Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK FALLS IN FINAL ROUND AT PRO SUPERSTAR SHOOTOUTBeckman, Brittany Reach Semifinals in Pre-Season Event at Bradenton

BRADENTON, Fla. (Feb. 8, 2025) – Ron Capps spoiled Austin Prock’s otherwise perfect week Saturday, beating the reigning NHRA Funny Car Champion and his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS in the final round of the second annual PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Despite the final round outcome, it was a solid preparatory week for all three of the teams representing John Force Racing in the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Series that begins March 7-9 with the 56th Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla. In addition to Prock’s performance, which included a best-in-history 3.791 second run in the final qualifying session, Jack Beckman reached the semifinals from a No. 2 start in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy, and after failing to make the eight-car feature a year ago, Brittany Force put up impressive numbers in the Monster Energy dragster before she, too, exited one round before the big money. It also was a big week for the team’s founder and CEO, 16-time series champion John Force, who was a welcome presence in the JFR compound even though he still is receiving treatment for the Traumatic Brain Injury he suffered in a crash last June at Richmond, Va. “My wife, Laurie, told me I needed to get back in the game,” said the 157-time NHRA tour winner. “And being here in Bradenton was just good for my heart. Watching everybody work, watching the cars and the teams and seeing old friends like Capps, it was just special. “We didn’t win, but I was excited just to be where I need to be,” he said. “Running my teams and supporting Cornwell, PEAK, Monster, HendrickCars.com and all our other partners. I can’t wait to get to Gainesville. To tell you the truth, this is the first time since Richmond I really felt alive again.”  After posting the best number during testing (3.805) and after making the quickest run in each of the four qualifying sessions (3.861, 3.882, 3.860 and the aforementioned 3.791), Prock’s Chevy wasn’t the quickest car in any round on Saturday including the final in which it experienced clutch issues and slowed to 4.003 while Capps powered through to a time of 3.870 at 330.47 mph. “Another great start to the year,” Prock said. “We made it to the final round and ran some pretty competitive ETs throughout the day (3.876 and 3.883 in the first two rounds). The thing left hard. It was marching but by the time I got past the Christmas Tree, the clutch broke and it was essentially running in neutral all the way down there. “Tough way to lose,” he said. “But I guess better here than at the NHRA event in a few weeks. Really proud of this Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS team. They did an outstanding job all weekend. We have four people who are in new positions on this team and one of them is totally new to Funny Car racing and they all did a great job.  “Really proud of my crew chiefs, my dad, brother (Thomas) and Nate (Hildahl). This thing was on kill all weekend. To lay down the quickest pass in Funny Car history and to have the fastest one as well, maybe one day we’ll get those two numbers paired up.  But great start. We’ve got a lot of work to do in this next month to get ready for Gainesville and I’m chomping at the bit.” The last Funny Car driver to break 3.80 seconds was Matt Hagan, who ran 3.799 to qualify No. 1 for the Labor Day U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis in 2017. The official NHRA record remains 3.793, the time recorded by Prock’s predecessor, JFR President Robert Hight, on Aug. 18, 2017, at Brainerd, Minn. Last November, Prock equaled the fastest speed in Funny Car history when he accelerated to 341.68 mph at the In-N-Out Burger Finals at Pomona, Calif., setting the official NHRA record in the process. The only other driver to break the 340 barrier is Bob Tasca III, who did so at last year’s PRO Shootout.   Coincidentally, Prock and Tasca were paired in Saturday’s first round through the unique chip draw system the Shootout uses to determine who races whom. Prock powered away in that one, beating Tasca at the start (.056 to .069) and at the finish (3.876. 330.71 mph to 3.917, 324.67 mph). After qualifying in the No. 3 position, Brittany delivered big in her first round of racing in the Shootout, beating 2023 World Champion Doug Kalitta to the finish, 3.736, 332.08 mph, to 3.768, 325.37 mph. Unfortunately, she ran afoul of Shawn Reed’s .054 reaction time in round two despite a slightly quicker 3.752 track time. “After this weekend, this Monster Energy, David Grubnic-run team is in a very good place,” said the two-time Top Fuel World Champion who, at Gainesville, will be racing on the track on which she won her very first race in 2016. “We are way ahead of ourselves from where we were last season.  “We were here for five days; we tested all week long and made some killer and consistent passes,” she said. “We qualified third for this PRO Superstar Shootout and made a semifinal appearance.  “We had one of the top-running cars (and) should have turned the win light on in the semifinals, but I was slow off the light,” she said. “That’s something I’ve struggled with, but that’s something I can fix and will figure out going into this season. I’m pumped with this new group and excited to see what we can accomplish.” Beckman, who was the color commentator at last year’s Superstar Shootout, may not have been as quick this week as his Funny Car teammate and may not have made it to the final round, but he was no less enthusiastic about his race car and the upcoming season, the first in five years in which he will race the entire NHRA schedule in pursuit of a championship he last won in 2012. “Remember, coming out here was for pre-season testing,” he said. “We brought out a brand-new race car that had never been down the racetrack. We tested superchargers, we tested clutches, we tested some more spare parts. And we get to cross all of that off the list. That’s done; that’s ready to go race.  “We lost a close race against Capps, but we were only a hundredth behind them (3.860, 336.07 mph to 3.871, 330.55 mph) and we didn’t have lane choice,” he said. “Nobody is going to leave here with their head hung low.   “In fact, maybe it gives us a little more extra incentive in four weeks in Gainesville. So, I think this PEAK Chevy SS looked good this weekend. We have one new crew member and he got a chance to get up to speed in race conditions; everything we tested works and now we get to start the season and race for points.”

BRADENTON, FLA. (February 8, 2025) — Josh Hart entered the 2nd annual SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout looking to build momentum for a 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel championship chase. After three days of testing and three days of racing the team owner of the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster is encouraged by what his team accomplished even though they came up just short of a victory against Shawn Reed.

“I can’t really put it into words. The team did 14 or 15 passes, and that’s more than I’ve ever done in my career in one session,” said Hart. “The fact that nobody complained, and everybody kept working. We were up at seven, we were going to bed at midnight, and essentially, we never really got a break to get much sleep. It was constant. To see the car go from a 3.79 to a 3.75 to 3.74, 3.73, 3.72, we’re right there. We knew when it got cool out, we needed to bring it. And we’re working on that, that’s what I’m trying to tell everybody. We’re very, very happy with where we’re at.”

Josh Hart takes off in final round of PRO Superstar Shootout, photo courtesy of Auto Imagery

In the first round Hart dispatched NASCAR Hall of Famer turned drag racer Tony Stewart. Hart, a two-time Top Fuel national event winner was first off the line with a .061 reaction time and he never trailed in the race. His winning elapsed time of 3.726 seconds was quickest of the session and gave him lane choice over Justin Ashley in the semifinals.

Racing fellow championship contender Ashley, he was again at the top of his game off the starting line leaving with Ashley, .054 to .051 seconds and taking the lead by 100 feet. Hart continued to pull away with a winning elapsed time of 3.721 seconds, his quickest run of the week in the warmest conditions, to advance to the final round. Hart would face Shawn Reed in a battle of independent team owners.

Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster runner-up at PRO Superstar Shootout, courtesy of Auto Imagery

The final round was a race that the fans in attendance at Bradenton Motorsports Park will be talking about for years. Both dragsters left the starting line together and as they powered down the track the lead was changing as the finish line rushed to greet the 11,000-horsepowered Top Fuel dragsters. At the finish line stripe, it was Reed getting the nose of his dragster to the line first winning for the first time in his career. The final numbers had Reed posting the only run in the 3.60s, a strong 3.699 second run beside Hart’s 3.724 second run. It was another strong run for Hart whose goal for the weekend was consistency and team building. 

“We didn’t hurt a bunch of stuff, other than a rear end breaking,” said Hart. “It’s a great group of guys, the morale is different. The vibe is different. It was a lot more fun. As a team owner, I’m hoping that it just went full circle, and now we’re riding the wave up.”

Hart will be back on track in Florida at the historic Gatornationals, an event he won in 2021, March 6-9, 2025 at Gainesville Raceway.

Race Results

First Round

Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, (.061), 3.726 sec, 319.67 mph def, Tony Stewart, Mobil 1 Top Fuel dragster, Brownsburg, Ind., (.074), 4.974 sec, 142.40 mph

Semifinals
Josh Hart, R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, (.054), 3.721 sec, 318.77 mph def. Justin Ashley, SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster, (.051), 3.767 sec, 327.59 mph

Finals
Shawn Reed, Reed Trucking and Excavation Top Fuel dragster, (.065), 3.699 sec, 330.39 mph def. Josh Hart, R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, (.067), 3.724 sec, 321.27 mph

Top Fuel
First Round
Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., (.086), 3.736 sec, 33.08 mph (W) 
Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Mich., (.064), 3.768 sec, 325.37 mph

Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., (.061), 3.726 sec, 319.67 mph (W)
Tony Stewart, Brownsburg, Ind., (.074), 4.974 sec, 142.40 mph

Shawn Reed, Seattle, Wash., (.076), 3.785 sec, 326.24 mph (W)
Antron Brown, Brownsburg, Ind., (.073), 4.769 sec, 155.58 mph

Justin Ashley, Plainview, NY, (.033), 3.943 sec, 279.679 mph (W)
Shawn Langdon, Avon, Ind., (.050), 8.088 sec, 85.70 mph

Semifinals
Shawn Reed, (.054), 3.768 sec, 320.66 mph (W)
Brittany Force, (.096), 3.752 sec, 327.51 mph

Josh Hart, (.054), 3.721 sec, 318.77 mph (W)
Justin Ashley, (.051), 3.767 sec, 327.59 mph

Finals
Shawn Reed, (.065), 3.699 sec, 330.39 mph (W)
Josh Hart, (.067), 3,724 sec, 321.27 mph

Funny Car
First Round
Chad Green, Midland Texas., (.057), 3.991 sec, 323.43 mph (W)
Bobby Bode, Villa Park, Calif., (.083), 4.074 sec, 269.89 mph

Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., (.087), 3.863 sec, 333.41 mph (W)
Daniel Wilkerson, Springfield, Ill., (.087), 3.892 sec, 315.34

Jack Beckman, Yorba Linda, Calif., (.085), 3.875 sec, 331.04 mph (W)
Matt Hagan, Christiansburg, Va., (.065), 3.938 sec, 325.14 mph

Austin Prock, Brownsburg, Ind., (.056), 3.876 sec, 330.72 mph (W)
Bob Tasca III, Hope, R.I., (.069), 3.917 sec, 324.67 mph
 
Semifinals
Ron Capps, (.073), 3.860 sec, 336.07 mph (W)
Jack Beckman (.085), 3.871 sec, 330.55 mph

Austin Prock (.065), 3.883 sec, 332.02 mph (W)
Chad Green (.003),, 4.035 sec, 323.04 mph
 
Finals
Ron Capps (.066), 3.870 sec, 330.47 mph (W)
Austin Prock (.040), 4.003 sec, 316.60 mph

Pro Stock 
First Round 
David Cuadra, McAllen, Texas, (.043), 10.270 sec, 130.39 mph (W) 
Matt Latino, Port Perry, Ontario, (.044), 13.528 sec, 73.39 mph 

Jeg Coughlin Jr., Delaware, Ohio, (.006), 6.578 sec, 209.82 mph (W) 
Dallas Glenn, Mooresville, N.C., (.009), 9.575 sec, 97.29 mph 

Greg Anderson, Charlotte, N.C., (.014), 6.533 sec, 210.57 mph (W)
Erica Enders, Houston, Texas, (.021), 6.559 sec, 210.18 mph 

Aaron Stanfield, Bossier City, La., (.039), 6.559 sec, 210.18 mph (W) 
Chris McGaha, Odessa, Texas, (.037), 6.616 sec, 209.59 mph 

Cristian Cuadra, Edinburg, Texas, (.014), 6.564 sec, 209.10 mph (W)
Fernando Cuadra Jr., Leon, Texas, (-.006), 6.569 sec, 206.26 mph 

Troy Coughlin Jr., Columbus, Ohio, (.023), 6.555 sec, 209.23 mph (W) 
Bo Butner, Sanibel Island, Fla., (.054), 6.607 sec, 208.68 mph 

Cory Reed, Kannapolis, N.C., (.017), 6.545 sec, 209.52 mph (W) 
Mason McGaha, Odessa, Texas, (.044), 6.597 sec, 206.48 mph 

Greg Stanfield, Bossier City, La., (.026), 6.595 sec, 209.59 mph (W) 
Deric Kramer, Sterling, Colo., (.022), 7.325 sec, 158.93 mph
 
Second Round 
Troy Coughlin Jr., (.041), 6.609 sec, 209.23 mph (W) 
Greg Anderson, (.034), 6.619 sec, 205.69 mph 

Cory Reed, (.019), 6.567 sec, 209.23 mph (W) 
Jeg Coughlin Jr., (.028), 18.705 sec, 38.15 mph 

Greg Stanfield, (.018), 6.592 sec, 209.01 mph (W) 
Aaron Stanfield, (.039), 6.588 sec, 208.62 mph 

David Cuadra, (.036), 6.602 sec, 208.65 mph (W) 
Cristian Cuadra, (-.003), 6.590 sec, 207.78 mph 
 
Semifinals 
Cory Reed, (.021), 6.563 sec, 209.43 mph (W) 
Greg Stanfield, (.036), 6.582 sec, 208.68 mph 

Troy Coughlin Jr., (.064), 6.571 sec, 208.97 mph (W) 
David Cuadra, (.039), 6.598 sec, 207.50 mph 
 
Finals 
Troy Coughlin Jr., (.034), 11.859 sec, 121.67 mph (W) 
Cory Reed, (-.017), 12.897 sec, 67.15 mph 
 

 

BRADENTON, FLA. (February 8, 2025) — The 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout concluded tonight with Shawn Reed capturing his first professional Top Fuel career win, Ron Capps defeating Austin Prock in an epic Funny Car final and Troy Coughlin Jr., winning Pro Stock over No. 1 qualifier Cory Reed. A near capacity crowd at Bradenton Motorsports Park was treated to a full day of elimination rounds and a free concert from Andy Ross, the American Rebel, at the conclusion of the three-day mega racing event.

SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout winner (l to r) Pro Stock, Troy Coughlin, Jr.; Funny Car, Ron Capps; Top Fuel Shawn Reed, photo courtesy of Krista Zivcic

In the Top Fuel final Reed was facing Floridian and multi-time Top Fuel national event winner Josh Hart. Hart had posted the two quickest elapsed times in the first and second round of race day. Both 11,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters jumped off the starting line together and it was Reed getting to the finish line first with a strong 3.699 second run at 330.39 mph just in front of Hart’s equally impressive 3.724 second run at 321.27 mph. Reed’s pass was the quickest of the day in Top Fuel as cooler temperatures created optimal racing conditions.

“This is flat out incredible right now,” said an exuberant Reed at the top end. “It’s impossible to think ahead because you haven’t done anything. I have to thank Red Line Oil, Matco Tools, All American Automotive. Thanks to all the fans. Man, it’s been great with all these people out here. I’m more than blessed right now, and I’m probably happy as I’ve been in a long, long time.”

Top Fuel winner Shawn Reed, photo courtesy of Krista Zivcic

“I’m so happy for my crew guys. They put up with a lot last year. I lost a lot of races for them,” said Reed. “We won a race, and they can’t take that back from us. And this is a pretty big race, too, by the way, it’s the eight best, guys in the NHRA.”

Three-time Funny Car world champion Capps was looking to stop the Funny Car driver with the most momentum heading into the final in Austin Prock. As the defending event winner and reigning Funny Car champion Prock was looking to go back-to-back in Bradenton, but Capps and crew chief Dean “Guido” Antonelli took the win in a spectacular final round. Capps turned on the win light with a 3.870 second run at 330.47 mph to get to the stripe first in front of Prock’s 4.003 second, 316.60 mph pass. 

Funny Car winner Ron Capps thrilled with win at PRO Superstar Shootout, photo courtesy of Krista Zivcic

At the top end Capps was overjoyed and surprised to realize he had stopped one of the hottest drivers in the category. Nice new-look NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra started the season with three win lights and a trip to the PRO Superstar Shootout winner’s circle.

“This event is special. It’s the second year we’ve done anything like this, but you have an all-star cast,” said Capps. “Back in the day, as a kid, you know, I read about the Orange County races and all the stuff, where everybody showed up. This SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout is what it’s all about. A lot of our sponsors are big supporters of this event, so thank you, SCAG, for putting all that money up. We’re gonna love it, but our NAPA guys, (crew chief) Guido. I cannot say enough about how hard he’s worked, and this is the fruit of our team’s labor.”

The professional final rounds started with Pro Stock showcasing the young talent of Cory Reed, driving for KB Titan Racing and Troy Coughlin Jr. representing Elite Motorsports. Reed, a second year Pro Stock driver, was looking for his first career win after a dominating performance on the track over the past two days. Coughlin Jr. secured the win immediately when Reed jumped the starting system, forcing a red-light disqualification. His winning time was a pedestrian 11.859 seconds at 121.67 mph after his yellow JEGS Chevrolet Camaro overpowered the track just as he was passing the Christmas Tree. 

Troy Coughlin Jr. celebrates Pro Stock PRO Superstar Shootout win with family and Elite Motorsports team,
photo courtesy of Auto Imagery

“You know winning this race is so surreal,” said Coughlin Jr. “I haven’t even really let it sink in yet. We’re gonna enjoy this. Thank you to the PRO group, and all the sponsors involved especially SCAG. This was a huge win and it’s a great way to start the season. Cory is a great guy and a tough competitor, and this class is awesome.”

The SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout was a showcase event from PRO Promotions. Over three days race fans were treated to autograph sessions, driver Q&As, pit access and a free concert tonight. For more results and information visit www.prosuperstarshootout.com.

BARBERVILLE, FL (Feb. 8, 2025) – Federated Auto Parts’ iconic blue and orange branding will continue to don DIRTcar Nationals as the company has signed a new multi-year agreement to be the title sponsor of the prestigious Florida event.

The company will also continue its support of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series and Sprint Car racing in 2025 with its Federated Car Care brand sponsoring the Work Zone at every race and by sponsoring several marquee events throughout the year like DIRTcar Nationals and the Ironman 55.

“Federated Auto Parts is excited to continue our partnership with DIRTcar Nationals and the World of Outlaws,” said J.R. Bishop, director of event marketing and member services for Federated Auto Parts. “Dirt racing is all about passion, and we love being part of an event that brings so much energy to the fans and competitors alike. With our Federated Car Care brand backing the Work Zone and our continued involvement in marquee events, we’re looking forward to another thrilling season ahead.”

Federated Auto Parts – celebrating its 40th anniversary this year – first partnered with DIRTcar Nationals and the World of Outlaws in 2023. This year, the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park brought fans an extra week of racing as the event added the American Sprint Car Series at the end of January to help kick off the event.

Fans still have another week of racing to enjoy at Volusia (Feb. 10-15) with the DIRTcar Late Models, USAC Non-Wing Sprint Cars, Super DIRTcar Series and World of Outlaws Late Models.

All will return for the 2026 edition of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Jan. 29-Feb. 14, which fans can now renew their tickets for either online, by calling 844-DIRT-TIX or at the track.

“Federated Auto Parts has been the perfect partner for DIRTcar Nationals and the World of Outlaws as they share our same values of providing for the race fans and supporting race teams,” said Brian Carter, World Racing Group CEO. “We’re thrilled to continue working with Federated Auto Parts for several more years and have their brand attached to marquee World of Outlaws events.”

Tickets to Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals and World of Outlaws events can be purchased at the DIRTcar Nationals and World of Outlaws websites.

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

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BARBERVILLE, FL (February 7, 2025) – Of the 106 DIRTcar UMP Modifieds that made the trek to Volusia Speedway Park for the 54th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, 18 have clinched a spot in Saturday night’s Big Gator Championship Feature.

While Friday did not produce a first-time winner with the Modifieds on Friday night, it did see the return of George Dixon to Volusia Victory Lane for the first time since 2023. Other drivers adding another Gator trophy to the record books included Trevor Neville, Will Krup, Curt Spalding, Kyle Strickler, and David Stremme.

FEATURE #1 

Betting odds would’ve favored Cole Falloway in the first DIRTcar UMP Modified Feature of the night as he’s won five races in his first eight starts at Volusia Speedway Park and started on the pole. However, Trevor Neville didn’t care about the odds. 

Starting outside Falloway, Neville darted ahead of the No. 66 when the green flag flew and pulled away by five car lengths after the first lap. 

From there, Neville entered a league of his own. Three cautions slowed the program, bringing the field back to Neville, but he was again untouchable each time the race resumed. 

While he pulled away, Falloway – who entered as the Big Gator points leader – struggled. Todd Neiheiser passed him for second on Lap 10 and then Kenny Wallace passed him for third on Lap Lap 19, placing Falloway in fourth at the finish – one spot out of the transfer into tomorrow’s Gator Championship Feature. 

Neville, Neiheiser, and Wallace are locked into to compete for the $5,000 top prize and the Big Gator trophy. 

“It feels good,” Neville said about putting himself in contention for the Big Gator title and Gator Championship win. “I don’t know how the points are going to fall, but we get a redraw and I’ll probably get to redraw somewhere in the back. That’s kind of my luck this week. But we’re having fun and that’s all that matters.” 

RESULTS: 

Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 777-Trevor Neville[2]; 2. 72-Todd Neiheiser[4]; 3. 36-Kenny Wallace[3]; 4. 66-Cole Falloway[1]; 5. 88-Matt Crafton[5]; 6. 0K-Damian Kiefer[14]; 7. 43A-Mark Anderson[16]; 8. 6-Ryan Fowler[15]; 9. 21-Scott Ladner[10]; 10. 114K-Evan Koehler[8]; 11. 07K-Curtis King[11]; 12. T9-Zack Tate[12]; 13. 01-Brayden Weller[9]; 14. 35A-Michael Altobelli[6]; 15. 25-Greg Belyea[7] 

FEATURE #2 

The second DIRTcar UMP Modified Feature of the night was all about Will Krup. 

The five-time Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals winner won everything he could in the Feature. He started on the pole, led all 20, won the race and took the Big Gator points lead. 

“High confidence here, especially to get a win before the big race,” Krup said. “The car is pretty good. We just got to see what this redraw has in store for us. Hopefully get a good redraw and start up front and hopefully be there at the end.” 

While he stole the show out front, Ryan Thomas and Cole Czarneski – both fighting to hold a podium spot to lock into Saturday’ Feature – had the battle of the race. Czarneski passed Thomas for second at the start of the Feature, but Thomas never let him get away. 

Thomas’ best shot to reclaim the runner-up shot came on Lap 11 when a caution brought them back together. 

Czarneski pulled ahead of the No. 9T on the restart, but not far enough. Chipping away at the gap each lap, Thomas found the grip he needed and passed Czarneski to take back second and hold on to the spot until the end. 

Krup will compete for his first Big Gator title and Gator Championship Feature win, along with Thomas and Czarneski. 

RESULTS: 

Feature 2 (20 Laps): 1. K9-Will Krup[1]; 2. 9T-Ryan Thomas[2]; 3. 21CZ-Cole Czarneski[3]; 4. 15X-Justin Stone[4]; 5. 60-Shannon Fisk[7]; 6. 7D-Brad Deyoung[5]; 7. 114B-Clayton Bryant[6]; 8. Z1-Zac Oedewaldt[18]; 9. 21B-Hunter Breland[11]; 10. 155-Gavin Shaw[12]; 11. 3S-Josh Sanford[10]; 12. 3F-Rob Fuqua[14]; 13. 18-Miles Beaulieu[8]; 14. 321-Denny Schwartz[13]; 15. 10X-Billy Uptegraff[16] 

FEATURE #3 

Celebrating the seventh anniversary of the day Curt Spalding and Chris Terry started their dirt racing venture together, the Watervliet, MI driver honored it with another Golden Gator trophy – his third win in eight races. 

To do so, Spalding put on another dominating performance, leading all 20 laps of the Feature. 

“This is pretty surreal with all of this stuff happening,” Spalding said. “Obviously, we have a good hot rod, right? I can pretty much drive… I was messing around there, trying some stuff and kind of got in trouble and I said, ‘Hey, just get back to what you know and get this thing won.’ 

“We can still lose in the redraw tomorrow. You start 12th, that’s a tough hill to climb with this crowd. It doesn’t matter. We’re singing and this thing is cooking along.” 

Behind him, Charlie Mefford and Colton Profitt argued for the runner-up spot, not wanting to be the vulnerable driver in third that could fall out of a transfer spot. 

The two spent more time side by side during the 20-lap event than they did single file. Profitt ran low while Mefford ran high. Then they’d trade lanes once, twice, three times throughout the race until Mefford won the battle in the second half of the race. 

Once in second, Mefford started to gain ground on Spalding as he was “messing around” with different lines. But once Spalding got back in his groove, he expanded his gap to Mefford and grabbed the victory. 

Spalding, Mefford, and Profitt joined the list of drivers looking for their first Gator Championship win and Big Gator title. 

RESULTS: 

Feature 3 (20 Laps): 1. 5CS-Curt Spalding[1]; 2. 13-Charlie Mefford[2]; 3. 56-Colton Profitt[3]; 4. 19-Dustin Sorensen[6]; 5. 45-Chase Holland[4]; 6. 17C-Coleman Evans[7]; 7. 9R-JP Roberts Jr[11]; 8. 70H-Jim Britt[15]; 9. 60M-Jim Manka[9]; 10. 23B-Ethan Boomsma[13]; 11. 11N-Gene Nicholas[8]; 12. 7-Evan Taylor[5]; 13. 81K-Kyle Cole[17]; 14. 11Z-Zane Oedewaldt[14] 

FEATURE #4

Kyle Strickler’s plan for DIRTcar Nationals was to put himself in position for Saturday’s Big Gator Championship Feature.

He executed the plan to perfection with a flawless performance, commanding the 20-lap Feature for his 17th Gator trophy – his third of 2025.

“When you’re running all these days in a row, you wanna make sure your stuff’s there,” Strickler said. “Especially for the Big Gator tomorrow, that’s kinda my cup of tea. I’ve always planned all week to win the Big Gator come Saturday, so we put ourselves in position, and the guys are all doing a great job working on this thing and having a lot of fun down here in Florida. We got us a lock-in redraw spot, so we’ll see how it plays out.”

From the drop of the green flag, the Mooresville, NC outran Thursday night winner Lucas Lee through the first two turns, then used the remaining laps of the race to find his rhythm and separate himself from the field by over two seconds for the Friday night win.

“It took me a little bit to get my momentum going,” Strickler said. “Later on in the week, we were getting the car better and keep on tuning on it. The motor was running a little hot last night, but tonight we changed stuff around and got it to where the temperature came down.”

The podium of Strickler, Gregory Moore, and Lee are set in stone to race in the Gator Championship on Saturday. 

RESULTS: 

Feature 4 (20 Laps): 1. 8S-Kyle Strickler[1]; 2. 8W-Gregory Moore[4]; 3. 12L-Lucas Lee[2]; 4. 77-Ray Bollinger[5]; 5. 97-Mitch Thomas[10]; 6. 90K-Ray Kable[8]; 7. 5-Jonathan Taylor[18]; 8. 49-Brian Ruhlman[3]; 9. 0-Glenn Styres[6]; 10. 11-Aidan Hinds[9]; 11. 99-Jimmy Wagner[11]; 12. 77C-Jason Cox[16]; 13. 463-Daniel Sanchez[7]; 14. (DNS) 2J-Troy Johnson; 15. (DNS) S8-Jordan Stotts; 16. (DNS) 41-Brad Goff; 17. (DNS) 8-Dave Pinkerton; 18. (DNS) 26-Adam Ogle

FEATURE #5

David Stremme felt mixed emotions about his performance throughout the running of DIRTcar Nationals.

Though he hasn’t finished outside of the top five once throughout the previous seven nights of racing, Stremme knew there was room for improvement behind the wheel of his No.35 Lethal Chassis.

Not letting an opportunity for a Gator slip by him once more, Stremme went to work by beating reigning Summit Modified Nationals champ Mike McKinney to the jump on the start, then extending his early gap to three seconds while McKinney and Jordan Koehler dueled for second place.

Koehler got the best of McKinney by taking second until the caution waved on the fifth lap. The ensuing restart saw McKinney retake the position but lose touch with Stremme by a one-second gap.

In the remaining laps, McKinney cut the distance down to half a second on Stremme, however, it was too late for the No.96M to make a move on Stremme as he took the checkered flag for his eighth career DIRTcar Nationals Feature win.

“It was better resolved because the last two nights I’ve sucked,” Stremme said. “I felt like I haven’t been able to capitalize and the balance of the car was loose to where we weren’t stuck. Tomorrow’s gonna be a whole different deal. It always is, so we’re in the redraw. Curt (Spalding) did well, we’ll see if (George Dixon) gets it, but I’m pretty proud of all our efforts. We’ll just see how lady luck deals us tomorrow.”

McKinney and Koehler’s second and third-place finishes joined Stremme in claiming a spot to Saturday night’s finale.

RESULTS: 

Feature 5 (20 Laps): 1. 35-David Stremme[1]; 2. 96M-Mike McKinney[2]; 3. 114-Jordan Koehler[4]; 4. 24-Zeke McKenzie[6]; 5. 65-Matt Miller[13]; 6. 2K-Taylor Kuehl[9]; 7. 23T-Ryan Toole[18]; 8. 29C-Joey Cotterman[15]; 9. 99W-Wade Olmsted[16]; 10. 5B-Bobby Bagley[10]; 11. 10Y-Trent Young[3]; 12. 23Z-Austin Self[5]; 13. 11J-Jesse Rupe[7]; 14. 11L-Jimmy Lennex Jr[8]; 15. 45H-Kyle Hammer[12]; 16. 11D-Brian Diveley[14]

FEATURE #6

Despite four top-fives, six top-10s, and two podiums scored, George Dixon was still looking for the Golden Gator to catch in 2025.

That wait ended on Friday night for the Shirleysburg, PA driver as he picked up a second career DIRTcar Nationals Feature win.

Dixon got the jump on Wednesday night Gator winner Michael Long on the initial start and immediately broke away from the pack.

Long had to deal with a tough set of competition as fourth-place starter Austin Holcombe took third place on the opening lap, then chased down the No.18L for the second position.

Halfway through the Feature, Long, and Holcombe battled for the spot, with Holcombe’s No.8A sliding down the bottom of Turns 3 and 4 to clear Long.

Their battle hurt their chances of catching Dixon, who extended the lead to over 1.3 seconds and crossed the twin checkered flags for victory.

“I’m super happy,” Dixon said. “We unloaded fast on Thursday and we had a lot of speed then, and it didn’t work out. But you wonder if that’s gonna be the only night you get a chance, but luckily, we hung on in all week long, some seconds, thirds, fourths, and then tonight ended up working out and we pulled it off.”

Dixon, Holcombe, and Long’s finishes in the final Feature gave them the reward of a guaranteed place in the Gator Championship.

RESULTS: 

Feature 6 (20 Laps): 1. 77D-George Dixon[1]; 2. 8A-Austin Holcombe[4]; 3. 18L-Michael Long[2]; 4. 05-David Wietholder[9]; 5. 7J-Justin Allgaier[5]; 6. 27G-Jason Garver[11]; 7. 1H-Ben Harmon[8]; 8. 17-Chris Wilson[13]; 9. 51-Dalton Lanich[6]; 10. 81C-Christopher Cole[16]; 11. 57-Charlie Sandercock[3]; 12. 27-Michael Turner[7]; 13. 72S-Eric Shepherd Jr[12]; 14. 32-Chad Roush[14]; 15. 28C-Jeff Cotterman[15]; 16. (DNS) 16-Shawn Deering; 17. (DNS) 90-Jason Beaulieu

Up Next: The final night of DIRTcar UMP Modified racing at the 54th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals will see the determination of a UMP Modified Speedweeks and Big Gator champion on Saturday, Feb. 8. Tickets are available here:

DIRTCAR NATIONALS TICKETS

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVIsion – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.

After third and second place runs on Wednesday and Thursday, Kyle Larson would not be denied on Friday night

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 8, 2025) – A Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals gator was one of few pieces missing from Kyle Larson’s résumé. But there’d be no stopping him from filling that line on Friday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

He was third on Wednesday. He climbed to second on Thursday. The hunger grew and grew. And finally on Friday in his 19^thattempt, Larson caught himself a gator.

“Yung Money” started on the pole of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Feature and never looked back. Lapped traffic appeared as if it may make things interesting with Christopher Bell stalking in second, but a timely yellow gave Larson open track. He refused to watch Bell celebrate two nights in a row. They’re friends but also fierce competitors.

Larson survived a handful of late restarts and parked the Silva Motorsports No. 57 in Victory Lane at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile” for the first time.

“It’s (Volusia) a place that I feel like I’ve raced well,” Larson said. “I just always start so far back. I haven’t felt like that gator has been close enough. We’ve been getting the night started off pretty well, and my car feels really good throughout the night. I felt really good there again.

“It’s cool to win here at Volusia. It’s cool to have a lot of our supporters here this weekend and great to see a packed house too.”

It was roles reversed from the previous night when Bell narrowly fended off Larson. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion lined up on the pole and took off right away. Danny Sams III took the second spot from Bell early on, but the Norman, OK native rallied to reclaim it on Lap 13. He closed in on Larson in traffic, but some late cautions put Larson in clean air, and he drove the Silva Motorsports No. 57 to victory.

“It got kind of a little easy to run the top, so the lappers were just as fast as I was,” Larson said. “I felt like Bell would be closing on me, but I was able to make a couple good moves. I think the cautions probably came out at the right time for me, and I was able to have clean air to the end there.”

Larson’s 36^th career win with The Greatest Show on Dirt equaled him with his former driver, Shane Stewart, for 22^nd all-time. Volusia is the 18^th different track where he’s topped a World of Outlaws race. Larson will also enter Saturday’s finale with an eight-point lead in the Big Gator standings with a strong chance to capture the reptilian championship trophy.

Bell came up just one spot short of back-to-back Volusia victories. The current NASCAR competitor for Joe Gibbs Racing now has podiums in four of his last five races at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.” While Bell thought he was outmatched on Friday, he found himself wishing the race would’ve went caution-free to give him a shot.

“I definitely wanted it to stay green,” Bell said. “But ultimately, he got away from me even before the yellow came out. Ultimately, on the start me not being able to fall into second and follow behind him cost me a shot at it. But the car felt really good.”

Rounding out the podium was David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2. The defending champion continued his strong start to 2025 with his third consecutive finish of fourth or better. He’s closest to Larson in the DIRTcar Nationalsstandings and looking to claim a record fourth Big Gator on Saturday.

“When it got congested there, we were really good,” Gravel said. “I think our car was the best right there in the middle of the race and was able to use the bottom here in (Turns) 3 and 4 to pass those guys. I think we passed two in one corner. Another good race car just a little too late. You put Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell on the front row it’s going to be tough to beat them.”

Brad Sweet and Ryan Timms completed the top five.

Logan Schuchart drove from 19^th to eighth to earn the KSE Racing Hard Charger.

Danny Sams III claimed his first career Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Two, and Four went to Carson Macedo, Brian Brown and Christopher Bell. WIX Filters Heat Three belonged to Kyle Larson.

Bell got the SPA Technique #1 Redraw for the second night in a row.

Kyle Larson topped the Toyota Racing Dash.

Giovanni Scelzi won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

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

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car portion of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals closes out with a $20,000-to-win/$1,500-to-start finale on Saturday, Feb. 8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

For the entire 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car schedule, CLICK HERE.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[1]; 2. 69K-Christopher Bell[2]; 3. 2-David Gravel[5]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[4]; 5. 10-Ryan Timms[7]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo[6]; 7. 17B-Bill Balog[13]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart[19]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[9]; 10. 24D-Danny Sams III[3]; 11. 21-Brian Brown[8]; 12. 88-Austin McCarl[11]; 13. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[16]; 14. 83-Michael Kofoid[22]; 15. 27-Emerson Axsom[10]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen[14]; 17. 15-Donny Schatz[25]; 18. 26-Justin Peck[17]; 19. 9-Kasey Kahne[15]; 20. 5-Brenham Crouch[23]; 21. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[21]; 22. 23-Garet Williamson[18]; 23. 99-Skylar Gee[20]; 24. 6-Zach Hampton[27]; 25. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[24]; 26. 39M-Anthony Macri[12]; 27. 7S-Chris Windom[26]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK SCORCHES BRADENTON WITH A 3.791 QUALIFIER  Beckman, Brittany Also Turn in Solid Efforts at PRO Superstar Shootout

BRADENTON, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2025) – Led by defending Funny Car champion Austin Prock’s record-setting turn in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS, John Force Racing advanced all three of its drivers to the elimination phase of the second PRO Superstar Shootout concluding Saturday at Bradenton Motorsports Park.  Prock, who won last year’s Shootout in his first race in a nitro Funny Car, made the quickest run in history during Friday’s final qualifying session, stopping the timers in 3.791 seconds at a speed of 331.53 miles per hour. That barrier-buster was the climax to a dominant week for the 29-year-old phenom who was quickest in testing (3.805 seconds) and quickest in all four qualifying sessions (3.861, 3.882, 3.860 and 3.791).  Now, all that stands between him and a second straight Shootout title are three elimination rounds on Saturday. “That thing was trucking down there,” Prock said of his historic 3.791 that is two ticks quicker than the official NHRA record of 3.793 set by his predecessor in the Cornwell Chevy, Robert Hight.  “I had my hands full. I got really close to the centerline and that might have scrubbed off that three-thousandths we needed to go (3).78.  But I’m really proud of this team.  “It’s been eight years since someone has run (3).79,” he continued.  “The race cars and rules were much different (then), so to get back to that number says a lot about this team, says a lot about my dad (crew chief Jimmy Prock), Thomas (Prock) and Nate (Hildahl).  They do a really good job and it sure is fun.” While Prock was dominating, JFR teammates Jack Beckman and Brittany Force also interjected themselves solidly into the Saturday conversation with stellar qualifying efforts. Beckman was second quickest to Prock on Friday at 3.825 seconds in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy SS and, after failing to make the starting field a year ago, Brittany was third best in Top Fuel qualifying in a Monster Energy Chevrolet in which she posted a time of 3.664 seconds at 335.73 mph in the last session. That run delivered the two-time World Champion to the finish line just ahead of Doug Kalitta, significant because those two will square off in a monster first round showdown Saturday, the result of the unique chip draw system used to determine opponents.  “Solid day of qualifying for this Monster Energy team,” Brittany said.  “We ran a 3.66 in the final session. We were aiming to run a little quicker than that but overall, looking at testing, looking at qualifying, we’re in a pretty good position. “We’ll be ready tomorrow.  (Kalitta) is one of the toughest out here but nothing this team hasn’t handled before.  We’re excited.  This is a fun event and we want to go some rounds, turn some win lights on and end up in the winners’ circle.” Beckman, who was the color commentator at last year’s Superstar Shootout, may not have been as quick this week as his teammate but he’s no less enthusiastic about his race car and the upcoming season, the first in five years in which he will race the full NHRA schedule and chase a championship he last won in 2012  “So, a lot of times drivers will say, ‘well that car pulled hard’ or ‘I never felt it pull that hard before,’” he said of his closing 3.825.  “Well, we just got done with the crew chiefs looking at our G-meter and, from 200 to 500 feet, we averaged five-and-a-half Gs. It was absolutely unbelievable. I have never sat in a racecar that pulled that hard before. “We’re still safe the first 300 feet of the track, (so) we’re literally leaving a couple hundreds on the table and still running with the top cars,” he said.  “I cannot wait for the national anthem tomorrow. “There’s no slouches here,” said the former Super Comp World Champion (2003).  “What I didn’t want was to be paired with Austin Prock (in the first round).  Obviously, you can’t look past anyone out here.  It’s going to be a titanic first round clash (with four-time world champion Matt Hagan), But our PEAK car is just thumping.” While Beckman-Hagan and Force-Kalitta are awesome first round match-ups, the pairing most people were talking about after the chip draw was Prock versus Bob Tasca III in a battle between the only cars and drivers that have broken the 340 mph barrier.  Tasca did so at this race a year ago before Prock set the official NHRA speed record when he crossed the finish line at 341.68 mph during last November’s In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona, Calif. “Everyone on the internet is going to think it was staged,” Prock said of that match-up.  “It’s exciting.  It’s going to be great for the fans.  We love racing Tasca.  He was one of the guys with a winning record against us last year.  We know how tough that team is and we enjoy racing them.   “He’s a good leaver and Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks can turn those knobs, right? So, it should be an exciting first round.  I’m looking forward to it.  It’s the first race day of the year and there’s nothing better than those first round jitters.”

OCALA, FL (February 7, 2025) – The reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion Ricky Thornton Jr. led from start to finish on Friday night at the Wieland Winter Nationals held at Ocala Speedway, earning $12,000 for his 45th career series victory. Hudson O’Neal took the second spot on lap 17 from Devin Moran and held it for the rest of the race, securing his best tour finish of the year. Moran rounded out the Big River Steel podium in third, with Bobby Pierce finishing fourth and Jonathan Davenport completing the top five. Thornton moved for the lead on the opening lap, passing Moran for the top spot. Thornton and Moran then ran 1-2 until Brian Shirley, who started third, moved into the runner-up spot on lap five. A flat right rear tire on lap 16 ended his hopes for his first career series win. Moran had moved into second place, ahead of Shirley before his flat tire. On lap 17, Moran saw O’Neal pass him to take the second position. O’Neal, Moran, and Bobby Pierce battled fiercely for the next several laps while Thornton maintained a healthy lead over that trio, crossing the finish line in first by 2.503 seconds. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the third time this season in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, and for the fourth in his career at Ocala, Thornton commented: “I I was more frustrated that I lapped Jimmy (Owens) during that lap when I was approaching the caution. I really didn’t want to see the yellow; I felt like I had a great pace going, and after that, it was like I needed to drive hard for a bit. I mean, it really highlights how good this Longhorn/Bilstein car is. I feel like we are picking up right where we left off last year. So hopefully, we can maintain this speed and have a solid run tomorrow.” “I I was trying to get myself clear of the lapped cars,” Thornton added. “I felt like I could enter one and slide across to really get a good run off of two. I think I got to the 79 car, but he was actually better than I was off the bottom, so I moved down and watched Jimmy pass about four cars off turn two on the wall. I thought I’d better get back up there. The car’s been really good. I felt like we needed this one; we’ve been close since we put this new one in together.” O’Neal was on the Big River Steel Podium for the first time in 2025 with the tour and had a hard battle with Moran and Pierce for much of the race. “It’s It’s great to have this run. Like I said earlier, I felt like we’ve had some speed, but we just haven’t really been able to do anything with it. We don’t qualify very well, and it makes it really tough. I especially felt that if we ever got in the position to start up front, we would run up front, and we did tonight. Ricky was a little better than us. It was a good first night to be here on the podium, so we’ll go back and work on it to see if we can improve a bit for tomorrow night.”  Moran continued his consistent performance this season by taking the third spot at the finish. “I we need to restart better. I felt like we had a really good car. I don’t know if we could have kept up with Ricky and the others every single restart; I would have to work to pass them. Hudson was good enough that I couldn’t get by him again. You can’t complain about a third-place finish, especially with these guys. It seems like there are different winners almost every night, and someone goes on a streak. We need to work on it a little bit. We picked up our qualifying game tonight, and we just have to keep working on it restarts.” The winner’s Koehler Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Ultimate Towing and Recovery, Hoker Trucking, Coltman Farms Racing, Elite Ready Mix, Capital Waste, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, EMD Wraps, and Certified Inspection Services.  Completing the top ten were Kyle Bronson, Dake Troutman, Daulton Wilson, Bradon Sheppard, and Max Blair. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 4Friday, February 7, 2025Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 14.246 secondsFast Time Group B: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.181 seconds (overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[4]; 5. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[8]; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin[7]; 8. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 10. 9-Tim McCreadie[3]; 11. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[11] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 2. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[1]; 3. 111-Max Blair[4]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener[9]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 7. 43-Derrick Stewart[6]; 8. 11-Austin Smith[7]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[8]; 10. 000-Matt Nailor[11]; 11. 96-Tanner English[10] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 4. 18-Chase Junghans[6]; 5. 15K-Wil Herrington[9]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 7. 09-Michael Leach[8]; 8. 19M-Spencer Hughes[10]; 9. 79-Donald McIntosh[7]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[11]; 11. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[5]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[4]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[8]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[2]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[7]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 9. 18D-Daulton Wilson[6]; 10. 32J-Jason Jack[10] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[4]; 2. 43-Derrick Stewart[6]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[5]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[7]; 6. 11-Austin Smith[8]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[1]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[10]; 10. 000-Matt Nailor[12]; 11. 5-Mark Whitener[2]; 12. 96-Tanner English[14]; 13. 9-Tim McCreadie[11]; 14. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[13] UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 15K-Wil Herrington[1]; 3. 99B-Boom Briggs[4]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 6. 09-Michael Leach[5]; 7. 19M-Spencer Hughes[7]; 8. 79-Donald McIntosh[9]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[11]; 11. 32J-Jason Jack[12]; 12. 18D-Daulton Wilson[10]; 13. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[13] Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 4 Feature Finish (50 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 2 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $12,0002 – 4 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $6,0003 – 1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $3,5004 – 6 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $2,8005 – 10 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $2,5006 – 5 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,3007 – 13 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $2,2008 – 24 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $2,1009 – 9 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,05010 – 11 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $2,00011 – 15 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,60012 – 18 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,40013 – 12 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,20014 – 8 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $1,10015 – 16 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $1,05016 – 27 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $10017 – 23 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $1,00018 – 17 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,00019 – 25 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $10020 – 3 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,00021 – 21 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $1,00022 – 20 – 15K – Wil Herrington – Hawkinsville, GA – $1,00023 – 7 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $1,00024 – 22 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – $1,00025 – 14 – 18 – Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – $1,00026 – 26 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $10027 – 19 – 43 – Derrick Stewart – Ainsworth, IA – $1,000 Race Statistics  Entrants: 43Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Devin MoranMD3 Lap Leaders: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 1-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Margin of Victory: 2.503 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Tyler Bruening (Lap 4); Blair Nothdurft (Lap 6); Brian Shirley (Lap 16); Garrett Alberson (Lap 43)Series Provisionals: Tim McCreadie; Daulton WilsonFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisional: Ross Robinson; Tyler Bruening; Donald McIntoshTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Devin MoranPenske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Bobby Pierce, Jonathan DavenportPEM 4th Place Feature: Bobby PierceDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Jonathan DavenportWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Drake TroutmanWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Carson FergusonMD3 24th Place Feature: Boom BriggsHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Daulton Wilson (Advanced 16 Positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (50 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 5 | 15.325 seconds)Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Hard Luck Award: Garrett AlbersonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Nathan SlettoARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Jonathan Davenport (14.1228 seconds)Time of Race: 24 minutes 07 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1125 – $40,1002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1115 – $38,3003 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1075 – $41,2004 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 1020 – $20,2755 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1005 – $20,3506 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 970 – $16,3007 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 965 – $14,5008 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 945 – $17,9509 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 905 – $14,25010 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 900 – $11,90011 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 895 – $19,20012 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 895 – $17,92513 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 870 – $9,70014 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 820 – $10,50015 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 805 – $10,17516 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 800 – $13,55017 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 780 – $4,90018 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 775 – $13,35019 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 715 – $8,40020 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 710 – $4,80021 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 705 – $6,42522 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 680 – $5,72523 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 670 – $4,17524 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 630 – $2,55025 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 620 – $4,55026 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 620 – $3,17527 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 580 – $3,40028 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 575 – $3,70029 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 530 – $1,70030 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 500 – $3,72531 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 465 – $1,50032 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 465 – $2,600

 

BRADENTON, FL (February 7, 2025) — Stellar conditions and aggressive crew chiefs combined to produce one of the quickest fields across Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock categories in recent memory today at the 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout. Multi-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown ran to the top of a stacked field of eight with a career quickest 3.644 second, 322.11 mph run. Funny Car world champion and defending SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout winner Austin Prock held onto the No. 1 spot with one of the quickest runs in Funny Car history, 3.791 seconds at 331.53 mph. Pro Stock rising star Cory Reed drove his KB Titan Racing powered Chevrolet Camaro to the No. 1 spot in Pro Stock with a career quickest 6.494 second run at 209.62 mph.

Brown waited until the final session to wow the near capacity crowd at Bradenton Motorsports Park with his No. 1 qualifier pass. The three-time world champion knew he needed to drop a big number at the superstar event.

“This is the PRO Shootout. What that means is, everybody’s gonna come here and you 
have nothing to lose,” said Brown. “This is one of those races you come out and you want to show out. When you see other teams running low 3.60s you just want to be part of that gang. You know, this year, the field will be so tight. At the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout everybody’s going to bring the best out that they got.”

Antron Brown blasts to the top in the Matco Top Fuel dragster. photo credit Auto Imagery

Following the final round of qualifying the eight quickest Top Fuel drivers drew chips to find out who their first-round opponent would be. The unique format is one of the special twists at the PRO Superstar Shootout. Brown and Shawn Reed will square off in the first round. 

Other key first round matchups will be Doug Kalitta, the provisional No. 1 qualifier against Brittany Force and two of the best drivers off the starting line, Justin Ashley versus Shawn Langdon. The final pair of the quick eight will feature Josh Hart versus NASCAR Hall of Famer turned drag racer Tony Stewart. 

Brown ran to the top spot in his championship winning dragster after he had a tire issue on the third qualifying session. It was the first run on the Top Fuel dragster since it had a significant chassis adjustment over the off-season. 

“This was our car from last year that we won the championship with,” said Brown. (Crew chief) Brian (Corradi) told me if it feels good, just drive it all the way. He wants to see the number come up on the board. I saw the 3.644 come up and I was like, ‘Lord have mercy.’ It gives us a little bit of confidence, because we’ve been trying to get our new combination to go there.”

Defending Funny Car event winner Prock dominated qualifying at the second annual SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout. The reigning NHRA Funny Car world champion had the quickest elapsed time during each of the four qualifying sessions.
 
Handling the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for his second season, Prock came out of the gates with a 3.816-second pass at 332.84 mph to earn the provisional No. 1 qualifying position on Thursday night. His teammate, Jack Beckman, who was making his first appearance at the specialty pre-season event, followed behind him with a 3.836 at 329.99.

Austin Prock will be looking for back-to-back SCAG PRO Superstar Shoout wins, photo credit Auto Imagery

“Man, this thing was trucking down there, and I had my hands full. I got really close to the center line down there,” said Prock, following his final qualifying run. “Really proud of this team. We’ve been working at this for so long, and, you know, it’s been, I think, eight years now, since someone’s run 3.79 in Funny Car. The race cars, limitations and rules were much different then. To get back to that number, it says a lot about this team.”

Prock would keep the momentum during Friday afternoon, laying down a solid 3.882 second run at 326.56 mph during the warmest part of the day followed by a 3.860 at 332.10.
 
The final qualifying session would mix things up in the Funny Car field. Matt Hagan in the American Rebel Dodge Charger SRT would jump from fourth to second after a stout 3.82-second pass at 328.22 mph. Not to be outdone, Prock and his Cornwell Tools team gave the fans a show with their No. 1 qualifier run of 3.791 seconds at 331.84 mph side-by-side with Beckman going 3.825 at 334.32, the top speed of the event so far.
 
In the chip draw, it would be Bob Tasca III, driving the PPG Ford Mustang that broke the 340-mph barrier at last year’s event with a 341.68 mph run, that would matchup with No. 1 qualifier Prock. When all was said and done, Hagan, the No. 2 qualifier, matched with No. 3 qualifier Beckman.

“Everyone on the internet is going to think it was staged, but that’s the funny thing about coincidences, right?,” said Prock “It’s going to be great for the fans. We love racing Bob Tasca. He was one of the drivers that had a winning record against us last year. We know how tough that team is, and we enjoy racing them. “

The Pro Stock class saw nearly half a dozen drivers race into the low 6.50 second range before Reed broke through with an eye-popping 6.494 second run in the final qualifying session under the lights. His teammate Greg Anderson joined him at the top of the field with a 6.498 second run but it was Reed’s night to celebrate his first career No. 1 qualifier as a professional driver.

Cory Reed secured his first career No. 1 today at Bradenton  Motorsports Park, photo credit Auto Imagery

“It just felt fast,” said Reed, who is entering his second season as a Pro Stock driver after competing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks. “I didn’t expect it to go 6.49 seconds. We were hoping for sure. I totally thought that (reigning world champion) Greg Anderson was gonna blow me out of the freaking water.”

“It’s a lot of fun, no matter, even the bad runs are fun,” said Reed. “Drifting a Pro Stock car, across the starting line and doing burnouts is cool. Then the chip draw is a little bit of wild card. It doesn’t matter in this class, to be honest, if you don’t go up there and have a 0.30 reaction time or better, you’re probably gonna lose. 

“The energy here, it’s awesome,” said Reed. “The people have been great. The fan turnout looks good. I was looking at the stands and it was pretty packed.”

Gates will open at 8 a.m. at Bradenton Motorsports Park and the first round of eliminations for the pros will begin at 12:30 p.m. with Pro Stock rookie Matt Latino taking on David Cuadra. For more information visit www.prosuperstarshootout.com.


First Round Match-ups

Pro Stock
 
Matt Latino (7) vs. David Cuadra (9)
Dallas Glenn (3) vs. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (6)
Greg Anderson (2) vs. Erica Enders (5)
Aaron Stanfield (4) vs. Chris McGaha (16)
Fernando Cuadra Jr. (11) vs. Cristian Cuadra (12)
Deric Kramer (8) vs. Greg Stanfield (13)
 
Funny Car
 
Chad Green (7) vs. Bobby Bode (8)
Ron Capps (4) vs. Daniel Wilkerson (5)
Matt Hagan (2) vs. Jack Beckman (3)
Austin Prock (1) vs. Bob Tasca III (6)
 
Top Fuel
 
Doug Kalitta (2) vs. Brittany Force (3)
Josh Hart (7) vs. Tony Stewart (8)
Antron Brown (1) vs. Shawn Reed (6)
Justin Ashley (4) vs. Shawn Langdon (5)

The two stars rekindle their rivalry with a Volusia thriller on night two of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar NationalsBARBERVILLE, FL (February 6, 2025) – It’s the rivalry Sprint Car fans have missed for a long few years. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. But it came roaring back in a big way on Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park.A heartbreaking spin for Emerson Axsom set up a three-lap duel to the finish for the dirt racers at heart that’ve become stars of the NASCAR Cup Series. And the two titans delivered.Bell led the way, and Larson threw everything at him. Bell kept the Kreitz Racing No. 69K glued to the bottom in Turns 1 and 2 while Larson ripped the Silva Motorsports No. 57 around the top. Bell slid himself in Turns 3 and 4 leaving Larson to try crossovers. It came down to the final corner of the last lap as Bell again drifted up in front of Larson. The Elk Grove, CA native ducked under Bell as they exited Turn 4. The two drag raced to the checkered flag, and it was Bell holding off Larson by .05 seconds for his first gator.The finish brought the entire crowd to their feet. Fans got a taste of the two battling on dirt last month when Bell held off Larson in similar fashion at the Tulsa Shootout. And the rivalry was rekindled even more as Bell bested him again for a Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals gator and $12,000.“It’s just absolutely incredible,” Bell said. “I’m just so thankful that my boss Joe Gibbs and everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing has allowed me to come out here and do this. It’s so much fun. Winning Outlaw races is my pride and joy. I don’t have many of them to my name, and I’m just so thankful to be in the 69K and get to add another one. It truly is a dream come true to be racing out here.”It was Bell’s first Sprint Car win in only his second race back since taking a hiatus from dirt in 2022. The victory was also his first with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars since October 13, 2019 at Haubstadt, IN’s Tri-State Speedway. The Norman, OK native is up to six wins with The Greatest Show on Dirt for five different teams – Fox Racing, Keith Kunz Motorsports, Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing, CB Industries, and Kreitz Racing.For team owner Don Kreitz Jr., it was the iconic No. 69K’s first Series triumph in the state of Florida, and Bell is the third different driver to win a World of Outlaws race in the car, joining Kreitz himself and Lance Dewease.“It’s a pleasure to drive, for sure,” Bell said. “He’s (Kreitz Jr.) a magician whenever it comes to working on this thing. It just rolls around the corner really, really good. I feel like the slicker it gets the better off this car is going to be. The cushion is a little bit tricky. I’ve got to figure out how to drive a little bit better when it starts to get thicker.”It was back-to-back podiums for Larson in the Silva Motorsports No. 57. He backed up Wednesday’s third with Thursday’s runner-up. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion continues to bang on the door on his first Volusia win. He did everything he could to make it happen, but he couldn’t quite sneak by.“I thought I did a pretty good job on that last restart of staying with him on the frontstretch and thought I was going to be able to build enough of a run,” Larson said. “But this place is so wide. To run the top is a long ways around. It was difficult, but I thought I could get enough grip and speed to the center of (Turns) 3 and 4 that maybe I could get lucky enough to catch some traction as I diamonded and get a little bit of a run to get by him into (Turn) 1. Just came up a little bit short.”Rounding out the podium was Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing No. 1S. It was an encouraging run for the Hanover, PA native who had to wait until late June for his first top three in 2024. It makes Schuchart the de facto point leader as the two ahead of him won’t be competing full-time.“Tonight, I felt really good just moving around traffic at certain times,” Schuchart said. “Kyle is going to do a really good job and not make many mistakes. I just didn’t get around some lapped cars as quick as I needed to in (Turns) 3 and 4 and kind of lost a little bit of momentum. I went to get back to the top and try to diamond (Turns) 1 and 2, and by that time Kyle was on my left rear and got to the bottom before I did. That took me out of the fight there a little bit.”It was a devastating night for Emerson Axsom. The 20-year-old native of Indiana looked to be on his way to his first World of Outlaws checkered flag, but a slight mistake while leading resulted in a spin in Turn 4 with a only a few laps remaining.David Gravel and Brad Sweet completed the top five.Ryan Timms drove from 21st to 10th to earn the KSE Racing Hard Charger.Kyle Larson claimed Simpson Quick Time honors.NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Two, and Four went to Kyle Larson, Bill Balog, and Carson Macedo. WIX Filters Heat Three belonged to Christopher Bell.The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Christopher Bell.Bell also topped the Toyota Racing Dash.Ryan Timms won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Emerson Axsom.UP NEXT: The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals roll on to night three on Friday, Feb. 7 at Volusia Speedway Park. It’s another $12,000 and a gator on the line for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, watch every lap all season long on DIRTVision.For the entire 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car schedule, CLICK HERE.FEATURE RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 69K-Christopher Bell[1]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson[4]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]; 4. 2-David Gravel[12]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet[9]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog[6]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz[13]; 8. 26-Justin Peck[11]; 9. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[10]; 10. 10-Ryan Timms[21]; 11. 83-Michael Kofoid[19]; 12. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 13. 21-Brian Brown[5]; 14. 71-Parker Price Miller[22]; 15. 24D-Danny Sams III[8]; 16. 39M-Anthony Macri[15]; 17. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[17]; 18. 1A-Jacob Allen[23]; 19. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[25]; 20. 7S-Chris Windom[20]; 21. 27-Emerson Axsom[3]; 22. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[24]; 23. 2C-Cole Macedo[27]; 24. 23-Garet Williamson[16]; 25. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[14]; 26. 88-Austin McCarl[18]; 27. 6-Zach Hampton[26]; 28. 99-Skylar Gee[28]For complete results, CLICK HERE.ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/cbells-back-christopher-bell-fends-off-larson-for-first-world-of-outlaws-win-in-six-years/EVENT INFO: https://dirtcarnationals.com/ TRACK INFO: https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com/FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK, BECKMAN GO 1-2 ON FIRST DAY AT BRADENTONBrittany Takes Monster Chevy to Provisional No. 2 Spot at PRO Superstar Shootout

BRADENTON, Fla. (Feb. 5, 2025) – Three months after winning the NHRA Mission Foods Championship in his first season in a nitro Funny Car, Austin Prock showed no signs of a sophomore swoon Thursday as he powered the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position for Saturday’s second PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park. The 29-year-old son of Cornwell crew chief Jimmy Prock stopped the timers in 3.816 seconds at 332.84 miles per hour, just a couple of ticks off the track record-topping 3.805 he put on the board during testing on Wednesday.  Second best Thursday was JFR teammate “Fast Jack” Beckman, who coaxed the also brand-new PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy to a time of 3.836 seconds at 329.99 mph. Not to be outdone, two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force also turned in a stellar opening day performance, qualifying her Monster Energy Chevrolet No. 2 behind only defending event champion Doug Kalitta.  Kalitta grabbed the top spot at 3.658 seconds, 332.84 mph with Brittany just a couple of clicks behind at 3.675, 334.15 mph. “Pretty solid start to qualifying,” said the second youngest of John Force’s racing daughters.  “Car went right down the racetrack and it did exactly what we wanted it to do.  So, we feel really good going into tomorrow.  Now we can really push and see what we can get away with going into race day.” Three rounds of qualifying Friday will set the eight-car lineups for Saturday eliminations in the biggest drag race outside of the Mission Series. “We backed it down a little,” Prock said of a run that was quickest at every increment.  “It’s tough to say that when you run 3.81, but we just wanted to make sure it went down the racetrack and it was a nice, safe run to get us locked in the show.  That way we can have three opportunities to learn tomorrow.  “We have a morning session, an afternoon session and an evening session, so a lot to be learned and we’re in a good place to do that,” said the man who won the inaugural Superstar Shootout in his very first race as a Funny Car driver.  “Really proud of this team,” he continued.  “That was quite the hectic run. When we closed the body for the burnout, the windshield was completely fogged over.  I couldn’t see on the burnout (but) they wiped it off and it was about fifty or sixty percent cleared up when I was staging.  I was going to stand on the gas regardless.  It’s not the first time I’ve driven with a fogged windshield. “This racetrack has a lot of grip, and if you do a little hack-sawing on the wheel, it can take it most of the time. So, I got it down there.  It wasn’t the prettiest, but definitely locked us in at No. 1.” Beckman, making his first competitive appearance in the Shootout after serving as the color commentator at last year’s event, also was pleased with the first few runs he has made in the PEAK Chevy as he prepares to chase the championship over the course of an entire season for the first time since 2020. “So cool,” said the 2012 NHRA Funny Car champ.  “Thursday. Night session.  Last pair of Funny Cars, the No. 1 and 2 cars in the country last year and we go to No. 1 and 2 in qualifying. Our PEAK Chevy SS was awesome. It did everything we wanted it to do and there’s more in it for tomorrow night.” For Brittany, Thursday’s performance was particularly important.  A year ago, she posted a quick time in testing, just as she did this year, but in 2024 she wasn’t able to repeat during qualifying and ultimately failed to make the starting lineup.  She and crew chiefs David Grubnic and John Collins were determined not to follow that same path this time around.   “We want to obviously redeem ourselves from last year,” Grubnic said.  “We want to keep the momentum going on how we finished the season.  So, for right now, we just have to make sure we keep crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s.”

OCALA, FL (February 6, 2025) – Jonathan Davenport secured his second consecutive Wieland Winter Nationals feature on Thursday night at Ocala Speedway, as the three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion fended off Brandon Overton to capture the $10,000 victory. The final results will show that Davenport led all 40 laps, but Overton caught up to Davenport as they approached the white flag. However, he could never pass him to steal the win from his fellow Georgian, who triumphed by 0.538 seconds at the finish line. Kyle Bronson achieved his best series finish of the year, taking third, followed by Brandon Sheppard and Devin Moran, who rounded out the top five drivers. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 85th time in his career, Davenport also was victorious at Ocala for the fifth time in his career, the most all-time for any late model driver during Speedweeks at the egg-shaped track. “He (Overton) made me more worried than I should have been. I didn’t know he was coming like that at the very end. It was kind of slimy around the bottom, so he just kept chasing it down and blowing it out. That was why I didn’t think we could move, and since I was in the front, I couldn’t tell what everyone else was doing. Once I got to the lapped cars, I didn’t think I could pass any on the outside. I think they finally rolled in a little of that slime through one and two. It was a little better through the middle, but it was kind of bumpy. As long as your car wouldn’t bounce too badly, I guess that was why he got that good run. Other than that, I was just blocking.” Overton, in his return to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2025, was the third different driver to run second during the 40-lap race, joining Sheppard and Bronson in that category. “I I felt like I was doing everything I could. I almost made a move on him there, but I just got my right rear quarter-panel in the wall and couldn’t get low enough to take the lead. It was an awesome race. If the fans didn’t enjoy that, they might as well stop coming. The wins are on the way. I feel like I have the best crew in the business. I just want to win one; I mean, we’re really close to winning one.” Bronson, looking for his first series win since taking the Silver Dollar Nationals in 2021, regained the third position on lap 33 to round out the Big River Steel Podium.               “It definitely feels good to get a good finish. I have been down on myself a little bit. We’ve got everything we need to win; we just need to put the right pieces in the right places and go after it.” The winner’s Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyna-Gro Seed, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas. Completing the top ten were Spencer Hughes, Ross Robinson, Tyler Bruening, Tanner English, and Dillon McCowan. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 3Thursday, February 6, 2025Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 14.246 seconds Fast Time Group B: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.181 seconds (overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 19M-Spencer Hughes[2]; 3. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 4. 96-Tanner English[4]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener[6]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 7. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 8. 93-Carson Ferguson[11]; 9. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 10. 55C-Chad Mahder[12]; 11. 28B-Carson Brown[8]; 12. 81-Jason Riggs[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 6. 11-Austin Smith[5]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[9]; 8. 15K-Wil Herrington[8]; 9. 24-Tyler Wyant[11]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[10]; 11. 18-Chase Junghans[6] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 4. 9-Tim McCreadie[6]; 5. 79-Donald McIntosh[4]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[5]; 7. 1T-Tyler Erb[7]; 8. 81J-Jack Riggs[8]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[10]; 10. 09-Michael Leach[9]; 11. 000-Matt Nailor[11] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 5. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[3]; 6. 111-Max Blair[7]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 10. 32J-Jason Jack[10]; 11. (DNS) 17Z-Seth Zacharias Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 5-Mark Whitener[1]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 3. 15K-Wil Herrington[8]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 5. 11-Austin Smith[4]; 6. C4-Freddie Carpenter[12]; 7. 55C-Chad Mahder[11]; 8. 18-Chase Junghans[14]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 10. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 11. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 12. 93-Carson Ferguson[7]; 13. 24-Tyler Wyant[10]; 14. (DNS) 28B-Carson Brown; 15. (DNS) 81-Jason Riggs UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[2]; 2. 79-Donald McIntosh[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 5. 111-Max Blair[4]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[8]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[9]; 10. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[14]; 11. 32J-Jason Jack[12]; 12. 000-Matt Nailor[13]; 13. 09-Michael Leach[11]; 14. (DNS) 81J-Jack Riggs Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 3 Feature Finish (40 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $10,0002 – 4 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $5,5003 – 2 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $3,5004 – 3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,7005 – 7 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,5006 – 5 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – $2,3007 – 15 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $2,2008 – 18 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $2,1009 – 13 – 96 – Tanner English – Benton, KY – $2,05010 – 12 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $2,00011 – 23 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,60012 – 10 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,40013 – 21 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,20014 – 6 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $1,00015 – 17 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $95016 – 25 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $92517 – 19 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $90018 – 27 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $17519 – 22 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $85020 – 11 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $82521 – 20 – 15K – Wil Herrington – Hawkinsville, GA – $80022 – 8 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $80023 – 16 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $80024 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $10025 – 9 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $80026 – 14 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $80027 – 26 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $100 Race Statistics  Entrants: 45Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 0.538 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Drake Troutman (Lap 2); Brenden Smith (Lap 12); Dan Ebert (Lap 17); Tim McCreadie (Lap 18); Mark Whitener, Dan Ebert, Daulton Wilson, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson (Lap 32)Series Provisionals: Daulton Wilson; Max BlairFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisional: Brenden Smith; Carson Ferguson; Dan EbertTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Kyle BronsonPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Devin MoranPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Devin MoranWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Ross RobinsonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Max BlairDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Tyler ErbMD3 24th Place Feature: Dan EbertHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Max Blair (Advanced 12 Positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (40 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 3 | 14.676 seconds)Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Brandon OvertonHard Luck Award: Daulton WilsonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory FostvedtARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brian Shirley (14.324 seconds)Time of Race: 25 minutes 38 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1090 – $34,8002 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1045 – $37,6003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 980 – $19,2504 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 965 – $18,1755 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 965 – $14,9006 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 945 – $12,4507 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 940 – $29,2008 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 935 – $15,9509 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 895 – $19,10010 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 870 – $9,60011 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 860 – $12,65012 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 825 – $9,60013 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 790 – $11,92514 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 780 – $12,55015 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 770 – $9,45016 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 765 – $8,97517 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 745 – $4,80018 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 710 – $4,70019 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 705 – $11,15020 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 700 – $8,30021 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 680 – $5,42522 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 645 – $3,17523 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 600 – $4,72524 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 595 – $2,45025 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 595 – $3,07526 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 585 – $3,55027 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 570 – $3,300

 

Pro Stock
Dallas Glenn, 6.515 sec at 210.28 mph

Pro Stock Provisional No. 1 Qualifier Dallas Glenn, photo for media use only Krista Zivcic

“These guys have been wearing out the dyno over there in the engine shop, and I’ve been driving all over the country, picking up trailers and testing and getting new people licensed. So that feels really good. After a long week of testing, we thought we had something good. We were just kind of babying everything. We learned a few things through testing and tried to go out there and lay a great one down. I don’t know if it’ll hold up for tomorrow, but it’s going to make it tough. And I’d rather be on top, looking down than looking up.”

“We work all winter long, and this event is the perfect opportunity to see what we worked on, see how it works against everybody else. It’s kind of like that first test for Formula One. Everybody kind of gets to see what their hard work is and what they need to make tweaks on. Pro Stock is so competitive, we want to come out swinging at every moment, because if you don’t, then you’re just going to end up with a big mountain to climb.” 

“We see some new fans here that we don’t normally see because we are a little farther south here from Gainesville, where we start the NHRA season in March. We had an autograph session earlier and I got to meet a lot of nice people. We signed some autographs and it was a lot of fun.” 

Funny Car
Austin Prock, 3.816 sec at 332.84 mph

Funny Car Provisional No. 1 Austin Prock, photo for media use only by Krista Zivcic

“We’ve been making some really good runs here in testing the last few days and you want to make sure you’re solidified in the show on that first qualifying run. That way you can try some things tomorrow when it’s cool out in the middle of the day and then in the evening. Really proud of the team. It was definitely a hectic run. They dropped the body for the burnout, and it was completely fogged over. I needed a defrost button in the Chevrolet SS, but those don’t exist in nitro racing. My guys have the windshield a quick wipe, and it definitely helped. It got about half of it off. Staging was a little interesting. At about 150 feet out, it cleared right up. It got a little inside down at the finish line, which is uncharacteristic of me, but it was good enough for number one qualifier. I definitely had my hands full.”

“Last year, we tested for two days prior to Thursday and never once made it past the Christmas tree and Thursday morning, you know, all the stars lined up in this Cornwall Tools pit and made a full pull on five or six cylinders. I think we ended up number three on Thursday night here. So we are two spots better this year, and definitely a lot more confidence in my driving.”
“A lot of the fans that came out last year are here again. Some of them have been saying, ‘Man, last year, you’re signing Robert Hight’s hero cards. Some of are coming up and saying, “Nice to see ya champ. We called it from the get go.’ After they saw us win the Shootout, they were like, ‘That kid’s going all the way.’ So it’s been cool to meet up with the fans again, and it’s been a long three months being away from the racetrack, being away from the fans, this is definitely my happy place. I know this place is gonna be packed.”

Top Fuel
Doug Kalitta, 3.658 sec at 332.84 mph

Top Fuel Provisional No. 1 Qualifier Doug Kalitta, photo for media use only by Krista Zivcic

“We’re hungry to try to win this race again. It was fun last year. We had Applied Innovations on our race car last year, and they’re back with us all weekend again. Crew Chief Alan (Johnson) and Mac (Savage), and all these guys working on my car they’re all hungry to do the same. We’ve been working real hard all the winter long.” 

“We finished in second last year and we battled to the end. It was all we could do. We’re hungry again, for sure, this year. This is a great opportunity with these guys and this Applied Innovations team. I’m really excited.” 

“Today was good. SCAG hosted an autograph session we had a great turnout for that. There were quite a few people here tonight. For the first night of the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout I’m pretty happy. We appreciate everyone coming out on a Thursday and we expect big crowds the next two days.”

Posted on behalf of Turner Racing   DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 31, 2025) – Turner Racing Honda presented by Mission Foods is excited to announce a two-rider AFT Singles presented by KICKER lineup featuring Trevor Brunner and Walker Porter, along with continued support of Trent Lowe in the Mission AFT SuperTwins class for the 2025 Progressive American Flat Trackseason.  Brunner returns to the squad where he kicked off his professional career and earned his maiden Progressive AFT season following a Rookie of the Year campaign that saw him earn 11 top-tens in premier-class duty. The Indiana native returns to AFT Singles competition aboard a Honda CRF450R with championship aspirations and for good reason. He’s one of the most decorated riders in class history, boasting nine-career race wins, four top-five championship finishes, and the distinction of being one of just four racers to ever secure a Grand Slam of victories (Mile, Half-Mile, TT, and Short Track) in AFT Singles competition.  Rookie phenom Porter joins Turner Racing the same way Brunner did in 2020 – as the reigning Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award recipient. The youngster from Alabama will now look to make the same seamless transition as Brunner and similarly back up his sterling amateur career with a Rookie-of-the-Year professional debut season aboard a Turner Racing Honda CRF450R.  The team will also partner with Big Red SuperTwins to field Trent Lowe in Mission AFT SuperTwins aboard a Honda Transalp 750. Lowe graduates from the AFT Singles class following a six-year run in the category, the last two of which saw him claim two victories and eight podiums while competing for Turner Racing Honda.  The team will be managed by Kenny Coolbeth and Nick Henderson with mechanics Mack McCormick and Michael Preston along with suspension by Steve Beattie with TwentySix Suspension.  Trevor Brunner #21:  “Mike Turner reached out after the season was over and asked me to come back and partner up for the upcoming season. I had a lot of success in my first two pro seasons with the team and Mike really wanted to get the band back together. I’m excited to be back on the Hondas and my goal and the teams’ goal is the championship.”  Walker Porter #100:   “As a kid I always wanted to race for Turner Racing, and now my dream has come true. I started racing Hondas last year for the Turner Racing Amateur team, and I really liked them. My goal last year was to win the Horizon Award and then start competing against the pros at all our races to get ready for this season. I don’t get to race my first race until I turn 16 in May. Until then I’m training with my teammates and racing the pro classes at all the non-AFT races. After that, I will join the series and go after the Rookie of the Year title.”  Trent Lowe #48:   “I’m excited to move up to the Twins class with Turner Racing. It will be my and the team’s first time competing for a full season in the class. I think we have a real chance to fight for wins and podiums and earn Rookie of the Year. We have already started testing and developing the bike to build on where we left off last year. The whole team is working hard to come out of the box strong next year.”  Team Owner Mike Turner:   “It’s great to bring Kenny and Trevor back aboard while adding Nick Henderson to the mix. It’s going to be exciting to see what Walker can do after spending last year helping develop him in amateur competition. We’re also really excited to get involved with Trent, Mike, Steve, and Al Lamb on the twin. We lost my father, Mike Turner, Sr., last year and that has us focused on doing everything possible to make sure we come out swinging this year. He was the motivation for me to start this team with my brothers in the first place, and he truly loved the sport more than anyone. The team is dedicating this season to him.”  Castrol, the Official Oil of Turner Racing Honda returns along with Mission Foods as Title Sponsor. Also sponsoring the team are United Rentals, Helmet House, Vortex, Motion Pro, Phoenix Handlebars, RP Race, Guts Seats, Cortech, Shoei, Sidi, FastHouse, 100%, Team Masonry, and most importantly, Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas.

BARBERVILLE, FL (Jan. 30, 2025) — Sprint Cars have hit the racetrack once again in the United States, and Justin Peck and Rudeen Racing were the first to taste victory in the first main event of the new year Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

The newly formed driver–team pairing kicked off their new partnership in dominant fashion, winning the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) National Tour season opener — as part of the 54th edition of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals — by leading all 25 laps of the Feature to collect the $3,000 grand prize.

More commonly seen on the national 410 Sprint Car circuit, the Washington-based team brought the 360 engine out to get their operation rolling before competition begins with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series next week. Though Rudeen first had Peck driving the team car at the conclusion of 2024, Peck expressed great confidence in he and the team’s capability so early on into their partnership.

“I knew we had speed in the 410 ranks, and I think we just had enough confidence knowing that if we just stick on the program we’re doing and keep building our notebook together that we were gonna be pretty fast,” Peck said. “Thankfully, we were right, and we came here with a lot of speed right out of the box. We had to tweak on it a little bit here and there to gain that little bit extra it takes to win races like this.”

After turning the fastest Qualifying lap in his group, a fourth-to-first drive to win Heat Race 3 and a runner-up effort in the Dash, Peck took the lead from the outside pole on the opening lap of the Feature and never lost focus. The 27-year-old from Monrovia, IN, held off 20-year-old Emerson Axsom and five-time ASCS National Tour champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. for all 25 laps on the fast 1/2-mile — to which he gave much credit to the car underneath him.

“I had a good enough racecar there; I probably would’ve been okay even if the track did change,” Peck said. “Even in that condition, I could run in the dirty stuff, I could run in the slick, I could kinda run through the grip. All-in-all, my car was pretty good.”

Though he was never considerably challenged for the lead, Peck was forced to deal with pressure from Axsom on multiple restarts and in his drives through lapped traffic.

“It’s such a big, fast track, and the 360 stuff doesn’t have as much [horsepower] as a 410 would, so when you get your momentum broken, it’s so hard to get it back together,” Peck said. “Me being up front, I’m full-bore, wide open, ready to rip, and those guys that are mid-pack toward the back are all racing each other and all breaking momentum all the time. Then I get to them, and I have to break my momentum, and it just allows everybody coming behind you to be right up on you right away.”

“I felt like the only chance I had at [Peck] was in traffic,” Axsom said. “It was honestly a little bit nerve-wracking myself because the traffic guys were so off the pace, I didn’t want to put myself in a bad spot and wreck myself or wreck him. So, I was trying to be patient in traffic. I figured one of the runs would go long enough that I could get a run, and I think I was just a little bit too patient.”

Axsom started fourth on the grid and made the pass for second on the opening lap. He chased Peck closely for all 25 laps but was unable to get close enough to make a move for the top spot and settled for runner-up.

“It made it tough to get around Justin there without a little bit of traffic,” Axsom said. “And every time we did get to traffic, the yellow got brought out.”

From sixth on the starting grid, Hafertepe passed his way to third in the opening two circuits but chased Axsom and Peck until the checkered flag. However, he was positive about his result, standing as the highest-finishing driver on the full-time ASCS roster.

“I was really happy with our racecar; this is the first time we’ve been on a Triple X racecar,” Hafertepe said. “We just switched a lot of things from last year to this year. Wings, cars, and to come out the first night and to have the speed we had initially is great.

“Honestly, there were times in the Feature I thought we were gonna be able to have a chance to win the race if lapped traffic would’ve played out for us, but the cautions came, and that’s part of the game sometimes.”

Austin McCarl earned the race’s Hard Charger honor in his drive from 14th on the grid to finish fifth.

Axsom earned Quick Time honors for his best Qualifying lap of 14.165 seconds. Matt Covington won Heat 1, Hank Davis won Heat 2, Peck won Heat 3, Blake Hahn won Heat 4 and Hafertepe won Heat 5. The Smith Titanium Last Chance Showdown was won by Tyler Clem.

UP NEXT

The ASCS National Tour continues action at Volusia Friday, January 31, in the second race day of the 54th DIRTcar Nationals, with another $3,000-to-win program scheduled.

Tickets for DIRTcar Nationals are on sale by clicking here and will also be available at the gate upon arrival. If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view all here)

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 26-Justin Peck[2]; 2. 27A-Emerson Axsom[4]; 3. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[6]; 4. 20-Brady Bacon[5]; 5. 88M-Austin McCarl[14]; 6. 21-Brian Brown[10]; 7. 2C-Cole Macedo[11]; 8. 51T-Scotty Thiel[8]; 9. 95-Matt Covington[9]; 10. 48D-Danny Dietrich[19]; 11. 52-Blake Hahn[7]; 12. 44-Chris Martin[16]; 13. 36-Jason Martin[12]; 14. 13P-Daison Pursley[18]; 15. 4P-Chase Moran[17]; 16. 6G-Bryan Gossel[13]; 17. 63-Josh Weller[20]; 18. UK97-Ryan Harrison[23]; 19. 4-Cameron Martin[15]; 20. 6S-Tyler Clem[21]; 21. 0-Glenn Styres[22]; 22. 16H-Hank Davis[1]; 23. 7-Jordan Thomas[3]; 24. 2-Whit Gastineau[24]

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 30, 2025) – After five years of being neglected a second Gator trophy, Curt Spalding was not going to be denied another on Thursday night.

The Watervliet, MI driver commanded all 20 laps of the opening DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Feature while fending off former marquee winners at the Barberville, FL racetrack.

Spalding and Shirleysburg, PA driver George Dixon brought the field of 24 UMP Modifieds to the green flag, with the two competitors immediately going to battle for the lead in the opening stages.

Dixon used the bottom lane in Turn 1 to attempt a slide job around Spalding, but could not hold traction and slipped up the track – creating a one-second gap for Spalding to take full advantage.

A caution at the halfway point of the Feature erased Spalding’s gap and created new opportunities for the top UMP Modified drivers to contend for the Feature win, including Kyle Strickler, David Stremme, and Michael Altobelli.

On the restart, Strickler took over second place from Dixon, then used the high line of the track to slice down to the bottom of the turns to trim the lead interval of Spalding’s No.5CS Lethal Chassis.

Spalding continued to roll through the bottom of the track while Dixon and Strickler’s door-banging fight for second place solidified Spalding’s second-career Gator trophy – his first since 2020.

“For sure, I could hear them,” Spalding said. “But, I never saw them. I don’t know if they got that close enough, but we did everything we could. We were on a little different deal here. I gotta thank my son, Tyler, I didn’t even know what he was doing on shocks and I said ‘Uh, where are we at on this?’ And he said ‘Don’t worry about it, you’re gonna like them.’ Sure enough, his little shock business is helping propel us up here.”

Strickler finished second after Dixon spun through Turns 3 and 4 from a slide into the cushion. While the Mooresville, NC driver is now the current UMP Modified Speedweeks points leader, he does not like coming short of a Gator trophy.

“First off, congrats to Curt,” Strickler said. “He supported this deal for a long time, and he was smarter than us. He went with a softer tire and every time I got alongside, the caution would come out. It is what it is, I hate to be negative, but second sucks. I felt like we really had a good racecar and can’t thank everybody enough that puts this deal together.”

Stremme, of Mifflintown, PA, came home with the podium finish as a beneficiary to Dixon’s spin on the final lap. The Lethal Chassis owner showed an effort that saw him race inside the top five throughout the 20-lap Feature.

“I just thought it was hard racing,” Stremme said. “I was watching them, it’s so hard to pass because they are so dirty and we had to work on our car a little bit. I was a little too free, but pretty happy with everything. I’m just proud of all the efforts, a lot of our (Elite Chassis) customers are running well, but it’s a long week. We got a lot of work to do still.”

Owensboro, KY’s own Cole Falloway finished in fourth. Altobelli, of Saxton, PA, rounded out the opening night’s top-five finishers.

Up Next: The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds return to Volusia Speedway Park for the second night of racing with the American Sprint Car Series at the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Friday, January 31. Tickets are available here:

DIRTCAR NATIONALS TICKETS

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVIsion – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.

Feature (20 Laps): 1. 5CS-Curt Spalding[1]; 2. 8S-Kyle Strickler[4]; 3. 35-David Stremme[6]; 4. 66-Cole Falloway[12]; 5. 35A-Michael Altobelli[3]; 6. 97-Mitch Thomas[5]; 7. 45H-Kyle Hammer[11]; 8. 777-Trevor Neville[17]; 9. 77-Ray Bollinger[13]; 10. 05-David Wietholder[16]; 11. 51-Dalton Lanich[7]; 12. 24-Zeke McKenzie[20]; 13. 19-Dustin Sorensen[23]; 14. 114-Jordan Koehler[18]; 15. 25-Greg Belyea[22]; 16. 17C-Coleman Evans[8]; 17. 27-Michael Turner[14]; 18. 77D-George Dixon[2]; 19. 27G-Jason Garver[19]; 20. 316-Stephen Pedulla[10]; 21. 36-Kenny Wallace[24]; 22. 18-Miles Beaulieu[21]; 23. (DNF) 12L-Lucas Lee[9]; 24. (DNF) 5-Jonathan Taylor[15]

LAKE CITY, FL (January 30, 2025) – Ricky Thornton Jr., the defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, seized the opportunity created by race leader Devin Moran’s flat tire on the final lap to triumph in the 40-lap Wieland Winternationals opener on Thursday night at All-Tech Raceway. Moran, who led a race-high 34 laps, had a tire going down in the final two laps, which allowed Thornton to pass him on lap 39 as he went on to secure his first win of the season. Max Blair edged past Daulton Wilson on the final lap, as they rounded out the Big River Steel podium, taking second and third place at the finish. Moran limped across the line in fourth, with Tyler Erb completing the top five drivers. Moran jumped to the lead at the start of the race and maintained it for the first 12 laps until Shane Clanton passed him on lap 13. Clanton would then lead Moran for four more laps until Moran surged back ahead for the lead on lap 18. Clanton remained solid in second until a flat tire on lap 29 ended his chances for the win. A lap 30 restart saw Thornton charge from fourth to second as he pressured Moran for the race lead. However, Thornton slipped back when he got too high in turn two on lap 33 and hit the wall. He recovered, and Moran’s flat tire opened the door for Thornton, who entered the All-Tech race as the only driver to have won more than once in the last seven Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing appearances at the track, allowing him to go to the winner’s circle for the third time there. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 43rd time in his career, and for the third time at All-Tech, Thornton claimed victory for the first time in 2025. “I I had a good run on that last restart. I got under Daulton for second as we entered turn three; we bumped a little, but nothing too serious. Then I got to Devin, as I mentioned, and I knew his crew guy would move him up. I actually didn’t even see him [Moran] well enough to notice that he had a right-rear flat. We got to the top of turn three, and he was three-wheeling it. As we approached the white flag, I thought it really stinks for him, but I guess someone’s misfortune was good for us and we’ll take it it.” Blair, who started 10th, surged to the front in the final circuits, claiming the runner-up spot. “I want to be up there where he [Thornton] is. We have been good since the end of last year. The track fit our driving style tonight. We’ll come back tomorrow and try to finish one spot better.” Wilson, who led the most laps at Golden Isles two weeks ago, stayed in the top four for most of the race and came home in third. “We were good at Golden Isles and not so good last weekend. I thought I had a real shot at winning tonight.” The winner’s Bobby and Jessica Koehler-owned Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Ultimate Towing and Recovery, Hoker Trucking, Coltman Farms Racing, Elite Ready Mix, Capital Waste, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Certified Inspection Services Company, Inc., and EMD Wraps. Jonathan Davenport, Donald McIntosh, Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, and Hudson O’Neal completed the top ten. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 1Thursday, January 30, 2025All-Tech Raceway – Lake City, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Devin Moran | 18.924 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Donald McIntosh | 18.999 seconds  Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 4. 31-Tyler Millwood[4]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 6. 49-Jonathan Davenport[6]; 7. 22*-Drake Troutman[12]; 8. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 9. 7-Ross Robinson[10]; 10. 28B-Carson Brown[9]; 11. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[11]; 12. 43-Derrick Stewart[7] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Shane Clanton[1]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 3. 74X-Ethan Dotson[4]; 4. 19M-Spencer Hughes[5]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 6. 24D-Michael Brown[3]; 7. 10-Joseph Joiner[6]; 8. 81M-Dale McDowell[8]; 9. 23-Beckham Malone[10]; 10. 09-Michael Leach[9]; 11. 109-Nicholas Johnson[11]Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 79-Donald McIntosh[1]; 2. 9-Tim McCreadie[4]; 3. 111-Max Blair[2]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 5. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard[9]; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin[8]; 8. 5-Mark Whitener[11]; 9. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 10. 60-Dan Ebert[10]; 11. 157-Mike Marlar[7] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 59-Trey Mills[3]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens[5]; 6. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 7. 3S-Brian Shirley[8]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[10]; 9. 388-Jackson Hise[7]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[9]; 11. 93L-Cory Lawler[11] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 2. 22*-Drake Troutman[5]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 4. 10-Joseph Joiner[6]; 5. 81M-Dale McDowell[8]; 6. 23-Beckham Malone[10]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[7]; 8. 24D-Michael Brown[4]; 9. 28B-Carson Brown[11]; 10. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 11. 7-Ross Robinson[9]; 12. 109-Nicholas Johnson[14]; 13. 43-Derrick Stewart[15]; 14. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[13]; 15. 09-Michael Leach[12]UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 3. 19R-Ryan Gustin[5]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[1]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener[7]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 9. 388-Jackson Hise[10]; 10. 6-Clay Harris[9]; 11. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[12]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar[13]; 13. 60-Dan Ebert[11]; 14. 93L-Cory Lawler[14] Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 1 Feature Finish (40 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 8 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $10,0002 – 10 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $5,5003 – 5 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $3,5004 – 1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,7005 – 7 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $2,5006 – 17 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $2,3007 – 2 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $2,2008 – 18 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $2,1009 – 6 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $2,05010 – 14 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $2,00011 – 22 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – $1,60012 – 4 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $1,40013 – 20 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $1,20014 – 9 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,00015 – 13 – 31 – Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – $95016 – 12 – 59 – Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – $92517 – 15 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – $90018 – 21 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $87519 – 16 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $85020 – 24 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $82521 – 3 – 11 – Shane Clanton – Zebulon, GA – $80022 – 11 – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – $80023 – 19 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $80024 – 23 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $80025 – 25 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $100 Race Statistics  Entrants: 45Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Devin MoranLap Leaders: Devin Moran (Laps 1-12); Shane Clanton (Laps 13-17); Devin Moran (Laps 18-39); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Devin MoranWieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Margin of Victory: 0.963 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Shane Clanton (Lap 29)Series Provisionals: Ross Robinson; Clay HarrisFast Time Provisional: n/a Emergency Provisional: Kyle BronsonTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max Blair, Daulton WilsonPenske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max Blair, Daulton Wilson, Devin Moran, Tyler ErbPEM 4th Place Feature: Devin MoranDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Tyler ErbWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Donald McIntoshWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Ryan GustinDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardMD3 24th Place Feature: Ross RobinsonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Advanced 11 Positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (34 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tyler BrueningPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Devin Moran (Lap 1 | 17.9351 seconds)Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Hard Luck Award: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Nathan SlettoARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps:  Jonathan Davenport (18.564 seconds)Time of Race: 17 minutes 09 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 430 – $13,4002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 430 – $5,5003 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 430 – $8,3004 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 420 – $7,6005 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 400 – $5,5006 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 390 – $4,4007 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 380 – $4,1008 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 375 – $11,1009 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 360 – $3,40010 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 355 – $4,35011 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 330 – $2,30012 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 325 – $3,05013 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 325 – $2,92514 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 315 – $2,60015 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 310 – $2,60016 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 310 – $2,00017 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 305 – $3,00018 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 290 – $2,00019 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 285 – $1,20020 – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 280 – $1,85021 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 265 – $1,00022 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 260 – $1,80023 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 260 – $1,50024 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 255 – $92525 – 59 – Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – 255 – $1,02526 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 240 – $1,10027 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 230 – $20028 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 225 – $20029 – 23 – Beckham Malone – Rock Hill, SC – 215 – $20030 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 215 – $20031 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 205 – $1,10032 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 205 – $20033 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 185 – $20034 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 185 – $20035 – 17Z – Seth Zacharias – Vestal, NY – 175 – $20036 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 170 – $100