The late decision to race the DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals in the days leading up to the event is a choice that Ethan Wilson is happy to look back on.

The Fayetteville, NC driver had to fight with Florida and Crate Racin’ USA 604 Late Model talents through the field for his first career win at Volusia Speedway Park.

The pilot of the No.00 Longhorn Chassis began his night from 10th place, with little passes able to be completed until a pileup on the front stretch played to Wilson’s favor – jumping from ninth place to sixth on the following drop of the green flag.

Wilson consistently ran in the top five for 10 laps until he passed Zack Carley and Mark Whitener for second place. Then, he ran multiple laps against Sam Seawright for the Feature lead.

Wilson and Seawright traded slide job moves with each other until Seawright pulled off the racetrack with a mechanical issue – boosting Wilson’s chances at the win.

Whitener, the former Sunshine Nationals winner, gave Wilson one final run for the win with wide divebombs to give his No.5 Late Model as much space to catch the North Carolinian. It was too little, too late for Whitener’s chances as Wilson gave the Longhorn Factory Team its first Late Model Palooza triumph.

“I was a little nervous, but I knew that I was really good,” Wilson said. “I had to hit my marks coming to the green and just do my job getting through the corners. The cars are great, this was my first time in this race car, so thanks to Steve Arpin, Matt Langston, and all the guys at Longhorn. That was the most fun I had in a race car in a really long time, the track was pretty badass.”

Whitener cemented the night in second, wishing he had a chance to restart the race on the high side of the track to see if his chase for the lead had gone in his favor.

“I don’t know if I went wrong or not,” Whitener said. “I just didn’t feel like I was in the racetrack like I was last night. I was quarter-throttle through the corner to keep the car straight and where I’ll pull up off the corner with (Ethan). I needed the top on the restart to where I could make some moves, but I was always stuck on the bottom. Congrats to Ethan and those guys, we’ll come home second.”

Zack Carley finished on the podium for his introductory trip to Volusia. It was never planned at first for the Freedom, NY driver to race, but was led to competing inside the thick of the southeast’s talent pool of competitors.

“It’s been a long trip,” Carley said. “We started at Golden Isles and they got rained out, so we sat around with nothing to do for seven days and this was a great way to cap it off. This (result) is killer, we’re racing against the best in the business so we passed half of the best in the business, so we love it.”

Powder Springs, GA driver Jake Rainey finished fourth, and Douglasville, TN native Michael Page completed the top-five finishers.

RECAP NOTES:

604 Late Model Quick Time: Skylar Marlar (16.651)

Last Chance Showdown Winners: Kaede Loudy, Layton Sullivan, Austin Yarborough, Mikey Kopka

Hard Charger of the Feature: Wil Herrington (+29)

Up Next: Volusia Speedway Park welcomes the biggest kickoff party in dirt racing with the 54th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, starting on Thursday, January 30, starring the American Sprint Car Series and DIRTcar UMP Modifieds.

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.

ARTICLE:https://dirtcar.com/recap/surfing-horns-ethan-wilson-snags-10000-in-604-late-model-finale-at-sunshine-nationals/ 

EVENT INFO:https://dirtcarnationals.com/
TRACK INFO:https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com/ 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

Corvettes work their way forward in opening hours of 2025 opener DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 25, 2025) – Corvette Racing’s contingent of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs found their way toward the front of their respective classes in the opening phase of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. All five Corvettes were on the lead lap of their respective classes to first race of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, an encouraging start to the second year of the Z06 GT3.R program.

Both of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ pair of Corvettes ran in the top-three of the 15-car GTD PRO class in the first six hours of the race. Alexander Sims was as high as second in class in the No. 3 Z06 GT3.R, followed by Tommy Milner in the No. 4 sister Corvette during their opening stint. The two yellow Corvettes were second and fourth at the six-hour mark. Nico Varrone led the charge in the No. 4 with Daniel Juncadella completing the opening driver rotation in the No. 3. The No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R was on the GTD PRO lead lap with Shane van Gisbergen in the middle of his opening stint and running 10th. Connor Zilisch drove a double-stint to start with Ben Keating following in a two-hour triple stint. In GTD, AWA’s No. 13 Corvette ran as high as fourth as the race went into dark to start its second season with the Z06 GT3.R. Orey Fidani started the race and was in the middle of his second time through and was 18th after six hours. DXDT Racing’s No. 36 Corvette climbed its way up through the order in its WeatherTech Championship debut. After stints from Charlie Eastwood, Salih Yoluc and Alec Udell to start, Pipo Derani was just outside the top-10 in 12th place but also on the lead lap.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTESALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was pretty standard racing out there. In the first couple of stints at Daytona, you want to take it easy and start to get a feel in terms of where we’re strong and where our Corvettes are working well around the track so we can build a picture of later in the race.” Avoiding an opening-lap spin by a P2 car…“I was being told to go outside by my engineer. He could see the screen at the moment, and I was like, ‘Nope, don’t think so!’ at the last minute. But thankfully all was safe for everyone.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Early on it was pretty uneventful, which was good. It looked like most of the field there at the start was nose-to-tail. Even after the pit stop cycle, it seemed like most of the GTD PRO field was still pretty close together. I just followed Simsy around for awhile and did some racing a little bit toward the end, but so far so good.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “All good so far. Car is doing well. We’re trying to not take any risk and not do too many crazy things. It’s easy to kind of get mixed up in GTD stuff which is unnecessary, but so far so good. Car feels great, so let’s try and make it to the end. Some of the others cars, I mean the Lambo, is incredibly quick. That’s going to be tough. I think they already had some issue, so let’s hope they have some more. Then we’ll see what happens later in the race.”  On tire degradation versus other cars.“To be honest, I don’t know about the others, but these tires now, did qualifying, ten laps, and a double-stint. If the car feels like that with those tires on, I’d sign for it. It’s all good.”

CONNOR ZILISCH, NO. 91 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was good. We just got a drive-through as I got out of the car for pit protocol which puts us back a little bit. The car hangs on really well through the double stint. We lack a little bit of raw pace, but I think we make it back on the long runs. It’s going to evolve a lot through the day and night. We’ve got definitely some work to be made and some ground to be made up ahead of us, but it’s not a bad start. It’s early, so anything can happen.” You had to avoid a spinning car on the opening lap….“Yeah, the LMP2 for me on Lap 1, and then one was passing me in Turn 4 one lap in. It came from way back. It was a bit sketchy. Between the GTD cars, we’re all just in a line in the draft until the prototypes caught us and we got split up a little bit. Pretty calm so far.”  Are you having more fun considering your teammates with pretty big personalities? What’s it been like to have Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen as teammates?“It’s been really good to have Scott (McLaughlin), SVG and Ben (Keating) even. Ben’s got some character and a lot of experience in this sport, so it’s been really cool to learn from all those guys. We’ve definitely had a lot of fun together racing. They’re teaching me a lot which is super beneficial for me. It’s not often you get to team up with a team like this and learn from guys like that. I’ve been very fortunate to have all them supporting me and pushing me in the right direction, and keeping our team straight. Shane’s obviously done this race in GT cars a lot before and has a good bit of experience. We’ve been definitely learning on him to kind of ask where you think we are and how do you think we’re doing. He definitely understands GT racing a bit more than me and Scott, but Ben and Shane definitely have a ton of experience and it’s been a lot of fun learning from those guys and hanging out with them off track as well.”  Is there anything fun you’re learning or they’re teaching you?“Majority of good things. I’ve definitely learned some Kiwi slang that I probably didn’t need to know that I know now.”  Do you feel like you’re being a little bit of a Freshman being hazed by them?“I said that before. Yeah, it’s fun though. I bring them coffee in the morning, and we all have a laugh together. It’s been really cool to have them picking on me at times, but they feel like big brothers to me and that’s been really cool.”

LARS KERN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “No issues. The car is running perfectly. I feel like we are in a really good position at this point. I basically double-stinted the tires and we still had good pace at the end. So the car feels really, really good. It’s enjoyable. always gets wild at the restarts but you have to keep your head down and relax because we know the car has pace throughout the stint to move up the order.”

MARVIN KIRCHHÖFER, NO. 13 AWA CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was great. Honestly, AWA, I think we did a good job as a team. The car, our Corvette, honestly, we’re feeling good out there. I think we’ve got some good pace. We’re not as strongest on the straight, I’ve got to say, which makes overtaking quite hard, but I think on the pace-side, we are very competitive. But we’re only in around four hours into the race. A bit of the race is done but still a long way to go. We’ve just got to keep it clean. I’m enjoying my time. Honestly, I’m really enjoying being out there, enjoying the race, enjoying being in Daytona.” Close calls on track?“Well there’s some guys there I think they believe it’s like the last lap of the race, so they make your life quite difficult to get past them. Had a few nice overtakes into the Bus Stop around the outside of the Ferrari. We all love to pass a Ferrari on the outside, so that was good. Not bad, just mainly fun, and just have to keep it nicely together now for the rest of the race.”

ALEC UDELL, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The car felt pretty good. I feel like we were moving forward a bit. There was a lot of energy saving trying to maximize the amount of time that we can spend on the racetrack. So it’s a little bit of balance of if there is an opportunity to make a pass, push and try to get past that car in front of you. But you’re also trying to keep in the draft of another car so you can get that top speed because that’s worth a lot here at Daytona.”

SALIH YOLUC, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The car felt nice to be honest. It’s just for some reason because of straight-line speed issues, it was a bit difficult to race others. But all in all it was a great stint.”

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 24, 2025) Kicking off the sixth annual DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park included four Features contested to decide the top-20 starting positions in Saturday night’s finale.

Starting the weekend at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” with Feature wins bagged by Sam Seawright, Matt Herlong, Demetrios Drellos, and Mark Whitener.

Feature 1 – Sam Seawright

Friday night’s opening Feature began with Mack McCarter spinning in the middle of Turn Two on the first lap. Multiple cars suffered damage, ending the races of McCarter, AJ Miller, and former track champion Garret Stewart.

On the following restart, Sam Seawright took advantage of the gained track position to pass polesitter Layton Sullivan for the lead.

The Fort Payne, AL native dominated the 20 laps by inflating his gap to over 10 seconds before the Feature prematurely ended with Robert Smith, Kyle Hardy, and Sean Ragan involved in a major crash on the front stretch.

With Smith and Hardy contending for second place when time expired on the Feature, Smith was credited with a second-place result and Sullivan finished the night in the third position. Seawright’s Feature win helps his chances of taking over the Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series points lead entering Saturday night.

Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 16S-Sam Seawright[4]; 2. 01S-Robert Smith[8]; 3. 99-Kyle Hardy[13]; 4. 7J-Dalton Jacobs[12]; 5. 23M-Beckham Malone[6]; 6. 15-Marty Massey[9]; 7. 42-Steven Stratton Sr[15]; 8. 7T-Tyler Thomason[7]; 9. 87C-Jarrod Carey[3]; 10. 16W-Wesley Scott[16]; 11. 59-Brian Wooldridge[19]; 12. 96-Sean Reagan[18]; 13. (DNF) 19X-Mark Page[17]; 14. (DNF) 2S-Layton Sullivan[1]; 15. (DNF) 16-Caleb Gay[11]; 16. (DNF) 7-Corey Neil Jr[10]; 17. (DNF) 51-Mack McCarter[2]; 18. (DNF) 14AJ-AJ Miller[5]; 19. (DNF) 67S-Garret Stewart[14]

Feature 2 – Matt Herlong 

Similar to Feature 1, the second go-around for the 604 Late Models began with several Late Models spinning through the middle of Turn 2 and stopping the nights of Rob Pitcher, Monte Skinner, Dale Young, and Luke Bennett.

On the second attempt, Kaede Loudy took command of the Feature, leading every lap to build a six-second gap until a late caution with two laps left opened the door for the field to contend with the Rogersville, TN driver.

Up to bat was Matt Herlong, who traded lanes with Loudy in the final two laps, which culminated in Herlong swinging down to the bottom of the track and then sliding up around Loudy to steal the Feature 2 race win.

“I watched him do it three or four times in a row so I set him up for that,” Herlong said. “It was a hell of a race. I’m worn out, it was rough out there for sure. I did this for my good friend Jim, who isn’t here no more.”

Feature 2 (20 Laps): 1. 131-Matt Herlong[2]; 2. 126-Kaede Loudy[3]; 3. 07-Hayden Cardwell[6]; 4. 18X-Michael Page[7]; 5. 18B-Austin Yarbrough[13]; 6. 18-David Showers Jr[4]; 7. 44-Kam Boyd[1]; 8. 8-Matthew Larson[8]; 9. B2-Brian Booze[17]; 10. 515-Bubba Roling[12]; 11. 49-Mario Gresham[9]; 12. 31S-Tim Swartz[16]; 13. 4G-Kale Green[11]; 14. 57-Landon Zakalowski[18]; 15. 119-Joe Belkey[10]; 16. (DNF) 17P-Rob Pitcher[15]; 17. (DNF) 00M-Monte Skinner[5]; 18. (DNF) 14Y-Dale Young[19]; 19. (DNF) 3-Luke Bennett[14]

Feature 3 – Demetrios Drellos

Curtis Glover and Nathan Bray led the field to the start, but Super DIRTcar Series regular Demetrios Drellos stole the show in Feature 3.

The Queensbury, NY native normally seen in a Big Block Modified ran in second for the majority of the race until a three-car battle gave him breathing room for that chance. Drellos, Trynt Lloyd, and Nathan Bray for the lead off a late restart on Lap 13, which resulted in Drellos prevailing with a move around the top of Lloyd to take the victory.

Lloyd, of Jacksonville, FL, finished second. Fayetteville, NC native Ethan Wilson rounded out the Feature’s podium.

“I really had to bide my time there,” Drellos said. “I didn’t want that caution to come out because I was about to turn it up a wick, but it did and next thing I knew, we were three-wide going for the lead. That was a lot of fun though.”

Feature 3 (20 Laps): 1. 111-Demetrios Drellos[4]; 2. 2-Trynt Lloyd[9]; 3. 00-Ethan Wilson[8]; 4. 21-Nathan Bray[2]; 5. 30-Curtis Glover[1]; 6. D8-Dustin Linville[3]; 7. 257-Skylar Marlar[10]; 8. 86-Wil Herrington[11]; 9. 7A-Corey Almond[6]; 10. 39W-Brandon Wells[14]; 11. 67-Gregory Carrico[7]; 12. 23-Toby Sims[12]; 13. 20-Owen Osteen[13]; 14. 71C-Davy Cline[18]; 15. 18C-Miles Cook II[5]; 16. (DNF) 28L-Austin Leamon[16]; 17. (DNF) 24-Payton Stevenson[19]; 18. (DNF) 118-Jared Delk[15]; 19. (DNF) 1X-Ethan Whitis[17]

Feature 4 – Mark Whitener

Visiting Sunshine Nationals Victory Lane for the first time since 2022, Mark Whitener continued to prove his threat for the Feature win on Saturday with a dominating display in the final 604 Late Model Feature.

To do so, he had to fend off Winter Shootout points leader Jimmy Thomas and reigning Volusia division champion Mikey Kopka for the race win through the 20 laps. The Middleburg, FL driver was unfazed by the challenges of Thomas and Kopka as he picked up the second straw hat won at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.”

“We come here a couple of times to get ready for Speedweeks,” Whitener said. “We’ve been working on the (Super Late Model) and not enough on this thing, so we got some things to work on. Everything’s all good, I know they’re working hard on (the track) and I look forward to tomorrow.”

Thomas, of Phenix City, AL finished second, and Callahan, FL native Kole Platt snagged the final podium spot from Kopka off the final restart on Lap 19.

Feature 4 (20 Laps): 1. 5-Mark Whitener[1]; 2. USA1-Jimmy Thomas[10]; 3. 44P-Kole Platt[4]; 4. 721-Mikey Kopka[12]; 5. 28-Jake Rainey[5]; 6. 6-Dillon Brown[7]; 7. 611-Koulten Herbert[11]; 8. 52-Cody Karl[9]; 9. 2C-Zack Carley[8]; 10. 94-Holden Allen[16]; 11. 12C-Chase Giddens[6]; 12. 54T-Tuck Trentham[2]; 13. 17C-Jamie Maurice[15]; 14. 18I-Jason Intoppa[13]; 15. (DNF) 69-Wyatt Boyd[17]; 16. (DNF) 89-Timmie Harrelson[18]; 17. (DNF) 11-John Ownbey[3]; 18. (DNS) 35-Christian Augspurger

Up Next: The 604 Late Models conclude the weekend at Volusia Speedway Park with the $10,000-to-win finale to the Sunshine Nationals on Saturday night, January 25.

SUNSHINE 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.

ARTICLE:https://dirtcar.com/recap/early-risers-seawright-herlong-drellos-whitener-claim-604-late-model-feature-wins-at-sunshine-nationals/ 

EVENT INFO:https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com/schedule/event-info/?event=6321
TRACK INFO:https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com/ 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 24, 2025) – They say if you don’t win the show, be the show. But if you’re Ryan Gustin at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals, you do both.

Moments after “The Reaper” crossed the line at Volusia Speedway Park to claim the 11th World of Outlaws Late Models win of his career, the engine under the hood of the No. 19R machine started to turn sour. With smoke billowing out from every corner of the car, Gustin crossed the scales to officially become the first winner of the new season.

“It was obviously running hot,” Gustin said in Victory Lane. “Smoke was pouring out on the backstretch and they said keep going, so we burned her down and it paid off. I’m glad there weren’t many more laps, I don’t know how many laps the old girl had left in her.”

Earlier in the night, Gustin claimed the Simpson Quick Time Award and won his Heat Race to make the Redraw, where he pulled the outside of the front row to start next to Bilstein Pole Award winner Nick Hoffman.

A brilliant start gave Gustin the early lead, but a multi-car pileup on the backstretch quickly erased his advantage. On the following restart, Hoffman nailed the first set of corners to grab the lead back and went to work on building a gap.

Hoffman maintained the top spot for the next 15 laps until he jumped the cushion in Turn 2, letting Gustin get to his inside. That kicked off a back-and-forth tussle for the lead, with both drivers taking their turns at sliders through slower traffic.

It all came to an end for Hoffman just past halfway though, as he squeezed his No. 9 under Gustin entering Turn 1, lost the back end and went around to bring the caution out.

When the race went back green, Gustin found Ethan Dotson and Jonathan Davenport on his tail in second and third. A perfect restart allowed Gustin to extend a sizeable advantage over both of them with the laps ticking down.

Davenport got within four tenths of Gustin in the closing stages, but slid up over the cushion exiting Turn 4 which gave Gustin the opportunity he needed to drive away to the win.

Friday’s event marked Gustin’s first World of Outlaws start with new crew chief Cody Mallory on the wrenches, and they’ve already proven themselves to be a lethal duo capable of beating dirt Late Model racing’s best.

“Cody came on here and he’s completely redone this thing,” Gustin said. “Whole different unit than what we’ve had. This thing is just in the racetrack, fun to drive.”

In the final run to the checkers, Davenport got close enough to notice the trouble brewing under Gustin’s hood, but wasn’t able to pull off the winning move for his first Volusia win in seven years.

“Congratulations to Ryan there, they did a great job,” Davenport said. “Saw his motor was running hot and I was pulling up beside him like ‘man, don’t burn that thing down, go ahead and give us one here.’ But anyway, it just wasn’t our day.”

Rounding out the podium was Cody Overton with a career-best third-place finish. It certainly didn’t come easy, as the second-year Outlaw drove up from his 23rd starting spot to take home the Fox Factory Hard Charger as well.

“I was kind of doubting myself after Qualifying, I was like ‘maybe I just can’t drive,” Overton said. “My car owner [Dave Steine] has a lot of faith in me, he has spent tons and tons of money and I’m super thankful for him. This is a new car to me, my notebook has got one page in it. We’re going to take these notes and grow from there.”

Ethan Dotson kicked off his bid for the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award by finishing fourth, good enough for Friday’s Rookie of the Race honors. Tim McCreadie completed the top five in his first World of Outlaws start in the Boom Briggs-owned No. 9M.

The World of Outlaws Late Models return to Volusia on Saturday night for the $20,000-to-win DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals finale. Get tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

Feature (35 Laps): 1. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2]; 2. 49D-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 3. 2-Cody Overton[23]; 4. 74X-Ethan Dotson[5]; 5. 9M-Tim McCreadie[17]; 6. 22*-Drake Troutman[13]; 7. 1-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 8. 40B-Kyle Bronson[25]; 9. 9-Nick Hoffman[1]; 10. 3S-Brian Shirley[11]; 11. 97-Cade Dillard[16]; 12. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 13. 93-Carson Ferguson[10]; 14. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 15. 16-Tyler Bruening[21]; 16. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[24]; 17. 17SS-Brenden Smith[18]; 18. 19-Dustin Sorensen[12]; 19. B1-Brent Larson[26]; 20. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[27]; 21. 14W-Dustin Walker[28]; 22. 1T-Tyler Erb[14]; 23. 8-Dillon McCowan[29]; 24. 157-Mike Marlar[20]; 25. 11-Austin Smith[30]; 26. 09-Michael Leach[19]; 27. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[7]; 28. 111-Max Blair[9]; 29. 60-Dan Ebert[15]; 30. 71-Hudson O’Neal[22]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/gustin-takes-opening-night-win-at-dirtcar-sunshine-nationals/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/schedule/event-info/?event=6321
TRACK INFO: https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com/

FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

The pairing reunited in the off-season, and Schuerenberg is set for his rookie year with The Greatest Show on Dirt

CONCORD, NC (January 24, 2025) – Hunter Schuerenberg and Vermeer Motorsports are taking the next step with their reunion, joining the 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car roster for the first time.

The Sikeston, MO native reunited with Tony Vermeer’s team over the off-season, and they’re ready to compete with The Greatest Show on Dirt. Schuerenberg joins an already loaded rookie class alongside Cole Macedo, Chris Windom, Garet Williamson, Skylar Gee, and Zach Hampton.

“I’m super excited about it,” Schuerenberg said. “I’ve raced since I was five years old and raced professionally since I was 17, and I’m 35 now. The World of Outlaws has been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old. For me, this is something that’s been 25 years in the making.”

Schuerenberg in the Vermeer No. 55 is already a proven combination. The 35-year-old spent more than three seasons with the Iowa-based team. Their first win together came at Ohio’s Atomic Speedway with FAST in 2020. They competed full-time with the All-Star Circuit of Champions in 2021 and 2022, collecting five wins and a pair of third place finishes in points.

Schuerenberg and Vermeer also enjoyed a handful of strong outings in World of Outlaws action, posting top fives at Tri-State Speedway, Huset’s Speedway, and Eldora Speedway – three tracks on the 2025 calendar.

“I think we both just kind of realized that what we were doing when we split apart was pretty promising and headed the right direction,” Schuerenberg said of what led to the reunion. “I think we both mutually just kind of realized we’re better off together as a team.”

Now the pairing will look to rekindle the past success as they attack a 90-night campaign with the country’s best Sprint Car drivers. Schuerenberg will have brother-in-law Clinton Boyles on the wrenches for his debut season with the World of Outlaws.

“It’s very exciting for me to have the opportunity to run with the Outlaws, period, because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Schuerenberg said. “But I’m also very excited that I’m going to be doing it with my brother-in-law as my crew chief. I’m going to be doing it with a car owner that gave me my first real opportunity at being a winged Sprint Car driver. I’m going to have my family on the road with me and also some sponsors that have not only been with Tony the last time I was there but have been with me since I started trying to do winged Sprint Car racing again.”

The addition of Schuerenberg adds even more intrigue to the 2025 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year competition. The list of rookies grows to six as the stage continues to be set for one of the most competitive battles in Series history.

“I definitely think all of them are going to be super competitive for that Rookie of the Year honor for different reasons,” Schuerenberg said. “If we do get that award at the end of the year, we will have worked for it. Whoever gets it will have definitely earned it, which is what I want. I wouldn’t want it to be a walk in the park.”

Schuerenberg and Vermeer Motorsports begin the 2025 World of Outlaws season at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Feb. 5-8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

For the full 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.

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

The pairing reunited in the off-season, and Schuerenberg is set for his rookie year with The Greatest Show on Dirt

CONCORD, NC (January 24, 2025) – Hunter Schuerenberg and Vermeer Motorsports are taking the next step with their reunion, joining the 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car roster for the first time.

The Sikeston, MO native reunited with Tony Vermeer’s team over the off-season, and they’re ready to compete with The Greatest Show on Dirt. Schuerenberg joins an already loaded rookie class alongside Cole Macedo, Chris Windom, Garet Williamson, Skylar Gee, and Zach Hampton.

“I’m super excited about it,” Schuerenberg said. “I’ve raced since I was five years old and raced professionally since I was 17, and I’m 35 now. The World of Outlaws has been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old. For me, this is something that’s been 25 years in the making.”

Schuerenberg in the Vermeer No. 55 is already a proven combination. The 35-year-old spent more than three seasons with the Iowa-based team. Their first win together came at Ohio’s Atomic Speedway with FAST in 2020. They competed full-time with the All-Star Circuit of Champions in 2021 and 2022, collecting five wins and a pair of third place finishes in points.

Schuerenberg and Vermeer also enjoyed a handful of strong outings in World of Outlaws action, posting top fives at Tri-State Speedway, Huset’s Speedway, and Eldora Speedway – three tracks on the 2025 calendar.

“I think we both just kind of realized that what we were doing when we split apart was pretty promising and headed the right direction,” Schuerenberg said of what led to the reunion. “I think we both mutually just kind of realized we’re better off together as a team.”

Now the pairing will look to rekindle the past success as they attack a 90-night campaign with the country’s best Sprint Car drivers. Schuerenberg will have brother-in-law Clinton Boyles on the wrenches for his debut season with the World of Outlaws.

“It’s very exciting for me to have the opportunity to run with the Outlaws, period, because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Schuerenberg said. “But I’m also very excited that I’m going to be doing it with my brother-in-law as my crew chief. I’m going to be doing it with a car owner that gave me my first real opportunity at being a winged Sprint Car driver. I’m going to have my family on the road with me and also some sponsors that have not only been with Tony the last time I was there but have been with me since I started trying to do winged Sprint Car racing again.”

The addition of Schuerenberg adds even more intrigue to the 2025 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year competition. The list of rookies grows to six as the stage continues to be set for one of the most competitive battles in Series history.

“I definitely think all of them are going to be super competitive for that Rookie of the Year honor for different reasons,” Schuerenberg said. “If we do get that award at the end of the year, we will have worked for it. Whoever gets it will have definitely earned it, which is what I want. I wouldn’t want it to be a walk in the park.”

Schuerenberg and Vermeer Motorsports begin the 2025 World of Outlaws season at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Feb. 5-8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

For the full 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.

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

CONCORD, NC (January 24, 2025) – “Peach State” fans will have a fresh face to cheer for in 2025, as Cedartown, GA’s Austin Smith is ready for a run at the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws Late Models.

Racing nationally against the best Late Model drivers in the nation has long been the target for Smith, and he decided that there was no better time than the present to pull the trigger and chase the dream.

“We were going to go to a bunch of the races anyway,” Smith said. “Swainsboro, Talladega, even the Florida races, we were coming to those, the Smoky Mountain race. There’s a bunch of them in my area that we were going to go to anyway, so it kind of made sense to just go ahead and do it all.”

He won’t be going at it alone though, as Smith has the full support of Shane Clanton and Capital Race Cars on his side. Not only does that mean he’ll have the equipment he needs to win, it also means he has the expertise of the 2015 Series champion to lean on as he navigates life on the road with the World of Outlaws.

“My dad and Shane, they joined together last year and became partners on this Capital deal,” Smith said. “He’s been there, done that. He knows the ins and outs, the dos and the don’ts. He’s passionate about this racing, he’s been around it his whole life, so he’s good to learn from. Yeah he’s stubborn, but he’s definitely a good one to have in your corner.”

In his limited World of Outlaws starts last season, Smith proved his ability to hold his own in two of the sport’s biggest events, making the Feature on Saturday at the Prairie Dirt Classic and on all three nights of the season-ending World of Outlaws World Finals. But competing against the Outlaws every weekend requires an entirely different level of preparedness and commitment, and Smith knows he’s in for a trial by fire in his freshman season.

“Racing with these guys is a totally different animal,” Smith said. “I don’t know that you have an advantage anywhere across the United States. Yeah, I could probably gamble on tires or something like that where maybe they don’t really know, but as far as setup, driving, equipment, things of that nature, they’re all the best of the best. It’s tough night in, night out no matter where you’re at.”

With the likes of Ethan Dotson, Daniel Hilsabeck, Jake Timm and Daniel Adam committed to the full World of Outlaws season, Smith knows he’s in for a heavyweight fight for this season’s top rookie honors. While that’s a battle he believes he’s capable of winning, the primary goal for 2025 is to continue the building process towards a long and successful career with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

“We would love to win the rookie deal obviously, just as all the other rookies would,” Smith said. “Just getting out there and getting our feet wet racing with these guys, it makes you better. We’re looking forward to racing with them. Trying to build our notebook, trying to build our program, trying to build Capital as a whole. We’ve got Daniel [Hilsabeck] and Dennis [Erb Jr.] on tour also, which is going to be great help. We’ll just see what happens.”

Smith will kick off his first season with the World of Outlaws Late Models this weekend at Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Jan. 24-25), followed by Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Feb. 13-15). To find ticket information for both events, click here.

If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap of the 2025 World of Outlaws Late Models season on DIRTVision.

January 23, 2025 — DAYTONA BEACH, FL

• Nick Yelloly qualifies his Acura MSR ARX-06 second for Saturday’s season-opening Rolex 24
• Tom Blomqvist shows speed in #60 Acura MSR machine, will start sixth

Nick Yelloly led the way for Acura in qualifying for the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, putting his #93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian ARX-06 second on the grid for the twice-round-the-clock classic.

Yelloly’s qualifying effort marks a strong showing for the #93 team, a joint effort between Meyer Shank Racing and Honda Racing Corporation USA. HRC US is taking on a larger role in engineering and strategizing for the team for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Yelloly will be going for his first Rolex 24 win on Saturday, alongside two-time Rolex winner Renger van der Zande, three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou, and HRC-backed driver Kakunoshin Ohta.

The sister #60 Acura ARX-06 qualified sixth in the hands of Tom Blomqvist. The two-time Rolex winner’s pace looked good enough to join the #93 on the front row, before an altercation with the slower #63 cost him significant time on what was likely to be his fastest lap. Blomqvist and teammates Colin Braun, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist will start the Rolex 24 from sixth.

Rolex 24 at Daytona Acura Qualifying Results

• Qualified 2nd – #93 Nick Yelloly, Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06. Co-drivers will be Renger van der Zande, Alex Palou and Kakunoshin Ohta.
• Qualified 6th – #60 Tom Blomqvist, Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06. Co-drivers will be Colin Braun, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist

Quotes
Nick Yelloly (#93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06) Qualified 2nd: “My very first Acura qualifying and we’re lining up on the front row for Daytona, which is nice. There was a bit of confusion regarding the amount of time we had left, so it was lucky that I started to get on with it when I did, because in the middle of the lap they said it was the last lap and I thought I had two or three more. Let’s say the racing gods helped us out a little bit there, but the car felt nice. I still think there’s more in it. Now we just have to concentrate on the race. Happy for all the MSR and the HRC crew to get a good start to the season in terms of qualifying, but the points are mostly in the race!”
Tom Blomqvist (#60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06) Qualified 6th: “Car is good, car is fast! We just got ourselves in a difficult spot there with the traffic and the track position. It’s a little annoying for me, it’s a little annoying for him as well. I was just trying to complete my lap, but in the end it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s a bit disappointing because I think we had the car to fight for pole. It’s a long race so it doesn’t really matter, but let’s see!”

How to Watch the Rolex 24 at Daytona
Television coverage for the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona starts Saturday, January 25, at 1:30 PM ET on NBC for the initial hour of the event. Coverage continues on the USA Network from 2:30 – 6:30 PM Saturday before returning to NBC 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Sunday for the conclusion of the race

Live flag-to-flag coverage will be available on NBC Peacock in the US and on IMSA’s YouTube channel internationally. Additionally, Radio Le Mans will have live flag-to-flag coverage via IMSA.com.

Acura and HRC US social media content and video links can be found on:

• Instagram
• X 
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• TikTok 
• YouTube

www.instagram.com/hondaracing_us www.twitter.com/hondaracing_us
www.linkedin.com/showcase/honda-racing-corporation-usa/ www.facebook.com/HondaRacingUS
www.tiktok.com/@hondaracing_us
www.youtube.com/@HondaRacingUS

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 23, 2025) — Seth Bergman finally accomplished his goal of winning the ASCS National Tour title in 2024, but even with the Emmett Hahn Trophy in hand, he’s not satisfied.

“Now that we’ve got one, I want to come back and back it up,” Bergman said. “I want to show that it wasn’t just a one-time thing, that we’re building something consistent here that can consistently compete and win championships at this level.

“For me, I think that’s just the competitive drive I have in me. I’ve worked so long to get one, and now I’ve got one, and I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s go get another.’”

The 37-year-old Snohomish, WA-native is returning to the full-time roster in 2025, driving the Oklahoma Chiller, Rider/Triple X No. 23 for his own Bergman Motorsports team.

Though his first championship — a lifelong goal of the Oklahoma resident — was sweet, Bergman still has areas he wants to improve on.

“It’s about coming back and trying to better some of our areas that we weren’t good in last year,” he said. “There’s certainly a lot of things I didn’t think went great last year that I think we can improve upon. We’re working really hard to have a much better year than we did last year, and also to come and back it up and show that it wasn’t just a one-time thing.”

In 31 races last season, Bergman collected seven wins, the most top-five finishes of any driver (24) and top-10s in all but three races. But he didn’t top every stat column, and that doesn’t sit well with him going into the new year.

Bergman’s biggest rival throughout 2024 was five-time Tour champion, Sam Hafertepe Jr. In 30 recorded starts, the Sunnyvale, TX-native won 12 Features and garnered 13 Quick Time Awards (Bergman was second with three), among other stats columns led, but still came up 146 points behind by season’s end.

“I didn’t win as much last year as I wanted to,” Bergman said. “We had a lot of things changing with our team all year and I never really got a solid footing and really got going. I feel like I was more inconsistent than I wanted to be. I didn’t win near as much as I wanted to.

“Yeah, we were good enough to win the championship, but it bothers me that Sam won more races, he led more laps, and things like that bother me. I know I’m capable of more.”

While the past has frustrated him, Bergman has learned from his experiences and is ready to move on to the new season, which, for him, begins April 12 at Salina Highbanks Speedway. He and his team are assembling all-new cars for the new year and have upgraded their equipment as well — from transporters to mules and tools — and will sit out from the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals events at Volusia Speedway Park.

It’s all part of the off-track preparations he’s making to ensure himself a seat at the championship contenders table come season’s end.

“The past few years, I feel like I’ve been coming into my own as a driver and a man,” Bergman said. “When I climb into the race car these days, I’m confident. I know I’ve put in a ton of work outside the racetrack just on myself, my mental [health]. I work really hard outside of the racetrack to make sure that when I come, I can be ready to compete. So, I get a lot of confidence off that.”

See Bergman make his 2025 season debut and begin his run to a second ASCS National Tour championship on Saturday, April 12 at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, OK.

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

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R paces three-car contingent in shortened qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 23, 2025) – Cadillac Racing will start the first race of its expanded IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) program from the fourth, seventh and eighth positions in the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Jack Aitken, driving the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, led the Cadillac contingent with a best lap of 1 minute, 34.350 seconds on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway course in the scheduled 15-minute qualifying session that was reduced to 5:50 of green flag running because of a red flag early on.Filipe Albuquerque recorded a best lap of 1:34.933 in the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing entry, while Louis Deletraz was right behind in eighth at 1:34.935 in the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing car. The No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 claimed the pole with a lap of 1:33.895. In 2024, the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R rode to the pole with a track-record lap time of 1 minute, 32.656 seconds, and the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R completed the front row lockout. Cadillac Racing will seek its fifth victory since 2017 in the January 25-26 race. Cadillac has totaled 12 podium finishes, including the four overall victories, in the Rolex 24 At Daytona since 2017. A 90-minute night session today and 60-minute morning session Friday will allow Cadillac Racing teams to further fine-tune the cars for the changeable weather and track conditions during the twice-around-the-clock event.  Cadillac Racing overall victories2020 (Renger van der Zande, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Kamui Kobayashi)2019 (Renger van der Zande, Fernando Alonso; Jordan Taylor, Kamui Kobayashi)2018 (Christian Fittipaldi, Filipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa)2017 (Jeff Gordon, Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Max Angelelli)Poles2024, 2021, 2018, 2017

What they’re saying Filipe Albuquerque, No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (best lap of 1:34.933): “A hard qualifying for us as the first time in the Cadillac V-Series.R. For sure the red flag didn’t help anybody. I think for us a little bit more in terms of knowing what the car was going to be like. We’re still learning about the car. P7, it’s not the end of the world for a 24-hour race – it’s a long one. We keep going and learning the car, obviously we would have liked to be a little bit further ahead, but we will see come Sunday.” Jack Aitken, No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R (best lap of 1:34.350): “I was happy and it’s a pretty good place to start. We’re hopefully going to be in the mix in the front the start of the race. It was a bit of a weird session, very truncated and I didn’t get many laps in. I had to make that last lap count. The car felt really nice, so I think we’re in a solid position. We have a few more sessions to work on things and build a solid racecar.” Louis Deletraz, No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (best lap of 1:34.935): “Not an easy qualifying with the red flag. I think the pole position lap time was not doable for us, simply impossible. First qualifying together with Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing. We are learning every time and know how to improve and get better. The main focus now is the race.”

Three Corvettes in top-eight after qualifying; AWA, DXDT eager to go forward in GTD DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2025) – The three Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs in the GTD PRO class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sped toward the front of the class Thursday in qualifying ahead of this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Alexander Sims in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports entry led the way for the Corvette camp by qualifying fourth in the 15-minute session for the 15-car GTD PRO field with a lap of 1:46.012 (120.892 mph) – less than a half-second off the class pole-winning time. Sims had another half-second in hand over Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R from the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports squad that will see both of its cars on the second and third rows for Saturday’s start. The No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R will start on the next row after Connor Zilisch’s effort that saw him qualify eighth in class and barely a tenth-of-a-second off Milner’s time. In the GTD ranks, the DXDT Racing and AWA Corvettes qualified 16th and 17th respectively in the massive 22-car field in class. Charlie Eastwood did the honors in the No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R for DXDT’s maiden qualifying run as a full-season WeatherTech Championship team. His lap of 1:47.592 (119.116 mph) was about eight-tenths clear of Orey Fidani in the No. 13 AWA Corvette. GTD PRO Corvette Z06 GT3.R Qualifying Times· No. 3 Corvette – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Dani Juncadella – 1:46.012 (120.892 mph) – fourth in class· No. 4 Corvette – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg, Nico Varrone – 1:46.445 (120.400 mph) – sixth in class· No. 91 Corvette – Trackhouse by TF Sport – Ben Keating, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch – 1:46.579 (120.249 mph) – eighth in class GTD Corvette Z06 GT3.R Weekend Fast Times· No. 36 Corvette – DXDT Racing – Charlie Eastwood, Pipo Derani, Alec Udell, Salih Yoluc – 1:47.592 (119.116 mph) – 15th in class· No. 13 Corvette – AWA – Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern, Marvin Kirchhöfer – 1:48.334 (118.301 mph) – 16th in class The Rolex 24 marks the start of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the second season of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program. This year’s group marks the largest number of production-based racing Corvettes in the race since 2007. The Corvette Racing brand has a deep history at the Rolex 24 and includes four GT class victories – one of those an overall win in 2001. In addition, Corvette’s successes at Daytona have bolstered Chevrolet’s impressive record of 122 wins at the circuit across IMSA and NASCAR’s national series. The Rolex 24 At Daytona goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 25 with live television segments on NBC and USA plus flag-to-flag coverage on Peacock in the U.S., and IMSA.com for international viewers.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTESALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “First of all, low fuel run here. You’re getting a load of laptime on the straights, and the car is pretty alive. Qualifying at any point is quite exciting when it comes down to two or three laps of the tire peak where you’ve got to try and nail a lap, which is always tough in itself. Simply the fact I was doing qualifying, it was exciting. These conditions, it was really hard to switch the tire on and I didn’t get it. It was just challenging to switch the tire on compared to normal. The car was feeling nice. This Corvette is lovely. It’s great in loads of phases but it’s really exciting when you’re driving it on low fuel. The team gave me a really nice car. We did the best with what we could in terms of the balance of the Corvette out there. It was really nice to drive. Quite a big delta to the Fords. I can imagine where the laptime is gained on that, but well done to those guys, and we’re looking forward to the race. We’ll know more, honestly 12, 14, 16 hours into the race. It seems like the car is working well, and that’s all you can ask for now.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Glad to be at the pointier end of the class. Obviously, P1 is a little bit out of touch there, but otherwise, we’re generally pretty close. We’ve worked very hard in the offseason. The engineers have – based on last year’s data and the car we’ve had – to try and improve our Corvette and I think we’ve done a great job in improving the car. Hopefully, that will translate to a good race for us. So far, reliability-wise, we’ve been very good which is I think is another important part to make this race successful for this team. From that side, all good. It’s been a great week so far with my teammates Nicky and Nico. We’ve got a couple more practice sessions here to work on it a bit more. I think we’re in the hunt. I don’t think we quite have the fastest car, but like I said, we still have two more practice sessions to work on it. I think more than anything, we’ve gone down a good path with the car so far all through the Roar, practice and qualifying as well. Good car balance, so we’ll just continue to tweak on it.”

CONNOR ZILISCH, NO. 91 WEATHERTECH CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It definitely feels good to get qualifying out of the way. It doesn’t mean too much in a 24-hour race. There are a few cars out there that are going to be tough to beat. We’re going to need some help, but overall the car is driving well, and I think we’ll have a good car for race runs and longer stints. I feel like that’s one thing we were really good at in practice. Just hoping we can keep that up in the race and keep our car driving well, and I think that will pay off for us.”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 36 MOBIL 1 / SuCo CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Not what we expected. Just didn’t seem to be able to generate a lot of grip. It’s a very different condition than what we had in the Roar, and we seemed a bit more comfortable. Both in FP1 and there in qualifying, we just didn’t seem to be able to gain enough grip. We need to look at the data to see where we’re missing it. Ultimately, if it heats up again for the weekend, we might be in a better window but we still need to understand why we’re not there at the minute. Bit of work to do, for sure.“Ultimately, we still had the same opportunities as everyone else to be up front and we’re not. For sure it’s not a be all to end all with 24 hours to go to the front, which is very straightforward if we have the pace. But we definitely seem to be missing a bit at the minute. It’s going to be a case of working out where we’re missing that, and go from there.”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 AWA CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Qualifying went well. The car felt amazing out there, and it just kept getting better and better with every lap. Huge credit to the team for their hard work dialing it in. I’m feeling confident and excited heading into the race!”

Trackhouse by TF Sport drivers Ben Keating, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch along with TF Sport team owner Tom Ferrier and GM Executive Director of Global Motorsports Competition Dr. Eric Warren met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway to discuss the program’s effort in this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona with the No. 91 WeatherTech Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GTD PRO. Full transcript:

Eric, how significant is it for Chevrolet to be a part of this project and with five Corvettes for this race and considering Chevrolet’s history at the Daytona 500? DR. ERIC WARREN: “This is a great project that I’m sure we’ll talk about more. The exciting part for me is having Tom and TF Sport come over and work with the IMSA group and Pratt Miller. There are so many intersections across all our series here. It’s exciting not only to bring an additional Corvette with the history and opportunity, but across IndyCar, NASCAR, sports cars and even Supercars… that’s the relationship part of this. Particularly with Ben and Tom running this year in the WEC, this is a great opportunity. It fell into place and there are a lot of great things from a competition point of view with the great road-racing experiences that these guys have and the history we have here in all our other competitions. There are so many parallel things that I couldn’t be more excited. The car looks great, on top of all that.” For Tom, exciting to start TF’s second year with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R as part of this program and this group?TOM FERRIER: “Definitely with this group, for sure. We had a great year last year, and we got stronger and stronger throughout. We ended it really well in Bahrain with a double-podium. We definitely felt like we were ready to kick off 2025 in a good, strong way. As Eric said, it’s a lovely combination to have. We have Been with us in WEC this year, and it’s great to get going with him. Obviously these three guys (McLaughlin, van Gisbergen and Zilisch) are pretty special to work with as well. We’re really looking forward to it and are excited about this.” For Connor, how the LMP2 win last year at Rolex 24 set the stage for where you are now.CONNOR ZILISCH: “It was a big confidence-booster for one and opened up so many opportunities for me on this side of the paddock. I felt like I had to make a name for myself before I got the opportunity to jump into a GT car and race with a team like TF Sport and race with Corvette. It’s definitely something that I could use to prove myself in this style of racing. That race was incredible last year here. Everything about it and the emotions… everything I learned racing in the WeatherTech Championship last year was so beneficial for me in every series I race in. It made me such a better driver. Working with Era Motorsports last year was so beneficial for me as a person and a driver. I learned so much from that, and that has opened doors for me.” For Scott, what’s it been like to transition to this car and with this group?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: “It’s nice to have a roof over my head in some ways! I’ve missed it. When Eric said the opportunity was going to happen with (Connor, Shane and Ben) and now knowing TF Sport and how they work, it was awesome. I’ve been having a blast and had a lot of fun this past weekend. But for us, we aren’t looking at it as fun or an exhibition. We want to go out there and win and do our best for Team Chevy, Corvette and their whole program. I’m having a blast teaming up with my old buddy here (van Gisbergen) and getting to know Connor, who is a superstar in his own right, is very cool. I’m not taking any of this for granted, for sure.” Shane, talk about coming into this race as a NASCAR driver this year after coming in originally as a star in Australian Supercars.SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: “It’s been awesome to come back to this race. I’ve missed GT3 cars quite a bit. There are certainly a lot more buttons and dials on the dash than a (stock) car, that’s for sure. It’s been fun teaming with these guys, as they’ve touched on, and TF Sport and Team Chevy. It’s been a blast so far. I miss GT racing and the team aspect of it. The car has to suit all four drivers. There are little compromises but thankfully we’re liking the same things. It’s just been fun so far and I’m sure it will be fun in the race. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. So far it’s been an awesome experience to be back here.” Ben, you’re pulling double duty this weekend. How is it going so far?BEN KEATING: “So far, so good. I was excited to get the opportunity to get to do a qualifying sim just now, and pretty happy with those results. I’m grateful to drive this morning.” What is Justin Marks like as a team owner?VAN GISBERGEN: “It’s unreal. He’s such a forward-thinking, open guy. I got to have him in New Zealand a couple of weeks ago on the last few days of my holiday. I hung out with him a bit and got to know him as a person. Just an awesome guy. As a boss he’s great, too, with how he thinks about this stuff. I had some drives that I was trying to get. I really wanted to come and do this race, and had some good potential drivers and he said, ‘No wait a bit. I’m working on something that you’ll like.’ It’s amazing how he makes things come into fruition. Even when he told me that he was going to make me come over here… it’s exploded, the program that I thought I’d be doing. What an amazing person.” ZILISCH: “I can relate to what Shane said. He’s so innovative and creative with everything he does. It’s been a blast to be part of Trackhouse and get to know Justin and everyone who works at Trackhouse. It’s a great place to be. Everyone loves what they do at the shop. It’s a very positive building to work inside of. Justin does such a great job not only running the business and making sure he does things different. But also making sure it’s a great atmosphere to be in. I do truly feel at home at Trackhouse.” Eric, what’s it like working with Justin compared to some other owners in general?WARREN: “From the beginning when he first came into NASCAR, I was having a lot of conversations with him. So I’ve known him for quite a while and watched him race when he was in (the) Xfinity (series). From a sports car point of view, he’s always had that as his heart. He raced in sports cars and he sees himself as a sports car racer. So I knew that passion was always there. We always talked about different opportunities. It’s exciting because he is thinking about a lot of different things. We’re very fortunate with Team Chevy to have long-standing relationships with Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske… all those people that you see. Creating those intersections for Justin and those individuals and all the different series, it’s great to see him mature as an owner, let’s call it, and all the excitement around the Trackhouse brand. Watching that come together is great. You feel like you’re a part of it. It’s been exciting, and this project has been super-exciting.“To tell a funny story about Connor and Justin, I think it was at VIR and we had had Connor as a development driver for awhile. Justin won the TA1 race and he called me saying on the first lap that Connor was two seconds a lap faster in that car. He was asking how we are going to get him signed up. From that moment there’s always been all these relationships and intersections that you see develop. That’s been exciting.” Eric, you mentioned all these drivers getting signed, and Justin (Marks) has kind of gone the way of Zak Brown with having all these drivers with nowhere to go. Connor (Zilisch) is on lease to JR Motorsports. TRD has run into that problem often. How do you handle that as a manufacturer?WARREN: “As a manufacturer, our objective is to win. We’re in it to win. We want to learn. You develop relationships with teams. You see opportunities with teams and drivers by having multiple teams. You look several years down the road. Unfortunately, at the top level of motorsports, there’s going to be situations where you don’t end up with a seat. Sometimes that’s situational, sometimes that’s competitive. The good thing about Justin (Marks), he’s part of the driver development program we have which has been a little bit organic. We’ve been trying to learn and Connor’s (Zilisch) has been a great example of that as others are on the NASCAR side. It’s hard to say that’s a negative. To be able to sign other drivers, look at Shane (van Gisbergen) coming in. You don’t get access to the talent, you don’t learn. Until you put people in situations, you don’t identify the talent of the driver versus the situation of the team.” Do you worry about losing some of these young kids you develop?WARREN: “As far as at Chevrolet and GM Motorsports, we feel like if we’ve built the most competitive program, they’re going to come back, right? And we see that all the time. We try to get people to a point where they know that GM Motorsports is the place to be. Situationally, let’s say we can’t, we lose one. There are plenty of times when we know where they’re hearts are at. That’s where we’re at. We’re the hearts, the minds, of our fans and customers, so I don’t lose too much sleep over it because I know at some point in time, I’ll get them back.” With NASCAR’s new rules specifically for the OEMs and what happened at Martinsville, what thoughts or talks have gone into how you guys will race at the Daytona 500?WARREN: “There’s a lot of discussion going on behind the scenes there. I think, we as an OEM, and I think that this is shared by others, we’re in it to win. We want to compete. Technology changes a lot. All these strategies and different communications in the sport changes a lot. There are certain types of tracks, and Daytona has kind of been that for a lot of years now, where just by the strategy of it, you have to pit together. Twenty years ago, there was no such thing as a two-car team. Now there’s multicar teams, and now there’s groups of multicar teams. The sport really changes because the manufacturer, the engineering, and the cost required to do simulators and simulation has become such a big part of it. It allows for the engineering and the planning, and the strategy comes from the manufacturers. Some of that kind of group work has been natural. Certainly, we work with NASCAR and all the series we work with, we try to figure out ‘okay, where’s the line?’ We want to keep progressing, make sure it’s clear, what is competing. The situations are so different. Every track there’s a spot where multiple people from the same manufacturer are using the same strategy tools and if the strategy tool says, ‘stay out,’ it could look to an uninformed observer that it was something that it wasn’t, right? It’s just the sport. So, we want to make sure that integrity is protected and understood, and it’s a constant evolution.” Connor, with this morning’s NASCAR Cup Series announcement for your first start in the Daytona 500, do you have any planned after that?“No, nothing yet. We’re going one race at a time and moving into it slowly. I’m still really young and have a long time to grow and progress in this sport. I definitely have trust in Justin (Marks) and what Trackhouse and GM are doing with me. Honestly, I’m very out of the loop on what goes on behind the scenes. They don’t tell me stuff until it’s done. I’m probably the wrong person to ask, but as of right now, I don’t think there’s anything else planned.” This race is known for having a star-studded lineup. Who would you want to see in it?KEATING: “I’d love to see Max Verstappen come out here and play around with us.”  ZILISCH: “I agree.”  VAN GISBERGEN: “I feel the same. I was just messaging (Max) about it before. I think he’d be good here.”  MCLAUGHLIN: “I don’t know. Valentino Rossi has been doing some GT stuff. It’d be cool to see him come here and try it.” ZILISCH: “I’ve heard he’s really good, actually. I’ve talked to one of his teammates and said he’s really good on four wheels. Drivers drive.”  Have you decided who is going to qualifying the car?ZILISCH: “I think I’m qualifying. The lightweight guy (laughs).” With your great outcome last year, what you’ve been able to do in the sports cars has kind of helped you. You said a year ago you wouldn’t be where I was (without it), talk about how that has progressed…ZILISCH: “With COTA being the third race of the year, it made sense to get a start in it early (on a road course) and get a feel for it. The (NASCAR) Cup car is a lot different. I definitely have a lot to learn there. It’s just a whole different level in the Cup series and I want to get my feet wet in it as early as possible and get an understanding of what my future may look like. So, I’m really excited for that. It’s going to be a lot of fun. “Things have progressed really fast. It’s been… the last 16 months, 18 months have been quite a whirlwind but it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve just been trying to take a step back and enjoy it all because things happen fast and life moves fast, and you have to step back and enjoy the time. That’s my main thing is just trying to soak it all in, have fun, and not stress myself out too much about these big moments.”  Have you talked to Justin (Marks) about Project 91 or anything else on the NASCAR side?MCLAUGHLIN: “No. I mean, I remember when Shane (van Gisbergen) got announced and that was all going on, I felt ‘you’ve got a great guy for that.’ So I was super excited (for him). I think it was going to be a great program that he’s got going on there. But no, I haven’t spoken to him on doing that.” You said previously you didn’t like racing GT cars, but now you’re here. What’s changed?KEATING: “As most of you know, I pay to be here by selling and repairing cars. I really enjoy racing what I sell. There’s nobody out there selling an ORECA or a Gibson to a retail customer. So, I’m excited to make that connection. The way GT3s have kind of taken over sports car racing around the world, I don’t know if there are any other options. I’m very excited to be back in a Corvette. I’m very excited to be able to represent Keating Chevrolet on the track and also be able to represent the Corvette brand in Houston at my dealership. There’s a lot of synergies there and having won the World Endurance Championship in 2023 with Corvette, it’s kind of like putting on an old shoe or a glove or something. It just feels great. We’ve won the World Championship with TF Sport in 2022. Everybody involved is kind of all in the family for me.”

The two Hoosiers have joined forces as Hampton is set for his debut campaign, and Rose continues to iron out his driving schedule

CONCORD, NC (January 23, 2025) – Bill Rose has tabbed Zach Hampton to pilot his No. 6 machine full-time with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars in 2025.

Hampton becomes the latest driver in a loaded rookie class as the upcoming season will mark his first with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He joins Cole Macedo, Chris Windom, Garet Williamson, and Skylar Gee in the chase for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year.

Knowing he wanted to put someone in the seat as he continues to heal from injuries sustained last year, Rose recently reached out to Hampton. It was fortuitous timing for the Mooresville, IN native as he went from an uncertain future to a shot on Sprint Car racing’s biggest stage.

“I’m actually selling most of my stuff, and I was kind of prepared to be done unless I could drive for someone else but didn’t really have anything in the works,” Hampton explained. “Bill was going to buy a few things like my mule and other small stuff, and we got to talking. It kind of started from there. Then he called me while I was at Chili Bowl and asked if I’d be interested. We talked some more and got a deal worked out that works well for both of us.”

Hampton has plenty of Sprint Car laps under his belt. His 2024 campaign was highlighted by several top 10s in weekly Knoxville Raceway action. In 2023 he picked up an impressive FAST victory in his home state at Circle City Raceway. Now he takes the step up to the demanding World of Outlaws calendar where he’ll face off with the best of the best every night.

“I’m really excited,” Hampton said. “There’s going to be a big learning curve in a lot of areas. I think there’s like 90 races on the schedule, and the most by far I’ve ever done in a year is, I want to say, 52. That’s definitely going to be a big step up, but I think that’ll only help me from a driving standpoint being on the track more and more consistently.”

The opportunity is one that Hampton is motivated to take advantage of. It wasn’t all that long ago that he was selling his equipment without a solid situation ahead. The time is now for Hampton.

“It’s nice that people see potential there and that Bill trusts me not only driving his car but to be a part of this team,” Hampton said. “The drivers are usually kind of the face of it. It means a lot that he trusts me enough in all of those aspects to come race with them.”

While Rose has added Hampton to the team, fans can still expect to see Rose himself behind the wheel. He’s still ironing out the details as he continues to await medical clearance, but with it being his 50^th overall year in racing, Rose has no intentions of only being a crew chief all season.

Hampton and Rose kickoff the 2025 World of Outlaws season at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Feb. 5-8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

For the full 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/zach-hampton-joins-bill-rose-racing-for-rookie-world-of-outlaws-season/

Sent on behalf of OTB Racing DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2025) – OTB (On The Box) Racing is thrilled to announce that Brandon Price will return as the team’s primary rider for the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season in the Mission AFT SuperTwinsclass. After a standout performance in the 2024 season, Price’s return marks an exciting chapter for both the rider and the team as they aim for even greater success in the upcoming year.  Price, a talented and dedicated racer with a history of podium finishes in AFT, has been a vital part of On The Box Racing’s growth. His determination, skill, and passion for the sport have made him a formidable competitor on the track. With a year of experience under their belts, both Price and OTB are ready for a strong and competitive season in 2025.  “We are very excited to have Brandon back for a second year” said Wayne Sody, Team Owner. “I have the upmost confidence in our second year to make a run for the AFT championship. We learned so much from our first year which will put us on a whole new level of competing.”  Brandon Price echoed the sentiment, expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming season: “I’m pumped to be signing with the OTB Racing team for another year. We made a lot of headway with the Yamaha MT-07s this past season. With being on the same team and on improved equipment, I’m ready to prove I have what it takes to be a contender in the championship race!”  OTB and Price are preparing for a successful 2025 season, with new developments on the bikes, as well as a dedicated team and sponsors. The team consists of Jason Isennock returning as Crew Chief and Mechanic, Wyatt Neal alongside Head Mechanic, Brian Eckhart and Team Manager, Meg Neal.  Supporting this year’s efforts with OTB Racing are Memphis Shades, Corbin, Vinson Construction, Michael Sponseller, Roof Systems, Yamaha Blu Cru, Lisa Niner, Fredericktown Yamaha, Rausch Racing, Lowery Racing, Motion Pro, Glen’s Auto, Small Town Lids, R-Nyne Designs, Vortex Brewing Co, Vortex Racing, Aria Helmets, Earlbeck Gases, Arctic Circle, BCTRA, LP3 Refuse Removal, and Black Hills Powersports.  The 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season will kick off on March 6th and 7th with the first two races in Daytona.  For more updates and behind-the-scenes content, follow OTB Racing on Instagram (@otbracing_) and Facebook (OTB Racing).

The Canadian will follow in the footsteps of his father as he makes his debut season with The Greatest Show on Dirt

CONCORD, NC (January 22, 2025) – Skylar Gee is ready to be a part of The Greatest Show on Dirt.

The 25-year-old out of Leduc, AB, Canada is set for his rookie World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car tour in 2025 aboard the Logan Fenton Racing No. 99. Gee joins Cole Macedo, Chris Windom, and Garet Williamson in the strong class chasing this year’s Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year.

Gee follows in the footsteps of his father, Tim Gee, who competed with the World of Outlaws full-time for multiple seasons in the 1980s and is one of two Canadian-born Feature winners.

“As cliché as it sounds, it’s a dream come true,” Gee said. “Growing up at the racetrack and racing with my dad and everything it’s something I’ve always wanted to do is to go out and race with the World of Outlaws and have that opportunity.”

“We feel that we’re ready for that jump,” team owner Logan Fenton said. “Ultimately, we’re a newer team. This is essentially our third full season. It takes a while to get an organization together like this and especially at the caliber the World of Outlaws demand. We understand there is a different level of commitment from teams at this level and we intend to do just that.”

While 2025 will mark Gee’s debut campaign with the World of Outlaws, he’s far from new to racing with a traveling series.

Back in 2017 and 2018, Gee competed full-time with the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS), finishing eighth and seventh and points and picking up a prestigious Grizzly Nationals victory.

Gee graduated to the 410 Sprint Car touring ranks in 2019 as he took on the All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) for the first time. He nabbed his first Series victory that season at Abbottstown, PA’s Lincoln Speedway, where the World of Outlaws will visit twice in 2025, and came home seventh in points. The next season he again competed full-time, improving to fifth in the standings.

He’s since shifted to a pick and choose schedule in the last few years, competing in roughly 60-70 races per year since 2021. Gee and Fenton joined forces ahead of 2022 and have proven to be a strong pairing, picking up seven wins together all in the state of Ohio.

“Kind of where I felt like our team was trending,” Gee said on why this year was the right one to make the jump. “We made some big races and raced pretty well. We had some good showings, I thought, and it kind of opened some doors for us to be able to do this.”

Now, the combination is hitting the road with the best Sprint Car drivers in the country. Gee and the Logan Fenton Racing crew will tackle the 90-night World of Outlaws calendar as one of the most competitive rookie battles in Series history continues to take shape. The 25-year-old will face off with Macedo, Windom, Williamson, and potentially more as they all look to etch their names in the history book.

“It’s going to be tough,” Gee said of going after Rookie of the Year. “I’ve raced with Cole, Garet, and Chris now for a handful of years. I think we’ve raced around each other enough to understand it’s going to be tough. I think looking at it right now it could go to anybody.”

“I’m really excited to watch and see how that transpires this year as we run with top level teams,” Fenton said. “I think that translates into some interesting racing this year with Cole Macedo, Chris Windom, and Garet Williamson. That’s four guys that are going to give us a really good, close battle. I don’t think there’s one single driver that absolutely blows the other ones out of the water. You’re going to see one of the better Rookie of the Year contentions that we’ve seen in Sprint Car racing in quite a number of years honestly.”

Gee and the Logan Fenton Racing crew begin the 2025 World of Outlaws season at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Feb. 5-8. For tickets, CLICk HERE.

For the full 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.

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

Drivers of the three Cadillac V-Series.Rs in final rehearsals for opening show

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2025) – Six test sessions at Daytona International Speedway are in the books with three remaining for the three Cadillac Racing teams and 11 drivers to prepare for the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona. Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) qualifications are scheduled for 3:25 p.m. ET Thursday on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn course that incorporates sections of the famous high-banked oval. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R rode to the 2024 pole with a track-record lap time of 1 minute, 32.656 seconds, and the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R completed the front row lockout.

Cadillac Racing will seek its fifth victory since 2017 in the race with an expanded lineup featuring the Nos. 10 and 40 hybrid racecars run by Wayne Taylor Racing and the No. 31 campaigned by Action Express Racing. “Overall, I think we are leaving the Roar excited but know we have a lot more work to do in the few days leading up to the Rolex,” said Jordan Taylor, co-driver of the No. 40 Cadillac V-Series.R.  ”We are super excited to be back with Cadillac. I personally spent my entire career with them other than one year, which was last year, so I feel like I am back with family, a lot of familiar faces. It’s a brand-new car that I love and love to represent, especially being an American driver, so I am excited to get the week started.”

Media ResourcesCadillac Racing information, statistics, photos, history, driver bios and more for the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona is available and will be updated throughout the race week.

Cadillac Racing notes leading into the 15-minute qualifying:* The driver roster represents 8 Rolex 24 At Daytona overall victories (6 with Cadillac Racing), 7 FIA WEC Hypercar/LM1 championships, 11 24 Hours of Le Mans overall/class victories, 6 Twelve Hours of Sebring victories (4 with Cadillac Racing), and 3 IMSA/Grand-Am prototype championships. * Four current Cadillac Racing drivers have won the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Cadillac Racing in DPi competition: Kamui Kobayashi (2018, 2019), Ricky Taylor (2017), Filipe Albuquerque (2018), and Jordan Taylor (2017, 2019). * Cadillac Racing won the Rolex 24 At Daytona four consecutive years (2017-2020) and placed first and second in 2017, 2018 and 2019. * Cadillac Racing’s victory in the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona was the first of five consecutive victories to start the season and led to the manufacturer, team and driver championships. * The No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing entry is running the Dallara chassis that won the 2024 Petit Le Mans. The No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R is a new chassis, while the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R was also used in the season-concluding race at Road Atlanta.

See the exciting Cadillac production roster Spectators will have the opportunity for an up-close look at the Cadillac V-Series vehicle lineup at the Cadillac display in the midway at Daytona International Speedway. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday.What they’re saying Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 10)Ricky Taylor, full season driver: “It was nice to get Kamui and Brendon into the team and getting them used to the car. We all, us drivers, are new to the car and program and the team is new to the Cadillac V-Series.R. So, I think we are just learning what makes the car perform and what knobs we can turn for the setup, what performs well and what doesn’t. We tried all our big changes at the Roar, that way for this week we have an idea of scale of how things work and fine tune for the conditions of the weekend. So, it was overall good.” Filipe Albuquerque, full season driver: “The Roar felt good. We have a lot to do on the car and we got to drive the car in the wet as well. It’s just been learning about the car and all the settings that we can play within this car; it’s a work in progress. Qualifying will be about putting the car in the window as best as possible. In terms of pace, we will have wait to see and we will give it our best.” Will Stevens, IMEC driver: “Overall, the Roar was fairly productive for us. The main objective is to get all the drivers through the car and being comfortable, which I think we achieved. Even having the wet session at the end, I think was a nice bonus to having driven the car in the dry and the wet. I think everyone feels comfortable in all conditions. I’d say that is the biggest box to tick. From a performance point of view, we worked through what we needed to try and learn ahead of race week to make sure we understand more of the new car we have and what it wants and needs to be able to be quick.” Brendon Hartley, Rolex 24 At Daytona driver: “We had a smooth Roar with little to no issues. The team and my teammates did a great job to give me all the info I needed to get up to speed. I’m feeling comfortable in the car and enjoying being back in Daytona. We have a little bit of lap time to find before the 24. We will all be working hard over the next days to see if we can squeeze some more time out of it and also make sure we are as prepared as possible for everything the next days might throw at us.” Cadillac Whelen (No. 31)

Jack Aitken, full season driver: “This past week has gone OK for us. There are a few things on the car which we needed to prove out and we have a couple of guys that are new to the car as well. So, it’s been a lot of ticking boxes. I think Thursday and Friday will be more about finding the performance in the car. The qualifying run, we’ve got half an eye on it, but really our focus will be on the race. We’ve got an eye on the weather as well as it’s pretty hard to say if it’s going to be cold, wet or sunny and we’re having to prepare for all three at the moment.” Earl Bamber, full season driver: “I think it’s been a good build-up from the November test. The cars are super reliable. It’s good to see everyone from GM working with the evo changes that were made. We’ve got a well-handling racecar, so we just have to see where we flush out in qualifying and the race.” Frederik Vesti, IMEC driver: “Being four drivers with quite limited amount of running is something to get used to, but I definitely got some good laps in and I feel very prepared for the race for my first ever GTP race and my first ever race with Cadillac, which is something I’m extremely excited about. We’ve done a lot of work with the car, gone in different directions trying to explore different things ahead of the race. I think we know we have a very solid base with the Whelen Cadillac, and now we just need to sort of fine-tune it and get ready for the race. The conditions might be different to what we had this weekend. So, a bit of fine-tuning before the race will probably be needed, but that’s the same for everyone.”Felipe Drugovich, Rolex 24 At Daytona driver: “The Cadillac car is a pleasure to drive. I think that track is changing every time and there is not much you can see or predict from this testing. It’s just doing our job and trying to improve ourselves. I think in terms of driving or at least the driver’s perspective it is just trying to enjoy the whole experience because it’s the first time for me. It’s a pleasure just to be driving here and driving the Cadillac with this team.” Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 40)Jordan Taylor, full season driver: “After the Roar, I feel relatively good. It’s hard to look at the timing sheets. I think everyone is working on their own programs and going through what they need to learn. For us, it was the first time doing proper laps in this car and with two cars ready to go in race prep. We checked off a lot of boxes, which was good. We leave the Roar in a good spot. All the drivers are relatively happy with the car and the balance. We have a new engineer on our car, so getting communication down has been a big part of the Roar. Overall, I think we are leaving the Roar excited but know we have a lot more work to do in the few days leading up to the Rolex. We are super excited to be back with Cadillac. I personally spent my entire career with them other than one year, which was last year, so I feel like I am back with family, a lot of familiar faces. It’s a brand-new car that I love and love to represent, especially being an American driver, so I am excited to get the week started.” Louis Deletraz, full season driver: “The Roar was great. We learned every lap and a lot of conditions – cold, sun and even rain – so we discovered the Cadillac V-Series.R even more. I think in terms of performance it’s hard to see because everyone is having different run plans. It definitely seems like it is not easy for us, but we are great team and have great people with us. We are getting better every night and day, and we have a few more nights until the race, so I am sure we can work it out and be competitive for the race and actually be fighting for something good.” Kamui Kobayashi, Rolex 24 At Daytona driver: “I think being back with WTR and joining the team, we have started working properly as a team here at the Roar. I think as a team we are starting to progressively improve and try to understand what the car needs. Of course, with WTR using the Cadillac for the first time in GTP as well, I think we are still learning it. So far, we need some more work to do on the car this week. I am really happy to be back in the Cadillac with Wayne Taylor Racing again here at Daytona. We have good memories of 2019 and 2020 to win the race and obviously, we have the chance to do it again.”

Grandson of ASCS founder Emmett Hahn won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 21, 2025) — After spending two seasons away from the full-time 360 Sprint Car ranks, Blake Hahn is returning to the ASCS National Tour in 2025 to chase a third championship.

Hahn, 30, of Sapulpa, OK, won back-to-back National Tour championships in 2021 and 2022 before transitioning his program into a 410-focused operation for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. But the grandson of ASCS founder Emmett Hahn is returning to the nation’s premier 360 Sprint Car tour in 2025 for several reasons, and it starts with coming back home.

“For me, the main answer is family,” Hahn said. “Me growing up around Oklahoma, watching ASCS develop and seeing the trade of hands from my grandpa over to [World Racing Group] — I think it’s going in a great direction. I think everything’s going to continue to grow. Their schedule fits really well with us; it leaves us some opportunity to go and still run some other events with the World of Outlaws and some other people.”

Since his last ASCS title, Hahn has refrained from chasing points championships, opting for pick-and-choose schedules for his 410 efforts. But 2025 will be different. Hahn will pilot his signature yellow/pink Smiley’s Racing Products No. 52 at all 42 races on the ASCS National Tour in search of a third championship, which would tie him with Tim Crawley for third-most all-time.

“I really want to come back and win a championship,” Hahn said. “I want to prove to people that I can get it done. I’ve had people say, ‘Well, you were only able to win it because we didn’t have the heavy hitters there.’

“In my opinion, I think we will have a really good chance to compete for a championship when it’s all said and done.”

In November, Hahn shined with ASCS during championship weekend, recording three-straight top-10 finishes, including a Feature win on Friday night of Fuzzy’s Fall Fling at his home track — Creek County Speedway.

“We ran a good chunk of races with ASCS this year and I felt like, toward the end of the season, we finally picked up to be back where we were when we left off with ASCS,” Hahn said. “There’s a lot of room for improvement, but I feel like we’ve got a good, competitive car. I feel like everybody knows that if we come back, we’ll definitely be in the running for a championship win.”

The National Tour has seen an upgrade in competition since Hahn departed the full-time 360 Sprint Car ranks. Five-time champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. rejoined the points chase in 2024 for the first time since his most recent championship in 2020, as did reigning champion Seth Bergman. The two remained the standout contenders for the points title throughout the season, and Hahn plans on battling both in pursuit of a championship for the first time in 2025.

“I have some experience running with those guys, and I think that’ll help, just going out there and knowing their tendencies,” Hahn said. “When you’re running for a championship, you have to drive a little bit differently. I think people saw that with Seth this year.

“With Seth coming back and trying to back up his championship with another, he’ll definitely be another hard car to beat. But there’s no doubt in my mind we’ve got a car and a team that can compete for a championship.”

2025 will also mark his first season as a member of the full-time roster in the new era of ASCS. World Racing Group (WRG) acquired the organization from the Hahn family in March 2024, ensuring the National Tour’s future in America’s Heartland. Now, under the new leadership of Series Director Lonnie Wheatley, Hahn expressed his appreciation for the presence and resources of WRG and his positive outlook for the future of his family’s creation.

“After seeing my grandpa hand the reins over to them and see what they did in their first year, I think it’s been great,” Hahn said. “I think it’s one of the deals where, building the good platform that they have, it’s only going to continue to grow.

“Obviously, having DIRTVision in their back pocket is a great thing. It’s not only great for the fans, but it’s great for me and my sponsors and getting good exposure. The streaming services have been taking off lately, so it really helps for me to be able to sell to some people across the country that won’t necessarily be at every racetrack but can watch on DIRTVision.”

With the offseason nearing its conclusion, Hahn and his team are deep into preparation for the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park, Jan. 30–Feb. 1. His ultimate goal of a third National Tour championship begins at the Florida 1/2-mile, and he’s ready to make every effort to hoist the new trophy — adorned with a statue of his grandfather — at season’s end.

“A top three is great, but looking at it, I feel like there’s no reason we can’t go out there and win a championship,” Hahn said. “We’ve got a good team in line, and our team hasn’t changed a lot of equipment. We’ve kinda stuck with the same manufacturers, so not a lot has changed.

“I feel like there’s no reason we can’t go out there and compete for a win. I’ll be honest, if it comes down to the end of the year and we’re not standing on top, I’ll be a little bit disappointed.”

Don’t miss Hahn begin his quest for a third ASCS National Tour championship in the 2025 season opener at Volusia Speedway Park during the opening nights of the 54th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals — Thursday–Friday, Jan. 30–Feb. 1.

Tickets are available now: CLICK HERE.

If you can’t be there, stream every lap of ASCS action all season long live on DIRTVision.

Volusia Speedway Park welcomes Late Models across three divisions to Barberville, FL for a true Late Model Palooza during the sixth annual DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals.

Local division 602 Late Models and Crate Racin’ USA (CRUSA) 604 Late Models take the track for four nights, Jan. 22-25 – headlined by the World of Outlaws Late Models kicking off their 2025 season.

Read More: WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Sunshine Nationals Set to Open 2025 World of Outlaws Season

Wednesday begins with practice, which allows teams to get reacclimated to the environment of the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.” The 604 Late Models and 602 Late Models will each follow a separate points format throughout the weekend, giving drivers two chances to lock a spot in the finale on Saturday night.

Drivers will qualify with their group ahead of split Features on Thursday and Friday. The 602 Late Models Features offer $1,000 to win, and the Pro Late Models race for $1,500 to win.

The top 20 drivers in each division’s points clinch a position into Saturday night’s Feature. 602 Late Model competitors will battle for the $3,000 top prize, while the 604 Late Model competitors chase $10,000 to conclude the opening race weekend in Florida.

Here are the top storylines to look out for:

Top Jimmy: Standing atop the Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout points standings with a Feature win in the Ice Bowl, Phenix City, AL driver Jimmy Thomas holds a mere four-point gap over Sam Seawright, while the top five in Shootout points are within 10 markers of Thomas.

Thomas controlled the opening weekend at the Talladega Short Track by starting on the pole and leading all 40 laps for his first Feature win of 2025. Now, he’ll make his first visit to Volusia Speedway Park to chase more wins and expand his points lead.

New Dawn Arises: There were no repeat Feature winners at Sunshine Nationals in 2024, opening the door for more drivers to add their names to Volusia Speedway Park’s 57-year record books.

Fort Payne, AL native Sam Seawright contended with Brandon Overton and Ashton Winger for the 2024 Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series championship, scoring two wins during the season. He’ll try to take over the CRUSA points lead after the Sunshineweekend.

Hayden Cardwell will visit Volusia Speedway Park for the first time this week as he sits third in the Winter Shootout standings – six points behind the lead. He earned a podium finish during the Ice Bowl – a career-high finish for him.

Where Names Are Made: The 602 Late Model and Pro Late Model divisions became a launching platform for drivers to elevate their racing careers with a win at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile,” since the first Sunshine Nationals event.

Drivers like World of Outlaws Late Model competitors Kyle Bronson and Cody Overton, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular Clay Harris and multi-regional Super Late Model racer Jensen Ford have graduated from the divisions into Super Late Models. And Super DIRTcar Series regular Demetrios Drellos has used the event to expand his racing career, scoring a Pro Late Model win in 2023.

Local Champs Challenge: Mikey Kopka and Kale VanSickle share the honors of being Late Model track champions at Volusia Speedway Park in 2024 while seeking a strong start to their 2025 campaigns in January.

Kopka, of Astor, FL, earned his first 604 Late Model title driving 2022 track champion Joe Kump’s No. 721 Late Model in 2024 – earning seven top-10s, five top fives, and a Feature win at the Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial. Kopka also won the track’s 602 Late Model championship in 2020.

VanSickle, a 15-year-old out of Jacksonville, FL, won his first Volusia Feature in his fourth career Late Model start in 2023, then added three Feature wins and six top fives through seven races in 2024 to clinch his first track championship at the Barberville, FL facility.

Now, they’ll look to add a Sunshine Nationals victory to their collection. If so, they’ll join St. Augustine, FL native David Showers Jr. as the only previous track champion to win the straw hat given to every Sunshine winner.

Tickets for the DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals are available now:

SUNSHINE 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.

Sent on behalf of JCS Racing DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 21, 2025) – JCS Racing, with support from Mission Foods and Roof Systems of Dallas, TX, is proud to announce the return of Brandon Robinson as its premier class rider in the Mission AFT SuperTwins class for the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season. The seasoned competitor will once again don the JCS Racing colors, this time aboard the Harley-Davidson XG750R. The move marks a significant new chapter in Robinson’s illustrious career and underscores JCS Racing’s commitment to competing at the highest level. Robinson, a Pennsylvania native, is no stranger to the AFT circuit. With over a decade of professional racing experience, he has established himself as one of the most consistent and skilled riders in the series. Brandon boasts 16 career Mission AFT SuperTwins wins, 45 podium finishes, and numerous top five championship finishes, making him a perennial contender in the 2025 title fight. This announcement also marks a reunion of sorts for Robinson and the Harley-Davidson brand. From 2017 to 2018, Brandon was a factory rider for Harley-Davidson, where he gained valuable experience and demonstrated his ability to push the iconic brand’s machines to their limits. His familiarity with the Harley-Davidson platform, combined with his extensive track knowledge, positions Robinson as the ideal choice to pilot the Harley-Davidson XG750R to championship success. Wrenching on Robinson’s machines this season will be returning crew chief Ben Evans alongside suspension tech Kayl Kolkman. Brandon Robinson on Rejoining JCS Racing: “I’m beyond excited to rejoin JCS Racing and take on the 2025 season. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to try to become the first rider to secure a premier class victory on the XG750. This is an incredible opportunity to deliver big results, and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got.” Jerry Stinchfield – JCS Racing Team Owner: “Brandon is not just an exceptional talent but a leader who elevates everyone around him, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him back for 2025. We believe Brandon’s skill and experience will bring out the best in both the bike and the team.” Fans can expect to see Brandon in action as the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season kicks off on March 6 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Mission Foods Roof Systems JCS racing Team is also supported by Ben Evans Racing, Liqui Moly, R&B, Arai, Vance & Hines, Underground Suspension, Wildwood, Motion Pro, Alpinestars, Saddlemen, ODI, CTI and WCHA. For updates on Brandon Robinson and JCS Racing’s journey in the 2025 AFT season, follow Brandon on social media (@brob44 / @Brandon Robinson) and visit their official website, https://www.jcsracing.com.

INDIANAPOLIS (January 21, 2025) — The 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout is more than a major league drag racing event. The three-day specialty race at Bradenton Motorsports Park, February 6-8, 2025, will feature a variety of fan engagement activities including a custom car display from Ocala, Florida-based Burnyzz Speed Shop. Owned by Top Fuel team owner and racer Josh Hart, Burnyzz Speed Shop is using the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout to introduce their custom car and high-performance car business to a national audience.

“I’ll be racing the event for the second year in a row and recently we brought on some new investors to Burnyzz’s with plans for national expansion. Becoming a Premium Sponsor at the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout was a perfect opportunity to show off some of our killer cars,” said Hart, a multi-time Top Fuel national event winner. “The event is a great way to start the season and begin building momentum for 2025. There are also fans in attendance from across the country that we are looking forward to introducing to Burnyzz.”
 

Burnyzz was founded in 2010 and has grown into an entire city block of everything automotive. The speed shop offers services such as paint and body, vintage and modern full builds, motor swaps, custom interior and existing interior restorations, and dyno tuning. Burnyzz motto is “Quality over Quantity, every time.” Burnyzz is known nationally as Hot Rod Heaven due to its state-of-the-art facilities offering everything a car enthusiast could ask for including a 100,000 sq. ft. auto sales showroom and classic car restoration shop, auto detailing, and a high-tech service center. 

“Having Burnyzz as a Premium Sponsor adds a whole new level to the fan engagement and sponsorship activation for the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout,” said Scott Woodruff, PRO Board Member. “Josh sees the benefit of the event as a competitor and business owner. It will be cool to see how impressed the fans are with the cars Burnyzz has on display and it will also be a great opportunity for Burnyzz to get in front of new clients.”

Additional announcements including new sponsors and entertainment options are available at www.prosuperstarshootout.com. Tickets can be purchased here.

ABOUT THE PRO SUPERSTAR SHOOTOUT

On February 6-8, 2025, the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) in collaboration with Bradenton Motorsports Park, will host the 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout. The 2024 inaugural event took the motorsports world by storm with incredible side-by-side racing, a unique chip draw elimination format, record-setting speeds and a fan-friendly atmosphere.