All posts by ARP Trish

LONG TIME COMING: Tanner Thorson Finally Scores First High Limit Win at Lucas Oil
After Five Series Top-Fives, Thorson Breaks Through at “The Diamond of Dirt Tracks”

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John Force Racing–Great Lakes Nationals–Friday

September 22, 2026 ARP Trish

FRIDAY RECAP – MARTIN Race 15 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

DEJORIA LEADS JFR AT GREAT LAKES NATIONALSDeJoria sixth, Beckman eighth, Hart 13^th, Vandergriff 14^th after first two Q runs

FRIDAY RECAP – MARTINRace 15 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

DEJORIA LEADS JFR AT GREAT LAKES NATIONALSDeJoria sixth, Beckman eighth, Hart 13^th, Vandergriff 14^th after first two Q runs

MARTIN, Mich. (Sept. 19, 2026) – Alexis DeJoria and the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team head up the John Force Racing contingent after the first day of qualifying for the inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. DeJoria ran 3.924 seconds at 331.86 mph in Q2 to take the provisional No. 6 position on the 16-car ladder. Jack Beckman wheeled the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car to the No. 8 spot with his Q2 run of 3.934 seconds at 321.89 mph while Jordan Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS team sit 16^th with their best run of 8.758 seconds at 80.53 mph. In Top Fuel, Josh Hart and the Speedmaster team are the No. 13 qualifiers with their Q2 run of 3.826 seconds at 332.35 mph. Saturday’s NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule will feature the final two rounds of qualifying at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 20. Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “The Bandero Café Chevy made a strong full pass in Q2 so we put something good on the board going into the weekend. This is the first time I’ve ever raced in Michigan and the track surface is really nice and flat. It’s good to be on the top half of the ladder after Day 1, leading the John Force Racing charge, and we’re hoping for the opportunity to improve tomorrow despite the weather forecast.” Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “To talk about Q2, you have to factor in Q1. We’re assuming it’s all the greenery and the added oxygen level at Michigan that caught us off guard a little. The PEAK Chevy’s engine was a little peppier in Q1 than we had intended and that resulted in tire spin. Because of that, we were the second pair in Q2. So, instead of watching everybody else and swinging hard late in the session, we had to be a little bit more conservative. A 3.93-second run, which put us No. 4 at the time, was a pretty good call on Dan and Tim’s (crew chiefs Dan Hood and Tim Fabrisi) part.” Quote from Josh Hart, Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster: “The entire Speedmaster team is actively working as hard as we can to turn this thing around. The first round of qualifying was a heartbreaker because we wanted to lean on it hard in the second round, especially with tomorrow’s weather conditions coming up. Instead, we had to play it safe, call it a layup, to get us down the racetrack to get the data we needed. We’re very happy with that going into tomorrow and Grubnic (crew chief Dave Grubnic) seems happy with where we are.” Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “We have to figure it out.”

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Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol–Kyle Larson

September 22, 2026 ARP Trish

NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway Team Chevy Driver Quotes September 18, 2026

With the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying canceled due to weather, the lineup for tomorrow’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be set by the rulebook, putting Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team on the pole.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR Cup SeriesBristol Motor SpeedwayTeam Chevy Driver QuotesSeptember 18, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:

After Daytona, before Darlington, you were kind of bit by the metric. Now, you’ve benefited from the metric. Is this one of those kind of ‘live by the sword, die by the sword’ kind of situations?“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it’s better to be off on this side of it than the other. But yeah, I don’t know. It’s good. I mean,. it goes off the previous week’s work, so yeah, we didn’t do too hot at Daytona and got bit by it at Darlington.” How valuable is the track position here from a stage point standpoint, being able to manage the race and try to win this race?“Yeah, I mean it’s definitely important, for sure, as far as you’re gaining those stage points in the first stage. You still don’t really know how the race is going to play out, but I would rather start up front than not. We’ve started mid-pack or worse here and raced our way up to the lead before, so I mean you can you can do it if you have a good car. But yeah, I’m happy, in a way, that it rained out, but I just hope we can get out and practice now.” If you don’t get any practice, how does that impact things for tomorrow?“I mean again, yeah, I would rather practice than not, but I’m also okay if we aren’t able to get out there to practice. I feel like our package here is decent. I feel like I can hopefully get into a rhythm pretty quickly. It’s going to be the same for everybody. We did some sim work and feel like we got our package a little bit more balanced, so we’ll see how it reacts to real life. But it’s Bristol. It’s a fun place and you just really got to go out there and race no matter how your car is.” Was a week after a win any different than a week after not winning?“Not really. It was a pretty straightforward week, I guess. I mean Monday, we went to the Chiefs game, but that was planned anyways. But outside of that, for me and I think even our team, it was just kind of a straightforward, business-as-usual, style week. Nothing changed really on my end, and I’m sure Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) as well. Maybe a couple more interviews than normal, but other than that, you just try not to live in the high too long because you can get your focus not in the right direction for this weekend.” Being nine points out of the points lead now, do you feel any differently about your championship contention now that there’s a tangible gap from what it was when you started the Chase?“Yeah, I mean definitely, it’d be hard not to look at it and feel like you’ve got a legitimate shot now. I think I was open before we even went to Darlington that I wasn’t like the most confident. But yeah, we’ve started the Chase off way better than I anticipated. I was hopeful of both of those races being good, but not really one where I thought we would go win, especially at Gateway. We had a great race at Darlington and only gained six points on the lead, so I was a bit bummed after that because I felt like we had such a good race and felt like we were scoring more points than we actually did. But then at Gateway, we scored way more points than I ever expected to. When you leave there and you look at it, you know, it definitely gives you better hope. But there’s still eight more races. That’s a long time, and a lot of good could happen or some bad could happen. But we’re just going to show up to the track and try and do the best job that we can do, as we try to do every week, and see what see where it ends up.” You said last week that we got our swagger back after the win. Do you still feel that way coming into here?“I mean, always coming into here, I feel confident. So yeah, I do believe we could come here and have a good weekend. But I would say even prior to Darlington, I felt like we were back to being the No. 5 team-ish, in a way. You know, it had been so long since we were battling for a win and calling races for winning, so that was fun at Darlington. And then, you go ahead a week to Gateway and put on a performance like we did, yeah, I feel like were getting closer to where we want to be. But we still have room to go, for sure, a lot of room to go, to be dominant. But at least as far as team prep, execution and all the things it takes; I felt like these first-two weeks have gone really strong.” With you being nine points behind Denny (Hamlin), we know you two have a very competitive relationship and just historically these next few tracks, do you see you and Denny going back and forth? Do you view him as one of your chief rivals for the championship, and what is it going to be like racing him, especially tomorrow night?“Yeah, I mean definitely, they’ve been the fastest car, team and driver, consistently, throughout the year. He won the regular season points, so he came into the Chase as the No. 1 seed. So yeah, I mean if I’m battling him these next few weeks, it means we’re probably battling him towards the front, which is a good thing. So yeah, we’ll see. We’ve had a lot of great battles over the course of my career, but especially the last five or six seasons now. It’s always fun battling him. You know, I feel like our two teams, just from the outside looking in, operate very similarly. We’ll see, but I don’t think I’m lying and I don’t think our team would disagree if I was to say I still believe he’s got the faster car at this point. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go out there and beat him, as well as the others. You know, I’m not just looking at Denny. I think we could all say he’s the favorite, but you still have to beat everybody as we’ve seen these last few races.”

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Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol–Carson Hocevar

September 22, 2026 ARP Trish

NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Motor Speedway Team Chevy Driver Quotes September 18, 2026

Carson Hocevar , driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR Cup SeriesBristol Motor SpeedwayTeam Chevy Driver QuotesSeptember 18, 2026

Carson Hocevar , driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:

Racing in the Bristol Night Race, as someone who is such a fan of the sport and growing up watching this event, what’s it like for you to be able to compete in it now, and do you sense that aura of the event going into it during pre-race and whatnot?“Yeah, I do, I enjoy it. This is Luke (Lambert), my crew chief, it’s his favorite race of pretty much the whole schedule. This is always his favorite race. This is the race he grew up going to. I know our whole team enjoys going to it. I think it was Luke and I’s second-ever race and we ran like fifth that night for the majority of the race, and then we had a loose wheel but still finished good. Yeah, we just have a lot of good memories at this track. When you talk about NASCAR and you talk to new fans about what events you have to go to, I feel like one of the highest is always the Bristol Night Race. So yeah, I always enjoy it. I feel like NASCAR has done a really good job of trying to keep the prestige of this race, or the energy rather, and the excitement every time it comes up.” With the fans being as close as they are to the action here, as well as the sword trophy, what would your celebration look like if you were to win tomorrow night? How much planning goes into your winning celebrations? “I don’t know… I would take advantage of not having to fly home, I know that. Yeah, I don’t know how the banking would be, you know, if I tried to recreate what I did at Talladega. But that would be all good problems to have. Watching the Truck race last night, we kind of laughed that Jake (Garcia) just kept doing laps. I was like, I wonder how many laps you could just keep doing before people would just start wondering what the hell you were doing. So we were laughing about how many laps it would take before they would actually step in and say, ‘no, do your burnout’, and you just kept doing laps and acting like you didn’t know the race was over. We were joking about that. But yeah, I don’t know what I would, but I think all of us would enjoy going up the ramp, obviously.” Before the Chase, you swore you weren’t going to look at the points. Do you know how many points back you are now?“I have no idea. I have tried not to look. Sadly, I think I know where I’m at because we had our Monday debrief and we were going through excel sheet. It showed the points and I was like, ‘dang it’. It was just right there. So I remember where I’m at, but we’re trying not to look at it and just enjoy it. I think, ultimately, us looking at it gets us focused on stuff like, oh, we’re racing this guy or this guy behind us. But if we just raced the whole field and tried to run up as far forward as we can in the race itself, it’s all going to take care of itself. I mean, you know, if we get a loose wheel, it’s like we’re going to give up all these points and everything. But then all of a sudden, they started taking each other out and you’re like, oh, cool, we’re getting some of those points back. It can just flip like that, so if we can just focus on finishing good, the points are going to take care of themselves. I think a single-digit at the end of the season. would be really strong for our whole team.” You talk about your good results here at Bristol Motor Speedway. What is it about this track that maybe fits your driving style or tendencies behind the wheel?“I think, ultimately, being able to move around sort of suits by style. Obviously, I like dirt racing. I don’t call myself a dirt guy, but dirt guys tend to run really well here. I feel like I watch enough dirt racing that I can kind of understand it. I really love that you can run the top and get a huge run, as well as run the bottom. I just give Luke (Lambert) a hard time like, oh, I think we’ll run good this weekend because this is your favorite race and you’re going to try this weekend. I asked him on the plane last weekend, I was like, ‘are you going to try this week’. He got all excited and I was like, ‘you finally get to try, maybe we’ll win’. But yeah, for whatever the reason, I think Bristol kind of fits my sort of style and I take advantage of it. But it always helps that Spire Motorsports has been good at these tracks for a couple of years now, so it’s a good marriage there that my best track is one of their best tracks.” Where did the idea come from to have the fans come down to the pit wall last week, and is that something you’re going to try at other tracks? Did any other drivers join you for that?“No, so, I think they were already open to that. They did it for the Truck race here at Bristol, they opened the gates. We were sitting there on pit road, kind of BS’ing, and all of a sudden the fans kind of noticed me. I was like, well, I’m going to go sign for them, so I walked away from Jeff (Dickerson). And then at St. Louis, same deal — I remember getting out of the car and I could hear (Kyle) Larson doing his celebration. And also, they started cheering really close to me, so I was like, that’s weird, what’s happening? And I realized they were all cheering for me, just because I happened to acknowledge them, I guess, and wave at them. So I was like, oh, that’s really cool, too. So obviously I do all the TV, radio, and everything, and then I started walking. All the fans happened to start crossing, and I was like, well, I’m not going to say no. We were within me to you right now, and I can’t just be like, oh, I’m apparently blind and deaf, I don’t hear you. Luckily, I have a team and support system that if I’m going to be a little late to the plane, a good reason is that I’m signing an autograph for fans. So yeah, nobody else joined, but hopefully I can start a trend here, maybe, or whatnot. But yeah, obviously I don’t love running away from fans, but also don’t like running away from the races. I like to kind of enjoy the track when it’s quiet to relax and enjoy it. Luckily, I have a team and a support system around me that supports that.” I kind of want to build on that a little bit. When I saw you signing the autographs for the fans last weekend, it’s something I’ve not seen since Richard Petty did it when I was growing up. I was also impressed that you told the adult one time that the child was getting the autograph, as well, and then Brad Daugherty, when Richard did it for him, it’s why it was in his contract, his number would be 43. What is it that makes you want to connect with the fans, and also what’s some of the coolest experiences you’ve had in connecting with the fans, signing the autographs, and how does that energize you?“Yeah, for me, I remember my first memories of racing was at Kalamazoo Speedway. You know, if the race wasn’t that entertaining, you had the last race of the night, so you were fine to jump out of your seat to go run down to the fence because you knew the second the last race was over that they would open the fence and you would get to go down to the pit area. I’ve always loved that. I grew up doing that, and I remember how fun it was. I think, ultimately, I enjoyed going to the racetrack sometimes more because I got to be in the pits around all those people. I would be like five years old and acting like I’m 35, so it was fun for me. But yeah, I just enjoy that. Bristol has had that for a while. Obviously, they don’t really let them in, but for the tunnel, every year I’ve been here, you walk out of the tunnel and they’re lined up all the way to pretty much the driver/owner lot. I’ll sit there and sign. Every year, it’s been a little bit more, so I’m excited to see what the crowd is after tomorrow. Hopefully, it’s late for them because that means we ran really well. I enjoyed the fact that St. Louis did that because I did it as a kind, and I know that there are a lot of fans that are going to enjoy that more than the race itself.” Has there been one special autograph experience that you’ve given a child or someone?“Yeah, at Darlington, I thought was super cool, there was a fan that made his electric car match my Cup car, which I thought was super cool. Yeah, that stuff’s just fun because obviously they — I don’t think anybody sells it, the family themselves are making it, so the fact they take the time to do that, bring it to the track and haul it there, is super cool for me.” I know this week is all about Bristol, but can you talk about next week at Kansas and your thoughts about that?“Yeah, I’m looking forward to Kansas (Speedway). I think we led some laps last year, so we’ve been getting a little bit better here and there at Kansas. At mile-and-a-half tracks, we’ve been fast at, so I enjoy that track. You get to move around and run the top for a while. The fall race tends to always have a little bit different variation, just because it either is going to be super-hot or it’s going to start cooling down, and that tends to always change the track up a little bit. I feel like that one has put on a lot of good races that are always fun to go be a part of.” I know it’s only two races in, but with this format being a little bit different than the previous formats, has anything surprised you or stood out to you about how the Chase has gone so far gone two races in?“No, I think I’ve just enjoyed it, even just following it myself. I think from the fan’s perspective, I think everybody’s kind of enjoyed it. I think as everybody started to crash or have struggles, you’re looking at the top of the pylon and how that’s switching and not looking at the bottom. So I think that’s a good thing for fans to follow or understand and enjoy, that the goalpost isn’t moving and confusing of who you should be following every three weeks, right? You kind of just look from the bottom all the way up rather than you look from the top down with this format. So I think it’s been really solid. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, even just seeing the fan engagement from it. Like this weekend, they get to promote this race, of all places, probably the two best here right now are the top-two in the points.” You have noticed anything different on the track in the last two races?“I mean, they wrecked a lot, so I think that just shows the intensity of every point, right? I think a lot of those guys wouldn’t be racing like that for eighth or whatever it is. They know every point matters against each other, versus round one, you’re just kind of like, oh, as long as you survive, it resets and I’m good to go. I’m sure Denny (Hamlin) was panicking at times when he was watching (Christopher) Bell lead. I’m sure everybody’s starting to panic any time a Chase guy’s in front of you and you know you’re racing them in points because that’s points you’re just giving up. There are no more resets, there’s no more get backs. You don’t know when your mulligan’s going to happen.” After you got your first win at Talladega, did you find that that has fueled even greater desire to win the second race, even maybe more so than you had to win the first one?“Yeah, I think so. I think all of us want to go back to that feeling because you know what it felt like. I think that you don’t know what you don’t know, right? And once you have that feeling — it’s like racing, even when you first start racing, you don’t know you missed racing until you take a week off or whatnot, and then you want to go back again. So yeah, hopefully we can kind of itch that soon.”

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Jackson 100 Brings Lucas Oil Late Model Stars to Brownstown Speedway

September 18, 2026 ARP Trish

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

VIEW FULL POINTS

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND APPROACHING

PURCHASE DIRT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS

Upcoming Events

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

VIEW FULL POINTS

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND APPROACHING

PURCHASE DIRT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS

Upcoming Events

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SUPERB SUNSHINE: Tyler Courtney Goes 12th-1st to Win Hockett/McMillin Opener at Lucas Oil

September 18, 2026 ARP Trish

Giovanni Scelzi, Rico Abreu, Justin Peck, and Tyler Courtney All Lead at “The Diamond of Dirt Tracks”

SUPERB SUNSHINE: Tyler Courtney Goes 12th-1st to Win Hockett/McMillin Opener at Lucas Oil
Giovanni Scelzi, Rico Abreu, Justin Peck, and Tyler Courtney All Lead at “The Diamond of Dirt Tracks”

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Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA on the hunt for first win of the season at 6 Hours of Fuji

September 18, 2026 ARP Trish

What they’re saying:Jeromy Moore, Chief Engineer Cadillac Racing: “Fuji is a mix of a really long straight, two higher speed corners and a series of very tight corners in the last sector which makes it challenging to get the car balanced perfectly across all speed ranges, whilst having a car that can work in dry conditions and the wet.
Fuji has been known to throw curveballs with the weather during the WEC events. This influences setup choices, but also race strategy planning in order to have the correct tyres on at the right time during changeable conditions.
We head to Japan on the back of a great result at COTA and will keep pushing to achieve our first victory in WEC this year.” No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R:Norman Nato: “After a difficult weekend in Austin in car No.12 we want to bounce back in Fuji. Last year our car performed well, so we should have good pace again. The aim is to consistently put both cars in the points and fight our way back into the top 3 in the Manufacturers Championship, starting with a strong weekend in Japan.” Will Stevens: “Looking ahead to Fuji it’s always a challenging race, you have to prepare for all types of conditions as it can be very mixed and hard to predict. It’s also quite high degradation on tyres, so it’s all about finding the right balance between outright pace but also looking to be gentle on tyres. We are coming off back to back podiums for the team so we have good momentum with us – let’s continue that in Fuji.” No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.RJack Aitken: “I’ve never been to Fuji, and it’ll be my first time racing in Japan, so I’m looking forward to it on that personal note! We had a fantastic run at COTA and certainly want to keep that up. I think we have a great chance of a strong result again this weekend.” Earl Bamber: “I’m really looking forward to racing at Fuji, historically it’s been a strong track for us. We are coming off the back of two great podiums in Brazil and America and have continued to add to our championship points. We will be aiming to continue the momentum of the past two races, hunting down that first win of the season.” Sebastien Bourdais: “Fuji is a challenging track that is quite unforgiving. It’s low grip, with very long corners and Turn One can get quite chaotic. We had a fair bit of pace at Fuji last year so we are aiming to continue to build from the results of the last two races and have another successful race weekend.”

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PEAK SQUAD ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 3rd PLACE

September 16, 2026 ARP Trish

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 16, 2026) – A team’s momentum heading into the playoffs can pay huge dividends and it’s U.S. Nationals win-sized momentum that Jack Beckman and John Force Racing’s PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car team carry into the first round of the 2026 Countdown to the Championship for the Sept. 18-20 NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich.

The U.S. Nationals victory, Beckman’s third Big Go Funny Car title and the final race of the 14-event regular season, moved the PEAK SQUAD into third place in the point standings heading into the six-race Countdown. The 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion now sits just 17 points behind Ron Capps for second and 34 behind point leader Matt Hagan. The team earned two wins (Epping, Indianapolis), 23 round wins and two No. 1 Qualifiers (Chicago, Maryland) in the regular season.

The NHRA Great Lakes Nationals is the first of three consecutive weekends of racing to open the six-event 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. The balance of the Countdown includes: the Sept. 25-27 NHRA Nationals at The Rock; Oct. 2-4 NHRA Midwest Nationals; Oct. 16-18 Texas NHRA Fall Nationals; Oct. 29-Nov. 1 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals; and Nov. 13-15 In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after 14 of 20 races are: 1. Matt Hagan, 2,109; 2. Ron Capps, 2,092; 3. Jack Beckman, 2,075; 4. Jordan Vandergriff, 2,074; 5. J.R. Todd, 2,060; 6. Austin Prock, 2,055; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 2,033; 8. Chad Green, 2,023; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,013; 10. Spencer Hyde, 2,000.

Quotes

What are your thoughts on U.S. 131 Motorsports Park hosting its inaugural NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series event as the first round of the 2026 Countdown to the Championship?

“It’s the first time in the history of NHRA that we’ve added four new racetracks to the schedule in the same year. I’ve tested at Martin but that was about 17 years ago. Then you throw in the variables that it’s a racetrack nobody has data on and the changing weather forecast that continues to improve the closer we get to the race weekend. The point that I’m making is that the crew chiefs have so many variables they have to juggle before we send the PEAK Chevy down the track on our first qualifying run. But I have all the confidence in the world that Tim and Dan (crew chiefs Fabrisi and Hood) and John Force Racing’s track prep guru Lanny Miglizzi will have it figured out.”

What are your thoughts on the first three races of the Countdown, half the of the overall six races, scheduled over three consecutive weekends?

“My response when asked about the schedule, multiple races back to back, or multiple weekends off, is ‘it is what it is’. It is a schedule, we will conform to it and will always do the best we can every time. When you throw in those kinds of variables along with weather, it always tends to favor the better-funded teams simply because we have far more data to fall back on for that first run or two down the track. So, I think Dan and Tim are going to be as aggressive as they think that they can get away with on Friday and, come race day, we’ll hopefully have a car like we did at Indy, where our PEAK Chevy was simply the best car.”

Talk about the momentum the PEAK SQUAD has after winning the U.S. Nationals.

“I don’t know what momentum is worth driving a nitro Funny Car but, man, we are carrying a ton of momentum right now. I know, when you stand in the winner’s circle holding that trophy, the crew guys are walking a little taller and standing a little straighter when they show up for the next race. It’s just nice to affirm that you have a team and a car capable of doing that on a regular basis. So, for me, I can’t wait to get back out there because I think we can continue to play on the success that we had at Indy.”

Weekend Appearances

Beckman will be signing autographs at the following locations/times: Friday, Sept. 18, 12-12:30 p.m. at the John Force Racing merchandise trailer on the midway; Saturday, Sept. 19, 9-9:30 a.m. at the Mission Foods midway display and 9:30-10 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 12 and 2:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 18 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 20.

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday before eliminations action at 2 p.m.

2026 Results

PEAK SQUAD ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 3rd PLACE

Quotes

What are your thoughts on U.S. 131 Motorsports Park hosting its inaugural NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series event as the first round of the 2026 Countdown to the Championship?

What are your thoughts on the first three races of the Countdown, half the of the overall six races, scheduled over three consecutive weekends?

Talk about the momentum the PEAK SQUAD has after winning the U.S. Nationals.

Weekend Appearances

Track Schedule

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday before eliminations action at 2 p.m.

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	9	Lost to Jordan Vandergriff	0-1	11
Phoenix	2	Lost to Daniel Wilkerson	0-2	10
Pomona1	8	Beat Jim Campbell; lost to J.R. Todd	1-3	10
Charlotte	6	Advanced Rounds 1 & 2; runner-up to Ron Capps	3-4	8
Valdosta	11	Lost to Matt Hagan	3-5	8
Chicago	1	Beat Chris King; lost to Matt Hagan	4-6	8
Maryland	1	Beat Joe Morrison, J.R. Todd, Jordan Vandergriff; lost to Austin Prock	7-7	7
Epping	2	Beat Phil Burkart Jr., Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Jordán Vandergriff	11-7	5
Bristol	3	Beat Jeff Arend; lost to Daniel Wilkerson	12-8	5
Norwalk	4	Beat Spencer Hyde, Daniel Wilkerson, Austin Prock; lost to Ron Capps	15-9	4
Sonoma	2	Beat Jeff Arend, Cruz Pedregon; lost to Daniel Wilkerson	17-10	3
Seattle	2	Beat Tim Gibbons, Cruz Pedregon; lost to Austin Prock	19-11	2
Brainerd	6	Lost (DQ) to Chad Green	19-12	5
Indianapolis	3	Beat Jeff Arend, Alexis DeJoria, Austin Prock, Matt Hagan	23-12	3

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CORNWELL TOOLS TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 4TH PLACE

September 16, 2026 ARP Trish

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 16, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff achieved many goals and gained a tremendous amount of knowledge in his first full NHRA regular season but he fully understands how much more is out there as he and the John Force Racing Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team prepare for the first round of the 2026 NHRA Countdown to the Championship at the inaugural Sept. 18-20 NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich.

Vandergriff and the Chris Cunningham/Jason Bunker-led Cornwell Tools team enter the 2026 NHRA Countdown to the Championship in the fourth position, just one point behind John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman in third, 18 behind Ron Capps in second and 35 behind point leader Matt Hagan. During the 14-race regular season, the Cornwell Tools team earned two wins (South Georgia, Sonoma), 25 elimination rounds and three No. 1 Qualifier positions (Epping, Sonoma, Brainerd).

Quotes

What are your thoughts on U.S. 131 Motorsports Park hosting its inaugural NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series event as the first round of the 2026 Countdown to the Championship?

“I love the fact that we’re going to a track hosting its first national event. Not only are we going to a new market where we’ll be meeting new fans, but an inaugural event levels the playing field. Let’s go somewhere new. Chris Cunningham, Jason Bunker and my Cornwell Quality Tools boys have done well at new facilities so far this year so, hopefully, we can keep that going in Martin, Michigan.”

What are your thoughts on the first three races of the Countdown, half the of the overall six races, scheduled over three consecutive weekends?

“I think it’s GO time! That’s what we had the whole regular season for: to perform to the best of our abilities, build consistency, and figure things out when they don’t go our way. The Countdown is here so it’s time to get to it, see what we’ve learn during the regular season and continue to do what we’ve been doing all year. We’ve been consistent, had a strong success rate and accrued a lot of points so, uh, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to go. I feel like the whole regular season, I was happy and having fun. Now I’m feeling the switch start to flip a little bit. The pressure of that first round at Indy against J.R. Todd, realizing what was at stake and the fun and games are over. It’s serious business.”

What’s your perspective on your first full regular season of NHRA competition as you face the start of the Countdown?

“It’s obviously disappointing that we couldn’t get the regular season championship wrapped up. We went into Monday at the U.S. Nationals confident but we ended up coming up a little bit short. We all wanted to win it and I was frustrated that we didn’t. My uncle Bob (Vandergriff, Jr.) put it in perspective later that night. He texted me and gave me some props and said ‘You had barely driven a Funny Car before the season started and you found yourself with a chance to win the regular season on Monday at the U.S. Nationals. You got to remember that at least you were there with a shot to do so.’ That helped put it in perspective for me. I took a step back and realized how much this Cornwell Quality Tools team has accomplished so far this year, where we stand now and that we still want more.”

Weekend Appearances

Vandergriff will be signing autographs Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9:30-10 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday before eliminations action at 2 p.m.

2026 Results

CORNWELL TOOLS TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 4TH PLACE

Quotes

What are your thoughts on U.S. 131 Motorsports Park hosting its inaugural NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series event as the first round of the 2026 Countdown to the Championship?

What are your thoughts on the first three races of the Countdown, half the of the overall six races, scheduled over three consecutive weekends?

What’s your perspective on your first full regular season of NHRA competition as you face the start of the Countdown?

Weekend Appearances

Vandergriff will be signing autographs Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9:30-10 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday before eliminations action at 2 p.m.

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	8	Beat Jack Beckman, John Smith; lost to Chad Green	2-1	4
Phoenix	5	Beat Alexis DeJoria, lost to Matt Hagan	3-2	7
Pomona1	3	Beat Daniel Wilkerson, Chad Green; lost to Ron Capps	5-3	5
Charlotte	2	Won 1st quad; lost in 2^nd quad	6-4	5
Valdosta	3	Beat Jeff Arend, Spencer Hyde, Hunter Green, Ron Capps	10-4	4
Chicago	10	Lost to Chad Green	10-5	5
Maryland	4	Beat Dave Richards, Chad Green; lost to Jack Beckman	12-6	5
Epping	1	Beat Jeff Arend, Chad Green, J.R. Todd; lost to Jack Beckman	15-7	4
Bristol	13	Beat Alexis DeJoria; lost to Ron Capps	16-8	4
Norwalk	11	Lost to J.R. Todd	16-9	5
Sonoma	1	Beat Jason Rupert, Matt Hagan, Austin Prock, Daniel Wilkerson	20-9	2
Seattle	9	Beat Spencer Hyde; lost to J.R. Todd	21-10	4
Brainerd	1	Bye, beat Alexis DeJoria, J.R. Todd; lost to Matt Hagan	24-11	2
Indianapolis	7	Beat J.R. Todd; lost to Austin Prock	25-12	4

Uncategorized

BANDERO CAFÉ TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

September 16, 2026 ARP Trish

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 16, 2026) – Alexis DeJoria and the John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team know the NHRA Countdown to the Championship is the time to get hot and it all starts with the Sept. 18-20 inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich.

The six-time NHRA Funny Car event winner enters the Countdown seventh in the 2026 point standings. She and the Mike Neff/Jonnie Lindberg-led team are just 27 points behind J.R. Todd in fifth place and 76 back of point leader Matt Hagan. The first-year John Force Racing team earned two final-round appearances (Gainesville, Chicago), 15 round wins and 10 Top 8 qualifying positions in the 14-race regular season.

Quotes

What are your thoughts on a new facility to the series opening the Countdown to the Championship?

“I’m excited to race at a new track I’ve never even been to let alone race at. It’s great for the sport and for the fans to have a new market added to the series. It shows the strength of the series and should be a great event to start the Countdown to the Championship.”

What are your thoughts on three weekends in a row to start the Countdown to the Championship?

“I believe having back-to-back-to-back race weekends to start the Countdown keeps the drivers and teams sharp. It’s a grind, no doubt, but the Bandero Café team will get in a rhythm so I’m looking forward to it.”

How does the team’s focus shift after the points reset and just six races to the championship?

“The Bandero Café team has a great opportunity to make it happen, to win our first race of the season and finish the season strong. Now’s the time to get hot.”

Appearances

DeJoria will be signing autographs Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9:30-10 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday before eliminations action at 2 p.m.

2026 Results

BANDERO CAFÉ TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

Quotes

What are your thoughts on a new facility to the series opening the Countdown to the Championship?

What are your thoughts on three weekends in a row to start the Countdown to the Championship?

How does the team’s focus shift after the points reset and just six races to the championship?

“The Bandero Café team has a great opportunity to make it happen, to win our first race of the season and finish the season strong. Now’s the time to get hot.”

Appearances

DeJoria will be signing autographs Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9:30-10 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday before eliminations action at 2 p.m.

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	11	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Spencer Hyde, J.R. Todd; lost to Chad Green	3-1	2
Phoenix	12	Lost Jordan Vandergriff	3-2	6
Pomona1	7	Beat Dave Richards; lost to Ron Capps	4-3	7
Charlotte	5	Won 1^st Quad; lost 2^nd quad	5-4	6
Valdosta	10	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan; lost to J.R. Todd	7-5	6
Chicago	12	Beat Spencer Hyde, Dave Richards, Matt Hagan; lost to Chad Green	10-6	6
Maryland	7	Lost to Ron Capps	10-7	6
Epping	3	Beat Cruz Pedregon; lost to Ron Capps	11-8	7
Bristol	2	Lost to Jordan Vandergriff	11-9	7
Norwalk	2	Beat Blake Alexander, Chad Green; lost to Ron Capps	13-10	7
Sonoma	7	Lost to Cruz Pedregon	13-11	7
Seattle	3	Lost to Dave Richards	13-12	8
Brainerd	8	Beat Dave Richards; lost to Jordan Vandergriff	14-13	8
Indianapolis	6	Beat Chad Green; lost to Jack Beckman	15-14	7

Uncategorized

SPEEDMASTER TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

September 16, 2026 ARP Trish

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 16, 2026) – The six-race 2026 NHRA Countdown to the Championship opens with the Sept. 18-20 NHRA Great Lakes Nationals and Josh Hart sees the inaugural event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich., as a prime opportunity for his John Force Racing Speedmaster Top Fuel team to reset and compete for the championship.

The David Grubnic/John Collins-led team enters the Countdown in seventh position on the strength of one win (the season-opening Gatornationals), 12 elimination round wins and two No. 1 Qualifier spots (Gainesville, Seattle). Hart is 24 points behind Antron Brown for fifth place and 89 to point leader Doug Kalitta.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after 14 of 20 races are: 1. Doug Kalitta, 2,122; 2. Shawn Langdon, 2,096; 3. Leah Pruett, 2,079; 4. Tony Stewart, 2,061; 5. Antron Brown, 2,057; 6. Maddi Gordon, 2,43; 7. Josh Hart, 2,033; 8. Billy Torrence, 2,024; 9. Justin Ashley, 2,013; 10. Clay Millican, 2,006.

Quotes

What are your thoughts on opening the Countdown to the Championship at a new facility to the series?

“I feel like it’s good fresh territory to turn our program around, so I’m excited about the new location and the new track. More importantly, I’m excited to make another pass in the Speedmaster Top Fuel dragster to collect some good data and set the world on fire again. This team has what it takes to create great success and the playoffs is the best time of the year to do so.”

What are your thoughts on three weekends in a row to start the Countdown to the Championship?

“I think more seat time, more tuning time, keeping everything fresh in your mind over three consecutive weekends sounds pretty good. Repetitive action will hopefully make it a lot easier and keep everybody in a good rhythm.”

How does the team’s focus shift after the points reset and just six races to the championship?

“For me, it’s time to get it done now.”

Weekend Appearances

Hart will be signing autographs Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9:30-10 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday before eliminations action at 2 p.m.

2026 Results

SPEEDMASTER TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

Quotes

What are your thoughts on opening the Countdown to the Championship at a new facility to the series?

What are your thoughts on three weekends in a row to start the Countdown to the Championship?

How does the team’s focus shift after the points reset and just six races to the championship?

“For me, it’s time to get it done now.”

Weekend Appearances

Hart will be signing autographs Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9:30-10 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday before eliminations action at 2 p.m.

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	1	Beat Dan Mercier, Tripp Tatum, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta	4-0	1
Phoenix	10	Beat Justin Ashley; lost to Leah Pruett	5-1	2
Pomona1	2	Beat Cameron Ferre; lost to Tony Stewart	6-2	4
Charlotte	4	Lost in 1st quad	6-3	5
Valdosta	9	Lost to Leah Pruett	6-4	5
Chicago	4	Beat Justin Ashley, Tony Stewart; lost to Shawn Langdon	8-5	5
Maryland	7	Lost to Clay Millican	8-6	5
Epping	3	Beat Rit Pustari; lost to Billy Torrence	9-7	4
Bristol	6	Lost to Doug Kalitta	9-8	6
Norwalk	2	Beat Scott Farley; lost to Clay Millican	10-9	7
Sonoma	8	Lost to Jasmine Salinas	10-10	7
Seattle	1	Bye, beat Tony Stewart; lost to Leah Pruett	12-11	7
Brainerd	10	Lost to Tony Stewart	12-12	7
Indianapolis	12	Lost to Leah Pruett	12-13	7

Uncategorized

Wood Brothers Racing–Bristol Advance

September 16, 2026 ARP Trish

Uncategorized

RACING FOR THE ROCKET AND THE WRENCH

September 16, 2026 ARP Trish

The Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing teams return to Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri this weekend for the 16th Annual Jesse Hocket/Daniel McMillin Memorial.
The three-day event pays homage to Jesse “the Rocket” Hockett, a nationally recognized wing and non-wing racer who tragically lost his life in 2010. Daniel “the Wrench” McMillin, Jesse’s cousin and crew chief, is also remembered through the annual event at Lucas Oil Speedway. Daniel passed away in 2006.
The Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial features both Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing winged sprint cars and POWRi Racing’s POWRI WAR wingless sprint cars to recognize both disciplines that Jesse excelled at. Off the track, each night features a theme for fans to participate in, as well as pre- and post-race events including a flip cup competition, karaoke, fan fest and more.
Only one High Roller has won the event. Chase Randall picked-up the non-wing win in the 2022 Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial.
Rico Abreu enters the weekend as the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing points leader. Aaron Reutzel trails by 85 points with just 10 races remaining in the 2026 High Limit season.
Reserved, adult and children general admission tickets, as well as pit passes, are available for pre-purchase online. Suite tickets are also available online for Thursday and Friday only. As a reminder, only fans who pre-purchase tickets are eligible for the Durst Dice Roll each night.
If you can’t join Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing at the track, watch each night live on FloRacing. Thursday night will also air live on The NASCAR Channel, Amazon Prime, Tubi and The Roku Channel. Friday will air live on Amazon Prime, Fubo and The Roku Channel in addition to FloRacing.
Know Before You Go to the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial (all times Central unless noted):Pit Gate Opens: 2pm Grandstand Gates Open: 4pmLive Broadcast Begins: 6pm, CT/7pm, ET Hot Laps Begin: 6:15pmRacing Begins: 7:30pmPost Race: The pit area will be open to all fans following the final race each night. Purchase Lucas Oil Speedway Pit Passes, Suite Tickets and Grandstand Tickets

Grab Your Cowboy Hat, Your Favorite Costume and Anything Pink and Get to Lucas Oil Speedway This WeekendSchnee-Lawson Chassis – A New Approach to Driver Safety
Schnee-Lawson Chassis is proud to introduce their newly redesigned 2027 sprint car cockpit, engineered around a 20-degree seat position with the goal of improving driver positioning and helping reduce the forces placed on a driver’s back during hard impacts.
The first Schnee-Lawson Chassis sprint car featuring this innovative cockpit design will make its competition debut this weekend at the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial with Xavier Doney behind the wheel of the No. 74. After this weekend’s event, the car will go to a national team for additional testing.
This isn’t simply a new chassis. It’s the next step in Schnee-Lawson Chassis’ commitment to innovation, performance and driver safety. A 20-degree seat, redesigned cockpit and built with the driver in mind.Get In the Know with the High Limit Hub
Join the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing “Hub” and get live audio, live timing and scoring, driver analytics, commentary and more at your fingertips!
The High Limit Hub app is now officially available for both Apple and Androidphones. Download the app today!

All-In Championship Weekend Discount Tickets End October 1st

Coming Up…

Driven2SaveLives Midweek Mayhem
Roto-Rooter Midweek Series Finale
Wednesday, September 23Kokomo SpeedwayKokomo, IN
Tickets Available Now

4 Crown Nationals presented by NKTELCO
, Friday, September 25 & Saturday, September 26Eldora SpeedwayRossburg, OH
Tickets and Event Information

RACING FOR THE ROCKET AND THE WRENCH
The Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing teams return to Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri this weekend for the 16th Annual Jesse Hocket/Daniel McMillin Memorial.
The three-day event pays homage to Jesse “the Rocket” Hockett, a nationally recognized wing and non-wing racer who tragically lost his life in 2010. Daniel “the Wrench” McMillin, Jesse’s cousin and crew chief, is also remembered through the annual event at Lucas Oil Speedway. Daniel passed away in 2006.
The Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial features both Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing winged sprint cars and POWRi Racing’s POWRI WAR wingless sprint cars to recognize both disciplines that Jesse excelled at. Off the track, each night features a theme for fans to participate in, as well as pre- and post-race events including a flip cup competition, karaoke, fan fest and more.
Only one High Roller has won the event. Chase Randall picked-up the non-wing win in the 2022 Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial.
Rico Abreu enters the weekend as the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing points leader. Aaron Reutzel trails by 85 points with just 10 races remaining in the 2026 High Limit season.
Reserved, adult and children general admission tickets, as well as pit passes, are available for pre-purchase online. Suite tickets are also available online for Thursday and Friday only. As a reminder, only fans who pre-purchase tickets are eligible for the Durst Dice Roll each night.
If you can’t join Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing at the track, watch each night live on FloRacing. Thursday night will also air live on The NASCAR Channel, Amazon Prime, Tubi and The Roku Channel. Friday will air live on Amazon Prime, Fubo and The Roku Channel in addition to FloRacing.
Know Before You Go to the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial (all times Central unless noted):Pit Gate Opens: 2pm Grandstand Gates Open: 4pmLive Broadcast Begins: 6pm, CT/7pm, ET Hot Laps Begin: 6:15pmRacing Begins: 7:30pmPost Race: The pit area will be open to all fans following the final race each night. Purchase Lucas Oil Speedway Pit Passes, Suite Tickets and Grandstand Tickets

All-In Championship Weekend Discount Tickets End October 1st

Coming Up…

Driven2SaveLives Midweek Mayhem
Roto-Rooter Midweek Series Finale
Wednesday, September 23Kokomo SpeedwayKokomo, IN
Tickets Available Now

4 Crown Nationals presented by NKTELCO
, Friday, September 25 & Saturday, September 26Eldora SpeedwayRossburg, OH
Tickets and Event Information

PURCHASE INTERSTATE BATTERIES HIGH LIMIT RACING TICKETS

Uncategorized

BRABHAM & DYSON AIM TO CONTINUE CD RACING TRANS AM DOMINATION IN VIRGINIA

September 16, 2026 ARP Trish

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 16, 2026) – It would be unwise to bet against CD Racing this weekend Virginia International Raceway in the penultimate round of the 2026 Trans Am by Pirelli series. Between them, Chris Dyson and Matthew Brabham have won three of the past five Trans Am races at VIR. When the green flag waves Sunday afternoon the CD Racing duo will be looking to up that record to four-out-of-six wins at the challenging southern Virginia circuit and nine out of 11 victories for the season thus far.Brabham, who pilots the #16 GYM SODA Ford Mustang as the team’s primary driver this season, won at VIR in 2022, coming from last on the grid. Three-time Trans Am champion Dyson, who this year has run selected events in his #20 GYM SODA / RACER Ford Mustang, has won twice at VIR; 2021 from pole and 2025, when he started sixth.“The team couldn’t be more ready than it is for this weekend,” Dyson said. “VIR tests drivers, but Matty and I have both won there. CD Racing has dominated the season so far – Matty has won eight of the ten races so far – but our primary competition has upped its game over the past couple of months. The Trans Am points-award structure is such that a race win doesn’t provide much of a bonus over second place. So, Matty doesn’t have as much of a lead in the championship as his win total would suggest. We’ve still got to hit all our marks as a team.”In theory Brabham could play it safe during the final two races and expect to cruise to the title. Brabham’s response: “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. I’m grateful for the opportunity Chris has given me this year and I owe it to the team and myself to go all out every time I get in the car. That’s what I’ve done all this year and I’m not going to change.”Click here for more on Chris Dyson Racing.Virginia International Raceway ScheduleQualifying takes place Sunday, September 20, 10:40 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. ETThe 100-mile race takes the green flag Sunday, September 20, at 3:10 p.m.Broadcast ScheduleAll Trans Am races are live-streamed on the Trans Am YouTube channel.

Uncategorized

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol Advance

September 16, 2026 ARP Trish

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Bristol Motor Speedway September 17-19, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

The NASCAR Chase rolls into East Tennessee for a tripleheader weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, with all three national touring series facing postseason action under the lights of the famed .533-mile concrete oval. The Craftsman Truck Series will open its own Chase Thursday night in the UNOH 250 Presented by Ohio Logistics, while Friday’s Food City 300 for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race for the Cup Series will mark the third race in each of their respective postseason schedules. Kyle Larson enters the weekend having snapped a 51-race winless streak during a chaotic afternoon at World Wide Technology Raceway, closing to within just nine points from the Chase leader, Denny Hamlin. Sheldon Creed grabbed the O’Reilly Series points lead with a runner-up finish at Gateway, while the Truck Series field turns the page entirely as Team Chevy’s four title contenders will begin their championship campaigns.

CHEVROLET HITS SEASON-BEST SHOWINGChevrolet’s charge at World Wide Technology Raceway was not limited to Kyle Larson’s win. Seven Chevrolet’s crossed the line inside the top-10 of the Enjoy Illinois 300 with Larson leading Alex Bowman (second), William Byron (fourth), Ross Chastain (fifth), Austin Dillon (sixth), Connor Zilisch (seventh) and Carson Hocevar (eighth) – marking the manufacturer’s strongest single-race showing of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Hendrick Motorsports alone accounted for three of those top-four finishers, including Bowman, who not only played a pivotal role in pushing his teammate to the victory, but also brought home his best finish of the season. Following in a similar fashion, Dillon’s sixth-place finish and Zilisch’s seven-place finish matched their respective season-best results. The Bowtie brigade will look to carry that kind of depth into Bristol, a track where Chevrolet’s overall numbers in the sport’s top division is already the best in the garage with 48 all-time victories.

GREEN FLAG FLIES FOR THE NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES CHASEThe NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will officially join in on the postseason action with Thursday’s UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics serving as the Chase opener to start a seven-race stretch to determine the 2026 champion. The 10-truck Chase field will feature four Team Chevy drivers, led by McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes, who ranks fourth in the standings heading into the postseason. The New York native brings one of the strongest Bristol resumes in the field. In four starts behind the wheel of a McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet, he’s finished no worse than fifth, including a dominant win in the track’s 2024 sprint event where he led the final 92 laps. CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger sits seventh in the Chase field, and despite an up-and-down campaign through much of the regular season, a trip to victory lane at Lime Rock Park in July put him up into the top-10 of the points standings for the first time this season and he never looked back en route to his postseason berth. McAnally-Hilgemann Racing rounds out the manufacturer’s Chase contingent with Daniel Hemric in eighth and Tyler Ankrum in 10th.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, with the Corvette Stingray pacing the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Silverado RST pacing the Craftsman Truck Series.

·        Chevrolet is the winningest manufacturer in both of NASCAR’s top-two divisions at Bristol Motor Speedway, with the Bowtie brand heading into the weekend with 48 Cup Series wins and 39 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins.

·        With Grant Enfinger’s win at Lime Rock Park, Chevrolet sits just two wins away from its milestone 300th all-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.

·        With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.

·        In 171 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 74 victories – a winning percentage of 43.3%.

·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.

·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 888 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
FOR THE FANS: Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Bristol Motor Speedway, which will feature a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including: Traverse, Tahoe, Silverado LD, Silverado HD, Equinox, Colorado and Corvette.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:Thursday, Sept. 17: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18: 12:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19: 12:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup SeriesBass Pro Shops Night RaceSaturday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m. ETUSA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesFood City 300Friday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesUNOH 250 Presented by Ohio LogisticsThursday, Sept. 17, at 8:00 p.m. ETFS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow is the Bass Pro Shops Night race different from the Food City 500 in the spring?“Yeah, just something about being at night. The Cup cars don’t spark as much as O’Reilly cars or Trucks do, but still, just racecars at night, you can see every little bit of a brake glow and the exhaust. On the Cup cars, you can see them on both sides. So on the backstretch, you can see them on the frontstretch and vice versa. I just think that seeing those flames, the color change in the brakes, it’s so bright inside the track, but yet you can still see that color contrast in the front temperature for the night races. And in the O’Reilly and Truck Series, those vehicles spark a lot, especially on those last restarts if they put tires on, you’ll see most of the field sparking, driving as hard as they can. I love to see race cars hit the ground and spark. I think that’s cool.” How would you explain to someone who’s never been to Bristol what they’ll see in a night race?“It’s something you just got to see for yourself. I think in all live sports until you see that quarterback throw that Hail Mary in person, you see that running back go through a hole and score, or two guys hit and you hear those helmets crack. With us it’s the engines when we all fire off turn four. I get nervous watching. I’m actually more comfortable in the car than I am watching because I don’t understand how 36 cars can fit around that track. There’s times when we get strung out that it doesn’t look like we all fit. I don’t think you can describe it. You have to experience it for yourself.” Do you recall your first time walking into Bristol and what your thoughts were?“I do. Yeah, I was a kid. We went as fans, sat up in the middle of turns one and two, about three quarters of the way up and then watched the Cup race. We came over from the mountains. My parents had a cabin over in Western North Carolina. So we were a long way from Florida. We’d go to Bristol for the fall race. It’s definitely something I’ve never forgotten, the first time I sat and walked out through the grandstands to look out at the racetrack.” Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletBristol Motor Speedway seems to be a track that a lot of drivers really love. What do you think it’s going to take to come out of there with a good finish?“Execution. I think we’ve got to execute to the best of our ability. I think we know where we are speed wise, we’ve got to get better, and that takes some time. But we can go out and execute like we did this past weekend at Gateway. We had qualities of our car that really were good, and then some that weren’t so good. So we took the best out of our car and were able to get a top-10 finish, we finished sixth. If we can go to Bristol and do the same with the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Patriotic Chevrolet I would be stoked.” Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHeading back to Bristol, what are your thoughts going into the night race?“Bristol at night is a race I really enjoy. Last fall was a tough race, but I am excited to get back there with the No. 7 team. We’ve learned a lot since the spring race, where we had a decent finish. The fans, the lights, the atmosphere, is what is really exciting at the night race. Hopefully, this time we can put together the kind of night I know this team is capable of.” Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on Bristol Motor Speedway?“I think anyone who says they are a NASCAR fan likes Bristol. I’ve loved the place since I was a kid and I’ve loved racing there in the Camping World Truck and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. I love a challenge and I am optimistic about this weekend.” Is the Night race special?“The night race at Bristol is one of those events every driver circles on the calendar at the beginning of the year. There’s just a different energy when you come through the tunnel for the night race—the atmosphere in the stadium under the lights is electric, and it’s easily one of the most intense, iconic races on the entire schedule.” What is the strategy at Bristol for your team?“Five hundred laps around Bristol at night is a total grinding match. You don’t get a second to relax or breathe out there because things happen so fast in front of you. By the end of the night, you’re worn out, but if you can be there at the end with a clean race car, you’ve really accomplished something.” AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletDoes Bristol still give you chills walking in there?“Bristol is one of my most favorite tracks, but it’s definitely a grind. It’s grueling and probably by the time the race is over my whole body hurts. Still that place gives me chills when you walk into it. We’ve had some good runs there in the past and won a pole in the Cup Series in 2025. We’ve got a win there in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series too. So, yeah, I love that place under the lights.” Are you looking forward to having a new sponsor at Bristol? “It’s pretty cool to have NASCAR’s Official Partner Suburban Propane on our No. 16 Cup car at Bristol. They activate a lot in our sport and we are proud to carry their banner on our car. I’ll be signing autographs with them on race day too. It’s always good to be able to get out and see the fans especially on behalf of our partners. We hope to put on a good show for Suburban Propane and we’re looking forward to having the President and CEO (Michael Stivala) there with us.” Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletReturning to Bristol Motor Speedway for your second career Bass Pro Shops Night Race, what is the key to a good result on Saturday night? “Bristol is a really cool place to race at, especially under the lights for the night race. We had a good car there last year and should have finished inside the top-18 or 20 if the tire curveball wasn’t thrown at the beginning of the race. No one was expecting what happened, so we got caught a couple laps down and had to manage it the best we could for the rest of the night. We were able to unlap ourselves under green and leave with a top-25 finish. We want to improve that this time around with our Rebel Bourbon Chevrolet, so qualifying will be important and we’ll have to stay on top of strategy to manage the race as it unfolds. Things happen fast and can change quickly at Bristol, so being adaptable is important.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Bristol at night is always one of the races you look forward to, so it’s great to have Chef Boyardee back with us for it,” said Stenhouse. “We’ve had some really strong runs with them on the car this year, especially at Daytona and Talladega, and hopefully we can add another one at Bristol. It’s a place I really enjoy racing, and there’s nothing quite like being there for the night race.” Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“Bristol is 500 laps of chaos. To be able to walk out of Bristol with a good result is always very rewarding, because you know how hard it is to achieve. Even though the distance at Bristol is not very long – a little more than 266 miles – 500 laps there is a long time. The mental endurance it takes to run at 110 percent and be on your A-game from start to finish is key. You have to be laser-focused on hitting your marks, but also ready to adapt. Bristol is not like a traditional short track where the bottom lane is dominant throughout the race. You’re going to see people racing the middle line and the high line, and the track conditions are going to play a big part in that. You need to be on the wheel and stay ahead of those changing track conditions, and really pay attention to tire wear and what you’re feeling during the course of a run.” Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat is your outlook heading into one of the most highly anticipated races of the season?“Bristol is such a great weekend when it comes to the night race. I didn’t come from a traditional short track racing background, my upbringing was sports cars and road courses, unlike a lot of the other drivers. So, I have always felt like if I could win at Bristol then I can finally say I have made it as a Cup Series driver, which can be a little contradicting after almost 20 years of stock car racing. It is an incredible environment. Travis (crew chief Travis Peterson) and I had some success there early in our career together. We finished 11th two times and sixth before that. Track position is critical to maximize your day. We have also seen some unpredictable tire wear in the past, so that is always a factor, but our Spire organization has started to find some success there in the last year or so and feel like we have the notebook to compete.” Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletYou’re ninth in points and have a two solid runs to start The Chase. How do you and Luke (Lambert, Crew Chief) ) stack up at Bristol?“I enjoy it. We run well there. I felt like we had a really good shot, and probably the best chance we’d had to win a race last fall before the caution came out late in the pit cycle. It is Luke’s favorite race, and he’s won there a couple times, so we all look forward to that one.” Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow much of a benefit is it to go back to tracks for a second time?“I’m going to a lot of these tracks for the second time and that’s beneficial to me. Just knowing that I’ve seen these tracks before and that I have notes I can lean on makes a difference. I feel like that’s a big help.” What has been the morale of the team following a solid run this past weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway? “It’s certainly helpful to have a weekend like St. Louis that after the year we’ve had. But honestly, my team has stayed pretty motivated and confident behind me all year long. The confidence has never wavered. It’s just been a matter of actually going out and doing it, but we know we know that we’re capable of it and we know we can’t point fingers at anybody because we all have a job to do. We can all do our jobs better. It’s hard for me to point fingers at the group and vice versa. We’ve stayed confident in each other all year long.” What are your thoughts entering Bristol?“I’m excited for Bristol this weekend. I feel like we’ve got some momentum after a really good day in St. Louis. We had three cars in the top 10 there until an incident took Shane out of contention late in the race. I feel like we found something there and we’re going to try and carry that over. The first Bristol race didn’t go too great for us but we’re doing a lot of different things at this point in the year and hope to see some progress with the cars. It’s my first Bristol night race so I’m excited to get to race under the lights. I won at Bristol before and it’s one of the coolest tracks to win at so that would be awesome to do. I’m excited to carry on the momentum we built at St. Louis and we’re hoping to continue that through the rest of the year.” Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletDo you feel like this season has been your greatest improvement or do you feel like it’s consistent with what you’ve done before? Do you feel like you’ve really kind of raised your gain and feel much more confident after the work you’ve done this year?“Yeah, I think so. I think the last third of last year, we really took some steps forward, and I think we’ve just continued on that. I feel like I’m a lot closer to Ross (Chastain) this year. You know, he’s a pretty good benchmark, I think as a teammate, and I feel like I’ve been able to match him a lot. Still some areas he’s really good at. He’s really good at not having bad days and dragging results out of cars that probably shouldn’t be up there. He’s someone I’m really trying to learn off and match closely. It’s been good to be around or just in front of him in the points this year kind of pushing each other along has been really cool. So yeah, just got to keep the improvement going. I feel like every week, I’m learning stuff and still trying new things. I still have a lot to learn.”
With not having to worry about The Chase anymore, is there still stress on performance every weekend?“Running bad stinks. The last couple of weeks haven’t been great, so the team has been pretty stressed. We are trying to get better. We aren’t complacent about it, everyone is still pretty mad about not being in The Chase. So, yeah we are trying everything to get better and be prepared for when next season starts.”
This is your second full-time Cup season and second year coming to these tracks you might not be as comfortable with. How much of a difference do you feel when coming to these tracks for a second year?“Yeah, hopefully it helps me get up to speed quicker. Especially with these longer practices too, you can start working on your car earlier, rather than figuring it out as a driver. More times coming to these tracks and longer practices should help set us up for the weekend.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCEBristol Motor SpeedwaySeptember 17-19, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2025): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2025 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2025): 34First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29 Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007) 2026 STATISTICS: Wins: 7Poles: 6Laps Led: 2,059Top-Fives: 48Top-10s: 97Stage Wins: 19 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 888 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 772Laps led to date: 258,793Top-fives to date: 4,484Top-10s to date: 9,248 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,222 Chevrolet: 888 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 854 Ford: 754 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 218

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Inside Hoffman’s Path to ‘Unbelievable’ World 100 Breakthrough

September 15, 2026 ARP Trish

NEW WESTON, OH (September 15, 2026) – In the final moments before Nick Hoffman strapped in for the biggest race of the season, his 5-year-old son, Roxzen, had a request for his dad.

“Before the race, the drone show’s going on, and he’s like, ‘Dad, look at that trophy. We need that trophy,” Hoffman said. “I said, ‘I’m going to get it for you, buddy.’”

About an hour later, dad delivered on his word. Hoffman’s first World 100 triumph was the culmination of his life’s work in racing that began three decades ago, when he was the same starry-eyed kid dreaming of success on the biggest stages.

The Belleville, IL native spent his early years traveling around the Midwest with his father, Darrell, chasing the DIRTcar UMP Modified scene, until a job opportunity in NASCAR led Darrell to move the family to Mooresville, NC when Nick was 10.

Once he found himself in the middle of the pavement racing universe, Hoffman couldn’t help but envision a future of racing on Sundays. He was a regular at the Summer Shootout on the 1/4-mile at Charlotte Motor Speedway before climbing the ranks and eventually making a trio of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts for Mittler Brothers Motorsports in 2010 and 2011.

Meanwhile, Hoffman’s dirt roots never left him. He dove into the Modified world in high school as a driver and soon decided it was time to take the next step. In 2012, a 19-year-old Hoffman built his first Modified chassis, took it to Eldora Speedway, and promptly won the DIRTcar Fall Nationals, one of the division’s most prestigious events. Hoffman’s phone started ringing off the hook with fellow competitors placing orders, and Elite Chassis began growing into its current position as one of Modified racing’s top manufacturers.

At the same time, Hoffman began proving that he could drive them just as well as he could build them. His decade of dominance included three DIRTcar national championships, four DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals titles and seven Big Gators from the season-opening Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.

Hoffman is proud of his reputation as one of Modified racing’s most successful and influential figures, but the desire to test himself at the Super Late Model has always been there. His full-fendered career began at Florence Speedway in the 2016 North-South 100 in the Jones Oil Company machine, the first of several part-time efforts Hoffman accepted alongside his Modified duties.

His efforts in both cars caught the attention of one of the sport’s all-time greats, Scott Bloomquist. When medical issues forced Bloomquist to step out of the seat in 2021, he chose Hoffman to be his substitute. Hoffman made the most of the year he spent under Bloomquist’s wing, making his first Feature starts in several of Late Model racing’s biggest events including the Prairie Dirt Classic, the USA Nationals and the Eldora Million.

The opportunity allowed Hoffman to catch the eye of many people in the Late Model world for the first time, including that of Tye Twarog. When Devin Moran departed Twarog’s team at the end of the 2022 season to move to his current home at Double Down Motorsports, Twarog saw enough potential in Hoffman to go all-in on him.

By January 2023, all of Twarog’s equipment was in North Carolina, and Hoffman was signed up for his rookie season with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision. He came out of the gate in 2023 with his first World of Outlaws win at Stateline Speedway, the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award and the fifth spot in the final standings.

Hoffman’s win total and points position has improved every year since, and less than four years after his full-time Late Model career began, he had already become a nightly win contender anywhere he went.

“I believed in myself, and confidence is key in this whole game,” Hoffman said. “I knew I could do it at some point, whether it’s race for championships or race for crown jewel wins. I believed in myself, and finally, the opportunity comes with Tye, and he basically handed me the keys to the program. That was the turn of my Late Model career, getting to where I am today, being able to control my own destiny, basically. It’s spiraled really fast. In four years, the statistics have gone up every single year, we’ve gotten better every single year. It’s pretty wild to me.”

In the midst of Hoffman’s six-win 2026 World of Outlaws campaign, his phone rang with a call from Jeff Dickerson, co-owner of Spire Motorsports. The team was looking to expand into full-time dirt Late Model racing in 2027, needed someone who could lead the program, and believed Hoffman checked all the right boxes.

Despite having no thoughts of leaving Twarog’s team beforehand, Hoffman knew he had an opportunity too good to pass up. While announcing the news on Thursday at Eldora, Hoffman emphasized his gratitude toward Twarog for his role in getting him to his current position.

“This was not possible without Tye Twarog,” Hoffman said in Thursday’s press conference. “I probably would have never been on [Spire’s] radar without him. I drove for a lot of great Late Model car owners throughout my years. Scott Bloomquist, Cody Sommer, Tye, the Hatcher family, the Jones family that took a shot on me when I was young and just a Modified guy. Drove for a lot of great people, a lot of part-time stuff. Finally, Tye comes to the plate and gives me a full-time ride, allows me to run it out of North Carolina, and that’s when you see a change in my whole Late Model career. We’ve gotten better every single year, and everything he’s done for me, it’s been unbelievable. The guy has basically treated me like a son and just handed me all this equipment and we’ve done the most with it. I know he’s proud of me and everything we’ve done.”

With 17 World of Outlaws wins under his belt over the past four seasons, the next objective on Hoffman’s trajectory became a crown jewel victory, particularly one at Eldora. It was only a few years ago that such an accomplishment was more of a pipe dream than a realistic goal, but as Hoffman’s prominence continued to grow, so did his prospects of glory at the “Big E.”

In the last three Eldora majors prior to the 2026 World 100, Hoffman finished third on each occasion. The thrill he felt after his Dirt Late Model Dream career best in 2025 turned to frustration that he was still on the last step of the podium in June at this year’s Dream.

That frustration could also describe the summer leading up to the World 100. Hoffman’s $100,000 victory at Mansfield Speedway on May 30 still stands as his most recent World of Outlaws win more than three months later, and he’s finished second to points leader Bobby Pierce five times since then.

At long last, Hoffman got back to Victory Lane on Sept. 6 in the Baltes Classic at Eldora, the Labor Day weekend prelude to the World 100. A split-field, $5,000 win won’t go down in history as one of Hoffman’s greatest accomplishments, but it put Hoffman and team in the right frame of mind going into the most important week of the year.

“That win Sunday did a lot for me,” Hoffman said. “I was running second and third a lot, and to finally get the job done Sunday and be able to beat [Ricky Thornton Jr., defending World 100 champion]. He made a mistake, but I was still able to win, and that kind of changed my whole week outlook, like, ‘OK, we’re good enough.”

That confidence stayed with Hoffman through two nights of preliminary action on Thursday and Friday. He may not have won on either night, but Hoffman remained confident that he would be in the mix when it mattered most in the closing laps on Saturday.

From ninth in the starting order, Hoffman was in no hurry to slice his way through the field at the drop of the green flag. He instead went the opposite direction down to 12th in the first 30 laps, but began picking cars off one by one in the second half using lessons learned from his late mentor.

“Them guys were driving by me, and I was just trying to stay patient, stay with it,” Hoffman said. “Just stayed against that infield wall and not wheelspin down the straightaways or anything to try and keep my edges on my tires. That’s what Scott always preached to me is make sure you’ve got edges, especially if we got a late-race caution or anything like that. Just was patient, kept my tires underneath me. Once it got down to business and I needed to try and circle out and make speed, I knew that bottom lane was not the fastest way around the racetrack. It was a matter of, I just needed to cruise for a while, and then once I got to the point where I felt like I needed to move out to make speed, I was able to do so.”

When race-long leader Ryan Gustin’s driveshaft broke with a dozen laps remaining, it set up a shootout between Hoffman and Thornton, who had already been going back-and-forth for second before the yellow. Hoffman’s conservative, momentum-based approach meant he had more tread left for the final sprint than Thornton did, allowing him to pull away and score the biggest win of his career.

“I don’t even know how to explain it, really,” Hoffman said. “It’s unbelievable. I was at a loss for words up on the stage, I don’t even remember what I said. It’s unbelievable, this is what you dream of as a kid growing up trying to race and make a living. This is my first crown jewel, the biggest crown jewel. I told Randy [Weaver] I could walk away from dirt Late Model racing and feel like I was successful now.”

It was fitting that Thornton was the man who Hoffman had to beat to take the crown of World 100 champion. The two drivers have a high degree of respect for each other, and their paths have crossed several times over the years. Thornton was certainly disappointed to come up one spot short of back-to-back globes, but he couldn’t help but be happy for a Modified ace who used the right combination of talent and work ethic to reach the mountaintop – mainly because that story sounds a whole lot like his own.

“I feel like we’re kind of a similar Modified background, just doing what you can to make it to that next level,” Thornton said. “I was fortunate enough to get in a Late Model and Nick was fortunate enough to get in a Late Model now. It’s been a lot of work and a lot of learning. It’s pretty cool to see Nick get his first big crown jewel like this. I mean, if he wants to retire, I don’t think any of us are going to complain.”

“Me and Ricky, people don’t even know this, but we were rFactor kids,” Hoffman added “We didn’t meet until we were probably 20, 21 range, but we raced rFactor and iRacing and stuff together and did a lot of sim racing together. There’s quite a few of us that grew up doing that. We kind of had the same path with the Modifieds, and we were both fortunate to win a lot of races. But when you start winning Late Model races, that’s when your name changes and you start to build a lot of confidence that you’re good enough to do this deal.”

More than anything, Hoffman’s career-defining night will be looked back on as the ultimate thank-you gift to Twarog for four years of investment into his career. A lifelong Ohioan, Twarog’s quarter-century of work as a team owner has all been in pursuit of his dream of having his name on a World 100-winning car.

That dream came true on Saturday night, when Twarog stood in Victory Lane staring at the globe with the same awe as Roxzen Hoffman an hour earlier.

“What else would you want? I can look at that trophy every day of my life,” Twarog said. “It’s just unbelievable. I believed in Nick from day one, I gave him all my equipment. We’ll see what happens. Whatever happens next year, I’m excited.”

Hoffman will begin the final stretch of the 2026 World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision season at one of his home tracks, I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park, in the King of the Arch on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25-26. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

Inside Hoffman’s Path to ‘Unbelievable’ World 100 Breakthrough

NEW WESTON, OH (September 15, 2026) – In the final moments before Nick Hoffman strapped in for the biggest race of the season, his 5-year-old son, Roxzen, had a request for his dad.

“Before the race, the drone show’s going on, and he’s like, ‘Dad, look at that trophy. We need that trophy,” Hoffman said. “I said, ‘I’m going to get it for you, buddy.’”

That dream came true on Saturday night, when Twarog stood in Victory Lane staring at the globe with the same awe as Roxzen Hoffman an hour earlier.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/inside-hoffmans-path-to-unbelievable-world-100-breakthrough/

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Cadillac Carrying Momentum into Indianapolis

September 15, 2026 ARP Trish

DETROIT (Sept. 15, 2026) – Cadillac Racing has had nine straight podium finishes with five wins and is looking to make it 10 straight on September 20, in the TireRack.com Battle at the Bricks at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This year’s event presents a new challenge for all drivers and teams. Unlike in 2024 and 2025 at Indianapolis, which consisted of a six-hour event, this year’s race will be a 2-hour and 40-minute “sprint race.” Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing with the No. 10 (Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque) and No. 40 (Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz) are looking to further their momentum from early August at Road America. The No. 10 led 36 laps en route to victory at Road America while the No. 40 led 24 circuits. It was the 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. The victory was the 14th IMSA class win for Albuquerque, with his last win coming at the 2024 Detroit Street race 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 triumph and like Albuquerque, the Detroit Street win broke his longest career winless streak – also 20 races. This was his third victory at Road America. Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber, drivers of the No. No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R had their nine-race podium streak broken at Road America, but now they go back to where it started as they are the defending winners of the Battle at the Bricks along with Fredrick Vesti. Aitken still leads the driver point standings by 118 points over Laurin Heinrich while the Whelen Cadillac team has a 185-point lead over the No. 93 Acura. Cadillac also leads the manufacturer standings by 112 points over Porsche. The two-hour, 40-minute race starts at 3:10 pm EDT on September 20 and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock and 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.

What they’re saying For the Wayne Taylor Group, heading into the last sprint race of the season, what have you learned over the course of the season with the V-Series.R to apply to the final sprint race? No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Ricky Taylor: “We learn every weekend about the V-Series.R and it’s really nice to go into our second year where we have some data points from last year to build on. I’d say the biggest thing we’ve learned is just our level of confidence with what changes do what, what gets the most performance out of the car in different situations. So, I think just our ability to adapt is better. The car has a lot of tools to allow it to do lots of really amazing things and we have been learning how to unlock them.” Filipe Albuquerque: “To be honest, I learned more than I was expecting. Cadillac expects us to win. We are a good team, and we have had a bit difficulty to reach the top performance that we would ideally want. But it’s interesting. These cars are complex, and we keep learning and we are closing the gap. I think joining a program, a couple of years later, and learning, you come from zero. The Cadillac Racing group have been patient and have been waiting for us to close the gap, and we’re getting there. The 31 is in the title fight, and as one team, we like to think that we contributed in a way. Hopefully they get the title this year and that we’re going to be fighting for it next year. And, we are coming from three wins in a row for Cadillac, that’s something.”

No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Louis Deletraz: “I think it’s very clear that since we started in 2025 with Cadillac, we’ve really discovered a lot about this car. We now understand it a lot better. I think we are very happy in the position we are now. And obviously all the set up work and also the gelling between all the people together with Cadillac, Action Express Racing, JOTA and all the drivers. It’s been great to have the five cars on track, training set, and working together. It’s been a big help for the program just to work together every weekend. We have two more races, let’s see what else we can accomplish for Cadillac.” Jordan Taylor: “I think every time we’re in this car, we’re learning something new. With the Road Atlanta test last week, we learned a lot of stuff that we can even use at Indy. I think every time you can kind of get in this car new developments are being made. From the driver’s side, engineering side, software side, there’s so many aspects to such a complicated car like the V-Series.R and the developments kind of never end.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R Earl and Jack, you are the defending winners at Indianapolis and had have a great year. What are you looking forward to at Indianapolis? Earl Bamber: “Yeah, I mean, looking forward to, I guess, getting back into the battle of it. We had an amazing run on the podium nearly for one year straight with the IMSA calendar, so it’s been an amazing job by the by the Whelen Cadillac team. Obviously, the last race didn’t really go the way we’d planned it or expected it, but we were still in the fight to win the race at one stage at the end there and then obviously to be on the podium again. So yeah, looking forward to sort of more success like we had at Indy. Indy’s typically been always pretty strong track for the 31 car as well so looking forward to that. Jack (Aitken) and myself are also coming off the back of a really good weekend with second at the World Endurance Championship race at COTA. So there’s just really good momentum in the program at the moment and obviously the 31 didn’t win but the No. 10 car got its first win with Cadillac. So yeah, just really great momentum in the program.” Jack Aitken: “I’m looking forward to being back at Indy, home to the start of our podium streak and a fantastic result for Cadillac last year. It’s a track that we’ve run well at and I’d expect the same coming into this year’s edition, so we’ll be aiming for the win like always.”

Cadillac carrying momentum into Indianapolis

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom

Cadillac Racing at Indianapolis results 2023-2025
2025 (6-hour race): First (No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start first Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Fredrick Vesti Second (No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing) start third Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque) Ninth (No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing) start second Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz
2024 (6-hour race): Eighth (No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R) start first – Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande DNF (No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start fourth – Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Tom Blomqvist 2023 (2-hour, 40-minute race): Seventh (No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R) start fourth – Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande Fourth (No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start eighth – Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims

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RAYMOND NASH LOOKING TO CHASE DOWN POINTS LEADER FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN RACE IN MICHIGAN

September 15, 2026 ARP Trish

MARTIN, Mich. (September 15, 2026) – With three races remaining in the 2026 Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown Series Jonathan Allegrucci has a commanding points lead over Raymond Nash and Scott Libersher. Allegrucci’s Ford Mustang Cobra Jet has raced to three wins and two runner-up finishes in five consecutive final round appearances. As the national series heads to the inaugural Dodge Great Lakes Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich., Nash, who sits in second place in the Flexjet points, is looking to close the gap with a strong weekend.

“We’re very confident,” said Nash, driver of the Underdawg Motorsports Dodge Challenger. “We had the opportunity to put ourselves in a good position to be number two in points based on David Barton’s hard work and all the people at Ray Barton Racing Engines. They have been instrumental in improving the car and making it go faster. We’ve been to the semifinals at a lot of races, and we’ve had the opportunity to win at least one race. I think we can put ourselves in that same spot at least once before the end of the year.”

Raymond Nash and his Underdawg Team will be looking to close the points gaps this weekend in Michigan,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

RAYMOND NASH LOOKING TO CHASE DOWN POINTS LEADER
FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN RACE IN MICHIGAN

MARTIN, Mich. (September 15, 2026) – With three races remaining in the 2026 Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown Series Jonathan Allegrucci has a commanding points lead over Raymond Nash and Scott Libersher. Allegrucci’s Ford Mustang Cobra Jet has raced to three wins and two runner-up finishes in five consecutive final round appearances. As the national series heads to the inaugural Dodge Great Lakes Nationals at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich., Nash, who sits in second place in the Flexjet points, is looking to close the gap with a strong weekend.

“We’re very confident,” said Nash, driver of the Underdawg Motorsports Dodge Challenger. “We had the opportunity to put ourselves in a good position to be number two in points based on David Barton’s hard work and all the people at Ray Barton Racing Engines. They have been instrumental in improving the car and making it go faster. We’ve been to the semifinals at a lot of races, and we’ve had the opportunity to win at least one race. I think we can put ourselves in that same spot at least once before the end of the year.”

Raymond Nash and his Underdawg Team will be looking to close the points gaps this weekend in Michigan,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

“I am super excited to run at Martin for a couple reasons. In Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, you have all three brands, Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge going heads up. Libersher and his Chevrolet COPO Camaro have done a good job of picking up and Ricky Hord won a race earlier this year in a COPO, which is awesome. The Fords have been fantastic all year. Dodge is sponsoring this race. I’m a big MOPAR fan, always have been, always will be, there’s going to be some spotlight and some opportunity to pay attention to a class like ours,” added Nash.

This will not be the first time Nash has competed at US 131 Motorsports Park and the driver who has already scored a No. 1 qualifier and runner-up finish this season to go along with several semifinal finishes is looking at previous on-track experiences as an advantage. The team will have data from previous years’ runs as well as data from his son Zach’s recent regional race held in Martin.

“Early in the factory stock showdown days, we started shaking the car down at Martin,” said Nash. “This is before the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series was contested. We’ve run there before. My son Zach runs in Stock Eliminator, and he ran the regional divisional there this year. They paved it and have made some good improvements to get ready for this weekend. I’ve had the advantage of running there before, so we have a little data.”

Beyond the on-track data Nash feels like his Underdawg race team has another advantage in the behind-the-scenes support. To make Nash’s racing dreams come true, he relies on the expertise of Barton Racing Engines as well as support from his entire family. It takes a tremendous effort to get his factory stock hot rod from track to track and then once they are in competition, to keep the operation race-ready.

“The top of our race car doesn’t say my name,” explained Nash. “It says the Nash Family. It takes a lot of time, work, effort, energy to get to the racetrack. We get a lot of help from Underdawg hospitality, which is run by my dad, Brian, and his long-time girlfriend Karen. They do everything from feeding the team, to logistics, to moving the race car back and forth. We get a lot of support from our family back home. My wife, Christina, loves racing, loves being at the track. I get a lot of help from my son along with Hunter Barnes who helps us crew on the car.”

Nash is chasing Allegrucci, from Scott Township, Pa., as he sits 214-points ahead of the driver from Hinckley, Ohio. It is a classic Dodge versus Ford, Ohio versus Pennsylvania battle but there is nothing but mutual respect between the two racers who are both chasing their first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world championships.

“Jonathan’s number one in points, but he’s also a great friend,” said Nash. “We talk to a lot of the other teams and we have raced together for years in a variety of series. Dave Davies has been great for the class and Flexjet has been an awesome sponsor. Dave was present at our first-round win in factory stock showdown a few years ago. My family came screaming down to the top end on the golf cart. It looks like one of those clown cars with people hanging off the sides. Dave gives me a big old hug, and says, ‘This right here is what it’s all about.’ In the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class, you have a lot of good camaraderie, a lot of good families and a lot of good race cars.”

As the most recent winner and U.S. Nationals champion Libersher will bring the $1,000 Flexjet Bounty into the MOPAR Great Lakes Nationals. Throughout this season the most recent winner has the bounty attached to their racing efforts and the first driver to defeat the bounty holder wins $1,000. To date four different drivers have won the bounty including all three of the leaders in the point standings.

Qualifying will get underway on Friday for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series with two sessions on the schedule. On Saturday one more round of qualifying will be contested and the field will be set with the first round of eliminations happening Saturday night. The Fords, Chevrolets and Dodges will have three rounds of eliminations on Sunday with one fortunate driver hoisting the 75^th anniversary diamond Wally at the end of the day. For information on the Dodge Great Lakes NHRA Nationals visit www.nhra.com.

Flexjet Bounty Program

Gatornationals (Gainesville, Fla.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Jonathan Allegrucci, defeated Mark Pawuk (2025 Flexjet world champion)

NHRA 4-Wide Nationals (Charlotte, N. C.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Raymond Nash, defeated Ricky Hord (2026 Gatornationals winner)

Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals (Chicago, Illinois)
$1,000 bounty was not claimed with Allegrucci’s victory

Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals (Bristol, Tenn,)
$2,000 bounty was not claimed with Allegrucci’s victory

Norwalk Nationals (Norwalk, Ohio)
$3,000 bounty claimed by Taylor Dietsch, defeated Jonathan Allegrucci (2026 Chicago and Bristol winner)

Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis, Ind.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Scott Libersher, defeated Taylor Dietsch (Norwalk winner)

2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results

Gainesville – Ricky Hord, winner; David Janac, runner-up
Charlotte – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up
Chicago – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up
Bristol – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Raymond Nash, runner-up
Norwalk – Taylor Dietsch, winner; Jonathan Allegrucci, runner-up
Indianapolis – Scott Libersher, winner; Jonathan Allegrucci, runner-up

Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Point Standings
1.        Jonathan Allegrucci      642
2.        Raymond Nash            428
3.        Scott Libersher             362
4.        Jason Dietsch              360
5.        David Janac                 314
6.        Richard Hord                299
7.        Mark Pawuk                 298
8.        David Davies II             294
9.        Lee Hartman                287
10.      Taylor Dietsch              284

2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Schedule

Oct. 2-4: 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, St. Louis

Oct. 14-18: 41st annual Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Dallas

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Don Garlits and Glenn Menard Named Texas Motorplex Legends

September 15, 2026 ARP Trish

ENNIS, TX (September 15, 2026) — The Texas Motorplex today announced Don Garlits, Hall of Fame Top Fuel driver and drag racing innovator, and original Texas Motorplex General Manager Glenn Menard have been named Texas Motorplex Legends in advance of the 2026 NHRA Texas Fall Nationals. Garlits and Menard are among some of the earliest drag racing personalities to contribute to establishing Texas Motorplex as the first super-track in NHRA history when it opened in 1986.

“When the Motorplex opened and hosted its first national event Don and Glenn were a major part of our success,” said Christie Meyer Johnson, Texas Motorplex co-owner. “Don is drag racing and he is one of the biggest legends in the sport. He won the first Texas Fall Nationals and has been a long-time competitor and supporter of the track. The impact Glenn had on the development of the track is almost impossible to measure. His leadership and dedication in the early years set the track on a path to success.”

Garlits has been a technological pioneer in the sport and his race win total, both at national events and match races for decades, is impressive. His innovations changed drag racing both for fans and for racers. He is more than a racing legend he is an American icon who is celebrated in Halls of Fame, museums and race tracks across the country. His 1986 Top Fuel victory at the inaugural Texas Fall Nationals set the stage for over 40 years of racing excellence.

Texas Motorplex Legend Don Garlits

Menard brought an operational and organizational mindset and leadership capability to the Texas Motorplex well before the first Top Fuel dragster or Funny Car went down the track. He was at the helm as General Manager when the track opened in 1986 and he came back to that role decades later following successful tenures with the Super Bowl, World Cup and the Superdome. Menard is recognized nationally as one of the best facility and event managers in the country.

Glenn Menard Texas Motorplex Legend

Don Garlits and Glenn Menard
Named Texas Motorplex Legends

ENNIS, TX (September 15, 2026) — The Texas Motorplex today announced Don Garlits, Hall of Fame Top Fuel driver and drag racing innovator, and original Texas Motorplex General Manager Glenn Menard have been named Texas Motorplex Legends in advance of the 2026 NHRA Texas Fall Nationals. Garlits and Menard are among some of the earliest drag racing personalities to contribute to establishing Texas Motorplex as the first super-track in NHRA history when it opened in 1986.

“When the Motorplex opened and hosted its first national event Don and Glenn were a major part of our success,” said Christie Meyer Johnson, Texas Motorplex co-owner. “Don is drag racing and he is one of the biggest legends in the sport. He won the first Texas Fall Nationals and has been a long-time competitor and supporter of the track. The impact Glenn had on the development of the track is almost impossible to measure. His leadership and dedication in the early years set the track on a path to success.”

Garlits has been a technological pioneer in the sport and his race win total, both at national events and match races for decades, is impressive. His innovations changed drag racing both for fans and for racers. He is more than a racing legend he is an American icon who is celebrated in Halls of Fame, museums and race tracks across the country. His 1986 Top Fuel victory at the inaugural Texas Fall Nationals set the stage for over 40 years of racing excellence.

Texas Motorplex Legend Don Garlits

Menard brought an operational and organizational mindset and leadership capability to the Texas Motorplex well before the first Top Fuel dragster or Funny Car went down the track. He was at the helm as General Manager when the track opened in 1986 and he came back to that role decades later following successful tenures with the Super Bowl, World Cup and the Superdome. Menard is recognized nationally as one of the best facility and event managers in the country.

Glenn Menard Texas Motorplex Legend

The Texas Motorplex Legends will be recognized and presented with their one-of-a-kind Legend spurs at separate ceremonies throughout the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, October 16-18. For tickets to the Stampede of Speed or the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals visit www.stampedeofspeed.com.

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CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: Title Battles on The Bricks

September 15, 2026 ARP Trish

CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: Title Battles on The Bricks
GTD PRO championships, Akin Award fight at center of Corvette weekend

DETROIT (September 15, 2026) – Championship battles for Corvette Racing teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be top of mind when the five Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs hit the track at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.

Sunday’s Battle on The Bricks marks the first time since 2023 that the Indianapolis round has been a two-hour, 40-minute sprint race instead of a six-hour enduro. But that doesn’t diminish the importance of the next-to-last-event on the IMSA calendar.
Three championship fights involving Corvette teams are focal points heading to the 2.439-mile, 14-road course inside the IMS oval: · GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship: Chevrolet is carrying an 87-point lead into Indianapolis with the Bowtie going for a second straight title in the class and 16th Manufacturers crown – all in IMSA competition. Both GTD PRO Corvettes have contributed to the points total so far this year including a win at Detroit for the No. 3 of Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims.· GTD PRO Drivers/Teams Championships: No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R teammates Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg sit second in Drivers points and within 23 of the championship-leading No. 1 BMW. The pairing has three podium finishes on the season including second at Laguna Seca. There are five driver parings within 67 points, and the scenario is the same in the Teams standings.· Bob Akin Award: Two-time and defending Akin Award winner Orey Fidani is second in the rankings with 13 Autosport’s No. 13 Corvette that he drives with Matt Bell. The Akin Award goes to the highest-ranked Bronze driver in GTD, and Fidani trails Brendan Iribe in the No. 70 Ferrari by 20 points going into IMS. The Akin Award also comes with an automatic invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Barring some unforeseen developments, all three championships will go down to the final race of the season – the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in two weeks. Before that, though, there is the matter of Corvette Racing winning at Indianapolis for the first time. In addition to the pair of Pratt Miller-run Corvettes in GTD PRO and 13 Autosport in GTD, two other Corvettes are on the entry list. At DXDT Racing, Robert Wickens will race at his home track in a Corvette for the first time as he shares the No. 36 Z06 GT3.R with Mason Filippi in GTD. Wickens has never finished off the podium in any of his career starts at the track including seconds twice in Michelin Pilot Challenge. Also in the class, Giacomo Altoé and Casper Stevenson will team in DragonSpeed’s No. 81 Corvette. Last time out VIR, Stevenson put the DragonSpeed entry on the GTD pole, and he was the class pole-winner a year ago at Indianapolis. The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks from Indianapolis Motor Speedway is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 20. It will air live on NBC starting at 3 p.m. ET as will streaming coverage on Peacock in the U.S. and IMSA’s YouTube channel internationally. IMSA Radio will air on-track sessions at IMSA.com, XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s disappointing that the championship is over for us and not something that we are used to. But there is still the Manufacturers Championship for us and to help Tommy and Nicky so the Drivers Championship can stay within the team. Indianapolis and Atlanta are the two places on the schedule where I’ve not won so getting one of those would be a nice way to end the season.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “There’s not a specific part of the track at Indianapolis that takes on more importance compared to a six-hour race. But that first stint definitely will be more impactful to the end result than it was in a six-hour format. There will be a slight change of approach. But nevertheless it’s the same as at any IMSA race. You have to get many things executed to be at the front. We have to be good on strategy with those two pit stops in the race. If you make a mistake early on, all of a sudden there’s less of an opportunity to claw that back than in a six-hour format. It’ll be an intense and flat-out race.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Our up-and-down season continued at VIR but we are still in pretty good shape in the championship heading to Indianapolis. At this point in the season, all you can hope for is to be in position to race for it all and we’re definitely in that spot. Fortunately for us things have been pretty unpredictable this year in GTD PRO, more than I can remember in quite awhile. There hasn’t been a dominant team this year which has been good for us and good for the fans, too. At this point, we need to start making up some points on the BMW to make our lives less difficult going into Petit Le Mans.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I feel like the Indy approach will not be different. We just need to score points. We can’t have a bad result because we need to make sure we are in the fight at Atlanta. That race will be crazy but we need to make sure we are still in it, which I think we very much are right now. Let’s try and have a fault-free and mistake-free race. Also in the pitlane we’ve cleaned some things up so hopefully we can start Road Atlanta in the lead. In any case, it’s going to come down to that one so let’s try to survive Indy first.”

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The focus for us heading into the Indianapolis race is to regain the lead of the Akin award. It’s been a hard-fought battle three years running now and we’re up for another fight! Running the 13 Autosport name in IMSA and Le Mans this year was a privilege, and one we are keen to repeat next year.”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Indy is always a special place, and we’re looking forward to getting back there. The Bob Akin Championship is still really tight, so every point matters at this stage of the season. The Corvette has been strong and the team has done a great job all year, so the focus is on having a clean race and putting everything together. Hopefully we can come away from Indy with a strong result and carry that momentum into the final round.”

MASON FILIPPI, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m excited for Indy. It’s the only track where I’ve driven a GT3 car on the calendar so it will be nice to have a reference. It’s a challenging and technical circuit which I think helps the Corvette through the second half of the lap. DXDT Racing deserves a good result. We are shooting for a podium and worked hard the last couple of weeks to see what we can do. It will be an interesting one with all four classes there… lots of action and fun.”

CASPER STEVENSON, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really happy to go back to Indy. It’s a cool place with some cool energy there. I got my first IMSA pole there last year. The race didn’t go so well but I have a great memory there, which is nice. It should be a good track for Corvette, and it does allow good racing. There’s no grass everywhere like VIR so you can take a little bit more risk on the racecraft. It’s an exciting prospect but will be quite a lot to fit all of the classes there. I’m really looking forward to it and I hope we’re on the right side of it.”

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

2026 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship PointsGTD PRO Drivers Standings1. Connor De Phillippi/Neil Verhagen – 24322. Tommy Milner/Nicky Catsburg – 24093. Andrea Caldarelli/Sandy Mitchell – 23764. Harry King/Nick Tandy – 23655. Christopher Mies/Frederic Vervisch – 23657. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 2238 GTD PRO Teams Standings1. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 24322. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 24093. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 23764. No. 77 AO Racing – 23655. No. 65 Ford Racing – 23657. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2238 GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings1. Chevrolet – 26482. BMW – 25613. Ford – 25504. Porsche – 25125. Lamborghini – 2484 GTD Drivers Standings1. Philip Ellis/Russel Ward – 23732. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 23373. Dudu Barrichello – 2317 4. Aaron Telitz/Benjamin Pedersen – 22175. Albert Costa – 19597. Matt Bell/Orey Fidani – 188812. Giacomo Altoé – 169816. Mason Filippi – 1552
GTD Teams Standings1. No. 57 Winward Racing – 23732. No. 96 Turner Motorsports – 23173. No. 27 Heart of Racing – 23174. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing – 22175. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 19597. No. 13 13 Autosport – 188810. No. 81 DragonSpeed – 169813. No. 36 DXDT Racing – 1552 GTD Manufacturers Standings1. Mercedes-AMG – 26342. Ferrari – 26143. Aston Martin – 25804. BMW – 23905. Lexus – 23697. Chevrolet – 2246 CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: By the Numbers• 1: One manufacturer, one brand and one race program for 27-plus years – Chevrolet, Corvette and Corvette Racing• 5: Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs entered for this week’s Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway• 15: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001• 35: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Chang International Circuit (Thailand), Daytona, Detroit, Fuji, Houston, Imola, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sāo Paulo (Brazil), Sebring, Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia), Sonoma, Spa-Francorchamps, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 44: Number of drivers to win races in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list were TF Sport’s Peter Dempsey and Salih Yoluc at Sāo Paulo in WEC• 73: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year• 88: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. K-Tunes’ Kazunori Suenaga and Sena Sakaguchi joined the list in the No. 96 Corvette at Suzuka in Japan Cup competition• 159: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 119 in IMSA, 10 at Le Mans, six in the FIA WEC, 13 in GT World Challenge America, three in GT World Challenge Asia, GT America and the European Le Mans Series, and one in IGTC/GT World Challenge Europe• 392: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999• 514,569.38: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. The program went over the half-million mark at this year’s 24 Hours of Spa Corvette Racing at Indianapolis (wins in bold)2014: No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM
2023: No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTD PRO
2024 IMSA: No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Antonio Garcia/Alexander Sims – 3rd in GTD PRO (Garcia fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Tommy Milner/Nicky Catsburg – 11th in GTD PRO (Catsburg pole)No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Matt Bell/Orey Fidani/Lars Kern – 6th in GTD (Bell fastest race lap)
2024 SRO America: No. 63 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Tommy Milner/Alec Udell/Alexander Sims – 3rd in GTWCA ProNo. 64 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Bryan Sellers/Patrick Liddy/Blake McDonald – 6th in GTWCA Pro-Am
2025 IMSA: No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Antonio Garcia/Alexander Sims – 4th in GTD PRONo. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Tommy Milner/Nicky Catsburg – 6th in GTD PRO No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Matt Bell/Orey Fidani/Lars Kern – 6th in GTD No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Alec Udell/Salih Yoluc – 17th in GTD
2025 SRO America: No. 11 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Matt Bell/Blake McDonald/Alec Udell – 12th in IGTC Pro-AmNo. 50 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Nicky Catsburg/Aaron Povoledo/Ross Chouest – 11th in IGTC Pro-AmNo. 50 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Ross Chouest – 7th, 1st in SRO3

ARP Racing News

All posts by ARP Trish

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PEAK SQUAD ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 3rd PLACE

PEAK SQUAD ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 3rd PLACE

CORNWELL TOOLS TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 4TH PLACE

CORNWELL TOOLS TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 4TH PLACE

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BANDERO CAFÉ TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

SPEEDMASTER TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

SPEEDMASTER TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

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BRABHAM & DYSON AIM TO CONTINUE CD RACING TRANS AM DOMINATION IN VIRGINIA

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Bristol Advance

Inside Hoffman’s Path to ‘Unbelievable’ World 100 Breakthrough

Cadillac Carrying Momentum into Indianapolis

RAYMOND NASH LOOKING TO CHASE DOWN POINTS LEADER FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN RACE IN MICHIGAN

Raymond Nash and his Underdawg Team will be looking to close the points gaps this weekend in Michigan,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

RAYMOND NASH LOOKING TO CHASE DOWN POINTS LEADER
FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN RACE IN MICHIGAN

Raymond Nash and his Underdawg Team will be looking to close the points gaps this weekend in Michigan,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Don Garlits and Glenn Menard Named Texas Motorplex Legends

Texas Motorplex Legend Don Garlits

Glenn Menard Texas Motorplex Legend

Don Garlits and Glenn Menard
Named Texas Motorplex Legends

Texas Motorplex Legend Don Garlits

Glenn Menard Texas Motorplex Legend

The Texas Motorplex Legends will be recognized and presented with their one-of-a-kind Legend spurs at separate ceremonies throughout the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, October 16-18. For tickets to the Stampede of Speed or the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals visit www.stampedeofspeed.com.

CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: Title Battles on The Bricks

Racer News and Results

PEAK SQUAD ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 3rd PLACE

CORNWELL TOOLS TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 4TH PLACE

BANDERO CAFÉ TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

SPEEDMASTER TEAM ENTERS COUNTDOWN IN 7TH PLACE

Raymond Nash and his Underdawg Team will be looking to close the points gaps this weekend in Michigan,photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

RAYMOND NASH LOOKING TO CHASE DOWN POINTS LEADERFLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN RACE IN MICHIGAN

Raymond Nash and his Underdawg Team will be looking to close the points gaps this weekend in Michigan,photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Texas Motorplex Legend Don Garlits

Glenn Menard Texas Motorplex Legend

Don Garlits and Glenn MenardNamed Texas Motorplex Legends

Texas Motorplex Legend Don Garlits

Glenn Menard Texas Motorplex Legend

The Texas Motorplex Legends will be recognized and presented with their one-of-a-kind Legend spurs at separate ceremonies throughout the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, October 16-18. For tickets to the Stampede of Speed or the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals visit www.stampedeofspeed.com.

Racer News and Results

Raymond Nash and his Underdawg Team will be looking to close the points gaps this weekend in Michigan,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

RAYMOND NASH LOOKING TO CHASE DOWN POINTS LEADER
FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN RACE IN MICHIGAN

Raymond Nash and his Underdawg Team will be looking to close the points gaps this weekend in Michigan,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Don Garlits and Glenn Menard
Named Texas Motorplex Legends