Modified Victory Lane in July 2020 at Kokomo Speedway during an event dubbed the Hoosier Dirt Shootout — a replacement for the COVID-19 pandemic-impacted Prairie Dirt Classic. There, at the famed 1/4-mile bullring in his home state, McKenzie stood in Victory Lane alongside top Modified talents Nick Hoffman, Derek Losh and Mike McKinney as a Showdown Feature winner — an accomplishment that signaled the arrival of both his own name and the brand he’d founded one year earlier — Vanquish Race Cars.

“We did that whole Hell Tour in 2020 to get our stuff better, do the research and things we needed to do,” McKenzie said. “Obviously, the competition in Illinois is tough, and that definitely progressed us to where we are today. With the advancements that we’ve made on the car and things — that’s stuff we learned from 2020 and kept continuing to build on.”

The car he was driving that afternoon was one forged right in his own shop. Established in 2019, Vanquish Race Cars started as McKenzie’s custom race chassis and has since evolved into one of Dirt Modified racing’s trusted fabrication brands. Now seven years into business, McKenzie and wife Ricki Creamer have produced 35 total frames for customers including Ray Bollinger, Dalton Lane, Mark Clary, and Beau DeYoung, among others.

“We had some business partners back then and they sort of pushed to do our own cars,” McKenzie recalled about the genesis of the brand. “That just progressed into what we thought we needed to do. We definitely had to stand out and be different.

“We had to keep the price under control. Facts are facts, and in the Modified world, guys work 40 hours a week and have kids at home. So, we definitely had to keep our prices down and be competitive, and that’s what we’ve brought to the table.”

One of the brightest moments in Vanquish brand history came this past June at Fairbury Speedway, where McKenzie passed six-time Summit Modified champion Mike Harrison for the lead after a late restart and went on to his second career Series victory and first since that triumph at Kokomo nearly six years prior.

In Victory Lane, the smile couldn’t be wiped from his face.

“I would say it’s definitely at the top,” McKenzie said, comparing his Fairbury win to others. “It wasn’t the biggest-paying race, but with the competition and the crowd and the people here, it was definitely at the top.”

Standing beside him in Victory Lane was his wife and most dedicated crew member, Ricki Creamer. Together, the two have traveled up and down the Midwest highways every summer, chasing this goal.

“We’ve been together for 16 years now, and we started the Vanquish brand in 2019, so she’s been with it since the start,” McKenzie said. “It hasn’t been a sunny day every day, but it’s definitely turned around, and we’re happy with where we’re at.”

In all his time on the road, McKenzie has garnered a sizable notebook on car setup, track conditions, and general life-on-the-road knowledge. While racing has been in his life for a long time, the Summit Modified trail has been the platform for some of the biggest performance leaps of his career.

“It’s definitely taught me how to drive a race car better,” McKenzie said. “Being at a different track every day, learning the dirt and how the tracks transition has been huge. It definitely helps you as a driver bouncing back and forth. You have really technical tracks, tracks that are wide open. It makes you a better driver.

“It forces you to make better decisions on how you set your car up, too. So, that’s how we can learn so much in that month that it really helps all of our customers, and us especially. Just going through all that is huge, knowing what to change and what the track is transitioning to.”

Looking back, racing has been McKenzie’s biggest lifelong passion. Whether it’s in the seat or at the shop, it’s taken every ounce of effort for him and his team to get to the place they stand today. Through his struggle, McKenzie has shown he’s willing to go the extra mile for his biggest personal achievements and the next generation of racers he inspires.

“We love helping people; being in this business, you’ve got to want to help people and make people better,” McKenzie said. “We’re sort of an open book when it comes to our customers and stuff. We enjoy helping the customers that we have and look forward to more in the future.”

McKenzie and Vanquish Race Cars are supported by J. Baker Trucking, Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Shocks, ShopAngryDuck, Toro Superior Sales & Service, D&N Autobody, Strange Trucking, Willy’s Carburetor & Dyno, Mullins Race Engines, PEM Racing, and Sweet Manufacturing.

ARTICLE: https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/news/foes-vanquished-mckenzie-reflects-on-road-to-summit-modified-championship/

Southeast Gassers Association Ready To Rock Out At The Rock For The Bowl4Life Foundation Rock Revival

The premier gasser series in drag racing, the Southeast Gassers Association, will rock out at Rockingham Dragway for the completion of the Ram Clutches Nationals and contest The Bowl4Life Foundation Rock Revival (July 31 August 1). Races four and five of SEGA championship drag racing will be the highlight of a SEGA weekend offering a unique experience in Richmond County, North Carolina, for SEGA fans. Fans will get to experience two races under the lights, test and tune, and a cruise-in, all at the historic Rockingham Dragway. SEGA competitors will have their machines tuned up to sing the sweet song of gasser drag racing as it was in the 1960s, yet in the modern day.

When SEGA rolled away from Rocky Top for race four of the championship season at Knoxville Dragway, it was unfinished due to rain. With that, a rare double feature event will be held at the Bowl4Life Foundation Rock Revival to complete the remainder of the Ram Clutches Nationals. On Friday evening at Rockingham Dragway, the action will fire up with picking up eliminations from Knoxville with round 1 of B/Gas competition. From there, the race will be run to the crowning of event champions, along with test and tune worked in during cool down periods. It avails fans in central North Carolina an opportunity to experience a double feature weekend which has only happened thus far and is scheduled in 2026 at Gulfport Dragway. Friday night under the lights in Richmond County will showcase not just testing but actual heads-up first-to-the-finish drag racing SEGA style.

Friday is the opening act for SEGA championship drag racing at Rockingham Dragway. To be contested on Saturday is the Bowl4Life Foundation Rock Revival. It will be SEGA drag racing as expected under the lights once again for the fifth race of the SEGA 2026 season. All championship categories will be present, including A/Gas, B/Gas, C/Gas, and Super Stock, along with exhibition categories A/FX and H/Gas. Unique to the Saturday program is the Show & Go Cruise In for those who have a classic car that is a 1972-year model or older. Simply cruise to the track in your classic, and you’ll get inside preferred parking at Rockingham Dragway with a purchase of an admission ticket. The first one hundred cars will receive a commemorative dash plaque designed by SEGA’s Stephen Smith, who is the artist for the great SEGA event posters. In addition, Tom Sarmento, the head mechanic for the famed Dukes of Hazard show, will be in attendance with General Lees on display (July 31, Friday as well). SEGA drag racing has been to The Rock early in its existence in exhibition, but it’s been over a decade since SEGA has been to the historic facility in North Carolina, and this time it’s for points towards a championship title in the toughest nostalgia drag racing that there is.

Both evenings, Friday and Saturday, racing will ignite action at 5:00 PM Eastern. Friday will be the completion of the RAM Clutches Nationals along with test and tune, with gates opening at 3:00 PM ET ($20 admission). Saturday has qualifying scheduled for 5:00 PM Eastern with championship eliminations to follow, along with the SEGA-promoted cruise-in – gates open at 1:00 PM Eastern ($25 admission – $35 weekend pass). Southeast Gassers Association competition will contest heads-up, first to the finish line eliminations representing an authentic 1960s racing experience. 

For more information, you can visit www.southeastgassers.com or www.Rockinghamdragway.com – also check out the social media outlets for both the Southeast Gassers Association and Rockingham Dragway on the major platforms such as Facebook.

THE SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION 2026 SCHEDULE

7/31 – 8/1 Rockingham Dragway – Rockingham, NC. (Knoxville race to be completed Friday night)

8/22 Farmington Dragway – Mocksville, NC.

9/12 Greer Dragway – Greer, SC.

10/9, 10 Gulfport Dragway – Gulfport, MS. (Double Feature)

10/31 Shadyside Dragway – Shelby, NC.

ABOUT BOWL4LIFE FOUNDATION

The Bowl4Life Foundation is dedicated to growing the sport of bowling by providing scholarship opportunities to youth bowlers. Our mission is to foster both physical and mental skill development alongside core values such as integrity, honesty, professionalism, and respect. We strive to create a welcoming, inclusive, and competitive environment that inspires bowlers of all backgrounds to reach their full potential while ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder their growth. With a strong commitment to awarding scholarships, we aim to empower the next generation of athletes and make bowling a lifelong passion for individuals and families alike. Learn more at bowl4life.com.

ABOUT SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION DRAG RACING                                                                                                                                        

Southeast Gassers Association Ready To Rock Out At The Rock For The Bowl4Life Foundation Rock Revival

The premier gasser series in drag racing, the Southeast Gassers Association, will rock out at Rockingham Dragway for the completion of the Ram Clutches Nationals and contest The Bowl4Life Foundation Rock Revival (July 31 August 1). Races four and five of SEGA championship drag racing will be the highlight of a SEGA weekend offering a unique experience in Richmond County, North Carolina, for SEGA fans. Fans will get to experience two races under the lights, test and tune, and a cruise-in, all at the historic Rockingham Dragway. SEGA competitors will have their machines tuned up to sing the sweet song of gasser drag racing as it was in the 1960s, yet in the modern day.

When SEGA rolled away from Rocky Top for race four of the championship season at Knoxville Dragway, it was unfinished due to rain. With that, a rare double feature event will be held at the Bowl4Life Foundation Rock Revival to complete the remainder of the Ram Clutches Nationals. On Friday evening at Rockingham Dragway, the action will fire up with picking up eliminations from Knoxville with round 1 of B/Gas competition. From there, the race will be run to the crowning of event champions, along with test and tune worked in during cool down periods. It avails fans in central North Carolina an opportunity to experience a double feature weekend which has only happened thus far and is scheduled in 2026 at Gulfport Dragway. Friday night under the lights in Richmond County will showcase not just testing but actual heads-up first-to-the-finish drag racing SEGA style.

Friday is the opening act for SEGA championship drag racing at Rockingham Dragway. To be contested on Saturday is the Bowl4Life Foundation Rock Revival. It will be SEGA drag racing as expected under the lights once again for the fifth race of the SEGA 2026 season. All championship categories will be present, including A/Gas, B/Gas, C/Gas, and Super Stock, along with exhibition categories A/FX and H/Gas. Unique to the Saturday program is the Show & Go Cruise In for those who have a classic car that is a 1972-year model or older. Simply cruise to the track in your classic, and you’ll get inside preferred parking at Rockingham Dragway with a purchase of an admission ticket. The first one hundred cars will receive a commemorative dash plaque designed by SEGA’s Stephen Smith, who is the artist for the great SEGA event posters. In addition, Tom Sarmento, the head mechanic for the famed Dukes of Hazard show, will be in attendance with General Lees on display (July 31, Friday as well). SEGA drag racing has been to The Rock early in its existence in exhibition, but it’s been over a decade since SEGA has been to the historic facility in North Carolina, and this time it’s for points towards a championship title in the toughest nostalgia drag racing that there is.

Both evenings, Friday and Saturday, racing will ignite action at 5:00 PM Eastern. Friday will be the completion of the RAM Clutches Nationals along with test and tune, with gates opening at 3:00 PM ET ($20 admission). Saturday has qualifying scheduled for 5:00 PM Eastern with championship eliminations to follow, along with the SEGA-promoted cruise-in – gates open at 1:00 PM Eastern ($25 admission – $35 weekend pass). Southeast Gassers Association competition will contest heads-up, first to the finish line eliminations representing an authentic 1960s racing experience. 

For more information, you can visit www.southeastgassers.com or www.Rockinghamdragway.com – also check out the social media outlets for both the Southeast Gassers Association and Rockingham Dragway on the major platforms such as Facebook.

THE SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION 2026 SCHEDULE

7/31 – 8/1 Rockingham Dragway – Rockingham, NC. (Knoxville race to be completed Friday night)

8/22 Farmington Dragway – Mocksville, NC.

9/12 Greer Dragway – Greer, SC.

10/9, 10 Gulfport Dragway – Gulfport, MS. (Double Feature)

10/31 Shadyside Dragway – Shelby, NC.

ABOUT BOWL4LIFE FOUNDATION

The Bowl4Life Foundation is dedicated to growing the sport of bowling by providing scholarship opportunities to youth bowlers. Our mission is to foster both physical and mental skill development alongside core values such as integrity, honesty, professionalism, and respect. We strive to create a welcoming, inclusive, and competitive environment that inspires bowlers of all backgrounds to reach their full potential while ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder their growth. With a strong commitment to awarding scholarships, we aim to empower the next generation of athletes and make bowling a lifelong passion for individuals and families alike. Learn more at bowl4life.com.

ABOUT SOUTHEAST GASSERS ASSOCIATION DRAG RACING                                                                                                                                        

Our mission is to bring back the authentic drag racing from the 1960’s and to put on a show the whole family will love. The 1960’s produced some of the most exciting times in drag racing history and we are doing our best to preserve that time at the track. Our cars represent the gassers of that era as closely as possible. This means exciting wheels up launches, drivers banging gears with their four speeds, as well as the car’s appearance while sitting in the pits. Follow the Southeast Gassers Association on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.

HE MONTH AHEAD: Ironman, Knoxville Nationals, Northern Swing Fill August World of Outlaws Calendar

CONCORD, NC (July 30, 2026) – A busy summer rolls on next month for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

August is set to send The Greatest Show on Dirt to 11 races at seven tracks in four states. The stretch includes the longest race of the year by lap count, the sport’s most prestigious race, and much more.

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at where to find the World of Outlaws in August:

I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park | Ironman 55 (Aug. 7-8): The month launches with an event that just keeps on getting bigger.

The Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55 is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated races on the calendar and with good reason. It’s two nights of elite Sprint Car racing at one of the most exciting tracks in the world. I-55 is a fast 1/3 mile that races like a bullring. It’s slide jobs that’ll make you hold your breath in every corner. And the best part of the Ironman? Fans are treated to a grueling 55-lap finale for $25,000.

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid is the defending Ironman 55 champion after hoisting the iconic dumbbell trophy last year with his Roth Motorsports crew. Craig Dollansky and Kyle Larson are tied for the most wins with three apiece.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Knoxville Raceway | NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s (Aug. 12-15): The entire Sprint Car world will converge on Knoxville, IA in mid-August.

The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s is the race every driver grows up dreaming of winning. It’s the sport’s most prestigious event. It attracts cars from not just all over the country, but across the globe. It’s “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All.” This year’s 65th running pays $200,000-to-win on top of a massive championship Feature purse that awards $15,000 for simply making the show.

Ryan Timms shocked everyone last year by dominating the 64th running aboard the Liebig Motorsports No. 10. Donny Schatz owns 11 titles and could equal Steve Kinser for the most this year. Other Knoxville Nationals champions expected to compete include Sammy Swindell, David Gravel, and Kyle Larson.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Ogilvie Raceway | Big O Showdown presented by Wagamon Brothers (Aug. 21): The tour aims north when the Knoxville Nationals wraps up with Minnesota’s Ogilvie Raceway as the destination. The World of Outlaws debuted at the top-tier facility in 2023, and it’s becoming a staple of the schedule in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

Carson Macedo won the first visit in 2023 by leading every lap. He nearly kept his record perfect in 2024, but Sheldon Haudenschild wowed the crowd with a last-lap slider for victory. Macedo returned to Victory Lane last year.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Jackson Motorplex | Fendt Showdown (Aug. 22): The Minnesota weekend wraps up with a trip to the state’s most visited track in Series history. Jackson Motorplex has welcomed the World of Outlaws 35 times before, and the Fendt Showdown will be the 36th.

Like Ogilvie, Carson Macedo always seems to find speed when he and his Jason Johnson Racing team invade Jackson. The Lemoore, CA native is already the track’s winningest driver with six checkered flags, including five in his last eight tries. Logan Schuchart and Donny Schatz are no slouches with four Jackson victories apiece.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

River Cities Speedway | 2nd Leg of the Northern Tour (Aug. 28): A North Dakota tripleheader is slated to punctuate the month, beginning at Grand Forks, ND’s River Cities Speedway. The bullring is famous for being longtime Series announcer Johnny Gibson’s favorite track among the more than 400 he’s visited, thanks to the non-stop, white-knuckle racing it dishes out.

Fargo, ND’s Donny Schatz always attracts plenty of attention when he heads to his home state. Of the 36 World of Outlaws races at River Cities, he’s won a dozen of them and never finished worse than eighth. The last four visits have belonged to the California duo of Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo, with each of them topping two.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Fix It Forward Speedway | Danny Schatz Memorial (Aug. 29): The meat in the North Dakota sandwich is West Fargo’s Fix It Forward Speedway (formerly Red River Valley Speedway). The 72nd World of Outlaws race at the track will honor Donny Schatz’s late father with the Danny Schatz Memorial.

Donny would love nothing more than to win this one for his dad. Six of his 317 career World of Outlaws triumphs came courtesy of Fix It Forward Speedway. It’s also where he made his Series debut in 1993. Sheldon Haudenschild and Carson Macedo split last year’s pair of visits.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Nodak Speedway | Gerdau Metals Recycling Magic City Showdown (Aug. 30): The month and North Dakota triple concludes with a return to Minot’s Nodak Speedway. The World of Outlaws last stopped at the 3/8 mile was in 2018.

It should come as no surprise that Nodak has also been very kind to Donny Schatz. He won a whopping five in a row from 2012-2016 at the track located in the town where he was born. Add it all up, and he boasts 23 total World of Outlaws wins at the three facilities that comprise the tripleheader. Two-time and defending Series champion David Gravel is also a Nodak winner, topping the 2017 visit.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

THE MONTH AHEAD: Ironman, Knoxville Nationals, Northern Swing Fill August World of Outlaws Calendar

CONCORD, NC (July 30, 2026) – A busy summer rolls on next month for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

August is set to send The Greatest Show on Dirt to 11 races at seven tracks in four states. The stretch includes the longest race of the year by lap count, the sport’s most prestigious race, and much more.

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at where to find the World of Outlaws in August:

I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park | Ironman 55 (Aug. 7-8): The month launches with an event that just keeps on getting bigger.

The Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55 is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated races on the calendar and with good reason. It’s two nights of elite Sprint Car racing at one of the most exciting tracks in the world. I-55 is a fast 1/3 mile that races like a bullring. It’s slide jobs that’ll make you hold your breath in every corner. And the best part of the Ironman? Fans are treated to a grueling 55-lap finale for $25,000.

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid is the defending Ironman 55 champion after hoisting the iconic dumbbell trophy last year with his Roth Motorsports crew. Craig Dollansky and Kyle Larson are tied for the most wins with three apiece.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Knoxville Raceway | NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s (Aug. 12-15): The entire Sprint Car world will converge on Knoxville, IA in mid-August.

The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s is the race every driver grows up dreaming of winning. It’s the sport’s most prestigious event. It attracts cars from not just all over the country, but across the globe. It’s “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All.” This year’s 65th running pays $200,000-to-win on top of a massive championship Feature purse that awards $15,000 for simply making the show.

Ryan Timms shocked everyone last year by dominating the 64th running aboard the Liebig Motorsports No. 10. Donny Schatz owns 11 titles and could equal Steve Kinser for the most this year. Other Knoxville Nationals champions expected to compete include Sammy Swindell, David Gravel, and Kyle Larson.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Ogilvie Raceway | Big O Showdown presented by Wagamon Brothers (Aug. 21): The tour aims north when the Knoxville Nationals wraps up with Minnesota’s Ogilvie Raceway as the destination. The World of Outlaws debuted at the top-tier facility in 2023, and it’s becoming a staple of the schedule in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

Carson Macedo won the first visit in 2023 by leading every lap. He nearly kept his record perfect in 2024, but Sheldon Haudenschild wowed the crowd with a last-lap slider for victory. Macedo returned to Victory Lane last year.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Jackson Motorplex | Fendt Showdown (Aug. 22): The Minnesota weekend wraps up with a trip to the state’s most visited track in Series history. Jackson Motorplex has welcomed the World of Outlaws 35 times before, and the Fendt Showdown will be the 36th.

Like Ogilvie, Carson Macedo always seems to find speed when he and his Jason Johnson Racing team invade Jackson. The Lemoore, CA native is already the track’s winningest driver with six checkered flags, including five in his last eight tries. Logan Schuchart and Donny Schatz are no slouches with four Jackson victories apiece.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

River Cities Speedway | 2nd Leg of the Northern Tour (Aug. 28): A North Dakota tripleheader is slated to punctuate the month, beginning at Grand Forks, ND’s River Cities Speedway. The bullring is famous for being longtime Series announcer Johnny Gibson’s favorite track among the more than 400 he’s visited, thanks to the non-stop, white-knuckle racing it dishes out.

Fargo, ND’s Donny Schatz always attracts plenty of attention when he heads to his home state. Of the 36 World of Outlaws races at River Cities, he’s won a dozen of them and never finished worse than eighth. The last four visits have belonged to the California duo of Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo, with each of them topping two.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Fix It Forward Speedway | Danny Schatz Memorial (Aug. 29): The meat in the North Dakota sandwich is West Fargo’s Fix It Forward Speedway (formerly Red River Valley Speedway). The 72nd World of Outlaws race at the track will honor Donny Schatz’s late father with the Danny Schatz Memorial.

Donny would love nothing more than to win this one for his dad. Six of his 317 career World of Outlaws triumphs came courtesy of Fix It Forward Speedway. It’s also where he made his Series debut in 1993. Sheldon Haudenschild and Carson Macedo split last year’s pair of visits.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Nodak Speedway | Gerdau Metals Recycling Magic City Showdown (Aug. 30): The month and North Dakota triple concludes with a return to Minot’s Nodak Speedway. The World of Outlaws last stopped at the 3/8 mile was in 2018.

It should come as no surprise that Nodak has also been very kind to Donny Schatz. He won a whopping five in a row from 2012-2016 at the track located in the town where he was born. Add it all up, and he boasts 23 total World of Outlaws wins at the three facilities that comprise the tripleheader. Two-time and defending Series champion David Gravel is also a Nodak winner, topping the 2017 visit.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/the-month-ahead-ironman-knoxville-nationals-northern-swing-fill-august-world-of-outlaws-calendar/

Rusty Wallace Named Grand Marshal of the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short track

NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1989 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Rusty Wallace.
Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 30, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, announced today that NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1989 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Rusty Wallace will serve as Grand Marshal of the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track on Monday, August 10, during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. An avid motorcyclist, Wallace will also host the Rusty Wallace Charity Ride presented by Harley-Davidson on Friday, August 14, in Deadwood, South Dakota. Proceeds from the ride will benefit The NASCAR Foundation and Special Olympics of South Dakota. Wallace earned 55 NASCAR Cup Series victories, the 1984 Rookie of the Year award and the 1991 International Race of Champions title. His accomplishments have earned him induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and several other prominent motorsports halls of fame. “Sturgis, motorcycles and short-track racing. That’s a pretty good combination as far as I’m concerned,” Wallace said. “I’m looking forward to getting out to Sturgis, seeing the great fans and watching the riders go for it!” Wallace will join Progressive AFT competitors and fans for pre-race festivities at the historic Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club as the series concludes its Sturgis doubleheader with a night of short-track racing. Tickets for the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track are available now at https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-194954
Next Up Progressive American Flat Track heads to the historic Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, South Dakota, for two nights of racing during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The doubleheader opens with the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT on Saturday, August 8, featuring inaugural NASCAR Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner as Grand Marshal, followed by the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track on Monday, August 10. Get tickets to the Progressive American Flat Track events during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally:
Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT:https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-super-tt-191302Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-194954
Rusty Wallace Named Grand Marshal of the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track
NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1989 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Rusty Wallace.
Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 30, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, announced today that NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1989 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Rusty Wallace will serve as Grand Marshal of the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track on Monday, August 10, during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. An avid motorcyclist, Wallace will also host the Rusty Wallace Charity Ride presented by Harley-Davidson on Friday, August 14, in Deadwood, South Dakota. Proceeds from the ride will benefit The NASCAR Foundation and Special Olympics of South Dakota. Wallace earned 55 NASCAR Cup Series victories, the 1984 Rookie of the Year award and the 1991 International Race of Champions title. His accomplishments have earned him induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and several other prominent motorsports halls of fame. “Sturgis, motorcycles and short-track racing. That’s a pretty good combination as far as I’m concerned,” Wallace said. “I’m looking forward to getting out to Sturgis, seeing the great fans and watching the riders go for it!” Wallace will join Progressive AFT competitors and fans for pre-race festivities at the historic Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club as the series concludes its Sturgis doubleheader with a night of short-track racing. Tickets for the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track are available now at https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-194954
Next Up Progressive American Flat Track heads to the historic Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, South Dakota, for two nights of racing during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The doubleheader opens with the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT on Saturday, August 8, featuring inaugural NASCAR Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner as Grand Marshal, followed by the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track on Monday, August 10. Get tickets to the Progressive American Flat Track events during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally:
Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT:https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-super-tt-191302Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-194954
 For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, visit https://www.americanflattrack.com 

PROTECTING THE PORCH: Dietz Defeats World of Outlaws for Bricker’s Bash Victory

The winningest driver in the country bests the two winningest World of Outlaws drivers to score one for the PA Posse at BAPS

YORK HAVEN, PA (July 29, 2026) – The Bricker’s french fries belonged to the PA Posse Wednesday night.

The Pennsylvania fans erupted as they watched the Posse even the 2026 scoreboard with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in the sport’s fiercest rivalry. York, PA’s Chase Dietz made the “Keystone State” crowd proud as he held off two of the best Sprint Car drivers in the world on home turf at BAPS Motor Speedway.

Dietz lined up on the outside of the front row alongside David Gravel for the Bricker’s Bash. The green flag dropped, and Dietz rocketed on the cushion around Gravel to take early command aboard the Stehman Motorsports No. 23D.

It was all Dietz in the early going as he paced Gravel while Michael “Buddy” Kofoid battled with Garet Williamson for third. Kofoid secured the spot and began to pursue Dietz along with Gravel. Lapped traffic tightened the lead trio as the laps faded as Gravel and Kofoid closed in. But a duel began for the runner-up spot as Kofoid snatched it and allowed Dietz to get just enough of a lead to bring the Posse fans to their feet as he took the checkered flag.

“Man, what a year it’s been,” Dietz said. “This is incredible for what we’ve been able to accomplish. To pull off an Outlaw win last year and do it again this year, this is awesome. I’m really happy for our guys. A lot of work and time are put in by all of us involved. John and Kelly (Stehman) give us such an amazing team and environment. We’re very fortunate right now. To be able to beat these guys especially on home turf is pretty awesome. We’ve got a great group of fans here in Pennsylvania. I know they love when the PA Posse kicks the Outlaws’ ass.”

Dietz is the 17th different winner with the World of Outlaws through 44 races this season. BAPS is his second career score with The Greatest Show on Dirt to go along with his National Open prelim triumph last year. It also extended his advantage as the nation’s winningest driver in 410 Sprint Car competition as he’s now racked up 18 trophies. Five of them have come at BAPS. The World of Outlaws and PA Posse are now knotted up at two victories apiece in this year’s chapter of the rivalry.

Buddy Kofoid came home with the second spot in the Roth Motorsports No. 83 to get back on the podium for the first time in six races.

Gravel crossed the finish line third in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 for his fourth consecutive top three finish.

Carson Macedo and Sheldon Haudenschild completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

David Gravel grabbed his 14th Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night this season.

Carson Macedo set Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

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

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Sheldon Haudenschild.

David Gravel topped the Toyota Dash.

Dylan Norris won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Danny Dietrich drove from 19th to 10th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Lance Dewease was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom earned Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race honors.

Chase Dietz laid down the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Bill Balog.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars, Pennsylvania Posse rivalry heads to Mechanicsburg, PA’s Williams Grove Speedway for the C&D Rigging Summer Nationals on Friday-Saturday, July 31-Aug. 1. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 23D-Chase Dietz[2]; 2. 83-Michael Kofoid[4]; 3. 2-David Gravel[1]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo[5]; 5. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[7]; 6. 23-Garet Williamson[3]; 7. 8-Lance Dewease[6]; 8. 39M-Anthony Macri[10]; 9. 27-Emerson Axsom[11]; 10. 48-Danny Dietrich[19]; 11. 71-Logan Rumsey[8]; 12. 66-Ryan Newton[9]; 13. 1W-Buddy Schweibinz[12]; 14. 2C-Cole Macedo[17]; 15. 5-Tyler Ross[14]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz[16]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart[25]; 18. 7S-Chris Windom[18]; 19. 16C-Skylar Gee[13]; 20. 17N-Dylan Norris[21]; 21. 99M-Kyle Moody[23]; 22. 17-Spencer Bayston[20]; 23. 1A-Cameron Smith[22]; 24. 91-Preston Lattomus[15]; 25. 17B-Bill Balog[24]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

PROTECTING THE PORCH: Dietz Defeats World of Outlaws for Bricker’s Bash Victory

The winningest driver in the country bests the two winningest World of Outlaws drivers to score one for the PA Posse at BAPS

YORK HAVEN, PA (July 29, 2026) – The Bricker’s french fries belonged to the PA Posse Wednesday night.

The Pennsylvania fans erupted as they watched the Posse even the 2026 scoreboard with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in the sport’s fiercest rivalry. York, PA’s Chase Dietz made the “Keystone State” crowd proud as he held off two of the best Sprint Car drivers in the world on home turf at BAPS Motor Speedway.

Dietz lined up on the outside of the front row alongside David Gravel for the Bricker’s Bash. The green flag dropped, and Dietz rocketed on the cushion around Gravel to take early command aboard the Stehman Motorsports No. 23D.

It was all Dietz in the early going as he paced Gravel while Michael “Buddy” Kofoid battled with Garet Williamson for third. Kofoid secured the spot and began to pursue Dietz along with Gravel. Lapped traffic tightened the lead trio as the laps faded as Gravel and Kofoid closed in. But a duel began for the runner-up spot as Kofoid snatched it and allowed Dietz to get just enough of a lead to bring the Posse fans to their feet as he took the checkered flag.

“Man, what a year it’s been,” Dietz said. “This is incredible for what we’ve been able to accomplish. To pull off an Outlaw win last year and do it again this year, this is awesome. I’m really happy for our guys. A lot of work and time are put in by all of us involved. John and Kelly (Stehman) give us such an amazing team and environment. We’re very fortunate right now. To be able to beat these guys especially on home turf is pretty awesome. We’ve got a great group of fans here in Pennsylvania. I know they love when the PA Posse kicks the Outlaws’ ass.”

Dietz is the 17th different winner with the World of Outlaws through 44 races this season. BAPS is his second career score with The Greatest Show on Dirt to go along with his National Open prelim triumph last year. It also extended his advantage as the nation’s winningest driver in 410 Sprint Car competition as he’s now racked up 18 trophies. Five of them have come at BAPS. The World of Outlaws and PA Posse are now knotted up at two victories apiece in this year’s chapter of the rivalry.

Buddy Kofoid came home with the second spot in the Roth Motorsports No. 83 to get back on the podium for the first time in six races.

Gravel crossed the finish line third in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 for his fourth consecutive top three finish.

Carson Macedo and Sheldon Haudenschild completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

David Gravel grabbed his 14th Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night this season.

Carson Macedo set Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

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

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Sheldon Haudenschild.

David Gravel topped the Toyota Dash.

Dylan Norris won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Danny Dietrich drove from 19th to 10th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Lance Dewease was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom earned Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race honors.

Chase Dietz laid down the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Bill Balog.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars, Pennsylvania Posse rivalry heads to Mechanicsburg, PA’s Williams Grove Speedway for the C&D Rigging Summer Nationals on Friday-Saturday, July 31-Aug. 1. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 23D-Chase Dietz[2]; 2. 83-Michael Kofoid[4]; 3. 2-David Gravel[1]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo[5]; 5. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[7]; 6. 23-Garet Williamson[3]; 7. 8-Lance Dewease[6]; 8. 39M-Anthony Macri[10]; 9. 27-Emerson Axsom[11]; 10. 48-Danny Dietrich[19]; 11. 71-Logan Rumsey[8]; 12. 66-Ryan Newton[9]; 13. 1W-Buddy Schweibinz[12]; 14. 2C-Cole Macedo[17]; 15. 5-Tyler Ross[14]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz[16]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart[25]; 18. 7S-Chris Windom[18]; 19. 16C-Skylar Gee[13]; 20. 17N-Dylan Norris[21]; 21. 99M-Kyle Moody[23]; 22. 17-Spencer Bayston[20]; 23. 1A-Cameron Smith[22]; 24. 91-Preston Lattomus[15]; 25. 17B-Bill Balog[24]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/protecting-the-porch-dietz-defeats-world-of-outlaws-for-brickers-bash-victory/

Third Annual Running of The Big One at Belleville Returns to ASCS Slate in 2027

CONCORD, NC (July 29, 2026) — Start making your plans to visit the fastest 1/2-mile track of the “Sunflower State” in 2027.

Building a summer tradition with the American Sprint Car Series, Belleville High Banks will host two nights of racing for the third annual edition of The Big One on Friday-Saturday, June 25-26.

Built in 1910, the 117th year of automobile racing at the Kansas facility will see the ASCS National Tour, Malvern Bank ASCS Midwest Region presented by Hoosier, and ASCS Gunsmoke Region teaming up for the weekend’s program.

Six-time Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. has overwhelmed the last two editions of The Big One. In both 2025 and 2026, the Sunnyvale, TX driver swept the two nights of racing, established a new track record in 2026 (15.030 sec.), and pocketed a total of $24,000 between the two years.

For more information about Belleville High Banks, click here.

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

Third Annual Running of The Big One at Belleville Returns to ASCS Slate in 2027 CONCORD, NC (July 29, 2026) — Start making your plans to visit the fastest 1/2-mile track of the “Sunflower State” in 2027.

Building a summer tradition with the American Sprint Car Series, Belleville High Banks will host two nights of racing for the third annual edition of The Big One on Friday-Saturday, June 25-26.

Built in 1910, the 117th year of automobile racing at the Kansas facility will see the ASCS National Tour, Malvern Bank ASCS Midwest Region presented by Hoosier, and ASCS Gunsmoke Region teaming up for the weekend’s program.

Six-time Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. has overwhelmed the last two editions of The Big One. In both 2025 and 2026, the Sunnyvale, TX driver swept the two nights of racing, established a new track record in 2026 (15.030 sec.), and pocketed a total of $24,000 between the two years.

For more information about Belleville High Banks, click here.

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

ARTICLE:https://ascsracing.com/news/third-annual-running-of-the-big-one-at-belleville-returns-to-ascs-slate-in-2027/

THE MONTH AHEAD: Five Nights at Four Tracks Across Iowa Await World of Outlaws in August

CONCORD, NC (July 29, 2026) – Iowa is the place to be for dirt racing fans in August.

The first two weeks of the month belong to the Sprint Car world with the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Mediacom leading into the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s. Once those festivities wrap up, the fendered cars take it from there.

Four different “Hawkeye State” facilities are on the schedule for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision in late August, and three of them are hosting the Series for the first time in 2026.Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Maquoketa Speedway | Hawkeye 100 | Aug. 21-22: The Iowa swing starts with the annual visit to one of the state’s best bullrings.

The Hawkeye 100 is back on the World of Outlaws calendar for the third consecutive season in 2026, largely due to the reputation of fantastic racing that Maquoketa has developed. Last year produced a perfect example, as three different drivers led the Feature that ended with a drag race to the checkered flag between Bobby Pierce and Brian Shirley.

This year’s event begins with a Thursday practice night for the first time before competitive action starts on Friday with a $12,000-to-win program. It all builds to Saturday, when $25,000 will be up for grabs at the end of 60 laps.

Southern Iowa Speedway | Oskaloosa Corn Belt Showdown | Aug. 26: One of Iowa’s top Sprint Car tracks is hosting its biggest Late Model race to date in 2026.

Southern Iowa is widely known as the home of the Front Row Challenge during Knoxville Nationals week, but that won’t be the only major midweek race in Oskaloosa in August. The World of Outlaws will be swinging by for a Wednesday show at a track unknown to most of the Series roster.

Although Late Model races at Southern Iowa have been few and far between, the track has hosted its share of national-level Modified racing over the years. Iowa’s own Ryan Gustin won two of his 11 starts with the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) in Oskaloosa.

Adams County Speedway | Southwest Iowa Shootout | Aug. 28: The summer schedule concludes with a weekend in the western end of the state.

The first stop is at Adams County, another new addition to the tour. The 1/2-mile is returning to the national Late Model scene in 2026 after more than a quarter-century away, with their last major touring series event being a Hav-A-Tampa race in 2000 won by Scott Bloomquist.

That all changed two weeks ago with the Half Mile Hustle, a race attended by a handful of World of Outlaws regulars looking for laps. Nick Hoffman was on his way to victory until he broke a piston and had to finish the race on seven cylinders, which opened the door for Bobby Pierce to get around him and take the win.

Shelby County Speedway | Harlan Late Model Showdown | Aug. 29: The Iowa tour wraps up at a track drivers and fans have had circled since the schedule was released.

Shelby County has been known to produce Race of the Year candidates nearly every time the gates are opened, and the track’s inaugural World of Outlaws race is expected to be no different. It’s already been a big year in Harlan, as Shelby County recently hosted its first crown jewel when it became the home of the Silver Dollar Nationals.

Ryan Gustin was part of a signature Shelby County sliderfest when he and Devin Moran swapped the lead almost every corner in the Thursday Feature. Bobby Pierce also got close to a win in the main event on Saturday, as he closely trailed eventual winner Ricky Thornton Jr. for most of the race before finishing third.

Find tickets and more information for every World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision event in 2026 by clicking here.

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

THE MONTH AHEAD: Five Nights at Four Tracks Across Iowa Await World of Outlaws in August

CONCORD, NC (July 29, 2026) – Iowa is the place to be for dirt racing fans in August.

The first two weeks of the month belong to the Sprint Car world with the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Mediacom leading into the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s. Once those festivities wrap up, the fendered cars take it from there.

Four different “Hawkeye State” facilities are on the schedule for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision in late August, and three of them are hosting the Series for the first time in 2026.Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Maquoketa Speedway | Hawkeye 100 | Aug. 21-22: The Iowa swing starts with the annual visit to one of the state’s best bullrings.

The Hawkeye 100 is back on the World of Outlaws calendar for the third consecutive season in 2026, largely due to the reputation of fantastic racing that Maquoketa has developed. Last year produced a perfect example, as three different drivers led the Feature that ended with a drag race to the checkered flag between Bobby Pierce and Brian Shirley.

This year’s event begins with a Thursday practice night for the first time before competitive action starts on Friday with a $12,000-to-win program. It all builds to Saturday, when $25,000 will be up for grabs at the end of 60 laps.

Southern Iowa Speedway | Oskaloosa Corn Belt Showdown | Aug. 26: One of Iowa’s top Sprint Car tracks is hosting its biggest Late Model race to date in 2026.

Southern Iowa is widely known as the home of the Front Row Challenge during Knoxville Nationals week, but that won’t be the only major midweek race in Oskaloosa in August. The World of Outlaws will be swinging by for a Wednesday show at a track unknown to most of the Series roster.

Although Late Model races at Southern Iowa have been few and far between, the track has hosted its share of national-level Modified racing over the years. Iowa’s own Ryan Gustin won two of his 11 starts with the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) in Oskaloosa.

Adams County Speedway | Southwest Iowa Shootout | Aug. 28: The summer schedule concludes with a weekend in the western end of the state.

The first stop is at Adams County, another new addition to the tour. The 1/2-mile is returning to the national Late Model scene in 2026 after more than a quarter-century away, with their last major touring series event being a Hav-A-Tampa race in 2000 won by Scott Bloomquist.

That all changed two weeks ago with the Half Mile Hustle, a race attended by a handful of World of Outlaws regulars looking for laps. Nick Hoffman was on his way to victory until he broke a piston and had to finish the race on seven cylinders, which opened the door for Bobby Pierce to get around him and take the win.

Shelby County Speedway | Harlan Late Model Showdown | Aug. 29: The Iowa tour wraps up at a track drivers and fans have had circled since the schedule was released.

Shelby County has been known to produce Race of the Year candidates nearly every time the gates are opened, and the track’s inaugural World of Outlaws race is expected to be no different. It’s already been a big year in Harlan, as Shelby County recently hosted its first crown jewel when it became the home of the Silver Dollar Nationals.

Ryan Gustin was part of a signature Shelby County sliderfest when he and Devin Moran swapped the lead almost every corner in the Thursday Feature. Bobby Pierce also got close to a win in the main event on Saturday, as he closely trailed eventual winner Ricky Thornton Jr. for most of the race before finishing third.

Find tickets and more information for every World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision event in 2026 by clicking here.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/the-month-ahead-five-nights-at-four-tracks-across-iowa-await-world-of-outlaws-in-august/

10 Minutes + 2 Laps with Kolby Carlile

Corn dog mic activated: Kolby Carlile at the DuQuoin Mile [Photo: Kristen Lassen for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system
In “10 Minutes + 2 Laps with…”, we take the same amount of time required to complete a Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event (give or take a red flag) and use it to catch up with, and hopefully learn a little about, some of the more prominent figures on the Progressive American Flat Track scene. This week, we caught up with Progressive AFT champion turned Progressive AFT commentator Kolby Carlile. AmericanFlatTrack.com: Hey Kolby, I have to say, you’ve made a seamless transition from racing to commentating. You seem very natural in the role. What’s that experience been like for you? Kolby Carlile: Once I started getting hurt there in 2022, I started doing it just for fun with (“the voice of American Flat Track”) Scottie (Deubler). I had no intention of actually trying to do it full-time like I’m doing now. But I feel like I’ve always been pretty articulate on the podium and things like that, so I think that’s why it naturally flowed really well. And then obviously I’ve had chemistry with Scottie for so long. It’s all really culminated into what we have now. AFT: Does that chemistry go back to him originally interviewing you on the podium and in the pits when you were first coming up? KC: Yeah… And he’s a racer himself to begin with, and then we’d actually done some traveling together a long time ago. So we’ve just built chemistry and rapport over the years. Not even from the interviews, necessarily, but just seeing him at the races and talking in the pits during the weekends. AFT: You both share the self-deprecating humor and your personalities mesh in that sense too. KC: With us being friends, we can kind of mess with each other a little bit and make little jokes. I think that comes off well with the fans because being a little bit looser and funnier, I think deep down that’s how our fans want us to be. They don’t want us to be fully serious. I think that’s just kind of how dirt track fans are.
Scottie Deubler interviews Kolby Carlile immediately after he clinched the 2017 AFT Singles crown [Photo: Scott Hunter for AMA Pro Racing]
AFT: I have a theory, and you can tell me if you agree. I feel like one of your strengths is the fact that you can relate to the experiences of pretty much everyone out there. You had significant success – Singles title, Production Twins wins, SuperTwins top-fives – but you also know what it’s like to struggle with injuries or having to fight just to make the Main. Thoughts? KC: I think that’s a great point because I truly have been all over. I’ve been on my own team, I’ve been on bad teams, and I’ve been on the best team in the pits. I have had the highest of highs, winning the championship and having some good results, and then the lowest of lows, being injured just repeatedly there towards the end, having a lot of surgeries but no luck. I also think I’ve got a good vision of what I’m actually watching. I’ve got enough respect for my (former) competitors, that even though sometimes I can’t do what they can, and I can’t go as fast as some of them can, I still feel like I’m well versed enough in what they’re doing that I can call them out if I think they could be doing something better. That’s a fine line to walk at times, but I feel confident in it, and I think that helps bring another layer to the commentary. AFT: You mentioned having had experience with what you termed the best team in the paddock… It may be hard for some people to remember – but I’m sure you’re not one of them – that Estenson Racing endured some real struggles developing the Yamaha to get it where it is now. Back in ‘21, for example, you and JD (Beach) had to give everything you had just to sniff the top ten. And now they’re on the box pretty much every week. When you see what they’re doing, do you feel a sense of pride in having played a role in that development, or are you just wishing you had ridden a bike like the one they have now? KC: Honestly, I don’t think we played much of a role. I’d like to think we did, but I just think that the leap they took at the end of 2021 coming out with flywheel, and then just all of a sudden figuring out the electronic package in 2022, that bike was night-and-day better than what I, JD, and Jake Johnson rode. There were times where JD and I were battling to the death for 14th and 15th. I mean, we were going tooth and nail, and we just couldn’t do it. We just didn’t have the equipment under us. Plus we were going up the Indians, which wasn’t easy. But that bike that they rolled out on in ‘22, they just figured it out. So yeah, I really wish I could have ridden that one because I think I could have done well. I think I could have gotten some top fives and maybe a podium… And maybe on the right day, I could have even won. That bike was way better from what we had… Look at JD – look how his results just transformed overnight on the oval tracks.
Kolby Carlile at speed on the Estenson Yamaha in Springfield in 2020 [Photo: Brian J Nelson for AMA Pro Racing]
AFT: At a minimum, one has got to give Estenson credit for sticking with the program and putting in a huge effort to make that leap. KC: Yeah, it would have been easy to switch to Indians. But that’s not the vision they had. And I mean, they poured so much money into getting it to where it is now, and it was good to see them get there. I just wish I could have been on that bike. AFT: But even now it’s a fight. You look at what the Harley is doing… The XG has been racking up the wins. KC: I think with the rule changes, something’s going on with them. Two years ago, (Estenson) were really, really good. And last year, they were still very good, but this year something just off. Dallas (Daniels) has to be perfect to try to go for these wins. AFT: Every time we do one of these, we ask the same two bonus questions. First, can you name an interest or hobby of yours that is completely removed from racing, engines, or wheels?  KC: I like to read. AFT: What do you read?  Speaker 2: I’ll pretty much read anything, but right now I’m reading Dungeon Crawler Carl. AFT: I have not read that, but I keep seeing it get recommended.  KC: Yeah, it’s phenomenal. AFT: Okay, last question. What would be your death-row style last meal?  KC: Chicken Parmesan.
Next Up Progressive American Flat Track heads to the historic Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, South Dakota, for two nights of racing during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The doubleheader opens with the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT on Saturday, August 8, followed by the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track on Monday, August 10. Get tickets to the Progressive American Flat Track events during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally:
Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT:https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-super-tt-191302Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-194954
10 Minutes + 2 Laps with Kolby Carlile
Corn dog mic activated: Kolby Carlile at the DuQuoin Mile [Photo: Kristen Lassen for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system
In “10 Minutes + 2 Laps with…”, we take the same amount of time required to complete a Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event (give or take a red flag) and use it to catch up with, and hopefully learn a little about, some of the more prominent figures on the Progressive American Flat Track scene. This week, we caught up with Progressive AFT champion turned Progressive AFT commentator Kolby Carlile. AmericanFlatTrack.com: Hey Kolby, I have to say, you’ve made a seamless transition from racing to commentating. You seem very natural in the role. What’s that experience been like for you? Kolby Carlile: Once I started getting hurt there in 2022, I started doing it just for fun with (“the voice of American Flat Track”) Scottie (Deubler). I had no intention of actually trying to do it full-time like I’m doing now. But I feel like I’ve always been pretty articulate on the podium and things like that, so I think that’s why it naturally flowed really well. And then obviously I’ve had chemistry with Scottie for so long. It’s all really culminated into what we have now. AFT: Does that chemistry go back to him originally interviewing you on the podium and in the pits when you were first coming up? KC: Yeah… And he’s a racer himself to begin with, and then we’d actually done some traveling together a long time ago. So we’ve just built chemistry and rapport over the years. Not even from the interviews, necessarily, but just seeing him at the races and talking in the pits during the weekends. AFT: You both share the self-deprecating humor and your personalities mesh in that sense too. KC: With us being friends, we can kind of mess with each other a little bit and make little jokes. I think that comes off well with the fans because being a little bit looser and funnier, I think deep down that’s how our fans want us to be. They don’t want us to be fully serious. I think that’s just kind of how dirt track fans are.
Scottie Deubler interviews Kolby Carlile immediately after he clinched the 2017 AFT Singles crown [Photo: Scott Hunter for AMA Pro Racing]
AFT: I have a theory, and you can tell me if you agree. I feel like one of your strengths is the fact that you can relate to the experiences of pretty much everyone out there. You had significant success – Singles title, Production Twins wins, SuperTwins top-fives – but you also know what it’s like to struggle with injuries or having to fight just to make the Main. Thoughts? KC: I think that’s a great point because I truly have been all over. I’ve been on my own team, I’ve been on bad teams, and I’ve been on the best team in the pits. I have had the highest of highs, winning the championship and having some good results, and then the lowest of lows, being injured just repeatedly there towards the end, having a lot of surgeries but no luck. I also think I’ve got a good vision of what I’m actually watching. I’ve got enough respect for my (former) competitors, that even though sometimes I can’t do what they can, and I can’t go as fast as some of them can, I still feel like I’m well versed enough in what they’re doing that I can call them out if I think they could be doing something better. That’s a fine line to walk at times, but I feel confident in it, and I think that helps bring another layer to the commentary. AFT: You mentioned having had experience with what you termed the best team in the paddock… It may be hard for some people to remember – but I’m sure you’re not one of them – that Estenson Racing endured some real struggles developing the Yamaha to get it where it is now. Back in ‘21, for example, you and JD (Beach) had to give everything you had just to sniff the top ten. And now they’re on the box pretty much every week. When you see what they’re doing, do you feel a sense of pride in having played a role in that development, or are you just wishing you had ridden a bike like the one they have now? KC: Honestly, I don’t think we played much of a role. I’d like to think we did, but I just think that the leap they took at the end of 2021 coming out with flywheel, and then just all of a sudden figuring out the electronic package in 2022, that bike was night-and-day better than what I, JD, and Jake Johnson rode. There were times where JD and I were battling to the death for 14th and 15th. I mean, we were going tooth and nail, and we just couldn’t do it. We just didn’t have the equipment under us. Plus we were going up the Indians, which wasn’t easy. But that bike that they rolled out on in ‘22, they just figured it out. So yeah, I really wish I could have ridden that one because I think I could have done well. I think I could have gotten some top fives and maybe a podium… And maybe on the right day, I could have even won. That bike was way better from what we had… Look at JD – look how his results just transformed overnight on the oval tracks.
Kolby Carlile at speed on the Estenson Yamaha in Springfield in 2020 [Photo: Brian J Nelson for AMA Pro Racing]
AFT: At a minimum, one has got to give Estenson credit for sticking with the program and putting in a huge effort to make that leap. KC: Yeah, it would have been easy to switch to Indians. But that’s not the vision they had. And I mean, they poured so much money into getting it to where it is now, and it was good to see them get there. I just wish I could have been on that bike. AFT: But even now it’s a fight. You look at what the Harley is doing… The XG has been racking up the wins. KC: I think with the rule changes, something’s going on with them. Two years ago, (Estenson) were really, really good. And last year, they were still very good, but this year something just off. Dallas (Daniels) has to be perfect to try to go for these wins. AFT: Every time we do one of these, we ask the same two bonus questions. First, can you name an interest or hobby of yours that is completely removed from racing, engines, or wheels?  KC: I like to read. AFT: What do you read?  Speaker 2: I’ll pretty much read anything, but right now I’m reading Dungeon Crawler Carl. AFT: I have not read that, but I keep seeing it get recommended.  KC: Yeah, it’s phenomenal. AFT: Okay, last question. What would be your death-row style last meal?  KC: Chicken Parmesan.
Next Up Progressive American Flat Track heads to the historic Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, South Dakota, for two nights of racing during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The doubleheader opens with the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT on Saturday, August 8, followed by the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track on Monday, August 10. Get tickets to the Progressive American Flat Track events during the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally:
Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT:https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-super-tt-191302Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-194954