Three nights at Skagit with a $26,000-to-win finale and a Monday trip to Grays Harbor kick off three-week visit to the left coastBURLINGTON, WA (August 29, 2023) – Washington is calling, and the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are here to answer for a new west coast adventure. A nearly 1,500-mile journey will take The Greatest Show on Dirt to Burlington, WA where Skagit Speedway awaits to host the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals. The three-night tilt (Aug. 31-Sept. 2) concludes with a $26,000-to-win finale. The overall purse over the trio of races at Skagit exceeds $180,000. Then, after a day off on Sunday, the tour travels to Elma, WA’s Grays Harbor Raceway for a Monday night battle on Sept. 4.The four races in five nights signal the start of a three-week stay on the left coast with California waiting to host the nation’s top drivers over the following two weekends. With the ongoing championship battle that has Brad Sweet 56 markers ahead of Carson Macedo, many drivers expected to make their season debut, and major money on the line, the 2023 west coast swing guarantees to deliver plenty of excitement beginning this week in Washington.BUY SKAGIT TICKETSBUY GRAYS HARBOR TICKETSLet’s look at some of the weekend’s top storylines:SHARK ATTACK: Fittingly, as the World of Outlaws head toward the ocean Shark Racing is carrying most the momentum thanks to Logan Schuchart. The Hanover, PA native is fresh off sweeping the weekend in North Dakota for wins four and five of 2023 – hitting 40 wins overall in his career.All signs point toward the speed continuing as Schuchart owns an impressive Skagit résumé. Bobby Allen’s grandson is a three-time winner at the Burlington ova,l including claiming the 2019 Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals title. A fourth win this week would equal him with Donny Schatz as the winningest driver in Series history at Skagit.While Schuchart hasn’t been quite as consistent at Grays Harbor, he did make a 2021 trip to Victory Lane.COAST-TO-COAST: You can’t get much farther apart geographically than Connecticut and Washington, but that hasn’t stopped Watertown, CT native David Gravel from excelling in the Pacific Northwest state.Like Schuchart, he’s a three-time Skagit victor hoping to equal Schatz’s record tally of triumphs. Gravel and his Big Game Motorsports #2 crew are also the defending Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals champions. The 31-year-old hasn’t finished worse than ninth in his last 14 starts at Skagit.Over at Grays Harbor, Gravel is yet to win but he carries a streak of six consecutive top fives there including a trio of podiums highlighted by a runner-up last year.HOME TURF: Neither Robbie Price or Tanner Holmes hail from Washington, but Skagit and Grays Harbor are a pair of tracks that they cut their teeth at while making a name for themselves.Price came from Cobble Hill, BC, Canada. Skagit is home to perhaps Price’s biggest career win when he topped the 2019 Dirt Cup. Last year, he posted a top five with the World of Outlaws on the final night of the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals. Holmes grew up a state south of Washington in Oregon. The 19-year-old posted a trio of Skagit top fives at this year’s Dirt Cup including a runner-up on the second prelim. The week prior to Dirt Cup, Holmes podiumed with the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) at Grays Harbor. Holmes will return to his home region as the driver of the Shark Racing #1T on the World of Outlaws tour.PNW FTW?: The Pacific Northwest has produced its fair share of notable Sprint Car names, and some of the region’s current best intend to test their talents against the best this weekend.The local that consistently stands out best suited to battle with The Greatest Show on Dirt is Trey Starks. Over the last year and a half, the Puyallup, WA native has won a combined 17 times at the two facilities ahead on the calendar – 12 at Skagit and five at Grays Harbor. Starks continues to chase what would be a popular first Series win in front of an admiring home crowd.Former full-time World of Outlaws competitor – Jason Solwold – spends much of his time behind the wheel in his homeland of the Northwest these days. The Burlington, WA native owns three career Series victories, the most recent of which came at Skagit in 2008. One of the region’s rising stars is Arlington, WA’s Jesse Schlotfeldt. He topped Skagit’s season opener this year in 360 Sprint Car competition. With the 410 under the hood, he’s finished in the top five four times including a May 27 podium.HEADIN’ NORTH: In addition to Washington’s strong crop of locals, the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals and Grays Harbor Raceway are expected to attract some of California’s top talent as some plan to make the long trip northbound on I-5.Back in June, Skagit was the site of Justin Sanders’ biggest career win. The Aromas, CA native led every lap of NARC’s Super Dirt Cup and banked $82,000 in the process. He’s been in the Midwest recently behind the wheel of the Macri Motorsports #39M, but he’ll climb back aboard the Mittry Racing #2X, the ride he won Dirt Cup in, to begin the west coast swing at Skagit.Another former Dirt Cup champ from “The Golden State” – Dominic Scelzi – will tow the Scelzi Motorsports #41 up from California’s central valley. “The Dominator” nearly swept the 2019 Dirt Cup with one runner-up and a pair of wins, and he topped Skagit’s Summer Nationals back in July.Corey Day and the Jason Meyers Racing team are also expected to make the haul up to Skagit. The Clovis, CA phenom claimed both prelims of Dirt Cup earlier this year before capping it with a third-place effort in the finale. Day also won at Grays Harbor with NARC earlier this year.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCEWHEN AND WHEREThursday-Saturday, August 31-September 2 at Skagit Speedway in Burlington, WAMonday, September 4 at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, WAON THE INTERNETWorld of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws Instagram – @WoOSprint Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/monthCURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (52/75 Races):1. 49 – Brad Sweet (6938PTS) 2. 41 – Carson Macedo (-56PTS) 3. 2 – David Gravel (-66PTS) 4. 1S – Logan Schuchart (-268PTS) 5. 18 – Gio Scelzi (-322PTS) 6. 15 – Donny Schatz (-346PTS) 7. 17 – Sheldon Haudenschild (-400PTS) 8. 5 – Spencer Bayston (-528PTS) 9. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss (-908PTS) 10. 7S – Robbie Price (-1322PTS)NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (13 Drivers):10 wins – David Gravel (Big Game Motorsports #2)6 wins – Brad Sweet (Kasey Kahne Racing #49), James McFadden (Roth Motorsports #83), Carson Macedo (Jason Johnson Racing #41)5 wins – Logan Schuchart (Shark Racing #1S)4 wins – Rico Abreu (Rico Abreu Racing #24), Kyle Larson (Silva Motorsports #57)3 wins – Donny Schatz (Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15)2 wins –Sheldon Haudenschild (Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17)1 win – Buddy Kofoid (CMS Racing #11), Brady Bacon (TKH Motorsports #21), Anthony Macri (Macri Motorsports #39), Brian Brown (Brian Brown Racing #21), Gio Scelzi (KCP Racing #18), Spencer Bayston (CJB Motorsports #5)FEATURE LAPS LED (19 Drivers):221 laps – Brad Sweet202 laps – James McFadden195 laps – Carson Macedo193 laps – David Gravel174 laps – Rico Abreu143 laps – Logan Schuchart118 laps – Kyle Larson107 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild102 laps – Donny Schatz93 laps – Buddy Kofoid43 laps – Brent Marks40 laps – Spencer Bayston39 laps – Gio Scelzi24 laps – Brian Brown11 laps – Anthony Macri10 laps – Cory Eliason4 laps – Cole Macedo3 laps – Brady Bacon, Danny Varin1 lap – Austin McCarlSIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (17 Drivers):13 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo9 QuickTimes – David Gravel5 QuickTimes – Logan Schuchart3 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild2 QuickTimes – Anthony Macri, Rico Abreu, Bill Balog, Justin Peck, Gio Scelzi, Brad Sweet1 QuickTime – Brian Brown, Donny Schatz, Buddy Kofoid, James McFadden, Jacob Allen, Kyle Larson, Tanner HolmesHEAT RACE WINNERS (39 Drivers):25 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo22 Heat Wins – David Gravel14 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet12 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz11 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild10 Heat Wins – Gio Scelzi, Logan Schuchart, James McFadden, Buddy Kofoid6 Heat Wins – Rico Abreu5 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen, Spencer Bayston4 Heat Wins – Brent Marks, Justin Peck, Cory Eliason3 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Brian Brown, Bill Balog, Parker Price-Miller2 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Kerry Madsen, Robbie Price, Tim Kaeding, Sam Hafertepe Jr.1 Heat Win – Danny Dietrich, Freddie Rahmer, Mark Dobmeier, Kasey Kahne, Austin McCarl, Lachlan McHugh, Ryan Timms, Tim Estenson, Kyle Larson, Shane Stewart, Lance Dewease, Cole Macedo, Chase Randall, Ian MadsenTOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (42 Drivers):35 Dashes – Carson Macedo34 Dashes – David Gravel31 Dashes – Brad Sweet25 Dashes – Logan Schuchart23 Dashes – Gio Scelzi19 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz18 Dashes – James McFadden15 Dashes – Rico Abreu14 Dashes – Spencer Bayston12 Dashes – Buddy Kofoid8 Dashes – Jacob Allen, Brent Marks, Cory Eliason, Brock Zearfoss5 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Justin Peck, Robbie Price4 Dashes – Brian Brown3 Dashes – Danny Dietrich, Parker Price-Miller, Tyler Courtney, Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne2 Dashes – Garet Williamson, Austin McCarl, Bill Balog, Cole Macedo1 Dash – Freddie Rahmer, Devon Borden, Aaron Reutzel, Brady Bacon, Chad Trout, Dylan Norris, Cap Henry, Stuart Brubaker, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Shane Stewart, Danny Varin, Tanner Holmes, Justin Sanders, Ian MadsenMICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (32 Drivers):4 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Spencer Bayston2 LCS Wins – Robbie Price, Parker Price-Miller, Noah Gass, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Tim Estenson1 LCS Win – Gio Scelzi, Hunter Schuerenberg, James McFadden, Wayne Johnson, Ryan Timms, Ayrton Gennetten, Kraig Kinser, Freddie Rahmer, Henry Malcuit, Cole Macedo, Aaron Reutzel, Kerry Madsen, Sye Lynch, Cory Eliason, Donny Schatz, Tyler Courtney, Rico Abreu, Jacob Allen, Daryn Pittman, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Jamie Veal, Kaleb Johnson, Lachlan McHugh, Tanner HolmesKSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (35 Drivers):4 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild3 Hard Chargers – Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, James McFadden, Logan Schuchart, Rico Abreu, Brock Zearfoss2 Hard Chargers – Donny Schatz, Danny Dietrich, Justin Peck, David Gravel, Spencer Bayston1 Hard Charger – Gio Scelzi, Robbie Price, Blake Hahn, Buddy Kofoid, Joe B. Miller, Kyle Larson, Hunter Schuerenberg, Kyle Moody, Freddie Rahmer, Skylar Gee, Cole Duncan, Austin Pierce, Brenham Crouch, Tim Kaeding, Jacob Allen, Caden Englehart, Zeb Wise, Carson Macedo, Dale Blaney, Corey Day, Tasker Phillips, Brent Marks, Kaleb Johnson, Tanner HolmesPODIUM FINISHES (23 Drivers):26 Podiums – David Gravel22 Podiums – Brad Sweet16 Podiums – Carson Macedo12 Podiums – Donny Schatz, Logan Schuchart11 Podiums – Rico Abreu8 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild7 Podiums – James McFadden, Buddy Kofoid6 Podiums – Kyle Larson5 Podiums – Brent Marks4 Podiums – Spencer Bayston, Gio Scelzi3 Podiums – Brian Brown, Jacob Allen1 Podium – Danny Dietrich, Kasey Kahne, Devon Borden, Parker Price-Miller, Brady Bacon, Anthony Macri, Garet Williamson, Dave Blaney, Tanner HolmesTOP 10 FINISHES (56 Drivers):46 Top 10s – Carson Macedo, Brad Sweet43 Top 10s – David Gravel37 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart, Gio Scelzi34 Top 10s – Sheldon Haudenschild32 Top 10s – Spencer Bayston31 Top 10s – Donny Schatz30 Top 10s – James McFadden24 Top 10s – Rico Abreu21 Top 10s – Buddy Kofoid14 Top 10s – Jacob Allen11 Top 10s – Justin Peck, Brent Marks9 Top 10s – Cory Eliason8 Top 10s – Kyle Larson7 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney, Brock Zearfoss, Kasey Kahne6 Top 10s – Brian Brown, Danny Dietrich3 Top 10s – Anthony Macri, Bill Balog, Tanner Holmes, Justin Sanders2 Top 10s – Aaron Reutzel, Blake Hahn, Brady Bacon, Parker Price-Miller, Robbie Price, Zeb Wise, Freddie Rahmer, Cole Macedo, Tim Kaeding1 Top 10 – Devon Borden, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Joe B. Miller, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brandon Rahmer, Chad Trout, Lance Dewease, Cap Henry, Stuart Brubaker, Skylar Gee, Cole Duncan, Austin McCarl, Garet Williamson, Chase Randall, Shane Stewart, Dave Blaney, Larry Wight, Dale Blaney, Noah Gass, Rusty Hickman, Corey Day, Kerry Madsen2023 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)1. Fri, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)2. Fri, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (2)3. Sat, Feb 11* / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / James McFadden (1)4. Sun, March 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1)5. Mon, March 6 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (3)6. Sat, March 18 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Rico Abreu (1)7. Fri, March 24 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Buddy Kofoid (1)8. Sat, March 25 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Brad Sweet (1)9. Fri, March 31 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / Brad Sweet (2)10. Sat, April 1 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / James McFadden (2)11. Fri, April 7 / U.S. 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)12. Sat, April 8 / 81 Speedway / Wichita, KS / Rico Abreu (2)13. Fri, April 14 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (3)14. Fri, April 28 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL / David Gravel (4)15. Sat, April 29 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Brady Bacon (1)16. Fri, May 5 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Logan Schuchart (1)17. Sat, May 6 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Rico Abreu (3)18. Wed, May 10 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Anthony Macri (1)19. Fri, May 12 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brad Sweet (4)20. Fri, May 19 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Donny Schatz (1)21. Sat, May 20 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Donny Schatz (2)22. Fri, May 26 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Brad Sweet (5)23. Sat, May 27 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Carson Macedo (2)24. Mon, May 29 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / James McFadden (3)25. Fri, June 2 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / David Gravel (5)26. Sat, June 3 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN / Carson Macedo (3)27. Fri, June 9 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brian Brown (1)28. Sat, June 10 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (6)29. Fri, June 16 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Gio Scelzi (1)30. Sat, June 17 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)31. Wed, June 21 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Kyle Larson (1)32. Thurs, June 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / James McFadden (4)33. Fri, June 23 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Logan Schuchart (2)34. Sat, June 24 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (7)35. Fri, June 30 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (6)36. Sat, July 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / David Gravel (8)37. Sat, July 8 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI / Carson Macedo (4)38. Tues, July 11 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Kyle Larson (2)39. Fri, July 14 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (5)40. Sat, July 15 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Donny Schatz (3)41. Thurs, July 20 / BAPS Motor Speedway / York Haven, PA / David Gravel (9)42. Fri, July 21 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Logan Schuchart (3)43. Sat, July 22 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Rico Abreu (4)44. Sun, July 30 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / David Gravel (10)45. Fri, Aug 4 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Spencer Bayston (1)46. Sat, Aug 5 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Kyle Larson (3)47. Sat, Aug 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Kyle Larson (4)48. Thurs, Aug 17 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / James McFadden (5)49. Fri, Aug 18 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / James McFadden (6)50. Sat, Aug 19 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Carson Macedo (6)51. Fri, Aug 25 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Logan Schuchart (4)52. Sat, Aug 26 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND / Logan Schuchart (5)

OCALA, FL (August 29, 2023) — Josh Hart will be racing the red, white and blue TechNet Top Fuel dragster at the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals when the biggest drag race of the year gets underway August 31 – September 4, from Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. For the third year in a row, Hart will also be kicking off the Brakes for Breasts charity campaign aligned with his primary sponsor TechNet Professional, an elite network of automotive repair shops across North America. During the 69th annual U.S. Nationals Hart, who is currently tenth in the Top Fuel point standing, will begin raising funds for Brakes for Breasts and breast cancer research at the Burnyzz automotive repair and restoration shop in Ocala, Fla., which he and his wife Brittanie own.

 
“I am very proud to be associated with TechNet and the Brakes for Breasts program,” said Hart, a three-time U.S. Nationals winner in Top Alcohol Dragster category. “This program does an amazing job of raising donations for breast cancer research and engaging the thousands of TechNet shops and their customers. I can’t wait to get this TechNet Top Fuel dragster on the track and into the winner’s circle.”
 
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 outstanding ambassador of our TechNet brand for several years, and we’re excited to once again feature TechNet on his car as we kick off our Brakes for Breasts fundraising campaign,” said Lauren Beaulieu, Advance’s vice president of professional marketing. “This partnership with Josh and his team is a valuable opportunity to share with race fans how they can support critical research efforts toward finding a cure for breast cancer by donating at their local TechNet shop or online.”
 
On Friday in advance of the U.S. Nationals, Hart will make a special appearance at Apex Automotive in Greenwood, Indiana, to promote his TechNet Top Fuel dragster as well as the Brakes for Breasts program.
 
Hart hopes his efforts with the TechNet Top Fuel dragster and the additional social and media promotion about the Brakes for Breasts program will help raise awareness for the 1 in 8 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. All the funds raised will go towards the Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Research Fund.
 

OCALA, FL (August 29, 2023) — Josh Hart knows what it feels like to win the biggest drag race in the world. In fact, the team owner and driver from Ocala, Florida, has experienced the rare three-peat at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park capturing the U.S. Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster championship three years in a row from 2017-2019. In 2021 Hart made the jump to Top Fuel on a limited schedule before going all in for every Camping World Drag Racing Series event last year. It has been a wild ride for the unassuming Top Fuel professional who will be flying the red, white, and blue colors of TechNet this weekend in Indianapolis.   “I love racing the U.S. Nationals and I have a lot of great memories of seeing a lot of win light in my Top Alcohol Dragster,” said Hart, who also receives primary sponsorship support from R+L Carriers. “I want to make some new memories with Top Fuel win lights this year. We have done OK at Indy the past two years, but I feel like we are right on the edge of going on a really nice run. Getting a win at the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals would be a great place to start.”   Last year Hart qualified No. 8 and beat Doug Foley in the first round before losing to Brittany Force in the quarterfinals. In 2021 he had his best qualifying effort, starting race day as the No. 4 qualifier and he took out Buddy Hull and Leah Pruett before dropping a close semifinal race to Force. This season Hart and his TechNet/R+L Carriers team have had a very quick and consistent car they have just come up on the wrong side of some very close races.   “This sport is very humbling,” said Hart. “You can be at the top of the world and then 3.7 seconds later you are loading up your race car and thinking about getting to the airport. I am blessed to be able to do this thanks to R+L Carriers and TechNet but I want to keep pressing to get better. It has been a while since we have stood in a winner’s circle and I would like to get that feeling back in Indy.”   Hart opened the season winning the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout race and in May Hart raced to the final round at the Gerber Collision & Glass Rt. 66 Nationals. He has raced to three more semifinals including a great run at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals to wrap up the Western Swing.   “We have had a race car that can go rounds and we have lost a handful of races to the drivers that go on and win the races,” said Hart. “I am ready to get those close wins. We came out strong in 2021 and then we invested in our program in 2022 and have made strides this season. I have to keep reminding myself we are still a relatively young independent team.”   For Hart the challenge to being successful is something he believes he can accomplish. He wants to put himself in a position to compete at the highest level against the toughest opponents. His team culture led by crew chief Ron Douglas is a no-nonsense serious approach that also has a family friendly vibe. Throughout the weekend hospitality guests can be seen enjoying conversations with crew members while Hart’s two children Londyn and Banks are taking in all the sights and sounds.   “R+L Carriers is a family-owned business and so are we,” said Hart. “These crew guys are busting their tails to get us across the country and we want to have fun. When it is time to work, we get after it, but I also want to see a lot of smiles on our faces. We have a really good balance here and heading into the U.S. Nationals we want to have fun and win this race.   Hart and the TechNet Top Fuel team will be on track on Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Motorsports Park at 7:00 p.m. for their first qualifying run. He will have four more runs, two each on Saturday and Sunday, to grab one of the 16 spots in the race day field. Final eliminations will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday with the race being broadcast on FS1 and FOX throughout the day.

CHICAGO, IL (August 29, 2023) — For TJ Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster team, the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals is business as usual. The second-generation driver, who raced to the Top Fuel final round in 2020 at the famed Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, is confident that he has the skills and the car to get the job done.   “We are coming into this race with several wins already under our belt this season, including rounds in Indy,” said Zizzo, who is a resident of Chicago. “Every time we are on the track, our goal is to qualify to the best of our ability based on the conditions. From there, we go out on race day ready to have fun and win rounds.” TJ Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster, photo by Auto Imagery  Zizzo’s confidence derives from his team’s strong debut this season, despite being out of the competition since 2021. At Zizzo’s hometown race, the Gerber Collision & Glass Rt. 66 Nationals, he raced into the field as the No. 16 qualifier and upset the No. 1 qualifier in the opening round, having run his personal best elapsed time of 3.712 seconds at 329.99 mph. Zizzo also defeated his second round opponent before bowing out in the semifinals.   “Our success is attributed to our new equipment and the fact that our Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster is running some of the best parts its ever had,” said Zizzo. “Driven by the exceptional leadership of Mike Kern, our team works our tails off at the shop every chance we get, even when we aren’t actively racing.”   The new race car joining Zizzo’s fleet is a courtesy of Don Schumacher, NHRA Hall of Fame driver and team owner. Prior to this addition, Zizzo and his team were limited by their budget, repurposing quality parts to prepare for competitions against better-funded teams. Although they managed to make a commendable effort and saw flashes of success, the team has elevated their game with the updated Top Fuel dragster.   “After competing in St. Louis in 2021, we knew we had to make a change in order to keep up with the best in the sport,” said Zizzo. “We put in our best effort with our older equipment and car, but Don’s offer to build a new car was the necessary catalyst to take our team to the next level.” TJ Zizzo, driver of the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster, photo by Auto Imagery  Despite the new equipment in his team’s arsenal, it was not easy for Zizzo to recommit to racing. As the owner and operator of a thriving auto body and paint business outside of Chicago, he had maintained a quality team of crew members, but needed to invest in building a race team. With the support of his family, his team and long-time partners, particularly Rust-Oleum, Zizzo and his team crafted a race crew that maximizes their overall competitiveness.   “Our team’s dedication and positivity is constant, no matter the obstacles we face,” said Zizzo. “Beyond our team, we are supported by incredible partners who understand what we are all about. I am thrilled to be back on the track and look forward to continued success this season.”   Zizzo will return to the track for Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals from August 30 to September 4. His team will participate in five qualifying sessions starting on Friday night. The contested race on Monday will be broadcasted nationally on FS1 and FOX.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 29, 2023) – It all comes down to this. One of most competitive and engaging championship battles in the history of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, has been waged over 16 rounds with its two leading protagonists producing a combined 28 podiums and 13 wins. And yet, with just the series’ crown jewel event – the Mission Springfield Mile I & II presented by Drag Specialties – remaining to determine the victor, the separation at the top is a single point. While 2023 has witnessed two of the greatest single-season performances in the 70-year history of the Grand National Championship, only one rider will be crowned the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion this Labor Day weekend when the season wraps up with a decisive doubleheader at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois, on Saturday September 2, and Sunday, September 3. This year’s title fight has it all. The #1 plate has been vigorously defended by one of the most decorated riders of all time in Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750), who is looking to add to his slam dunk Hall of Fame résumé. By contrast, an incredible campaign has been mounted by one of the most promising riders to emerge in decades, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who is in contention to secure the first of what could one day prove to be multiple premier-class championships. The championship fight is equally compelling from team and equipment standpoints with the factory Indian Motorcycle squad and its purpose-built FTR750 racer in position to earn a seventh consecutive title. Meanwhile, Estenson Racing is aiming to deliver Yamaha its first undivided Grand National Championship in nearly half a century with its production-based MT-07 DT. Another feature this showdown boasts in no short supply is a list of potential spoilers, anyone of whom could tip the balance in either direction. That possibility is only magnified by the venue, which tends to produce extremely close and unpredictable racing; In the most recent ten Springfield Miles, eight have been decided by less than a second. Of those eight, six have featured at least three riders within a second of victory, four with four or more, two with seven or more, and one with a full ten racers taking the checkered flag within a second of the winner. Spearheading the spoilers are two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) and two-time Springfield Mile winner Brandon Robinson(No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750). And like Bauman and Robinson, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) have each stood upon a Mile podium at least once in the past two seasons and rank inside this season’s championship top six. Seventh-ranked Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Wally Brown Racing/JMC Racing KTM 790 Duke) and eighth-ranked Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke) also merit special attention. Due to an injury suffered by Jesse Janisch, Vanderkooi will compete aboard the WBR KTM Duke that debuted with a podium on a Mile a season ago. Meanwhile, the younger Bauman has previously finished on the podium at the Springfield Mile, coming within 0.149 seconds of victory in the aforementioned epic 2019 contest in which ten riders were still in contention for the win as they exited the final corner. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Reigning class champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) enters this weekend’s finale in a commanding position and the heavy favorite to successfully defend his Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER crown. Kopp boasts a 35-points advantage built upon seven race wins with just 50 points left in play. That puts him within striking distance of not only joining Dallas Daniels as just the second rider to claim back-to-back titles in the class, but both match and surpass Daniels’ single-season wins record with a weekend sweep. Kopp has already eliminated the title hopes of all his challengers save the Estenson Racing duo of Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha). While Brunner and Drane would need plenty of skill and luck to catch the leader, they also need to remain cognizant of how the standings stack up behind them. Six riders are still in the mix for championship runner-up honors, with Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), and Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) also maintaining at least mathematical possibilities of finishing second overall. Among that grouping, Drane and Lowe split the wins in the season’s prior three Miles. Meanwhile, Saathoff finished second twice and third once, while Whale, Gauthier, and Brunner racked up a combined four top fives. Several other gifted pilots will look to end their seasons on a high note, including regular frontrunners Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450). There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track, including the Kids Zone, a CAT heavy equipment simulator, expansive food and beverage options, and free motorcycle parking. And following Saturday’s Main Events, fans are invited to attend the Springfield Mile Post-Race Party presents by Progressive featuring the high-energy live music of the Brandy Kristin Band. Angela Savage will serve as the weekend’s Grand Marshal. Savage is the daughter of the late David “Swede” Savage, a former Grand National Championship competitor who lost his life 50 years ago in a crash suffered while battling for the lead in the 1973 Indy 500. General Admission Bleacher tickets are just $30 (kids 12 and under free), and there are a variety of upgraded ticket options to select from, including the VIP Ticket, which includes a reserved seat in the grandstand of choice, food, beverage, and pit pass for $150. Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase for non-VIP tickets, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport. Fans who purchase Saturday and Sunday tickets will receive a $5 discount at checkout. To reserve your tickets today, visit: Mission Springfield Mile I: https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/springfield-mile-i-61209Mission Springfield Mile II: https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/springfield-mile-ii-61313 Gates will open for fans at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 p.m. PT) both days with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT). For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv. FOX Sports coverage of Mission Springfield Mile I & II presented by Drag Specialties featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere back-to-back on FS1 on Sunday, September 10, starting at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT).

Dynamic Online Drag Racing Bracket
Competition Launched for Fans at U.S. Nationals

DALLAS (August 29, 2023) — The excitement and madness of predicting who will win the U.S. Nationals is being placed into the hands and keyboards of NHRA fans starting this weekend with the launch of Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB), the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans. When the fields are set on Sunday night for the 69th U.S. Nationals fans can head to the Drag Race Bracket Bonanza website on either their phone or laptop and make their picks round by round for all four professional classes. Points will be earned with every correct pick until there is one overall event winner at the conclusion of the race on Monday. Category winners for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will also be recognized.
 
“This was an idea I have been thinking about and talking to people within the sport for a couple years. Drag Racing has the excitement and drama of the college men’s basketball tournament every national event and we should be capitalizing on that excitement to give our fans more chances to root for their favorite drivers,” said Elon Werner, Creator of Drag Race Bracket Bonanza and Founder of Werner Communications. “My goal is for Drag Racing fans to fill out their brackets and encourage their non-drag racing friends to try their luck. Drag Racing is unpredictable and the excitement of seeing your favorite driver win rounds should be recognized and celebrated.”

DRBB has been in development since before the 2023 Western Swing and over the past five races a group of beta testers have been playing DRBB and working out a variety of issues unique to Drag Racing and dynamic gameplay. Fans will be able to fill out their brackets on Saturday night when the fields are set and the window will remain open until the engines are fired in the first pair of Top Fuel dragsters to start the first round of eliminations on Sunday or, in the case of the U.S. Nationals, on Monday.   After every round, drivers will advance and points will be allocated to each participant until there are four winners crowned at the end of the race. Participants will earn points race-by-race with a chance for one person to be crowned overall Countdown Drag Race Bracket Bonanza champion.
 
“My goal is to have people get excited about following and participating in the national events beyond just watching them on TV or following on social media,” said Werner. “Drag Race Bracket Bonanza is designed to give fans bragging rights and get them involved in the races like never before. I also want to give casual fans a way to follow the races and our drivers. This will be a work in progress, and we will be improving the site every race. There are so many elements we had planned to add but I just felt now was the time to get something going instead of just talking about an idea.”
 
Beyond the U.S. Nationals, Drag Race Bracket Bonanza will continue with the Reading Nationals, the Carolina Nationals, the Midwest Nationals, the Texas Fall Nationals, the Nevada Nationals, and the World Finals in Pomona. Fans will be able to fill out their brackets on Saturday night when the fields are set, until the first pair of Top Fuel dragsters start before the first round of eliminations on Sunday. After every round drivers will advance and points will be allocated to each participant until there are four winners crowned at the end of the race. Participants will earn points race by race as well as the chance for one person to be crowned overall Countdown Drag Race Bracket Bonanza champion.

CHICAGO (August 28, 2023) — The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway was a tough outing for Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King and his Howards Cams/Competition Parts Dodge Funny Car team. During the two days of qualifying the team severely damaged a motor battling to make the 16-car field. The team had plans to race in the 69th Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park this weekend but the start-up team ran out of time to get their equipment in race ready shape for the biggest drag race of the season. King will be attending the race and fulfilling his sponsor and fan event obligations but will not be racing.

 
“It is just so disappointing to not be able to race at the U.S. Nationals,” said King, who qualified No. 14 earlier this season at the Mile-High Nationals. “We were making strides on the performance side at Denver and Topeka, but Brainerd really set us back. My whole goal this year, which I didn’t talk about too much, was to get our program competitive so we could maybe make an impact at Indy and get the attention of more sponsors. That isn’t going to happen on the track, so I am going to go and do all the fan events I committed to and make the most of a bad situation.”
 
King will be one of many drivers attending the Cruz Pedregon Open House and Car Show (462 Southpoint Circle, Brownsburg, IN) on Thursday, August 30 at 7 p.m. ET for a free driver and celebrity autograph session. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.  and drivers will start signing at 7:00 p.m.  On Friday King will also be signing at the DSR Performance Block Party (1681 E. Northfield Drive, Brownsburg, IN) benefiting Riley Children’s Hospital at noon ET. The Funny Car driver and team owner has several other private events on his schedule and will be at the race as well.

Chris King and Howards Cams/Competition Products Dodge Funny Car, photos by Innovation Creative Experts

 
“I made some commitments to meet with the fans and I definitely want to honor those promises,” said King. “You always want to be racing but Indy is a huge event for the fans and the sport so if I can still be a part of it, I don’t want to miss that chance. I am evaluating what my team’s next move is. Right now the focus is getting all the pieces in place to continue to chase this dream. I am not going to give up.”
 
King raced three races in 2021 and took 2022 off to build his program and look for a road map to success on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. This season the fireman and professional driver has competed in four NHRA national events including Chicago and Denver, Topeka (KS), and Brainerd. The goal all season was to qualify and build up data for an enhanced schedule in 2024.
 

DALLAS (August 28, 2023) — The 69th Dodge power Brokers U.S. Nationals, August 31-September 4, will have a prize purse of $2 million, hundreds and hundreds of competitors from all over the globe and one passionate, high-energy HULL’K themed Top Fuel dragster driven by Dallas entrepreneur Buddy Hull. The businessman from Texas has turned his Methanol Moonshine/Renegade Race Fuels 11,000-horsepower land rocket into an eye-catching homage to one of the biggest superheroes in the known universe. The idea came to Hull as an effort to attract young kids and bring more casual fans into the sport.

 
“I just love doing cool things and trying to introduce new people to NHRA drag racing,” said Hull. “We are going to run this design a couple races and hopefully have some fun and put some smiles on some faces. I can’t thank all my sponsors for supporting this idea. Indy is the biggest race of the year and we wanted to make a bit of a splash.”
 
Hull has been working on growing his program since the 2021 season and every year the third generation drag racer had made progress. The biggest leap he took was adding veteran crew chief Mike Guger to his program at the beginning of this season. With Guger’s wealth of experience and keen eye Hull’s operation has been steadily improving and this weekend he feels as confident as ever that the team could turn a corner with improved performance and success on race day.
 
“We got off to a rough start at the beginning of the season and had to sort a few things out,” said Hull. “In Topeka we made some really good runs and most importantly we didn’t hurt anything. These race cars can do a lot of internal damage to themselves because we run them right on the ragged edge. Mike has a great handle on how hard he can push to get great times. With five qualifying runs we are planning on making the most of the weekend and get into the show for Monday.”

 Mike Guger (far left) talks with Buddy Hull (far right) about tune-up prior to run, photo by Ron Lewis Photography

In addition to the season long sponsors backing Hull his marketing team has put together a handful of regional deals for the U.S. Nationals. This weekend the team is getting support from Fletcher Chrysler, Rush on Main, and Green Street Pub. The team will be supporting each of these businesses with decals on the race car, social media promotion and additional appearances throughout the weekend. They will also be included in the team’s PA script that is used over the weekend.
 
“We have sponsors that want national and regional exposure, but I think it is important to also reach out to the local companies and give them a chance to participate,” said Hull, who owns several businesses. “These small companies get the same treatment and opportunities at the U.S. Nationals and we appreciate their support. This is an expensive endeavor so every area we can save money just makes our team stronger. We can invest in other areas if we can get a sponsorship deal for a tow vehicle or get our meals catered. I am thankful for the support from Fletcher Chrysler, Green Street Pub and Rush on Main.”
 
In 2021 Hull made his first appearance at the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals and it was an experience the driver will not forget. He qualified No. 13 and lost in the first round to Josh Hart but he took away a lot of positives and it motivated him to come back. This season Hull has been working towards a successful weekend at Indy.
 
“My rookie season we learned so much and racing Indy that year was so cool,” said Hull. “This place has so much history and you have so many teams competing for 16 spots. Honestly just making the field that year was a big deal. This year the competition will be even more fierce, but I love the challenge.”
 
Leading up to the race Hull will be attending several free fan events including the Cruz Pedregon Open House on Thursday, August 31 at 7 p.m. and the DSR Open House benefiting Riley Children’s Hospital on Friday, September 1 at noon. Hull and a number of other NHRA professional drivers will be signing autographs and posing for photos with fans.
 
“The fans are why we are out here so getting to spend time with them leading up to the race is awesome,” said Hull. “I want to meet as many fans as possible and let them know how much we appreciate their support. At the track I work on the car, but I always try and sign for anyone and we give away a pretty good number of used parts. There is nothing better than putting a smile on someone’s face at the racetrack.”
 
Hull and the Methanol Moonshine/Renegade Race Fuel HULL’K Top Fuel dragster will be on track for the first time Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET. The team will get two qualifying runs on Saturday and two more on Sunday to grab one of the 16 spots in the field. Final eliminations will start at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday with the race being broadcast on FS1 and FOX.
 

MOORESVILLE, NC (August 28, 2023) — In a season with multiple high points, second rear Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso is looking to the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals, August 31-September 4, as her chance to once again rise to the occasion. The 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year has won at the highest level, picking up her first Pro Stock win at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, and she followed that up in May with a victory at the first Pro Stock Allstar Callout race in Chicago. Racing the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro with power by KB Titan Racing the third-generation drag racer is ready for a return visit to the biggest race of the year in Indianapolis.

Camrie Caruso and Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Innovation Creative Experts

 
“The U.S. Nationals is the biggest race of the year, and it leads right into the Countdown, so you want to build some positive momentum,” said Caruso, who has also won in Top Alcohol Dragster. “The competition has been so tough this year we really want to make some good runs in qualifying so we can give ourselves the best chance on race day. I am excited about getting five qualifying sessions because I think we can get a lot of good data for this Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro team.”
 
Last year Caruso raced in her first U.S. Nationals and the young driver was not overwhelmed even though she did not have a tremendous qualifying effort. After multiple runs she entered race day as the No. 11 qualifier but she stepped up her performance game winning her first round match-up with veteran Aaron Stanfield before dropping a close race to multi-time world champion Erica Enders in the quarterfinals. The experience of racing in Indy left an impression on Caruso.
 
“You try and think of every race as being the same, but Indy definitely has a different feel,” said Caruso. “Last year during my rookie year we had a lot going on and honestly Indy was a long race. I feel a lot more confident this year. I am with KB Titan Racing which has been great. I have a better idea of what to expect from a longer race weekend. I really feel good about our chances. We had a good race in Brainerd and just lost a close race to Kyle (Koretsky) in the second round.
 
This season Caruso has seen her driving and reaction times improve and her Tequila Comisario Camaro is consistently a top-half qualifier. The margin for error in the Pro Stock category is razor thin. There will be over 16 Pro Stock teams vying for spots in the field so a strong start on Friday in qualifying is the first goal for Caruso and her team that also gets support from DENSO, Powerbuilt Tools, Big Jeff Audio and VP Racing Lubricants.

NHRA^® Team Report

NHRA Nationals – Indianapolis

Pre-Race Report

It’s “go” time for the event deemed the “Big Go” and Cruz Pedregon and team are ready to race in their own backyard and home track of Indianapolis Raceway Park. With solid performance and recent quarter-final finish as motivation, the team is looking forward to the game-changer runs they need with the Snap-on^® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge^® SRT^®Hellcat^® to move up in the NHRA Funny Car standings. 

“We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time, so now it’s time for us to test the limits of what the Snap-on Funny Car can do. And the U.S. Nationals is the perfect place to do it,” Cruz says. “Knowing we missed advancing in the last race by the slimmest margin tells me the car is ready and we have it in us as a team to advance.” 

Fans arriving by air for the race will be seeing multiple Cruz Funny Cars this weekend if they travel through the Indianapolis airport. A Snap-on Funny Car will be on display there for the next two weeks. As a special kick-off to the weekend, the team will be starting another of Cruz’s cars on August 28 at the PRI (Performance Racing Industries) building in Speedway, Indiana. Cruz will also host an Open House for fans at his shop, located at 462 Southpoint Circle in Brownsburg, on Thursday, August 31^st beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event will include a car show, food trucks, and autograph session with professional drivers. 

Being a part of the world’s largest drag race makes the tribute on the side of Cruz’s car even more relevant by honoring all the “Makers & Fixers” who will be in attendance. The Makers & Fixers Instagram handle features a bubble dedicated to racing and provides a showcase for motorsports fans to see some of the winning images of those active in the sport through photos that have been uploaded to makersandfixers.com. 

DAYTONA, FL – August 28, 2023 – Chris Buescher won Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway as Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing finished 1-2 with co-owner/teammate Brad Keselowski finishing second. This race marked the end of the regular NASCAR Cup Series season and set the field for the 2023 playoffs. Six Ford Performance drivers advanced to the playoffs including Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski from RFK Racing, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney from Team Penske, Kevin Harvick from Stewart-Haas Racing, and Michael McDowell from Front Row Motorsports.

“Congratulations to Jack, Brad, Scott, Chris, and everyone at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing on the race win at Daytona,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Chris and Brad raced well together throughout the race to secure the win and are carrying momentum into the playoffs.”

“It’s so awesome. So proud to get Fifth Third Bank in Victory Lane here with this Ford Mustang. What a heck of a push from Brad in those closing laps for that entire restart. We lined up and worked to get connected. We hardly came disconnected those last couple of laps and it was a little squirrely at times, but that’s what we work so hard to execute superspeedway racing for two years now. We’ve been so close. We’ve been within the last five laps of so many of these things to finally get it done here tonight is special,” commented Buescher.

Saturday’s 400-mile race started with seven Ford Performance drivers in the top-10 including Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe and Aric Almirola that started on the front row. Pole-winner Chase Briscoe led a race-high 67 of 163 laps. A large wreck on the last lap of Stage 2 collected 16 cars but Brad Keselowski was able to drive through to take the stage win. Another wreck on lap 156 forced the scheduled 160 lap race into overtime with RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski out front. Brad Keselowski locked bumpers and provided a push to his teammate to secure the win for the #17 team.

A total of five Ford Performance drivers finished in the top 10: RFK Racing teammates Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski in P1 and P2, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola in P3, Team Penske’s Joey Logano in P5, and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick in P9.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series also raced at Daytona on Friday night. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer finished in P5 while RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg finished in P6. Both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series head to Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina this weekend.

35 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 454 WINS – 417 POLES

MARSTONS MILLS, Massachusetts (August 28, 2023) – As they say in racing, there are a million ways to lose, but only one way to win. The Follow A Dream Team nearly tasted victory this past weekend at New England Dragway. At only the second race of the season, prospects for a Wally were looking good Saturday night after uncooperative weather drowned out the track on Friday. With only one qualifying round on Saturday yielding The Dream Team a 5.71 at 260 mph, they found themselves in fourth place on the ladder, and heading into the semi finals against a strong competitor, Matt Gill.  Victory came late Saturday night as funnycars under the stars lit up the New Hampshire sky. The team erupted in cheers as Phil Burkart Jr roared past Matt Gill’s racecar besting his 5.69 at 263 mph with a 5.56 at 264 mph. The rain on Friday pushed the finals to Sunday, and the team was able to rest easy Saturday night knowing they had cleared the semis, and would be heading into finals the next day. Anticipation was running high as confidence filled the Follow A Dream team pit area. Tuner Anthony Terenzio, and Tuning Consultant Rich Bozzelli, were all but certain of a smooth, strong pass down the track for the finals. With brand new uniform shirts and a positive attitude The Dream Team made their way to the staging lanes. Heartbreak came quickly for the team as shute failure forced a loss before the racecar even left the starting line. Wayne Morris clinched the win with a 5.58 at 259 mph.  Team owner Jay Blake was disappointed, but not dismayed, “Racing is a lot like life, it’s not about how many times you get knocked down, its about how many times you get back up, and get back out there.”  ‘Getting back out there’ is exactly what The Dream Team plans to do. They are already back at the race shop and getting the car ready to head out to their only National race of the season at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, PA on September 15th where they’ll once again try to capture that elusive Wally.

Funnycars under the stars on Saturday night

Lukas VanGelder, Lead Clutch Tech, and and Scott “Ozzie” Osborn, Lead Engine Tech secure Driver, Phil Burkart into the racecar before his pass

Follow A Dream Tuning Consultant Rich Bozzelli inspects the racecar

Posted By: Mary Lendzion Aug 27, 2023

WRITTEN BY MARY LENDZION
PHOTOS BY RUDY ROUWEYHA

When rain fell with force and flooded the Summit Motorsports Park grounds in Norwalk, Ohio, the day before the 22nd Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag, August 25-27, the panic was palpable. 

Racers and race fans wondered whether this second-to-last event on the series’ annual tour might be canceled, but officials from the series and the track put their heads together and plotted a path forward.

Because of their extreme effort, racers from across the country pulled into America’s Racetrack and served up some of the most compelling competition thus far during the 2023 season.

“After all of the adversity our teams faced at the beginning of the week, it was gratifying to see the first pair of cars stage on our starting line,” said Evan Bader, Summit Motorsports Park Track Manager. “Our teams wanted, more than anything, to be able to produce this event for the racers, despite the downpours we had the day before, and pass after pass, we were grateful we were able to do that.”

In the eye-popping and exhilarating world of VP Racing Lubricants Xtreme Pro Mod, Scott Wildgust flat-footed to a head-turning 3.64 in his Camaro to set the pace among his fellow racers in qualifying. He made it to the final round of eliminations to take on points leader Ty Tutterow, who took the trip to the NMCA Winner’s Circle with a 3.66 over Wildgust’s 4.56.

Mark Pawuk piloted his Challenger to a commendable 7.66 to top the list of qualified racers in Holley EFI Factory Super Cars, and the Ohio-based racer went all the way to the win with a stout 7.67 and a slightly quicker reaction time against AJ Berge, who is holding down third-place in points and posted a 7.66 in his equally impressive Challenger. For his exceptional efforts, Pawuk is taking home an extra $10,000 thanks to the Direct Connection Contingency Program, whch is available to Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak racers.

ARP Nitrous Pro Street points leader David Fallon Jr. tripped the timers at 4.23 in his Camaro to see his name at the top of the qualifying sheet, and he kept sailing from there to meet fellow Michiganian Nicole Liberty in the final round of eliminations. Fallon Jr., with a .017 reaction time and a 4.28, earned a slight holeshot win over Liberty, who stopped the clocks at 4.26.



Racers with nitrous, turbos, and superchargers set sail in Edelbrock Xtreme Street, and Martin Connelley of Salyersville, Kentucky, who is currently leading points in the category, clocked a 4.56 to claim the lead qualifying spot in his Mustang. All eyes were on him and Robert Cook to see who would collect the win in the final round of eliminations, and the board flashed 4.71 and the win light in Connelley’s lane while Cook went through at 4.88.

In Dart NA 10.5, where awe-inspiring naturally aspirated engines are celebrated, Pennsylvanian John Langer pushed to a 7.72 in his classic Trans Am to lead 15 of his fellow racers in qualifying. But his fellow Pennsylvanian, Richie Nye, who is in third place in points behind tough competitors Joe Clemente and Dwight Ausmus, arrived in the final round of eliminations with Ed Brady. Nye took flight with a 7.20 after Brady timed out on the starting line.

Charlie Booze Jr., known for piloting a Ford-powered car, was in the cockpit of the Duncan Family’s Camaro for Chevrolet Performance Stock presented by Scoggin Dickey Parts Center competition at this event. He made himself feel at home by hauling to a 9.79 to lead qualifying. Booze Jr. stayed in the game and got to the final round of eliminations, where he raced points leader Kevin Lumsden. Booze Jr. beat Lumsden with a 9.84 to Lumsden’s 9.87.

As the 2022 Micro Strategies Stock Eliminator champion, Dave Swanson knows that focus is essential, from start to finish, at every race. He showed that ability at the 22nd Annual Mickey Thompson NMCA All-American Nationals presented by Sick the Mag, where he led qualifying with a 7.94 on a 9.40. However, Scott Libersher and Mike Pustelny pushed to the final round of eliminations, and Libersher won with a 9.34 on a 9.36 after Pustelny went red.

Jeff Myers jetted to an 8.84 on a 10.05 to lead qualifying in Micro Strategies Super Stock Eliminator, but holding on all weekend and winding up in the final round of eliminations were Randall Running and Brad Ross. Running won with a 9.41 on a 9.39 to Ross’ 10.47 on a 10.45.

Tennessean Ron Tiller parked his Coronet on a 9.503 on a 9.50 to lead qualifying in Quick Fuel Technology Nostalgia Super Stock, and four rounds later, he faced David Horton, who turned on the red light but won as Tiller ran into trouble and wasn’t able to complete his pass.



Cool classic cars commanded attention in Erson Cams Nostalgia Muscle, where Geary Bates ran right on his 11.00 index to lead qualifying. In the fifth and final round of eliminations, Dan Sisson secured the event win with a 10.28 on a 10.25 over Noah Winters, who was 10.78 on a 10.75.

Nearly 60 racers signed up for MagnaFuel Open Comp, and they all knew that every racer would be incredibly competitive on the tree and the top end of the track. Among them was Jim Johnson, whose .002 reaction time landed him in the lead spot in qualifying in his Mustang. However, after five rounds, Dennis Corn and Dale Boyer were in the final round of eliminations, and Corn won and wheeled to a 9.12 after Boyer rolled the beams.

There is no doubt that Brian McHattie came to this race dialed in, as he dashed to a 10.001 on a 10.00 to lead qualifying in LME Street King presented by Chevrolet Performance, but the final round belonged to Kurt Anderson and current class champion Cody Poston. It was anyone’s race on the starting line, but Poston picked up the win with an 8.98 on a 9.00 against Anderson, who broke out by more with a 10.45 on a 10.50.

Neil Goin gunned to a 12.01 on a 12.00 to lead qualifying in Proform Rumble presented by Chevrolet Performance, but Nicholas Massengale and Emily Forgey went all the way to the final round of eliminations. There, Massengale muscled to the win with a 14.31 when Forgey broke out. 

There was an especially enviable mix of cars in NMCA TorqStorm Superchargers True Street, and that was apparent as racers headed out of the track for their 30-mile cruise and blasted down-track on three back-to-back passes. Dan Sharp secured the overall win with a 7.82 average in his Chevy II, while Adam Kemmer was the runner-up with a 9.25 average in his Nova SS. Other notable performances came from winners Kimberly Walter (9-second), Dominik Post (10-second), Chad Schwemley (11-second), Steve Hanson (12-second), Seth Lindner (13-second), Tyler Thornburg (14-second), and Mike Baker (15-second).



Drivers of Chargers, Challengers, and other fast fan-favorite cars came together for the Dodge // Mopar HEMI Shootout, which grows at each event. At Summit Motorsports Park, Thomas Falk, who made the journey from Virginia, was the winner with an 8.73 average, and Jon Sipple was the runner-up with an 8.85 average. Jess Richards earned the 9-second win, Gordon Paden pushed to the 10-second win and Trevor Hilbert traveled to the 11-second win. Other standouts were Josie Roush-McClenaghan, a multi-time winner who was victorious again with the 12-second win, as well as Rich Sprinzl, the 13-second winner, Dana Baker, the 14-second winner, and Brandon Ross, the 15-second winner. 

The eight quickest drivers in the Dodge // Mopar HEMI Shootout earned entry into the exciting HHP Racing HEMI Quick 8 on Sunday, and among them were Thomas Falk and Mike England. The racers were close on the tree, but Falk picked up the win with an 8.56 on an 8.55 in his Challenger and England was the runner-up with a 9.65 on a 9.55 in his Hellcat.

The COPO Camaro Shootout presented by COPO Parts Direct was a popular feature in Norwalk. In the COPO Parts Direct COPO Battle, Clarence Harding, who was .039 on the starting line and 9.42 on a 9.38 at the finish line, defeated Matt Butter, who broke out with a 9.62 on a 9.63. And, in the Scoggin Dickey Parts Center COPO NA, Rich Rinkie bettered Cliff Hynson with a 9.13 to Hynson’s 9.22

The Watson Racing Cobra Jet Showdown always brings out some of the most beautiful and well-built cars in the country, and among them at this event were those belonging to Richard Rodgers and Jason Dietsch. Rodgers, from Michigan, and Dietsch, from Ohio, met in the final round of eliminations. There Rodgers raced to the win with an 8.74 on an 8.67 over Dietsch and his 9.01 on an 8.95.

The NMCA vs. Buckeye Stock/Super Stock All-Stars class was a 32-car class made up of the top points leaders in the NMCA Micro Strategies Stock Eliminator and Super Stock, and Buckeye Stock/Super Stock Drag Racing classes. Standout racers Doug Duell and Randy Eakins found themselves in the final round of eliminations, and Duell defeated Eakins with a 10.42 on a 10.41 to Eakins’ 10.24 on a 10.19.

Gabe Gunion and Rod Lenhart were the last pair of competitors in Bracket Open, and Gunion, in his cool green Fairmont wagon, wrapped up the win with a good reaction time and a lifting 8.15 on an 8.06 over Lenhart, who broke out with a 6.98 on a 7.02 in his classic Mustang.



Tom Bailey’s Sick the Mag Drive & Drive Invitational presented by Gear Vendors was a fast and fun feature of this event. It saw eight select racers compete against each other in a random chip draw, four-round shootout. The two racers with the most wins out of four rounds were Kyle Bemount and Chuck Stefanski in their turbocharged Trans Ams. In their race, Bemount blasted to a 4.92 and the win over Stefanski and his 5.23. Also, a huge hit was Tom Bailey’s brand-new Durango, which debuted at a racetrack this weekend.

Jaden Dietsch and Sydnie Turner met for the final round of eliminations in Dietsch Trailer Sales Jr. Street, and while Turner had the better reaction time, Dietsch won the double-breakout race with a 9.29 on a 9.35 to Turner’s 9.53 on a 9.61.

In addition to all of the racing action, guests were able to see some commanding cars in the car show and impressive items in the manufacturers’ midway. 

The NMCA heartily congratulates the winners, and thanks race fans and sponsors for their continued support.

The chase to the championships in the Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals series will heat up even more at the last event of the year, the 22nd Annual NMCA World Street Finals presented by Chevrolet Performance, September 21-24 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indiana.

For stories, photos, results, and more content throughout the year, check out NMCADigital.com and RacePagesDigital.com

 
Plainview, NY (August 28, 2023) — The biggest race of the year will have the eyes of the entire drag racing universe on a Top Fuel class led by 11-time Top Fuel winner and 2023 Top Fuel point leader Justin Ashley. The six-time winner in 2023 driving the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster will be looking to win the Dodge Power Broker U.S. Nationals for the first time and duplicate a feat his Funny Car driving father, Mike Ashley accomplished in 2007.

 Justin Ashley and Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster race to semis in Brainerd, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“You’re excited for any race but there’s something special about the U.S. Nationals,” said Ashley. “That’s the one that everyone wants to win. That’s the race that cements your legacy in this sport and we want to win that race. It’s a grind because of the five qualifying sessions, because of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge and then race day on Monday. It really takes a team effort from the beginning of the weekend through the end of the weekend, so that’s a special one. It’s really an exciting way to end the regular season then shift our focus to the countdown.”
 
This will be Ashley’s fourth U.S. Nationals and the team owner and driver will be looking to improve on his two previous semifinal finishes. As a rookie in 2020 Ashley qualified No. 13 and he beat Billy Torrence, the defending 2019 champion Doug Kalitta before losing to Shawn Langdon in a wild pedalfast. Last year as the No. 2 qualifier Ashley defeated Langdon and Torrence again before losing to eventual U.S. Nationals winner Toyota teammate Antron Brown.
 
“We have had some memorable races at the U.S. Nationals and would love nothing more than to add a win and join my father as a U.S. Nationals champion,” said Ashley. “We’ve had close rounds of racing before, but I fully expect this year to take the cake. The depth and quality of the Top Fuel field is so good that races are consistently decided by only thousands of a second.   There are no easy rounds and that will be on full display in Indianapolis.”
 
This season Ashley has been at the top of his game more times than not. Through fourteen races Ashley has won six times in seven final round appearances with an additional semifinal appearance at the most recent Lucas Oil NHRA national in Brainerd, Minnesota. His 31-8 win record is by far the best in the Top Fuel category and he has the best average reaction time in Top Fuel. Heading into the final regular season race Ashley is poised to make another serious run at the Camping World Top Fuel world championship.
 
“All our success so far this season can be attributed to the team,” said Ashley. “It’s been a true team effort both on and off the racetrack. That includes Mike Green and Tommy DeLago tuning the car, the crew guys working on it, and our partners like Phillips Connect, Toyota, Lucas Oil, Mac Tools, Strutmasters.com, Impact and KATO supporting us.  We have a long way to go before accomplishing the ultimate goal but I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work so closely with this special group.”   
 
On Saturday Ashley will be racing in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for the eight time, a record for Top Fuel and all the professional classes. He has won 18 championship points and earned $54,000 winning five times overall. The race will be contested during the qualifying sessions on Saturday and Ashley will face his Brainerd semifinal opponent Leah Pruett.
 
They have raised the purse for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge so there will be $15,000 on the line for the Top Fuel winner,” said Ashley. “But more importantly points are available and the NHRA fans will get to experience more eliminations style racing. This has been a great program and Mission Foods has been an unbelievable asset within our sport. I hope it comes back next season.”
 
Leading up to the U.S. Nationals Ashley will be participating in several free fan events. On Thursday night Ashley will be attending the Cruz Pedregon open house in Brownsburg, Indiana, signing autographs with many of his fellow competitors at 7:00 p.m. and on Friday he will be attending the Don Schumacher Racing open house to benefit Riley Children’s Hospital signing autographs at noon.
 
“The U.S. Nationals is our Super Bowl so there are a lot of fun events for our fans leading up to the race,” said Ashley, one of the rising stars on the NHRA tour. “As a representative of Phillips Connect it’s important that I make myself available while also ensuring that I am mentally and physically prepared to compete a high level. Five qualifying sessions and a Monday raceday requires a lot of focus so finding the right balance between racing, events and everything in between will be a key to finding success.”
 
Ashley leads the Top Fuel points with 1,133 total points and he has a 101-point lead over second place driver Steve Torrence. It will be a battle between these two drivers for the No. 1 seed heading into the Countdown there are 195 total points on the line for the U.S. Nationals. A solid race day for Ashley will lock up the top seed for the six-race dash to the championship.
 
“One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to head into the Countdown as the No. 1 seed,” said Ashley. “We control our own destiny going into the U.S. Nationals which is all you can ask for. Our approach will not change. We will take one round at a time beginning in qualifying and run our very best. If we take care of our business the points will take care of themselves.”
 
Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team will be on track on Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Motorsports Park at 7:00 p.m. for their first qualifying run. He will have four more runs, two each on Saturday and Sunday, to grab one of the 16 spots in the race day field. Final eliminations will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday with the race being broadcast on FS1 and FOX throughout the day.
 

August 28, 2023 — MADISON, IL

• Scott Dixon uses strategy, fuel mileage to score his second consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES win of 2023 at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500
• Honda clinches 2023 Drivers’ Championship as title chase comes down to Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Dixon and Alex Palou
• David Malukas stars at World Wide Technology Raceway for the second year in a row with a third-place finish

Starting deep in a 28-car field, Scott Dixon once again demonstrated why he is one of the best Indy car drivers of his generation, conserving fuel while maintaining a race-winning pace to take the victory in Sunday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Starting 16th, Dixon was able to complete the 260-lap contest in his Chip Ganssi Racing Honda on just three pit stops, one (or more) less than the rest of his competition to claim his second consecutive win of 2023 by the comfortable margin of 22.2 seconds over second-finishing Pato O’Ward. 

Combined with the retirement of Josef Newgarden following late race wall contact, the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship is now down to a duel between Ganassi Honda teammates:  6-time champion Dixon and 2021 series champion Alex Palou, who finished seventh today.  The pair head into the final two races of the season separated by 74 points, with 108 points on offer in the remaining events.

Following up on his second-place finish here in 2022, an impressive David Malukas for Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Honda home third today, for his second career IndyCar podium.

Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Honda Race Results        

1st Scott Dixon	Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
3rd David Malukas	Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Honda
6th Colton Herta	Andretti Autosport Honda
7th Alex Palou	Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
10th Marcus Ericsson	Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
11th Romain Grosjean	Andretti Autosport Honda
15th Kyle Kirkwood	Andretti Autosport Honda
16th Conor Daly	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
17th Christian Lundgaard	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
18th Linus Lundqvist-R	Meyer Shank Racing Honda
19th Devlin DeFrancesco	Andretti Autosport Honda
20th Graham Rahal	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
21st Sting Ray Robb-R	Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
23rd Helio Castroneves	Meyer Shank Racing Honda
26th Takuma Sato	Chip Ganassi Racing Honda [Did not finish – contact]

R – Rookie

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship (unofficial, after 15 of 17 rounds)

Honda                  1299 points [10 wins]
Chevrolet             1256 points [4 wins]

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Drivers’ Championship Standings (unofficial, after 15 of 17 rounds)
1. Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda               565 points [4 wins]
2. Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda              – 74 [2 wins]
2. Josef Newgarden, Team Penske                              -125 [4 wins]

Quotes
Scott Dixon (#9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) race winner, 2nd consecutive IndyCar victory of 2023; his 55th career win: “It’s all these guys on my team. Chip [Ganassi, team owner] steers the ship and I’m just so proud of everyone on this team.  Starting where we did [16th], we had to go for an alternate strategy.  How about that Honda mileage?  They gave me a [fuel mileage] number, and we had no problem at all hitting it lap after lap.  This win was driven by Honda today, but a massive thanks to everyone on the #9 team for making it happen.  We’ll continue to give it our all in these next two races, and see how the championship plays out.” 

David Malukas (#18 Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Honda) finished 3rd today for his 2nd career IndyCar podium result; finished 2nd here last year: “It was a really good day for us.  We had a race-winning car today, we were right there with [pole starter Josef] Newgarden right there at the start.  We put our head down, but our race strategy just didn’t work out.  Obviously [race winner Scott] Dixon had the right strategy.  We tried to fuel save, but were just losing too much time [on track].  So we changed strategy and, because our car was very good, we were able to recover for third.”

Kelvin Fu (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on today’s victory by Scott Dixon at World Wide Technology Raceway: “As we like to say, ‘that did not suck’. It’s nice to clinch the Drivers’ Championship with two races remaining.  We’ll leave it up to Alex [Palou] and Scott [Dixon] to duke it out to the end.  Congrats as well to David Malukas on his second career podium finish, both here at St. Louis.  It was another exciting run for David and the Dale Coyne team. But at the end of the day, it was another amazing drive by Scott, it definitely showed you why he is still the king.  We’ve now won this year on every type of track the series has – road course, street circuit and oval – which is what makes INDYCAR so cool.  Thanks to all the men and women back at HPD, and looking forward to the last two weeks of the season.”

Fast Facts

• Honda continues to lead the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship, with 10 victories and 10 poles in 15 races this season. The company is seeking its fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers’ Championship in the last six years in 2023.
• After winning seven of the nine most recent 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES events, Honda continues to lead the Manufacturers’ Championship standings, with an unofficial 43-point lead [1299-1256].
• This is Dixon’s second win at Gateway in the last four years. His most recent previous win here – his 50th career Indy car win – came in 2020.  Dixon went on to claim his sixth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship at the end of that year.

Next
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES started its stretch run of three consecutive races to close out the 2023 season. The series now heads to the Pacific Northwest for next weekend’s Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland, September 1-3 at Portland International Raceway.

DAVENPORT, IA (Aug. 25, 2023) – Three months ago, Zach Daum was picking up the pieces of his mangled racecar from the track, watching his name fall further down the points standings. Fast forward to Friday night at Davenport Speedway, and the defending champion is celebrating his fourth Feature win of the season.

It’s been a giant turnaround for Daum, the 32-year-old open-wheel racing veteran from Pocahontas, IL. A self-built operation got him through the first quarter of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota schedule, but with less success than he would have liked. After weeks of persistence, Daum was tapped to fill an empty seat in the Oklahoma-based Trifecta Motorsports stable in early June, and nothing’s been the same since.

Four Toyota Racing Feature wins since the big switch has vaulted Daum from ninth in the Series championship standings, where he once stood 278 points behind the leader, up to fourth where he now rides 97 points back with nine races left on the calendar.

Daum took the next step in pursuit of back-to-back Xtreme Outlaw championships with the win Friday night in the POWRi National Midget League co-sanctioned event, and hasn’t lost hope of his ultimate goal.

“I don’t know if we’ve got a shot at it,” he said. “I’m racing like we do.”

One year ago, Daum came up one spot short of victory in the MyPlace Hotels Quad Cities 150 presented by Hoker Trucking, and said Friday’s run felt similar to his experience last year.

“We Qualified like absolute hell, slow as hell in Qualifying, but we just race good here,” Daum said. “I know why we have race speed; we just don’t have Qualifying speed. We were just downing ourselves after Qualifying and had to dig ourselves out of a hole. Starting eighth in a Heat Race is awful.”

Daum was able to rebound from his unfavorable Qualifying effort, advancing to fourth by the checkers in his Heat to secure a ninth-place starting spot for the Feature. While polesitter Ryan Timms checked out up front early on, Daum was busy making moves, running his signature line on the track.

“The first couple laps, I was trying to make sure the grease was blown off the bottom early and I could get a lane underneath where all those guys were,” Daum said. “I went from ninth to, I think, fifth in two laps.”

From eighth on the grid, Cannon McIntosh had also sped his way to the front, advancing five spots on the opening lap.

“I jumped up and made a move and was able to rip by about five guys there,” McIntosh said.  “Some guys got caught up behind other guys, and I did my best to keep my momentum up and have the most speed I could out of Turn 4.”

By the halfway point, Daum had made the pass on McIntosh for third and set his sights on the leaders in front of him. First in line – Hayden Reinbold, who was in the midst of a career-best run when Daum got by him on Lap 19 after a neck-and-neck battle.

By this time, Timms had all but sealed the victory, holding a two-second advantage on Daum and Reinbold, when he slowed and pulled to the infield under green. The Keith Kunz Motorsports crew soon inspected the car and found a large gash in the side of the oil tank, ultimately ending his night.

Daum had taken second by that point and inherited the lead for the final restart. However, he did not get a great launch and gave the lead up to McIntosh behind him as they crossed the stripe on Lap 26. With some bottom-lane speed, Daum was able to power back around McIntosh on Lap 27 and lead the field back around to the checkers.

“I knew we had a fast car, I was just trying to make sure we could run our race,” Daum said. “[Track crew] went out and farmed the whole thing and I kinda figured those guys would move to the middle to the top and I could maintain speed where I was at. It ended up working out for us.”

McIntosh crossed the stripe runner-up to bag his first podium with the Series in seven races. After such a dominant stretch to start the season, the young Oklahoman had been caught in a rut of finishes outside the top-five, but said he felt his efforts Friday start to turn it around.

“I think it’s just the car and myself not meshing very well, and not having that overall speed that we needed,” McIntosh said about his mid-season results. “Whether one night it’s me, or one night it feels like the car, the overall package just hasn’t been where it needs to be.

“Tonight, I feel like we were closer, but still not where we fully want to be. I think that’s where we just gotta keep working at it and we’ll close that gap.”

Reinbold held on for third, locking in his first career podium finish in a national Midget series event. The 19-year-old driver for Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports was coming off a solid stretch with the Series through Pennsylvania two weeks ago and put it in the spotlight Friday night.

“[My crew] just keep giving me fast cars, I keep doing better and improving, and we keep getting better results here and there,” Reinbold said. “I feel like we could’ve had a shot at winning it if the caution didn’t come out.”

UP NEXT

The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets are back in action at Davenport Speedway for the finale of the Quad Cities 150 on Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets are available at XtremeOutlawSeries.com/Schedule. If you can’t make it out to watch in person, stream the event live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 7U-Zach Daum[9]; 2. 08-Cannon McIntosh[8]; 3. 19AZ-Hayden Reinbold[2]; 4. 7X-Thomas Meseraull[6]; 5. 25K-Taylor Reimer[13]; 6. 97-Gavin Miller[7]; 7. 71-Jade Avedisian[5]; 8. 3N-Mitchell Davis[12]; 9. 97K-Cooper Williams[11]; 10. 31B-Kyle Beilman[4]; 11. 26R-Corbin Rueschenberg[3]; 12. 13-Elijah Gile[15]; 13. 67-Ryan Timms[1]; 14. 40-Chase McDermand[14]; 15. 2H-Nick Hoffman[16]; 16. 81-Dakota Gay[18]; 17. 17B-Austin Barnhill[10]; 18. 21K-Karter Sarff[17]; 19. 44-Branigan Roark[19]

The Shark Racing pilot takes the lead with three to go and holds on for second River Cities triumphGRAND FORKS, ND (August 25, 2023) – River Cities Speedway is known for delivering thrilling finishes. And the Grand Forks, ND bullring produced yet another one on Friday night.Sheldon Haudenschild controlled the majority of the 40-lap World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Feature. But a shark fin rose from the water in the final laps as Logan Schuchart closed in. The driver of the Shark Racing #1S snatched the lead coming to two laps to go and drove away from Haudenschild to steal a victory in the Gerdau Presents The 2nd Leg of The Northern Tour.For Schuchart, who lost in a close finish at River Cities in 2020, the triumph served as a form of redemption.“Happy we were able to win like that,” Schuchart said. “I watch highlight videos over the winter time. The Outlaws love to show a race here a few years ago where Kyle (Larson) passed us on the last lap, so it feels good to get one kind of like that. Hopefully they add that to their highlight reel.”Schuchart moved up to four wins this season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. It also put him at 39 for his career as he’s only one away from becoming the 19th driver in Series history to reach 40. Schuchart became the seventh different competitor to own multiple World of Outlaws wins at River Cities as he also topped a 2019 visit.When the green flag dropped it was Donny Schatz and Sheldon Haudenschild leading the field. An opening lap red flag necessitated a second attempt, and Haudenschild rocketed around the outside to the lead when the race got underway, and Schuchart settled into third behind the lead duo.During the opening portion of the race the leaders stayed mostly in line as they clicked off the early laps. A restart following a red flag with 26 laps to go gave Schuchart an opportunity at taking a step toward the front, which he took advantage of. As the green lights came back on, Schuchart accelerated perfectly out of Turn 4 and used the momentum to slide Schatz for second. Schatz wasn’t able to counter with a crossover allowing Schuchart to secure the spot. After taking over runner-up, Schuchart began to stalk the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17. As they crossed the halfway mark, Schuchart wasn’t necessarily gaining on Haudenschild, but he also wasn’t letting him escape. Lapped traffic proved to be more problematic for Schuchart as he preferred the bottom groove where the slower cars were while Haudenschild ripped the top around them.“I felt like I could run the bottom pretty good,” Schuchart explained. “I was hoping some lapped cars would kind of slow him down, but lots of times when lapped cars aren’t feeling comfortable they go to the bottom side of the racetrack. So, a lot of lapped cars weren’t really getting in his way. They were just kind of letting him run his line.”As the race dipped inside 10 laps to go, Schuchart suddenly found the speed he needed. The Hanover, PA native stayed committed to the low line and began to close in on the tail tank of the NOS Energy Drink #17. On Lap 36, Schuchart used a big run off of Turn 2 to show Haudenschild a nose and put him in a defensive mode. Haudenschild responded to switching to the bottom, and that was all Schuchart needed. Schuchart promptly moved to the top and got a big run coming to the finish line with two laps remaining. The Drydene/Duramax machine squeaked around Haudenschild’s outside to lead the 38th circuit. And with the lead secured, Schuchart never looked back on his way to parking in River Cities Speedway Victory Lane for the second time.“I just tried to run hard laps. I could get close to him, but I could never really make anything happen,” Schuchart said. “When he kind of went to the bottom there the last few laps I just really got a run on him.”Haudenschild still held on for a strong second place finish – his eighth World of Outlaws podium of the season. The result marked the fifth time in which he’s led laps at River Cities but come up short of the checkered flag. Haudenschild admitted seeing Schuchart’s nose made him adjust and potentially cost him the race. But overall, he left feeling satisfied having contended so strongly for the victory.“That was probably a little better situation to be running second there at the end,” Haudenschild noted. “He was able to show his nose in the bottom of (Turns) 1 and 2 and kind of got me thinking, and I probably should’ve just kept running up where I’d been all night and kept my momentum up. It just feels good to be racing for a win. It’s been a little bit of a struggle bus here.”Behind Haudenschild was Donny Schatz to complete the top three. The finish added to Schatz’s remarkable résumé at River Cities as he notched his 22nd podium in 31 races with the World of Outlaws at the North Dakota oval. The pilot of the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 felt that they were missing a little something with the car to be able to move around like Schuchart and contend for the win.“It (the bottom) was there the whole race. I just couldn’t get down there,” Schatz said. “I just can’t stay there in my tracks, so we’ve got a little work to do with that. We were okay, just kind of married to that top. It kind of gave away the start there, and Sheldon got the run kind of like what we did in the Heat and the same thing in the Dash. I think being on the inside kind of cost us a little bit. We still had 40 laps to get it done but didn’t.”Brad Sweet and Carson Macedo completed the top five. Finishing a spot ahead of Macedo extended Sweet’s points lead by two markers up from 50 to 52.It was also Sweet claiming the Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award for the second time this year and 71st time of his career.After flipping, a trip to the Federated Car Care Work Zone, and returning with no nose wing, Brock Zearfoss still managed to earn the KSE Racing Hard Charger with a 22nd to 10th run.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to Brad Sweet (231st Heat Race win of career). NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Four were topped by Donny Schatz (519th of career), James McFadden (45th of career), and Sheldon Haudenschild (95th of career).Donny Schatz claimed the Toyota Racing Dash.Tim Estenson won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Jack Croaker after an opening lap crash ended his hopes of a strong outing.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars make their final appearance in North Dakota for the year with a trip to West Fargo’s Red River Valley Speedway on Saturday, August 18 for the Gerdau Presents the Duel in The Dakotas. 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 (40 Laps): 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart[4]; 2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[1]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[5]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 6. 5-Spencer Bayston[7]; 7. 3-Tim Kaeding[16]; 8. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[14]; 9. 9-Kasey Kahne[3]; 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[22]; 11. 2-David Gravel[10]; 12. 21T-Cole Macedo[15]; 13. 83-James McFadden[8]; 14. 7S-Robbie Price[6]; 15. 8H-Jade Hastings[20]; 16. 17B-Ryan Bickett[24]; 17. (DNF) 11M-Brendan Mullen[12]; 18. (DNF) 14T-Tim Estenson[21]; 19. (DNF) 0-Nick Omdahl[19]; 20. (DNF) 1T-Tanner Holmes[23]; 21. (DNF) 83JR-Michael Kofoid[9]; 22. (DNF) 20G-Noah Gass[18]; 23. (DNF) 8-Jack Croaker[13]; 24. (DNF) G5-Gage Pulkrabek[17]

The Oakwood, IL driver extended his points lead to 126 over Chris Madden, who finished second

DAVENPORT, IA – August 25, 2023– Entering Friday night at Davenport Speedway, Bobby Pierce was undefeated in three World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series Features contested in Iowa. But he had to make the right tire choice to keep that streak alive.

His decision to run a harder tire paid off, as he passed Chris Madden on Lap 20 to earn his second consecutive My Place Hotels Quad Cities 150 presented by Hoker Trucking win.

Madden, the pole-sitter, grabbed the early lead in the 35-lap battle, sliding in front of Cade Dillard in Turn 2 on the first lap.

After a caution slowed the field on Lap 5, Madden aced the restart, staying ahead of 2015 Series champion Shane Clanton. However, that’s when the race’s longest green-flag run began, and Pierce started climbing toward the front.

The Oakwood, IL driver stayed in third for 10 laps before his Longhorn Chassis gained momentum on the outside. He passed Clanton for second on Lap 17 and wasted no time closing on Madden’s #44.

On Lap 20, the “Smooth Operator” made his move, driving around Madden on the top of Turns 3 and 4, nosing ahead of the Gray Court, SC driver, as the two crossed the start/finish line. 

From there, not even a Lap 27 caution could stop Pierce as he held on to score his second $10,000 prize of the weekend and fourth consecutive World of Outlaws win in the Hawkeye State.

Pierce said he was worried his tires wouldn’t hold up as he battled a harder track surface than on Thursday.

“In the first 10 laps, the 3’s were definitely eating me up,“ Pierce said. “But then I had to get on the gas to get going. My 4 probably looks worse than their 3’s because I had to abuse it to get it to go. 

“I don’t know if we would’ve won on a 3. I think [Madden] was pretty good. Clanton was pretty good. And starting third, it would’ve been hard passing Chris. But I figured if I kept him in my sights with the 4, and those 3’s started to fade, as long as my four didn’t tear up, I thought I’d be alright. I think the last four laps, I was hanging on.”

The win is Pierce’s 10th Series win of 2023, becoming the first driver to score double-digit victories in a season since four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard earned 14 triumphs in 2020.

He credits his team’s ability to keep pushing after dealing with mechanical issues during Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in January.

“We didn’t know how this would go,” Pierce said. “I’m glad we stayed on the tour. I know back at Volusia, we were bummed out when those first two nights didn’t go our way. We stayed on it. I was really looking forward to running it and getting to these new tracks and stuff like that. I got to give a huge shout-out to my crew and Longhorn, Bilstein, and Vic Hill Engines. 

“The car’s been good, and it’s given me a little extra edge than what I’ve had. And the older I get, the more experienced I get. It’s another good point night, obviously, with the win. And that’s the goal. We’re trying to build this points thing before we get back down South.”

Pierce extended his lead on Madden to 126 points after “Smokey” crossed the line second.

Even though he went with a softer tire than Pierce, Madden said he was content with how his new Longhorn Chassis ran on its second night out.

“We had a different tire combination than he had,” Madden said. “I really couldn’t run that top where he was. But overall, I think we had a great night, and we’re getting there. We’re just building on a brand-new chassis change here. I’m very satisfied with the direction we went tonight. And I hope we’ll be one spot better on [Saturday].”

Sheppard rounded out the podium with his second third-place finish of the weekend. The New Berlin, IL driver said his car was better on longer runs, as he could maintain his tires despite going with the NLMT3 option.

“My car has been really balanced,” Sheppard said. “I could move all over the racetrack. I think a lot of these guys have been overheating some tires a little bit. So, in five or 10 laps, their tires start to fade, and my car stays after it. We’ve found some stuff that we like a little bit, but we’re still lacking a little in Qualifying. But overall, we’re close, but we’re just missing them wins. We just have to keep plugging away.”

Defending Series champion Dennis Erb Jr. finished fourth, and Clanton rounded out the top five. 

The Fox Factory Hard Charger, Ryan Gustin, finished sixth after moving up nine spots.

Nick Hoffman was the Germfree Rookie of the Race, finishing 12th.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models head back to Davenport on Saturday, Aug. 26, for the final night of the My Place Hotels Quad Cities 150 presented by Hoker Trucking along with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota. The Late Models will battle for $30,000 in an 80-lap finale. FOR TICKETS: CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch every World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model race live on DIRTVision.  

CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series Feature (35 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 2. 44-Chris Madden[1]; 3. B5-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[11]; 5. 25-Shane Clanton[4]; 6. 19R-Ryan Gustin[15]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 8. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 9. 96V-Tanner English[14]; 10. 97-Cade Dillard[2]; 11. 25F-Jason Feger[13]; 12. 9-Nick Hoffman[9]; 13. 16-Tyler Bruening[19]; 14. 25S-Chad Simpson[17]; 15. B1-Brent Larson[24]; 16. 18-Shannon Babb[10]; 17. 31-Kye Blight[12]; 18. 11-Gordy Gundaker[23]; 19. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[5]; 20. 29-Spencer Diercks[16]; 21. 111-Matt Lux[18]; 22. 30-Todd Cooney[20]; 23. 49-Jake Timm[21]; 24. 51-Matt Furman[22] FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER: Ryan Gustin [+9]

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 500

WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY

MADISON, ILLINOIS

TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT

AUGUST 27, 2023

• Pato O’Ward raced his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to a second place finish in today’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500.
• This is O’Ward’s fourth runner-up finish and seventh podium of the 2023 season. 
• Chevrolet drivers have led 1,176 of 1,924 laps to date at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) since the 2017 INDYCAR return. 
• Team Chevy drivers have scored 306 podiums in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era so far, along with 22 of those podiums so far in the 2023season and 14 podiums at WWTR since 2017 return. 
• Scott McLaughlin led the NTT INDYCAR Series field to the green flag, his first NTT P1 Pole Award on an oval and fifth of his INDYCAR career, as well as the sixth pole award at World Wide Technology Raceway for the Bowtie brand and 126th earned pole award for Chevrolet since 2016 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo injected era
• Alexander Rossi, driver of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, and Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Odyssey Team Penske Chevrolet, joined O’Ward in the top-five finishers of today’s race.
• Chevrolet drivers have won five races so far this year, including McLaughlin for Barber, Newgarden for Texas, Indy 500, Iowa 1 and Iowa 2, and 111 wins since 2012 in the V6 era. 

MADISON, Illinois (August 27, 2023) — With the opening practice of the race weekend starting eight and a half hours late after several rounds of severe weather at World Wide Technology Raceway Friday, coupled with grid penalties for several of the top-contenders in the point standings, as well as the addition of an alternate tire compound to be used in the race, no one was sure how the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 would play out.

Championship contender Josef Newgarden, No. 2 PPG Team Penske, took the lead from his front row starting spot at the green, and started his quest for another victory on the 1.25-mile ova. Newgarden maintained his place in or near the front through multiple pit stops and two caution periods, until lap 211 where he made contact with the turn two wall ending his afternoon. 

Pato O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, started third on the grid and battled in the top-three throughout the 260-lap race, but didn’t have quite enough for race winner Scott Dixon. A mildly disappointed O’Ward finished second to give Chevrolet their 22nd podium of the year. 

The NTT INDYCAR Series races to the penultimate event of the 2023 season, next near Portland, Ore. at Portland International Raceway for the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. The green flag waves live at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, with additional coverage available through Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM channel 160.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 RACE RESULTS:

Pos.  Driver

2nd    Pato O’Ward

4th    Alexander Rossi

5th    Scott McLaughlin

8th    Felix Rosenqvist

9th    Will Power

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES)

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“I was just trying to catch up. I knew we were going to lose to someone in fuel save, mostly likely (Scott) Dixon or somebody even if the yellow comes out, we were still behind. So I was just trying to get through cars as quickly as I could after I pitted, and it didn’t work out. I got into the marbles, just a touch too high. I was trying, trying to catch up and ended up not being a good move. That’s where we landed. The team did a good job. Really proud of our group with the PPG car, and can’t thank the team enough for all of their efforts this weekend. It just didn’t work out.” 

Can you go to Portland saying I did everything I could do?

“Yeah. Look, we put together a good car and a good race, and it just didn’t work out so we’ll go to the next one.” 

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“I’m content with how our Odyssey Battery Chevy ran today. It wasn’t a great day, but we were solid and grabbed some points. In hindsight, taking the grid penalty here may have been the wrong choice. We based it off how racy the track was last year, and we didn’t get that today. The tire marbles were significant and that made it a one-groove racetrack. But getting my first oval pole position was a big step for me and this team. We have two good tracks for us left on the year, so our goal is to get a win.”

Will Power, No. 12 Chevrolet at Team Penske: 

“I could not be prouder of everyone on the No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevy. Last night was very long with the damage they had to fix, and it looked like we may be able to sneak a top-five finish if we get a caution late in the race. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out but very proud of the effort. Two races left and two more chances to get a win on the year. We can do it.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“Scott Dixon did Scott Dixon today. When they were telling me on the radio, the No. 9 car is trying to make it until the end, he’s going to make it until the end. I was mentalized that we were second in true running, and man, the lappers just don’t help any. I feel like I do my dues whenever I’m not having a good day, and I don’t screw the leaders’ race. It’s just miserable to be behind because they block to protect and it’s what it is. I’m happy with the result today. It’s another second place in the books for 2023. There’s two to go, so hopefully we’ll get that elusive No. 1 we’re trying to look for in this season and keep on pushing. I’m happy with the strategy today, I was happy with my car, but it was Scott Dixon.

You’re fourth in the points going into the last two races, this team looks like it’s on its stride…

“Yeah, I’m in acceptance. If we get it, we get it. If we don’t, we’ll come back next year and push, right? That’s ultimately what it is and what it’s going to be. You can’t always win all of them. There will be some of them where you think you’re going to win, and then the racing gods have other plans. For now, I’m happy with how we recovered, and we’ll keep searching for it.” 

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

”Given the circumstances, we actually had a really good race. We had good speed. Strategy didn’t really play out well, and also we had Nick, our front right tire changer had a problem with his back, so we had a teammate step up as a replacement. He did really well getting thrown into the race like that but when you have a change like that to the crew, it’s never optimal, so we lost a bit of time in the pits. This track is such small margins, so if you don’t do a perfect race, you’re not going to be in the top five. P8 is pretty good for what we had, and the car felt good. Good job to Pato and Alexander.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“That’s two weeks in a row they’re leaving everyone guessing. I think we were sniffing a podium. That’s all you can ask for. Overall, a really good day for Arrow McLaren. Happy with that. It’s tough to race around here. I applaud INDYCAR for what they did in terms of bringing the alternate tire; that certainly brings a differently element. You just can’t follow cars, and I just feel bad for the people here. You can’t get any better than the conditions here today, and you still really can’t race. We need to look into it. But ultimately, a great day. Happy to be back in St. Louis, and two more to go.” 

Ed Carpenter, No. 33 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“Today got off to a rough start, I was trying to work my way to the outside and made contact with the 55 car. I feel bad that it happened and I will talk to Ben. I am bummed that we started the race off so many laps down. We had a better car than we have had in awhile here and I am proud of the team for continuing to fight.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 20. Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“All in all, a good day for the points. Our pace in clear air was as fast as some of the leaders. I felt really good about the car in clean air, but in traffic we were just stuck all day. The guys did a great job in the pits cycling through that process, and like I said, most importantly we came away with some good points.” 

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

Pretty good race! Really good strategy by the team. It was a long one. I struggled a little bit to make passes happen in the train of cars. I wish I could’ve moved a bit through traffic, I struggled a little bit with that. I sat back most of the time and we made the right calls in strategy! For myself and Ryan (Hunter-Reay) to finish P11 and P14, it’s pretty good. I did not think this would happen after qualifying. Thanks to the BITNILE.COM No. 21 crew for great stops and strategy. Two back-to-back P11’s, we’re pretty pleased with that. On to the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland!”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“It was the result we needed to get. The last set, we gambled on the strategy. I honestly think that was more my call than Larry’s (Foyt). Larry wanted to pit and nobody was set up, and everybody in front of us pitted. I figured let’s go for track position. We’ve been off sequence since the start of the race. We did have a couple of extra laps in the tank, so maybe we’ll get lucky again. I want to say that it worked in our favor without a doubt. The last set of tires, we had a massive vibration in the front which is very uncommon for Firestone. I actually hit the wall car enough to bend the rear toe link really good. We finished the last 25 laps without an issue, so I guess it was okay.” 

Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“We had a regular start. The initial launch was good, really good. And then as usual, people were braking into Turn 1, and I was maintain the gap. If anything, I was catching the car ahead of me a bit, but before I knew it on the entry I got plowed from behind and spun into the wall. It’s really unfortunate we were out of the race due to someone else’s fault and they’re still in the race. Just pretty unfortunate, but all I can do is to keep positive energy and work as hard as I can. It just really sucks in the moment.” 

Callum Ilott, No. 77 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

Quote

Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“Unfortunately, we got a penalty on the second stop during our race when we were running P7. It’s a big shame because the car was in a good place. It was a pretty difficult race, because it was difficult to overtake here at (World Wide Technology Raceway). Anyway, it’s a shame – it is what it is. We’re still learning, and now we’re focused on the next one.” 

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN INDYCAR CHEVROLET – Post-Race Press Conference:

THE MODERATOR: Wrapping up today’s race, we are joined by Pato O’Ward, coming home second today, leading 18 of the laps. Seventh podium of the season, 20th career podium, fourth runner-up finish here in 2023. And David Malukas, first podium of the season, second of his career, second here at World Wide Technology Raceway, as well.

Pato, your thoughts on coming home second here on the oval?

PATO O’WARD: Good points obviously. It’s another second in the books for us this 2023. Yeah, Scott Dixon decided to do a Dixon today. Whenever they told me, He’s going to try to make it without stopping again, the guy’s going to do it for sure.

THE MODERATOR: How does he do it?

PATO O’WARD: Well, he just does it. He’s just Scott Dixon, you know? I feel like that’s what he’s best known for.

THE MODERATOR: Saving fuel?

PATO O’WARD: Yeah. He knows how to do it better than anybody with a great combination that he has with his team and car and everything. It’s a bummer that we weren’t even close to kind of even race him.

But, yeah, I’m happy with today. I’m super happy with the strategy. I don’t think we would have been able to make that three-stopper work.

Yeah, boys were stout in the pits. Super happy with the car. Yeah, a bit annoyed with all the lappers. I’m sure David and Scott are, as well. It’s nothing new, but it has to change. Like, they’re just…

Q. What effect did you think the different tire compound had on the race today?

PATO O’WARD: It brought in some pretty horrendous marbles onto the racetrack, which made the second lane almost impossible to use. I don’t think I was the only one.

Were you struggling with that, too?

DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, it was pretty treacherous.

PATO O’WARD: I think not that the blacks don’t create marbles, but definitely this alternate tire was a special add-on to that. It made it pretty hard. The difference in grip wasn’t that big of a difference.

Q. Would you be in favor of being on those the rest of the ovals going forward?

PATO O’WARD: I think two different tires for the ovals is actually pretty cool. I just think if they want good racing, we can’t be in single file. Then even the lappers can be racing with the leaders.

Just get out of the way, yeah.

Q. You’re both among the younger drivers in the series, the future of the series. Does it amaze you sometimes when you see that Scott Dixon is still able to do all of these great things? He’s been in the series since 2001.

PATO O’WARD: He’s a six-time champion for a reason. Yeah, you just don’t run out of talent. You just don’t. You don’t forget it either. So the guy is going to be good until he decides to retire.

I think he’s got another 10 years, yeah.

DAVID MALUKAS: I hope not (smiling).

Q. Just the way he’s able to masterfully use that fuel saving strategy, maintaining a big gap, how do you do that?

PATO O’WARD: Starts with S, ends with N. That’s what it is.

DAVID MALUKAS: I was just trying to figure out what that meant.

PATO O’WARD: Scott Dixon (smiling). You tweaking, bro? What you doing?

DAVID MALUKAS: I just spaced out (smiling).

If I knew, then maybe we would be able to replicate it. But we don’t know how he does it yet, so…

Q. You both mentioned traffic issues. If there were something like more downforce where you could easily drive beside them, would that help the issue?

PATO O’WARD: No. Just move. Like, you’re getting lapped, move.

Q. Is the single-file nature of it the crux of the problem?

PATO O’WARD: No. Because if they were fast enough, we wouldn’t be catching them.

DAVID MALUKAS: I think what he said earlier with marbling, if you can do whatever possible to reduce marbles and we can actually use the second lane, then the lap cars won’t be as much of an issue.

PATO O’WARD: Texas, you don’t need them to move because you have a second lane. But you have nothing to do here.

I feel it’s more of a gentleman’s agreement, but nobody follows it. I feel like I’ve followed it pretty much my all my career. If I’m not having a good day, I’m not going to screw your race.

Hopefully that comes in return whenever I am having a good day and they’re not, which has been a few cases. Definitely it’s not everybody. But the consistent lappers, it’s like, Dude…

Q. Heavy marbles make it harder for them to move out of the way safely?

PATO O’WARD: No, just slow down in the straightaway and somebody pass by. It’s super simple.

Q. Pato, how was it having to qualify again on race day morning, then get into the race in the afternoon? Does that change a lot of the dynamic for the team?

PATO O’WARD: I didn’t think it was too bad actually. I enjoyed it. I think it was all right.

Obviously I’m not the one that’s preparing the car. I’m not the one that’s going to be preparing the car if something happens.

I think it does bring in a bit of an extra stress because of just how tight the schedule was from qualifying to the race. Especially around this place, if you get greedy, it will bite really quick.

It’s just finding a fine balance. But I didn’t think it was an issue.

Q. Going into the final two races, Portland and Laguna, very different to where you are today. Portland has been a surprise going through the first turn. Any thoughts looking ahead to that?

PATO O’WARD: I guess just be flexible to the chaos, the right calls. 

Garcia, Taylor, No. 3 C8.R team take season’s second IMSA victory at VIR ALTON, Va. (Aug. 27, 2023) – Corvette Racing claimed victory at Virginia International Raceway again as Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia drove the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R to a win in the Michelin GT Challenge on Sunday.

Corvette Racing took the VIR triumph for the third time in four years as the Garcia/Taylor duo won for the second time in four years in the GT-only event for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Sunday’s result was critical as Corvette Racing and Chevrolet remained in the hunt for the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO championship with two races to go. Sunday marked the second win for Corvette Racing in IMSA this season and it’s 126th worldwide victory – 114 coming in IMSA competition.

The race was one largely between two cars. Garcia, who qualified in the Corvette on Saturday, began the race third but moved to second place behind the pole-sitting No. 14 Lexus after the second lap. It stayed that way in class – and mostly in the overall order – for the next two-and-a-half hours. Garcia brought in the C8.R for its first stop at the 54-minute mark with the Corvette team adding fuel and taking fresh Michelin tires. The team elected to change drivers with Taylor going the rest of the way as the pair of leading cars committed to a two-stop strategy. Taylor was the first of the two leaders to pit for the final time with 57 minutes to go. Excellent pit work by the Corvette Racing crew – a quick tire change and fuel fill – proved crucial as Taylor got around Ben Barnicoat as the Lexus left the pitlane after stopping a lap later than the Corvette. With a 3.7-second gap in-hand, Taylor set off for the final 54 minutes needing to save fuel while keeping the No. 14 at bay. He did just that in crossing the finish line by a little more than two seconds. Corvette Racing’s next event in IMSA is the Battle of the Bricks on Sept. 15-17 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – RACE WINNER: “This is the perfect weekend for sure. Road America looked like a perfect weekend, too, before we lost the race. So this is the perfect turnaround. Even here, we didn’t look as competitive here as we did at Road America but the team did an amazing job. I was lucky enough to be up there with the Lexus at the start to keep some pressure on them. I knew they were strong, but that’s what we had to do. When the yellow came, Jordan obviously kept the pressure and it was time to do something different on the last stop like we always try to do. That undercut definitely help. I don’t know if that put pressure on them. They stalled coming out of the pits, so that was another two or three seconds. That buffer is kind of nice to be able to control your pace. If you have to save fuel, it’s not close enough for them to make a move. Jordan was fantastic today. It was very stressful for me! I’m not used to seeing that in the end! I prefer to be in the car, but you know when Jordan is in that he will do an amazing job. I’m glad he ended this weekend the way he did.”On what it took to win: “I would say consistency. Yesterday we tried to do something different in qualifying because everyone seemed to be so close. That probably gave us an indication about how to set up the car for today. The morning warm-up was pretty good. I’m glad that during the first stint the car was where it needed to be. I was able to go up to second, and I knew the Lexus was very, very strong. In a way, we managed to stay in contention with not a lot of time behind them. We had to be there putting pressure and eventually someone would make a mistake. It wasn’t us today, and then Jordan drove really, really well for the rest of the race. It’s another great example of consistency and a good race from Corvette Racing.”On the satisfaction of winning after Road America: “It’s very satisfying. It’s the best turnaround after what happened at Road America where we felt everything was done and everything slipped away. It’s a massive turnaround. We were not as competitive as we were at Road America, but again you can’t give up. You just need to be prepared, be consistent and put pressure on everybody. In the end, one little mistake in GTD PRO makes the difference. Today we weren’t the ones to make mistakes.”On Taylor moving away in 2024 and getting at least one more win together: “It’s one more win with hopefully two more to go! So let’s make Indianapolis and especially Petit Le Mans the last two wins this year.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – RACE WINNER: “This win is down to Corvette Racing calling that strategy to get us track position. When they told me the fuel number, I was definitely worried but the car was so good in fuel-save mood that it helped me save the tires. I know the announcement (about going to GTP in 2024) has come out, but I’m glad to give these guys one back.More on the win: “We were pushing the whole race even on the first cycle to close the gap to the Lexus to see if we could make them make a mistake. When the second yellow came out, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Those guys really restart strong so I thought we were kind of out of it. But the Corvette guys made an amazing call to short-fill on the last stop to get us out front and get the track position. It was down to saving fuel and managing tires from there. I was counting down the laps from about 25 to go, so I was very happy to see that checkered flag.”On the next two races with Corvette: “It’s been an amazing run. This one is definitely for all the Corvette Racing fans out there. Since the announcement, the outpouring from the fans from the Corvette side has been the best part, just to see the appreciation and respect on my decision to move away. Corvette Racing will always be my family no matter where I am, what I drive and what I do. Deep in my heart, I’m a Corvette guy.”How special is this win? “This will definitely be one of the most special wins I’ll ever have. This was a classic Corvette Racing victory. We didn’t have the fastest car. Antonio was able to stay in contention in that first stint, and we made some gains on fuel-savings in that first stint to get closer to the Lexus for when I was in the car. In that last pit cycle, the guys made an amazing call on the short-fill to get that track position. They gave me a fuel number to hit to get to the end, and it was my job to save that amount and not lose any laptime. We nailed it. The fuel reserve came on, but it must have been tight because I couldn’t do a burnout in the end! This win goes to Corvette Racing.”On if the undercut strategy would have worked if the 14 didn’t stall: “If they had beaten us out, there’s no way I would have gotten by him unless he made some mistakes. In this series these days, one mistake can lose you the victory. We’ve seen that this year. We probably lost two or three this year that we could say that we could have won. They’re probably going to say the same thing after this one… that they could have won had they not stalled. Today was our day. It was a very deserving victory and down to our guys making that call.”The attempted pass on the 14 on the second restart into T14: “I didn’t have a ton of confidence going in there. The lap before I braked kind of late and had a bunch of ABS interaction and almost hit the back of him. That lap, I knew I was going to be off-line so I wasn’t 100 percent confident that I’d make the corner. He did the exact same thing to me last year where I had a similar run. I knew he was going to go deep. At that point in the race, I knew that had we gotten track position then it would have transformed the race for us but I also didn’t want to throw away the race with an hour-and-a-half to go. I knew there was a lot of racing to go. We hadn’t done a full stint yet to see where all the cars were on tire deg. I knew we had a lot to play for, and it wasn’t worth taking that big risk.”On seeing the 14 come out of pitlane after the last stop: “The engineers just told me to push on the out-lap, so I knew it was all down to my out-lap, my in-lap and the short fill and calculating how much we needed to jump them. They told me when he was leaving the pits, and it was quite early so they didn’t say he stalled; they said he’s leaving so I thought he’d be pretty far ahead of me by the time I got there. I crested the hill and saw he was still at pit-out, and I had so much momentum that I knew for sure I was going to go by him. I’m not sure what he was doing, but he drifted all the way across the racing line. He for sure saw me, so I’m not sure what that was about. But I wasn’t going to lift. I would have driven through him if I had to at that point to get the lead.“It was a sigh of relief because I didn’t know I had to save fuel at that point. But they told me after that what the fuel number was, and the stress crept in until I kind of found a rhythm of hitting that number with my lift points and finding the laptime. Once I got into a rhythm, I felt pretty good. With about 15 laps to go, I felt pretty confident that the tires weren’t dropping too much.”