NASCAR CUP SERIES HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY4EVER 400 PRESENTED BY MOBIL 1TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT OCTOBER 22, 2023

Byron, Allmendinger Take Top-10 Finishes at Homestead-Miami Speedway ·       Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron led Chevrolet to the finish in the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight at Homestead-Miami Speedway – driving his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 to a fourth-place result for the team’s14th top-five finish of the season.  ·       Three drivers from three different Chevrolet teams recorded top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval with Byron leading Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in fifth and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon rounding out the top-10.  ·       Heading into the Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway, William Byron sits third in the points standings with a 30-point advantage over the playoff cutline.

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER4th      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL15th      AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Campers Inn RV Camaro ZL110th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1  The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight elimination race will get underway at Martinsville Speedway with the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, October 29, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.                                                                                                                TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1Finished: 31st“We were outside the top-10 and needed to work our way back up into the top-five there. We needed to catch a lucky caution to be back into the mix. Just ran out of room — I don’t think it was anyone’s fault, just four-wide coming off turn two.” Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident entering pit road in the final stage. Finished: 34thWe know this series is all about inches – taking every inch you can get. I know you were trying to get aggressive to come onto pit road there. Take us through what happened. “Yeah, that’s just it. I was just trying to push it as much as I could. He (Ryan Blaney) had a great car and I felt like if he was to come off pit road the leader, he was going to end up winning the race or beating me. I was just trying to maximize my pit-in, and honestly I felt like I was doing a really good job. I just didn’t anticipate him slowing down as much as he did. But on the replay, it looks like I just missed it by a lot. I need to look at data. I knew where the yellow line was and thought I was going to be under control getting there, and then yeah, he just slowed down – I locked the brakes up, slid to the right and clipped him and the barrels.  I’m pretty upset at myself, more than anything. Whether he got to pit road speed sooner than the yellow line or not, I could have just done a little bit better job judging it. I hope they are able to recover. I hope he can get a good finish or get a win and get the finish that he deserves.  Just a bummer, but we had a great No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy today.” We talked before the race about the fact that you’re already locked-in. You wanted to get this win here today. How frustrating was it? It seemed like you had a great car early on, but as the run went, I could tell the frustration. How much did your car drop off? “There in the middle portion of the second stage, I was racing hard and got my tires hot. If not for that, we would have been able to keep stretching the lead out in the second stage. I just got loose for a few laps, and then I could never recover from it. I was just kind of hanging on there at the end of the second stage and gave him control of the race, and it kind of just led to this. Just have to do a little bit better job.” Was there a point there where you were like – guys, I have to hit the barrels or else I’m going to run into him? “Yeah, I mean honestly, I don’t really know what I was thinking during the initial part. I was trying to stay off him. As I knew I was going to probably hit him, I just locked the brakes up; I locked the fronts up and slid to the right and clipped the right-side of his rear bumper, and that kind of shot me even more right into the barrels.  Yeah, I don’t know – was in control in my car, I just didn’t anticipate him getting to pit road speed as early as he did.” Do you feel like you had a winning car up to that point? “Yeah – we won the first stage and we had a great No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy in the second stage. Just ran hard for a few too many laps; got my right-rear hot and gave him the second stage. But other than that, we were good.”  AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Campers Inn RV Camaro ZL1Finished 5th“Our No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy was really good. We started the race in the 25th position and drove right up into the top-10 there. The track was tricky – you got on one side of the race track and we fought tight through the middle-half of the race. Our crew chief made some really good adjustments there, and we got some more clean air and I was able to make some moves. I thought maybe we were one of the fastest cars there at the end, but overall, just a really solid day. It’s always great when you can get a top-five finish.” How close to the front do you think you go.. do you think you could have had just a little bit more? “Well don’t get me wrong, it entered my head what the four people in front of me were racing for, so I was never going to force the issue. I was going to take it if I had an opportunity. It was just a great day. We executed the best job on pit road all year. The guys did a great job, so I’m happy.” How good were you at riding up high against the fence? “I didn’t have to ride up against the fence. With this car around this place, you can find different lanes that work. It was a lot of fun.” William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1Finished 4thThat last run there – you got up towards the front; kind of slipped back a little bit, but still finished up in the top-five. Take us through that last run.“We just didn’t have the turn in our car to go into a run, so we just struggled there to fire-off. I was doing all I could to air-block; move my line around and try to take his air, but it just wasn’t enough. I couldn’t get through the middle well enough to maintain pace.  But our No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet was really solid all day. We just needed more there at the end, but we had good execution, good pit stops and put ourselves in position to win.” Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1Finished: 14th“Just an OK, up-and-down, day for the No. 43 Allegiant Chevy team. We had some good runs and some bad runs, but overall, ended up with a decent day. We needed that. We’ve had some bad finishes; some weren’t necessarily all our fault; we were just in a bad spot. It’s nice to come home with an OK day, and hopefully go to Martinsville (Speedway) and get it a little bit better.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES: STAGE ONE: ·       Coming off his win in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 team led the field to the green-flag in the 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. ·       Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron took the green-flag from the seventh position and quickly went to work to climb the leaderboard – moving his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 into the top-five less than 10 laps into the race. Just after reporting to his team that his Camaro ZL1 was building tight, Byron made a pass on then-race leader Martin Truex Jr. – ultimately taking the lead on lap 20. ·       The first round of green-flag pit stops got underway just shy of the halfway mark in Stage One. Continuing to pace the field, Crew Chief Rudy Fugle called Byron down pit road on lap 34 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment – returning to the track in the seventh position. ·       As the field cycled through upon completion of green-flag pit stops, Team Chevy’s playoff contenders Larson and Byron continued to lead the Bowtie brigade in the second and third positions, respectively, with 30 laps remaining in Stage One. ·       Larson quickly closed the gap on then-race leader Brad Keselowski to under a one-second margin. Despite reporting tight conditions on exit in his Camaro ZL1, Larson was able to make a pass for the lead and settle into the top position with 27 laps to go in the stage. ·       Continuing to work his way through traffic, Larson built nearing a three-second lead when the first caution of the race came out with four laps to go in the stage. Unable to return to green-flag conditions before the end of the stage, Larson led the field to the completion of Stage One – marking his eighth stage win of the season. ·       Team Chevy Stage One: Top-101st      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL14th      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL18th      Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1 STAGE TWO:·       Under the stage break, Larson reported that the handling of his Camaro ZL1 was good while running the bottom and middle lines, but he was struggling with tight conditions as he moved closer to the wall. Looking to improve the handling conditions in the top lane, Crew Chief Cliff Daniels called Larson to pit road for four tires, fuel and a round of adjustments – maintaining the top position in the race off pit road to lead the field to the start of Stage Two. ·       Larson was able to defend the lead at the drop of the green-flag, going on to build a nearly one-second lead when the race hit the 100-lap marker. Continuing to click-off laps running his Camaro ZL1 just inches off the wall, crew chief Daniels called Larson to pit road on lap 114 to start the next round of green-flag pit stops. Continuing to struggle with tight conditions against the wall, Daniels called for another round of adjustments on the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1. Getting back up to race pace, the benefit of four fresh tires proved dividends – clocking-in lap times nearly four mph faster than the leaders that had yet to make their scheduled stops. ·       As the final lead-lap car came to pit road, Larson returned to command of the race – already building on his 4.5-second lead over second-place Keselowski with 35 laps to go in the stage. ·       Racing hard in traffic during the closing laps of the stage, Larson’s pace started to fade, allowing Ryan Blaney and Byron to close the gap to the race leader. Both drivers were able to make the pass on the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 with three laps remaining in Stage Two en route to the green-white checkered flag. ·       Team Chevy Stage Two: Top-102nd      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL13rd      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL19th      Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL1 FINAL STAGE / POST-RACE NOTES: ·       Following back-to-back top-five stage results, Byron was looking for “longer rear longevity” at the end of the run. Fresh with feedback, crew chief Fugle called Byron to pit road during the stage break for four tires, fuel and both a chassis and air pressure adjustment. Choosing the bottom lane for the restart, Byron and the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 team led the field to the green-flag for the start of the final stage. ·       Also pitting during the stage break, Larson chose fifth for the green-flag marking 94 laps to go in the race. With the start of the final stage underway, Larson slowly started to make gains on the leaders – moving into the runner-up position 20 laps into the stage. ·       With another round of green-flag pit stops underway, Larson brought out a caution at lap 215 following an incident entering pit road. Damage sustained on his No. 5 HendrickCars.comCamaro ZL1 was deemed too much to repair – resulting the team to retire early from the race.·       With 39 laps to go, Byron was running in the second position in a three-wide battle for the lead when the caution flew. Crew chief Fugle called Byron down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment – with the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 pit crew getting the driver off pit road first for the restart. ·       At the restart with 25 laps to go, Byron powered his Camaro ZL1 to the lead – pacing the field until the Christopher Bell made a pass around Byron for the lead, with the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 ultimately taking the checkered-flag in the fourth position.

Gravel snags first Devil’s Bowl win with thrilling finish in the track’s final raceMESQUITE, TX (Oct. 21, 2023) – The anticipation was sky high. The final race at the birthplace of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars in 1978 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway. The stands were filled to capacity. Could the finale live up to the hype?Absolutely it could.After chasing James McFadden for the entirety of the 30-lap finale, David Gravel saw an opening on the final lap and capitalized. With the checkered flag in sight, Gravel slipped to McFadden’s outside coming out of Turn 4, the two touched wheels, and Gravel stole the victory at the finish line.The thousands of fans rose to their feet to watch a photo finish with a .015 second margin of victory. Oddly enough, the lapped car right next to them was none other than Riley Goodno, who was driving a car that paid tribute to Kenny Woodruff’s machine that Jimmy Boyd took to Victory Lane in the first ever World of Outlaws race at Devil’s Bowl. The perfect punctuation to the decades of Devil’s Bowl history.“What a way to send off Devil’s Bowl. How about that?” Gravel said., “I’m sick of running second. I saw a stat that I ran six seconds in the last 10 races, so that was way too many. I was sending it no matter what. I know Carson (Macedo) and Brad (Sweet) were having trouble, but at the end of the day, I’ve just got to try to win races no matter what they do. Happy to finally get one.”Gravel’s win at Devil’s Bowl marked his first at the Mesquite, TX track in his 17th attempt with The Greatest Show on Dirt. The Watertown, CT’s 87th career Series victory gives him sole possession of 10th all-time, breaking a tie with Daryn Pittman. On the track’s final night of racing, the Big Game Motorsports driver became the 30th different competitor to win a World of Outlaws race at the birthplace of the Series.Gravel started the race in the second spot with McFadden to his inside on the pole after the two ran first and second in the Toyota Racing Dash. McFadden jumped ahead early on, but a major moment in the race came on a restart with 2 laps complete. Lining up in the second row, teammates Brad Sweet and Kasey Kahne came together resulting in both of them flipping on the front straightaway.Sweet, the points leader, brought the battered KKR #49 to the Federated Car Care Work Zone in need of many repairs. After non-stop thrashing on the Napa Auto Parts machine, Sweet was able to rejoin the field. On the ensuing restart, McFadden again powered ahead of Gravel to maintain the top spot. Way back in the field, Sweet began picking through cars. But trouble struck again for the four-time champion as his left rear tire shredded on the eighth lap. Back to the Work Zone Sweet went, and back to the track be returned with a new tire.The race endured a couple more yellow flags over the next dozen laps, and the last one helped set up a finish for the ages. McFadden favored the low line of the racetrack in the latter stages while Gravel looked to the top to locate a potential lane by McFadden. As the laps dwindled, Gravel managed to continue cutting into McFadden’s advantage. When the two reached traffic with only a handful of laps to go, Gravel had his momentum built up and was ready to make a move.On the final lap, McFadden found himself stuck behind a slower car in the preferred inside line. While the bottom might’ve been faster, Gravel had no intentions of staying behind and settling for second after posting six runner-ups in the previous 10 races.As the two screamed out of Turn 4 on the last lap, Gravel found enough momentum and space to squeeze through to the outside. McFadden stayed heavily on the gas, but the momentum and win belonged to David Gravel and his Big Game Motorsports team by inches over McFadden.Gravel put his name in the record books as the final driver to top a World of Outlaws race at Devil’s Bowl with an all-time finish.“Obviously, I wasn’t alive in 1978,” Gravel said. “But this is where it all started. It’s cool to put my stamp on the end of the race. What a great crowd tonight, probably the biggest crowd ever in the history of Devil’s Bowl.”It was a bitter pill to swallow for McFadden who claimed the runner-up spot after leading the entire race except the final few feet in the Roth Motorsports #83. And even though disappointed, McFadden kept the larger perspective in mind of the fans being treated to a memorable conclusion to Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s last race.“It sucks to lose it by a nose,” McFadden said. “But it’s a good way to send the place off. Hopefully the fans enjoyed that. My car was really, really good, but then sort of over the last eight laps I got really, really tight.”Rounding out the final Devil’s Bowl podium was Donny Schatz aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15. The 10-time champion moved forward from ninth and even passed Gravel at one point for second before slipping back a spot.“We thought when we got racing with David there we were going to have a chance to get going,” Schatz explained. “I moved up the racetrack a little bit and got in his dirty air, and for some reason I was just stuck. I kept trying it. We got by him, but once I got myself back in clean air I was kind of in trouble and he went back by.”Giovanni Scelzi and Cory Eliason completed the top five. Scelzi also claimed the KSE Racing Hard Charger after advancing from 15th to his fourth place finishing position.After flipping and two trips to the Federated Car Care Work Zone, Brad Sweet managed to drive all the way back up to seventh. Gravel’s win brought him within 50 points of Sweet with only the World Finals remaining.Sweet snagged the Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award, his fourth in the last five races.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to Kasey Kahne. NOS Energy Drink Heats Two and Three were topped by Sheldon Haudenschild and Spencer Bayston.Logan Schuchart won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars wrap up the 2023 season and crown a champion with four nights of World Finals action at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Nov. 1-4. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[2]; 2. 83-James McFadden[1]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[9]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[15]; 5. 11-Cory Eliason[14]; 6. 5-Spencer Bayston[4]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet[3]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart[19]; 9. 7S-Robbie Price[20]; 10. 1-Brenham Crouch[16]; 11. 20G-Noah Gass[10]; 12. 4-Austin Mundie[22]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[11]; 14. 41-Carson Macedo[13]; 15. 1J-Danny Jennings[18]; 16. J2-John Carney II[8]; 17. 21W-Riley Goodno[21]; 18. (DNF) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[17]; 19. (DNF) 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]; 20. (DNF) 95-Matt Covington[24]; 21. (DNF) 9-Kasey Kahne[6]; 22. (DNF) 84-Scott Bogucki[7]; 23. (DNF) 52-Blake Hahn[12]; 24. (DNF) 19-Ayrton Gennetten[23]

October 21, 2023

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang are set to start 28th in Sunday’s 4EVER 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Burton took that spot with a lap at 166.287 miles per hour in Saturday morning’s qualifying session.

In practice earlier on Saturday, Burton was 23rd on the speed chart with a best lap at 165.320, which he posted on the second of the 27 laps he ran in the session.

He was 19th best among drivers who ran 10 consecutive laps with a speed of 161.751 mph over his first 10 laps.

Sunday’s 4EVER 400, named in honor of retiring driver Kevin Harvick who drives the No. 4 Ford, is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2:30 p.m., with TV coverage on NBC.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165. 
 

Seventh Consecutive Title for Camaro SS

DETROIT (October 21, 2023) – With two races remaining, Chevrolet has clinched the 2023 Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. JRM Motorsports’ Sam Mayer’s win in the series’ second race of the Round of Eight at Homestead-Miami Speedway delivered the Bowtie Brand the Bill France Performance Cup for a series-leading 25th time.  The Chevrolet Camaro made its debut as the automaker’s flagship vehicle in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2013, and has since earned nine titles in the series with 2023 marking its seventh consecutive title-winning season.  “It is a tremendous honor earning the Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the seventh consecutive year,” said Jim Campbell, General Motors U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports. “Thank you to the Chevrolet drivers, crew chiefs and teams for all of their hard work to contribute valuable points toward this special championship.” Seven drivers have recorded a combined 16 wins in the Camaro SS this season, led by Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer with four wins each. Mayer’s teammate and fellow playoff contender Justin Allgaier has collected three wins. Kaulig Racing has four wins with three different drivers, including series rookie Chandler Smith (one) and Team Chevy NASCAR Cup Series drivers AJ Allmendinger (two) and Kyle Larson (one). Jordan Anderson Racing also collected its first-ever NASCAR Xfinity Series win with Jeb Burton. Team Chevy’s Sheldon Creed, Josh Berry, Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Parker Kligerman also contributed to the title with valuable points throughout the season.  “Thank you to all of the Chevrolet teams who work hard each and every week to make this Manufacturer Championship possible,” said Shane Martin, GM Racing Program Manager for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. “Every point matters during the season to reach this accomplishment. I’m very proud of the team effort and contributions made by everyone involved in this program, and look forward to racing for a Driver Championship.” The end of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season saw Austin Hill take the title, leading Chevrolet to a manufacturer-leading nine playoff contenders. Now reaching the Round of Eight, five Team Chevy drivers remain in title contention with Mayer’s win at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval punching his ticket into the Championship Four and the opportunity to compete for the Chevrolet’s 22nd NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Championship title.   # # # #

NASCAR CUP SERIES HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY4EVER 400 PRESENTED BY MOBIL 1TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT OCTOBER 21, 2023

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with the media ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Media Availability Quotes:  Obviously the high line here is talked about every time we come here. Why is it so important to be able to run the wall well here? “I don’t know, for me it is.. it’s important. It seems to be how I’ve figured out how to go fast here. You have to be comfortable against the wall and I know there’s a lot of drivers that aren’t that comfortable against it. So that gives guys like myself and (Tyler) Reddick an advantage when we come here.  Yeah, I don’t know. It just seems like the Next Gen car is a little bit easier to run up against the wall. It was a big advantage last year on the long run and hopefully we’ve gotten our car better on the short run, but still really good on the long run like we were last year.” (Inaudible)“Well I don’t know. It’s obviously a longer way around, but you can get to the gas so early. As long as you’ve entered high enough, you can get to the gas early and just build that momentum and the lap times just compounds from there. I know last year, there were points of the race on the long runs where we’d be like three-quarters of a second faster. Just being able to enter with a lot of speed and then carry a lot of speed on exit.” What is it like being a driver coming into a race where, you want to win obviously, but you’re already set for Phoenix. What is the mindset for you guys and how does that feel when everyone else you’re competing against has all this pressure? “I don’t know. Obviously the pressure is a lot less than what other drivers are feeling, but I feel like I want to win just as bad as everybody else does, too. I’m not treating this weekend, or these next two weekends, like they don’t matter. I think they matter just as much to me as everybody else, but it’s nice not having to think about the points or feel the pressure all week. Yeah, as the rounds go on, you definitely feel more pressure. I’ve only been in the Round of Eight three times, and two of them, I won the first race. So I don’t really remember, honestly, what the pressure is like. But I know what it’s like in the other rounds and I know what I felt like at the ROVAL, so I can only imagine that as each race moves on, you feel more pressure and that’s not a fun feeling.” How much of this week was spent on Homestead and how much was spent on Phoenix?“For me, zero on Phoenix (Raceway).. all Homestead (Miami Speedway). Yeah, I mean obviously your mind thinks about Phoenix a little bit, but I haven’t watched any film. I haven’t looked at any data or anything like that. I love this weekend. I love Homestead and just trying to watch as much video of this place as I could to get my mind ready to run the wall.” What do you remember that you did well a couple of years ago at Phoenix to win the title that you hope to repeat? “Well we started the weekend off by getting the pole.. that was huge to get the number one pit stall. And then in the race, at different points, we had a good car. And then in other points, we weren’t. I felt like at certain points of the race, all four of us had the best car. Not that we had the best car at the end of the race, but our pit crew did a really good job and that number one pit stall paid off. So yeah, going back, obviously I know how important that pit stall is, so you put a big emphasis on qualifying. We had a weekend similar to 2021 earlier this year in the spring – getting the pole and then just didn’t execute the last restart right. Looking at those sort of little mistakes that we had in the spring, and then also just try to execute like we did in 2021, I think is where my mind is at on what we need to do to win the championship. And two, you need a fast car, which I know we will and we’ll have a good weekend.” Normally on your schedule, you’re a busy dude. You’re going from this race, to that race – from what I understand, correct me if I’m wrong, you’ve kind curtailed that now that the championship is getting closer. Is it more pressure not to be doing all that stuff because you get in a groove, or is there a sense of FOMO or anything? “I mean I’d be racing if there were races to run. It’s not that I cut it back because I want to focus on this. It’s more that there’s no more mid-week racing left. I’m not going to race in Texas last night and then come to Homestead and be in the media center at 8 a.m. the next day (laughs).  Yeah, I just can’t race. It’s been a busy week. I tested the late model on Monday. And then we’ve been in Oklahoma Wednesday and Thursday, and then flew here yesterday. Owen was there racing. I think next week is fairly calm for me, and then it’s Phoenix and my racing picks back up after that.  Yeah, it’s not that I’m cutting back because I need to. I’m cutting back because I don’t have the opportunity to go race.” In the Next Gen era – of all the ovals, is this the track where the driver can do the most or control the most with the ability to run the high line, or are there other tracks where the driver can make that much of a difference?“Yeah, I mean I don’t know – that’s a good question. I won this race last year, so I want to say it’s all driver, but I don’t know. I think for whatever reason, it didn’t seem like you could run the wall quite as good as I could last year, so we were able to have a big advantage on the long run. But yeah, I don’t know – I still think it’s a little harder to pass, probably, than what the old car would have been potentially. I don’t know – I spent most of the race in the lead last year, but when I caught traffic and stuff, it looked like there were like big groups of people like it was tough to pass.  Yeah, I don’t know – hopefully our car is good again and we can be upfront the whole race; have good pit stops, restarts, stuff like that. But yeah, I think regardless, I do think Homestead is probably a track where the driver probably means a little bit more than somewhere else.” Can you refresh my memory how you figured out that the high line was going to work so well for you here? “Well I remember when I ran the truck race here in 2012, that was my first time here. We had a really good race and led some of it. I got to battle with Kyle Busch for a while. I was running fairly high and then he passed me and stuck his hand out the window and told me to get higher, so I just started running as high as I could. There were points in the corner where I’d get really close to the wall and once you do that a few times, you can feel the effect that the right-side of the car has against the wall. So then over time, you start pushing it – entering higher and you start getting to the wall at an earlier point in the corner and eventually you just end up running up next to the wall the whole lap. I watched a little bit of my first Xfinity race I ran here in 2013 last night and just seeing the difference of how I ran back then – even back then, I cheated the entry some and would slide up to the wall. I think just as years go on, like I said, you just get more comfortable entering higher. Obviously they’re reading lap times off to you and you can feel it, too. But when you read a lap time off that’s two-tenths better than the lap before, you know that it was faster so you just keep pushing it. Obviously I’ve hit the wall here a lot, but to get comfortable, you have to make those mistakes.” (No Mic.)“(Laughs) No, he wasn’t flipping me off, I know that. Maybe he wasn’t saying that back then, but he did that again somewhere this year. He passed me and like stuck his hand out. I asked him later, I was like – what were you telling me.. I was already running the top. And he said – no, that was me telling you that I was going to run the bottom and I’m going to leave you a lane up top for some fresh air. So maybe that’s what he was telling me back then, but I took it as I needed to run higher. Like I was this young rookie – I mean it was only my fourth-ever truck race at the time, so I took it as I needed to get higher, so I just started running higher and passed him back a few laps later and we’ve been really good here ever since.” You seem to have an ability at the extreme lane that not everybody has. Tyler Reddick is kind of the same way. Does that relate, at all, to all the years the two of you spent banging cushions in sprint cars and midgets over the years? “Yeah, I mean I definitely think coming from the background that we have, it definitely helps. I think Homestead, to me, it reminds me a lot of Eldora (Speedway) – the way both ends are.. the way you kind of cup into turn one. Three and four seems a little flatter and all that, but you still run against the wall. It just feels similar to me. And then, also the feel that you get of packing the air against the wall, kind of feels like running a soft cushion at a dirt track.  Yeah, I think that’s why dirt guys kind of excel here. I can’t think of any pavement-background driver that is really comfortable against the wall. Maybe (Martin) Truex Jr., he’s really good. Denny (Hamlin) is good on occasion running the wall. But yeah, Reddick and myself, we seem to be really good at running the wall here.” Somes drivers say you can actually hear the sound – do you go off the sound.. are you able to do that when you’re running the wall if you can’t see as well? Have you been in that situation? I don’t think for Cup here, that the sun will be a problem.. “Yeah, I think you use all your senses. You use sight, sound, feel.. all that. The sound gets really loud as you touch the wall, so you don’t really want it to change too much. But yeah, the sun is really bad in (turn) one, so I’m guessing that’s where he (Cole Custer) was talking about it being difficult. As it gets later into the day, it’s kind of right in your eyes on the high line into turn one, and it needs to get behind the suites and stuff there in one to be able to see well enough again.  But yeah, I think I just more go off the feel of the air pushing against your car and the wall. That’s kind of where I get most of my feel from I think, but I’m sure sound, as well.” How often in your mind are you completely sure that you’re there at that line and not going over it, and how many times would you take the chance when you’re running the wall to get so much closer?“You still get into the wall – like last year, I ran up next to the wall the whole race basically. You scuff it a little bit here and there. It’s less of a penalty now to scrap the wall now as it was with the old car because the bodies are so tough. So that allows you to be a little bit more aggressive with how close you get to the wall, I feel like.  But yeah, I don’t know – you race these cars every weekend so you get a good feel for the proximity of yourself to the wall and others. So yeah, that helps. And two, like I said, you can just feel it – you can feel the air really easily, so that is a good gauge, for sure.” You finished second at Martinsville Speedway. Do you have any recollection of what was going on behind you with Ross Chastain? “Yeah, I was in second, but I remember – like they didn’t say anything on the radio or anything like that, but I came off turn four. You look in the mirror to see kind of how close the guy is behind you, and I remember just seeing something kind of going on… like coming off turn four, there was a new car in my mirror, so that’s all I really remember from that. And then you see the replay and all that. Yeah, that was crazy, for sure, and I’m sure we’ll see the highlight of it a million more times as we lead into Martinsville. But yeah, that was definitely wild.” As Owen gets older, does he have a little bit more of an understanding and appreciation of what dad is doing going for a championship? “I don’t know – that would be a good question, I think, for him. He would get nervous if you were asking him a question, I’m sure.  I don’t know – I think he understands what we did last week and what that means for a few weeks from now. But I don’t know if he thinks it’s like cool.. I don’t know what he thinks about it (laughs).  I know he knows that we get to race for a championship and all that. Even Audrey, she was three years old – she sees the pictures of her sitting in the trophy and all that, and she understands what that races means a little bit. Maybe not to the magnitude that all of us think that race is and what a championship really means to somebody. But yeah, I think as he gets older and all my children get older, they’ll understand a little bit more. I think when a kid is that young, dad’s not really that cool yet (laughs), so I think as they get older, they’ll really appreciate it even more.” You were talking earlier about things you learned at Phoenix. Are there things, even with the success of 2021, that you’ll look to go back and change this time around? “No, I mean I feel like that whole week was a great experience last time. It’s your first opportunity at a championship, so there’s a lot of friends and family coming and all that. That was really special to me, and basically the same group of people are already planning on coming this trip. So yeah, hang out with them – grab dinner and all that. Try and treat it as a fairly normal week and not try to distance myself from my friends and family. So yeah, I plan on doing basically the same stuff I did last time.  I’m curious how media week will be different. Stuff like that will probably be a little bit different.. where that location is and stuff like that. But yeah, my friends and family are really important to me, so it was awesome they were there last time and we got to celebrate afterwards. I’m happy that they’re coming back and hopefully we’ll get to celebrate again later that night.” Looking back on the championship race in 2021 – I think four of the five pit crew members on your team today were pitting your car back then. To see them be able to continue to be an elite crew despite the change from the five lugs to the single lug – how important has that been to the success of the No. 5 team, and is there any kind of bond you have with those guys since they’ve been on your car for so long? “Yeah, I mean they’ve been in the sport for a long time, even before I got into the sport. So I’m not sure how many championships a few of them have, but it’s got to be a lot because they were on Jimmie’s (Johnson) team, as well. But yeah, this year for sure, they’ve done a great, great job. In 2021, they were the best pit crew all season. This year, they’ve been in the top two or three all season. A big improvement from where they were at last year.. I think there was a lot to be learned with the new style of pit stops last year, and it just took them a little bit of time. But all season, they’ve been really strong. All of Hendrick Motorsports, really, has been really strong on pit road.  Yes, they’ve been important to every one of our wins this year. To win a Cup Series race, it just takes your whole team, for sure. Like last week, we gained two spots on pit road – got control of the race for the last run and that was it. Richmond, Darlington.. they’re a part of every win in a big way.  Yes, I hope we can continue that. I think what I like the most about them is that they’re the best when it matters at the end of the race. That’s really important to win these races.” Do you have a favorite Kevin Harvick story on the track? “I’ve just really enjoyed racing with him. He’s such a tough racer. I feel like he can do a lot more with his race car than most drivers can. I’ve had some great battles with him. I think he’s only been mad at me like one time, so that’s pretty good, I feel like. He probably doesn’t even remember when he was mad.” What was he mad about? “It was Phoenix.. I don’t know, a long time ago. He was battling to make it into the Championship Four. There was a restart – I think Joey (Logano) ended up winning the race, but he was second row and I was third row, inside. I didn’t even like get in there, but I just kind of showed my nose and he was mad about that. He came down afterwards – I can’t remember exactly what he said, but I explained to myself that he wasn’t going to win anyways and he was fine with it afterwards. That went smoother than I thought it was going to. He was walking over and I was kind of scared (laughs). He’s just an intense guy.” What about off the track? “Off the track, I just really appreciate, notice and pay attention to how great of a father he is. How dedicated he is to Keelan, for sure, but even his daughter Piper. You can tell she’s a daddy’s girl, and Audrey is a daddy’s girl, as well. So yeah, watching him balance all of that. I feel like his kids are very well behaved and very mature for their ages. So yeah, just try to pay attention to how he parents and put a little bit of that into my parenting, as well.”

Macedo takes the Jason Johnson Racing #41 back to Devil’s Bowl Victory Lane for seventh with of the season

MESQUITE, TX (Oct. 20, 2023) – Throughout his time in racing, Jason Johnson always viewed Devil’s Bowl Speedway as one of his favorite tracks. The Mesquite, TX oval is roughly five hours from Johnson’s hometown of Eunice, LA. The “Ragin’ Cajun” experienced plenty of success at the half mile including a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victory in 2017.

And on Friday night, current Jason Johnson Racing pilot – Carson Macedo – honored Johnson with a win at Devil’s Bowl on night one of the Sprint Car Stampede. 

The Lemoore, CA native started on the pole of the 25-lap Feature and delivered a phenomenal drive. A strong start. A timely lane change. And excellent movement through traffic ushered Macedo to his first checkered flag at the historic facility during the track’s final weekend.

After the checkers, members of Johnson’s family joined the celebration. A jubilant Jaxx (Jason’s son) rose atop the wing of the Albaugh #41 with Macedo as the crowd roared. The Jason Johnson Racing machine made it back to Devil’s Bowl Victory Lane.

“It’s really special,” Macedo commented. “Devil’s Bowl has got a lot of history. The Johnson family, a lot of them are from this area or close to it and it’s special for them. Craig and Debra are here – Jason’s parents. Bobbi and Jaxx. Jaxx was able to get up on the wing with me.

“My guys just did an incredible job. Philip and Brooke (Dietz) owning this #41 car, they give us first class equipment. And Philip, Clyde (Knipp), and Nate (Repetz) just executed all night. I feel like we laid down a really respectable lap in Qualifying. We were able to get into the Dash, win the Dash from second, and then capitalize on that pole starting spot and lead every lap of the Feature.”

Macedo is up to 35 career victories with The Greatest Show on Dirt, moving him within one of tying Shane Stewart for 20th on the all-time win list. Devil’s Bowl becomes the 23rd different track where Macedo owns a World of Outlaws triumph. It’s Macedo’s second win in the state of Texas, and this one makes him and the JJR crew $12,000 richer.

Courtesy of topping the Toyota Racing Dash, Macedo led the field to green and jumped out to an early advantage. 

An early caution with five laps complete set up a pivotal restart. Macedo darted ahead again, but second-starting David Gravel didn’t allow him to escape. Gravel ripped the cushion aboard the Big Game Motorsports #2 while Macedo stayed in the grip down low. The different lines allowed Gravel to close in. But right when it looked as if he may slip around him, Macedo shifted to the top to take the line.

“I didn’t really know where to be in (Turns) 3 and 4, especially early. It seemed to kind of be letting go on me a little bit there off of (Turn) 4,” Macedo explained. “I didn’t feel like I could get off that corner as nice as I wanted to. I could look over and see Gravel kind of trailing my right rear (tire) on the top and decided it was time to move up and felt pretty good after that.”

After moving to the top, Macedo began to pull away again as the race cleared the halfway mark. Behind him, Gravel and a surging Brad Sweet were in a duel for second. Sweet closed on Gravel’s tail tank multiple times but couldn’t quite find a lane around.

As the race dipped inside of five laps to go, both Gravel and Sweet closed on Macedo as he struggled with a slower car. The lead was trimmed below half a second with only three circuits remaining. But Macedo delivered the winning move by clearing the lapped car coming to the white flag and driving by another in the final set of turns to keep the challengers behind him and lock up the victory and end a 16-race winless streak.

“I was really nervous at the end there,” Macedo admitted. “That lapper at the end there, I was having a really hard time guessing where he was going to go. He’d kind of last minute lane change down to the bottom and kind of halfway miss it, but then grab the grip and just mess up my air enough to where my pace was slowing way down.

“Sprint Car racing is a weird thing. You could have all the tools in the world, good equipment, an amazing mechanic in Phil Dietz, and two great guys in Clyde and Nate, and I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job, but still just not quite get the job done, not winning races. And you start to kind of doubt yourself and get in a little bit of a slump. But, man, Devil’s Bowl is a great place to get out of that.”

Behind Macedo, Gravel held off Sweet to claim the runner-up spot, his sixth second place finish in the last 10 races. The Watertown, CT native increased his Series-leading podium total to 33 in 2023. The repeated runner-ups without a win continued to fuel Gravel’s hunger for a trip back to Victory Lane before the season wraps up.

“I felt like Carson was just as good as us, and I thought Brad was just as good. I heard him a few times, as well,” Gravel said. “It’s just like playing a game of chess. A guy goes high and you go low and vice versa. It sucks. We’ve finished second a lot this year. It’s not a bad thing, but you definitely want to win.”

Rounding out the top three was the championship point leader – Sweet. Another solid run contributing toward his ongoing effort of a fifth straight title as he allowed Gravel to only take two points out of the gap between the two. The difference now sits at 64 points with four races to go. Sweet felt if he could’ve lined up a little closer to the front, he might’ve been able to wheel the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 to the win.

“We made some really good adjustments for the A (Feature) and were able to kind of drive up through there and honestly contend there for second,” Sweet said. “And I didn’t feel like Carson was pulling away. I felt like we had a car capable of winning, just needed a little track position. It was definitely getting slicker and more technical.”

Completing the top five was Spencer Bayston and Robbie Price notching a season-best run of fifth.

Sheldon Haudenschild grabbed the KSE Racing Hard Charger with a 19th to 13th drive, his Series-leading seventh Hard Charger of the year.

Brad Sweet snagged his third Simpson Performance Products QuickTime in the last four races, fifth overall in 2023, and the 74th of his career.

CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to David Gravel. James McFadden and Spencer Bayston topped NOS Energy Drink Heats Two and Three.

Sheldon Haudenschild won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Noah Gass after he climbed as high as eighth in the Feature before slipping to 20th.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are back at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 21 for the final race at the birthplace of the Series. The finale of the Sprint Car Stampede will pay $20,023 to the winner and $1,978 to start. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[6]; 4. 5-Spencer Bayston[4]; 5. 7S-Robbie Price[3]; 6. 83-James McFadden[5]; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[9]; 8. 1T-Tanner Holmes[8]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[12]; 10. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[14]; 11. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[15]; 12. 52-Blake Hahn[11]; 13. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[19]; 14. 1S-Logan Schuchart[13]; 15. 1-Brenham Crouch[7]; 16. 95-Matt Covington[17]; 17. 84-Scott Bogucki[21]; 18. 9-Kasey Kahne[20]; 19. 11-Cory Eliason[18]; 20. 20G-Noah Gass[10]; 21. 72-Harli White[16]; 22. 87J-Jace Park[23]; 23. J2-John Carney II[22]; 24.

11th Title for Silverado

DETROIT (October 21, 2023) – Chevrolet has clinched the first championship title of the season in the NASCAR national ranks by earning the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) Manufacturer Championship. This marks the 11th time in NCTS history that Chevrolet has captured the title.  Chevrolet has been racing the Silverado model exclusively in the NCTS since the series’ inception in 1995, producing 275 all-time victories and 14 driver championships – both of which are series-leading feats.  “Winning the Manufacturer Championship title is a tremendous accomplishment for everyone involved in Chevrolet’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program,” said Dayne Pierantoni, GM Racing Program Manager for the NASCAR Truck Series. “The dedicated and focused effort among Chevrolet’s teams, engineers and technical partners throughout the season have resulted in this prestigious title. Congratulations to all on winning the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturer Championship, and we are looking forward to a strong finish to the season.” Five drivers from five different Chevrolet teams have driven to victory lane in the NCTS this season, earning a combined 13 wins with 22 races complete. Team Chevy drivers contributing to those wins include NCTS full-time competitors Carson Hocevar (four wins) and Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger (three wins each), as well as Team Chevy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch (two wins) and Kyle Larson (one win). William Byron and Chandler Smith also collected finishes that contributed to this season’s manufacturer championship title.                                                                                                                                In pursuit of the 2023 NCTS Driver Championship, Chevrolet maintained 50 percent of the series’ playoff field through both rounds of its postseason competition, with Carson Hocevar and Grant Enfinger advancing to the Championship Four to compete for the championship title at Phoenix Raceway.  

OVERCOMING THE IMPOSSIBLE: How Super DIRT Week 51 Prevailed Through Unfavorable Conditions

OSWEGO, NY (Oct. 23, 2023) – Super DIRT Week staff members took their seats in the auditorium of the Oswego Community Christian School as the clock neared 8 a.m. Coffee hovered to the lips of most. Eyelids drooped. Muscles, every muscle, fatigued.

It was Monday, Oct. 9. Day nine of Super DIRT Week 51 at Oswego Speedway. For some, day “who knows anymore.” About four inches of rain fell the night before in the area, on top of the rain that had already plagued a promising week on Friday and Saturday.

Jeff Hachmann, Super DIRT Week’s executive director of events, walked between the cluster of chairs and zombified staff members, clipboard in hand, directed toward the podium in front of them all. With no need to spare seconds, he delivered the medicine everyone needed. A message many feared may never come.

“We’re racing.”

For the first time in Super DIRT Week’s 51 years, the northeast epic ran on Monday, producing three unforgettable Features and an unforgettable experience for those involved. Because getting to that point was a trial in overcoming the impossible.

On Saturday, Sept. 30 – more than a week before the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 – Hachmann initiated talks with Precision Weather Service and Meteorologist Wayne Mahar, who provided daily weather updates, to map out what was expected for the week.

Monday through Thursday, great. Friday through Sunday…

As the week progressed, the forecast never improved. With that knowledge, the first proactive move came Wednesday after the city parade, moving all Time Trials to Thursday.

“Knowing what was potentially going to happen over the weekend, we were trying to get to the point where we could set the field,” Hachmann said. “So, if worst case scenario is we don’t get to do anything or time to do anything, we can still run Features. So, that’s why we set all the qualifying on Thursday.

“We were told that Friday was a chance, and that Saturday was our best chance to get racing in. We were always focused on trying to get to Saturday, knowing Sunday, all week long, looked like a complete wash out. The whole intent was to get the fans home on the day they were planning on getting home.”

Mother Nature didn’t care about intents. She closed the initial window to get racing in on Friday and canceled the entire day. But what resulted from that was a moment rarely seen in any form of motorsports. Officials invited all 200-plus drivers on site to a town hall-style meeting to discuss options for the rest of the weekend.

“We had a small group that included, production, officials, operations, track crew, ticketing and PR, that I kept consistent throughout the weekend when making decisions, everything was thought out,” Hachmann said. “But we knew we were starting to mess with format and people’s time and the overall completion of the event and felt like the drivers needed to be up to speed on the situation and give them that one-to-one conversation, give them that opportunity to ask questions, instead of just putting out a press release.”

From the guidance of Precision Weather Service, the best window to get racing in was 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday was never presented as a viable option. Monday was the rain date, but also had a threat of rain and presented several logistical issues.

So with that information, it was decided to try and give drivers and fans all the Features – the Billy Whittaker Cars 200, DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150, DIRTcar Sportsman Chevrolet 75 and DIRTcar Pro Stock 50 – on Saturday. But, to do so, the Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Sportsman Qualifying Heats had to be scrapped. Instead, the Top-30 Super DIRTcar Series qualifiers and Top-26 DIRTcar Sportsman qualifiers would be locked in. Drivers in both divisions would at least get to try and race their way in through Last Chance Showdowns on Saturday. Also, the Sportsman Feature had to be cut to 50 laps and the Pro Stock Feature to 25.

After presenting drivers with the changes at the Friday meeting, Super DIRTcar Series Director Dean Reynolds left surprised and relieved by their unanimous understanding.

“I’ll tell ya, about 260 drivers were at that meeting and only about 10 of them had gripes. And legitimate gripes,” Reynolds said. “I think the one thing we gotta say is the race teams were understanding. They really were. When Doug (Leonard, the Race Director) had the drivers meeting and said what we were going to do and we were going to cut these laps, and everything, we stood there and stayed and really it was some one-on-ones and that was it.

“I think they knew the forecast and I think they really put their trust in us.”

The meeting was a new experience for Jimmy Phelps. In his more than 30 years of racing at Super DIRT Week, he couldn’t recall seeing one like it before.

“I thought that was good,” said Phelps, who also had the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole for the Billy Whittaker Cars 200. “It seemed the decisions were certainly around trying to get it in, trying to get us a paycheck. It was disappointing that we lost the Big Block Heats, but it was probably a good call and a necessary evil. I think everyone made the best decision.

“It was disappointing for some of the fans that couldn’t stay. I didn’t really see that there were too many people upset. Everyone that was there, they were paying attention to what Mother Nature was dealing for a hand.”

With everyone in agreement on Saturday’s plan, track crews massaged and cared for the track in preparation of a massive Super DIRT Week Saturday. In the 50 years of the event, the main Big Block Modified Feature had not run on Sunday only twice – Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005, and Saturday, April 15, 1978.

However, when the day came, the 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. window that had been touted all week tightened to 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Once the rain moved out at 2:45 p.m., the mission for the day became, “go, go, go!” Hachmann said.

Two Super DIRTcar Series Last Chance Showdowns, done. The 25-lap DIRTcar Pro Stock Feature, done. Two DIRTcar 358 Modified Last Chance Showdowns, done. Three DIRTcar Sportsman Last Chance Showdowns, done.

Then, it looked like it was finally going to happen. Big Block Modifieds, accompanied by four wheelers and toolboxes, staged in the infield.

Curious eyes peaked at phones and watches, then quickly veered away. The estimated window was closing. Fast.

With cars in place on pit road and drivers at their cars, the ‘200’ was seconds away from getting the green light. Seconds that turned into a fantasy with the first drop of water from the sky. Hopes of it being a passing cloud vanished as the sprinkle turned into an assault of rain drops.

“It rained hard enough that we knew there was nothing to do,” Hachmann said. “It wasn’t a tough decision. We knew, OK, now we’re in it.”

The release that night said the three remaining Features would be moved to Sunday, but officials would reevaluate the situation in the morning. Hachmann stated there wasn’t much confidence from any party that there would be racing on Sunday as Precision Weather Service called for the day to be a washout all week. But it would’ve been a disservice to fans if the option wasn’t left open.

When he woke up the next morning, the decision was easy. A bucket of precipitation was dropped on Oswego, accompanied by flood warnings and gale warnings.

Wasting no time when he got to the podium in the auditorium of the Oswego Community Christian School – used as the command center for Super DIRT Week staff during the week – Hachmann’s message was clear:

“We’re not racing today.”

Instead, for the next two hours, everyone focused on how to make Monday a reality for the first time in the history of Super DIRT Week. The ticketing department worked out how to accommodate those who could and couldn’t make it back. The track crew devised a plan on what they’d do to have the track ready in the morning. The facilities crew planned out what was needed to keep the grounds in good shape for an extra day. The public relations department constructed messaging and storylines everyone needed to know. Competition directors worked out the best plan of attack to get all the racing in. DIRTVision adjusted broadcast plans for fans who had purchased tickets but couldn’t stay for Monday. The events team meticulously mapped out details for the entire day.

And in addition to the event itself, there were several factors outside of it that needed to be addressed. Flights and rental cars needed to be changed. Hotels needed to be extended. Camper rentals needed to be extended. Internet service needed to be extended on the property. Porta-Johns needed to stay another day. The church school needed to stay closed another day for staff and security. The state needed to extend the event’s mass gathering permit. Oswego City Mayor William Barlow needed to enact an executive order to keep certain roads closed for an extra day. And more, and more.

Monday was the last chance to make Super DIRT Week 51 happen in 2023.

The day presented the largest window of opportunity to get racing in, but Mother Nature tried to throw one more curve ball at ruining the event. Nearly four inches of rain fell Sunday night, putting doubt in the mind of many if racing would still be possible.

“At 6:30 (Monday morning), I texted (the track crew) Larry Fink, Eric Fink and Paul Kirkland, and asked, ‘So, what do you guys think?’ Waiting for the answer to be, ‘We’re flooded, we’re not going to be able to do anything,’” Hachmann said, before pausing. “I’m going to get emotional here… Paul’s answer was, ‘We’ll have cars on the track by 11 (a.m.).’ Wow… Talk about the sunlight popping out of the clouds.”

When Hachmann returned to the podium in front of the group of tired and fatigued staff members for the 8 a.m. Monday morning ready meeting, he, again, wasted no time to deliver a clear message. This time, it dispersed through the audience like a divine message.

“We’re racing,” were words of healing, replacing torturous anxiety with excitement.

Cars rolled to the infield at 10 a.m. as committed fans filed into the grandstands, and the four-wide parade lap for the DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 rolled at 11 a.m. The DIRTcar 358 Modifieds proved the track was even better than many expected with multiple lead changes, a smooth surface and cars able to run multiple lanes.

“The racetrack proved a lot of us wrong,” Phelps said.

The day progressed without a hitch – although Mother Nature, with her ever apparent sense of humor, spit a few sprinkles during the DIRTcar Sportsman race that never evolved into anything more – leading to a historic Super DIRT Week and Billy Whittaker Cars 200, won for the third time by Mat Williamson.

For Hachmann, it was a Super DIRT Week he’d never experienced before. And hopes to never experience again. But, despite the stress and chaos, it’ll forever be one of the most important moments in his career and for the World Racing Group team.

“I look at it as a team effort and we really showed the true colors of our ability to fight adversity and succeed,” Hachmann said. “Albeit all the pain of the rain and the pain of rescheduling and all the changes that had to be made, I’d say this Super DIRT Week had to be one of the most gratifying for myself in the sense that we were challenged, we had to make tough decisions that ended up being good decisions and ended up creating a sense of success for something that could’ve just been a wash.

“I saw something that you don’t always see. There are close to 250 employees and contractors and vendors that work Super DIRT Week and I saw a consistent vison that we are going to get this in. A consistent positive message around the group… On the drop of the green flag on the 358 race, I’ll tell you, a tear came to my eye. It felt good that we got there. We never gave up.”

Fans can renew their tickets for Super DIRT Week 52 at Oswego Speedway, Oct. 7-13, now at SuperDIRTWeek.com or by calling 844-DIRT-TIX.

CONCORD, NC (Oct. 23, 2023) – The Dirt Track at Charlotte is “Where Local Heroes Become World Champions” during the eighth annual World Short Track Championship, Oct. 26-28.

More than 300 drivers, divided among 10 divisions, will gather in Concord, NC for the fall marquee event – arguably the biggest event of the year for most of them as it’s the one they all want to win.

From weekly racers to national stars, this year’s edition is set to showcase the most impressive field yet, including National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Steve Francis, multi-time World Short Track champion Nick Hoffman and NASCAR Cup Series star Justin Haley.

Same as last year, Thursday night’s action will be highlighted by All Star Invitational Features – featuring 2023 track champions – for the DIRTcar Pro (604) Late Models, UMP Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar Pro Stocks. Friday will be comprised of Heat Races, Last Chance Showdown and the first round of Hornet Features. Then, Saturday will host the remaining Last Chance Showdowns and Feature for all 10 divisions. For the full schedule and tickets, click here.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all three days of racing live on DIRTVision.

Here are the top storylines to follow for each division:

FOX FACTORY DIRTCAR PRO (604) LATE MODELS – Standing as one of the most competitive Crate-engine Late Model races in the southeast, several of the region’s top competitors will be gunning for the $4,000 grand prize, some with series points championship implications on the line.

Dillon Brown, of Gaffney, SC, triumphed over the Pro Late Model field in 2021 for his first World Short Track title – adding to his All-Star Invitational win in the 2016 edition. Last October, he nearly went back-to-back, leading the first 18 laps of the main event before eventual winner Trent Ivey passed him for the win in the closing laps. Though Brown went on to finish second, he’s headed back to The Dirt Track this weekend to avenge his defeat from one year ago.

Co-sanctioned by the Mid-East 604 Crate Late Model Series and the Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series, a notable points battle in the Mid-East standings will also be settled this weekend. Dalton Jacobs, of Reidsville, NC, leads Travis Steele, of Clover, SC, by a single point in the series standings with the season finale on tap Saturday at Charlotte. Jacobs faded back from 10th on the starting grid to finish 18th last year, while Steele makes his first World Short Track appearance in a 604.

CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE MID-EAST 602 LATE MODELS – World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series Director Steve Francis will make his return to the seat of a Late Model for the first time since his formal retirement in 2017 this weekend, making the first competitive start of his career in a 602 Crate-engine Late Model – one owned by DIRTcar Racing CEO, Brian Carter.

Francis, a 2014 National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee, tested the CASE Construction Equipment, Rocket XR1 #6c in a practice session last week and is set for a weekend of fun back in the seat before returning to his leadership duties at The Dirt Track, Nov. 1-4, for the World of Outlaws World Finals – an event he clinched his World of Outlaws points championship at in 2007.

Racing alongside the Kentucky veteran are several other notable pre-entrants including Daniel Parker (Raeford, NC) – two-time Mid-East 602 Series winner in 2023 and runner up in last year’s 602 World Short Track main event, Preston Blalock (Clemmons, NC) – who charged from 18th to seventh at Charlotte last year and has won three times with Mid-East in 2023, and John Ruggiero Jr. (Lincolnton, NC) – the 2021 World Short Track winner.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT DIRTCAR UMP MODIFIEDS – Three-time World Short Track Championship winner Nick Hoffman returns to the seat of a DIRTcar UMP Modified this weekend for the first time in 13 months to chase a fourth World Short Track crown.

Hoffman, now a full-time competitor with the World of Outlaws Late Models, made the announcement via social media last week of his intent to build a Modified from scratch for this weekend in what will be a tune-up before he goes back on Late Model duty for the World Finals the following weekend. Standing in his way of a fourth event crown will be a long list of accomplished veterans and eastern series regulars looking to put a stop to his Charlotte dominance.

Other notable pre-entries include Chris Arnold (Matoaca, VA) – runner-up in 2020 and 2023 Modified Mafia Tour champion, defending UMP Modified World Short Track champion Taylor Cook (Stanley, NC), NASCAR Cup Series regular Justin Haley (Winamac, IN), 2020 All-Star Invitational winner David Stremme (Mifflintown, PA), 2016 All-Star Invitational winner Evan Taylor (Saltsburg, PA) and Super Late Model standout Mason Zeigler (Chalk Hill, PA).

HOOSIER RACING TIRE MID-EAST PRO MODIFIEDS – Several past World Short Track Champions of the Pro Modified division are set to return to the field this weekend including Austin Holcombe (2021), Jeff Parsons (2017, 2019, 2020), and Buck Stevens (2016).

Holcombe, of Elm City, NC, started 17th on the grid last year and drove his #8A up to fourth by the checkered. Parsons, the only three-time division winner from Union Grove, NC, competed exclusively with the UMP Modifieds last year but has the Crate engine back in his #44P, ready to try for an all-time record of four World Short Track titles. Stevens, of Statesville, NC, finished 14th in last year’s main event and returns to The Dirt Track this year with eyes on his first win there since the inaugural running in 2016.

SRI PERFORMANCE MONSTER THUNDER BOMBERS – Added to the event lineup only one year ago, the southeast-favorite Thunder Bomber division has quickly become the most populated World Short Track Championship division with 60 pre-entries already signed up to compete.

Leading the charge into Charlotte is the defending winner of the inaugural Thunder Bomber main event – Rod Tucker. The 28-year-old from Greensville, SC, became the only driver in event history to win a Feature in two different divisions with the win last year after topping the MMSA Mini Stock main event in 2018. An 18-time Feature winner in 2023 between Thunder Bombers, Street Stocks, 602 Late Models and Renegade Sportsman, Tucker is among the frontrunners for another win this weekend.

Standing in his way are a host of other notable entrants including three of the other top-five finishers from last year’s main event – Benji Knight (Heath Springs, SC); Greg Carroll (Greer, SC) – two-time Travelers Rest Speedway winner this year; and Hunter Funderburke (Rock Hill, SC) – three-time 2023 Thunder Bomber winner at Cherokee Speedway.

VP RACING DIRTCAR SPORTSMAN – An all-star field of the northeast’s best DIRTcar Sportsman drivers will make the trek south for their final marquee event this year.

Leading that charge is Andrew Buff, of Latham, NY – the 2023 Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly champion and 2023 DIRTcar Sportsman Series champion. He’ll be after his first World Short Track victory after finishing second in the event twice, most recently during last year’s All Star Invitational.

He’ll go up against the last two World Short Track victors, Kevin Ridley, of Waterloo, NY, and David Rogers, of LaFargeville, NY. Rogers won the main event in 2021 and then the All Star race last year. Ridley scored his first World Short Track victory during last year’s Saturday night show.

Another champion in the field looking for their first World Short Track win is Niagara Falls, ON’s Nelson Mason. However, his title isn’t on dirt. Mason is the 2013 European F3 Open Winter Series champion. He made his Super DIRT Week debut this year and finished ninth.

MSD DIRTCAR PRO STOCKS – The DIRTcar Pro Stock division has been one of the most competitive groups since its introduction to the World Short Track Championship in 2018 with seven different winners in seven races – including the All Star Invitationals.

That group of champions include, Nick Stone (2018), Rick Duzlak (2018 All Star), Luke Horning (2019), Scott Towslee (2019 All Star), Sheldon Martin (2021), Sean Corr (2021 All Star) Pete Stefanski (2022 All Star) and Josh Coonradt (2022).

With Coonradt moving up to the Modified ranks and not entered in the event, this year could produce a sixth different winner. However, Horning enters with a wealth of momentum to try and be the first repeat winner. Horning’s 2023 season already includes his first DIRTcar Pro Stock Series title, his first DIRTcar Pro Stock Super DIRT Week title and four DIRTcar Pro Stock Series wins.

Sean Corr and Pete Stefanski are also entered to try and repeat but will be looking for their first main event Feature win.

DIRTVISION HORNETS – Three wide. Four wide. FIVE wide. The Hornet division consistently puts on one of the most exciting shows during the World Short Track Championship, using every inch of the 4/10-mile Charlotte dirt track.

In the six Feature events last year, Zach Slone and Dan Benson became first time winners while John Windham and Newman Presnell added two more titles to their collection – making them the winningest drivers of the event as Windham has five wins and Presnell has four.

Nearly 50 drivers are already entered for the marquee Hornet race. Of them are 16 North Carolina natives looking for a home state win, including Kenneth Colf, of Denver, NC. The World Short Track regular scored his first top-five finish in the event last year.

RACEQUIP MID-EAST STREET STOCKS – The best drivers from the mid-east region will gather at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the biggest race of their season.

Devon Morgan, of Easley, SC, left as the champion last year and will be back to try and defend his title this year.

Of the more than 40 drivers entered in the division, Terry Caples Jr., of Sumter, SC, will enter with the best momentum, having recently won with the division at Fayetteville Motor Speedway at the beginning of the month.

COMP CAMS (MMSA) MINI STOCKS – In seven Feature events at the World Short Track Championship, there have been six different winners.

Matt Gilbert, of Marietta, SC, earned his first World Short Track title last year, adding to his impressive resume with the Monster Mini Stock Association. He’s the three-time and defending champion with the Series and has already earned multiple wins this year.

He’ll try to be the first repeat Monster Mini World Short Track winner since Brayden Pruitt accomplished the feat with his back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2020.

 

PLAINVIEW, NY (October 24, 2023) — Coming down the homestretch of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Justin Ashley and the Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel team powered by Phillips Connect are in familiar territory. Ashley, the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year, is in the middle of a tight quartet of drivers trying to win the Top Fuel world championship. Last year Ashley was in an equally tight race with eventual champion Brittany Force and Steve Torrence. This year he needs to outpace Torrence, Leah Pruett and Doug Kalitta for the championship with only 108 points separating the four drivers.

Justin Ashley and the Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel dragster powered by Phillips Connect, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“We have been in this position before and I think we can lean on that experience,” said Ashley, a six-time Top Fuel winner in 2023. “Last year we were in and out of the points lead during the Countdown and there were always several teams grouped together trying to take the top spot.  The field is more competitive than it’s ever been, and it’s shown throughout the first four races of the Countdown. If we can find success in Las Vegas I believe we’ll have an opportunity for the championship in Pomona.”

Three of the four top teams, including Ashley, are vying for their first championship. Kalitta has finished second six times in his career, most recently in 2020 and 2019. Pruett’s best finish in Top Fuel is fourth which she has accomplished three times in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Ashley has secured back-to-back fourth place finishes in 2021 and 2022. The opportunity to win his first championship after a stellar regular season is top of mind for Ashley and the Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel team.

“Our goal from the start of the season was to win the world championship for this team and all our sponsors including Phillips Connect, Toyota, Mac Tools, KATO Fastening Systems, Lucas Oil, Impact, Strutmasters and now Leatherwood Distillery,” said Ashley. “We know what we need to do, and that begins by taking it one lap at a time in Las Vegas. Every opportunity for points is critical whether its qualifying or raceday.”

Throughout his career at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Ashley has had some solid outings at the Nevada Nationals. In 2020 he raced to the semifinals from the No. 12 qualifier position defeating Kalitta and Pruett in the first two rounds of that race. If he could duplicate those early round wins this year, he would put himself right in the middle of the point battle going into the final race of the season. The most recent two Nevada Nationals saw Ashley and his Mike Green and Tommy DeLago tuned Top Fuel dragster qualify No. 3 and in 2021 he raced to another semifinal finish.

“We have had some good races at the Nevada Nationals and hope to take it even a step further at this year’s race, said Ashley. “There are so many variables in this sport including the ladder and where everyone in the Countdown is positioned going into race day. But all we can control is where we qualify and doing the very best that we can each and every lap down the racetrack.  We aren’t going to approach anything differently when it comes to how we run our racecar.”

This year Ashley has had a breakout season winning six national events, tops in the Top Fuel category, and securing the No. 1 seed coming into the Countdown. Over the final nine races of the regular season Ashley’s team only experienced one first round exit (Denver) and one quarterfinal finish (Seattle). The remaining seven races included four wins, a runner-up and two semifinal finishes. In the first four Countdown races he has experienced two quarterfinal finishes and two first round losses, his toughest results stretch of the season.

“We all know you have to perform in the playoffs and we haven’t been able to capitalize on as many opportunities as we did in the regular season,” said Ashley. “But we have two more races and remain right in the thick of things. We just need to get back to our routine of stacking round wins on top of one another and let the points take care of themselves. Vegas is a city where fortunes can turn around in an instant and that is what we are going to be looking for. It will be exciting and I can’t wait to get to The Strip.”

The Leatherwood Distillery Top Fuel dragster powered by Phillips Connect will have two qualifying runs on Friday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. PT followed by two more qualifying sessions on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. PT. The final eliminations will begin at 11:00 a.m. PT on Sunday for the quickest 16 Top Fuel teams. The race will be broadcasted nationally on FS1 on Sunday night.

CHICAGO, IL (October 24, 2023) — The Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster is revving up for the highly anticipated NHRA Nevada Nationals, taking place from October 27 to October 29 at the prestigious The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This race is the team’s final appearance in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. TJ Zizzo, a skilled second-generation driver, is focused on maintaining the upward momentum his team has carried throughout the season, as he prepares for his seventh appearance at The Strip.

TJ Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster are ready to take on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 
As the penultimate event in the NHRA countdown playoff series, the Nevada Nationals is set to witness the nation’s best talents and teams, all vying for critical playoff points to carry into the final race of the season held in Pomona, California from November 10 to November 12. Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster team, led by crew chief Mike Kern, has consistently showcased their potential and improvement in every race, resulting in consistent improvement in Indianapolis and St. Louis.
 
“Year after year, the Nevada Nationals have held a special place on our calendar. The tremendous progress we’ve made only heightens our anticipation for this year,” said Zizzo, a six-time NHRA Nevada National event qualifier. “The stakes are undeniably high at the NHRA Nevada Nationals with the looming pressure of the playoffs, but our focus remains firmly fixed on the race at hand.”
 
The Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team’s last run at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway track was in 2017 when they posted their second-best qualifying performance as the No. 9 qualifier. Their strongest qualifying position occurred during their debut race in Las Vegas in 2010 when they secured the No. 7 position.
 
“As the saying goes, ‘the proof is in the pudding’: we have consistently qualified at the Nevada Nationals each time we’ve entered,” said Zizzo. “If we execute as I know we can, I have full confidence that we can win rounds on Sunday, capping off our triumphant return to action this year.”
 
Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team will make their first two qualifying runs Friday at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. PST, with two additional qualifying runs slated for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Final eliminations for the quickest 16 Top Fuel dragster will begin on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. The NHRA Nevada Nationals will be broadcasted nationally on FS1.
 

CHICAGO, IL (October 24, 2023) — The Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster is revving up for the highly anticipated NHRA Nevada Nationals, taking place from October 27 to October 29 at the prestigious The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This race is the team’s final appearance in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. TJ Zizzo, a skilled second-generation driver, is focused on maintaining the upward momentum his team has carried throughout the season, as he prepares for his seventh appearance at The Strip.

TJ Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster are ready to take on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 
As the penultimate event in the NHRA countdown playoff series, the Nevada Nationals is set to witness the nation’s best talents and teams, all vying for critical playoff points to carry into the final race of the season held in Pomona, California from November 10 to November 12. Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster team, led by crew chief Mike Kern, has consistently showcased their potential and improvement in every race, resulting in consistent improvement in Indianapolis and St. Louis.
 
“Year after year, the Nevada Nationals have held a special place on our calendar. The tremendous progress we’ve made only heightens our anticipation for this year,” said Zizzo, a six-time NHRA Nevada National event qualifier. “The stakes are undeniably high at the NHRA Nevada Nationals with the looming pressure of the playoffs, but our focus remains firmly fixed on the race at hand.”
 
The Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team’s last run at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway track was in 2017 when they posted their second-best qualifying performance as the No. 9 qualifier. Their strongest qualifying position occurred during their debut race in Las Vegas in 2010 when they secured the No. 7 position.
 
“As the saying goes, ‘the proof is in the pudding’: we have consistently qualified at the Nevada Nationals each time we’ve entered,” said Zizzo. “If we execute as I know we can, I have full confidence that we can win rounds on Sunday, capping off our triumphant return to action this year.”
 
Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team will make their first two qualifying runs Friday at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. PST, with two additional qualifying runs slated for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Final eliminations for the quickest 16 Top Fuel dragster will begin on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. The NHRA Nevada Nationals will be broadcasted nationally on FS1.
 

OCALA, FL (October 24, 2023) — Josh Hart will be racing the Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster for the second race in a row with the support of his long-time sponsor TechNet. Two weeks ago Hart debuted the pink 11,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster at the Texas Fall Nationals to begin to raise awareness for breast cancer treatment awareness. Heading into the Nevada Nationals this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Hart will also be looking to end a tough streak on the racetrack. Hart battled through a tough regular season and was looking to make waves in the Countdown. With two races remaining Hart is looking to make a move up in the standings to have another Top Ten finish at the highest level of professional drag racing.

 Josh Hart and the Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“To be honest this has been one of the hardest seasons of my racing career,” said Hart, who raced to the final round of the Gerber Collision & Glass Rt. 66 Nationals earlier this year. “We have a great team and we have made a serious investment in the sport but that doesn’t guarantee you success. I said after the Dallas race that we call this sport racing not winning. You have to earn everything you get out here and that is the challenge.”
 
Hart opened the season winning the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout at his home racetrack Gainesville Raceway. After that successful day his season began a series of positive moves followed by on-track challenges. The third year Top Fuel team owner and driver has had his optimistic attitude tested but he is unwavering in his belief that ‘Anything’s Possible.’
 
“I have overcome a lot growing up and this is just another struggle,” said Hart, a two-time Top Fuel national event winner. “I have been blessed to be able to race Top Fuel thanks to support from R+L Carriers and TechNet. I don’t ever want to take anything for granted. You look at the drivers who have been very successful and they all had to struggle to get to the top. We are in our struggling phase now and we have two races to move into the off-season with momentum for 2024.”
 
The Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster is a positive change of pace and provides Hart a great opportunity to talk about using his race program for good works and awareness. Part of the Advance Auto Parts portfolio of brands, TechNet Professional Automotive Service features a network of more than 16,000 repair shops across the U.S. and Canada. TechNet shops are locally owned and focused on delivering exceptional customer care and service. Shops that are part of TechNet Nation employ highly skilled and trained staff while also using quality parts from Carquest, DieHard® batteries and other leading brands. Shops also participate in important charitable initiatives in the communities they serve, such as Brakes for Breasts.
 
“Josh has been an incredible advocate of our Brakes for Breasts campaign, and we’re excited to feature TechNet’s involvement in the program for Josh’s next two NHRA events,” said Lauren Beaulieu, Advance’s vice president of professional marketing. “With October serving as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re hoping the presence of Josh’s car encourages NHRA fans to get screened or make a contribution to support women’s health and life-saving breast cancer vaccine research.”
 
Hart and his team are also raising money through the sale of special edition Brakes for Breasts T-shirts on the team’s website. Fans can click here to purchase. All proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts and specialty caps will go to Brakes for Breasts. Hart hopes his efforts with the Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster and the additional social and media promotion will help raise awareness around the 1 in 8 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Donations from fans and TechNet customers are funding critical research to put the brakes on breast cancer, with 100% of donations going toward funding the breast cancer vaccine research fund at the Cleveland Clinic. Since 2019, TechNet Professional shops have raised over $90,000 for this great cause.
 
To find your local TechNet Professional Automotive Service Center, click here and help us put the brakes on breast cancer! Or donate directly to TechNet Nation’s team donation page here.
 
Hart will be on track for two qualifying runs on Friday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. PT followed by two more qualifying sessions on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. PT. The final eliminations will begin at 11:00 a.m. PT on Sunday for the quickest 16 Top Fuel teams. The race will be broadcasted nationally on FS1 on Sunday night. Hart is looking forward to another race with four qualifying sessions.

“Our team needs as much track time as possible and the four qualifying sessions definitely helps us,” said Hart. “I also like the fact that we are running qualifying in similar conditions to what we will see on race day. My crew chief Ron Douglas has a good handle on the tune-up we just need to get some momentum going and we can definitely race with anyone out here.”
 

NEW WESTON, Ohio (October 20, 2023) – Friday’s portion of the 43rd Annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship – Presented by ARP has been postponed to Saturday afternoon. Officials from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Eldora Speedway, and the Dirt Track World Championship have jointly agreed that, even if a window of opportunity presented itself tonight, the track surface is too soft and would not be safe for competition. The pit gates at Eldora Speedway will open at 9:00AM on Saturday. Tech inspection for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series entries will begin at 10:00AM. The general admission gates will open at 11:00AM. A Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers meeting will take place at 12:30PM with hot laps slated for 1:00PM. All times are Eastern Time. All 3-Day, 2-Day, and Friday only tickets and pit passes are valid for the afternoon show. Following the completion of the Friday program, the grandstands will be cleared, cleaned, and then reopened. As this clearing process takes place, the track will be refreshened and prepared for the Saturday evening show. 3-Day, 2-Day, and Saturday only tickets and pit passes are valid for entry to the Saturday evening show. The Saturday evening show will start as soon as the stands are reopened, and the track surface is ready.

CONCORD, NC – October 20, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte holds fond memories for World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models Series Director Steve Francis.

In 2007, it was where he officially claimed his World of Outlaws championship. And this year, it’ll be where he returns to racing for the first time since 2017 during the World Short Track Championship, Oct. 26-28. 

The “Kentucky Colonel” will pilot the CASE Construction Equipment #6c 602 Late Model owned by World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter. 

“I asked [Carter] if he was going to test at Charlotte, he said I’m out of town that weekend, so why don’t you just try and drive it,” Francis said.

After a few laps of “trying and driving” around the 4/10-mile track, it didn’t take long for the 28-time World of Outlaws winner to feel comfortable again – even in a 602 Late Model, which he’d never driven before.

“I had never really driven a 602 [Late Model] before, so I didn’t know much about it,” Francis said. “It kind of felt like riding a bike. It takes you some time to get your timing right. And I’m not nearly as consistent as I used to be or anything like that. I could tell that just by driving it. 

“It was kind of like putting on an old pair of shoes or something. It was comfortable.”

That test was all Francis needed to decide his next move. When he called Carter on Tuesday morning, Francis told him he’d race the car at the World Short Track Championship if he could have fun.

However, it’s not only Francis having fun. World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Tech Inspector Ken Kenneda will be his crew chief, and Series Official Ricci Carringola will also help work on the car.

Working with Kenneda takes Francis back to his former racing days, as the two have crossed paths many times before working together with the Series.

“It’s neat for me and Kenny,” Francis said. “Kenny and I did some of this stuff 20-30 years ago. Kenny’s helped me on my racecars at different times and been around, so it’s kind of cool to be able to do something like this that we did 20-30 years ago. We even raced against each other back in the day. 

“To kind of have him as Crew Chief is a fun experience for all of us we can do together that’s racing-oriented, but way different than our normal jobs.”

Kenneda echoed those words, hoping that it’s just like old times.

“I worked for Steve back in the day, and we always had a lot of fun back then,” Kenneda said. “I grew up together, so we kind of know what each other does and I guess we have a lot of faith in each other to do what we do. So, it’s going to be a good time.

“I made a remark the other night that we were going to be like the old Days of Thunder crew back in the day except when he comes in for a tire change, we’re going to be drinking a cold Busch Light instead of an ice cream.”

As Francis prepares to get back in a racecar for the World Short Track Championship, regaining the competitive edge isn’t his primary goal when he gets on the track. He has one objective as he creates another memory at Charlotte—have fun.

“I’m going out there to have fun and enjoy myself,” Francis said. “That is 100 percent it. No high expectations, no anything else. Just go out there and enjoy myself for a couple of days.”

Francis is one of more than 200 drivers from around the country that will gather at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Oct. 26-28, to compete in one of 10 divisions throughout the World Short Track Championship weekend.

For tickets to the World Short Track Championship, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every lap of the World Short Track Championship live on DIRTVision with a monthly or annual subscription.

CONCORD, NC (Oct. 19, 2023) – There’s a small list of events in the dirt track racing world that have reached an elite level of prestige. Win one, and you’ve cemented your place in motorsports history.

Knoxville Nationals. World 100. Chili Bowl Nationals. Super DIRT Week.

For the weekly racer, it’s the World Short Track Championship.

Every October since 2016, The Dirt Track at Charlotte is “Where Local Heroes Become World Champions.” Next Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 26-28, over 350 entrants are expected to flood The Dirt Track pit area in the eighth running of the marquee fall event for a shot at the season’s biggest trophy.

Ask any driver on that short list of champions and they won’t hold back. This event has become one – the one – every driver wants to win.

“I’m thinking about it in February,” said Dillon Brown, 2021 FOX Factory Pro Late Model Feature winner. “When I start making my schedule – Halloween weekend or the last weekend in October, I don’t really care what else there is out there do to or where you could go, I’m going to Charlotte.

“I’m thinking about it all year because Charlotte just means that much to me.”

“It’s in its own category in terms of races for me,” said Devon Morgan, the 2022 Mid-East Street Stock Feature winner.

“Just hearing people talk when the month of October’s here, the chatter starts, ‘Hey man, are you going to Charlotte this year?’” said Rod Tucker, two-time World Short Track Champion. “Of course I’m gonna be there. It’s a really prestigious event, I feel like it’s become that.”

For the past seven years, World Short Track Championship winners have represented the best in Northeast, Mid-East and Southeast dirt track racing. And there’s no question they recognize that distinction.

Tucker, the 28-year-old racer from Greenville, SC, has the exclusive honor as the only driver to win two World Short Track Championships in two different divisions. He conquered the MMSA Mini Stock field in 2018 before topping a 42-car field in the debut of the Monster Thunder Bombers last year, driving from 11th on the grid to score his second main event trophy.

“To have done it in two different classes with the amount of competition we’re racing against in this day and time, it’s unbelievable that we have done something like that,” Tucker said.

When he pulls into the pits, his competition takes note. Respected as one of the best dirt track racers week-to-week in the Southeast, Tucker has padded that reputation with his success at The Dirt Track, though he said he doesn’t always see it that way.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s a respect thing, I think it’s more of a target thing,” Tucker said. “I feel like I’ve got a bullseye painted on my back.”

Brown, 30, of Gaffney, SC, also captured the checkers in the 2016 Pro Late Model All-Star Invitational Feature to match his 2021 Pro Late Model Championship Feature win. Between those two wins and a weekend sweep of a special event for Crate-engine Late Models in 2018, he said his success at Charlotte has unlocked several opportunities for him in his career.

“From the time I left that race, the amount of people that knew my name and the popularity with product sponsors in the pits, I put it on my grave – that race in 2018 really boosted my career,” Brown said. “I think it has a lot to do with Charlotte. Just that stage and the number of media outlets that see that place.”

For Morgan, the 21-year-old Street Stock and Late Model racer from Easley, SC, his charge from 11th on the starting grid one year ago was a race he’ll never forget. He’d made the trip to Charlotte three times prior – twice in a Street Stock and once with a 602 Late Model – but fell short each time, until his breakthrough last year.

“I watched the replay back just a couple weeks ago,” Morgan said. “I still get goosebumps just watching it back.”

In Victory Lane, he received a coveted steel trophy to commemorate his triumph on one of the biggest stages of the year – one that he said stands out against the others in his collection.

“It’s one of the few that I keep in my room up in front of my TV,” Morgan said. “It’s definitely my favorite Street Stock win. Probably top-three wins out of any win that I’ve had.”

When the air begins to cool and the fall months arrive, all eyes turn to the red clay, 4/10-mile oval in Concord, NC. It’s a track unlike anything else in its region, and the drivers agree.

“When you get to go to Charlotte and it slicks off and widens-out, it puts on a show,” Morgan said. “We all look forward to that and being able to actually race people and not just be stuck where you start at.”

“It’s a very fun place – it’s wide and it’s racey. It’s always more than one lane,” Brown said. “That’s saying a lot in this part of the world. I look forward to any opportunity that I have to race there.”

Now, one week out before showtime, the anticipation is boiling-over. There’s a phenomenon that exists amongst new drivers entering the hallowed grounds of Daytona International Speedway before their first laps on the track – their heads fill with excitement, nerves and wonder. The Dirt Track at Charlotte evokes a similar feeling from its own competitors every October.

“When I roll through the bottom gate down there and we’re headed up there to park, you get butterflies when you’re getting up through there,” Tucker said. “I’ll hop on my pit bike and ride down to Turns 3-4 and I’ll just sit there and look, survey the track and just take in everything.”

See each of these World Short Track Champions take on The Dirt Track at Charlotte in the eighth annual World Short Track Championship – Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 26-28. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

The World of Outlaws will sendoff the track that was the birthplace of the Series, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, this weekendMESQUITE, TX (Oct. 19, 2023) – The year is 1978. It’s mid-March in Texas, and race season is blooming like the bluebonnets. Roughly 90 competitors representing 20 states have gathered in a town 20 minutes east of Dallas named Mesquite. Among the roster are some of the country’s greatest drivers. They’ve all made the journey to take on the Spring Nationals hosted by Devil’s Bowl Speedway. A 22-year-old from Tennessee is the defending event champion. His name is Sammy Swindell. But this edition of the Spring Nationals isn’t the same as the year prior. Ted Johnson – a salesman and motorsports enthusiast from Beloit, WI – has worked together with a handful of the drivers to construct a organization. A way for the best traveling talents to collectively compete for big purses in pursuit of a championship and attract big crowds. They call it the World of Outlaws.Johnson and the drivers come up with a number. To be considered a World of Outlaws points paying event, the Feature must award at least $2,000 to the winner. The first race to meet the criteria? The final night of the Spring Nationals at Devil’s Bowl.Among those who’ve made the trip is an accomplished racer from California – Jimmy Boyd.“The main thing I remember about that race is everybody that was anybody in Sprint Car racing at that time was there,” Boyd recalled during an interview on Open Red. “Rick Ferkel, (Doug) Wolfgang, (Steve) Kinser, and there’s a lot of people that guys don’t know about that were fast. Just everybody that was anybody was there.”The pre-race promotion and press doesn’t often mention the unproven idea of the World of Outlaws in the lead up to the race. Two preliminary nights are run, but neither meet the $2,000 mark to be considered a World of Outlaws race. A local Devil’s Bowl regular – Norman Martin – claims the first on Thursday, March 16. The following night, South Dakota’s Doug Wolfgang bests Steve Kinser for the win.Then, the focus shifts to Saturday, March 18. The day the World of Outlaws are truly born. A 50-lap finale around the Mesquite half mile sets the stage for the first race in Series history. Prelim winners – Martin and Wolfgang – make up the front row.Martin gets the jump and leads the opening 23 circuits. But on the 24th lap, third-starting Jimmy Boyd moves into the lead. The Californian holds off Wolfgang to take the checkered flag and bank $2,000. He also leaves Devil’s Bowl as the first World of Outlaws winner and points leader.“There’s a track out in Sacramento (CA) called West Capital Raceway. It’s closed down now, but the dirt (at Devil’s Bowl) was kind of similar to that,” Boyd said, looking back. “I was always better on a heavy track. I kind of suffered when it got dry slick. Devil’s Bowl reminded us a lot of West Capital. It was a little bigger than West Capital Raceway but pretty much the same. We took to it real good.”Racers and fans alike didn’t yet understand the significance of that first race. The lack of coverage focusing on the World of Outlaws continues post-race. But it’s not long before the racing community grows aware of Johnson’s band of travelers. More events at premier facilities quickly elevates notoriety, and fans prioritize attending World of Outlaws races. As Jerry Clum wrote, “A strong heartbeat was heard, and the World of Outlaws was very definitely alive and kicking up a storm.”Fast forward 45 years and more than 3,600 races, and Johnson’s vision still exists within today’s World of Outlaws. It remains the home to the country’s top Sprint Car drivers traveling the nation each and every year. But this weekend, the piece of history that started it all will conclude its final chapter.The Greatest Show on Dirt is heading to Devil’s Bowl for two nights (Oct. 20-21). The track’s recent sale means the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Stampede will be the final event hosted by the historic facility. It’s only right that the Series that had its doors opened by Devil’s Bowl is there to help close the track’s doors. As a nod to both the first and final year of Devil’s Bowl hosting a World of Outlaws race, Saturday’s Feature pays $1,978-to-start and $20,023 to the winner.And much like that race on March 18, 1978, the track will welcome many of the country’s best Sprint Car drivers ready to battle for the honor of the final winner at the Mesquite oval. Devil’s Bowl’s time may be coming to an end this weekend, but its impact and significance within the racing world will never be forgotten.For tickets to the final race weekend at Devil’s Bowl, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.

Andrew Buff looks to cap off his championship season with his first World Short Track Championship title

CONCORD, NC (OCT. 19, 2023) – Andrew Buff’s 2023 season is already highlighted by a Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly championship and DIRTcar Sportsman Series title, but he’s not stopping there.

The Latham, NY driver has one more challenge he plans to tackle before the offseason: the World Short Track Championship.

Buff will head to The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Oct. 26-28, to attempt to capture his third straight major victory of the season and his first World Short Track title at the Concord, NC oval. 

“It would be really cool to win all of that in one year,” Buff said. “It’s definitely something to think about. Hopefully we can do it and be able to say that we accomplished it.” 

His championship season started with scoring nine wins and 34 top-five finishes in 42 Hoosier Racing Championship matchups on his way to winning his first Weekly title over Labor Day Weekend. 

That success continued as he won three of his nine starts on the DIRTcar Sportsman Series tour, each coming at a different track: Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Land of Legends Raceway, and Glen Ridge Motorsports Park. He was officially crowned the Series champion at the conclusion of the Oct. 14 matchup at Brockville-Ontario Speedway. 

“I think a lot of it is being consistent and staying up towards the front,” Buff said. “We didn’t have too many DNFs and were able to finish about 90% of the races that we were in and within the top-five. I think that goes a long way in adding up all the points for the end… I think just overall, I became a better driver and was able to take myself out of bad situations.” 

Buff will try to keep that momentum rolling one more weekend during the World Short Track Championship. He’ll be entered for Thursday night’s (Oct. 26) DIRTcar Sportsman All Star Invitational Feature and then will try to qualify for Saturday’s (Oct. 28) 30-lap finale.

He’ll take some time to visit friends in the Charlotte area and enjoy the mild fall climate on his way down, but he stated one thing will linger in his mind the whole time.

“We haven’t won the (World Short Track Championship title),” Buff said. “But I want to win.” 

The annual event draws 10 different divisions weekly racers, leading to nearly 300 entries for the weekend. For most of them, the World Short Track Championship will be their first time seeing the 4/10-mile red clay track this year. But Buff is ready for the test, prepared with a robust notebook from previous visits to the 4/10-mile oval.

He posted a seventh-place finish in 2021 followed by an 18th place finish in 2022. After starting on the inside of row two, mechanical issues forced him out of the race seven laps shy of the finish. 

But the 25-year-old will be looking over every inch of his equipment for the next week and a half, making sure it is in optimal condition to bare any conditions that may arise. He isn’tunderestimating his competition and is ready to put in the work to win one more time. 

“The level (of competition) is crazy,” Buff said. “We’re on such a level playing field (at The Dirt Track), every little bit to get ahead helps. Everybody is working just as hard as everybody else to go down there and win on such a huge stage… You have to work just as hard here as you do throughout the year.” 

For tickets to the World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Oct. 26-28, CLICK HERE.

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

BATAVIA, Ohio (October 19, 2023) – The battle for the Arizona Sport Shirt Crown Jewel Cup will end with the 43rd Annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship – Presented by ARP at Eldora Speedway.  A tight battle for the $15,000 bonus between Ricky Thornton Jr. and Hudson O’Neal will be decided at the conclusion of Saturday’s 100-lap finale. Thornton Jr. holds a 70-point advantage over O’Neal in the current Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup standings. The mini-series within the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule consists of sixteen (16) events that pay $30,000 or more to the winner. Drivers with perfect attendance on the tour will earn points in these sixteen (16) events based on their respective finishes. The driver that earns the most points at the sixteen (16) Crown Jewel Cup events will be crowned the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Champion – earning a $15,000 cash bonus at the year-end awards banquet. The drivers who finish second through fifth in the Crown Jewel Cup standings will earn $6,000, $4,000, $3,000, and $2,000 in cash, respectively for a total point fund of $30,000 for these sixteen (16) events. Arizona Sport Shirts will a huge a presence at 43rd Annual General Tire Dirt Track World Championship – Presented by ARP as the Official Merchandise Provider for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series – along with their extensive online store at https://www.gottarace.com/collections/lucas-oil-late-model-dirt-series For the latest news, results, championship standings and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. 2023 Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Schedule:Sat. May 13 – Fairbury Speedway – Fairbury, IL – $30,000 – Bobby PierceSat. May 27 – Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO – $50,000 – Devin MoranSat. Jun. 3 – West Virginia Motor Speedway – Mineral Wells, WV – $50,000 – Rained OutSat. Jun. 17 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Maryville, TN – $50,000 – Ricky Thornton Jr.Sat. Jun. 24 – Lernerville Speedway – Sarver, PA – $50,000 – Ricky Thornton Jr.Sat. Jul. 1 – Muskingum County Speedway – Zanesville, OH – $30,000 – Ricky Thornton Jr.Sat. Jul. 8 – Deer Creek Speedway – Spring Valley, MN – $50,000 – Bobby PierceSat. Jul. 22 – Huset’s Speedway – Brandon, SD – $53,000 – Brandon SheppardSat. Aug. 12 – Florence Speedway – Union, KY – $75,000 – Bobby PierceSat. Aug. 19 – Batesville Motor Speedway – Batesville, AR – $50,000 – Dale McDowellSat. Aug. 26 – Port Royal Speedway – Port Royal, PA – $50,000 – Hudson O’NealSun. Sep. 3 – Tyler County Speedway – Middlebourne, WV – $30,000 – Jonathan DavenportSat. Sep. 16 – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA – $50,000 – Ricky Thornton Jr.Sat. Sep. 23 – Brownstown Speedway – Brownstown, IN – $30,000 – Ricky Thornton Jr.Sat. Sep. 30 – Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway – Imperial, PA – $30,000 – Ricky Thornton Jr.Sat. Oct. 21 – Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, OH – $100,000

Champions to form formidable roster in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

DETROIT (Oct. 19, 2023) – Drivers who have won the past three IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype titles are joining forces for Cadillac Racing in 2024. Tom Blomqvist will team up with Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken to drive the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R in IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races next season. First up is the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona, where Blomqvist co-drove to the overall victory in 2023 and ’22.

“We’re thrilled that Tom is going to join our team for the IMSA endurance events,” said Gary Nelson, team manager for Action Express Racing that fields the championship-winning hybrid racecar for Cadillac Racing. “We feel that with his experience and recent successes it’s a natural fit for Jack Aitken and Pipo Derani. We’re looking forward to getting in some work this winter so we can hit the ground running when we get to Daytona.” Derani wrapped up the inaugural IMSA Grand Touring Prototype Driver Championship on Saturday in the Motul Petit Le Mans to complement his 2021 DPi title. Blomqvist earned the 2022 DPi Driver Championship. Derani, Aitken and Alexander Sims also secured the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Driver and Team Championships with their sixth-place finish in the 10-hour event at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R won the Twelve Hours of Sebring, earned two other podium finishes, two pole awards and recorded the fastest race lap four times.Blomqvist, who turns 30 on Nov. 30, has five wins in 30 IMSA starts since 2019, including three in GTP this season. In addition to the 2023 season-opening Rolex 24 triumph, Blomqvist co-drove to victory at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and capped the year by co-driving the No. 60 entry to victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans. Blomqvist, son of 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, is looking forward to continuing competition in the classification with GTP Manufacturer and IMEC GTP Manufacturer champion Cadillac Racing. “After another great season with Meyer Shank Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, it is an honor to be joining Action Express Racing and Cadillac for the endurance rounds of the 2024 campaign,” said Blomqvist, who recently signed a multiyear agreement with Meyer Shank Racing to compete full time in the NTT INDYCAR Series in 2024. “It is a series I love being a part of, and I’m delighted to be returning once again. To be able to come back to the series and to try to defend my title at Daytona is a huge motivation and I can’t thank Meyer Shank Racing and Honda Performance Development (HPD) enough for allowing me the opportunity.”

Blomqvist has also co-driven an LMP2 entry this year in the FIA World Endurance Championship and will compete in the season-concluding race Nov. 4 in Bahrain. In 2021, Blomqvist and teammates were WEC vice-champion in LPM2 and runner-up in the class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He has also competed in Formula 3, DTM and Formula E. Aitken moves into a full-season role in 2024 to replace Sims, who will remain in the GM Motorsports family to drive the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in IMSA’s GTD PRO class. North Carolina-based Action Express Racing has earned IMSA Team and Driver Championships in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2023 as well as claiming the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023 endurance championship. Cadillac earned a sweep of the IMSA GTP Manufacturer titles, securing its fourth IMSA prototype championship since 2017 and its fifth IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Championship.

October 18, 2023

As Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team prepare for this weekend’s 4EVER 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, there’s an air of optimism around the race shop.

Crew chief Jeremy Bullins said he believes the 1.5-mile Homestead track suits Burton’s driving style, and he believes the team’s comeback late in the most recent race, at Las Vegas, is a good sign heading into another intermediate-length track.

“It should be a fun weekend for us with our DEX Mustang,” Bullins said. “Harrison and I have talked about Homestead a lot. Harrison always runs well at Darlington, and Darlington and Homestead both are race tracks with a lot of lap-time falloff and places you wind up running the fence at some point.”
Then there’s the team’s recent performance, including the late-race surge during a long green-flag run to the checkered flag at Las Vegas, which led to a 20th-place finish after starting 33rd.

“I really think we are making some good gains, and if we had another run last week I think we had a top-15 car,” Bullins said. “Hopefully we can get some momentum going and come away with a good finish this weekend.”

Practice for the 4EVER 400, named in honor of retiring driver Kevin Harvick who drives the No. 4 Ford, is set for Saturday at 9:05 Eastern Time, and will be followed by qualifying at 9:50. Coverage can be found on the NBC Sports App.

Sunday’s 400-mile, 267-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2:30 p.m., with TV coverage on NBC.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165.