Pair of Z06 GT3.Rs sweep GTD PRO front row in try for second straight race win ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (August 3, 2024) – Nicky Catsburg led a 1-2 effort in GTD PRO qualifying Saturday for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports at Road America with the team going for its second straight victory in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Catsburg qualified the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R on pole position and bested teammate Alexander Sims as the pair of first-year cars swept the front row for the second race in a row. It’s the season’s second pole position for Catsburg, who will team with Tommy Milner in Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute sprint race. Five GTD PRO cars, including both Corvettes, went under the previous class track record as Catsburg posted a best lap of 2:02.198 (119.255 mph). He was 0.194 seconds quicker than the No. 3 Corvette and Sims, who claimed pole position and the race win with teammate Antonio Garcia the last time out at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park three weeks ago. It’s the fourth pole position of the IMSA season for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R and its eighth globally in its debut season. Catsburg previously was on pole at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he and Milner finished third in class. A victory Sunday would be Corvette Racing’s ninth class victory at Road America and would come in the program’s 300th all-time start – 255 of them coming in IMSA. In GTD, the No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Orey Fidani and Matt Bell will start 15th in class after Saturday’s qualifying. Bell and Fidani – who leads the IMSA Aiken Award standings for Bronze-rated drivers in GTD – will look to rebound from a DNF in the last race at CTMP when Fidani was knocked off-track. The IMSA SportsCar Weekend race at Road America is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 4. The race will air on CNBC from 6-9 p.m. ET with live streaming on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio also will stream the call of the race at IMSA.com, XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTESNICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “That was all I had! I have Sims as a teammate and the guy is crazy quick! So I really have to push hard. I feellike we really nailed the setup. Tyler (Neff) my engineer did a great job and made some suggestions right before qualifying. The car was mega. I only had to drive it around here, and it was a good lap. We got everything together and I’m super, super glad.“Road America is super challenging. I haven’t raced here but I did test here. So I know the track. It’s awesome and very old-school… one of the best in America. I’m super-happy to learn from my teammates. They are bringing me up to speed, so I’m very happy to be on pole.“I hope it’s our turn for a win! It was an awesome lap. The Corvette was really dialed in perfectly. Our team did a great job with the setup. This was a very nice lap and I’m very pleased. It’s super-cool that we have a 1-2 again. We had a 1-2 finish in Canada a couple of weeks ago, so it’s great to build on that and hopefully we can do it again here. It’s been a new car for us and we are continuing to learn. It’s getting better and better. We found something in Canada that is working well for us, so we’ve brought it here and it’s gone very well.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “I’m very happy. The session was good fun and the car was working really, really well. I made a mistake on my first proper push lap and went wide coming out of the Carousel. The tires were dirty starting the next lap so that compromised me a little bit. The lap after that was my best, but Nicky’s lap was absolutely brilliant. That’s a special lap from him. Well done to the whole team. It’s great to be alongside our teammates on the front row. It’s a perfect way to start the race, and I think we have sensible race pace as well.”

Cadillac Racing GTP entries qualify third, fifth for 2-hour, 40-minute race

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Cadillac Racing continued its run of strong Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) qualifying in the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America. The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, with Renger van der Zande behind the wheel in the 15-minute session for the second consecutive event, recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 48.920 seconds on the sweeping 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit to qualify third.

The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, with van der Zande sharing driving duties with Sebastien Bourdais in the 2-hour, 40-minute race Sunday, has not qualified lower than third in each of the six IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races.  Van der Zande missed securing the team’s fifth front-row spot by .057 of a second. Pipo Derani drove the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R to fifth in the 10-car GTP field with a best of 1:49.408 of his eight laps. Derani earned the pole in the 2023 race at Road America. Cadillac Racing GTP qualifying statistics | Road America photos for editorial use The No. 10 Acura ARX-06 earned the pole with a lap of 1:48.601. Nine of the 10 cars took laps in the GTP session. The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, which has claimed podium finishes in four of the past five races, sits second in the GTP team/driver standing, and qualified higher than the title-leading No. 7 Porsche 963.

“I think the car was fantastic, the lap was really good and the team nailed the setup,” said van der Zande, who recorded three consecutive podium finishes (2020-2022) with Cadillac Racing at Road America. “P3 is better than P2 on the grid because you’re on the inside and can follow the lead car into the tight Turn 1.” Peacock will stream the race live at 3 p.m. ET Sunday for U.S. viewers, while IMSA.tv and the IMSA YouTube Channel (youtube.com/IMSAOfficial) will stream the race live for the global audience. The race will be broadcast on IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and SiriusXM (XM 206, Web/App 996).

Renger van der Zande, No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R (qualified third; 1:48.920 on lap 6 of 7): “I think the car was fantastic, the lap was really good and the team nailed the setup. Altogether, we should be happy where we are to start the race. P3 is better than P2 on the grid because you’re on the inside and can follow the lead car into the tight Turn 1. I think tomorrow is going to be a tough day in terms of raceability. You’ll have to be very clever and hang in there. So far, so good and proud to make a lap happen in qualifying.”

Pipo Derani, No.. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R (qualified fifth; 1:49.408 on lap 5 of 6): “I think we have improved the car over the weekend. We were struggling a bit to get the tires to work properly. Overall, I thought it was a clean qualifying and thought my lap was pretty good. I didn’t leave much out there, but unfortunately it was not enough to be in the top three at least. We’ll take the positives that we improved over the weekend and keep improving in the race.”

“The Reaper” bests Brandon Sheppard and Jonathan Davenport amongst a sea of traffic around the 3/8-mile track

NEW RICHMOND, WI (August 2, 2024) – Ryan Gustin continues to win in a spectacular fashion with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models in 2024.

The Marshalltown, IA driver closed out a doubleheader Friday for the 37th Annual USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway by triumphing in a duel between four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard and Jonathan Davenport.

Davenport began the night with the early lead while multiple championship contenders suffered issues. Bobby Pierce and Cade Dillard collided off Turn 4, and then Nick Hoffman suffered a flat right rear tire under the same caution while running third.

When the restart ensued, Davenport hopped out to the lead while Sheppard and Chatham, IL driver Brian Shirley worked to close the gap on the driver of the No. 49 Nutrien Ag Solutions Late Model with traffic in sight of the three drivers.

Then, Gustin came into the picture after gathering a charge from his ninth-place starting spot in the Feature to climb his way up toward the three drivers with 10 laps to go.

While Sheppard got by Davenport for the lead, Gustin worked his way around Shirley to create a three-horse battle for the Friday night win.

Using the lapped traffic to his advantage, Gustin slid by Davenport with five laps to go, then got creative, making an opening in traffic to craft a clear lane for the driver of the No.19R Todd Cooney Racing machine to battle Sheppard for the win.

Using a mix of the low lane, then crossing high to cut Sheppard out of leading, Gustin took the lead with two laps to go while the drivers continued to try anything left on the track to solidify their chance of winning.

As the checkered flag flew on the second Feature race of the day, “The Reaper” earned his third World of Outlaws CASE Late Models win of the 2024 season through trials and tribulations that he’ll have to face again to win $50,000 on Saturday night.

“I didn’t want to enter wherever they were,” Gustin said. “When one went high and one went low, I’d go right through the middle and hoped the lapped cars held them up enough. I noticed we closed in quick once the lapped traffic hit, and just not try to stuff it in the fence.

“Tonight was a big Dash race for us, I don’t you’re gonna see that type of pace early (Saturday) night, but you gotta be there for the last 25 laps. The fans are in for a hell of a show, and I can’t wait to get going.”

While Sheppard wanted to finish the night with his fourth Series win of the 2024 season on Friday, the gasser of the No. B5 Dude Wipes Sheppard Riggs Racing Longhorn Factory Team Late Model extended the points gap between himself and Hoffman to 48 points entering Saturday night’s $50,000-to-win showdown at Cedar Lake.

“We got a good balance under our car,” Sheppard said. “We just gotta do the best we can to make the right judgement calls. Hopefully, we have a good setup for (Saturday) to keep it consistent. Definitely let one slip away there. We’re thinking about the points, but you wanna win these races at the end of the day. We get to learn from our mistakes tonight and go try again (on Saturday).”

Davenport finished the night with a third-place result – his first Series podium since 2022 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. “Superman” had to adjust to new track conditions at the New Richmond, WI track as he goes for a prestigious fourth eagle trophy on Saturday night.

“A lot of the traffic was high or low, and the middle was rough for us,” Davenport said. “We were all trying to find the holes to get through. I thought I had good pace there, but they caught me faster than I realized. Those guys came through and showed me where I needed to be, and I couldn’t get back in front of them in time. We learned a lot about our car and about the racetrack. It’s definitely a different Cedar Lake than what I’m accustomed to, but we’ll take it in stride and be a little bit better (Saturday).”

Shirley brought home a fourth-place finish, and Martinsville, IN driver Ricky Thornton Jr. wrapped up the top five from Friday night’s Feature.

With the two Feature races complete, the top-16 locked into Saturday night’s $50,000 USA Nationals finale at Cedar Lake.

Those drivers include: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, Bobby Pierce, Tim McCreadie, Brian Shirley, Nick Hoffman, Ryan Gustin, Kyle Bronson, Garrett Smith, Ricky Thornton Jr, Dustin Sorensen, Brent Larson, Hudson O’Neal, Jason Feger, Ethan Dotson, and Cade Dillard.

RECAP NOTES:

Dirt King Simulator Hottest Hot Lap: Brian Shirley

Simpson Quick Time Award: Jonathan Davenport

Heat Race Winners: Jonathan Davenport, Brian Shirley, Bobby Pierce, Nick Hoffman, Garrett Smith, Brandon Sheppard

Last Chance Showdown Winners: Chase Junghans, Tyler Erb

Bilstein Pole Award: Jonathan Davenport

Fox Factory Hard Charger Award: Cody Overton (+15)

FANS Fund Dash Winner: Ricky Weiss

Up Next: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models cap the crown jewel weekend at Cedar Lake Speedway with the USA Nationals finale on Saturday, August 3. The night will begin with Last Chance Showdowns and two split Dash races to set the lineup for the top-16 cars locked in. Then, it’s the 100-lap Feature worth a $50,000 payday to the crown jewel champion.

Off the track, there will be a cornhole tournament for race fans to participate in at the Cedar Lake Arena at 2:00 p.m. CT, and a driver autograph session at 4:30 p.m. before Saturday’s racing program commences.

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

CASE Late Model Feature (25 Laps): 1. 19R-Ryan Gustin[9]; 2. B5-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[13]; 6. 19-Dustin Sorensen[11]; 7. 71-Hudson O’Neal[14]; 8. 10-Garrett Smith[5]; 9. 74X-Ethan Dotson[12]; 10. 25-Jason Feger[10]; 11. 97JR-Cody Overton[26]; 12. 18C-Chase Junghans[19]; 13. 40B-Kyle Bronson[23]; 14. 18-Shannon Babb[17]; 15. 9-Nick Hoffman[3]; 16. 97-Cade Dillard[8]; 17. 32-Bobby Pierce[6]; 18. 16-Tyler Bruening[18]; 19. 1T-Tyler Erb[20]; 20. 57-Mike Marlar[22]; 21. 1-Tim McCreadie[7]; 22. 77-Jordan Yaggy[21]; 23. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[24]; 24. B1-Brent Larson[25]; 25. 31-Kye Blight[16]; 26. 22*-Max McLaughlin[15]

Larson beats McFadden to the line to finish off a memorable charge from the Last Chance Showdown to Victory Lane

PEVELY, MO (August 2, 2024) – Kyle Larson continues to do things behind the wheel of a Sprint Car that will be talked about for years and years.

The Elk Grove, CA native has already achieved so much in his career despite seldom being a full-time Sprint Car driver due to NASCAR commitments. A 2011 Gold Cup Race of Champions triumph at only 19 years old. A pair of NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals. A Kings Royal. A 12-win World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season in only 26 Feature starts in 2020.

Those are only a few of the many accomplishments Larson has chalked up, and he pulled something off on Friday night that’ll go down as one of the best drives he’s ever put together.

“Yung Money” lined up 21st for the 30-lap Feature at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 after having to go to the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown and winning it. A victory in the main event was hardly on his mind when he rolled out for it. Maybe a strong charge for a solid finish, but a win? That didn’t seem likely.

And then one by one Larson started to pick off cars. By Lap 8 he’d cracked the top 10. But even 10 laps later when he entered the top five, Victory Lane still seemed out of reach. Then came a pivotal restart.

Larson roared into third in two circuits after restarting fifth with 11 laps to go. Then on Lap 26 Sheldon Haudenschild tripped up and allowed him by for second. With only four laps remaining, all that stood between the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion and completing an unforgettable drive to victory was James McFadden. 

And even as McFadden took the white flag he appeared to be too far ahead with nearly a full second advantage. But then hope arose down the back straightaway. A lapped car slipped in front of the Roth Motorsports No. 83SR exiting Turn 2 allowing Larson to close in. McFadden went to slide the car in Turn 3, and Larson stuck the Silva Motorsports No. 57 to the bottom. They both picked their front wheels up in a drag race down the front straightaway, and Larson edged him out by .053 seconds. 

The crowd went wild. He’d really pulled off the unthinkable. From the Last Chance Showdown to Victory Lane. Don’t put anything past Kyle Larson.

“I’m out of breath,” Larson said. “I’ve been screaming the whole time since I got the checkered flag. I can’t say enough about Paul, Trevor, Doug, everybody on this team for working so hard. We’ve been terrible, and really, really bad tonight, too. And they’ve just been working hard, trying to get the car better each time. I felt like we were pretty good there in the Feature. I felt like we could move around, get my wheels underneath me, and get grip through the center on restarts. I’m just super thankful. This is amazing. There was a kid that came up during the Midget A-main and said, ‘You think you’re going to win tonight?’ And I said, ‘No.’ I did not think we would win. So, this is pretty amazing.”

Larson is up to 33 career victories with The Greatest Show on Dirt. His fourth win in six tries at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 equals it with Attica Raceway Park as the second winningest track on his Series résumé. He’s behind only Sammy Swindell and Brad Sweet (six wins apiece) and Steve Kinser and Craig Dollansky (five wins apiece) on the track’s World of Outlaws victory list. The drive from 21st marked the farthest back someone has won a World of Outlaws race from since Donny Schatz’s legendary drive to the Knoxville Nationals title in 2013.

Sheldon Haudenschild and James McFadden brought the field to green, and it was McFadden getting the early advantage on the outside. 

The Australian pieced together a nearly perfect race. McFadden knifed his way through traffic in search of his first I-55 victory. Right when it seemed Haudenschild might be able to close in, McFadden added another slower car to the buffer between the two. 

Even when Larson got to second with only a few laps remaining, McFadden’s lead didn’t seem in jeopardy. But one small slip from a lapped car on the final lap was enough to break his momentum down the back straightaway and hurt his entry angle into Turn 3. Larson had one shot, and he took full advantage to steal the checkered flag on the final lap by putting together a perfect set of corners in the Silva Motorsports No. 57. 

“I could see those two (McFadden and Haudenschild) running the top in (Turns) 3 and 4,” Larson explained. “And I knew my opportunity to get by them was if they made a mistake in (Turns) 3 and 4. Then we caught traffic, and all those lappers were on the bottom. I thought I probably wouldn’t get there. Then he got hung up real tight behind the lapper off (Turn) 2, kind of choked his momentum and forced him to the bottom. And I figured his angle was too bad to be able to stick it and he would probably be cautious or nervous of Sheldon or somebody coming up top in (Turns) 3 and 4. So, I figured he’d drive across, and I knew I just needed to square up my corner and just try and grab the moisture in the middle of the straightaway. I was able to do that and just edge him out.”

After leading all but the final few feet, McFadden was forced to settle for second in the Dennis and Teresa Roth-owned machine. He handled the heartbreak well and is confident an I-55 breakthrough is coming.

“I ran the top, and Noah (Gass) was sort of running the middle, and I thought it was all good because he left me a lane,” McFadden said. “He just lost a bunch of traction off the corner, and I don’t know if he got into the fence a little bit. It just stopped him and parked him there, and I ran into the back of him. I peeled left to get under him, but my angle was sort of bad to get in there, so I had to slide across. That’s racing, mate. That’s the way it goes. Our car was fast. You win them that way, you lose them that way. We’ll come back tomorrow. I think this place owes me one.”

Rounding out the top three was Sheldon Haudenschild in the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 17. The result marked his 10th World of Outlaws podium at the Pevely, MO oval. The result was also his third top three in the last five races.

“I feel like I ran a really careful race,” Haudenschild commented. “I really didn’t push the limits at all. That curb was tricky. I didn’t want to run her too hard and wad her up. I think my car was really close. James did a great job that whole race, and obviously Kyle was really good. I probably should’ve just moved around a bit more at the end and tried to get back to the bottom.”

Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz completed the top five.

Larson’s incredible drive from 21st to first also earned him the KSE Racing Hard Charger.

Sheldon Haudenschild claimed his second consecutive Simpson Quick Time and the 34th of his career in Sea Foam Qualifying.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three, and Four belonged to Michael Kofoid, Logan Schuchart, and Kelby Watt. Milton Hershey School Heat Two went Carson Macedo.

Sheldon Haudenschild won the Toyota Racing Dash.

Kyle Larson won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

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

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are right back at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO) for the $25,000-to-win Ironman 55 finale on Saturday, August 3. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[21]; 2. 83SR-James McFadden[2]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[1]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo[4]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz[9]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[8]; 7. 2-David Gravel[13]; 8. 83-Michael Kofoid[5]; 9. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 10. 49-Brad Sweet[11]; 11. 17B-Bill Balog[10]; 12. 6-Kelby Watt[7]; 13. 20G-Noah Gass[14]; 14. 7S-Landon Crawley[22]; 15. 70-Kraig Kinser[18]; 16. 24T-Christopher Thram[17]; 17. 53-Jessie Attard[24]; 18. 51B-Joe B Miller[19]; 19. 22M-Rees Moran[16]; 20. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[23]; 21. 24D-Danny Sams III[12]; 22. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[3]; 23. 23B-Brian Bell[15]; 24. 14-Corey Day[20]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

The Oakwood, IL driver ties Steve Francis for 10th on Series all-time wins list

NEW RICHMOND, WI (Aug. 2, 2024) – Bobby Pierce added another piece of history to his World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series resume Friday afternoon at Cedar Lake Speedway. 

The Oakwood, IL driver took the lead from Tim McCreadie on Lap 2 and drove to his sixth consecutive Series victory to open the 37th annual USA Nationals.

He joins former champions Billy Moyer and Darrell Lanigan as the only drivers to win six World of Outlaws Features in a row.

“I like setting records,” Pierce said. “It’s cool. The best of the best have run this Series. We’ve had to do it through two crown jewels, so it hasn’t been an easy one. The car’s been great, and I can’t thank my crew enough.”

Tim McCreadie, the Bilstein Pole Award winner, led the field to the green in the 25-lap opener, driving away from Pierce’s No. 32 to lead Lap 1.

But as the Watertown, NY driver entered Turn 2 on Lap 2, he slid his car too high up the banking, allowing Pierce to pull even with him.

McCreadie’s bobble was all the “Smooth Operator” needed as he stormed past the No. 1 on the inside lane, taking the lead away as he drove his Longhorn chassis down Cedar Lake’s backstretch.

From there, Pierce survived four restarts, including one with four laps to go to score his 28th career World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Feature win, tying Steve Francis for 10th on the all-time wins list.

Thursday afternoon’s heat challenged Pierce as he aimed for the $6,000 prize.

“I’ve never been in Wisconsin when it’s this hot,” Pierce said. “And we just happened to have a day race. You had to fight the car, and I’m glad it was only 25 laps and not 30, 40, 50, or whatever. 

“It might’ve looked like I was pretty smooth out there, but it was hard to stay out of the bad spots and hit your marks. I was slipping bad there at the end. I knew my tires were gone, and it was getting pretty hard to handle.”

McCreadie settled for second, his best World of Outlaws finish driving for Rocket1 Racing. 

According to “T-Mac,” the difference between him and Pierce came down to what happened on Lap 2.

“I made a big bobble in Turn 1, bobbed out and shoved, and gave it away,” McCreadie said. “I was matching lap times with him. I just made one mistake, and that’s all it takes sometimes. 

“I just want to thank Mark Richards, Steve Baker, Danny (White), Joel (Rogers), Austin (Hargrove), and this Rocket1 team. This is a brand new XR car, version two, and it’s been good since the beginning of last week.”

Kyle Bronson finished third, earning his fourth World of Outlaws podium of 2024.

The Brandon, FL driver passed Nick Hoffman on Lap 18 to reach the final podium position.

“I feel like we were pretty good early,” Bronson said. We were a little too tight early in the race, but as the race went on, it came to us pretty good. It was bottoming out too much at the beginning, but it was pretty good.”

Hoffman finished fourth, cutting the Series points lead to 22 points behind Brandon Sheppard, who finished sixth.

Three-time USA Nationals winner Jonathan Davenport rounded out the top five.

RECAP NOTES:

Dirt King Simulator Hottest Hot Lap: Tyler Bruening

Simpson Quick Time Award: Jonathan Davenport

Heat Race Winners: Tim McCreadie, Tyler Bruening, Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley, Max McLaughlin, Nick Hoffman

Last Chance Showdown Winners: Ethan Dotson, Tyler Erb

Bilstein Pole Award: Tim McCreadie

Fox Factory Hard Charger: Brandon Sheppard (+10)

Up Next: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models continue the 37th USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway with a second 25-lap Feature on Friday night, paying $6,000 to win. After that Feature is complete, the top 16 drivers in event points will be locked into Saturday’s 100-lap, $50,000-to-win finale.

For more information on the event and the remaining 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Late Models schedule, CLICK HERE.

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

The Oakwood, IL driver ties Steve Francis for 10th on Series all-time wins list

NEW RICHMOND, WI (Aug. 2, 2024) – Bobby Pierce added another piece of history to his World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series resume Friday afternoon at Cedar Lake Speedway. 

The Oakwood, IL driver took the lead from Tim McCreadie on Lap 2 and drove to his sixth consecutive Series victory to open the 37th annual USA Nationals.

He joins former champions Billy Moyer and Darrell Lanigan as the only drivers to win six World of Outlaws Features in a row.

“I like setting records,” Pierce said. “It’s cool. The best of the best have run this Series. We’ve had to do it through two crown jewels, so it hasn’t been an easy one. The car’s been great, and I can’t thank my crew enough.”

Tim McCreadie, the Bilstein Pole Award winner, led the field to the green in the 25-lap opener, driving away from Pierce’s No. 32 to lead Lap 1.

But as the Watertown, NY driver entered Turn 2 on Lap 2, he slid his car too high up the banking, allowing Pierce to pull even with him.

McCreadie’s bobble was all the “Smooth Operator” needed as he stormed past the No. 1 on the inside lane, taking the lead away as he drove his Longhorn chassis down Cedar Lake’s backstretch.

From there, Pierce survived four restarts, including one with four laps to go to score his 28th career World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Feature win, tying Steve Francis for 10th on the all-time wins list.

Thursday afternoon’s heat challenged Pierce as he aimed for the $6,000 prize.

“I’ve never been in Wisconsin when it’s this hot,” Pierce said. “And we just happened to have a day race. You had to fight the car, and I’m glad it was only 25 laps and not 30, 40, 50, or whatever. 

“It might’ve looked like I was pretty smooth out there, but it was hard to stay out of the bad spots and hit your marks. I was slipping bad there at the end. I knew my tires were gone, and it was getting pretty hard to handle.”

McCreadie settled for second, his best World of Outlaws finish driving for Rocket1 Racing. 

According to “T-Mac,” the difference between him and Pierce came down to what happened on Lap 2.

“I made a big bobble in Turn 1, bobbed out and shoved, and gave it away,” McCreadie said. “I was matching lap times with him. I just made one mistake, and that’s all it takes sometimes. 

“I just want to thank Mark Richards, Steve Baker, Danny (White), Joel (Rogers), Austin (Hargrove), and this Rocket1 team. This is a brand new XR car, version two, and it’s been good since the beginning of last week.”

Kyle Bronson finished third, earning his fourth World of Outlaws podium of 2024.

The Brandon, FL driver passed Nick Hoffman on Lap 18 to reach the final podium position.

“I feel like we were pretty good early,” Bronson said. We were a little too tight early in the race, but as the race went on, it came to us pretty good. It was bottoming out too much at the beginning, but it was pretty good.”

Hoffman finished fourth, cutting the Series points lead to 22 points behind Brandon Sheppard, who finished sixth.

Three-time USA Nationals winner Jonathan Davenport rounded out the top five.

RECAP NOTES:

Dirt King Simulator Hottest Hot Lap: Tyler Bruening

Simpson Quick Time Award: Jonathan Davenport

Heat Race Winners: Tim McCreadie, Tyler Bruening, Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley, Max McLaughlin, Nick Hoffman

Last Chance Showdown Winners: Ethan Dotson, Tyler Erb

Bilstein Pole Award: Tim McCreadie

Fox Factory Hard Charger: Brandon Sheppard (+10)

Up Next: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models continue the 37th USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway with a second 25-lap Feature on Friday night, paying $6,000 to win. After that Feature is complete, the top 16 drivers in event points will be locked into Saturday’s 100-lap, $50,000-to-win finale.

For more information on the event and the remaining 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Late Models schedule, CLICK HERE.

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

Reigning Series champion Bobby Pierce looks to join his father, Bob as a Prairie Dirt Classic winner at Fairbury Speedway 

FAIRBURY, IL (July 25, 2024) – The Pierce family and Fairbury Speedway’s Prairie Dirt Classic have gone hand-in-hand since Bob Pierce finished second in 1993. 

Thirty-one years and five PDC wins later, the Illinois native looks to work with his son, 2023 World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models champion Bobby Pierce, to add his name to the list of winners at the Fairbury crown jewel event. 

The younger Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, has finished on the podium four times at PDC through 10 starts, including his second-place finish last year. 

It’s a crown jewel the “Smooth Operator” is eager to cross off his list. 

“This year compared to 2023, I wanted to win it really bad,” Bobby Pierce said. “I also wanted to maintain a good finish because we were leading the standings. The track was rough last year and my right rear shock broke, so I don’t even know how I was able to finish the race, let alone getting second. This year, I can be a little more risky no matter the case. I want to win it at all costs.” 

While Bobby is 134 points out from current Series points leader Brandon Sheppard, he’s keeping a mindset of winning every race on the schedule and seeing how the cards fall by the time the season concludes at the World of Outlaws World Finals in November. 

“I feel we can still hold on to get a really good finish points-wise,” Bobby Pierce said. “It’ll take some help to get towards Sheppard and Hoffman and if we want to think about the championship. We’re running out of time, but we’ll go into every race wanting to win, and that’s what I hope to keep doing.” 

Throughout Bob’s racing career, and through his children’s time with sports growing up, he’s taught one big motto to live by: “Don’t give up.” 

“Part of our program is to not give up,” Bob Pierce said. “That’s been my theory since I started racing. I told our kids when they played sports and Bobby in racing that ‘If you’re terrible, you’re terrible. But never give up and we’ll figure it out later.’ We got hot in Iowa, then had bad luck go our way at the end of June with no fault to anyone. Then, we won the Gopher 50 and got the mojo back going again. Sometimes, the luck is a part of racing, and I got to give credit to Vic Hill and all the Longhorn Chassis guys for helping us get back to where we need to be.” 

Having won the Prairie Dirt Classic, Bob understands why his son wants to win it so badly, but also understands why that can sometimes be a hindrance. 

“He’s won every other big race that I never seemed to figure out outside of the North-South 100,” Bob Pierce said. “To me, it doesn’t matter. But I know in his mind that he wants to win this race not because I have, but because he’s been so close so many times. It’s like the World 100 where you go in thinking you have to win this race, and everybody gets overaggressive and just need to calm down.  

“I know he’s gonna go over (to Fairbury) and think of it as another race. I think he wanted it too bad, and it isn’t wrong because he wanted it, but it just didn’t work out. Sometimes, when you want it too bad, the luck won’t go your way. The same mindset goes with (the USA Nationals at) Cedar Lake until we got the win last year by thinking of it as just another race. I promise you; it will be a big deal if he wins it this year.” 

With Bob coaching Bobby in his career through winning championships in Quarter Midgets, DIRTcar Summer Nationals, and reaching the pinnacle of his Late Model tenure with his first World of Outlaws title in 2023, Bob has seen first-hand the evolution of the driver that his son has become. 

“He’s 27 now, and usually drivers hit their stride at or around 30 years old,” Bob Pierce said. “But Bobby’s been able to hit it a little bit early because he started so young. I think the confidence in the Longhorn No.3 2 and the Longhorn crew all came together at the right time for his driving style. I got to watch it develop when he started in Quarter Midgets to Late Models, I just didn’t know how far he was going to advance. I think it all hit at the right time, and he’s developed, not as a different driver, but when things don’t go right, he knows his comfort zone and where he’s able to adjust when he needs to.” 

It’s a quick turnaround from Fairbury, as the World of Outlaws tackles Wilmot Raceway on Monday, July 29, and the USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway from Thursday-Saturday, August 1-3. While Pierce looks toward achieving wins at the two tracks, the No. 32 will have a new look to raise support for Megan’s Mission – a foundation that helps spread awareness and supports children battling rare forms of cancer. 

“USA Nationals is another event that brings a great crowd energy and an aura to the event,” Bobby Pierce said. “They do some cool stuff through the weekend and what leads up to the big 100 lapper. It’s just a fun event to be there, and we’ll see if we can go back-to-back in big wins like Deer Creek. 

“We’ll have a special wrap going on for August,” Bobby Pierce said. “It’s called Megan’s Mission, and she was an 8th grader that was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that she sadly passed away from. While she was battling the cancer, she started the organization and they’ve raised a lot of money for childhood cancer. So, we’ll have a special car with Megan’s Mission all over, and I’ll run it at Wilmot and through the month of August.” 

See the Pierce family chase a Prairie Dirt Classic triumph at Fairbury Speedway for the first time since 2001 with Bobby behind the wheel, and Bob on the wrenches, on Friday-Saturday, July 26-27. 

For information on the full 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Late Models schedule and ticket options, CLICK HERE. 

To learn more about Megan’s Mission and their story, CLICK HERE. 

Cruz Pedregon

DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals 

Pre-Race Report

Quotes for the upcoming Sonoma race – 

Cruz Pedregon, two-time Funny Car World Champion

“Our team feels really good about taking the Snap-on Dodge Hellcat to Sonoma and letting it rip. We had some good runs in Seattle, four in a row, back-to-back, which is really exciting for us. The team has worked hard this summer to get the car where it is now.”

“The momentum from Seattle is something we want to carry into Sonoma and through the rest of the year. We’re about halfway through the season, so it’s a good time for us to start hitting on all eight, both literally and figuratively.”

“I love going to Sonoma every year; it’s like a second home for me. Northern California is a special place, and as we’re from the West Coast, it feels great to be here. We’re especially excited to welcome our fans, the Snap-on franchisees, and their customers.”

“Plus, being a big Raiders fan, it’s great to be in Raiders country and have fans who share that enthusiasm cheering us on.”

Name on the side of Cruz’s car – Snap-on Nitro Franchisee Danny Denton

• Snap-on Nitro Franchisee Danny Denton will be featured on the side of Cruz’s Makers and Fixers Dodge for the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
• Danny’s had his franchise for eight years after running a family tire business with his dad. The first year he had his franchise, Cruz did a ride-along with him to call on customers and he’s hosting 10 Snap-on fans in Cruz’s pit this weekend.
• Danny says he’s head-over-heels in love with his job and the connection he has with his customers is one that helps them solve problems they encounter in their critical work. He’s looking forward to Snap-on’s upcoming franchisee conference where he’ll see the latest and greatest products and get to see Cruz’s show car on display.
• As Cruz’s primary sponsor, Snap-on encourages professionals who make and fix the essentials, like vehicles and machinery, to follow Makers and Fixers on Instagram and submit their inspiring stories to makersandfixers.com.

CHEVROLET IN NHRA2024 DENSO NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS SONOMA RACEWAY SONOMA, CALIFORNIA TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE | NOTES & STATS JULY 26-28, 2024

Notes:Team Chevy heads to the 2024 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals with John Force Racing for the 12th round of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series July 26-28.Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, enters Sonoma this weekend with a 256-point lead over Matt Hagan and Bob Tasca, III (tied for second).Prock, with his team’s season success so far, has built a points lead that equates to two race events over Hagan and Tasca, III.The most recent winner in Funny Car, Austin Prock rolls into Sonoma with four victories in 2024 and looking to add to his eight career (four in Top Fuel) wins overall.Brittany Force heads into Sonoma looking to turn around her 2024 season, but currently holds the Sonoma Raceway track record in Top Fuel with her 3.662 seconds E.T. run in July 2022 at 337.75 mph.Returning to action next at Brainerd International Raceway, the Chevrolet Pro Stock and Factory X teams do not compete this weekend in Sonoma. Additionally, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown COPO Camaros return to action at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis Labor Day weekend.

Quotes:AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:“I wasn’t very impressed with my driving performance last weekend. Going back-to-back like this, I’m going to hopefully get back in a rhythm and hopefully be better. We have the Countdown coming up in just three more races, (so) I’d like to race this thing every day, if I could.” BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:“Sonoma (Raceway) is one of my favorite tracks and I’m excited to get right back in my Monster Energy dragster after a tough weekend in Seattle. The Countdown is coming up quickly, and we have to put ourselves in the best possible starting position. We celebrated a significant win here in 2022. We qualified fifth, ran high 3.60s all day and then ran 3.70 in the final to win my first ever Sonoma Nationals. Our game plan is simple. One, qualify in the top five; two, get down the track every qualifying pass and, three, go rounds on race day.”

How to Watch:The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series from Sonoma Raceway airs first with the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on FOX Saturday, July 27 at 6 p.m. ET. Sunday’s race day sees qualifying airing on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) at 2 p.m. ET, followed by Finals airing on FOX at 4 p.m. ET. Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:1,460: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).626: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 631.167: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).164: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.84: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time). Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) is fifth with 88.85: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro SS body.47: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force.28: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. This is the seventh consecutive award and ninth in 11 seasons. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.26: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car.20: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA.16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force.7: Number of Funny Car driver championships.2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships.

Two-Time World Champion Trying to Win Sonoma Nationals for Second Time

SONOMA, Calif. (July 25, 2024) – Disappointed by an early exit following an impressive qualifying performance last week at Seattle, Wash., two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force is looking for redemption this week at one of her favorite venues in the Mission Foods drag racing series. “Sonoma (Raceway) is one of my favorite tracks and I’m excited to get right back in my Monster Energy dragster after a tough weekend in Seattle,” she said. The 38-year-old, who earned her teaching credentials before deciding to follow her dad John and sisters Ashley and Courtney into the family business, knows that she quickly is running out of time to gain ground in the driver standings before the start of the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. “The Countdown is coming up quickly,” said the 16-time tour winner, “and we have to put ourselves in the best possible starting position.”  That means moving up from the tenuous No. 10 spot she currently occupies. Nevertheless, she is confident that her David Grubnic-led team will put a Monster of a car beneath her, one capable of returning her to the winners’ circle in which she raised the trophy just two years ago.  “We celebrated a significant win here in 2022,” said the 2013 NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year. “We qualified fifth, ran high 3.60s all day and then ran 3.70 in the final to win my first ever Sonoma Nationals.” She’ll try to build on that victory and the momentum borne of her car’s measurable improvement over the past several events. Nevertheless, the team’s strategy is far from complicated. “Our game plan is simple,” she said. “One, qualify in the top five; two, get down the track every qualifying pass and, three, go rounds on race day.” * * * * SONOMA NATIONALS SCHEDULE Friday, July 25Nitro qualifying, session #1 at 5:30 p.m., PDT; session #2 at 8:15 p.m., PDTSaturday, July 27Top Fuel qualifying session #3, 12:30 p.m., PDTFunny Car qualifying, session #3 and first round of Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Austin Prock vs. J.R. Todd and Paul Lee vs. Blake Alexander, 1:05 p.m., PDTTop Fuel qualifying, session #4, 3 p.m., PDTFunny Car qualifying, session #4 and final round of 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge, 3:30 p.m., PDTSunday, July 28First round eliminations, 10:30 a.m., PDT JFR ON FS1 and FOX Broadcast Network Saturday, July 27Qualifying show, 7-8 p.m., EDT, on FS1Sunday, July 28Qualifying wrap-up show, 2:30-4 p.m., EDT, on FS1Sunday, Jul 28Race coverage, 4-7 p.m. EDT, on FOX

 KNOXVILLE, IA (July 25, 2024) – 

Hank Davis entered 2024 with plans to run his first full season with the American Sprint Car Series National Tour. But what he didn’t plan was doing it in the seat of the No. 2C machine with 2000 Series champion Wayne Johnson calling the shots. 

After Johnson got injured earlier in the year, taking him out of the car, and Seth Bergman decided to return to his family car after two races with TwoC Racing, Davis was presented with an opportunity too good to pass up. 

“My original plans were still to run the ASCS stuff with a different team,” Davis said. “Then things kind of went sideways there and fell apart. So, everything happened with Seth leaving, this being open, I just hit Wayne up and said I was on the list, and everything worked out to where we could make it happen.” 

For Johnson, the decision to put Davis in the car for the remainder of the season came out of his desire to help young, deserving drivers advance through the ranks of Sprint Car racing. 

“More than anything, I wanted to give somebody a chance that more than likely wouldn’t get an opportunity. Somebody had to give me a chance at one time,” Johnson said. “It was a balancing act. I want to make sure I felt like we could be competitive, and that it was somebody who deserved a chance to move to the next level.” 

Davis honed his craft racing locally around Oklahoma before becoming an overnight sensation thanks to a prelim night win at the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals but had little experience in a winged 360 Sprint Car entering the 2024 season. However, he wasted no time getting up to speed, rattling off five-straight top fives on the National Tour to start his TwoC Racing tenure. 

“I really didn’t think I’d be as good as what we are now,” Davis said. “I really just think it’s a testament to how good Wayne is. I don’t have a whole lot of laps in this stuff, so him just teaching me, we’re learning together, learning each other. I think we’ve probably far exceeded our expectations. I knew we could be good, but I don’t think we thought we could be this good.” 

However, Davis isn’t the only one adjusting to a new environment. After Johnson’s injury in April at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track, he has turned his full attention to the crew chief role for the first time in his four-decade racing career. 

“I didn’t know if I could be a crew chief, I’ve never been a crew chief other than crewing my own car,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of unknowns. I just felt like starting with somebody from scratch that didn’t really know what he wanted, I felt like it would be a good effort and we could build the team together.” 

Looking back on the first two months of his partnership with Davis, Johnson shares the same sentiment as his driver: things have gone better than either of them could have imagined. 

 “I felt like we could run well,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know that we would run in the top five nine out of ten times or whatever. I know he’s down on himself pretty bad about not winning yet, but I’m like ‘Dude, you just keep learning and doing what you’re doing, the wins will start coming.’ And when they do, it’ll be just like Sam [Hafertepe Jr.] or Bergman. It won’t be just one, it’s going to be multiple.” 

While Johnson admitted that teaching someone else how to drive a race car can be like speaking a foreign language, he’s enjoying the process of helping Davis develop. 

“It’s really weird for me to explain as a driver, how to drive the car,” Johnson said. “It’s really hard for me to explain, because I just did it. I didn’t think about how to explain to somebody how to do it. It’s been a little bit tough. 

“He’s adapting very well, and every week it just takes time. Unfortunately, Bergman, Sam and some of these guys have been doing this thing for years, and I think winged starts, Hank’s probably got 15 total. I feel like we just need to get some time under our belt.” 

Up next on the docket will be Davis’s toughest test yet: the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank, Aug. 1-3. The team attended a pair of weekly events at Knoxville to get Davis comfortable around the 1/2-mile ahead of the Nationals and has one more visit planned for Saturday night.  

Davis had never competed at Knoxville before this season, and he has quickly learned how the “Sprint Car Capital of the World” presents a challenge unlike any other. 

 “I learned how hard that place is, and how fast you can get humbled and how fast you can suck somewhere,” Davis said. “The first week we went, we weren’t that great, the second week we went, we were alright. We got better. 

“Honestly, I would say for sure we can be in the B-Main on Saturday, but we all obviously want to make the Feature and see what we can do. So, we’ll take what we learned there and go at it.” 

Fortunately for Davis, his mentor is a two-time 360 Nationals winner in 2000 and 2008, and that experience has been invaluable in getting him up to speed on the larger tracks on the schedule. And judging by his finish of fourth at the 4/10-mile Lakeside Speedway on Friday, Davis is a quick learner. 

“If you look at Lakeside, that’s a big racetrack,” Johnson said. “Going to Knoxville these last two weeks have really elevated our big track program, because at Lakeside, we were in the hunt there. Weren’t quite up to speed with Bergman and Sam, but I do feel like our big track program for him is really coming along.” 

Fans can purchase tickets to the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank and find additional event information by clicking here. Can’t make it to the track? Catch every lap live on DIRTVision. 

The Australian goes back and forth with Giovanni Scelzi at BAPS to claim his first World of Outlaws triumph of 2024YORK HAVEN, PA (July 24, 2024) – James McFadden returned to one of his favorite places on Wednesday night – World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Victory Lane. Last year the Alice Springs, NTR, Australia native had a breakout year with Roth Motorsports to the tune of six wins with The Greatest Show on Dirt. His 2024 calendar limited him to only nine World of Outlaws appearances entering Wednesday at BAPS Motor Speedway, but he made the most of number 10.McFadden used a great move on the initial start to slot himself in second and then came out on top of a fierce duel with Giovanni Scelzi to snag the lead on Lap 15 before holding off the tour’s winningest drivers this year – David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild – to top the Bricker’s Bash.And of course, the Australian celebrated the special return to Victory Lane with a NOS Energy Drink shoey atop the Roth No. 83SR.“To rebound tonight and win against the Outlaws is special,” McFadden said. “Anytime you can win a race in America is great, but against the Outlaws is something that I grew up wanting to do as a kid. And we beat them and to take a little bit of money away from David. He’s been hogging it all lately.”McFadden’s first win of 2024 is the 12th of his career with the World of Outlaws. It’s the second of 2024 for Roth Motorsports to go along with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid’s victory at Attica back in May. BAPS became the 11th track where the 35-year-old has won a Series event, and he’s the fourth different winner through four races at BAPS.Scelzi led the field to green with Gravel alongside him, but it was McFadden powering from fourth to second in the opening set of corners.The opening half of the 30-lapper saw the leaders mostly stay in line. An early yellow with six laps complete kept Scelzi in clean air as he was just about to encounter traffic. McFadden peeked to Scelzi’s inside on the restart but couldn’t pull alongside.As traffic became a factor near the halfway point, the battle for the top spot intensified. Scelzi slipped up out of the groove ever so slightly in Turns 3 and 4 allowing McFadden to drive under him and lead Lap 15. Scelzi refused to go down without a fight as he wheeled the KCP Racing No. 18 under McFadden in Turns 1 and 2 to take it back. But McFadden used a big run out of Turn 2 to slice around “Hot Sauce” again in Turn 3. This time, McFadden kept his momentum up enough to hold Scelzi off in the next set of corners.McFadden began to build up a lead after taking command. Behind him Gravel moved by Scelzi for the runner-up spot on Lap 19. The World of Outlaws point leader looked to be closing on McFadden, but a red flag with seven laps to go for contact between Scelzi and Brad Sweet halted his progress.The restart allowed McFadden to power away in clean air, and that was all she wrote as he drove off to his 12th career World of Outlaws checkered flag.“It was a super tough race,” McFadden said. “You just didn’t know where to run in (Turns) 1 and 2. There was really big holes in the middle there. My car was really good rotating underneath them. I just thought if we bide our time there and hope Gio made a mistake or lapped traffic slowed him down we’d be able to get by. Super happy that we did. My car was unbelievable tonight. Thanks to Brent (Ventura), Wood (Gary Patellaro), and Rob (Beattie).”Gravel came home second aboard the Big Game Motorsports No. 2, coming up one spot short of his 100th World of Outlaws win. He continued his incredible consistency in 2024 with his 22nd podium of the season. If it weren’t for the timing of the red flag, Gravel’s 100th win might’ve come at BAPS.“Our car really started coming to life there before that red flag,” Gravel said. “I wish we didn’t see a red flag there. We just added some fuel in the car, and were just really, really tight early and the car was coming to us. And then we added that fuel again and were not good after that red flag. Happy to finish second. J-Mac was pretty damn good. I felt like if it went to checkered there, we had a real shot to win that race.”Rounding out the Bricker’s Bash podium was Sheldon Haudenschild in the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing machine. The Wooster, OH native improved in his second ever BAPS appearance, going from sixth last year to third in 2024 aboard a fast NOS Energy Drink No. 17.“It was a great race honestly,” Haudenschild said. “My car felt really good all night. I thought we might’ve had something for them. I just didn’t do a good enough job those first six laps there. James got a really good start, and I got a really bad start. He got going there. Hats off to (Kyle) Ripper, Luke (Vaughn), Steve (Kinzer Dussel). They’ve been working hard.”Brock Zearfoss and Cory Eliason completed the top five.Carson Macedo earned the KSE Racing Hard Charger with a 22nd to 13th drive in the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41.Chase Dietz claimed his first career Simpson Quick Time in Sea Foam Qualifying.NOS Energy Drink Heat Races One, Three, and Four belonged to Chase Dietz, Sheldon Haudenschild, and David Gravel. Milton Hershey School Heat Two went to Giovanni Scelzi.Giovanni Scelzi topped the Toyota Racing Dash.Kody Hartlaub won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Giovanni Scelzi.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle the PA Posse once again at Williams Grove Speedway’s C&D Rigging Summer Nationals on July 26-27 with $20,000 going to Saturday’s winner. Then it’s off to the season’s lone stop in New York with Weedsport Speedway’s Empire State Challenge on Sunday, July 28. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.FEATURE RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 83SR-James McFadden[4]; 2. 2-David Gravel[2]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[3]; 4. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[6]; 5. 8-Cory Eliason[9]; 6. 2D-Chase Dietz[8]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[12]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz[7]; 9. 39M-Anthony Macri[10]; 10. 23-Devon Borden[18]; 11. 27-Troy Wagaman Jr[11]; 12. 83-Michael Kofoid[13]; 13. 41-Carson Macedo[22]; 14. 17B-Bill Balog[14]; 15. 8R-Freddie Rahmer[16]; 16. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[1]; 17. 48-Danny Dietrich[15]; 18. 19B-Aaron Bollinger[24]; 19. 5-Tyler Ross[23]; 20. 49-Brad Sweet[5]; 21. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[19]; 22. 39-Kody Hartlaub[21]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen[17]; 24. 19R-Mark Smith[20]For complete results, CLICK HERE.

CONCORD, NC (July 24, 2024) – Midget racing is headed for the “Sooner State” during the summer this year as the stars of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota visit Oklahoma for a two-race event this Friday and Saturday night.

The trip begins with a stop at the brand-new Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, OK, on Friday, July 26, featuring a 30-lap, $4,000-to-win main event. The track, formerly known as Flint Creek Speedway, underwent new ownership and complete property renovation, which was completed last year, and hosts national Midget series racing for the first time ever in 2024.

Teams will then head west to Tulsa for a visit to the Tulsa Speedway on Saturday, July 27. Focus Midgets made several appearances at the track before it ceased operations in 2005, but with its revival in 2021 comes a national Midget series for the first time in track history this year with a 30-lap, $4,000-to-win Feature on Saturday.

Tickets for both events will be on sale at the gate on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend:

CHAMP HATH RETURNED – Reigning Series champion Jade Avedisian returns to the seat of the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports (KKM), Toyota-powered LynK Chassis No. 71 alongside a brand-new teammate.

Avedisian, 17, of Clovis, CA, missed last weekend’s Xtreme races due to her Toyota GR Cup Series duties at Virginia International Raceway. She’s projected to rejoin the Xtreme Outlaw roster for the rest of the season, excluding the season finale at Jacksonville Speedway in October, still searching for her first win of the season.

She’ll be joined on track by new KKM teammate, Gunnar Setser. The 15-year-old from Columbus, IN, suffered mechanical failure in his own car during Friday’s main event at Spoon River and was offered to fill the vacant seat in the KKM No. 98 for Saturday’s program, which he will keep for this upcoming weekend.

OKIE FROM BIXBY – Xtreme Outlaw Series points leader Cannon McIntosh comes into his home state holding a 153-point lead in the standings, fresh off a fifth win of the season last Saturday at Spoon River Speedway.

The 21-year-old from Bixby, OK, is still riding his streak of 16 consecutive top-five finishes – the most ever strung together by one driver in Series history. This weekend, he would love nothing more than to get another win in front of his home-state fans, friends and family, racing only 20 miles from his hometown Saturday night.

While national Midgets have never competed at neither Arrowhead nor Tulsa, McIntosh has turned laps at both. He finished 10th with the POWRi West Midget League at Arrowhead in 2017 and has also tested a Sprint Car at Tulsa in the past.

OKC THUNDER – Fellow Oklahoma racer Ryan Timms also took a checkered flag at Spoon River last weekend, topping McIntosh for his third Series victory of the season.

Timms, 17, of Oklahoma City, OK, chipped into McIntosh’s lead slightly after the win Friday but lost more following McIntosh’s victory Saturday. Timms started sixth on the grid and moved up only one spot to collect his 11th top-five finish of the season but lost a net total of eight points over the weekend.

He’ll be looking for another win this weekend as he tries to cut further into McIntosh’s points lead in efforts to claim his first career national Midget series championship.

STOUT BUNCH – The Collinsville, OK-based operation Mounce/Stout Motorsports has a home game this weekend, as do two of their four drivers set to be in the field this weekend, racing in front of friends and family with a national Midget series for the first time.

Series regulars Tyler Edwards and Jayden Clay are the resident Oklahoma drivers on the team, both in their rookie national Midget seasons. Edwards, 31, of Salina, OK, bagged his fifth top-10 of the season Friday at Spoon River and moved up to ninth in the Series points standings. Clay, 16, of Newcastle, OK, is still navigating the learning curve in his first full season of Midget racing, but both he and Edwards will have a leg up on their opponents this weekend, having tested at Arrowhead with their Midgets earlier this summer.

Additionally, young California racer Taylor Hall will join the roster for the weekend, piloting a Mounce/Stout, Stanton-powered Spike Chassis No. 19. The 17-year-old from Roseville, CA, has dabbled in various areas open-wheel racing this year, racing Midgets with both POWRi and USAC Western States and driving a Velox Racing Micro Sprint entry at the Tulsa Shootout over the winter.

HOMETOWN TEAM – The Trifecta Motorsports team makes its home directly in the city of Tulsa, OK, utilizing the former OFIXCO Racing shop that housed several famed Sprint Cars in the 1970s and 1980s. This weekend, they’ll take two cars to race in front of their biggest fans, friends and family.

Inaugural Series champion Zach Daum – 32, of Pocahontas, IL – posted finishes of eighth and fourth last weekend in his home state and now turns his attention to his team’s homeland for two races at two tracks brand-new to him. While still down 490 points in the standings, Daum is going for his second win of the year in his second season under team owners Steve Carbone and Staton Flurry.

Returning to the seat of the No. 5U Midget for the first time since suffering injury at 81 Speedway in May, Peter Smith is back as Daum’s teammate for both races this weekend. Smith, 19, of Anthony, NM, has fully recovered from the concussion he sustained and will return to the roster with brother and crew chief Mark Smith on the wrenches.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

When and where
Friday, July 26, at Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, OK

Saturday, July 27, at Tulsa Speedway in Tulsa, OK

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

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

Current championship points standings (view full standings)

1. Cannon McIntosh: 3506 points | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71K
2. Ryan Timms: 3353 points (-153) | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67
3. Chase McDermand: 3227 points (-279) | CMR-Mounce/Stout Motorsports #40
4. Ashton Torgerson: 3184 points (-322) | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67K
5. Zach Daum: 3016 points (-490) | Trifecta Motorsports #7U
6. Hayden Reinbold: 2958 points (-548) | Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports #19AZ
7. Karter Sarff: 2742 points (-764) | Karter Sarff Motorsports #21K
8. Trevor Cline: 2728 points (-778) | Cline Racing #55
9. Tyler Edwards: 2642 points (-864) | Mounce/Stout Motorsports #14S
10. Gavin Miller: 2577 points (-929) | Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #97

Toyota Feature winners (7 drivers)
5 wins – Cannon McIntosh (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #71K)
3 wins – Ashton Torgerson (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67K), Ryan Timms (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #67)
2 wins – Karter Sarff (Karter Sarff Motorsports #21K)
1 win – Thomas Meseraull (Engler Racing #7x), Kale Drake (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #97), Zach Daum (Trifecta Motorsports #7U)

Toyota Feature laps led (14 drivers)
96 laps – Cannon McIntosh
77 laps – Ryan Timms
72 laps – Ashton Torgerson
44 laps – Kale Drake
41 laps – Karter Sarff
35 laps – Joe B. Miller

27 laps – Thomas Meseraull
25 laps – Zach Daum
17 laps – Hayden Reinbold

12 laps – Taylor Reimer
11 laps – Jade Avedisian
5 laps – Michael Pickens, Tyler Edwards
1 lap – Chase McDermand

Whitz RC Racing Products Quick Time Awards (10 drivers)
4 awards – Ethan Mitchell
3 awards – Kale Drake
2 awards – Karter Sarff
1 award – Cannon McIntosh, Ryan Timms, Kyle Jones, Trevor Cline, Zach Daum, Tyler Edwards, Hayden Reinbold

Heat Race winners (19 drivers)
7 wins – Ashton Torgerson
5 wins – Kale Drake, Cannon McIntosh, Chase McDermand, Ryan Timms
4 wins – Zach Daum
3 wins – Tyler Edwards, Gavin Miller
2 wins – Jade Avedisian, Nick Hoffman, Trevor Cline, Karter Sarff

1 win – Thomas Meseraull, Shane Cottle, TJ Smith, Kyle Jones, Taylor Reimer, Ethan Mitchell, Tyler Edwards

High-points honors (10 drivers)
3 honors – Cannon McIntosh, Ryan Timms
2 honors – Zach Daum, Ashton Torgerson
1 honor – Tyler Edwards, Chase McDermand, Karter Sarff, Gavin Miller, Kale Drake, Michael Pickens

Last Chance Showdown wins (10 drivers)
1 win – Taylor Reimer, Gunnar Setser, Austin Torgerson, Gavin Miller, Shane Cottle, Ethan Mitchell, Ashton Torgerson, Ryan Timms, Kyle Jones, Mitchell Davis

Hard Charger Awards (13 drivers)
3 awards – Hayden Reinbold
2 awards – Ryan Timms
1 award – Will Armitage, Ryan Timms, Kayla Roell, Gunnar Setser, Jade Avedisian, Chase McDermand, Elijah Gile, Zach Daum, Cannon McIntosh, Gavin Miller, Jacob Denney

Podium finishes (15 drivers)
12 podiums – Cannon McIntosh
7 podiums – Ryan Timms
5 podiums – Zach Daum
4 podiums – Chase McDermand, Ashton Torgerson
3 podiums – Karter Sarff, Kale Drake, Gavin Miller
1 podium – Thomas Meseraull, Taylor Reimer, Jade Avedisian, Michael Pickens, Trevor Cline, Hayden Reinbold, Jacob Denney

Top-10 finishes (33 drivers)
16 top-10s – Cannon McIntosh
15 top-10s – Chase McDermand
14 top-10s – Ryan Timms
12 top-10s – Ashton Torgerson
11 top-10s – Zach Daum
10 top-10s – Karter Sarff
9 top-10s – Gavin Miller
8 top-10s – Kale Drake, Hayden Reinbold
7 top-10s – Jade Avedisian
6 top-10s – Trevor Cline
5 top-10s – Taylor Reimer, Tyler Edwards
4 top-10s – Kyle Jones, Mitchell Davis
3 top-10s – Ethan Mitchell
2 top-10s – Shane Cottle, Gunnar Setser, TJ Smith, Sam Johnson, Jacob Denney
1 top-10 – Joe B. Miller, Thomas Meseraull, Will Armitage, Trey Marcham, Rylan Gray, Todd McVay, Kevin Thomas Jr, Elijah Gile, Brayton Lynch, Nick Drake, Jacob Dykstra, Briggs Danner, Michael Pickens

2024 Schedule & Winners – Race No. Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Fri, March 15 / Southern Illinois Center / Du Quoin, IL / Thomas Meseraull (1)
2. Sat, March 16 / Southern Illinois Center / Du Quoin, IL / Cannon McIntosh (1)

3. Fri, April 5 / US 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Karter Sarff (1)
4. Sat, April 6 / Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex / Sweet Springs, MO / Kale Drake (1)
5. Fri, April 12 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Ryan Timms (1)
6. Sat, April 13 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Ashton Torgerson (1)
7. Fri, May 10 / Humboldt Speedway / Humboldt, KS / Ashton Torgerson (2)
8. Sat, May 11 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Cannon McIntosh (2)
9. Tue, May 21 / Millbridge Speedway / Salisbury, NC / Karter Sarff (2)
10. Wed, May 22 / Millbridge Speedway / Salisbury, NC / Zach Daum (1)
11. Fri, May 24 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Ryan Timms (2)
12. Sat, May 25 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Cannon McIntosh (3)
13. Thu, May 30 / Doe Run Raceway / Doe Run, MO / Cannon McIntosh (4)
14. Fri, May 31 / Coles County Speedway / Matoon, IL / Ashton Torgerson (3)
15. Fri, July 19 / Spoon River Speedway / Lewistown, IL / Ryan Timms (3)
16. Sat, July 20 / Spoon River Speedway / Lewistown, IL / Cannon McIntosh (5)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 24, 2024) – The time has finally arrived for the annual running of the World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Backyards Saloon at the Peoria Motorcycle Club’s spectacular natural amphitheater in Peoria, Illinois, on Sunday, July 28. One of motorsports’ longest running and most fabled events, the 77th edition will serve as Round 11 of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The Grand National Championship outlook entering this weekend’s Peoria TT shifted radically with the shocking news that championship leader and local hero Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) will be unable to participate for the foreseeable future after suffering a broken femur in a training accident on Sunday. Now recovering after undergoing successful surgery on Monday, the development is obviously a devastating blow to both Daniels and the Estenson Racing outfit after the rising star had built up 19-point advantage in the Mission AFT SuperTwins title fight on the strength of a perfect podium record. While their premier-class championship ambitions have almost certainly put on hold until the 2025 season, Estenson Racing will move forward in the best possible manner this weekend by recruiting JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to rejoin the effort in substitute duty. Beach, who shifted his focus back to Superbike racing this season, is one of the greatest TT riders in the history of the sport and the winner of the last three Peoria TTs while competing for Estenson Racing. Daniels’ misfortune also has a massive impact on the quest of Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) to secure an unprecedented tenth Grand National Championship. A victory this weekend would move him that much closer to history while providing him with one of the few significant accomplishments he has yet to attain during his decorated dirt track career. The reigning champ has come close to winning here on numerous occasions over the years, having finished as the race’s runner-up a full seven times. To do so, Mees will not only have to get past Beach, he’ll also need to overcome his long-time rival, Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke). Bauman stood atop the podium at Peoria in 2019 and has repeatedly reminded the world of that form in the years since, regularly pushing Beach at the front. The weekend will also be pivotal for third-ranked Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750). Unlike his championship foes, Robinson does not come in with an extensive history of TT success. However, he has improved his form at Peoria in recent seasons, developing himself into a regular top-ten finisher. He needs to continue that upward trend and push for a top five in order to reignite his title hopes, currently just 11 points shy of Mees and with six rounds left in which to close that gap. Several riders have spoiler potential, led by the likes of Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), who has taken three consecutive top fives at Peoria. Other veterans to keep tabs on include Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp). Meanwhile, a pair of 450cc winners at Peoria have stepped up to the Mission AFT SuperTwins ranks in ’24 with the high-profile additions of Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R). Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER No matter who wins this weekend in Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER competition, it is guaranteed that a new name will achieve Peoria TT immortality with no past event winners gracing this year’s entry list. Prior to Brunner’s victory a year ago, both reigning class champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) and rival Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) appeared destined to grab their first Peoria TT checkered flags before their respective efforts were undone by a pair of red flags. Title leader Kopp and third-ranked Drane – who have combined to win eight of ten races this season in addition to last year’s Peoria TT speed – are rightly viewed as the pre-race favorites. Meanwhile, Illinois native Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) comes in fresh off a home-state victory in DuQuoin with hopes of making it two straight with his friends and family cheering him on. Saathoff has yet to podium at Peoria, but his fifth- and sixth-place finishers in his two prior attempts made his potential to excel at the circuit obvious. The lack of a proven Peoria master leaves the door wide open for others to step forward and further their championship standing. Sitting just behind the top three is Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who is still seeking his first win on the season after claiming a pair a year ago. James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) has at last found his form, taking his first podium of the year last time out. That result came as his fourth top five in his most recent five starts, allowing him to both close on Lowe in fourth and open up a bit of separation in fifth ahead of fellow Californians Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/A.M Ortega KTM 450 SX-F), Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R) and Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio Racing/Sluggo Racing KTM 450 SX-F). And rising forces Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F) would love to make waves this weekend with a big outing. There will be plenty beyond just the race action for fans to enjoy throughout the day on Sunday, including numerous vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and dedicated motorcycle parking. General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $35 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult General Admission ticket), while VIP Pass tickets, which include admission to the Turn 1 VIP lounge are $150 (all ages). The Pit Pass Upgrade grants access to the pit area for $40 ($20 for kids 12 and under). Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/peoriamotorcycleclub/events/peoria-tt-2024-80043 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 9:00 a.m. ET (6:00 a.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT). You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FloRacing. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2024. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast. FOX Sports coverage of the World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Backyards Saloon, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 4, at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT). For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

FAIRBURY, IL (July 24, 2024) – Twenty-one DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals races, and the championship will come down to the final lap at Fairbury Speedway.

Joining the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models during the Prairie Dirt Classic weekend, Friday-Saturday, July 26-27, the Summit Modifieds will conclude their 2024 season with four Showdown Features on Friday and a 40-lap, $5,000-to-win, Feature on Saturday.

While 60 of the best DIRTcar UMP Modified drivers will be in attendance, the spotlight will follow Mike McKinney and Trevor Neville all weekend. The two drivers, both chasing their first title, are separated by only six points entering the event with McKinney currently on top.

With the points this close, it’ll likely take until the final lap on Saturday to determine who will walk with the championship trophy and have their name written on the $5,000 championship check.

Can’t make it to the track? You can watch both nights of the Prairie Dirt Classic live on DIRTVision. For tickets, click here.

Here are the top storylines to follow:

FOR THE TITLE – Six points separate Trevor Neville from leader Mike McKinney, and their performances on both nights of the Prairie Dirt Classic will decide the 2024 series champion.

While neither driver has ever won the Summit Modified championship before, McKinney – 31, of Plainfield, IL – came close in 2018. Coming into the 2018 Prairie Dirt Classic, McKinney held a four-point advantage over five-time series champion Mike Harrison, but with a poor showing on Friday and a spin in the closing laps of the race on Saturday, McKinney lost the points battle to Harrison – who won his sixth title.

This year, McKinney is in a similar spot, holding a six-point lead over Neville with only the final two nights at the Prairie Dirt Classic remaining. McKinney leads all drivers in Feature wins this summer with seven compared to the four wins of Neville.

Neville, 23, of Mackinaw, IL, is in the midst of a breakout season, scoring his first career Summit Modified Feature win at Fairbury in June and adding three more wins on tour since then. To get his points lead back and have a shot at clinching the championship, Neville will need to finish either first or second in his Showdown Feature on Friday and on the podium in the Saturday finale to gain any points.

From there, he’ll need some help from potential misfortune for McKinney, who still has a worst finish of sixth place to dispense in the races that count toward his points total. Summit Modified competitors count their best 12 finishes of the summer toward the overall points standings, which creates unique points scenarios where drivers can gain large chunks of points at a time – in “replacing” their lower finishes with higher ones – while their opponents must finish on the podium or win outright in order to gain even the smallest amount of points.

TOP “PRAIRIE” DOG: While not in the hunt for the championship, three-time and defending Prairie Dirt Classic Modified winner Mike Harrison, of Highland, IL, is back to steal the limelight.

He’s only ran one race with the DIRTcar Summit Modified Nationals tour this year – finishing fourth at Highland Speedway – but the six-time Summit Modified champion has already won big at Fairbury this year. In May, he scored the $20,000 Illinois Dirt Shootout with the Midwest Auto Racing Series (MARS) – the richest DIRTcar UMP Modified race at Fairbury.

He’ll also get double the seat time this weekend, piloting his Modified and a Late Model with the World of Outlaws.

EYEING ONE SPOT BETTER: Michael Long, of Fowler, IL, has won nearly everything he can get his hands on this year – three Summit Modified Nationals wins and 14 DIRTcar Feature victories, including five at Fairbury Speedway. Could his first Prairie Dirt Classic triumph be next?

He finished second to Harrison at PDC last year in his second appearance at the crown jewel event. In his first appearance in 2022, Long won a Showdown Feature and then finished 19th in Saturday’s finale.

Of his three Summit Modified victories this year, all three have come at Illinois tracks – Tri-City Speedway, Adams County Speedway and Farmer City Raceway.

TRACK CHAMP: While Michael Ledford, of Pontiac, IL, has yet to claim a Prairie Dirt Classic crown, he enters the year’s biggest event as one of Fairbury’s best.

Ledford is the three-time and defending track champion at Fairbury Speedway and has already picked up a win at the track in May.

He won his first Showdown Feature last year and then went on to claim his best PDC finish of 10th in Saturday’s finale.

HOME ADVANTAGE: Fairbury’s own Austin Friedman joins the stout field of drivers again this year looking to make his first appearance in Saturday’s $5,000-to-win finale.

Friedman is the current track points leader at Fairbury Speedway – going for his first track title – and has two wins at the dirt track this year.

He has a career-best finish of sixth with the Summit Modifieds, which came at Fairbury in his debut race with the Series in 2022.

PREVIOUS PDC MODIFIED WINNERS:
2023 – Mike Harrison
2022 – Mike McKinney
2021 – Nick Hoffman
2019 – Nick Hoffman
2018 – Mike Harrison
2017 – Mike Harrison
2016 – Levi Kissinger
2015 – Tyler Nicely

On a Roll, Cornwell Camaro Driver Eyes Countdown to the Championship

SONOMA, Calif. (July 24, 2024) – One might think that after winning the pre-season PRO Superstar Shootout in his Funny Car debut, after hoisting the trophy in four of the season’s first 11 NHRA tour events, after qualifying No. 1 in all but three starts, and after earning five outright wins in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Austin Prock might be less than laser-focused entering this week’s 36th Sonoma Nationals. One would be wrong. Despite those remarkable numbers and a point lead so massive that he could miss the next two events and still top the driver standings entering the Labor Day U.S. Nationals, Prock will roll the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS onto the track at Sonoma Raceway determined to improve upon a performance in last week’s NHRA Northwest Nationals that most considered flawless. To recap, the 28-year-old Funny Car rookie was quickest in every qualifying session a week ago, posted quick time of eliminations and won the race. His goal this week? To improve on starting line reaction times which were “only” .067, .067, .069 and .069. against a field average of .087. “I wasn’t very impressed with my driving performance last weekend,” said the man whose Camaro bears the same number (#374) as the Funny Cars driven by grandfather Tom Prock, a contemporary of both Don Prudhomme and the late “Jungle Jim” Liberman and runner-up to both on the NHRA tour in 1975. “Going back-to-back like this, I’m going to hopefully get back in a rhythm and hopefully be better,” said the man who, before taking over the controls of the Cornwell Chevy for a medically sidelined Robert Hight, was the No. 1 qualifier at last year’s Sonoma Nationals in a Top Fuel dragster. Prock’s obsession with improvement, of course, is all about the upcoming Countdown to the Championship which begins Sept. 15 in Reading, Pa. “We have the Countdown coming up in just three more races,” he said, “(so) I’d like to race this thing every day, if I could.” NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS SCHEDULE Friday, July 25Nitro qualifying, session #1 at 5:30 p.m., PDT; session #2 at 8:15 p.m., PDTSaturday, July 27Top Fuel qualifying session #3, 12:30 p.m., PDTFunny Car qualifying, session #3 and first round of Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Austin Prock vs. J.R. Todd and Paul Lee vs. Blake Alexander, 1:05 p.m., PDTTop Fuel qualifying, session #4, 3 p.m., PDTFunny Car qualifying, session #4 and final round of 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge, 3:30 p.m., PDTSunday, July 28First round eliminations, 10:30 a.m., PDT JFR ON FS1 and FOX Broadcast Network Saturday, July 27Qualifying show, 7-8 p.m., EDT, on FS1Sunday, July 28Qualifying wrap-up show, 2:30-4 p.m., EDT, on FS1Sunday, Jul 28Race coverage, 4-7 p.m. EDT, on FOX

Ocala, FL (July 24, 2024) — The past two years Sonoma Raceway has been a welcome stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series for Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team. This weekend the two-time Top Fuel national event winner will be looking to the Denso Sonoma Nationals as another opportunity to build momentum heading into the second half of the 2024 NHRA season. Last weekend as the No. 8 qualifier in Seattle Hart raced to the quarterfinals on the heels of two strong days of qualifying. This weekend he will be looking to continue the positive moves in the California wine country.

Josh Hart and the R+L carriers Top Fuel dragster ready to get back on track at Sonoma Nationals,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

“Sonoma is a beautiful part of the country, and they really love drag racing,” said Hart. “This will be our third race at Sonoma Raceway and every year we have won more rounds on Sunday, so we are looking for big things this weekend. I was pleased with our effort last weekend in Seattle and I think we are moving in the right direction.”

Prior to Seattle Hart’s team added veteran crew chief John Stewart to work with R+L Carriers Top Fuel team primary crew chief Ron Douglas. During an intense testing session prior to the Northwest Nationals the team saw positive performance improvements that they built on over three days on the track at Pacific Raceways. Racing to the quarterfinals allowed Hart to close the gap on drivers in front of him with three races before the Countdown to the Championship begins following the historic U.S. Nationals.

“We are chasing some drivers in front of us to improve our position going into the Countdown,” said Hart. “When the points reset, I want to be in the middle of the pack and that is a big goal for this team. It is attainable but we will need to keep working hard and make our own luck. The best thing we can do is get more qualifying bonus points and win rounds on Sunday.”

At the Northwest Nationals the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team posted the quickest run of the first qualifying session and the second quickest run of the final qualifying session collecting five valuable bonus points. It was the most bonus points earned in the category and showed Hart’s team was moving in the right direction. The past two years at Sonoma Raceway Hart has started the race No. 7 and No. 4 in qualifying so the opportunity for quick runs is a real possibility.

Last year Hart had one of the quickest and most consistent race cars in qualifying and on race day. His bid to win the Sonoma Nationals came to an end in the semifinals to eventual race winner Justin Ashley. In that race Hart was first off the starting line with a spectacular .035 second reaction time but lost the race by .008 seconds which translates to approximately four feet at over 325 miles per hour.

“We were on our game last year in Sonoma and I want to duplicate that effort,” said Hart. “My lights were solid, and I want to bring that level of intensity to the rest of the season. This whole team has worked very hard, and it takes a Herculean effort to win one of these races. I have full confidence in everyone on this R+L Carriers team that we can get the job done and get back into the winner’s circle.”

Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will get two shots at the track on Friday, July 26 at 5:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. followed by two more sessions on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations for the quickest 16 Top Fuel dragsters will begin on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with the race being broadcast nationally on FOX.

CHILLICOTHE, OH (July 24, 2024) – When the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models return to Atomic Speedway in August, there will only be 10 races left in the 2024 season to crown at champion.

The doubleheader weekend, Friday-Saturday, Aug. 23-24, will kick off that road to the World of Outlaws World Finals with the best Late Model drivers in the country competing for $10,000 on Friday and $15,000 on Saturday for the Fireball 50.

The 3/8-mile Ohio dirt track has produced some of the Series’ best races each year. There have been four different winners in the last four races – Tyler Erb, four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard, 2018 Series champion Mike Marlar, and reigning Series champion Bobby Pierce.

Erb, who won the 2024 DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Model title, is currently the only driver with multiple Series wins at Atomic. He won in 2022 and swept the two-day event in 2018.

The event will also be the final time Ohio race fans can see the World of Outlaws Late Models in the “Buckeye State” this year.

EVENT INFO
Date – Friday-Saturday, Aug. 23-24
Location – Chillicothe, OH
Track Record – 12.748 sec. by Jimmy Owens in 2015

Times (ET) –
Friday, Aug. 23
Pit Gate Opens: 2 p.m.
Grandstand Gate Opens: 4 p.m.
Hot Laps & Qualifying: 6 p.m.
-Racing to follow

Saturday, Aug. 24
Pit Gate Opens: 12 p.m.
Grandstand Gate Opens: 2 p.m.
Hot Laps & Qualifying: 4 p.m.
-Racing to follow

Tickets – Available at track.
How to Watch – Can’t make it? Watch every lap live on DIRTVision.

Last Race Video Recap –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSXRWj96Mo8

Previous World of Outlaws winners at Atomic –
2023- Mike Marlar on Sept. 29, Bobby Pierce on Sept. 30
2022- Tyler Erb on Apr. 22, Brandon Sheppard on Apr. 23
2018- Tyler Erb on Sept. 28 and 29
2017- Devin Moran on May 26
2015- Josh Richards on Aug. 21 and 22
2009- Chub Frank on Aug. 22
2008- Rod Conley on May 23
2006- Tim McCreadie on July 22
2005- Jackie Boggs on June 18
1989- Billy Moyer on June 3

LONG BEACH, CA (July 24, 2024) — The last time rookie Funny Car driver Buddy Hull competed at Sonoma Raceway, it was his rookie Top Fuel season, and one of his first NHRA national events. A lot has changed since 2021, but his drive to make the most of his circumstances and win rounds has not. Now a driver for the iconic Jim Dunn Racing team, this weekend at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 26-28, Hull is doing everything he can to improve his qualifying position in a way that will better his chances come race day.
 
“When I was last at the Sonoma Nationals in 2021, it was one of my best qualifying efforts to date, at the No. 10 spot,” said Hull. “This season we have been working hard to get the best qualifying position possible. Where you qualify can make such a difference on race day. The team is working incredibly hard to get us there, and I just need to continue to treat every qualifying run like it’s an elimination round and do my job on the starting line.”

 Buddy Hull and Lescure Funny Car are ready to light up Sonoma Raceway, photo by Krista Zivic Photography

The Sonoma Nationals will be Hull’s 12^th NHRA national event as a Funny Car driver. Since the beginning of the season, he’s appeared in the opposite lane on race day against seven other Funny Car drivers including John Force, Matt Hagan and Ron Capps, the continuation of a lifelong dream.
 
“I still can’t believe how blessed I am to be doing what I am now doing,” said Hull. “I have been a Funny Car fan for as long as I can remember, so being able to call myself a Funny Car driver is still a pinch-me experience. I will never take for granted being able to wrangle one of these cars and work with such a great group of people.”
 
To help give back to the racing community that Hull is so thankful for, Hull will be a featured driver for the Karting for a Cause event and the 16th Annual Eric Medlen Nitro Night. Both events are on Thursday, July 25, and will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities.
 
“It’s an honor to recognize the lasting legacy of Eric Medlen,” said Hull. “I love giving back through events like this because we’re able to make a difference in children’s lives while also showing off the best parts of our sport.”
 
Another highlight for the weekend will be new sponsors Alo and Jenji Boba Tea, two madly popular organic beverages that will adorn the rear wing of Hull’s Lescure Mechanical Services Funny Car for the second race in a row. ALO Drink is the No. 1 aloe vera beverage brand, because of their dedication to using real aloe vera straight from the leaf and combining it with fruit and vegetable juices, and only the best Non-GMO or organic ingredients. Jenji Boba Tea is made with an exclusive Coco Jelly Boba, which offers a lighter, lower carb alternative to traditional tapioca pearls. Jenji embraces the delightful chewiness of boba in a more blissful experience.
 
“It was so awesome to have Alo and Jenji Boba Tea join us in Seattle, and we are proud to represent them again during the second race of the Western Swing,” said Hull. “At home I love to host and keep my fridge stocked with a variety of drinks that my guests will enjoy, so this budding partnership has opened up a whole new world of drink options I can’t wait to share with my friends on and off of the track.”
 
Season-long sponsor Lescure Mechanical Services will once again be highlighted on the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car body. In addition to Lescure, Alo and Jenji, Hull will be repping other long-term sponsors Vertex Roofers and General Contractors, Solid Start/True Brand Products, Blaze Exhaust Probes, Crow Safety, KGC Construction, Koppl Pipeline Services, Mooneyes, Good Vibrations Motorsports, Powerbuilt Tools and Wiley X.
 
“This is going to be a fantastic back-to-back weekend of racing, coming off of the continued progress we had in Seattle,” said Hull. “I’m looking forward to getting back out on the track and giving back to the community in a big way this weekend.”
 
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will make two qualifying runs on Friday, July 26 and two qualifying runs on Saturday, July 27 at Sonoma Raceway. The top 16 quickest Funny Cars in the field will then compete for the final Western Swing Wally on Sunday, July 28. The first round of eliminations will begin on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. PST. Fans can watch the finals on FOX. For tickets or more information on the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals visit nhra.com.

GRAND FORKS, ND (July 24, 2024) – North Dakota will welcome the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series for the second time this year with stops at two fan-favorite tracks in August.The Greatest Show on Dirt will visit River Cities Speedway on Friday, Aug. 23, and Red River Valley Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 24 – both races paying $12,000 to win.It’ll be the Series’ second trip to River Cities this year. In June, Giovanni Scelzi held off a hard-charging Sheldon Haudenschild for his first win at the bullring. In doing so, he became the fifth different winner in five races at the track, joining David Gravel, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo and Brad Sweet.Ten-time Series champion Donny Schatz, of Fargo, ND, still holds the most Series wins of any World of Outlaws driver at the track with 13. His last came in 2019.Of active full-time World of Outlaws drivers, Schatz also holds the most Series wins at his home track Red River Valley Speedway with six. He’s the only driver with a repeat victory there in the Series’ last 10 visits to the 3/8-mile dirt track.Pennsylvania’s Logan Schuchart is the most recent winner at the track, outrunning Gravel and Scelzi for his first win at the track last year.If you can’t make it to either North Dakota track, you can watch both races live on DIRTVision.RIVER CITIES EVENT INFO Date – Friday, Aug. 23 Location – Grand Forks, ND Track Record – 9.269 sec. by Jason Meyers on Aug. 21, 2009Times (CT) – Pit Gate Opens: 2 p.m. Grandstand Opens: 4 p.m. Hot Laps & Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. -Racing to followTickets – Available HERE.Last Race Video Recap (June 7, 2024) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9pjLK577cPrevious World of Outlaws winners at River Cities – 2024 – Giovanni Scelzi on June 7 2023 – David Gravel on June 2, Logan Schuchart on Aug. 25 2022 – Carson Macedo on June 3, Brad Sweet on Aug. 26 2021 – Brad Sweet on Aug. 25 2020 –Kyle Larson on Aug. 21 2019 – Logan Schuchart on June 7, Donny Schatz on Aug. 16 2018 – Donny Schatz on June 15, Donny Schatz on Aug. 17 2017 – David Gravel on June 16, Donny Schatz on Aug. 18 2016 – Donny Schatz on June 17, Donny Schatz on Aug. 26 2015 – Donny Schatz on June 19, Donny Schatz on Aug. 21 2014 – Donny Schatz on June 20, Daryn Pittman on Aug. 15 2013 – Cody Darrah on June 21, Donny Schatz on Aug. 16 2012 – Kraig Kinser on June 15, Sammy Swindell on Aug. 17 2011 – Craig Dollansky on June 17, Craig Dollansky on June 18, Steve Kinser on Aug. 19 2010 – Steve Kinser on June 19, Joey Saldana on June 20 2009 – Donny Schatz on June 19, Craig Dollansky on Aug. 21 2008 – Donny Schatz on June 27 2007 – Joey Saldana on June 29RED RIVER EVENT INFO Date – Saturday, Aug. 24 Location – West Fargo, ND Track Record – 11.460 sec. by Kasey Kahne on Aug. 21, 2021Times (CT) – Pit Gate Opens: 2 p.m. Grandstand Opens: 4 p.m. Hot Laps & Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. -Racing to followTickets – Available HERE.Last Race Video Recap (Aug. 26, 2023) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmBIuMhZ5v0Previous World of Outlaws winners at Red River – 2023 – Logan Schuchart on Aug. 26 2022 – Carson Macedo on Aug. 27 2021 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 21 2020 – Kyle Larson on Aug. 22 2018 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 18 2017 – Jason Johnson on Aug. 19 2012 – Sammy Swindell on June 16 2009 – Jason Meyers on June 20 2008 – Daryn Pittman on Aug. 12 2007 – Jac Haudenschild on June 30 2006 – Donny Schatz on June 16, Donny Schatz on June 17 2005 – Brian Paulus on July 1, Jason Meyers on July 2, Steve Kinser on Aug. 16 2004 – Joey Saldana on July 8, Jason Meyers on July 9, Joey Saldana on July 10 2003 – Steve Kinser on June 12, Donny Schatz on June 13, Danny Lasoski on June 14 2002 – Joey Saldana on July 4, P.J. Chesson on July 5, Donny Schatz on July 6 2001 – Steve Kinser on July 5, Sammy Swindell on July 6, Craig Dollansky on July 7 2000 – Sammy Swindell on July 6, Danny Lasoski on July 7, Sammy Swindell on July 8 1999 – Andy Hillenburg on July 8, Stevie Smith on July 9, Steve Kinser on July 10 1998 – Steve Kinser on July 9, Steve Kinser on July 10, Sammy Swindell on July 11 1997 – Steve Kinser on July 11, Stevie Smith on July 12 1996 – Mark Kinser on July 6, Sammy Swindell on July 7 1995 – Sammy Swindell on July 7, Sammy Swindell on July 8 1994 – Dave Blaney on July 9, Steve Kinser on July 10 1993 – Steve Kinser on July 9, Johnny Herrera on July 10 1992 – Steve Kinser on July 10, Steve Kinser on July 12 1991 – Doug Wolfgang on July 5, Doug Wolfgang on July 6 1990 – Doug Wolfgang on July 6, Doug Wolfgang on July 7 1989 – Doug Wolfgang on July 7, Jeff Swindell on July 8 1988 – Sammy Swindell on July 8, Doug Wolfgang on July 9 1987 – Steve Kinser on July 11 1986 – Sammy Swindell on July 11, Steve Kinser on July 12 1985 – Mark Kinser on July 12, Steve Kinser on July 13 1984 – Jeff Swindell on July 13, Steve Kinser on July 14 1983 – Sammy Swindell on July 8, Sammy Swindell on July 9 1982 – Sammy Swindell on July 12, Steve Kinser on July 13 1981 – Sammy Swindell on July 13