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GOLDEN START: David Gravel Survives Superb Gold Cup Prelim

Connecticut Native Wins First Feature at California’s Silver Dollar Speedway

CHICO, CA – September 10, 2021 – The Greatest Show on Dirt didn’t disappoint in quickly making up for the two-year absence from California.

Four different leaders and eight unofficial lead changes wowed the Silver Dollar Speedway crowd on Friday night as the 67th running of the Gold Cup Race of Champions brought the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series back to town.

It was a long-awaited return (728 days) for the Chico faithful, but it was an even longer awaited victory for David Gravel.

Specifically, it took eight years, 17 races, and 530 laps for the Watertown, CT native to break through at the 1/4-mile bullring and claim his first-career win at Silver Dollar Speedway. In the grand scheme of things, it marked nine wins in 2021 for the Big Game Motorsports #2 and gave Gravel 67 career wins with the Series, which moves him into 13th on the All-Time Wins List.

To get the job done, Gravel had to outlast Colby Copeland, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Brad Sweet through an intense four-war war for the top spot. He became the fourth and final leader on Lap 17, then survived lap traffic and the final restart to score the victory by 1.202-seconds.

“Man, I’ve been coming here for a long time,” Gravel said on his Silver Dollar history. “I’ve always struggled to qualify well here, but we timed in good tonight and that put us in a solid position. We’re constantly learning, I mean this is still our first year together. I think we’re really growing and everyone is meshing between Tod [Quiring], Cody [Jacobs], Trey [Bowman], and Scott [Vogelson]. Feels great to finally get a win here, especially in such an exciting race.”

Before Gravel’s glory, the spotlight was shined brightly on Colby Copeland of Roseville, CA. The 29-year-old, in his 17th World of Outlaws start, earned the pole position and put the country on upset alert as he eyed his first-career victory.

Copeland shot to the lead of the 35-lapper and controlled the opening 10 laps aboard the Laramie #16A. However, intense traffic created chaos and allowed outside polesitter Sheldon Haudenschild to close and eventually put the NOS Energy Drink #17 to the point on Lap 11.

Haudenschild’s reign was short-lived as he, Copeland, and Brad Sweet took each other three-wide the next time by. Copeland slid through the middle across Haudenschild’s nose and Sweet capitalized, nailing the bottom and rolling on past to lead Lap 12.

Sweet’s shot at the top lasted two whole laps before Copeland built his momentum and whipped back by on the cushion. He would lead another three circuits before fifth-starting Gravel appeared from nowhere and drove by them all on the low line as Lap 17 clicked off.

The remains of lap traffic and the final restart with eight laps to go tried to derail Gravel, but he was not to be denied as he drove away with his first-career Silver Dollar triumph to kick off the Gold Cup.

“Tomorrow being 40 laps is pretty close to tonight’s length,” Gravel thought on track conditions. “I really hope they can give us the same surface, it was awesome. I think in open track the top was better, but traffic was crucial tonight and I hit the bottom at the perfect times behind those guys. Hopefully, we put on another awesome show tomorrow night.”

Shattering his former career-best finish (13th) with the World of Outlaws, Roseville’s Colby Copeland crossed the line with a second-place effort and received a standing ovation from the Chico crowd as the leading Californian.

“Any driver when you lead laps you want to win, so there’s a bit of disappointment there,” Copeland noted. “But these guys are the best of the best. I’m out there ripping and they give their extra 10% and start blowing by me. It’s a whole different pace out here. I felt like we raced good, though. It was a lot of fun and all I can ask for is the same speed tomorrow night.”

Grass Valley’s Brad Sweet continued his consistent championship campaign with his 31st podium finish aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49. He’s hoping that losing his streak of Gold Cup prelim wins will transition to finally scoring a Gold Cup title in the finale tomorrow.

“It was a great race track tonight, I thought,” Sweet said. “We were just a little off with the setup, but we have something to build on for tomorrow. Hopefully, we can come back and get us a Gold Cup.”

Closing out the top-five on Friday night was Sheldon Haudenschild in the fourth spot and Kraig Kinser with his fourth top-five finish of the year.

Rounding out the top-10 at Silver Dollar was Shark Racing’s Jacob Allen in sixth, California’s Dominic Scelzi with a season-best seventh, Kasey Kahne Racing’s James McFadden in eighth, Roth Motorsports pilot Kasey Kahne in ninth, and KSE Hard Charger Carson Macedo in 10th-from-21st.

UP NEXT (Sat): The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series return to Chico, CA’s Silver Dollar Speedway tomorrow, Saturday, September 11 for the finale of the 67th Gold Cup Race of Champions. If you can’t be here, you can watch Every Lap LIVE on DIRTVision.

NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (35 Laps) – 1. 2-David Gravel [5][$10,000]; 2. 16A-Colby Copeland [1][$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$3,200]; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$2,600]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3][$2,350]; 6. 1A-Jacob Allen [8][$2,150]; 7. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [17][$2,100]; 8. 9-James McFadden [12][$1,950]; 9. 83-Kasey Kahne [19][$1,900]; 10. 41-Carson Macedo [21][$1,850]; 11. 83T-Tanner Carrick [14][$1,400]; 12. 38B-Blake Carrick [6][$1,200]; 13. 15-Donny Schatz [22][$1,000]; 14. 7-Carson Short [10][$950]; 15. 88N-DJ Netto [23][$900]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [11][$900]; 17. 42X-Tim Kaeding [15][$900]; 18. 2K-JJ Ringo [16][$900]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [20][$900]; 20. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [9][$900]; 21. 29-Willie Croft [13][$900]; 22. 93-Kalib Henry [24][$900]; 23. 53-Jessie Attard [18][$900]; 24. 1S-Logan Schuchart [7][$900]. Lap Leaders: Colby Copeland 1-10, 14-16; Sheldon Haudenschild 11; Brad Sweet 12-13; David Gravel 17-35. KSE Hard Charger Award: 41-Carson Macedo[+11]

NEW Championship Standings (67/80 races): 1. Brad Sweet (8,864); 2. David Gravel (-128); 3. Carson Macedo (-180); 4. Donny Schatz (-252); 5. Sheldon Haudenschild (-286); 6. Logan Schuchart (-360); 7. James McFadden (-736); 8. Kraig Kinser (-1022); 9. Brock Zearfoss (-1284); 10. Jacob Allen (-1548).

DÉJÀ VU: Overton, Satterlee Collect 50th World 100 Prelim Feature Wins at Eldora

Both drivers also won Friday prelims in double-Dream week three months prior

ROSSBURG, OH – Sept. 10, 2021 – When it comes to crown jewel Late Model events at Eldora Speedway, starting up front, making smart moves in traffic and getting the jump on starts each seem to play a big role in a driver’s path to Victory Lane.

Brandon Overton and Gregg Satterlee showed mastery of all three of those Friday night, winning their respective preliminary Features in the 50th edition of the World 100 – just as they both did on Friday night of the double Dirt Late Model Dreams back in June.

A grand total of 79 DIRTcar Late Models signed-in for competition in the gold anniversary of dirt track racing’s most prestigious event. After 50 total laps of Feature racing between the two split groups, a #4 was spun on the Wheel of Misfortune, indicating the top-four cars in Saturday’s Heat Race lineups will now be inverted before hitting the track.

GROUP A FEATURE – Brandon Overton

He just keeps winning and winning at The Big E. With yet another victory Friday night, Brandon Overton has now won in six of the last seven Features he’s started at Eldora.

Overton led all 25 laps virtually unchallenged for the $10,000 prelim Feature win. But his journey to get there was a little different than in times past. He struggled in Qualifying, posting only a 20th-fastest time in the group, which set him fifth on the grid for his Heat Race.

However, Big Sexy made it back up to second by the end of his Heat, placing him on the pole for the Group A Feature. According to the event format, the top-two finishers from each Heat were locked into the Feature and given their fastest Qualifying lap back. The two fastest of the four third-place finishers were also locked in and given their Qualifying times back as well. The 10 total drivers were then lined up slowest-to-fastest by those times, which placed Overton on the pole.

Eldora crown jewel event formats always give drivers a challenge, but Overton approaches them all the same. Sit down, strap in and go fast. And win.

“They keep asking me what is it, or how… and honestly, I don’t know either,” Overton said with a smile. “Everything’s been going our way. We keep making mistakes early and it’s almost like we’re capitalizing on them with however they do that invert.”

His Wells Motorsports #76 was as smooth as glass around the half-mile, as he cruised untouched to the win. In traffic, he made smart, patient moves to avoid giving getting held-up and opening the door for runner-up Jimmy Owens to swoop in for the spot.

“When it’s out front, it’ll drive itself,” Overton said. “I just gotta get in there and steer it and aim it wherever I want it to go, get my arcs right getting in. It’s awesome.”

Now with three races down on the week and one final show left on Saturday, Overton and his team prepare for a chance at Late Model immortality. They’ll attempt to do the unthinkable, winning two Dreams and two World 100s in the same year. Right now, Overton’s got all the confidence in the world in his skills and all the faith he needs in his team.

“It makes me feel good to be able to make it go that fast,” Overton said. “There’s a lot of smart people in these pits. So, for us to do this and have that car that fast and consistent, at this big of a race, it makes me proud of my team and everything we’ve got right here.”

Feature (25 Laps) – 1. Brandon Overton, 2. Jimmy Owens, 3. Kyle Bronson, 4. Ricky Thornton Jr., 5. Dale McDowell, 6. Kyle Strickler, 7. Jensen Ford, 8. Dennis Erb Jr., 9. Mike Marlar, 10. Jonathan Davenport, 11. Spencer Hughes, 12. Frank Heckenast Jr., 13. Scott Bloomquist, 14. Shane Clanton, 15. John Blankenship, 16. Devin Moran, 17. Mike Norris, 18. Chris Simpson, 19. Michael Page, 20. Stormy Scott, 21. Max Blair, 22. Shannon Babb, 23. Kody Evans, 24. Austin Kirkpatrick

GROUP B FEATURE – Gregg Satterlee

It’s never easy to hold off an entire field of cars in a sprint race at Eldora, especially with the youngest World 100 winner, Bobby Pierce, right in the rearview. But Gregg Satterlee did just that Friday night, earning his first career World 100 preliminary Feature victory from the pole.

“I was just making as smooth of laps as I could, keeping my speed up, trying to not commit myself to one line, but trying to use the middle groove to the bottom and ride it out until the end or Bobby got by me,” Satterlee said.

Satterlee indicated he never considered leaving the middle-bottom grooves for the top, which was right where Pierce was running most of his laps. For 25 circuits, Pierce was in hot pursuit of the leader, and was even given a few restarts to get a run on him, but could not make the move in the end.

“I knew what I was doing was working,” Satterlee said. “I could see that [Pierce] was close, but I didn’t think I was giving up enough for him to really get a slider and clear me.”

On the final restart came Pierce’s most fierce challenge, as he drove it deep into Turn 1 with two-to-go as if to try a slide job, but Satterlee had too much speed in the lane above and drove right on by to retain the top spot.

“At that point, I just tried to make a bigger arc in the corner, and just take up a little bit more room on entry,” Satterlee said. “I tried to make a little more speed down the straightaways to not enable him to get a run on me.”

Feature (25 Laps) – 1. Gregg Satterlee, 2. Bobby Pierce, 3. Brandon Sheppard, 4. Nick Hoffman, 5. Tim McCreadie, 6. Hudson O’Neal, 7. Ricky Weiss, 8. Chris Ferguson, 9. Ashton Winger, 10. Zack Dohm, 11. Rick Eckert, 12. Chris Madden, 13. Chad Simpson, 14. Joseph Joiner, 15. Boom Briggs, 16. Kyle Hammer, 17. Johnny Scott, 18. Alex Ferree, 19. Steven Roberts, 20. Josh Richards, 21. Ryan Gustin, 22. Tyler Erb, 23. Brian Shirley, 24. Darrell Lanigan

UP NEXT

The 50th World 100 comes to a close Saturday night at Eldora Speedway with Heat Races, Last Chances, B-Scrambles and the 100-lap, $53,000-to-win finale for the most coveted trophy in all of dirt track racing.

NORTHEAST SERIES RACING FULL THROTTLE

Five DIRTcar Northeast Series Winners Across Three Tracks, Three DivisionsLaFARGEVILLE, NY – Can-Am Speedway, Humberstone Speedway, and Albany-Saratoga Speedway hosted five DIRTcar Northeast Series races in one night. The DIRTcar 358 Modified Series came to life at Can-Am Speedway along with the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series and DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series Central Region plus Humberstone Speedway hosted the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series West Region for a $1,500-to-win 50-lap Feature and The Great Race Place – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – brought in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series East Region for a clash. Read below for Feature results. Billy Dunn Two-for-Two in ‘21 DIRTcar 358 Modified Series The Can-Am Speedway grandstands shook with the roar of 31 DIRTcar 358 Modifieds battling out for 50 laps in the second round of Series racing this year. Once again, Billy Dunn came out on top. Dunn’s previous Series win at Mohawk Int’l Raceway came as a result of a little luck, a lot of hard work, and a clean battle with Tim Fuller. The #49 and #19 were once again duking it out at Can-Am. First, Dunn tracked down early leader Michael Maresca and went on to survive late charges from Tim Fuller to win the $4,000 tour stop. The #7MM of Maresca rounded out the podium positions with a third-place finish. “We brought out a new car which I wish we had brought out last weekend,” said Dunn in Victory Lane. “The car just felt really comfortable. Hats off to the track crew. We had heavy rains this week and cold temperatures but this was the best track we’ve had all year.”With Fuller finishing second again, this writes another chapter in the on-track rivalry between Billy Dunn and the 2021 Can-Am Speedway track champion Tim Fuller. “I knew Fuller was there and that he’d be wanting one back for giving up the win at Mohawk but he wasn’t getting one,” said Dunn of his battle with Fuller. DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Results (50 laps)1. Billy Dunn 2. Tim Fuller 3. Michael Maresca 4. David Marcuccilli 5. Jordan McCreadie 6. Erick Rudolph 7. Ryan Bartlett 8. Louie Jackson 9. Shaun Shaw 10. Rocky Warner 11. Lance Willix 12. Tyler Meeks 13. Taylor Caprara 14. Ronnie Davis III 15. Demetrios Drellos 16. Scott Webb 17. Matt Woodruff 18. Carey Terrance 19. Nick Webb 20. Joel Hall 21. RJ Tresidder 22. Mike Stacey 23. Jackson Gill 24. Todd Root 25. Lucas Fuller 26. Andrew Ferguson 27. Derek Webb 28. Mike Mandigo 29. Steve Lewis 30. Cameron Black 31. Preston ForbesTyler Corcoran Wins Third ‘21 DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series Central Region Feature in a Row  Tyler Corcoran capitalized on lapped traffic affecting race leader Zach Payne with an assertive pass for the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series Central Region win, Corcoran has visited Victory Lane in the last three Series races. He is three for five on the year. Series winner at Weedsport Speedway this year,  Zach Payne did not let Corcoran run away but he had to settle for second after 30 laps. In third was early race leader Mike Fowler who fought hard throughout and landed a podium. “Zach Payne drove a hell of a race,” said Corcoran. “I didn’t think I had anything for him. I tried running the top and then rolling the bottom I started catching him. Lapped cars were the story of this one. I know where to put the car here from experience.”DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series Central Region Results (30 laps)1. Tyler Corcoran 2. Zach Payne 3. Mike Fowler 4. Gavin Eisele 5. Matt Janczuk 6. Jack Meeks 7. Chris Mackey 8. Ryan Shanahan 9. Tyler Stevenson 10. Josh Reome 11. Eric Nier 12. Mike Amell 13. Brent Joy 14. Tyler Murray 15. Zach Sobotka 16. Nick Heywood 17. Dalton Rombough 18. Brian Hudson 19. Ed Lukas 20. Taylor Doxtater 21. Ryan Dolbear 22. Frank Sibley 23. Michael Delormier 24. Richard Murtaugh 25. Max Hill 26. Trevor Gibbons 27. Kyle Devendorf 28. Travis Beck 29. Daniel Rief 30. Payton TalbotMcPherson Rounds off Rouse for Sportsman West Region Glory at HumberstoneThe DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series West Region raced for 50 laps at Humberstone Speedway to start the Canadian doubleheader of Series races. James Michael Friesen and Brad Rouse started on the front row. Either of those drivers could have won but Cody McPherson made patient gains and eventually passed for the lead. Brad Rouse finished second and James Michael Friesen hung on for third. “I felt really confident going into tonight,” said McPherson. “Even when we drew 12th to start I said don’t worry about it. With 50 laps I could do it. It seemed that James and Brad didn’t know exactly where to run. I knew where to go so when I cleared them so I didn’t show them the line and it worked out.”McPherson’s car was hooked up. “I took it over to my buddy Mat Williamson and we scaled it. I haven’t touched a thing since. I could bury this thing in Turns Three and Four and it would stop on a dime.”DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series West Region Results (50 laps)1. Cody McPherson 2. Brad Rouse 3. James Friesen 4. Adam Leslie 5. Greg Panunte 6. Jay Mallory 7. Justin Sharp 8. Ryan Ferri 9. Dave Flannigan Jr 10. Taylor Vanderzanden 11. Luke Carleton 12. Jessica Power 13. Matt Sharpe 14. Jordan Cosco 15. Terry Smith 16. Curtis Friesen 17. John Babion 18. Daniel McKay 19. Noah Mamo 20. Jeff Panunte 21. Bill Bleich 22. Greg Brinklow 23. Tony CowellAndrew Buff Wins His First DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series East Region Feature at Albany-SaratogaThe Great Race Place lived up to its name as Andrew Buff won an exciting East Region Feature holding off Scott Duell and Tim Hartman Jr. for the win. Buff was locked in a battle for most of the Feature and chased leader Chad Edwards. Unfortunately, for Edwards, a mechanical issue ended his run at the front and Buff inherited the lead. “It took a little bit to get going,” said Buff of his Feature efforts. “I knew they [Duell and Hartman] were close to us.”“That sucks for Chad Edwards. I would have liked to race that out.”Buff started mid-pack and took advantage of other drivers’ mistakes to get into striking distance of the lead. “There was a jam up early in the race so I kept her going and kept my track position which turned out to be really important.” DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series East Region Results (50 laps)1. Andrew Buff 2. Tim Hartman Jr. 3. Scott Duell 4. Brian Calabrese 5. Robert Bublak 6. Jim Nagle 7. Connor Cleveland 8. Jason Reome 9. Mike Ballestero 10. Jason Gray 11. Robert Tucker 12. Todd Buckwold 13. AJ Miller 14. Travis Whitbeck 15. Tyler Rapp 16. Jim Osgood 17. Matt Lashua 18. Michael Wright 19. Brandon Gibbons 20. Chad Edwards 21. Dick Bisson 22. Kevin Chaffee 23. Jeff Washburn 24. Bill August 25. Pat Jones 26. Dan Grignon 27. Travis Bruno 28. David Boisclair 29. Michae Wagner Fitzgerland 30, Darrl NuttingJustin White Awarded DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Feature Win After Sid Harmer Jr. Disqualification at Can-AmAfter an early jingle, Justin White drove up through the field to claim the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series win at Can-Am Speedway. He barely beat Chad Jeseo at the line to, at the time, claim second. Sid Harmer Jr. was originally awarded the win but he was disqualified in post-race tech. Pro Stock Series Round one winner Josh Coonradt stayed in the mix and finished third.  DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Results (30 laps)1, Justin White 2. Chad Jeseo 3. Josh Coonradt 4. Ian Bressett 5. Pete Stefanski 6. Shawn Kirby 7. Burton Ward 8. Jay Casey. 9. Luke Horning 10. Jason Casey 11. Rob Yetman 12. Rich Crane 13. Timothy Bailey 14. Tyler Bushey 15. Brian Carter 16. Edward Kotary 17. Scott Townslee 18. Pete Schroy 19. Johnny Rivers 20. Shawn Perez 21. Ray Hughto 22. Luke Hull 23. Rick Duscus 24. Sid Harmer Jr. (DQ)PHOTO: Rebecca Eisele 
DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory (SDS), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum) (SDS); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Beyea Headers, FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics and Velocita USA.

BRITTANY FORCE AND ROBERT HIGHT DOMINATE FRIDAY AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY

READING, Pa. (Sept. 10, 2021) – Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac Top Fuel dragster and Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car sit in the provisional No. 1 qualifying positions in their respective categories after Friday evening qualifying at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Camaro sit 11th.
Looking to take their seventh consecutive and ninth overall No. 1 qualifying position this season, Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac team blasted to a 3.666-second run at a track record speed of 335.57 mph to earn three bonus points and narrow the gap to the top spot. 
“That run felt fast. That finish line came up quick. But it feel good to be able to fun like that the first qualifying PASS OF the weekend and grab that No. 1 currently. It gives confidence and helps us feel strong going into tomorrow,” Force said. “This Countdown has begun right here in Reading, Pa. SO everything is on the line right now. We have to do that we have to repeat that the rest of the weekend.”
Coming into the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s seven race playoffs, siting in the No. 6 spot, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Chevy wasted no time collecting points earning three bonus qualifying points for being quickest Friday night. The three-time world champion’s 3.883-second run at 330.39 mph put the Auto Club team No. 1 heading into two more qualifying sessions on Saturday.
“We’ve actually been making a lot 3.80 runs. Testing Monday in Brainerd really got this Auto Club Chevy back to where we need to be. Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham have a good handle on how to make this Camaro run,” Hight said. “The trick is going to be tomorrow, when it warms up a little bit, and Sunday is going to be even warmer. That’s what’s going to be the trick.”
Sitting No. 2 heading into the Countdown, John Force and the PEAK Camaro team drove into smoke on their first attempt down Maple Grove Raceway on Friday evening. Force and the PEAK Chevy recorded a time of 6.880-seconds and 92.36 mph.
“Not the run we wanted, obviously, but we’ll be okay. This PEAK Chevy with Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, we’ll be okay. We’ve got two more tries tomorrow and we’ll see how it goes,” Force said. “Brittany over there with Flav-R-Pac and Robert too with Auto Club, their running good. So that’s good and we’ll just have to catch up.”
The Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway continues Saturday with qualifying sessions at 1:15 and 4:45 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. Television coverage begins Sunday at noon ET with qualifying and continues with eliminations at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1).

chevy racing–nascar–richmond–tyler reddick

NASCAR CUP SERIES FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 400 RICHMOND RACEWAY TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 10, 2021
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript Highlights: TALK ABOUT HEADING TO RICHMOND AND HOW YOUR TEAM IS GOING TO APPROACH THE RACE“The confidence level of the team is still where it needs to be. Unfortunately, we made a big mistake going into Darlington. We had a lot of motivation to come out of the gate well. We focused on a lot of things really well. It was just kind of a product of it being Darlington, the first Playoff race, we’ve done a really good job of improving our car and we did a good job of hitting on some really important details and aspects of our race. But unfortunately, because Randall (Burnett, crew chief) and myself were so busy and so focused on a number of things, that we just kind of got away from the basics; like just being on the same page about where we’re going to be throughout the night and what adjustments we need to make. We started off the race with a really good car. We just didn’t have that game plan or the approach that we normally are pretty good about staying on through a race path. Five hundred miles is a long time at Darlington. A lot of sets of tires and a lot of opportunities to adjust. In hindsight, it really seemed like a really doom and gloom moment, which was a tough one to swallow after having such a good car to start to finish where we did. To peel the layers of the onion back, it really was obvious what we missed and how we missed it, isn’t something that can’t be corrected within one week’s time. It’s something that, going into Richmond we can have a hundred percent better. That makes it pretty easy to get positive once again. I look at where we were in the Fall here, I had a lot of learning to do over the course of this race last year. So, we started in the hole, and I worked to get closer and closer to my teammate, Austin Dillon, who had a good strong car here in the Fall. And by the end of it, we were right where we needed to be, pace-wise. We just had given up too much to that point to really do anything good or really serious about it. So, I like where we’re at. I like where our car is at. It was a tough lesson to have at Darlington. We had a great opportunity there but didn’t take full advantage of it. And I think it was a good humbling moment or a good painful experience to go through to start this thing off. Just a reminder that it totally didn’t take us out of the Playoff running, if you will, to make the next round.”
IS THERE ANY LESS ANGST NOW THAT YOU ARE NOT RACING YOUR TEAMMATE, AUSTIN DILLON, IN THE PLAYOFFS?“I don’t know if it really would have changed much. Austin and I, whether both in the Playoffs or not, both teams work really close together, which is something I’ve said a lot, especially in the last month or two. I’ve been asked more. The effort that we have combined works really good together. We have some differences in driving style. That driving style really showed up in the Spring Richmond. We pretty much brought back exactly what he ran in the Fall there. Yeah, it was a daytime race, but the way he drives his car, and everything, doesn’t really match up for me. It was a good lesson to go through in that race in the Spring. So, we’re kind of coming back to what I like, some of the details that I like, in the car; but with some tweaks to try and make it better. Between us, I don’t know if it really would have changed anything in being in the Playoffs, or not. We’re both going to push really hard, and I think we saw that at Darlington. A number of drivers that are in the Playoffs, they never really have, from my vantage point, the drivers outside the Playoffs have never really laid over for the Playoff drivers. Yeah, you give them a little bit more room. A little bit more space. You don’t race them super hard. But no one really gives an inch or much more than an inch out there. Maybe the non-Playoff drivers give that tiny inch. Everyone still knows how to race really hard within reason.”
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FOUR GUYS BEHIND YOU IN THE PLAYOFFS, HOW IMPOSING IS THAT?“Yeah, we’re all aware of where they’re at. Those drivers are behind the cutline. But for us, and our situation, I think it’s more important to look at who is ahead of us and focus forward. Those guys, for sure, are capable of winning. We’ve seen Alex (Bowman) win earlier this year at Richmond. Kyle (Busch) has always been really good at Richmond. William (Byron). There are guys in there that have good speeds. Looking behind, while it could be beneficial a little bit, especially at a place like Darlington, Richmond, and even Bristol, it’s all about running your own race. And for us to win, you’ve got to run up front all day. You can’t drive through the field. You’re not going to get a magic adjustment, if you will, to get the car perfect. You’ve got to be up there all night long, working on it, if it needs it, and maintaining that track position. Winning versus running good enough to make it to the top 12, how you approach that, are pretty similar. I mean, you’re battling for the win at the end of the race, like we saw with Kyle (Larson) and Denny (Hamlin) at the end of the Southern 500, that’s when things change a little bit in that final run. But up until that point, the path on how you get either of those goals accomplished, are very similar on how your approach and execute that over the course of a race.”
AFTER THE RACE, DENNY HAMLIN SAID HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO WIN EVENTUALLY AND THINGS JUST FINALLY LINED UP RIGHT FOR HIM. YOU ARE STILL LOOKING FOR YOUR FIRST WIN OF THE YEAR. HOW MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT DOES IT GIVE YOU TO SEE HOW HIS LUCK CHANGED IN ONE RACE?“It’s not luck. I disagree with you there. It was a well-executed day. They were really good on pit road. Denny only hit the wall a couple of times and made minimal mistakes and did a really good job of managing the track position that he had. It’s not a matter of luck by any means. It’s adding up all the little details and having that perfect race. Sometimes your perfect race means that you get an 8th, or a 7th, or a 5th; it doesn’t always mean you get a first-place finish. But when you’re running, and you have the speed to stay in the top 5. Hitting all those extra details right can be the difference between running fifth and first. We haven’t had a whole lot of top 5’s this year, but we’ve been in the top 10 a lot. Those top 10’s have been with bumps in the road throughout the days. We just keep focusing on the little things that I need to be better at. Even the stuff that got us at Darlington last week. We were paying attention to a lot of things. We just got away from one of the most important parts. And that happens. And it didn’t cost us too much. It’s a constant moving target. Everyone is getting better, as always, and you just keep having to squeeze out more out of your car, your team, yourself. It eventually will add up. We’re in a good spot for that. The last month we’ve been a little inconsistent, finish-wise. But we had some different targets moving around with the cutoff and then, as much as we tried to be aggressive at Darlington, it was very obvious that we missed it. We were trying to recover. And the last thing we needed to do was to be super aggressive while free-falling and losing more positions than we did.”
DO YOU THINK FINDING THE BALANCE AND STAYING ON TOP OF IT WILL BE EASIER IN NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS GOING INTO THE FALL RICHMOND RACE?“I think it could. Whether it was a daytime race, I think it cooled off a little bit towards the end. So, there was a little bit of a transition. It will certainly cool off as the night rolls in at Richmond, as well. But I think how the track changes at night and how it may grip-up, if you will, in combination with rubber being laid down and the track getting worn in, I think it kind of doesn’t change an entirely large amount. So, we’ll see. I’m not expecting the track to change a lot. It should still change some. But having what we went through last weekend was kind of a good lesson reminder, so we have a game plan in place for what we’re going to do throughout the race, adjustment-wise. We don’t expect a lot though. We just hope that what we changed, the little tweaks that we’ve changed, are as expected; and the balance remains really close to where it was when we ran there last Fall.”
YOU SAID YOU WERE DISAPPOINTED WITH YOUR TEAM’S EXECUTION AT DARLINGTON. HEADING TO RICHMOND, WHAT ARE YOU CHANGING WITH THAT GAME PLAN AND HOW CLOSE DO YOU FEEL TO BEING IN A MUST WIN SCENARIO?“I certainly don’t feel like we are in a must win scenario. But it’s pretty simple. There are a lot of details that are really important to have right, going into a race; especially a race like Darlington. It’s important to have the car good. It’s important to, as a driver, have a good understanding of where you need to be, line, and a lot of details like pit road and green cycles and being good there. But there were so many things going on we were really focused on just to make sure we had every last detail checked off, that we just kind of missed one of the more obvious, maybe redundant, parts of our preparation; and being on the same page about how we think the track is going to change, what adjustments we like in our car, what ones we need to stay away from. It’s like showing up to a football game and not really ever putting together a game plan. It happens. And it showed. The car was good when we got there. We were confident in what we brought. We were right. We showed up with the right piece. It’s just that we were so caught up in a number of those things that really just kind of got away from some of the more easy, redundant, kind of repetitive motions that you have throughout the week. Change is tiresome sometimes, right? By trying to cover all the bases and making sure every little detail is right with this length of a race and how much we both like Darlington and we feel like we have good speed there. We just missed it.”
HOW DO YOU VIEW THE POINTS NOW? IS IT ANY DIFFERENT FROM HOW YOU LOOKED AT IT IN THE LAST RACE OF THE REGULAR SEASON?“Oh no. Not at all. As we saw with Darlington, so much can happen. The pressure is on not just us, it’s on everybody. Now a different kind of pressure is on. The pressure of not screwing it up is upon you. And it’s very easy to let that get to you more so than being in the hole. Wherever you’re at, I feel like it’s just important to have the same mindset, whether you’re in the hole or whether your plus 30 or minus 30, the same things need to happen. It’s just about running a clean race and getting the most out of your day. Without practice, and throwing darts at a board without even looking at it and hoping you’re going to get a bullseye. Nine times out of 10, it’s not going to work; especially in the Cup Series. So, to win these races, being consistent and being close to the front all day and hitting on all the details are important. And I don’t think running fifth and winning, there’s a bit difference in how you approach those things. It’s just a matter of did you do your homework perfectly, where all the little details add up. Was there a difference? Was there not? I don’t feel like we’re in a must win situation. Again, I really like all three of these tracks in this first round that we have. We had a little bit of a stumble, a trip-up, if you will. But thankfully, the misfortune of some of the other drivers really didn’t allow our struggles to really be that much more of a penalty than we did from our struggles Sunday.”

Oswego Speedway ready for Super DIRT Week transformation on Monday



OSWEGO, NY – Oswego Speedway will again transform into a 5/8-mile dirt track, on Monday, Sept. 13, in preparation for the 49th NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week (Oct. 6-10).The process of dirt being put down on the asphalt track will begin at 7am (ET) and will continue throughout the day.Media is invited to attend at their convenience. DIRTcar Events Director Jeff Hachmann and DIRTcar PR Manager Nick Graziano will be on-site throughout the day. If you are planning to cover the event, please contact Graziano at ngraziano@dirtcar.com or 315-952-3305.

After the Northeast’s most historic motorsports event was forced to be postponed last year, NAPA Super DIRT Week will make its grand return to the City of Oswego in 2021 with a full week’s worth of activity. CLICK HERE for the full schedule.

For video of DIRTcar CEO Brian Carter and other key Super DIRT Week players talking about the return of Super DIRT Week, click the link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h7gle7pjdi4uz69/Super%20DIRT%20Week%20Conference.mp4?dl=0

For more on Super DIRT Week’s impact on the City of Oswego: https://superdirtweek.com/news/super-business-oswego-businesses-excited-for-super-dirt-week-return/
NAPA Super DIRT Week is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: NAPA Auto Parts, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Billy Whittaker Cars and Trux, Chevrolet Performance and SIS Insurance. Other Super DIRT Week sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), A-Verdi, Area Auto Racing News, ASI Race Wear, Bart Contracting Inc, Best Western Plus-Oswego, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products, City of Oswego, C&S Companies, CNY Golf Carts, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams,  Drydene, Fast Shafts, FireAde, Fox Factory, Gypsum Express, Hoosier Racing Tire, Integra Racing Shocks, Intercomp, iRacing, MSD, Penske Shocks, Quality Inn-Oswego, Racing Electronics, Tracey Road Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco Aluminum.The Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game) and NAPA Auto Parts. Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, MSD, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FireAde, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.

RCR Event Preview – Richmond Raceway

Richard Childress Racing at Richmond Raceway… In 179 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has scored nine wins, 38 top-five, and 73 top-10 finishes. The Welcome N.C. organization has also found success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Virginia short track, capturing six wins, 32 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes.
Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway will be televised live Saturday, September 11, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Motor Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 
The NASCAR Cup Series’ Richmond 400 Salute to First Responders at Richmond Raceway will be televised live Saturday, September 11, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Motor Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 
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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Roland Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Richmond Raceway… Dillon’s best NASCAR Cup Series finish at Richmond Raceway is a fourth place result he earned last Fall in the NASCAR Playoffs. He also has a pair of consecutive sixth place finishes in April 2019 and September 2018. Most recently, he finished 10th at the track in April. He has 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Richmond Raceway, acquiring seven top-10 finishes and one pole award. About Roland… Roland DGA Corporation serves North and South America as the marketing, sales, distribution and service arm for Roland DG Corporation. Founded in 1981 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Roland DG of Hamamatsu, Japan is a worldwide leader in wide-format inkjet printers for the sign, apparel, textile, personalization and vehicle graphics markets; engravers for awards, giftware and ADA signage; photo impact printers for direct part marking; and 3D printers and CNC milling machines for the dental CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, part manufacturing and medical industries. For more information, visit www.rolanddga.comAUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:What are your thoughts on Richmond Raceway?“I actually love Richmond Raceway. There was a time in my career when I did not run well at Richmond at all. It was a thorn in my side, but over the years that has changed. Richmond has become a much better place than it used to be for me. We ran really well there in April, and I’m excited to get back there and see what we can do this time around.”
Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Childress Vineyards Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Richmond Raceway… Reddick has two previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Richmond Raceway, earning his best finish of 11th at the track last year. Reddick also has five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 0.75-mile track, collecting one top-five and four top-10 finishes there. Race One in the NASCAR Playoffs… Last week, Reddick survived an eventful race at Darlington Raceway with a 18th place finish, positioning him 12th in points and within the cutoff line in the NASCAR Playoffs with two races remaining in the round of 16.
About Childress Vineyards… Childress Vineyards is a premier winery located at the southern gateway of the Yadkin Valley in Lexington, North Carolina. Owned by Richard Childress, NASCAR team owner and Hall of Fame member, Childress Vineyards has been producing award-winning wines with the expertise of Winemaker Mark Frizsolowski. Open daily for tours, tastings, and lunch in the Bistro. Information about Childress Vineyards can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/childresswines/, on Twitter at @ChildressWines and on Instagram at Instagram.com/childresswinesTYLER REDDICK QUOTE:What are the challenges that Richmond Racing present? You’ll have decent track position to start the race. “When we ran at Richmond last year in the fall and it was Playoffs time, obviously we weren’t racing in the Playoffs at that point, but Austin (Dillon) and myself, and Austin especially, were really good at the beginning. He was flying and our No. 8 team eventually caught up to where he was at. We both had good pace, so I don’t think we are far away from where we need to be for this time around. The race in the spring in the daytime is a little different race than it is at night, so we just need make sure to not chase the balance the wrong way. It will be important to not have a bad stage during the race to not lose time and track position for the end.” 
Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Superior Essex Chevrolet Camaro at Richmond Raceway… Snider has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Richmond Raceway, both of which came during the 2020 doubleheader. Saturday will mark the 26-year-old’s first start at the Virginia short track behind the wheel of a Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet. 
About Superior Essex… Superior Essex is the parent brand of Essex Furukawa Magnet Wire, Superior Essex Communications, and Essex Brownell. It has over 3,000 employees in 11 countries, on three continents. Superior Essex is the leading, global provider of magnet wire and is on the forefront of communications fiber application as well as Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology. It is instrumental in creating disruptive technological advancements in the electrification of the automotive, energy, and industrial sectors. Superior Essex is committed to pioneering smart building technology while also setting the pace on sustainability. Superior Essex is Everywhere You Live and Work®. Additional information is available at www.superioressex.com.
MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:What do you have to do better at Richmond Raceway to have a successful result? “I think I wasn’t patient enough in my first two Xfinity Series starts there in the No. 93 last season. I was always rushing the throttle, hustle the car and that doesn’t work at Richmond. You have to drive your car like a late model there – drive real smooth, wait on the throttle, let the car work. It is a total different style of racing that I had learned for the Xfinity Series up to that point. I will need to go back to some of my late model days to calm myself down with the throttle pedal.”

Julie Nataas wins 2021 Jegs AllStars with Randy Meyer Racing

Sep 8, 2021 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results, Rachel Meyer

Julie Nataas took on the best of the best in the country for the JEGS AllStars and came out victorious after defeating Aaron Cooper, Jackie Fricke, and James Stevens on her way to the winner circle.

After two qualifying sessions, it was straight into the Jegs AllStars race for Julie Nataas. She came into raceday in the No. 2 qualifying spot with a first round matchup against Aaron Cooper. Nataas had an otherworldly .003-second reaction time in her OTG dragster with additional support from Right Trailers and MotoRad, and set low elapsed time of the event with a 5.162, 280.72 to defeat Cooper’s 6.124, 222.07.

Second round, No. 3 in the country Nataas staged up against No. 4 in the country Jackie Fricke. Fricke had the initial starting line advantage over Nataas but when Fricke went up in smoke shortly after, Julie was able to take advantage of the moment and take the win with a 5.439, 270.21. 

For the finals of one of the most prestigious sportsman races of the year, Julie began her normal burnout routine against competitor James Stevens. By the time she backed up from her abbreviated burnout and rolled forward to stage, she was given the hand signal from the NHRA starter that she would be running a competition bye. Unfortunately for Stevens, his team was unable to get his dragster to fire and compete for all the glory. Julie breathed a sigh of relief as she rolled forward and staged for her first Jegs AllStars win unopposed in the final round. In true Randy Meyer Racing form, Julie was loaded for bear as she crossed the finish line with a stout 5.225, 278.06. 

“The Jegs AllStars is huge and a dream to win for every sportsman racer and to do it at the U.S. Nationals made it even bigger of a win for me,” said Julie. “This is my first win with Right Trailers by my side. I’m glad we were able to get them in the winners circle.”

Coming off the high of the JEGS AllStars win for Julie Nataas, both Randy Meyer Racing drivers Rachel Meyer and Nataas were ready to keep that momentum rolling into race day at the 67th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals with help from their two college crew interns, Juliaun and Jeremy, who won the 6th annual Respect is Learned In The Pits program with Technician.Academy.

In the first round, Julie proved why she had won the AllStars the night before with a perfect reaction time and a 5.216, 277.49 to defeat Mick Steele’s 5.528, 261.78. Three pairs later, Rachel was awarded a competition bye when her competitor Steve Collier was disqualified due to his fuel being too cool in the lanes. Rachel powered her NTK Sensors, Technician.Academy, Ivy Tech dragster to her quickest pass of the weekend 5.225, 266.53.

Second round, Julie bettered her raceday performance with a 5.184, 277.03 to take the win over Mike Bucher’s 5.350, 242.54. In her pairing, Rachel and competitor Karen Stalba left almost identically on the starting line. As Stalba went up in smoke and tried to recover, Rachel never looked back as she went straight down the boulevard with a solid 5.274, 276.97.

In the semifinals, Julie ran a consistent 5.254, 275.22 but Matthew Cummings’ 5.196, 277.54 ended Julie’s quest of a double-up at the U.S. Nationals in the third round of eliminations. Rachel followed right behind with a stable 5.260, 274.11 but Jackie Fricke’s 5.188, 279.15 advanced past Rachel to the finals. 

“Thank you to Technician Acadamy, MotoRad and Ivy Tech for brining us two amazing interns this year. I had Juliaun working on my car and he fit right into my team. He learned quick! I have no doubt that he will be out working on a race car again. Both Juliaun and Jeremy wanted to learn and understand, which is a big plus in my book. They took every chance they could to ask questions,” said Julie.

The next event for the team will be the Central Region event of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series this weekend in Earlville, IA with Rachel Meyer.

Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil Launch the ‘Countdown to the Championship’ Playoff Series

  • Mopar Express Lane Nationals Presented by Pennzoil take place at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pennsylvania, Sept. 12-14 as the first of seven events in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) playoff series “Countdown to the Championship”
  • This weekend’s competition is the fourth of five NHRA national events with Mopar and Dodge//SRT title sponsorship support in 2021
  • Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett returns to the fastest track on the circuit with a Mopar paint scheme on her HEMI®-powered dragster as the No. 4 seed to kick off the postseason battle
  • Ron Capps drives his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat from a runner-up finish at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals last weekend to Maple Grove Raceway as the Funny Car No. 1 seed for the NHRA playoff series opening event
  • Reigning Funny Car World Champ Matt Hagan will miss this weekend’s event at Reading as he recovers from COVID-19; Tommy Johnson Jr. will be in the driver’s seat of the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to start the playoffs from fifth place in the championship points standings

September 8, 2021, Auburn Hills, Mich. – The 36th annual Mopar Express Lane Nationals Presented by Pennzoil are set for this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pennsylvania, with Mopar and Dodge//SRT-supported racers staged and ready to begin their drive for National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) world championship titles in the first of seven “Countdown to the Championship” playoff series national events. 

This weekend’s competition marks the fourth of five national events supported by Mopar and Dodge//SRT title sponsorship during the NHRA’s 70th anniversary season and the first of two playoff contests, which include the penultimate event at the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil in Las Vegas Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

“We’re pleased to be back at Maple Grove Raceway with our Pennzoil partners for the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals to kick off the NHRA’s ‘Countdown to the Championship’ playoff series,” said Mark Bosanac, North America Vice President, Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care. “We look forward to watching our HEMI®-powered racers compete while showcasing the Mopar brand to ultra-passionate drag racing enthusiasts.”

Mopar Express Lane provides quick in-and-out, high-quality, factory-backed service by certified technicians at more than 1,000 locations across the nation. Racers and fans will see the familiar blue, white and yellow Mopar Express Lane signage at Maple Grove Raceway as NHRA returns to one of the fastest tracks on the circuit Sept. 12-14. After a year hiatus from both the venue and the playoff format, record runs and high-horsepower performances facilitated by cooler fall weather conditions are anticipated.

Fans are invited to visit the Mopar exhibit at the track’s Manufacturers Midway to peruse a selection of the brand’s quality performance part offerings and experience what it feels like on track aboard an actual Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car simulator. 

Leah Pruett’s HEMI-powered Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster will be dressed for success in the familiar Mopar blue and white primary paint scheme as she works to take home her first Wally trophy from Reading. She takes to the track as the No. 4 seed in the Top Fuel ranks after a quarterfinal appearance at last weekend’s Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals.

“Leaving there fourth in points, heading into Reading for the Mopar Express Lane Nationals and starting the Countdown from there, we feel good about that,” said Pruett, who scored a win and a runner-up finish in the second half of the regular season. “Right now we have the most capable and consistent car that we’ve had all year long and that is responding to what we want it to do. That’s exactly where we want to be going into the countdown.”

Reigning Funny Car World Champ Matt Hagan will remain sidelined for this weekend’s event as he recovers from COVID-19. Tommy Johnson Jr. will slip into the driver’s seat of the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car in Hagan’s place as he did at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals when the entry did not qualify due to a mechanical issue on Friday and rain on Saturday. Johnson was the clear choice after finishing runner-up to Hagan in the 2020 NHRA Funny Car World Championship with DSR, powering to three wins and three No. 1 qualifier positions last season. The points Johnson accumulates during this race weekend will be awarded to Hagan, who starts the Countdown ranked fifth.

DSR driver Ron Capps arrives at Maple Grove Raceway in his HEMI-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat fresh off a runner-up finish at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals and as the top seed for the Funny Car world championship after points were reset for the playoff battle, giving him a 20-point lead. Capps earned the No. 1 qualifier position and set Maple Grove’s current elapsed time and speed records in 2019 with a 3.837-second pass at 339.28 mph. He also took home a Wally from the venue in 2018.

“Going to Maple Grove to start the Countdown and having a race car as good as our’s is right now with consistency and performance is exciting,” said Capps. “I’m really pumped to get to Maple Grove to start the playoffs. We won the championship in 2016 without winning a race in the Countdown but we were, by far, the most consistent car. We put the pressure on people and that’s what you have to do. We have a great team with John Medlen and Guido (Dean Antonelli), they’re firing on all cylinders and it’s really great to drive this Hellcat Funny Car.”

Meanwhile, fellow Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver Cruz Pedregon has two wins at Reading (1992, 2010) and is working to build on his semifinal performance last weekend at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis to work his way up from an eighth place position in the championship battle.

“We’re really optimistic about going into the Mopar Express Lane Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, which is a fast race track. I looked at the weather and it’s expected to be in the 70s (degrees Fahrenheit) so it’s just going to be a ‘just hammer down’ kind of event. The fall temperatures are going to cool down but the action is going to heat up. One thing we did prove at Brainerd two races ago is that we can hammer out the fast times and run in the high 3.80s (elapsed time passes). That’s probably what it’s going to take to win down the stretch here. We’re just going to take one race at a time and keep this momentum going that we’ve enjoyed. I’ve talked to (crew chiefs) JC (John Collins) and Rip (Reynolds) and everybody’s excited and just looking forward to it.”

On-track action at the Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil begins with one qualifying session in the late afternoon on Friday and two sessions on Saturday to determine the lineup for Sunday’s final eliminations rounds. Coverage of the event will be available via online streaming at NHRA.TV, while television coverage will be broadcast on FS1 on Sunday, Sept. 14, with qualifying highlights 12-2 p.m. ET and race coverage 2-5 p.m. ET.

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Mopar

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) offers exceptional service, parts and customer care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, the brand expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Mopar is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com

Follow Mopar and company news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialmopar

Twitter: @OfficialMOPAR

YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Cruz pedregon–maple grove advance

NHRA® Team Report

NHRA Nationals – Reading

Pre-Race Report

Another trip to the semi-finals and Countdown to the Championship clinched, Cruz Pedregon and team are ready to take on the track this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway, in the Snap-on® Dodge® SRT® Hellcat®.

“We’re getting closer to our goal of getting into the Top Five with a solid car and crew,” Cruz says. “The Snap-on ‘Makers and Fixers’ car is responding to the great tune-up JC (John Collins) and Rip (Reynolds) are doing. It’s taken time to get to where we are now and the team has been there for us every round. We’re looking forward to an exciting playoff season.” 

Cruz took time after Indy and prior to this weekend’s race to attend “grill n’ chill” events with primary sponsor Snap-on franchisees and their clients in the Reading area. Cruz has been heavily involved with these events for a decade, talking tools, cars, and all things NHRA with techs in the shops franchisees call on weekly.

POTENT PAIRING: SANDERS AND SILVA WIN AGAIN IN THE LOUIE FINALE

September 6, 2021 Jim Allen

(9/5/21, Alex Nieten) Chico, CA … The combination of Justin Sanders and Paul Silva can’t seem to stop collecting trophies.

In the Louie Vermeil Classic finale at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway, Sanders came out on top after a 30-lap war with some of the west coast’s best. The triumph marked his fourth of the year, third in the last six races since climbing aboard the Works Limited No. 57 and his tenth career with the NARC-King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Cars.

The intense fight for the win left some with ruffled feathers, and while Sanders held no ill-intent, he acknowledged that heated tempers are sometimes the by-product of racing, especially in an event as significant as The Louie.

“We were all fighting hard,” Sanders said. “Me and Kyle (Hirst) rubbing wheels and banging wheels, Kyle and Colby (Copeland) banging wheels. I slid Colby down there in turn three, and we hit and I spun him out. It wasn’t intentional, just hard racing. It’s racing, we’re racing for a big purse and big win.”

The green flag waved, and the battle immediately kicked off on lap one as front row starters Sanders and Colby Copeland leaned on each other in turns one and two. Copeland came out ahead down the backstretch, but before the race could establish a rhythm a yellow came out for Corey Day slowing on the front stretch on lap three. On the restart, another caution for an incident between Sean Watts and Michael Ing again slowed the pace.

After the pair of yellows, racing resumed and Copeland bolted ahead. As the race approached the halfway mark, Kyle Hirst roared to life in lap traffic, moving by Sanders after some contact for the runner-up position on lap 14. Just three laps later, Hirst threw a successful slider on Copeland in turn three to steal the lead.

Unfortunately for Copeland, Hirst brought Sanders with him, but Sanders’ move didn’t quite clear the 16A machine resulting in contact and a caution for a spun Copeland in turn four. Copeland would express his displeasure with Sanders later after the checkered flag flew.

Another quick yellow came out for Willie Croft following the incident between Sanders and Copeland.

The green flag came back out with 14 to go, and Sanders stalked Hirst as the duo approached traffic. The first opportunity he saw, Sanders pounced.  The pilot of the Works Limited No. 57 threw a huge slider at Hirst on lap 22. Again, Sanders couldn’t quite clear the Williams Motorsports No. 0, but after some slight contact Sanders gained control of the top spot.

Hirst managed to keep pace with Sanders and attempted a few sliders as the laps waned, but he couldn’t ever gather enough momentum to clear him, and Sanders held on to win by just under one second. The victory was Sanders first Louie Vermeil Classic triumph.

“I’m happy, but I just feel like crap,” Sanders, who was fighting a cold in addition to four-time series titlist Hirst, said. “This will make the four-hour, miserable drive home a lot better. Happy to get this done.”

While he would’ve preferred to win, Hirst enjoyed every moment of the main event.

“I had an absolute blast,” Hirst said. “I gave it everything I had right there. I was racing with one of the best of California right now, and it was pretty awesome.”

Behind the battle for the win, Dominic Scelzi crept onto the podium for his eighth consecutive appearance in the top three in the Scelzi Enterprises/Red Rose Transportations No. 41. The point leader was especially pleased with the racing surface.

“That was so much fun,” Scelzi said. “I feel like the last couple of races it’s been really hard to have that kind of racing, and that just goes to show you slick tracks make the best kind of racing.”

Shane Golobic finished fourth, making it seven top fives in his last seven series appearances. Tanner Carrick, Tim Kaeding, Carson Short, Corey Day, Bud Kaeding and Colby Copeland completed the top ten.

FUJITSU GENERAL USA FEATURE (30 laps): 1. Justin Sanders 57 2. Kyle Hirst 0 3. Dominic Scelzi 41 4. Shane Golobic 17W 5. Tanner Carrick 83T 6. Tim Kaeding 42X 7. Carson Short 7 8. Corey Day 21 9. Bud Kaeding 69 10. Colby Copeland 16A 11. Jessie Attard 53 12. Ryan Robinson 56 13. Joel Myers Jr. 46JR 14. Sean Becker 83V 15. Billy Aton 26 16. Sean Watts 98 17. Angelo Cornet 55A 18. Austin McCarl 88 19. Blake Carrick 38B 20. Willie Croft 29 21. DJ Netto 88N 22. Mitchell Faccinto 37 23. JJ Ringo 2 24. Michael Ing 21X
HOOSIER TIRE LAP LEADERS: Copeland 1-16, Hirst 17-21, Sanders 22-30
SWIFT METAL FINISHING HARDCHARGER: Carson Short 22nd to 7th

ARP FAST QUALIFIER (29 cars): Colby Copeland 11.971

BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (10 laps): Scelzi, Sanders, Copeland, Watts, Ing, Cornet, Clark, Ringo
FUJITSU GENERAL USA HEAT TWO (10 laps): Golobic, Attard, Netto, Faccinto, T. Carrick, McCarl, Tabor Jr.
FLORACING.COM HEAT THREE (10 laps): Croft, Becker, B. Kaeding, B. Carrick, Myers Jr., Short, Bloomfield
KAEDING PERFORMANCE HEAT FOUR (10 laps): Hirst, Robinson, Day, T. Kaeding, Aton, Ingraham, Strole

PYROTECT SEMI (12 laps): McCarl, Short, Cornet, Ringo, Ingraham, Tabor Jr., Clark, Strole, Bloomfield
SUNNYVALLEY “POWERED BY BACON” DASH (6 laps): Sanders, Copeland, Croft, Hirst, Becker, Attard

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER W: SCELZI LOCKS UP NIGHT ONE OF THE LOUIE VERMEIL CLASSIC

September 5, 2021 Jim Allen

(9/4/2021 – Alex Nieten) Chico, CA… By leading all 30-laps of the Fujitsu Feature on night one of the Louie Vermeil Classic at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway, Dominic Scelzi earned his fifth series victory of the year, matching his career-high for a single season.

The result also marked his 18th overall feature win during his dream 2021 campaign and his seventh consecutive race standing on the NARC-King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Car podium at the end of the night.

Scelzi’s biggest challenge of the night would come right as the green flag dropped and Scelzi led into turn one from the pole position. Third starting Mitchell Faccinto capitalized on a great initial start to swipe the lead from the point leader down the backstretch. Scelzi, though, aimed his Whipple Superchargers/Red Rose Transportations No. 41 to Faccinto’s inside coming out of turn four and beat him to the line to lead the opening lap. Shortly after Scelzi reclaimed the lead, the first of a flurry of race stoppages came out for contact between Justin Sanders and Kalib Henry that sent Henry on a wild flip outside of turn one. Both drivers were okay.

The adage “cautions breed cautions” proved true after the first red flag as just a few laps later Corey Day and front row starter Andy Forsberg tangled sending Forsberg over and heavily damaging Day’s Tarlton Racing machine. Following that issue, Bud Kaeding tumbled in turn three after contact with Ryan Robinson, ending BK’s night. Michael Ing slid to a stop in turn four shortly after BK’s issue, and a spin by the USAC/CRA portion winner, Carson Short, on lap twelve ended the avalanche of yellows. With curfew looming, the call was made to go to single file restarts for the remaining 19 circuits. All drivers involved in the incidents were okay.

A trio of drivers survived the early mayhem to put together strong charges. By the lap twelve restart, Tim Kaeding had gone from 22nd to 7th, Billy Aton from the rear to 11th and Shane Golobic from 10th to third.

Racing resumed with 19 to go, and Scelzi set the pace on a low line favored racing surface. He tiptoed around the bottom and distanced himself from second-running Willie Croft. Meanwhile, Croft had to deal with the NOS Energy Drink/Elk Grove Ford No. 17W of Golobic who was glued to Croft’s tail tank.

Even lap traffic couldn’t slow Scelzi during what continues to be a year for the history books. Scelzi patiently negotiated the slower cars, spotting opportunities to sneak to their inside on the straightaways before completing each pass in the turns, giving himself more of a cushion from Croft every lap. Eventually, Scelzi crossed the finish line with nearly a two second advantage to claim his first NARC-KWS victory at the Butte County bullring. Including lap money for leading all thirty circuits, the win netted Scelzi $5,750.

Croft held on to the runner-up spot to secure his second podium of the year aboard the Holey Smokes BBQ/Amerikote Powder Coating No. 29.

Golobic rounded out the podium with his fifth top-three finish of the year and continued his recent trend of charging toward the front. Over the last five Fujitsu Feature events, Golobic owns a net position change of plus-33.

The remainder of the top-10 was Kyle Hirst, Mitchell Faccinto, Tim Kaeding (from 22nd, earned Swift Metal Finishing Hardcharger), DJ Netto, Tanner Carrick, Colby Copeland and Billy Aton.

FUJITSU GENERAL USA FEATURE (30 laps): 1. Dominic Scelzi 41 2. Willie Croft 29 3. Shane Golobic 17W 4. Kyle Hirst 0 5. Mitchell Faccinto 37 6. Tim Kaeding 42X 7. DJ Netto 88N 8. Blake Carrick 38B 9. Colby Copeland 16A 10. Billy Aton 26 11. Austin McCarl 88 12. Justin Sanders 57 13. Sean Watts 98 14. Sean Becker 83V 15. Michael Ing 21X 16. JJ Ringo 2 17. Carson Short 7 18. Joel Myers Jr. 46JR 19. Mark Tabor Jr. 38N 20. Ryan Robinson 56 21. Bud Kaeding 69 22. Andy Forsberg 92 23. Corey Day 21 24. Kalib Henry 5J

HOOSIER TIRE LAP LEADERS: Scelzi 1-30

SWIFT METAL FINISHING HARDCHARGER: Tim Kaeding 22nd to 6th

ARP FAST QUALIFIER (31 cars): Willie Croft 11.384

BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (10 laps): Forsberg, Croft, Robinson, Bloomfield, Ing, Day, Clark, Cornet

FUJITSU GENERAL USA HEAT TWO (10 laps): Sanders, Faccinto, Becker, Short, Ringo, Strole, Aton

FLORACING.COM HEAT THREE (10 laps): Attard, Golobic, B. Kaeding, Hirst, Copeland, McCarl, T. Carrick

KAEDING PERFORMANCE HEAT FOUR (10 laps): Scelzi, B. Carrick, Netto, Watts, Myers Jr., Tabor Jr.

PYROTECT SEMI (12 laps): Henry, Day, T. Kaeding, McCarl, Tabor Jr., Aton, Cornet, Strole, Clark

SUNNYVALLEY “POWERED BY BACON” DASH (6 laps): Scelzi, Forsberg, Faccinto, Croft, Attard, Bloomfield

chevy racing–indycar–portland advance

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY PORTLAND, OREGON TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE SEPT. 11-12 RACE 14 OF 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SEASON Chevrolet seeks to maximize opportunities on West Coast swingPoints leader O’Ward, two-time champion Newgarden in thick of title raceDETROIT (Sept. 8, 2021) – Chevrolet teams, drivers and trackside engineers are primed for the September Swing. Three consecutive weekends of intense racing that will lead to the crowning of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion starts with the 110-lap/216-mile Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Sept. 12, on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile Portland International Raceway that opened in 1961. “It will be an interesting three races, as tight as the championship is. It always is this way,” said Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet who won the last race at Portland in 2019. “I’ve never seen someone wrap it up in all my 15 years in INDYCAR, no one’s wrapped it up the race before the last race. It never happened. Looks like the same here.” A maximum 54 points are available in each of the races on the Portland and Laguna Seca road courses and Long Beach temporary street circuit. None of the three venues hosted the Series in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five drivers powered by the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 Chevrolet engine are in title contention and two are in the thick of the chase. Pato O’Ward, who won both races in 2018 at Portland on the way to the Indy Lights championship, is the points leader and Josef Newgarden is 22 points arrears.  “You try not to think about it too much because there’s so much racing (left),” said O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. “Whenever it’s so competitive like this series is in INDYCAR, just a lot can shift in one race. We’re just going to push until the checkered flag waves in Long Beach and see where we stand.” O’Ward has been standing tall in his second full-time season with two wins, six other top-five finishes and three NTT P1 Awards in 13 races. He was runner-up to Newgarden in the most recent race on the World Wide Technology Raceway oval. “Now the championship is more into the mindset of just really be aware of who we’re racing and when,” he said. Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, has matched O’Ward with two wins and three pole starts. He advanced eight positions to place fifth in the 2019 event at Portland. Felix Rosenqvist, teammate to O’Ward this season, was runner-up. External and internal pressures associated with maximizing points in the stretch run are familiar to Newgarden, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion in 2017 and ’19 and runner-up in 2020. “When you go into a weekend, I think you’re just trying to maximize whatever your result is,” he said. “We’ve just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing. “We certainly have to be strong. We’re not in some cushiony position where we can just sit back and (let) anything happen to us. Hopefully we have a good, solid end here. If we do, that could add up to a championship.  “Chevy has been doing a great job for us. Real proud to represent them as always.” Joining the Chevrolet lineup this weekend will be Callum Ilott, who will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. Ilott, 22, of the United Kingdom, was the 2020 Formula 2 championship runner-up and current Ferrari Formula One test driver. NBC will telecast the 110-lap Grand Prix of Portland at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 12. Two practice sessions and qualifications Saturday, Sept. 11, will stream on Peacock Premium. The race, qualifications and practice will also be broadcast live on INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, Indycar.com, and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.
Team Chevy will be represented by:A.J. Foyt EnterprisesDalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators AJ Foyt RacingSebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing
Arrow McLaren SPPato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SPFelix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP
CarlinMax Chilton, No. 59 Carlin
Ed Carpenter RacingConor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air ForceRinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek
Juncos Hollinger RacingCallum Ilott, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing
Team PenskeJosef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team PenskeScott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team PenskeWill Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team PenskeSimon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team PenskeChevrolet IndyCar V6 Year-By-Year Results since 20122021 ­– 6 wins, 7 poles in 13 racesWins – Pato O’Ward (Texas2, Detroit2); Rinus VeeKay (Indy RC1); Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio, St. Louis); Will Power (Indy RC2). Pole – Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park, Detroit1, Indy RC2); Josef Newgarden (Detroit2, Road America, Mid-Ohio); Will Power (St. Louis).2020 – 7 wins, 11 poles in 14 racesWins – Simon Pagenaud (Iowa1); Josef Newgarden (Iowa2, St. Louis2, Indy RC2, St. Petersburg); Will Power (Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3, St. Petersburg). Poles – Josef Newgarden (Texas, Road America1, Iowa2), Will Power (Indianapolis road course, St. Louis1, Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3; St. Petersburg), Pato O’Ward (Road America2), Conor Daly (Iowa1), Rinus VeeKay (Indy road course October)2019 – 9 wins, 9 poles in 17 racesDriver/owner championship (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske); Indianapolis 500 win (Simon Pagenaud)2018 – 6 wins, 9 poles in 17 racesIndianapolis 500 win (Will Power)2017 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 17 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske)2016 – 14 wins, 13 poles in 16 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Simon Pagenaud/Roger Penske)2015 – 10 wins, 16 poles in 16 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Scott Dixon/Chip Ganassi);Indianapolis 500 win (Juan Pablo Montoya). First manufacturer to capture all titles since Chevrolet returned to INDYCAR in 20122014 – 12 wins, 14 poles in 18 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Will Power/Roger Penske)2013 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 19 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; Indianapolis 500 win (Tony Kanaan)2012 – 11 wins, 10 poles in 15 racesEngine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Ryan Hunter-Reay/Michael Andretti)Total – 95 wins, 106 earned poles in 162 races

Troy Coughlin Jr. will promote Universal Parks and Resorts during key stretch of NHRA races

DELAWARE, Ohio (Sept. 8) — Continuing a partnership started by his six-time world champion uncle Jeg Coughlin Jr., sophomore Pro Stock driver Troy Coughlin Jr. will be promoting Universal Parks and Resorts during a key stretch of NHRA national events taking place in Reading, Pa., Charlotte and St. Louis.
“It’s so cool to have the Universal Parks and Resorts livery on our JEGS.comElite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro for the first three races of the Countdown to the Championship,” Troy Jr. said. “With so much excitement about the playoffs this year, we’re expecting the largest TV audiences of the season, including quite possibly the largest drag racing audience ever for the Charlotte event because that race immediately follows an NFL game on FOX.
“I personally am very pumped up about this because we’ve been going to Universal Parks and Resorts for years as a family and now that Brenna (wife) and I are parents, we’re already looking forward to taking our little girl there.”
Added JEGS Director of Motorsports Scott Woodruff, “We have a unique partnership through the ‘Fast & Furious Supercharged’ attractions at both the Orlando, Florida, and Hollywood, California, locations because our involvement is very authentic to the experience. It’s been a great success and a lot of fun.”
With designs by AGI, the hood and rear deck of Troy Jr.’s Camaro will be a high-speed reminder for drag race enthusiasts and their families to visit Universal Parks and Resorts and seek out the “Fast & Furious Supercharged” ride. The attraction allows guests to ride along with the all-star cast from the hit movies on an exhilarating, high-speed chase that exceeds 120 mph and catapults guests into the high-stakes underworld of fast cars and international crime cartels through the use of hyper-realistic special effects and 3D-HD imagery projected onto expansive 360-degree screens.
“Aside from all the rides and fun to be had, Universal Parks and Resorts also are a great place to relax, which is necessary at times when you’re chasing championships against the best drivers in the world,” Troy Jr. said. “There truly is something for everyone at Universal.”

chevy racing–nascar–richmond–alex bowman

NASCAR CUP SERIES FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 400 RICHMOND RACEWAY TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 8, 2021
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript Highlights: DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO STAY POSITIVE OR KEEP YOUR TEAM POSITIVE?“I don’t know. Definitely a little bit, after a weekend like last weekend. It wasn’t good by any means. From start to finish we had radio issues, trouble with the engine, I drove it into the fence; and we had another flat tire after that. It was just kind of one of those days. I’m definitely trying to keep the team pumped up, but at the same time I think everybody on the team knows how strong we can be each and every place we go. We just had a bad day. Going forward, to a place like Richmond, where we won in the Spring, I think everybody is pretty positive that we can go there and have success and be strong. This Round of 16, with everybody having issues at Darlington, it’s not as bad as it could have been, the hole that we’re in. I think we’re in an okay spot going forward. Not comfortable by any means, but if we just go do our jobs, we’ll be all right.”
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WHAT WORKED AT RICHMOND IN THE SPRING WILL WORK IN THE FALL, OR ARE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT WILL DISRUPT THAT TYPE OF THOUGHT?“I hope so because I haven’t ever had anything work at Richmond before the Spring. So that’s all I’ve got that works. But I hope so. I feel like I drive that place incorrectly to a point and I ask some different things out of the race car that kind of a lot of the normal guys that grew up racing stock cars on short tracks don’t do. So, going there has always been tough for me. I think Greg (Ives, crew chief) finally hit on something that worked really well for me. So, hopefully we can get it to work again. You never know until you get there, and without practice it’s hard to say. But I’m pretty confident that we’ll have another great race car this weekend.”
WITH THREE OUT OF FOUR HENDRICK DRIVERS EITHER NEAR OR BELOW THE CUTOFF LINE AND COMING OUT OF THIS PAST WEEKEND’S RACE, WHAT ARE YOUR TEAM MEETINGS LIKE?“It definitely wasn’t a great mood after Darlington. But I feel like everybody is focused-forward and working hard to be the best we can be at Richmond. It was one race. It’s one week. The Playoffs, the way it goes, you have two bad weeks in one round, and you are kind of done. So, we know we have to be strong the next two weeks. But at the same time, we’ve been strong all year. I think there is a lot of confidence going forward that we can continue to do that. I think I’m probably the most frustrated of anybody and that’s just because it was like blatantly my fault, right? I drove the car into the outside wall. I’m frustrated with myself that I did that and that I made that mistake, but I’m also frustrated that I hurt the No. 24’s (William Byron) day like it did. But the No. 24 and the No. 9 (Chase Elliott) kind of had things going outside of their own control. And then the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) had a good day. I think we all just know we need to be strong at Richmond.”
WERE YOU SURPRISED WITH WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLAYOFF DRIVERS AT DARLINGTON?“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised. Darlington is an easy track to have issues at. So, for as many people to have issues as they did, I’m not all that surprised about it.
THIS SPORT IS SO FICKLE WITH THE POWER RANKINGS, LIKE S0-AND-SO IS FAVORED FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE HENDRICK DRIVERS CANNOT BE BEAT. WITH ONE RACE, EVERYTHING HAS SWITCHED. DOES THAT DRIVE YOU CRAZY A LITTLE BIT?“As far as the media stuff goes, once I realized that I’m always going to get kicked a little bit by the media, I just quit reading it (laughs). Some are not the nicest to me. So, I just quit reading it and don’t pay attention to it. That’s fine. That’s part of my job. I’m sure Kyle (Larson) was the favorite and is still the favorite. Other than that, I don’t know anything about power rankings or anything like that. I just try to drive the race car as fast as I can.”
QUESTION REGARDING STARTING POSITIONS AND STAGE POINTS AT RICHMOND“It’s still going to be difficult. In the Spring we had a really difficult day. We had a pit road penalty. I think we started at the tail end of the longest line in Stage 3. That late-race caution got us the win, but we had still driven back to third from last, basically. And for as strong as we were in the Spring, I know we’ll be able to pass cars because with a great long-run race car we were able to make a lot of headway there. But yeah, it’s going to be tough. It is definitely a little more intense in the Playoffs. Everybody is going to race a little harder. But Richmond is a place like, if you’re race car is good and you’re good on a long, run, you can give up that short run a little bit and make a lot of headway as the run kind of rolls on. So, I’m just excited to see how we are when we get there and go to work on making the car better and being there at the end.”
THERE ARE POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE NEXT YEAR, WHICH INCLUDE A BUSCH CLASH AT THE L.A. COLISEUM OR RACING AT WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY. WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE?“I love going to new race tracks. Obviously, I don’t know any more than what you guys (media) know. I haven’t heard anything officially.  But it all sounds cool, right? When I ran the e-NASCAR Series, we ran Bowman Gray Stadium, which sounded like the most ridiculous idea I’d ever heard in my life. But when we got there, it was a lot of fun. So, I would imagine it would be somewhat similar to that at least. It could be pretty neat. If we went to Gateway, that would be neat. And it looks like a really interesting place. I’ve never been there. But anything new is always cool, right? Like any of the new races we’ve had this year have been kind of exciting and cool to be a part of. So, I’m all for new race tracks and new challenges. Shuffling-up the schedule every year I think is really cool.”
THE SAME TIRE IS BEING USED THIS WEEKEND AS WAS USED AT PHOENIX. IS THIS THE LAST CHANCE TO FINE-TUNE THINGS FOR PHOENIX? IF YOU WIN AND DOMINATE, DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU WOULD BE THE FAVORITE AT PHOENIX BASED ON WHAT YOU DID AT RICHMOND?“It’s interesting that you say that. Looking back, the NO. 5 (Kyle Larson) was really fast at Phoenix. And they were not very good at Richmond. We were terrible at Phoenix and won Richmond. So, I don’t know how much you can really take from one to the other. I know it’s the same tire and a somewhat similar race track. But at Phoenix you have some tire falloff, but you don’t have what you have at Richmond. Richmond is so much slicker. There is so much less load in the race car. There are so many big differences. Like it’s a quarter-mile shorter, but it feels tiny and extremely slow in comparison to a place like Phoenix. It’s definitely different, but I want to say we can carry it all over because we were good there in the Spring. But ever since 2016 we’ve really struggled at Phoenix. Hopefully we can get our stuff together and be good there at the end of this year.”
ARE THE COMMITMENT LINES MORE CHALLENGING AT RICHMOND?“Yeah, it’s just where it is. How early it is. There are a lot of factors that go into it. I feel like people don’t realize how little you can really see out of the Cup cars. You can’t really see that box unless you’re squared-up with it. Late pit calls probably play a role in that. But it’s early. It’s hard to see. And that pit road entrance is super slick. The race track is super slick. So, there are a lot of factors. But it is definitely a tough one and an easy one to miss and cause a big penalty for yourself.”
DO YOU LOOK AT POINTS AND STUDY THEM? OR DO YOU JUST GO RACE?“Yeah, I just go race. You can stare at the points sheet and know exactly how many points you have to beat so-and-so by. But it doesn’t help you any. Then you’re just more stressed out about situations you can’t control. I think the best thing you can do for yourself is to go drive the race car as fast as you can and maximize every Stage and go do the best job you can. I did a really poor job on Sunday night, and I’ve got two weeks to make up for it. I’ve just got to go maximize both races. Last year during the Playoffs I wasn’t looking at points. I wasn’t worried about it. We just went and tried to execute to the best of our ability each and every week. And we had a really good Playoff run. This year we started off really poorly, but I’m confident we can turn that around and at least do what we did last year if not better.”
DID YOU HAVE A RACE-WINNING CAR BEFORE THE DAMAGE AT DARLINGTON?“I don’t think we were very good before I hit the wall at Darlington because I wasn’t running very hard. I was starting to struggle really early in that run and drove it right into the fence pretty early. So, I feel like we were going to struggle a little bit. I think we’d end up somewhere in the top 10, but now where we wanted to be by any means. I felt down on grip. I think it still would have been a way better day than it was, obviously. I’m still mad at myself that I did that.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE MISTAKES, RATHER THAN SPEED, COULD BE WHAT KEEPS HENDRICK DRIVERS FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR?“I think we’ve had speed every week. It very well could be. But nothing has stopped us from getting there yet. We still have a chance. All four of us are not eliminated yet and still in it. I don’t want to say what’s going to keep us out because we’re not knocked out yet.”
DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE LESS CHAOS AND AGGRESSION AT RICHMOND OR DO YOU THINK IT WILL CONTINUE?“It’s hard to say. I feel like you’re going to have a lot of aggression at Richmond because it’s Richmond. It’s a short track. Tempers typically flare there. Stuff happens. And that’s just a part of it. I feel like it’s still going to be exciting. It’s still going to be dramatic. We’ll wait and see. Maybe it’s a smooth and easy day and the No. 48 is out front with no issues, and we get another trophy. I’d be okay with that.”

Title hopeful Troy Coughlin Jr. ready to ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ in his first NHRA playoff run

READING, Pa. (Sept. 8) — Although this is Troy Coughlin Jr.’s second year in the Pro Stock ranks, this is his first time contesting the Countdown to the Championship, a magical time he’s determined to enjoy with hisJEGS.comElite Motorsports teammates.
Only the top-10 drivers in each professional category get a chance to chase the title during the six-race Countdown. Last year, due to COVID, the popular playoff system was scrapped, denying drivers and fans alike a chance to ramp up the excitement. This year, the pressure and drama are back, and Coughlin couldn’t be happier.
“Let’s go!” he said. “It’s time to rock ‘n’ roll. 
“It’s my first Countdown and I’m extremely proud to be a part of the field and, more importantly, to be headed into the battle with this incredible group. Mark Ingersoll, Kelly Murphy, Steven Hurley, Eric Luzinski, and Kyle Bates, those are the guys that make it all work and I wouldn’t want to race with anyone else.”
With the points reset for the Countdown, Coughlin finds himself just 60 markers out of the lead, a deficit of three rounds. Having raced to two final rounds in the regular season, with an impressive average qualifying position of fifth overall, Coughlin has proven he has the pieces in place to make a concerted run for the sport’s ultimate prize.
“Pro Stock is so tight with so many great drivers, literally the best in the world, and it usually comes down to fractions of a second every race,” Coughlin said. “You truly live and die by your mistakes and the winner each weekend is generally the one who limited those missteps we all make. 
“You have to seek joy in the struggles and the challenges along the way, learn from them, and then put it all behind you and stay locked on to what’s directly ahead. That’s what it takes to win consistently and I have a great example of how to achieve ultimate success right across my pit with Erica (Enders, teammate and four-time world champion).”
Coughlin also can rely on great local support and recall vivid memories of some of his most successful events. When racing the JEGS.com Top Alcohol Dragster for McPhillips Racing, Coughlin and crew managed to capture back-to-back national event titles at Maple Grove during their championship years of 2018 and 2019. McPhillips Racing is based in nearby Phoenixville, Pa.
“Those few years with McPhillips Racing were awesome and those guys have continued their legacy with Jasmine Salinas,” Coughlin said. “I’ve definitely kept an eye on them and hope to spend time with my old crew this weekend. But my main focus is on rewarding my Elite teammates with a win. It needs to happen.”

Title hopeful Troy Coughlin Jr. ready to ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ in his first NHRA playoff run

READING, Pa. (Sept. 8) — Although this is Troy Coughlin Jr.’s second year in the Pro Stock ranks, this is his first time contesting the Countdown to the Championship, a magical time he’s determined to enjoy with hisJEGS.comElite Motorsports teammates.
Only the top-10 drivers in each professional category get a chance to chase the title during the six-race Countdown. Last year, due to COVID, the popular playoff system was scrapped, denying drivers and fans alike a chance to ramp up the excitement. This year, the pressure and drama are back, and Coughlin couldn’t be happier.
“Let’s go!” he said. “It’s time to rock ‘n’ roll. 
“It’s my first Countdown and I’m extremely proud to be a part of the field and, more importantly, to be headed into the battle with this incredible group. Mark Ingersoll, Kelly Murphy, Steven Hurley, Eric Luzinski, and Kyle Bates, those are the guys that make it all work and I wouldn’t want to race with anyone else.”
With the points reset for the Countdown, Coughlin finds himself just 60 markers out of the lead, a deficit of three rounds. Having raced to two final rounds in the regular season, with an impressive average qualifying position of fifth overall, Coughlin has proven he has the pieces in place to make a concerted run for the sport’s ultimate prize.
“Pro Stock is so tight with so many great drivers, literally the best in the world, and it usually comes down to fractions of a second every race,” Coughlin said. “You truly live and die by your mistakes and the winner each weekend is generally the one who limited those missteps we all make. 
“You have to seek joy in the struggles and the challenges along the way, learn from them, and then put it all behind you and stay locked on to what’s directly ahead. That’s what it takes to win consistently and I have a great example of how to achieve ultimate success right across my pit with Erica (Enders, teammate and four-time world champion).”
Coughlin also can rely on great local support and recall vivid memories of some of his most successful events. When racing the JEGS.com Top Alcohol Dragster for McPhillips Racing, Coughlin and crew managed to capture back-to-back national event titles at Maple Grove during their championship years of 2018 and 2019. McPhillips Racing is based in nearby Phoenixville, Pa.
“Those few years with McPhillips Racing were awesome and those guys have continued their legacy with Jasmine Salinas,” Coughlin said. “I’ve definitely kept an eye on them and hope to spend time with my old crew this weekend. But my main focus is on rewarding my Elite teammates with a win. It needs to happen.”

DiBenedetto Ready for Some Short Tracking at Richmond


September 8, 2021


Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy team are hoping to rebound from a disappointing run in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway by posting a good finish in Saturday night’s Salute to American Heroes 400 at Richmond Raceway.

The event, which will be run on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America, will honor the first responders and other heroes of that fateful day.

While the day – and the race – likely will have a somber feel, DiBenedetto and the Menards/Dutch Boy team will be working hard to turn in a performance that will live up to the name of the race.

Throughout his Cup career, DiBenedetto has had some of his best runs on the shorter tracks such as the three-quarter-mile oval at Richmond.

It was there back in April that he got the first of his seven top-10 finishes this season.

“Short tracks are ones we look forward to most,” DiBenedetto said. “You’ve got to be easy on the throttle and on the tires.”

He’s also hoping to regain the momentum he’s had in recent weeks. In the past eight races, he’s had six finishes of 11th or better followed by a strong run at Daytona that ended with a crash while battling for the lead in the closing laps. The only disappointment was a 23rd-place finish at Darlington Sunday night.
 
“We have been on a good roll as a team and just have to shake off Darlington,” he said.

DiBenedetto will line up 28th for Saturday night’s 400-lapper as the starting positions are based on results from the most recent race, with the 16 Playoff drivers starting up front.

The green flag is set to fly just after 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, with Stage breaks at Laps 80 and 235. 

NBCSN will carry the live TV broadcast.
 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Doubling up at Weedsport for the Cavalcade Cup

Can anyone match Ryan Phelps’ 2009 record of back-to-back Weedsport wins during the Cavalcade Cup on Sept. 11-12?

WEEDSPORT, NY – The long-awaited Cavalcade Cup weekend (Saturday to Sunday, Sept. 11-12) is set to thrill fans at the historic 3/8-mile premier dirt track – Weedsport Speedway. With two Super DIRTcar Series Features (60 and 100 laps), four divisions, and a track designed for exciting racing, the inaugural Cavalcade Cup is primed to be a can’t-miss event. 

While the Super DIRTcar Series season is winding down, the big shows are winding up. The doubleheader weekend at Weedsport presents the chance for one driver to walk away with more than $17,000 in winnings between the two days and one chance at a guaranteed NAPA Super DIRT Week starting spot.

It’s also a chance for drivers to catapult up the points standings with full points being awarded both nights. Drivers and teams have to come in knowing the competition will be at an all-time high in the Super DIRTcar Series. A few tenths in Time Trials can put top and mid-level teams into catch-up mode as they have to work hard to make the show. 

Tickets and camping are available here

BEST OF THE NORTHEAST IN ONE PLACE

The last four Super DIRTcar Series events at Weedsport Speedway have delivered four different winners. NASCAR Truck Series-star Stewart Friesen claimed his third career Weedsport Speedway victory with the Series in July at the Hall of Fame 100. Earlier in the year, 2019 Series champion Mat Williamson claimed his sole win of the year at the track.

Rising star Max McLaughlin picked up an emotional first career win at Weedsport Speedway last year during the DIRTcar OktoberFAST event. And seven-time Series champion Matt Sheppard snagged back-to-back victories at the track in 2019. In total, the current Series points lead has seven Series wins at Weedsport.

While they’ll be favorites to win again, other former winners like Erick Rudolph, Weedsport Speedway promoter Jimmy Phelps and Billy Decker will be in attendance to not only try and make it five different winners in a row but to claim their first win of the season.

Last Five Series Winners at Weedsport Speedway:

July 25, 2021 – Stewart Friesen

May 30, 2021 – Mat Williamson

October 11, 2020 – Max McLaughlin

September 2, 2019 – Matt Sheppard

July 28, 2019 – Matt Sheppard

DOUBLEHEADER

With the event originally announced in 2019 for the 2020 season, the anticipation for the Cavalcade Cup has been building. Back-to-back full-point Super DIRTcar Series races are a rarity on the calendar. Notably, the last time it happened was at Weedsport Speedway in July of 2009.

Both races were won by Ryan Phelps from Fulton, NY in the #99 Big Block Modified – his only two Super DIRTcar Series Feature wins. After coming up short in the 2009 Weedsport Speedway track championship, Phelps said he refocused his efforts on setting up for the Super DIRTcar Series doubleheader and it paid off for a career night. 

Can anyone match Ryan Phelps’ feat?

On Saturday (Sept. 11), the elite drivers of the Northeast will tackle Weedsport in a 60-lap Feature and a grand prize of $7,500. The next day (Sunday, Sept. 12), it’s 100 laps around Weedsport and $10,000 for the first Big Block across the line. The big check also comes with a guaranteed start in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Oswego Speedway during the 49th NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week (Sunday, Oct. 10).

POINTS PICTURE

With the conclusion of the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship, full-time Series drivers’ bonus points have been awarded. Those drivers received 100 points for each DIRTcar Racing event they competed in outside of Super DIRTcar Series races with a maximum of 1,200 points. 

Seven-time Super DIRTcar Series champion Matt Sheppard is the current points leader with the pride of Brisbane, Australia, Peter Britten, on his heels – 89 points back. 

Heavy-weights Billy Decker and Mat Williamson are tied for third, 104 points back from Sheppard. Mike Mahaney and Max McLaughlin aren’t far behind either in fifth (-127) and sixth place (-137), respectively. 

NAPA SUPER DIRT WEEK QUALIFIER

Stewart Friesen, Demetrios Drellos, Tim Fuller, Matt Sheppard, Max McLaughlin, Chris Hile, and Andy Bachetti have all secured their guaranteed start for the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at NAPA Super DIRT Week (Oct. 6-10). Sunday’s Feature at Weedsport pays $10,000 to the winner and also awards a guaranteed starting position at Oswego Speedway. It’s one of only four chances remaining for drivers to secure the prestigious starting spot in the historic $50,000-to-win, 200-lap race.

STRONG SUPPORT

Joining the Super DIRTcar Series for the Saturday portion of the Cavalcade Cup is the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series, which will be contesting their third race of the season for $1,000-to-win. Josh Coonradt took the first DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Feature of the year at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park on August 29. The night before the Cavalcade Cup (Friday, Sept 10), the Pro Stock Series will be at Can-Am Speedway.

Saturday’s bill also includes a $1,000-to-win DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Feature. The Sportsman will join the Super DIRTcar Series on Sunday, as well, along with the Empire Super Sprints.

HOW TO WATCH

If you can’t make it to the track, don’t forget to watch live on DIRTvision with either the Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month. Download the app today. 

 On The Internet

Twitter – @SuperDIRTcar

Instagram – @SuperDIRTcar

Facebook – Facebook.com/SuperDIRTcarSeries

YouTube – Youtube.com/DIRTCarRacing

DIRTVision – DIRTVision.tv – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month

Around The Turn: The Super DIRTcar Series will return to Land of Legends Raceway for the third annual Gerald Haers Memorial on Saturday, Sept. 18. It’s a $10,000-to-win, 100-lap Feature with a NAPA Super DIRT Week guaranteed start, plus thousands of dollars in bonus award

Dominic Scelzi Wins Louie Vermeil Classic Opener at Silver Dollar Speedway

Inside Line Promotions – CHICO, Calif. (Sept. 7, 2021) – Momentum is clearly on Dominic Scelzi’s side as he closes in on his first career King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series championship.

Scelzi earned another win and two more podiums last weekend during the Louie Vermeil Classic doubleheader at Silver Dollar Speedway to increase his lead in the championship standings thanks to eight podiums in a row with the series.

“We’re running really well and focusing on winning races the rest of this season,” he said. “I think that’s paying off. We were really good in Chico last weekend.”

Scelzi qualified 12th quickest last Saturday before he won a heat race after lining up on the outside of the front row. He continued to take advantage of track position the remainder of the night, winning the dash from second and the main event from the pole.

“The first night we didn’t qualify great, but we won the heat race and that lined us up on the outside of the front row of the dash,” he said. “We were able to win the dash to start on the pole for the feature. The track was right around the bottom. We were able to get the lead on the start and ride off into the sunset.”

Scelzi led the distance to score his fifth series victory of the season and 18th overall win in 2021.

Sunday’s weekend finale began with Scelzi timing in ninth quickest overall. He again won a heat race, but this time narrowly missed out on making the dash. That started him on the inside of the fourth row for the main event.

“To be honest I felt really good,” he said. “The track was slick and wide. We got to fourth pretty quick and then got into third. We had passed both (Justin) Sanders and (Kyle) Hirst for second, but a yellow negated a pass on Sanders. We got racing with Kyle and he got back by us. I felt we were every bit as good as first and second, but we ended up settling for third.”

Scelzi’s third-place result was his 39th top five of the season.

The team plans to race four times at Silver Dollar Speedway this week. It begins on Wednesday with 360ci sprint car competition prior to World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action on Friday and Saturday during the Gold Cup Race of Champions. Scelzi will also be in action in his 360 sprint car on Saturday.

QUICK RESULTS –

Sept. 4 – Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. – Qualifying: 12; Heat race: 1 (2); Dash: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (1).

Sept. 5 – Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. – Qualifying: 9; Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 3 (7).

SEASON STATS –

50 races, 18 wins, 39 top fives, 44 top 10s, 47 top 15s, 47 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., for the Gold Cup Race of Champions with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.GaryScelziMotorsports.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicScelzi41

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scelzi41