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ZIZZO WORKS AGAINST NEW CAR, HEAT IN NORWALK
NORWALK, OHIO (June 25, 2023) — Drag racing can be an incredibly humbling sport, and Top Fuel driver TJ Zizzo experienced that firsthand this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. Zizzo finished qualifying in the No. 17 spot, just barely missing the opportunity to compete on Sunday. It is the first time since the U.S. Nationals in 2013 that he did not make the top 16.
“I am fine, but I am a little emotional,” said Zizzo, who raced to the semifinals at the Route 66 Nationals earlier this season. “This was a tough weekend. You get humbled in this sport pretty quickly. We knew there were a lot of great cars coming to Norwalk and it would be a challenge to qualify. I am disappointed, but I am also out here with my entire family, and we are doing this together which is the best.”
Norwalk was Zizzo’s second race of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. In May, he competed in the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance in his hometown of Chicago. There in an upset he defeated the No. 1 qualifier Mike Salinas, and then advanced to the semi-final round of racing. In one of the best performances of his career, he set a new personal best elapsed time of 3.712 seconds.
“This weekend was the first race in a long time for us to compete in the heat,” said Zizzo. “We learned a lot and I think if we could have had one or two more runs, we would have made some big strides.”
Prior to this season, Zizzo had not competed in an NHRA event since 2021. During that off-period, he made the decision to reinvest in his team with the addition of a new racecar, thanks to the generous support of NHRA Hall of Fame driver and team owner, Don Schumacher.
“We’re still learning how to work with this new car,” said Zizzo. “We will work through it and get better. This is the best car I’ve ever ran with, we just need to get more runs underneath our belts to figure everything out.”
The driver of the Rust-Oleum Rocket Top Fuel dragster made improvements with every round of qualifying. In round one he smoked the tires and lost traction early, and in round two he hazed the tires and had to click off. His third run started strong, until around half-track when the car began mixing up cylinders, resulting in a 3.963 second pass at 255.00 mph.
“Friday was very wet, which makes everything more difficult,” said Zizzo. “It’s frustrating to smoke the tires when my guys worked hard all day. But we kept going at it on Saturday and did make some improvements. That’s how I know we are on the up and up.”
Despite the frustrations and disappointments, Zizzo remains thankful for the support of his crew, his family and his sponsors, who he sees as true partners of his Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team.
“We have sponsors to represent but they know what we are all about,” said Zizzo. “One race isn’t going to change that. The biggest positive is I am surrounded by great people and that is hands down the best part of this team. Even when we didn’t perform how we wanted to, no one was pointing fingers or upset at anyone. We are all working together and staying positive.”
Zizzo will be back in action at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals on Aug. 30-Sep. 4. He’s excited to take what he learned in Chicago and Norwalk to the popular race in Indianapolis.
“Our competitors know what our team is about, and everyone has been super supportive since we came back this season,” said Zizzo. “Norwalk was just our second race, and I can’t wait to get to Indy. It will be a fun weekend.”
Zizzo is planning to race at three additional NHRA events in 2023, including the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis.
Qualifying Results
Q1: 9.582 sec; 78.54 mph; Qual. 16
Q2: 4.882 sec; 145.66 mph; Qual. 17
Q3: 3.963 sec; 255.00 mph; Qual. 17
chevy racing–nhra–norwalk post-race
CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA NATIONALS
SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT MOTORSPORTS PARK
NORWALK, OHIO
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
JUNE 25, 2023
MATT HARTFORD WINS CHEVROLET’S 374TH NHRA PRO STOCK VICTORY SINCE 1970; THE 255TH PRO STOCK WIN IN THE CAMARO
- Racing from the No. 1 qualifier spot, Matt Hartford earned his sixth NHRA Pro Stock victory, his second of the 2023 season.
- For the fifth time this season in nine events, Dallas Glenn appeared in NHRA’s Pro Stock final round. This was Hartford’s second final round appearance of the year.
- With his win today, this marks Hartford’s sixth straight year capturing a win in NHRA Pro Stock competition.
- Both Austin Prock and Brittany Force represented Chevrolet in the Top Fuel semifinals at Norwalk.
- Chevrolet doubled up in Norwalk this weekend by capturing victories in both NHRA Pro Stock and FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown.
- Qualifying from Norwalk saw interruptions due to weather in Pro Stock, and after only getting two qualifying sessions in, Matt Hartford went No. 1 in his Chevrolet Camaro SS and earning Chevrolet’s seventh of the 2023 NHRA season.
NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2023) – Matt Hartford, driver of the Total Seal/CIP1 Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car, earned his sixth career NHRA Pro Stock victory while capturing Team Chevy’s 374th Pro Stock victory since 1970. In his second final round appearance of the year, Hartford faced off against Dallas Glenn, driver of the RAD Torque Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car for KB Titan Racing, who has four final round appearances in nine events and three wins so far this year.
“I have no idea what it was in the finals, but I’ll take it. Dallas (Glenn) is as mean as anybody gets out here,” reflects Hartford on the win. “You have no idea how much this means, because everybody kept saying you’ll win again this year, and we came out strong and then we fell off. Guess what? We can.”
“This is the nicest track on the circuit,” continued Hartford. “99 percent of Pro Stock took the left lane today, and we took the right every single time. We raced our own program, not what others were doing. Keep your head down, focus on what’s inside your car, your pits, your trailer, don’t let the noise bother you.”
“Well, the final round is like any other one. You’ve got to prepare knowing with the racetrack, and the bars and all that stuff like that,” noted Hartford’s crew chief Eddie Guarnacci. “We missed a lot of opportunities. Had really good cars so far, the engines have been really good. Matt’s (Hartford) been driving and tuning well, so it feels like we’ve finally got into a position we should be.”
With qualifying interrupted by weather in Pro Stock qualifying on Friday, Hartford and the rest of the Chevrolet contenders in Pro Stock only had two sessions to try and capture the No. 1 qualifier at Norwalk. Hartford, with his best lap of 6.593 ET at 205.91 MPH captured his third No. 1 of his Pro Stock career and this season.
In Top Fuel, Team Chevy raced to the Semifinal round, with Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, and Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, both being eliminated by their opponents. They look to Denver and the Western Swing next to regain momentum to the final round.
With an early Round 1 end to John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, his teammate Robert Hight, driver of the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, faced off against Matt Hagan in Round 2 and was eliminated by .02 seconds in a close race to the finish line.
In his Chevrolet COPO Camaro, Stephen Bell raced to his first FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown victory of the 2023 season after qualifying No. 18, defeating Lee Hartman.
NHRA next heads to Denver to kick off the Western Swing, with Bandimere Speedway hosting the 2023 Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals July 14-16, 2023. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations will air live at 4 p.m. ET on FOX Sunday, July 16, 2023.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:
“I feel really good about this weekend overall. This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team has been working really hard, and our progress is definitely starting to show. We moved up in qualifying to the No. 3 spot this weekend and we had a tough lineup all day. We made it to the semifinals which is huge for this team. We did drop to fourth in the points standings but we’re still in a really good fighting position with a handful of races left before we get into the Countdown to the Championship.”
Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:
“I’m proud of my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team this weekend. We made another semifinal which keeps us in the points hunt. We made some really nice passes in conditions we don’t have much data in so we were all happy with that. I’m looking forward to the Western Swing. I hope these two weeks off fly by.”
Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:
“Frustrating for this AAA team. That first round, usually if the red light is close, it’s not that bad but it’s hard to just sit there. I feel bad for the AAA team, we could have used that data getting down the track for the second round. I feel bad I couldn’t keep it together and stay in that run. We just didn’t have enough in that race against Hagan. There are a lot of tough cars out here, and they’re one of them. This AAA Chevy, we’ll be good. I’m confident in my team and looking forward to the Western Swing.”
John Force, driver of the BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:
On rolling in deep to the staging beams against JR Todd and changing thoughts on the start line…
“I never change my thoughts. I just try to do what my race car will do, and I didn’t mean to chuck it in that far. I did, but he always leaves on me, so I try to make some of it up and I didn’t get it done. He got it done. Congratulations to him. I want to think the whole Bader family and what they do. They give the fans a great show, and NHRA coming in here.”
Matt Hartford, driver of the Total Seal/CIP1 Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car – Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Winner’s Press Conference:
ON CHOOSING NOT TO TEST THIS YEAR IN THE OFFSEASON…
“Had we went testing, we may not have had to wait until Q4 in Gainesville to qualify. Look, you need to test. If we would’ve went and tested, we could’ve come out in a little bit better of a position, but we were able to make some big swings, big moves quickly. We’ve had a great car all year long. Terry Haas has built such great tuning, and that thing, it ain’t the newest one out here, I promise you, but it’s one of the best.”
YOU TALK ABOUT HAVING A GREAT CAR ALL YEAR LONG. NOW THAT YOU’VE BROKEN THROUGH, TALK ABOUT YOUR CONFIDENCE MOVING FORWARD…
“Coming into here, we were already looking to Denver, because Denver we ran decent last year. We were thinking of getting through Norwalk, getting to Denver, two qualifying runs here. I’ll tell you what, after Q1, I said we have a car that can run here, so then we had Q2, man look at the four guys we beat today. I am… Dallas Glenn, I mean, he has had my number every time I’ve raced him this year. I’m glad to put a double-0 on him.”
GETTING THROUGH FERNANDO CUADRA, DERIC KRAMER, AND DALLAS GLENN, TALK ABOUT HOW MEANINGFUL IT IS TO GET THROUGH TO A WIN…
“It goes back to having nothing to do with me. It goes back to all the people in the trailer, and all the sponsors that support us, and the engine program and the chassis builder. We have just such a great group of people around us. They’ve always said to surround yourself with people that work harder than you, smarter than you, or more motivated than you, and you can be successful. That’s what I’ve tried to do, to put myself in a position where everybody around me can do so much that I can’t do. I think it’s started showing, just let everybody focus on their job and at the end of the day let the box score be where it may. It’s a team effort, and we’ve had a great car all year long, and to be honest with you, the races we haven’t won is driver error. We’ve given it up to Dallas now… The final in Pomona. We had him covered, and I just couldn’t learn how to drive. We gave that race up, which has still been a thorn in my side and thinking about it before I pre-staged today. It’s so rewarding to be sitting up here.”
WHEN YOU QUALIFIED NO. 1 IN VEGAS FOR THE FIRST TIME, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU UNLOCKED SOMETHING MENTALLY FOR YOU?
“I will say that over the winter, my brother had a pretty milestone birthday, and for his birthday gift, after Gainesville, we sent him to Frank Hawley’s school to get his Super Gas license. Adam had never been down a racetrack in his life in anything, not even a moped. For the two days that he was there, immediately, Frank grabbed me from moment one to sit through his class. Unbelievable what you learn when you sit there and listen to a man like him. How to clear your head, the arrows. I came out of Gainesville going “there are so many things I know I don’t know, but this proves you don’t know.” I think that really helped me as a driver this year. I wasn’t in the class, I was just listening. So I think that that mentally really helped me. I think about it week in and week out with the stuff that I learned there.”
WHAT IS THE GAME PLAN HEADING INTO THESE HOT SUMMER MONTHS AND THE WESTERN SWING IN THESE REALLY TOUGH EVENTS HEADING INTO THE COUNTDOWN…
“We kind of have a liking to Denver. I’m hoping that our streak can continue. In the last eight elimination rounds we’ve had there, we’ve been in all eight of them. So one runner-up, and one win. I’m really hoping that all the parts that we put away, saying don’t touch those until we get to Denver next year, I’m hoping that’s all still there. Denver is such a fun place to go. To us, going up on a mountain, we’re looking forward to it. It’s always a challenge, and I love it up there. It comes down to momentum.”
WITH THE NEW CAR THIS YEAR, AND NOW WINNING AT NORWALK, DOES THIS ADD TO THE CONFIDENCE LEVEL OF THIS TEAM?
“It really does. It builds confidence. Driver confidence, anytime you go up there and struggle as a driver, obviously you start thinking. It goes back to when I was sitting there listening to Frank (at Frank Hawley School), you don’t clear your mind, a negative creates a double-negative. Before you know it, you’re so messed up that a one-hundred light is the best you’re going to get. You have to go up there with a clear mind every time. Today, it gives me a lot of confidence to get in the car. I’m ready to go for another run. It’s surreal to know we’ve won another race.”
Round 1 Recap:
Top Fuel:
- No. 5 Austin Prock defeated No. 12 Tony Schumacher after Schumacher smoked the tires; Prock ran a 3.740 ET at 319.45 MPH.
- No. 3 Brittany Force defeated No. 14 Shawn Langdon with her run of 3.711 ET at 332.18 MPH to Langdon/s 3.910 ET at 255.85 MPH.
Funny Car:
- No. 6 Robert Hight defeated No. 11 Mike McIntire Jr. after McIntire Jr. double-stepped and red-lit with Hight also double-stepping but making a winning pass of 8.139 at 85.21 MPH.
- No. 10 John Force fell to No. 6 JR Todd after a close race seeing J. Force running 4.001 ET at 322.42 MPH to Todd’s 3.972 ET at 326.16 MPH.
Pro Stock:
- No. 1 Matt Hartford defeated No. 16 Fernando Cuadra with his run of 6.615 ET at 206.45 MPH to Cuadra’s 8.257 ET at 120.17 MPH.
- No. 8 Deric Kramer defeated No. 9 Camrie Caruso after Caruso red lit on the starting line.
- No. 4 Aaron Stanfield defeated No. 13 Chris McGaha with his run of 6.628 ET at 206.23 MPH to McGaha’s 11.226 ET at 79.87 MPH, shaking the tires on his run.
- No. 5 Greg Anderson defeated No. 12 Kyle Koretsky with his run of 6.619 ET at 206.67 MPH to Koretsky’s 6.642 at 206.57 MPH.
- No. 2 Erica Enders defeated No. 15 Eric Latino on her run of 6.641 ET at 207.08 MPH to Latino’s 10.028 ET at 91.03 MPH and facing issues on his run.
- No. 7 Dallas Glenn defeated No. 10 Bo Butner, III with his run of 6.610 ET at 206.61 MPH to Butner’s 6.648 ET at 204.66, a reaction time difference of .002.
- No. 3 Troy Coughlin, Jr. defeated No. 14 Mason McGaha with his run of 6.607 ET at 207.95 MPH to McGaha’s 10.719 ET at 85.77 MPH, shaking the tires early on his run.
- No. 11 Jerry Tucker defeated No. Christian Cuadra with his run of 6.553 at 203.83 MPH to Cuadra’s 6.631 ET at 204.85 MPH.
Round 2 Recap:
Top Fuel:
- Prock defeated Mercier with his run of 3.763 ET at 318.84 MPH to Mercier’s 3.846 ET at 302.21 MPH.
- B. Force defeated Hart with her run of 3.729 ET at 333.58 MPH, setting top speed of the event with her Round 2 run, to Hart’s 3.774 ET at 328.54 MPH.
Funny Car:
- Hight fell to Hagan after his 3.931 ET at 322.81 MPH wasn’t enough for Hagan’s 3.912 ET at 329.18 MPH.
Pro Stock:
- Stanfield defeated Anderson with his run of 6.638 ET at 206.04 MPH to Anderson’s 6.709 ET at 205.85 MPH.
- Glenn defeated Enders with his run of 6.632 ET at 206.39 MPH to Enders’ 7.046 ET at 157.41 MPH.
- Hartford defeated Kramer with his run of 6.601 ET at 206.89 to Kramer’s 6.647 ET at 205.04 MPH.
- Coughlin, Jr. defeated Tucker with his run of 6.619 ET at 207.30 MPH to Tucker’s 6.661 ET at 204.11 MPH.
Semifinals Recap:
Top Fuel:
- Prock fell to Pruett after hazing the tires, with Pruett running 3.771 ET at 331.12 MPH to Prock’s 4.194 ET at 297.75 MPH.
- B. Force fell to Ashley with her run of 3.713 ET at 333.16 MPH to Ashley’s 3.711 ET at 331.94 MPH.
Pro Stock:
- Hartford defeated Stanfield with his run of 6.624 ET at 206.57 MPH to Stanfield’s 6.666 ET at 206.80 MPH.
- Glenn defeated Coughlin, Jr. after Coughlin, Jr. hazes the tires, Glenn running a 6.635 ET lap at 206.45 MPH.
Finals:
Pro Stock:
- Hartford defeated Glenn with his run of 6.624 ET at 207.02 MPH to Glenn hazing his tires early in the run.
AUSTIN PROCK AND BRITTANY FORCE MAKE SEMI FINAL APPEARANCES AT SUMMIT MOTORSPORTS PARK
| AUSTIN PROCK AND BRITTANY FORCE MAKE SEMIFINALAPPEARANCES AT SUMMIT MOTORSPORTS PARK |
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2023) – Austin Prock with the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster and Brittany Force with the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster made semifinal appearances Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. Robert Hight and the AAA Ohio / Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro SS had a quarterfinal exit while John Force with the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy Camaro SS exited in the first round. Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team started race day from the No. 3 qualifying spot taking on Shawn Langdon. Force would be first off the starting line and never trail for a solid 3.711-second pass at 322.18 mph that bettered Langdon’s 3.910 at 255.83 after he puffed the tires near the finish line. In the second round, Force took on Josh Hart laying down another stout run at 3.729 and an event top speed of 333.58 to send Hart’s 3.774 at 328.54 home. Their performance would put Force and the Monster Energy team against points leader Justin Ashley in the semifinals. Force would stay consistent with a 3.713 at 333.16 but it wouldn’t be enough for Ashley’s 3.711 at 331.94. “I feel really good about this weekend overall. This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team has been working really hard, and our progress is definitely starting to show. We moved up in qualifying to the No. 3 spot this weekend and we had a tough lineup all day. We made it to the semifinals which is huge for this team. We did drop to fourth in the points standings but we’re still in a really good fighting position with a handful of races left before we get into the Countdown to the Championship.” Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT dragster carried over momentum from a No. 5 qualifying effort into race day with a first-round win over Top Fuel veteran Tony Schumacher. Prock would have a clean 3.740-second pass at 319.45 mph while Schumacher smoked the tires early to coast to a 10.944 at 73.40. In the quarterfinals, Prock and the Montana Brand team would lay down a 3.763 at 318.84 to take down Dan Mercier and his 3.846 at 302.21. The victory would set Prock up with a semifinal matchup against No. 1 qualifier Leah Pruett. Pruett would have the starting line advantage for a winning run of 3.771 seconds at 331.12 mph while Prock and the Montana Brand team drove into tire smoke. Prock would try to pedal it but it wouldn’t be enough, crossing the finish line at 4.194 and 297.75. “I’m proud of my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team this weekend. We made another semifinal which keeps us in the points hunt. We made some really nice passes in conditions we don’t have much data in so we were all happy with that,” Prock said. “I’m looking forward to the Western Swing. I hope these two weeks off fly by. Robert Hight and the AAA Ohio Chevy kicked off race day with a first-round victory at the starting line. His opponent Mike McIntire Jr. left the starting line .305 seconds too early handing Hight the victory. After having to hold off to not also redlight, Hight would shut off early at mid-track for only an 8.139-second pass at 85.21 mph. In the second round, the AAA Camaro would face Matt Hagan. It would be a side-by-side drag race but Hight would come up short with a 3.931 pass at 322.81 to Hagan’s 3.912 at 329.18. “Frustrating for this AAA team. That first round, usually if the red light is close, it’s not that bad but it’s hard to just sit there. I feel bad for the AAA team, we could have used that data getting down the track for the second round. I feel bad I couldn’t keep it together and stay in that run,” Hight said. “We just didn’t have enough in that race against Hagan. There are a lot of tough cars out here, and they’re one of them. This AAA Chevy, we’ll be good. I’m confident in my team and looking forward to the Western Swing.” John Force and the PEAK Chevy wouldn’t have enough for J.R. Todd in the first round of eliminations. Force handled his Camaro to a 4.001-second pass at 322.42 mph losing to Todd’s 3.972 at 326.16. “I just try to do what the race car will let me. This PEAK Chevy, it’s been consistent. I tried to get it there on the tree. Todd always leaves on me. I didn’t get it done. He did so good job to him and we’ll just get ready for the next one,” Force said. “Have to thank Bobby Bader and the whole Bader family. They’ve put on quite a show here for the fans, Bader Sr. would be proud.” Racing in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series continues July 14-16 with the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway just outside of Denver, Colorado. -30- |
 AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragsterQualifying:5th; 3.706-seconds; 323.97 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+3 (quickest Q3)Race Results: Beat: Tony Schumacher, Dan Mercier; Lost to Leah Pruett BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragsterQualifying:3rd; 3.694-seconds; 332.10 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0 Race Results: Beat: Shawn Langdon, Josh Hart; Lost to Justin Ashley  JOHN FORCE, 74, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:10th; 3.934-seconds; 323.58 mphBonus Qualifying Points: 0Race Results: Lost to J.R. Todd ROBERT HIGHT, 53, AAA Ohio / Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:6th; 3.915-seconds; 324.36 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+1 (3rd quickest Q2) Race Results: Beat: Mike McIntire Jr.; Lost to Matt Hagan |
CARUSO EXITS NORWALK EARLY, READY FOR DENVER
NORWALK, OHIO (June 25, 2023) — No car, race or driver can be perfect 100 percent of the time. That was the hard pill that Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso had to swallow, when she red-lit in the first round of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park against Deric Kramer.
“That was a tough round to lose when you look at what happened in the other lane and how well we ran,” said Caruso, the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year. “I didn’t do anything differently in the first round and I wasn’t distracted, but it was still a learning opportunity for the next time I’m up against a tree.”
Camrie Caruso and Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo credit Innovative Creation Experts
The second-year pro made two clean, solid passes during qualifying, entering Sunday in the No. 9 spot. Rain kept the Pro Stock category from being able to make qualifying runs on Friday. Caruso planned to keep that momentum going during the rest of the race, but her foot got the best of her.
“We had a good car in qualifying on Saturday,” said Caruso. “I wish the weather would have cooperated on Friday for us to get a couple of more passes. I think we could have qualified even higher with more runs. This Tequila Comisario Camaro with KB Titan Racing power is running really well. I felt good coming into the first round. I felt like I did before the Arizona Nationals but today didn’t go our way.”
Norwalk was the second time that Caruso and Kramer have went head-to-head. The most recent time was in the first round at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix, where Caruso beat Kramer and went on to pick up her first-ever NHRA event win.
“Deric is a fantastic opponent and I’m sure we’ll have several more matchups,” said Caruso. “We are now tied in wins, which is even more motivation to be better and faster than him the next time.”
If not for the red light, Caruso’s first round pass would have been strong, going 207.53 mph and reaching an elapsed time of 6.657 seconds.
“It’s disappointing when one mistake messes up the entire run,” said Caruso. “But these things happen, and as my team likes to remind me, I can’t be too hard on myself all the time. I’m grateful for their support as I continue to improve as a racer.”
Even with a tough first round loss, Caruso still has an optimistic outlook on the weekend and the rest of the season. She participated in the 4th annual #NorwalkNats Ice Cream Eating Contest and was able to interact with lots of fans.
“I am going to put this race behind me and get ready for the next one,” said Caruso. We didn’t get hurt too bad in the points. I hate that we didn’t go more rounds today because the fans this weekend have been great, and I always like to put on a good show for them. But we’ll get it done next time.”
Caruso is now No. 5 in points and is looking ahead to the Western Swing of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Series season.
Qualifying Results
Q1: 6.652 sec; 207.69 mph; Qual. 5
Q2: 6.628 sec; 207.66 mph; Qual. 9
Race Results
First Round
Deric Kramer, Get Biofuels Chevrolet Camaro, (0.035), 13.450, 65.84 def. Camrie Caruso, Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, DQ- Redlight
Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Pro Stock
1. Dallas Glenn 729
2. Matt Hartford 567
3. Deric Kramer 552
4. Troy Coughlin Jr 510
5. Aaron Stanfield 501
6. Greg Anderson 441
7. Erica Enders 430
8. Camrie Caruso 419
9. Cristian Cuadra 405
10. Bo Butner 376
ASHLEY EXTENDS POINTS LEAD WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH IN NORWALK
J.R. Todd scores his second semi-final finish in the last three events in Funny Car
NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2023) – Justin Ashley continued his recent strong performance with a runner-up finish at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park on Sunday afternoon. Ashley defeated Clay Millican, Team Toyota’s Steve Torrence, and Brittany Force, before coming up short against Leah Pruett in the final. With the final round appearance, Ashley extends his points lead to 97 over Torrence.
In Funny Car, former champion J.R. Todd earned his second semi-final appearance in the last three races. Todd defeated the top-two winningest drivers in NHRA Funny Car history – John Force and Ron Capps – in the first two rounds before coming up just short against points leader Matt Hagan. All three Toyota GR Supra drivers – Todd, Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria – earned at least one round win on Sunday.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park
Race 9 of 21
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Justin Ashley | Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Finalist | W. 3.715 v. 6.782(C. Millican) W. 3.721 v. 3.703(Holeshot – .039 v. 081 – S. Torrence) W. 3.711 v. 3.713(B. Force) L. 4.497 v. 3.761(L. Pruett) |
| Steve Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W. 3.735 v. 4.237(D. Foley) L. 3.703 v. 3.721(Holeshot .081 v. .039 – J. Ashley) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L. 5.182 v. 3.760(M. Salinas) |
| Doug Kalitta | Applied Innovation Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L. 7.702 v. 3.892(D. Mercier) |
| Shawn Langdon | Bounty Hunter Kalitta Air Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L. 3.910 v. 3.711(B. Force) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Semi-Finals | W. 3.972 v. 4.001(J. Force) W. 3.950 v. 3.912(Holeshot .036 v. .092 – R. Capps) L. 3.954 v. 3.959(Holeshot – .067 v. .057 – M. Hagan) |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Second Round | W. 3.930 v. 4.119(A. Laughlin) L. 3.912 v. 3.950(Holeshot .092 v. .036 – J. Todd) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Second Round | W. 3.923 v. 12.466(P. Lee) L. Foul v. 4.412(Red Light – B. Alexander) |
TOYOTA QUOTES
JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Maynard Ashley Racing
Final Result: Finalist
Can you talk about the final round?
“This was a great weekend at the racetrack for our Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Okuma. Our entire team did a fantastic job, and I could not be prouder. This was a team effort from the start to the finish. To be able to turn on so many win lights in a row is something that is so difficult to do in a sport that has so much competition. Today and the rest of the season we will have our guardian angel Cathi Maynard riding with us.”
J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports
Final Result: Semi-Finals
How was your race?
“It was a good day, but I’m bummed to lose on a hole shot. When you lose on a hole shot, that’s on the driver. I feel like I should have been better than I was that round. We ran 3.95 (3.954 seconds at 324.20 mph), but we were trying to run better than that. I feel like we missed a good opportunity to win, and those opportunities don’t come around that often. It would have been pretty cool to win that 200th race for Toyota, but at the end of the day, it was a good effort. The car is definitely getting more consistent going down the track, and when you get down the track you learn. We just need to pick things up on my end, and we’ll be ok. Two semifinals in the last three races means we’re getting better going down the track and not beating ourselves. You have to go down the track to give yourself a fighting chance, and that’s pretty much all I can ask for as a driver. We have a great group of guys on this DHL Toyota team, and I know all their hard work will pay off – hopefully soon.”
QUARTERFINAL FINISH CAPS NORWALK FOR JOSH HARt
NORWALK, OH (June 25, 2023) — Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team were racing the shadows of a major distribution hub for his primary sponsor this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Last year Hart raced to a runner-up finish and the owner of Burnyzz Speed Shop in Ocala, Florida, was looking to grab one more win light this year. Through two days of qualifying Hart entered race day at the No. 6 qualifier with a strong racecar.
Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo credit Auto Imagery
“We lost a session on Friday because of the rain, but we got two shots at the track yesterday,” said Hart. “We are tracking down a few issues with the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster and I felt good going into race day. There are no easy rounds so we were ready for Spencer Massey in the first round.”
In the opening session both dragsters left the starting line and Massey almost immediately overpowered the racetrack. Hart made a smooth run that got him to the finish line 3.785 seconds after he launched at 326.643 mph. His winning effort set up a quarterfinal race with the reigning Top Fuel champion Brittany Force.
Hart was first off the line but as he was accelerating Force pulled beside him and eventually pulled away for the win. She made the quickest pass of the round and matched the track speed record on her pass. Hart crossed the finish line with a 3.774 second pass at 328.54 mph just behind Force’s 3.729 second run.
“We are fighting an issue with our clutch and that had hurt us the past couple of races,” said Hart. “The good news is we have some time before the Western Swing starts for the team to figure it out. I feel really comfortable in the car and I know once we get past this issues we’ll be in good shape. We were right there in the Chicago final and we have made good runs in Bristol and here in Norwalk.”
The R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will be back in action at Bandimere Speedway for the final Mile-High Nationals, July 14-16, in Morrison, Colorado.
Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.707 sec, 328.14 mph; Qual. 4
Q2: 3.796 sec, 324.59 mph; Qual. 5
Q3: 3.771 sec, 327.27 mph; Qual. 6
Bonus Points: 0
Race Results
First Round
Josh Hart, R+L Carriers dragster, (.079), 3.785, 326.63 mph def. Spencer Massey, Commercial Metal Fabrication dragster, (.053), 4.576, 172.10 mph
Second Round
Brittany Force, Monster Energy dragster, (.071), 3.729, 333.58 mph def. Josh Hart, R+L Carriers dragster, (.068), 3.774, 328.54 mph
Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten - Top Fuel 1. Justin Ashley 726 2. Steve Torrence 629 3. Leah Pruett 620 4. Brittany Force 590 5. Austin Prock 588 6. Antron Brown 531 7. Mike Salinas 504 8. Josh Hart 487 9. Doug Kalitta 442 10. Shawn Langdon 398
JUSTIN ASHLEY RUNNER-UP IN NORWALK
| NORWALK, OH (June 25, 2023) — Justin Ashley raced the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Okuma to his fifth final round of 2023 and for the first time the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year did not emerge victorious exiting Norwalk with a runner-up finish. Throughout the season Ashley had established a pattern of racing to the final round and securing victory capturing four national event wins and four Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victories including one yesterday at Summit Motorsports Park. Ashley dropped the final round to No. 1 qualifier Leah Pruett after he defeated Clay Millican, Steve Torrence and Brittany Force throughout the day. Justin Ashley and Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Okuma, photo by Auto Imagery“This was a great weekend at the racetrack for our Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Okuma,” said Ashley, who has raced to 16 final rounds in his Top Fuel career. “Our entire team did a fantastic job and I could not be prouder. This was a team effort from the start to the finish. To be able to turn on so many win lights in a row is something that is so difficult to do in a sport that has so much competition. Today and the rest of the season we will have our guardian angel Cathi Maynard riding with us.” In the first round Ashley drew veteran driver and No. 10 qualifier Millican to get his race day started. Both drivers were strong off the starting line with Ashley getting a slight edge .041 to .044 but Millican smoked the tires almost immediately. Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Okuma made a smooth run at 3.715 seconds to advance to the quarterfinals. Facing four-time world champion and fellow Toyota driver Torrence in the quarterfinals Ashley had lane choice. When the tree flashed amber Ashley once again showed his driving skill leaping off the line with a strong .038 reaction time and that advantage held up at the starting line getting the four-time national event winner in 2023 a hole shot win 3.721 to 3.703 seconds over Torrence. After the win light fired off in Ashley’s lane his crew chief Mike Green had nothing but praise for his driver. “He’s doing such a great job, he’s learning every day,” said Green. “He’s great on the tree. Racing the Torrence family, you know, Richard, Bobby, Steve, Billy and Kay, they’re just a great team. They’ve obviously been one of the best teams out here for a long time. Racing them, they flat out outran us that time, but luckily enough Justin did a great job on the tree and we got the win.” The win advanced Ashley to another semifinal and secured his spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for the fifth time this season. To race to his fifth final round Ashley would have to defeat the reigning Top Fuel champion Brittany Force who was also racing a strong Top Fuel dragster. In the semifinals Ashley continued to be locked in off the starting line with a .038 reaction time which put his Phillips Connect Toyota dragster out front and he never trailed in the race winning 3.711 to 3.713 seconds with both 12,000-horsepower Top Fuelers hitting over 330 mph. “It’s so much fun to be able to drive this Phillips Connect Toyota Racing Top Fuel dragster,” said Ashley, after his semifinal win. “I love putting our Mac Tools and Lucas Oil to work each round. The team does such a great job and everyone is focused on us, but how about the competition? It’s so close, racing with such small margin of error. Everyone knows I love our marketing partners, but I love my mother. Happy birthday, Mom, I love you.” Throughout the season Ashley has had the support of marketing partners including KATO Fastening Systems, Lucas Oil, Mac Tools, Toyota and this weekend Okuma. In the final looking to turn on his 14th consecutive win light with his fifth win of the season Ashley pulled beside Pruett. Ashley was first off the line for the fourth consecutive time on race day with another stellar reaction time, .043-seconds. Ashley was on a strong run, but he had to pedal his race car, losing some momentum and opening the door for Pruett to drive around him. He was not able to get his dragster to hook back up and he had to watch Pruett pull away for the win. The team will leave Norwalk with the points lead which they stretched to over 100 points over Torrence in second place. They will be back on track at the NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, July 14-16. Qualifying Results Q1: 3.708 sec, 332.59 mph; Qual. 5 Q2: 3.743 sec; 329.34 mph; Qual. 6 Q3: 4.063 sec, 228.61 mph; Qual. 7 Bonus Points: 0 Race Results First Round Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Okuma, (.041), 3.715, 329.34 mph def. Clay Millican, Parts Plus dragster, (.044), 6.782, 67.91 mph Second Round Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Okuma, (.039), 3.721, 328.06 mph def. Steve Torrence, CAPCO dragster, (.081), 3.703, 331.77 mph Semifinals Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Okuma, (.038), 3.711, 331. 94 mph def. Brittany Force, Monster Energy dragster, (.059), 3.713, 333.16 mph Finals Leah Pruett, Dodge Direct Connect dragster, (.081), 3.761, 326.79 mph def. Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Okuma, (.043), 4.497, 198.90 mph Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Top Fuel 1. Justin Ashley 726 2. Steve Torrence 629 3. Leah Pruett 620 4. Brittany Force 590 5. Austin Prock 588 6. Antron Brown 531 7. Mike Salinas 504 8. Josh Hart 487 9. Doug Kalitta 442 10. Shawn Langdon 398 |
ELITE MOTORSPORTS MAKES POSITIVE MOVES IN NORWALK WITH MULTIPLE ROUND WINS
| The Largest Professional Team In Drag Racing Secures Two Semifinal Finishes |
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| NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2023) – Elite Motorsports experienced the power in numbers today at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Only one-tenth of a second separated the top rung of the ladder from the bottom in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock field creating fierce competition among this incredibly talented pool of drivers. Four Elite Motorsports Pro Stock drivers made passes powerful enough to qualify in the top half of this impressive field – Erica Enders (No. 2), Troy Coughlin Jr. (No. 3), Aaron Stanfield (No. 4), and Cristian Cuadra (No. 6). In the first round of Pro Stock competition, Elite Motorsports drivers Bo Butner and Fernando Cuadra Sr. made early exits against Dallas Glenn and Matt Hartford, respectively. In an all-Elite Round One matchup, Pro Stock rookie Jerry Tucker defeated C. Cuadra. Stanfield faced Chris McGaha and got the win light in his Janac Brothers / JC3 Energy Camaro. Coughlin then faced the younger McGaha, Mason, who left first but Coughlin managed to outpace him for the win. Enders and her JHG / Melling Performance Camaro defeated Eric Latino in the final matchup of this exciting round of competition. In the quarterfinals, Elite Motorsports Pro Stock machines made up half of the remaining field. Stanfield got the jump on Greg Anderson and held on to the lead to race his way into the semifinals, securing a spot in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty event in Denver. Glenn defeated five-time Pro Stock world champion Enders. She was ahead of him at 300 feet but she was down on speed by the eighth-mile marker. Coughlin powered past his teammate Tucker in the quarterfinal round to join his teammate Stanfield in the semifinals where they would face Hartford and Glenn, respectively. Unfortunately for Team Elite, it would be Hartford and Glenn advancing to the final round of competition at Summit Motorsports Park where No. 1 qualifier Hartford snagged the Wally. In Pro Mod, Mason Wright returned after an incident in Chicago to qualify in the No. 13 position before making an early exit in the first round of competition. In Top Sportsman, No. 2 qualifier David Cuadra turned on one win light in eliminations. The next event for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will be the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, July 14-16 in Denver. |
CD RACING SWEEPS MID-OHIO TRANS AM; DYSON WINS, BRABHAM SECOND
| POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (June 25, 2023) – Chris Dyson conserved his #16 GYM Weed Ford Mustang while battling pole-winner Justin Marks and veteran Boris Said for the first half of Saturday’s 100-mile Trans Am feature race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, running a close third before seizing the lead just before the halfway mark of the 45-lap contest and then holding it to the checkered flag. Dyson’s teammate, defending Mid-Ohio race winner Matthew Brabham, completed a team sweep of the top of the podium by finishing second in his #20 GYM Weed Ford Mustang after carving his way through the field from his 16th position on the grid. “That was Trans Am racing at its best,” Dyson said directly after climbing from his car in the winner’s circle. “The car was just magical! Thanks to my guys for the great job they’ve done since Lime Rock. We tested at Watkins Glen and made a lot of progress on setups. We struggled here in qualifying in the rain, but the car was so good today.” “I was just biding my time,” Dyson said of the first half of the race, when he was shadowing Marks and Said before slipping past both in traffic and into the race lead just before the race’s only full-course yellow. “I saw an opening and I took it. When the opportunities come up against talent like this, you have to pounce because you might not get another shot. And then I was able to successfully defend on the restart and settle into a nice rhythm.” For Marks the restart was a major setback; attempting to pass Dyson he instead flew off the track and was fortunate to emerge in eighth place, 20 seconds behind Dyson, but at least not stuck in a gravel trap. Brabham’ didn’t set a time in qualifying and so he started 16th on the 21-car grid. “I had so much fun coming up through the field,” Brabham said following the race. “I had to use up my tires getting back to the front and I just didn’t have enough left at the end. But I had a perfect view an amazing race (between Dyson, Marks and Said). They were side-by-side and going down the inside. And the restart was pretty interesting!” CD Racing drivers Dyson and Brabham now hold a commanding lead in the drivers’ National point standings after six rounds, with three victories for Dyson and two for Brabham. Dyson’s Trans Am victory at Mid-Ohio was his 22nd and tied him with Scott Pruett for 5th in the series’ all-time win category. For more on Chris Dyson Racing, visit chrisdysonracing.com |
HISTORY AT HUSET’S: David Gravel Claims Storybook High Bank Nationals Win for Richest Payday in World of Outlaws History
| Gravel capitalizes on Kofoid’s misfortune to bank $250,000 at Huset’sBRANDON, SD (June 24, 2023) – The stage at Huset’s Speedway couldn’t have been set any better for David Gravel. Competing at the racetrack owned by his car owner – Tod Quiring. A stretch of tough-to-swallow second place finishes that continued into the week. And the biggest payday in World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car history on the line. The Billion Auto Huset’s High Bank Nationals presented by Menards began with a pair of close runner-ups for Gravel on the Wednesday and Thursday prelims. Those came after two more second place finishes at Beaver Dam the weekend before.Despite the disappointment of those results, Gravel remained focused and hungry heading into Saturday’s $250,000 finale. A win with the biggest stakes in The Greatest Show on Dirt’s history on the line would erase the bitter taste of so many second places. A record crowd filled in to watch what would unfold. The stage was set and Gravel delivered.The Watertown, CT native seized on a perfect opportunity when an expired engine on Buddy Kofoid’s machine late in the 40-lap Feature gifted Gravel the lead. From there, he never looked back as he went on to etch a place in Sprint Car history.In Victory Lane, Gravel and his crew and family erupted with joy. Gravel climbed all the way atop the wing. The rest of the cast celebrated with shouts and hugs as the reality sunk in. A win worth a quarter of a million dollars.“I guess all the seconds (places) paid off. One of these times I was going to win one, so this is a good one to win,” Gravel said. “We’ve been really good here. Last year we had the gate deal. I thought we had a really good shot at winning last year. To come back and win with Levi (son), my whole family, for Cody (Jacobs, crew chief), Tod and everything he does for the sport. The crowd was amazing. T-shirt trailer was crazy. It just shows you when a track owner commits to trying to build an event here at a racetrack it pays off. He’s paying money. There’s big fans. It was a great event.”The win upped Gravel’s tally with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars to 83 – one behind fellow full-timer – Brad Sweet’s – count of 84. Gravel extended his lead in 2023 wins with his seventh of the season. The 31-year-old now owns a trio of Huset’s victories in World of Outlaws competition, making it the ninth different track where he’s won at least three times.Gravel’s story with Big Game Motorsports came full circle. Years ago, well before he established himself as one of the nation’s best Sprint Car drivers – Gravel approached Tod Quiring about driving for him. The two couldn’t work out a deal at the time. But as the years passed and Gravel’s win column skyrocketed with other teams, Quiring brought him aboard ahead of 2021. Two years later, Gravel drove to Victory Lane in the marquee event that Quiring has crafted at Huset’s.“It’s good to take some of the boss’ money tonight,” Gravel said with a laugh.When the green flag flew, Gravel started from the fourth spot aboard the Billion Auto #2. Right off the bat he surged into the second spot with an excellent start. The race went green for more than 30 laps, and Gravel struggled to challenge pole-sitter – Buddy Kofoid – for the top spot. When it looked like he might close in heavy traffic Kofoid would slip by another lapped car for breathing room. Kofoid’s hopes were dashed, though, when smoke began to rise from under the hood of the Roth Motorsports #83. The Penngrove, CA native came to a stop with an expired engine less than 10 laps away from what would’ve been the biggest day of his racing career.“Buddy had a really fast car,” Gravel noted. “That race could’ve went green to checkered, and he could’ve potentially won the race, but it’s a shame for him. He was running really, really good and setting a really fast pace.”Kofoid’s devastation was Gravel’s gain as he inherited the lead for the restart. One more race stoppage occurred with eight laps remaining for a pileup in Turn 4. But it made no difference for Gravel who went on to cruise to one special victory.Behind Gravel, Rico Abreu claimed the runner-up spot for his second podium over the four nights. The St. Helena, CA native pocketed $50,000 for his efforts. Abreu continues to credit his dynamic with his crew for their steady speed in 2023.“I’m just thankful to my crew for never giving up on me,” Abreu said. “It’s just shows with these results here. We were kind of mediocre all week to be honest. We had a good run Wednesday night then struggled the last two nights. Then Ricky (Warner, crew chief) really made a big swing at our car and made some big changes which allowed us to get in the hunt here.”The final step of the podium belonged to Kyle Larson. “Yung Money” wheeled his way from the third row to position three for a $25,000 payday. With starting where he did, Larson felt he simply needed more laps to have a shot at coming out on top and also couldn’t help but think about his late misfortune on Thursday that potentially cost him a better starting spot.“Once we got the cautions there, the track kind of switched over and my car got really good, just ran out of time there,” Larson explained. “I thought we could catch traffic a little quicker and maybe get those guys racing in front of us but just a little too late. Honestly, I look back at Thursday night, and if I don’t get into Rico off of (Turn) 2, I finish better and probably starting further forward in the Feature and giving myself a better shot.”Rounding on the top five was Logan Schuchart and Carson MacedoWith a run from 22nd to seventh, Brad Sweet earned the KSE Racing Hard Charger.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Qualifier One went to David Gravel. NOS Energy Drink Qualifiers Two through Six were topped by Gio Scelzi, Kyle Larson, Carson Macedo, Sheldon Haudenschild, Rico Abreu.Tyler Courtney claimed the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars travel to New Richmond, WI where Cedar Lake Speedway will host the Independence Day Spectacular (June 30 – July 1). For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action on DIRTVision.RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[4]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[3]; 3. 57-Kyle Larson[6]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 6. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[5]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet[22]; 8. 5-Spencer Bayston[10]; 9. 11-Cory Eliason[9]; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen[11]; 11. 15-Donny Schatz[13]; 12. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[8]; 13. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[21]; 14. 20G-Noah Gass[16]; 15. 3-Tim Kaeding[18]; 16. 7S-Robbie Price[19]; 17. 11S-Parker Price Miller[17]; 18. 21-Brian Brown[12]; 19. 25-Lachlan McHugh[23]; 20. 83-James McFadden[14]; 21. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[1]; 22. 83H-Justin Henderson[15]; 23. 88-Austin McCarl[24]; 24. 17B-Bill Balog[20] |
Stormy Scott Wins First Career Summer Nationals Feature in Wild Finish at I-55
PEVELY, MO (June 24, 2023) – When the air temperature rises on the Hell Tour, so does the action on track. Stormy Scott served up a blazing hot plate of excitement Saturday night with a last-lap, last-corner pass on Ashton Winger for his first career DIRTcar Summer Nationals Feature win.
“To win at I-55 – it’s more exciting because everybody knows the history of this place,” Scott said. “Everybody knows who half of one of the owners is, the track is on the video game… It’s awesome to get a win here, for sure.”
After Winger took the lead from Shannon Babb just past the halfway point, Scott and Drake Troutman had ascended into the second and third spots and were hot on Winger’s tail as the laps clicked off. Babb had broken drivetrain components immediately after taking the green on a Lap 25 restart and drew a caution, retiring to the infield under yellow.
Though Scott had got to the runner-up spot first, Troutman found some speed on the cushion and drove around Scott to take second. A couple caution flags in the few laps that followed gave Scott and Troutman some more chances at the leader, but they went uncapitalized as Winger continued his charge out front.
At its largest, Winger’s lead stretched to slightly over a full second as the leaders prepared to enter lapped traffic in the final 10 laps.
“I felt like when I had a gap, I actually tried to slow my pace down ever so slightly to not catch that lapped car,” Winger said. “I saw where the lapped car was running, and I didn’t have it in my mind how I was going to pass him when I got to him.”
That’s when Scott and Troutman began to close back in on Winger, shrinking the gap to less than a car length at its closest. Troutman tried several lanes on the track to make the pass but Winger was able to hold him off. Scott, however, was not to be tamed.
“We all got to racing, and I saw where Troutman got by me on the bottom,” Scott said. “I tried running that line for about three laps and I kept missing it. I knew I had to be patient and figure it out.”
“I knew that as long as I could keep a good run going, if I could keep my tires cooler than theirs at the end, they’d come back to me.”
Armed with a good car and the right strategy, Scott stuck to the bottom and pulled nearly even with Winger down the backstretch as they headed for the white flag.
Winger was forced to make a quick move around a lapped car out of Turn 4 and did so without issue, though he said it did slow his progress slightly.
“I really had to throw a haymaker on that lapped car coming to the white,” Winger said. “I misjudged my entry a little bit – it just barely hindered my rhythm a little bit.”
Scott was unaffected by the slower traffic and continued getting faster on the bottom. He got a run on Winger out of Turn 2 and down the backstretch, came into Turns 3-4 with the speed he needed to get under Winger, held it to the bottom and snuck past him just before the start/finish line by .224 seconds to bag the $10,000 check.
“I knew that if we could be door-to-door getting into Turn 3, I knew the spot where we were all entering, and I was gonna enter as hard as he went,” Scott said. “I was afraid that if I let off too early and he got too much momentum going, I wouldn’t beat him off the corner.
“I didn’t plan on dooring him or anything like that, but I knew that I needed to drive in with him and keep up my speed so I could at least have a shot at it to get off of Turn 4 and we could drag race in.”
UP NEXT
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals action continues with the final race of Week 2 on Sunday, June 25, at Lincoln Speedway in Lincoln, IL. Tickets will be available at the gate; streaming is available on DIRTVision.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2S-Stormy Scott[5]; 2. 12-Ashton Winger[2]; 3. 7T-Drake Troutman[3]; 4. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[7]; 5. 25-Jason Feger[8]; 6. 21J-Billy Moyer Jr[10]; 7. 33-Mike Harrison[6]; 8. 36-Logan Martin[1]; 9. 2-Tyler Stevens[18]; 10. 31AUS-Kye Blight[16]; 11. 16-Rusty Griffaw[20]; 12. 58-Tyler Clem[17]; 13. 4G-Bob Gardner[19]; 14. 30-Mark Voigt[22]; 15. 19X-Cody Bauer[14]; 16. 15-Clayton Stuckey[13]; 17. 10-Daryn Klein[12]; 18. 18-Shannon Babb[4]; 19. 94-Austin Rettig[9]; 20. 54-Dane Dacus[15]; 21. 4-Jason Suhre[11]; 22. 6K-Michael Kloos[21]
Harrison Retakes Lead from Wallace in Closing Laps to Win I-55
After getting out to a sizable lead in traffic on the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals field, it appeared to be in the bag for six-time champion Mike Harrison. But the race was far from over.
With only six laps remaining, Harrison had a lead of almost two seconds built up on fellow Summit Modified champion Kenny Wallace when he suddenly ended up in the Turn 2 wall, allowing Wallace to close the gap.
“The car just took off in a bad push and I couldn’t steer out of it,” Harrison said. “Finally, by the time I did gas/brake and got it to steer out of it, I was in the wall.
Wallace, powering around the lowest lane on the track, took the lead with two-to-go and did his best to defend on the bottom, but was unable to hold back the No. 24H. Harrison wound it up on the top side of the track and carried enough momentum to get back by Wallace for the lead coming to the white flag.
“Kenny was underneath me and I just had to go into full-send mode, otherwise I was gonna lose,” Harrison said.
Harrison drove it back around to the checkers ahead of Wallace by less than a car length to score his 59th career Summit Modified Feature win.
UP NEXT
The DIRTcar Summit Modified action continues on Sunday, June 25, at Lincoln Speedway in Lincoln, IL. Tickets will be available at the gate; streaming is available on DIRTVision.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)
Feature (20 Laps): 1. 24H-Mike Harrison[1]; 2. 36-Kenny Wallace[3]; 3. 18L-Michael Long[6]; 4. 8-Kyle Steffens[4]; 5. 1D-Dean Hoffman[7]; 6. 14C-Rick Conoyer[5]; 7. 12L-Lucas Lee[11]; 8. 25-Tyler Nicely[13]; 9. 66-Cole Falloway[16]; 10. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[9]; 11. 10X-Jim Black[2]; 12. 00S-Chris Spalding[10]; 13. 00Z-Steve Picou[8]; 14. J82-Treb Jacoby[18]; 15. 13-Charlie Mefford[17]; 16. 9-Chad Cornett[21]; 17. 1A-Steve Meyer Jr[15]; 18. 58R-Ryan Hamilton[12]; 19. 77D-Drake Stevenson[14]; 20. 51M-Joe Mercurio[19]; 21. 66W-Tyler Worley[20]; 22. 82-Dalton Lane[22]
JIANNA EVARISTO SHOWCASES SPEED AT SUMMIT MOTORSPORTS PARK
Semi-Finals Appearance Caps Off Successful Race Weekend
Event: Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
Scrappers Racing Results:
· Top Fuel – Mike Salinas – Round 2
· Pro Stock Motorcycle – Jianna Evaristo – Semi-Finals
NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2023) – Jianna Evaristo rode her Scrappers Racing Pro Stock Motorcycle to the semi-finals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio on Sunday afternoon.
After Friday night’s qualifying sessions for Pro Stock Motorcycle were canceled due to inclement weather throughout the day, Evaristo was able to qualify sixth with a time of 6.941 after two qualifying sessions on Saturday.
With more weather threatening Sunday’s eliminations, NHRA moved the schedule up by one hour to get the day’s activities completed. In round one, Evaristo would compete against Ryan Oehler and with a .017 reaction time and an ET of 6.903, she would punch her ticket to round two.
In round two, Evaristo lined up alongside Gaige Herrara, who has had an incredible streak of wins until a red light in Bristol against Steve Johnson. But Evaristo became the first rider in four races to beat Herrara head-to-head dating back to the 2022 season. Evaristo had a .050 RT to Herrara’s .067. At the line, Evaristo’s ET was 6.897 to Herrara’s 6.988 – punching her ticket to the semi-finals where she would meet Steve Johnson.
“All of that right there is Matt Smith Racing,” said Evaristo, following her win in Round 2. “It’s Matt (Smith), Angie (Smith) and the whole team and all the hard work that they put in every day, 24 hours a day. I’ve had the pleasure of being able to work with them now and it’s really paying off. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I’m very excited about what’s to come.”
Unfortunately, in the semi-final round, Evaristo’s reation time proved too fast and she would red light at the starting line, ultimately resulting in a loss to Johnson. But Evaristo knows the results of the weekend in Norwalk are a showcase of the speed in her Scrappers Racing motorcycle and a good stepping stone as she continue to learn and gain momentum in the series.
“This is all definitely still a learning experience,” said Evaristo, following her semi-final race. “I’m definitely getting more comfortable on the bike, which is why I feel like I saw the light. I really feel like I was ready. I felt good about it and I swore I saw the light. The moment I went, I was like, ‘Well, shoot.’ But it was good. The run was good. I saw the bike drifting towards the wall, but the bike definitely had the ability to be able to win that round and now I know that I also have that ability and had that ability to win that round. All I can do is learn from today. I’m getting way more comfortable and that’s something that is a really big positive out of today.”
The NHRA Drag Racing Series and the Pro Stock Motorcycle class will return to action in two weeks at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado for the Mile High Nationals, July 14 to 16. The riders will start a three week stretch of events on the west coast from Colorado to Seattle and ending at the home track for the Salinas family at Sonoma Raceway.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES – JIANNA EVARISTO:
Can you talk about the momentum you’ve gained coming from this weekend?
“This is one of the very few races from when I first started this season, I told myself that one of my main goals was consistency. I always really struggled with Q1 with not making a consistent run and then struggling with the rest. For as little runs as we got, we only got the two, I’m really happy. My first run was a decent run, made it down the track, so that was a huge plus for me. I feel like I’m working toward that consistency and just making solid runs in eliminations also. Altogether, I feel like I achieved a big goal of mine with consistency.”
How do you feel about three events in a row for the west coast swing?
“I know, I’m going to get so much seat time, I love it! Seattle will be interesting because we’ve never raced there so I think it will be an interesting learning curve for everybody. But we’re also going to Sonoma, I love Sonoma and Sonoma is my home track so that one, I need to go big or go home. I would love to win that one for everybody. Denver is first and Denver is always a tricky track, but like I always say, I’m going to go out there and race my race and stay in my lane and just focus.”
Ricky Thornton Jr. Cashes in on First Career Firecracker 100 at Lernerville
| SARVER, Pa. (June 24, 2023) – Ricky Thornton Jr. pulled away on lap 81 from an outstanding battle for the lead with Hudson O’Neal to win the 17th Annual Firecracker 100 presented by Big River Steel on Saturday night. Thornton earned $50,000 for his 10th Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of 2023. Thornton and O’Neal battled side-by-side for several circuits with the two exchanging the lead at least six times during that span. Thornton was able to eventually shake O’Neal and pull away to nearly a straightaway lead as the checkered flag fell. Jonathan Davenport, who led the first 44 laps was third with Gregg Satterlee and Devin Moran rounding out the top five drivers. Thornton, who entered the event as the #1 ranked dirt late model driver in the nation, proved why with another crown jewel victory that he adds to his growing resume. “I really didn’t know what to do on those restarts and I’m like you know what I was running around the bottom and if I could keep him [O’Neal] pinched him down there maybe late in the race I could get rolling through the middle and get back by him. I don’t know I guess I just saved my stuff long enough and whenever I needed to use it I really could. I know it’s cool because there is a bunch of Big River Steel employees here.” “I really don’t know how I pulled away from him [O’Neal]. I felt like I had a really good race with JD [Davenport] for a while and then Hudson got by me, and I just rolled through the middle, and he [O’Neal] got behind a lapped car. I wasn’t positive what tires he had on. I know they had talked about going soft there and they were kind of committed to the bottom and I don’t know what they ended up on. I felt like I gave the race away once he got by me. I got behind Earl [Pearson Jr.] and I just kicked it into another gear and I through a Hail Mary to the top and it stuck. I was able to run there for a long-time and then with about 15 to go I moved back down to the middle” said the 32-year-old Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader. O’Neal, who like Thornton was seeking his first career win in the Firecracker 100 ended up nearly five seconds behind Thornton at the finish as they fought tooth-and-nail for the race lead for several laps. “I don’t know if I had anything left for him [Thornton]. I was just so married to that bottom it was just hard to deal with some of those lapped cars because I just couldn’t quite get a run on them like I needed. Then that bottom got so thin it made it even harder. Ricky had harder tires and was able to move out on the race track a little bit. Maybe I didn’t give it a fair enough shot. We have kind of been behind the eight-ball all week. We struggled to find our stride and I just felt like we just got better and better as the week along.” Davenport rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “Hudson was on a little bit different tire than me, and Ricky was. Me and Ricky were on the same tires I believe. We were just a little too tight and once it got slicker and slicker it showed up more and more. I couldn’t turn down in the corner like I needed to. This was a brand-new car. That is the best we have ever been here by far. So, we will take a top three it was a good points night for us in the big scheme of things. Congrats to Ricky he’s just really, really good right now.” The winner’s Todd and Vickie Burns-owned, SSI Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Hoker Trucking, Coltman Farms, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Dyno One Inc., West Side Tractor Sales Company, Certified Inspection Services Company, Inc., Sunoco Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, Midwest Sheet Metal, and Murty Farms. Completing the top ten were Brandom Overton, Michael Norris, Ken Schaltenbrand, Mason Zeigler, and Max Blair. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 17th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel Night 3Saturday, June 24, 2023Lernerville Speedway – Sarver, PA Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 3. 11-Spencer Hughes[2]; 4. 3RK-Daryl Charlier[7]; 5. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[5]; 6. 4S-Ryan Montgomery[4]; 7. 14A-Dan Angelicchio[6]; 8. (DNS) 96-Mike Smith; 9. (DNS) 66-Todd Bachman Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 2. 111B-Max Blair[1]; 3. 1Z-Logan Zarin[4]; 4. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 5. 9-Breyton Santee[6]; 6. 55C-Chris Schneider[7]; 7. (DNS) 22B-Darrell Bossard; 8. (DNS) 97-Kevin Smith; 9. (DNS) 10K-Zachary Kane Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 4. 15K-Cody Overton[6]; 5. 29-Ken Schaltenbrand[4]; 6. AUS1-Brent Vosbergen[5]; 7. 1L-Chuckie Lepsch[8]; 8. (DNS) 25S-Cory Sines; 9. (DNS) 184-Kyle Lukon AP1 Insurance Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 1*-Chub Frank[3]; 3. 1C-Alex Ferree[4]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 5. B22-Bump Hedman[5]; 6. 14-Braeden Dillinger[6]; 7. 11P-Joshua Powell[8]; 8. (DNS) 01-Ron Hall Lucas Oil Heat Race #5 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 10-Michael Norris[1]; 2. 48-Colton Flinner[3]; 3. 9Y-Levi Yetter[5]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 5. 20D-Doug Eck[7]; 6. 10L-Gary Lyle[6]; 7. 8K-Kyle Strickler[8]; 8. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[4] Lucas Oil Heat Race #6 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 22-Gregg Satterlee[2]; 3. J4-John Garvin Jr[6]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 5. 55-Benji Hicks[5]; 6. 77-Tyler Dietz[8]; 7. 11T-Trevor Collins[4]; 8. 20N-Nicholas Eck[7] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 2. 29-Ken Schaltenbrand[6]; 3. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 4. 3RK-Daryl Charlier[1]; 5. 4S-Ryan Montgomery[7]; 6. 14A-Dan Angelicchio[10]; 7. AUS1-Brent Vosbergen[9]; 8. 55C-Chris Schneider[8]; 9. 9-Breyton Santee[5]; 10. 1L-Chuckie Lepsch[11]; 11. 15K-Cody Overton[3] UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 3. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[13]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 5. 55-Benji Hicks[6]; 6. 11P-Joshua Powell[10]; 7. 14-Braeden Dillinger[7]; 8. 11T-Trevor Collins[12]; 9. B22-Bump Hedman[4]; 10. 20D-Doug Eck[5]; 11. 20N-Nicholas Eck[14]; 12. 10L-Gary Lyle[8]; 13. 77-Tyler Dietz[9]; 14. (DNS) 8K-Kyle Strickler 17th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel Feature Finish (100 Laps): |
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| Race Statistics Entrants: 51Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportLap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-44); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 45-52); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 53-56); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 57-70); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 71-74); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 75-100)Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Margin of Victory: 4.912 secondsStop-Tech Brakes Cautions: Tim McCreadie (Lap 31); Logan Zarin (Lap 33); John Garvin, Earl Pearson, Jr., Garrett Alberson, Alex Ferree (Lap 33 restart)Series Provisionals: Tyler BrueningFirecracker Points Provisional: Ryan MontgomerySeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: Tyler Dietz; Gary LyleBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan DavenportPenske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Gregg Satterlee, Devin MoranTodd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Mason Zeigler (Advanced 15 Positions) Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Michael NorrisDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Daulton WilsonEarnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (47 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr. O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Max BlairEtchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 6 – 16.680 seconds)MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Tim McCreadieOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Anthony Burroughs (Ricky Thornton, Jr.)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Spencer Hughes (16.247 seconds)Time of Race: 55 minutes 52 seconds The Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings: |
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JUSTIN SANDERS CASHES $62,000 CHECK WITH IMPRESSIVE VICTORY IN SUPER DIRT CUP FINALE
(6/24/23 – Ben Deatherage) Algers, WA … After being denied a of NARC victory lane appearance in 2023, Justin Sanders finally broke through and scored a huge signature victory at the Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup finale. Piloting Demo Mittry’s Farmer’s Brewing/North County Plastering #2X Maxim, the California hot shoe collected $62,000 for the triumph and became the 28th different winner in event history. Sanders also cashed in an additional $20,000 by leading the entire 40-lap distance at Skagit Speedway.
“I can’t even talk,” said an emotional Sanders in victory lane. “First off, I got to thank (car owner Demo Mittry, Wayne Pirdy for coming out, my fiancé Brooke, and Hunter Brady for always busting his ass. He’s stuck with me all year when we’ve been struggling, and now to turn it around here at his home track is pretty cool!”
“We had to change motors before the feature,” he continued, “and we’d never run it before. It ran good, and I almost gave the race away when I smacked the wall in two and bent the ladder or knocked it out because the car was way different after that.”
After hurting their primary powerplant in the trophy dash, the Sanders squad scrambled to put the backup engine between the frame rails just in time. He would seize the lead on the initial start and take off in the open race track after starting on the outside of the first row. Sanders was seriously challenged after reaching the tail end of the field on lap seven by Dominic Scelzi in the the Scelzi Enterprises/Whipple Superchargers #41 Maxim.
As the laps progressed, Scelzi was forced to go on the defense as he was pressured by Corey Day driving the Jason Meyers Racing-fielded Meyers Constructors/Four C’s Construction #14 KPC. Those two would battle ferociously before a stoppage on the 11th circuit. Traffic would become a factor again on the 14th circuit, but the red flag appeared for an upside down Andy Caruana. He was uninjured in the melee.
When racing resumed for long green flag run, Sanders powered his way back to slower traffic at the 25th lap mark. The highspeed game of cat and mouse intensified when Indianan Zeb Wise, in the Rayce Rudeen Foundation/Hager Reality Services #26 Maxim, made a push to the front with only 10-laps remaining.
On the 33rd circuit, Wise made a well-timed attack on Sanders, only for the leader to find another gear. They would battle again with three circuits remaining on an open race track, but Sanders answered the call to score his 14th career series win.
Sanders continued, “Once I saw (Zeb Wise’s) nose in one and two, I knew I had to go no matter what it took to get through those lapped cars. I had to throttle down as hard as possible and run the middle or bottom. I don’t know how I did; I just happened to come away with it.”
Wise finished a very close second, with Day filling the podium in third. Scelzi would come across the wire in fourth, followed by the Shane DeWald Trucking/NexGen Diesel Exhaust Fluid #18T KPC of Tanner Holmes in fifth.
“I’m pretty disappointed,” commented Wise. “I wanted to win that race pretty bad. We had a good car for the night. I just wished some of those cautions hadn’t come out so early. We needed to get to traffic, and we had the best car in traffic. My guys worked hard to give me a good car all weekend, and we made the best of it.”
“There’s nothing to complain about running third to these two guys,” stated Day. “I wish we could have swept the whole thing, but we just didn’t have the race car that they did. I struggled really bad in three and four, and getting to lapped traffic and slowing the pace down was my only chance, but every time we got there, a yellow came out.”
Cole Macedo and Jason Solwold finished sixth and seventh, chased by Shane Golobic. Colby Copeland and sixteenth starter D.J. Netto completed the top ten. Justyn Cox earned the Williams Roofing Hardcharger honors after climbing ten positions in the running order from his 12th row starting spot.
Colby Thornhill and Trey Starks were also involved in red-flag incidents in the feature. Nobody was hurt.
(Photo by Wildlight Motorsports Photography)
A-FEATURE (40 Laps): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders[2]; 2. 26R-Zeb Wise[4]; 3. 14-Corey Day[6]; 4. 41-Dominic Scelzi[1]; 5. 18T-Tanner Holmes[8]; 6. 21-Cole Macedo[5]; 7. 18-Jason Solwold[9]; 8. 17W-Shane Golobic[10]; 9. 16A-Colby Copeland[11]; 10. 88N-DJ Netto[16]; 11. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt[18]; 12. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[13]; 13. 42X-Justyn Cox[23]; 14. 8-Aaron Reutzel[7]; 15. 29-Willie Croft[14]; 16. 73-Chase Johnson[20]; 17. 2L-Logan Forler[15]; 18. 96-Greg Hamilton[19]; 19. 7-Tyler Thompson[12]; 20. 95-Justin Youngquist[21]; 21. 115-Nick Parker[17]; 22. 46JR-Joel Myers Jr[25]; 23. 53-Jessie Attard[24]; 24. 19-Colby Thornhill[22]; 25. 55-Trey Starks[3]; 26. AU96-Andy Caruana[26]
METTEC TITANIUM LAP LEADERS: Justin Sanders 1-40
WILLIAMS ROOFING HARDCHARGER: Justyn Cox +10
KAEDING PERFORMANCE CENTER B-FEATURE (20 Laps): 1. 96-Greg Hamilton[2]; 2. 73-Chase Johnson[1]; 3. 95-Justin Youngquist[6]; 4. 19-Colby Thornhill[4]; 5. 42X-Justyn Cox[7]; 6. 53-Jessie Attard[8]; 7. 46JR-Joel Myers Jr[11]; 8. 69-Bud Kaeding[5]; 9. AU96-Andy Caruana[14]; 10. 17-Cam Smith[9]; 11. 99-Eric Fisher[10]; 12. 2JR-Kelly Miller[13]; 13. 14B-Bailey Jean[16]; 14. 9-Sean MacDonell[15]; 15. 0-Ashleigh Anstensen[19]; 16. 1M-Mike Brown[21]; 17. 57-James Bundy[18]; 18. 00S-Corey Summers[20]; 19. 10G-Dana Glenn[17]; 20. 44W-Austen Wheatley[3]; 21. 9A-Luke Didiuk[12]
SUNNYVALLEY “POWERED BY BACON” POLE SHUFFLE:
Round 1- Trey Starks def. Corey Day
Round 2- Trey Starks def. Cole Macedo
Round 3- Trey Starks def. Zeb Wise
Round 4- Dominic Scelzi def. Trey Starks
Round 5- Dominic Scelzi def. Justin Sanders
CHAMPION’S HEARTLAND: Dennis Erb Jr. Wins Wichita Late Model Showdown, Earns First World of Outlaws Win of 2023
Nick Hoffman finishes second, cutting Chris Madden’s points lead to 16 points
WICHITA, KS– June 24, 2023 – With one of the biggest paydays of the year on the line, Dennis Erb Jr. returned to familiar form Saturday night at 81 Speedway.
The defending World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Series champion stormed past Ryan Gustin on Lap 22 and held off a hard-charging Nick Hoffman to win the Wichita Late Model Showdown.
Polesitter Kyle Bronson grabbed the early lead, holding the top spot for the first six laps before a caution for Dustin Walker slowed the field.
On the restart, Ryan Gustin challenged Bronson for the lead, powering underneath the Brandon, FL driver, and taking the lead in Turn 4 on Lap 7.
But as “The Reaper” pulled away from the field, Nick Hoffman and Dennis Erb Jr. moved to the front, taking over second and third as Bronson fell out of the top five.
Hoffman started to close on Gustin but missed his mark in Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 20, opening the door for the defending Series champion.
Erb snuck under the Germfree Labs Rookie of the Year contender for the position and set his sights on Gustin.
He only needed two laps to get within a few car lengths of the #19R as Gustin started to work through lap traffic.
Then, in Turn 2, Erb found the daylight he needed on the bottom, diving under Gustin and taking the lead down the backstretch on Lap 22.
From there, Erb held off a challenge from Hoffman and was cruising to victory until a caution for Chase Junghans flew on the final lap, setting up a green-white-checkered finish.
Hoffman tried to go around Erb in Turn 2, but Erb drove away down the backstretch, holding on to score the $30,000 prize.
“To get out here and win again is a really good feeling,” Erb said. “Things haven’t been going well this year. The car’s been good, but we’ve been caught up in some things. To get back here and get a win really feels good.”
Erb’s win is the 14th World of Outlaws CASE Late Models win of his career and the first in 364 days.
He took a patient approach despite only needing 22 laps to move from seventh to the lead.
“The car was running really good, and I was trying to pace myself and watch what them guys were doing,” Erb said. “I was able to get underneath them and get a clean track, and everything was really good there until that last lap. That caution at the end got me a little nervous. Luckily, everything fired off good, and we were able to hold them off.”
Hoffman settled for second, earning his fourth straight top-five, and 10th consecutive top 10 finish.
The Rookie of the race said once he left the bottom open for Erb on Lap 20, he knew he’d have a tough time getting back around the defending champion.
“No one remembers who runs second,” Hoffman said. “But we were really good, and I feel like we were keeping pace with Gustin. But obviously, Dennis just slipped by me. We missed the bottom one time, and he never misses the bottom.
“I tried the middle for quite a bit of time, and with like 10 to go, I went and blitzed the top and almost wadded her up. So, I thought I just better cut my losses here and run second.”
Hoffman’s runner-up finish broke a three-way tie for second in points between himself, Bobby Pierce, and Bronson.
The driver of the Tye Twarog Racing #9 is now second in points, 16 points behind Chris Madden, who finished 14th.
For a complete look at the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models points standings: CLICK HERE.
Tanner English rounded out the podium, moving from fifth to third on the race’s final restart.
The Benton, KY driver took advantage of a battle between Gustin and Pierce and seized an opportunity on the final lap.
“Gustin went in there and missed the bottom, and Bobby went underneath him in the next corner and got a little tight,” English said. “Both of them missed the bottom then, and I got a really good run off [Turn 4] and just snuck up underneath Bobby. Then I got a run on Gustin on the backstretch, and it all worked out perfectly. I needed a restart earlier,
“I felt like I was faster with them but couldn’t do anything with them. It just didn’t fall my way.”
Gustin, who led 15 Laps slipped to fourth, and Bobby Pierce rounded out the top five.
Early race leader Kyle Bronson finished 24th after breaking a rear-end on Lap 24.
UP NEXT: World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek continues as the Series heads north to visit Off Road Speedway in Norfolk, NE, on Sunday, June 25.
Then, the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models head to Mason City Motor Speedway (June 27), Red River Valley Speedway (June 28), River Cities Speedway (June 30), and I-94 EMR Speedway (July 1).
For Tickets: CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App.
CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Feature (60 Laps): 1. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 2. 9-Nick Hoffman[6]; 3. 96V-Tanner English[3]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2]; 5. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[5]; 7. 1ST-Johnny Scott[9]; 8. B1-Brent Larson[23]; 9. 174-Ethan Dotson[11]; 10. 54-David Breazeale[15]; 11. 25-Shane Clanton[12]; 12. 11-Gordy Gundaker[16]; 13. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[18]; 14. 44-Chris Madden[8]; 15. 97-Cade Dillard[10]; 16. 30-Todd Cooney[24]; 17. 18-Chase Junghans[19]; 18. 14W-Dustin Walker[25]; 19. 92S-Delbert Smith[22]; 20. 28S-Dustin Sorensen[14]; 21. 99-Jesse Sobbing[21]; 22. 60-Kip Hughes[17]; 23. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 24. 7D-Dusty Leonard[20]; 25. B5-Brandon Sheppard[13] Fox Factory Hard Charger: Brent Larson [+15].
AFT–Bauman Makes History at Lima Half-Mile
| DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 24, 2023) – Two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman(No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) took an emotional and historic victory in Saturday night’s Mission Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialtiesat the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio. Following an often challenging half-season spent developing an all-new racebike for an all-new team, Bauman kicked off the second half of 2023 by claiming the first premier-class victory for a KTM twin in the history of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. And that win came at the conclusion of a thrilling Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S CycleMain Event. Bauman, who earned the crown in 2019 and 2020, spent all ten minutes plus two laps embroiled in a non-stop dogfight with the rider who currently has the inside track on this year’s title, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). Bauman and Daniels alternated high and low lines as theft continually swapped the lead, running side-by-side when one or the other wasn’t making a futile attempt to shake loose at the front. And all the while, their engagement threatened to transform the race for the win into a three-rider affair with reigning king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) lurking right around one second back and just waiting for his chance to strike. Finally, with less than minute to go, Bauman seized the upper hand and then refused to allow Daniels a last-gasp bid to steal away his hard-earned win for Rick Ware Racing. The emotion of the victory was further amplified as Bauman reflected on both the recent passing of his mother as well as his triumphant performance at the scene of his maiden Mission SuperTwins win. He said, “I think these guys are probably going to start making fun of me because I think I cry every time I win. But aside from all that, my brother (Bronson) and I lost our mom six months ago last Sunday, and this is where I got my first Twins win. The love that everyone gives in this sport no matter how hard you’re going up against one another… We’re fighting for everything we can get. I just appreciate all these guys a lot more than maybe I used to. “There are so many people who have supported us. To actually get this done… It’s an honor to be a part of this program. I’m just proud, and I know my mom is proud. We did it.” Last year’s Lima HM winner, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), outlasted JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) as the two finished fourth and fifth, respectively, just over eight seconds behind the fight for the win. Sixth went to Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), who quietly earned his best result yet aboard the Fastrack KTM. Just behind in seventh and eighth were Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750). Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) finished ninth, while Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) completed the top ten in his return to action even after suffering an ugly heat race crash earlier in the evening. Despite falling short of victory, Daniels maintained his season-long perfect podium record and picked up some points in the title fight in the process. He now leads Mees by 12 points (219-207), while Bauman has moved ahead of Beach to take control of third (166-161). Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Reigning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) notched up a timely victory on a night that proved to be a huge boon for his title defense. Kopp came to Lima as the odds-on favorite due to his performance here a year ago, along with his general Half-Mile mastery, but this one did not come easily. Kopp took the holeshot but soon found himself in second and losing ground to rising star Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F). The KTM ace regrouped and successfully countered Drane’s bid to shake free, clawing his way back to the Australian at mid-distance. The two then wove the lead back-and-forth with around three minutes remaining on the clock before Kopp finally got a firm grip on the position. He then stretched open his advantage as the two slithered through lapped traffic, ultimately claiming his fourth victory of the season with more than two seconds in hand. “That was a tough one,” Kopp said. “I got a good start and led it for a couple laps, but Tom is so fast on this stuff, it’s really underrated. We had a heck of a fight, and it was really fun. A lot of hard work went into this one. Those last three Miles were really frustrating as a team in general, but we never gave up and we’re here to fight for a championship.” Kopp and Drane were joined on the podium by the resurgent James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), who fought off second factory KTM pilot Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) to register his second trophy-earning ride of the season. Drane’s teammate, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), rounded out the top five. Kopp’s championship outlook was further enhanced by the misfortune of Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who entered the weekend having closed to within ten points of the title leader. That advantage is significantly greater now, as Saathoff’s momentum was slammed to a halt by a mechanical DNF suffered while running in third position. Kopp’s lead more than tripled as a result, expanding from just nine points to 29 (191-162). His closest challenger shifted as well, with Whale taking over second from Saathoff, who is now ranked third with 158 points after being credited with 19th place in the Main. Next Up: Progressive American Flat Track will now travel to Mineral Wells, West Virginia, for the All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile at West Virginia Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 1. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/west-virginia-half-mile-58480 to reserve your seats today. |
Burton Qualifies 31st at Nashville
June 24, 2023
Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang are set to start 31st in Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Burton took that spot with a lap at 156.922 miles per hour during time trials on Saturday afternoon.
In practice on Friday evening, he ran a best lap at 159.308 mph, which put him 27th on the speed chart. His best lap came on the 27th of the 29 laps he ran in the session.
Sunday’s 300-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 6 p.m. (7 p.m. Eastern) with Stage breaks at Laps 90 and 185.
This weekend, TV coverage switches from FOX to NBC.
Burton Qualifies 31st at Nashville
June 24, 2023
Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang are set to start 31st in Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Burton took that spot with a lap at 156.922 miles per hour during time trials on Saturday afternoon.
In practice on Friday evening, he ran a best lap at 159.308 mph, which put him 27th on the speed chart. His best lap came on the 27th of the 29 laps he ran in the session.
Sunday’s 300-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 6 p.m. (7 p.m. Eastern) with Stage breaks at Laps 90 and 185.
This weekend, TV coverage switches from FOX to NBC.
June 24, 2023
Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang are set to start 31st in Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Burton took that spot with a lap at 156.922 miles per hour during time trials on Saturday afternoon.
In practice on Friday evening, he ran a best lap at 159.308 mph, which put him 27th on the speed chart. His best lap came on the 27th of the 29 laps he ran in the session.
Sunday’s 300-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 6 p.m. (7 p.m. Eastern) with Stage breaks at Laps 90 and 185.
This weekend, TV coverage switches from FOX to NBC.
ROBERT HIGHT AND AAA OHIO RUNNER-UP IN MISSION FOODS CHALLENGE SATURDAY AT NORWALK
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 24, 2023) – Robert Hight and the AAA Ohio / Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car raced to a runner-up finish in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge while also qualifying No. 6 for the Summit Racing Equipment NRHA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragster will start race day from No. 3 with Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster sitting No. 5 and John Force driving the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy Camaro SS in 10th. Robert Hight and the AAA Ohio Chevy had a lot on the line in the second qualifying session. Not only would the three-time champion be running to improve his qualifying effort, but he was also competing in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in a rematch of the semifinals from Bristol against Alexis DeJoria. Hight would win the first round of the challenge at the starting line with DeJoria red-lighting while also moving into the No. 6 spot with his 3.915-second pass at 324.36 mph. In the final qualifying session and finals of the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Hight would be lined up against reigning world champion Ron Capps. Hight would leave first but his 3.933-second pass mph wasn’t enough for Capps’ 3.887. Hight will still earn $3,000 and pick up two championship points that will get added to his total to start the NHRA Countdown to the Championship in September with his runner-up finish. The AAA team will start race day from the No. 6 spot to take on Mike McIntire Jr. in the first round. “Not a bad weekend so far for this AAA Chevy. We missed it Friday night but we managed to work our way buck up a little bit. It’s not exactly where we want to be sitting but anything can happen on race day,” Hight said. “Came up short in the specialty Mission Foods race, but earned some points that will matter later. Jimmy Prock, this AAA team and I will be ready for tomorrow. We want to defend our win from last year and celebrate with AAA in the winners circle again.” Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team open Saturday qualifying with a statement. The David Grubnic and Brandon Hazleton tuned hot rod ran 3.694 seconds at 332.10 mph to be the quickest of the session and move from No. 6 to No. 3. In the final session, Force ran into tire smoke and had to shut her dragster off early for only a 4.911 at 141.97. She kept a hold on the No. 3 spot and will race Shawn Langdon in round one. “Qualified in the No. 2 position after two solid runs out of three. We were pretty consistent with a 3.7 and 3.69. We pushed it harder in that final run to see what we could get away with and the car drove into smoke and didn’t make it down there. But now we know we need to pull it back tomorrow. We learned from the run, that’s the most important thing,” Force said. “We’re lined up against Shawn Langdon tomorrow first round. We’re looking for our first win of the season and my first win in Norwalk, Ohio. We definitely want that ice cream scoop. Austin Prock and the Montana Brand Rocky Mountain Twist team picked things up in their second qualifying attempt. Prock would handle his dragster to a 3.751-second pass at 323.97 mph but it wouldn’t be enough to win the first round of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge. Prock would still earn a bonus championship point for being the quickest of the Challenge losers, a point that will be added ahead of the countdown to the Championship. In the final qualifying session, Prock and the Montana Brand dragster maintained their performance going 3.706 at 323.97 and would be quickest of the session to jump them into the top half of the field at No. 5 to face Tony Schumacher in the first round. “It was a great ending to our qualifying efforts. This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team made two really nice runs today. We couldn’t get the job done in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge but we did pick up a championship point and that will be important down the road,” Prock said. “I’m really proud of the progress this team has made. I’m looking forward to race day tomorrow.” John Force and the PEAK Chevy would stay consistent from Friday night with a 3.956-second pass at 236.08 mph in his second qualifying attempt. Going into the last session on Saturday evening in the No. 11 spot Force would have another solid pass at 3.834 at 323.58 and move one spot into No. 10. “What a great day. These fans really turned out. Even yesterday, they stuck around, the rain, it didn’t stop them and Bader and NHRA, they made the show happen,” Force said. “This PEAK Chevy, we made it down the track, pretty consistent, no incidents, so that’s good. We need consistency. Going to be an interesting race day, the weather will be a factory, track conditions but I feel good. We’ll see what happens.” Racing at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park will continue Sunday with eliminations at 10:00 a.m. Television coverage of race weekend action continues with eliminations on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET. -30- |
| AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragsterQualifying:5th; 3.706-seconds; 323.97 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+3 (quickest Q3) BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragsterQualifying:3rd; 3.694-seconds; 332.10 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0 JOHN FORCE, 74, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:10th; 3.934-seconds; 323.58 mphBonus Qualifying Points: 0ROBERT HIGHT, 53, AAA Ohio / Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:6th; 3.915-seconds; 324.36 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+1 (3rd quickest Q2) |