NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES OCTOBER 19, 2025

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NASCAR CUP SERIESTALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESOCTOBER 19, 2025

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Elliott on the accident that ended the No. 9 Chevrolet team’s day in Stage One: “I saw someone get turned sideways. I was trying to get slowed up like normal. I ended up getting turned sideways into some other cars, and then they slid back into me. I’m not really sure… I hate it. I felt like we had ourselves in a good spot before the pit cycle. I didn’t feel like we executed the cycle very well and that put us back in the back again. I’m not sure if that would have helped us miss the wreck or not. Obviously, all of that is very circumstantial, but nonetheless, it is what it is. I can’t change it now, so we’re just all eyes on Martinsville (Speedway) and we’ll try to go there and get a win.”  Did you feel the energy coming at the end of the stage, or did it just come out of nowhere?“The energy was definitely picking up. Pretty much everything after the pit cycle was getting pretty crazy, so I wasn’t super surprised by it. Maybe I should have got out… I wasn’t going to get any points where I was out. We were right on that cusp of if your lane really goes forward and catches the back part of the top-10, but it probably wasn’t worth the risk at the end of the day. It was really wild from the get-go. Even when we were saving fuel, we were running four-wide and getting a lot of confidence up.” AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. What was the view from your seat? “I feel alright, it just knocked the air out of me. As I stopped, it felt like the car was catching on fire, so I got out and tried to get my breath back. I feel OK now, probably just going to be sore from a hard hit for the whole body.  I am proud of this No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team. We got it up front there. You get to the front and hope that maybe you’ll run to the end of the stage. I think we were leading there. Joey (Logano) was doing a really good job of pushing me in the right areas. I felt like we could kind of direct both lines. Obviously, Noah (Gragson) was next to me, and it looked like Noah got turned getting into the corner and it turned me straight into the fence. It’s disappointing, but it’s part of this racing. At least we were up front a little bit there. You always expect the worst here (at Talladega Superspeedway) and hope for the best, but today we got the worst.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One. Stenhouse Jr. on the accident that ended the No. 47 Chevrolet team’s day early in Stage One: “I didn’t see anything but the No. 4 (Noah Gragson), unfortunately. We were leading that top lane. I felt like I did everything I needed for our team there; got off pit road really well and saved a lot of fuel. We were battling for a top-10 coming to the stage end. Maybe the No. 43 (Erik Jones), for some reason, pushed the No. 4 in the corner. I felt like it was a little early for that. I think up to that point, everyone was racing hard, but weren’t putting anybody in bad spots. It just looked like he got him on the right-rear side of the bumper and spun him there.”

Pierce Wins $100,000 For Second Consecutive Dirt Track World Championship at Eldora

ROSSBURG, OH (October 18, 2025) – Bobby Pierce became the fourth driver in the 45-year history of Carl Short’s Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP to win the Crown Jewel race in back-to-back years, as he withstood a back-and-forth battle with Chris Madden and went on to win the $100,000 event for the on Saturday night at Eldora Speedway. Devin Moran, with his fourth-place finish, clinched his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing National Championship, earning him a record $250,000. Pierce led 44 of the 100 laps and joined Scott Bloomquist, Josh Richards, and Brandon Sheppard as the only drivers to win the event, which began in 1981, in consecutive years. Madden was in front for a race-leading 56 laps as he earned $20,000 for second place. Brandon Sheppard, who was seeking a history-making sixth DTWC, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Moran and Nick Hoffman rounded out the rest of the top five. Madden was in control early on, leading the first 49 laps of the race, when Pierce, who started 13th, took the lead at the halfway point. The two then traded the race lead several times until Pierce finally managed to pull away from Madden. Madden ran second until Moran took over the runner-up position on lap 76. Moran maintained second place until the final caution of the race, which came out with 88 laps completed. Madden then managed to pass Moran on the restart, but Pierce was able to pull away somewhat, crossing the finish line 1.390 seconds ahead of the South Carolina driver to secure his 29th career series win. The Oakwood, Illinois driver who won from 14th a year ago, came from the inside of row seven this year to collect the win. “I didn’t know how tonight would go after last night. B-Shepp said last night that the track would be good tonight, and it was. You know, Longhorn doesn’t build a bad car. This car here has won three big races at Eldora now, so we might have to keep it in rotation. You know, we might make the JD car out of it and just bring it here to Eldora to race.” “I was getting a little worked up because it’s been a month and a half since I won a race, which is rare for me, so this feels awesome. I know Brandon (Sheppard) has had a great run in the DTWC; he always shows up around this time of year. Obviously, with Freddy (Smith), I never got to race against him, and those guys are top-notch. I hope I can be on that list of five or more wins. Let’s do it again next year.” Moran, the driver of the Double Down Motorsports #99, became the 10th different champion in the 21-year history of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, celebrating with his crew, family, and friends on the Eldora stage afterward. “It’s about time, and it’s an incredible feeling. Thank you, Eldora. Winning these championships is really tough. Honestly, I felt like I had a really good car. I drove a very conservative race, which kind of backfired at the end because I chose the bottom lane; I didn’t want to put myself in a bad situation and get slid going into one and two, which cost me a couple of spots. I don’t think I had anything for Bobby – he had a really good car. I never really pushed as hard as I could because I didn’t want any problems. I saw Ricky and JD having issues, and I didn’t want to cause any myself,” said the Dresden, Ohio native. “It was hard to stay focused at the end. I got flustered during that restart. I felt like I did a really good job staying focused, running a smart and solid race, and I had a good car to do that. I hit the cushion hard in turns one and two, and I was thinking, Devin, get through the race – there are just a couple of laps left – just finish it and go celebrate with my friends, family, and crew. So, like I said, it is a really amazing feeling.” The winner’s Bobby Pierce Racing, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Low Voltage Solutions, Churchill Transport, Collins Brothers Towing, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Steidinger Construction, Pontiac RV, Toyota of Danville, Carnaghi Towing and Repair, Ted Brown’s Quality, Paint and Body Shop, Rio Grande Waste Services, Fast 1 Speed Shop, Leka Tree Service, Duromax, Bert by Budda, and Floyd’s Waste Services.  Completing the top ten were Mike Marlar, Tim McCreadie, Carson Ferguson, Dale McDowell, and Brandon Overton. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARPSaturday, October 18, 2025Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Tim McCreadie | 15.674 seconds  Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 157-Mike Marlar[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 3. 74X-Ethan Dotson[2]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[5]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[4]; 6. 29-Clint Keenan[7]; 7. 28T-Tyler Carpenter[11]; 8. 71R-Rod Conley[9]; 9. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[6]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[13]; 11. 69J-Jon Hodgkiss[8]; 12. 09-Michael Leach[14]; 13. (DNS) 111-Max Blair; 14. (DNS) 1T-Tyler Erb UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 11R-Josh Rice[5]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith[8]; 4. 69-RC Whitwell[13]; 5. 96-Tanner English[14]; 6. 17D-Zack Dohm[2]; 7. 89-Mike Spatola[6]; 8. 17SR-Brody Smith[12]; 9. 3-Matt Miller[10]; 10. 101-Forrest Trent[9]; 11. 15K-Colten Burdette[3]; 12. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[7]; 13. (DNS) 39-Brandon Moore; 14. (DQ) 14H-Haiden Cowan[4] MyRacePass B-Main Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 79-Donald McIntosh[3]; 2. 9-Tim McCreadie[1]; 3. 114-Jordan Koehler[2]; 4. 17SS-Brenden Smith[5]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 6. 6M-Michael Chilton[12]; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 9. S8-Chris Stotts[10]; 10. 55E-Eli Johnson[11]; 11. 11K-Evan Koehler[8]; 12. 99M-Caden McWhorter[6] Jim Dunn Memorial Non-Qualifer Race Finish (15 Laps): 1. 74X-Ethan Dotson[1]; 2. 89-Mike Spatola[14]; 3. 29-Clint Keenan[10]; 4. 28T-Tyler Carpenter[13]; 5. 3-Matt Miller[18]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[9]; 7. 71R-Rod Conley[15]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[26]; 9. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[17]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[20]; 11. 69J-Jon Hodgkiss[23]; 12. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 13. 69-RC Whitwell[5]; 14. 55E-Eli Johnson[22]; 15. 20-Jimmy Owens[4]; 16. 6M-Michael Chilton[12]; 17. (DNS) 10-Garrett Smith; 18. (DNS) 114-Jordan Koehler; 19. (DNS) 19R-Ryan Gustin; 20. (DNS) 96-Tanner English; 21. (DNS) 17D-Zack Dohm; 22. (DNS) 17SR-Brody Smith; 23. (DNS) S8-Chris Stotts; 24. (DNS) 101-Forrest Trent; 25. (DNS) 15K-Colten Burdette; 26. (DNS) 11K-Evan Koehler 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARP Feature Finish (100 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 13 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood IL – $50,1002 – 2 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court SC – $20,0003 – 5 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin IL – $10,7004 – 3 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden OH – $9,1005 – 9 – 9H – Nick Hoffman – Mooresville NC – $7,0006 – 19 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield TN – $6,0007 – 24 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown NY – $4,5008 – 7 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton NC – $4,7009 – 6 – 17M – Dale McDowell – Chickamauga GA – $3,80010 – 14 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans GA – $4,30011 – 10 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville IL – $3,40012 – 1 – 22F – Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly NC – $3,20013 – 15 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter FL – $3,70014 – 12 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville GA – $3,60015 – 17 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville NC – $3,10016 – 25 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham IA – $3,00017 – 26 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover PA – $2,90018 – 8 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler AZ – $3,20019 – 20 – 11R – Josh Rice – Crittenden KY – $2,00020 – 21 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville GA – $2,70021 – 18 – 19M – Joseph Joiner – Milton FL – $2,70022 – 23 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore MN – $2,70023 – 4 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces NM – $2,70024 – 16 – 12 – Jason Jameson – Lawrenceburg IN – $2,00025 – 22 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham IL – $2,00026 – 11 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville IN – $2,800 Race Statistics  Entrants: 59Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Chris FergusonMD3 Lap Leaders: Chris Madden (Laps 1-49) Bobby Pierce (Lap 50); Chris Madden (Laps 51-55); Bobby Pierce (Laps 56-57); Chris Madden (Laps 58-59); Bobby Pierce (Laps 60-100)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Bobby PierceWieland Feature Winner: Bobby PierceMargin of Victory: 1.390 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Daulton Wilson (Lap 7); Debris (Lap 13); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 30); Garrett Alberson (Lap 34); Dan Ebert (Lap 54); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 61); Josh Rice (Lap 75); Debris (Lap 76); Brandon Overton (Lap 80); Debris (Lap 88)Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck; Cory LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisional: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Bobby Pierce, Chris Madden, Brandon SheppardPenske Shocks Top 5: Bobby Pierce, Chris Madden, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Nick HoffmanPEM 4th Place Feature: Devin MoranDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Nick HoffmanWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Tim McCreadieWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dennis Erb, Jr.Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Clay HarrisMD3 24th Place Feature: Jason JamesonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Advanced 17 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Chris Madden (56 laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Daniel HilsabeckPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Chris Madden | Lap 8 | 16.258 secondsSlicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Devin MoranFresh Roof Hard Luck Award: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Bob PierceARP Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race:  Longhorn ChassisTime of Race: 1 hour, 2 minutes, 53 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – YTD Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden OH – 9175 – $353,6492 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler AZ – 9090 – $565,6003 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville GA – 9010 – $477,1004 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville IN – 8725 – $366,3005 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin IL – 8265 – $278,8256 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces NM – 8020 – $208,0507 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans GA – 7645 – $172,7008 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville NC – 6975 – $140,4259 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton NC – 6890 – $128,95010 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville GA – 6685 – $107,70011 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham IA – 6355 – $93,57512 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore MN – 6165 – $97,80013 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter FL – 5965 – $89,25014 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover PA – 5210 – $59,225

NASCAR Cup SeriesTalladega Superspeedway Round of Eight: Race TwoTeam Chevy Post-Qualifying Report October 18, 2025

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·        At the conclusion of the final round of qualifying, it was Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell that topped the speed chart to claim the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. McDowell set the pole-winning pace with a lap time of 52.481 seconds, at 182.466 mph, around the 2.66-mile Alabama venue to claim his second pole of the 2025 season. ·        McDowell, who now leads the series’ active drivers with three career pole wins at Talladega Superspeedway, delivered Chevrolet its 12th NASCAR Cup Series pole of the season – earned by seven drivers representing four different Chevrolet organizations.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 Starting LineupPos.     Driver 1st – Michael McDowell3rd – Kyle Busch Chevrolet’s statistics heading into the 34th NASCAR Cup Series race of the season:  Wins: 14Poles: 12Top-Fives: 61Top 10s: 135Stage Wins: 25

NASCAR Cup SeriesTalladega SuperspeedwayRound of Eight: Race TwoTeam Chevy Post-Qualifying ReportOctober 18, 2025

McDowell Tops Final Round of Qualifying to Claim Pole Position at Talladega Superspeedway

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·        At the conclusion of the final round of qualifying, it was Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell that topped the speed chart to claim the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. McDowell set the pole-winning pace with a lap time of 52.481 seconds, at 182.466 mph, around the 2.66-mile Alabama venue to claim his second pole of the 2025 season. ·        McDowell, who now leads the series’ active drivers with three career pole wins at Talladega Superspeedway, delivered Chevrolet its 12th NASCAR Cup Series pole of the season – earned by seven drivers representing four different Chevrolet organizations.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 Starting LineupPos.     Driver 1st – Michael McDowell3rd – Kyle Busch Chevrolet’s statistics heading into the 34th NASCAR Cup Series race of the season:  Wins: 14Poles: 12Top-Fives: 61Top 10s: 135Stage Wins: 25

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet – Pole Winner Quotes McDowell on his pole-winning lap: “For qualifying at Talladega (Superspeedway), there’s not a whole lot the driver does but try not to make any mistakes. But more than anything, I talked about it before I went out there, Daytona got rained out for qualifying and we were looking forward to seeing where our car was at and if we’ve made any gains from the first-two superspeedway races. We didn’t really know where we’re at today, just because we didn’t have that baseline at Daytona. But yeah, really proud of the effort from everybody at Spyro Motorsports. We’ve worked really hard to find some speed, and everybody at the Hendrick Engine Shop, as well, just trying to catch-up on these superspeedway’s. Having a fast car is important. Being able to lead lanes and control lanes, you have to have speed to do that, so the pole is awesome. But more importantly, just knowing you got a fast car going into the race tomorrow.”    What was the difference between your two laps? You had a pretty dramatic improvement from the first to the second…“Yeah, without giving away too much, our first lap was good. We felt like we probably had a little bit more room to get a bit more speed out of it with some adjustments, and we were able to do that. A lot of times, you sort of nail it that first time and you’re afraid to do too much more because you can make it worse. We felt like we had a little bit more room to go, which is a chance because without practice, you just don’t know what’s too much. But we knew that we were close. Like anytime you’re in that top-five or six, you’re close. So for us, we are about a tenth off of the best car and we felt like if we left it the same, we’re weren’t going to have a shot, so we might as well go a little bit and see if we can gain some more.”    Do you have a car that can do everything you need to do to keep the lead? I“I hope so. I’ll tell you tomorrow. We’ve talked about that a little bit before. For me, I’ve sat on a lot of these poles now, and I don’t feel like it’s taken away from my car’s ability to race. I haven’t felt like I’ve been at that compromise cross-point yet, so I hope so. You don’t know until you know. Even though I haven’t had the results here the last couple years, I’ve been really close to getting to the checkered flag. I’ve led coming to the white flag a few times. And so yeah, I think that it hasn’t hurt my ability to move and make moves and take a push and be pushed. But you know, that’s the first time I’ve been in the No. 71, in a Chevy and in this spot, so I’ll learn a lot more tomorrow. But I felt like our speed at Daytona was good and our cars took pushes, pushed well and  raced well, so I’m not nervous going into it at all now.”   There are not many Chevrolet’s up toward the front. You have Kyle Busch behind you. I’m guessing he’ll start right behind you, so how much have you worked with Kyle in this type of racing? How do you maybe make that work to keep you guys controlling the lane, at least?“Yeah, for sure. Both of us have been doing it a long time, so I’ve worked with Kyle a lot. On superspeedway’s, more than anything, you just build trust of knowing how aggressive to be; when to be aggressive, when to take those big pushes and when not to. You sort of build that rhythm on-track with the handling that you have that day. There is some chemistry between drivers, for sure. But I’ve worked with Kyle before and he’s got a really fast car, as well. I sort of thought that he was going to be the one that could beat us there as he went out, just because he’s a bit quicker. I felt like we hit it well where the wind was changing quite a bit in the qualifying session and the sun was coming a little bit in and out. It’s not a huge deal here, but the wind is a big deal. I felt like he was probably the closest condition-to-condition. We were just able to pick up a little bit more that last run. Obviously, we’ll have two fast Chevy’s up there, but it won’t be long. Everything cycles around. As you guys know, there’s an element of fuel mileage and getting into your window and getting into the right lap window that you want to be in. So eventually, we’re going to be all bunched together three and four wide, and you’ll be close to your neighbors and your friends.  So yeah, I think that more than anything, it’s just trying to keep the control early on and get through that first cycle and have the control going into the end of the first stage.”

No. 82 Z06 GT3.R takes LMGT3 titles and fourth Corvette Le Mans invite for 2026PORTIMÃO, Portugal (October 18, 2025) – TF Sport and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R co-wrote another new chapter in Corvette Racing history with the program’s first European Le Mans Series championship Saturday with a victory in the season-ending Four Hours of Portimão.

Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and class pole-winner Hiroshi Koizumi teamed for their second LMGT3 victory of the season in the No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and, in the process, claimed the class Drivers and Teams championships. The added bonus is that the title comes with an automatic invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, which could feature a minimum of four Corvettes on the LMGT3 grid. Orey Fidani and IMSA GTD team AWA – running next year under the 13 Motorsports banner – claimed a second straight invite to Le Mans at last weekend’s Petit Le Mans for winning a second consecutive Bob Akin Award. Saturday’s titles for TF Sport are the latest for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, following a sweep of the GTD PRO championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Corvette Z06 GT3.R team DXDT Racing remains in contention for the Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge America with the Indianapolis Eight Hours on-going. Johor Motorsports Racing also is alive in the Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge Asia, which closes its season with two street races in Beijing this weekend.

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TF Sport also remains alive in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 title fight with Eastwood, Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy third heading into next month’s Eight Hours of Bahrain. JESSICA DANE, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Congratulations to everyone at TF Sport for making history today with the first ELMS championship for Corvette Racing. Today’s victory for Charlie, Rui and Hiro came under immense pressure with the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams titles in the balance. The whole team executed the race to perfection. Everyone at Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and GM Motorsports is excited for this championship and a fourth invitation to 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

TF Sport, Corvette Claim Historic ELMS ChampionshipNo. 82 Z06 GT3.R takes LMGT3 titles and fourth Corvette Le Mans invite for 2026PORTIMÃO, Portugal (October 18, 2025) – TF Sport and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R co-wrote another new chapter in Corvette Racing history with the program’s first European Le Mans Series championship Saturday with a victory in the season-ending Four Hours of Portimão.

Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and class pole-winner Hiroshi Koizumi teamed for their second LMGT3 victory of the season in the No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and, in the process, claimed the class Drivers and Teams championships. The added bonus is that the title comes with an automatic invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, which could feature a minimum of four Corvettes on the LMGT3 grid. Orey Fidani and IMSA GTD team AWA – running next year under the 13 Motorsports banner – claimed a second straight invite to Le Mans at last weekend’s Petit Le Mans for winning a second consecutive Bob Akin Award. Saturday’s titles for TF Sport are the latest for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, following a sweep of the GTD PRO championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Corvette Z06 GT3.R team DXDT Racing remains in contention for the Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge America with the Indianapolis Eight Hours on-going. Johor Motorsports Racing also is alive in the Pro-Am title in GT World Challenge Asia, which closes its season with two street races in Beijing this weekend.

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TF Sport also remains alive in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 title fight with Eastwood, Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy third heading into next month’s Eight Hours of Bahrain. JESSICA DANE, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Congratulations to everyone at TF Sport for making history today with the first ELMS championship for Corvette Racing. Today’s victory for Charlie, Rui and Hiro came under immense pressure with the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams titles in the balance. The whole team executed the race to perfection. Everyone at Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and GM Motorsports is excited for this championship and a fourth invitation to 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – LMGT3 RACE AND CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: “That was a very stressful stint to say the least. We didn’t seem to have great pace. We had something we were trying to manage, and with that it was super-difficult. The pace of the McLaren and Wayne (Boyd) has been unbelievable all year. Coming into Turn Five, I could see him behind and then as I came out he was getting closer and closer. Fortunately as the sun started to go down we gained a little bit of grip. But he was right there for the last 10 or 15 laps. My engineer came on the radio saying there were six laps to go and he was literally right behind me and significantly faster. “But what a job by these guys (Andrade and Koizumi). If I didn’t have the gap that I had when I got in the car, for sure we don’t win the race. All credit to both of them for putting in their two best stints of the year exactly when we needed it. I’m super-pleased for the first ELMS championship for Corvette and for the first championship for myself with Corvette. We’ve got Bahrain in a couple of weeks where we’re the underdog as we were today. Hopefully we can have a very good month.“We definitely made that hard work in the last hour. I had to start having to take a lot of risks in traffic because although if we had finished second we might have won, but we didn’t know if other Ferraris were going to let the 50 pass. I was all-out to make sure we got it to the line. What an achievement for the whole team. Rui and Hiro were unbelievable today as was the whole team. I’m going to remember this one for a while.”  RUI ANDRADE, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – LMGT3 RACE AND CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: “I couldn’t have asked for better conditions to get in the car. Already yesterday, Hiro showed the pace he had this whole weekend. Every time he tried to pull away and create a gap there was a safety car or something. But he gave me the car with a good lead. Obviously we were jumped by some cars that were on an offset strategy, so I had to use the new tires the team gave me and make my way through. It was a relatively easy run for me after that. I did have a little issue with the rear-view camera, which is stressful because there are a lot of cars coming through all the time. But the team guided me through that really well, and I was able to give Charlie the car in P1.“It’s becoming a habit of Charlie’s to pull out these amazing wins in the last lap, which end up in me losing my voice! I’m so happy. For sure it was stressful for Charlie in the car but for us on the outside watching it unfold was even more stressful. I never had any doubt that Charlie would do it, and in the end he did it. I couldn’t be happier right now.”(On winning the LMGT3 title) “This one is special just because as a Silver driver in the GT category now, the level is so high. We’ve had to work so hard since last year. Charlie has been my teammate since the beginning with the Corvette, and we’ve worked really hard to try and get me to improve and be at the level where we are now – where we can be fighting for podiums and wins on a regular basis. So that just makes it a little more special with all the work that has gone into it. It’s surreal.” HIROSHI KOIZUMI, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – LMGT3 RACE AND CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER:“The team gave us a great car, and I have the two best drivers as teammates. That’s why I was able to keep the car in first place. So I’m really happy for that. I’m feeling very grateful. I was able to do this because of the team, and my teammates. Congratulations to all of them.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES OCTOBER 18, 2025

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  We’re 33 races into the year. You’ve got three left. You only had one break since Easter. Is the grind starting to get to you at this time of the year, or does the fact that the playoffs are still going and you’re still very much in it make a difference in terms of avoiding any type burn out?“Yeah, I mean, I think still being in the playoffs and competing for a championship distracts you from the grind in a way or that it has been as long as it has been since we’ve had a break. I think the guys who didn’t make the playoffs or who got knocked out in a round — yeah, they’re probably just counting down the days until the season is over. But for us, we’re still in it, so I haven’t really felt like I want the year to be over. But yeah, it’s definitely a long year… it always is. I mean, even if they threw in one more off weekend, it’s still a lot. But yeah, I mean it kind of is what it is. It’s probably tougher on the crew and the mechanics than it is for us drivers because they live it every single day of the week and work long hours, especially this time of year. But for the driver, sure, I would love another break or more, but it’s probably tougher on the mechanics.”  I feel like this is a talking point a lot of superspeedways, but you look at your success this year and you’ve scored the most points in the series. Why do you feel like you’ve had that success this year?“I’ve finally gotten lucky (laughs)… I don’t know. I mean honestly, like that’s me being a little funny, but our average running position probably during the race is no different, I would assume. We’re just not getting caught up in the crashes at the end of them, for whatever reason, so I hope that’s the case again tomorrow. In the past, it’s easy look on paper and be like Kyle Larson is the worst ever on superspeedways.  But if you really watch the race, we’ve been a top contender in the Next Gen era, especially. So yeah, hopefully we can just stay lucky.   This is also your 400th Cup start this weekend. What would it mean to join the elite list that have won in their 400th career start? “Yeah, I think I read that earlier this week. It’d be pretty neat. I would have liked it go to like Bristol or something for my 400 start (laughs), but It would be extra special to get my first win on a superspeedway in my 400 career start. That would be pretty awesome. We’ll give it our best effort tomorrow and hopefully join that list of Hall of Famers. That would be incredible.”  Can you give a sense of the effort and work that you’ve put into being good at these places that maybe you haven’t had there, even though you haven’t had the results? What do we not understand about what you do to almost be in these positions and potentially be in this position come tomorrow to win the race?“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t say it’s like any bit of different prep than a normal weekend. We have our pre-weekend meeting, as always, and kind of look at different scenarios. I do think something that the good guys do good here, and I would consider myself one of them, is the part that you guys don’t really see — leading into the green flag cycle of fuel saving, getting established with good track position while also saving fuel, and then executing. It takes more than just a driver, but your team executing that green flag cycle really well; getting to the yellow line as quick as you can and getting organized as we do with Team Chevy pretty well. And then getting to your pit sign good and your fueler engaging good. Cliff (Daniels) on the stopwatch, nailing all that. Just executing that whole cycle is important.  I think that’s something that we on the No. 5 team, as well as the other key partners in Chevy, do well. And that’s why I think we are in contention typically at the ends of the stages and at the end of the race. You know, sometimes it works out where you finish and sometimes it doesn’t, but I think that’s something that we’ve worked really hard on as a group the past three or four years. I think we’re one of the best, if not the best, at doing that.”  What kind of an accomplishment will it be for you to win one of these after all the misfortune and tough luck and being up there at times? Of all the things you’ve done, how big is this hill for you to climb?“Yeah, I don’t know. I think for a long time, like at least early to the mid-portions my career, I always had a thought in my head like anybody can win on a superspeedway, so it’s not going to feel that special when I finally do win. But now, it’s gone so long and I haven’t even had many top-10s or top-fives that hopefully if I ever do win, I don’t know what the feelings going to be like, but I would assume that it’s going to feel really big. And I will take it anywhere… I would take it here (at Talladega). I’ll take it at the DAYTONA 500 or Atlanta… like I don’t even care at this point, I just would love to get a win.”  What makes this track so special, even beyond the racing? “I mean, I don’t find myself on the boulevard much anymore, but I would say just the atmosphere here as the sun goes down his is really, really awesome. I remember back when we had like the three-day weekends — I’m sure they still do it, but I don’t know if many drivers participate in it as much anymore, but like they had a parade. I don’t know if they still do it on the boulevard, that was always fun being a part of that and throwing beads at fans and then seeing what kind of crazy event they have at the end of the airstrip there. And then yeah, all you had to do is run one lap the next day, so you go out pretty big Friday night, so that was always fun to look forward to that. And then Sunday, the crowd is always really big and really into it. You feel it during pre-race. You feel it in the midway and all that.  I don’t love the racing here, but I do enjoy coming here because the atmosphere is always great.”  What should we watch tomorrow in terms of how people will approach stage points? If you’re in the playoffs, yeah, those would be really valuable, but you could also get up there and get yourself into a mess that could ruin your day? But then if you let everybody else get stage points, then you’re kind of screwed, too, so how do you think people will play it or do you have any sense of how you might approach that?“Well, I don’t know. We haven’t talked about those sorts of scenarios. I would assume we’re just going normal and trying to execute the green flags cycles, like I mentioned, and get stage points. I think maybe Denny Hamlin would be the only one that wouldn’t be doing that, but I think the seven of us are probably all going to try and get stage points because, as you mentioned, I’m plus 35, but you know if somebody below the cutline or even just anybody behind me goes and wins both stages, that’s 20 points to my zero and that’s a lot. But yeah, I mean there’s a risk that comes with it. I don’t know… hopefully you’ve executed well enough that you are in the front of that group. If not, then yeah, I mean maybe you just got away that risk, but it’s hard to kind of pick your way to the front if you’re outside the top-10 anyways So yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully we just execute good and we can maximize our day like we have been on the speedways.”  There’s a lot of talk about Ryan Blaney and then Penske at Martinsville in the fall. But looking at your stats, you guys are in the ballpark. Where do you feel like you’re at going into Martinsville?“Yeah, I feel like we’re in the ballpark, for sure. I think our team has done a good job to execute the strategies, whether it be whenever you take two tires and stuff like that and I have good restarts and things. Points earned wise, it’s probably one of our better tracks, but it’s not somewhere that I go and I feel like I’m going to have a shot to win here. I still don’t feel the best there. It takes me a while to get into a rhythm. And even when I get into the rhythm, there’s still three or four or five guys that I feel like are better than me there.  Yeah, I mean, Ryan (Blaney), at least in the fall race, has been by far the best the last few years. But yeah, you can’t ever expect to do good anywhere. With our previous results, I think we could go there and score good points if nothing crazy happens.”  You have a 35-point advantage heading into tomorrow’s race. Do you feel that playing it safe might be the way to go this year, given your past experience here?“No, I don’t I don’t think so. I don’t think ever playing it safe is ever the right call in the Cup Series. At least for me here, you’ve got to assume a guy below the cutline or even below you is going to win, so then it’s going to bring you closer to the cutline.  So no, I think you need to go and try to score as many points as you can. And obviously get a win would lock you in. So yeah, I would say we’re not approaching this race any differently than we would in the spring race here. We’re trying to score as many points we can and get a win, if possible.”  Joey Logano was in here earlier and he said it’s sometimes a difficult decision when you’re up front there racing and you make a decision that could either give you a shot at the win or could cost you big time. Given the points circumstances, are you going to go all out for the win or are you going to just say this looks a little risky…“I mean, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know where I’m going to be running at the end of the stages or at the end of the race. But yeah, I mean you’re just kind of making decisions in the moment. The difficult part about speedway racing is that you never know what the right decision or wrong decision is until after you make it. You just don’t know.”  Besides the Chevy Allegiance to your fellow Team Chevy drivers, what qualities do you look for in a driver out there to run with and who are some of your favorites you do run with in the in the draft besides Team Chevy? “The Fords are particularly really good at these types of tracks. They’re really fast. They’re really stable. They’re really good at pushing. They’re really good at receiving pushes. So I would say all of us in the field probably look for a Ford, just because they’re by far the fastest. But also, you know when it comes down to the details of pit road and executing the green flag stops, you look for your Chevy Alliance teams. Like I said, I feel like we’ve worked really well together and even making certain moves on the track. But if you’re trying to get sheer speed and stuff, you want a Ford behind you.”

NASCAR CUP SERIESTALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESOCTOBER 18, 2025

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  We’re 33 races into the year. You’ve got three left. You only had one break since Easter. Is the grind starting to get to you at this time of the year, or does the fact that the playoffs are still going and you’re still very much in it make a difference in terms of avoiding any type burn out?“Yeah, I mean, I think still being in the playoffs and competing for a championship distracts you from the grind in a way or that it has been as long as it has been since we’ve had a break. I think the guys who didn’t make the playoffs or who got knocked out in a round — yeah, they’re probably just counting down the days until the season is over. But for us, we’re still in it, so I haven’t really felt like I want the year to be over. But yeah, it’s definitely a long year… it always is. I mean, even if they threw in one more off weekend, it’s still a lot. But yeah, I mean it kind of is what it is. It’s probably tougher on the crew and the mechanics than it is for us drivers because they live it every single day of the week and work long hours, especially this time of year. But for the driver, sure, I would love another break or more, but it’s probably tougher on the mechanics.”  I feel like this is a talking point a lot of superspeedways, but you look at your success this year and you’ve scored the most points in the series. Why do you feel like you’ve had that success this year?“I’ve finally gotten lucky (laughs)… I don’t know. I mean honestly, like that’s me being a little funny, but our average running position probably during the race is no different, I would assume. We’re just not getting caught up in the crashes at the end of them, for whatever reason, so I hope that’s the case again tomorrow. In the past, it’s easy look on paper and be like Kyle Larson is the worst ever on superspeedways.  But if you really watch the race, we’ve been a top contender in the Next Gen era, especially. So yeah, hopefully we can just stay lucky.   This is also your 400th Cup start this weekend. What would it mean to join the elite list that have won in their 400th career start? “Yeah, I think I read that earlier this week. It’d be pretty neat. I would have liked it go to like Bristol or something for my 400 start (laughs), but It would be extra special to get my first win on a superspeedway in my 400 career start. That would be pretty awesome. We’ll give it our best effort tomorrow and hopefully join that list of Hall of Famers. That would be incredible.”  Can you give a sense of the effort and work that you’ve put into being good at these places that maybe you haven’t had there, even though you haven’t had the results? What do we not understand about what you do to almost be in these positions and potentially be in this position come tomorrow to win the race?“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I wouldn’t say it’s like any bit of different prep than a normal weekend. We have our pre-weekend meeting, as always, and kind of look at different scenarios. I do think something that the good guys do good here, and I would consider myself one of them, is the part that you guys don’t really see — leading into the green flag cycle of fuel saving, getting established with good track position while also saving fuel, and then executing. It takes more than just a driver, but your team executing that green flag cycle really well; getting to the yellow line as quick as you can and getting organized as we do with Team Chevy pretty well. And then getting to your pit sign good and your fueler engaging good. Cliff (Daniels) on the stopwatch, nailing all that. Just executing that whole cycle is important.  I think that’s something that we on the No. 5 team, as well as the other key partners in Chevy, do well. And that’s why I think we are in contention typically at the ends of the stages and at the end of the race. You know, sometimes it works out where you finish and sometimes it doesn’t, but I think that’s something that we’ve worked really hard on as a group the past three or four years. I think we’re one of the best, if not the best, at doing that.”  What kind of an accomplishment will it be for you to win one of these after all the misfortune and tough luck and being up there at times? Of all the things you’ve done, how big is this hill for you to climb?“Yeah, I don’t know. I think for a long time, like at least early to the mid-portions my career, I always had a thought in my head like anybody can win on a superspeedway, so it’s not going to feel that special when I finally do win. But now, it’s gone so long and I haven’t even had many top-10s or top-fives that hopefully if I ever do win, I don’t know what the feelings going to be like, but I would assume that it’s going to feel really big. And I will take it anywhere… I would take it here (at Talladega). I’ll take it at the DAYTONA 500 or Atlanta… like I don’t even care at this point, I just would love to get a win.”  What makes this track so special, even beyond the racing? “I mean, I don’t find myself on the boulevard much anymore, but I would say just the atmosphere here as the sun goes down his is really, really awesome. I remember back when we had like the three-day weekends — I’m sure they still do it, but I don’t know if many drivers participate in it as much anymore, but like they had a parade. I don’t know if they still do it on the boulevard, that was always fun being a part of that and throwing beads at fans and then seeing what kind of crazy event they have at the end of the airstrip there. And then yeah, all you had to do is run one lap the next day, so you go out pretty big Friday night, so that was always fun to look forward to that. And then Sunday, the crowd is always really big and really into it. You feel it during pre-race. You feel it in the midway and all that.  I don’t love the racing here, but I do enjoy coming here because the atmosphere is always great.”  What should we watch tomorrow in terms of how people will approach stage points? If you’re in the playoffs, yeah, those would be really valuable, but you could also get up there and get yourself into a mess that could ruin your day? But then if you let everybody else get stage points, then you’re kind of screwed, too, so how do you think people will play it or do you have any sense of how you might approach that?“Well, I don’t know. We haven’t talked about those sorts of scenarios. I would assume we’re just going normal and trying to execute the green flags cycles, like I mentioned, and get stage points. I think maybe Denny Hamlin would be the only one that wouldn’t be doing that, but I think the seven of us are probably all going to try and get stage points because, as you mentioned, I’m plus 35, but you know if somebody below the cutline or even just anybody behind me goes and wins both stages, that’s 20 points to my zero and that’s a lot. But yeah, I mean there’s a risk that comes with it. I don’t know… hopefully you’ve executed well enough that you are in the front of that group. If not, then yeah, I mean maybe you just got away that risk, but it’s hard to kind of pick your way to the front if you’re outside the top-10 anyways So yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully we just execute good and we can maximize our day like we have been on the speedways.”  There’s a lot of talk about Ryan Blaney and then Penske at Martinsville in the fall. But looking at your stats, you guys are in the ballpark. Where do you feel like you’re at going into Martinsville?“Yeah, I feel like we’re in the ballpark, for sure. I think our team has done a good job to execute the strategies, whether it be whenever you take two tires and stuff like that and I have good restarts and things. Points earned wise, it’s probably one of our better tracks, but it’s not somewhere that I go and I feel like I’m going to have a shot to win here. I still don’t feel the best there. It takes me a while to get into a rhythm. And even when I get into the rhythm, there’s still three or four or five guys that I feel like are better than me there.  Yeah, I mean, Ryan (Blaney), at least in the fall race, has been by far the best the last few years. But yeah, you can’t ever expect to do good anywhere. With our previous results, I think we could go there and score good points if nothing crazy happens.”  You have a 35-point advantage heading into tomorrow’s race. Do you feel that playing it safe might be the way to go this year, given your past experience here?“No, I don’t I don’t think so. I don’t think ever playing it safe is ever the right call in the Cup Series. At least for me here, you’ve got to assume a guy below the cutline or even below you is going to win, so then it’s going to bring you closer to the cutline.  So no, I think you need to go and try to score as many points as you can. And obviously get a win would lock you in. So yeah, I would say we’re not approaching this race any differently than we would in the spring race here. We’re trying to score as many points we can and get a win, if possible.”  Joey Logano was in here earlier and he said it’s sometimes a difficult decision when you’re up front there racing and you make a decision that could either give you a shot at the win or could cost you big time. Given the points circumstances, are you going to go all out for the win or are you going to just say this looks a little risky…“I mean, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know where I’m going to be running at the end of the stages or at the end of the race. But yeah, I mean you’re just kind of making decisions in the moment. The difficult part about speedway racing is that you never know what the right decision or wrong decision is until after you make it. You just don’t know.”  Besides the Chevy Allegiance to your fellow Team Chevy drivers, what qualities do you look for in a driver out there to run with and who are some of your favorites you do run with in the in the draft besides Team Chevy? “The Fords are particularly really good at these types of tracks. They’re really fast. They’re really stable. They’re really good at pushing. They’re really good at receiving pushes. So I would say all of us in the field probably look for a Ford, just because they’re by far the fastest. But also, you know when it comes down to the details of pit road and executing the green flag stops, you look for your Chevy Alliance teams. Like I said, I feel like we’ve worked really well together and even making certain moves on the track. But if you’re trying to get sheer speed and stuff, you want a Ford behind you.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR CUP SERIESTALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESOCTOBER 18, 2025

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  How have you been able to get past last week and move forward in the playoffs?“Yeah, I mean, just reflection and just looking at everything for a day or so, and then really just diving into Talladega and trying to look ahead. I feel like there’s never a truer time to embrace one week at a time than now. We’re just really trying to dive into the details of this weekend and see how I can do a better job in the draft, and so far, I feel good about my preparation. Last spring was a good race for us. But yeah, spent a couple days kind of stewing on it a little bit, but then get past it and move on.”   How much did you focus on going back and looking at what happened and trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again versus just getting past it and moving forward? “Yeah, I mean, it’s such a freak deal that it’s very hard to go back and be like, how does this not happen again. Monday morning quarterback, had I known the situation and what was happening, you know, you can say — oh, would you react differently, would you go right, would you slow down quicker, whatever. But in the moment, there were no signs that that was happening. So in a split second like that, once you realize it, it was too late. But when you go back and you know that that’s going to happen, it’s a lot different to evaluate it and look at it. So you have to make sure you’re not too critical of yourself in that instance because you didn’t have any expectation that that was going to happen, and that’s why it played out the way it did and that’s why it was such a violent crash. From inside the car, there was no sign… there was no wave and there was no difference in line. Just looking at the closing rate and seeing him start to slow down, maybe I could have realized that sooner, but that’s all Monday morning when you know looking back that that’s going to happen. So in the moment, I just saw a car; I thought he missed the bottom and I thought, man, and then as soon as I realized he was slowing, boom, it’s too late. I tried to miss him left and that’s why I got a little sideways and on the brakes. But yeah, once I knew he was slowing down, I was maybe four car lengths back.  Just a very, very tough situation, but I’ve moved on from it and feel really good about this weekend.”  There’s 36 races a year and you’re down to the last three. You haven’t had a break since Easter. The grind’s wearing on a lot of people. But because of the nature of the playoffs, does the grind wear on you at all, or do you just singularly focus on week to week and it doesn’t really affect you because of the playoffs?“Yeah, you’ve got to be mentally strong. You can look at it one or two ways. You can be like, oh, I’m so close to the end and I just want to get to the end. But in our situation, we have a great opportunity. We have an opportunity that doesn’t come about every year, possibly. It’s very difficult to make the Round of Eight and get to this point. So I look at it like, yeah, my season and my life is going to drastically change in two, three weeks, and I’m going to be able to do all these different things and enjoy life as a person. But I think right now, the grind is kind of diving into the details… what can I do these next really two weeks because my season will be over soon, if I don’t do what I need to do the next two weeks. So just try to embrace it; put everything I can into the next couple weeks of preparation. For good or bad, it’ll all be over in a few weeks. So just got to look at it from that perspective.”  Your average finish here in the last five races is 4.4. How did you get so proficient at running this track, or should I say lucky?“Yeah, there’s always an element of luck here, but it’s just trying to put yourself in the right positions. There are movements you make every lap that create the results, so it’s being in the right positions. It’s managing fuel. It’s the strategy side of things. My team has done a good job executing the strategy. And then when we get on the other side of the pit cycle, we’ve made good decisions.  I think the spring is the first time at Talladega that I felt like I had an opportunity to win and didn’t win. I felt like I was in a position to control that race. So, I really looked at that and tried to understand, okay, why did it not go perfect? What lost me control the race and gave it to Austin (Cindric). Him and (Ryan) Preece were on the front row at the end, so how did I lose that position? That was kind of nice to have a race here that I was in control and in control where I wanted to be. It was maybe the first one that I didn’t feel like I close out.   Since the Next Gen car was introduced, only four drivers have been to the Championship Four twice. Do you think that that’s the car more so than anything else? You would see guys that would be Championship Four regulars and for you just to be among that group of three other drivers that have made that final four group twice, why do you think that it’s such a low number?“So no one’s made it three times, is that right?  I mean, that’s interesting… I didn’t know that. I think it’s the parody throughout the field. Particularly when you look at the top-eight cars, there was not a big difference in bonus points, playoff points, coming in here. Really there are about five guys that were pretty even on playoff points and it kind of changed in the first round. The No. 12 (Ryan Blaney) got up there, sneaked a few stage wins in and the race win at New Hampshire.  So I don’t know, the seeding has kind of changed a lot this year. There’s not really a clear number one. I think that’s made it just super important to execute. That’s why last week was a big bummer because it was probably a 35-point swing with that result. Yeah, it just puts a premium on execution. I think you’re going to see that in the next couple of weeks, as well. You just don’t have those big buffers like when Martin was doing it. They could get 60 playoff points and you just don’t have that big buffer anymore.”   I assume it was probably just bitterness over what happened last week. So how do you get over it, like do you golf? Is it talking to somebody? Is it listening to music? Just how do you get over such a frustration? “Yeah, I actually wasn’t bitter. I was just probably in a bit of shock is what you guys saw after the race. I just couldn’t believe it. Like, I mean, we do this so often… we pit so often. We do these things. It’s so routine and it was so not routine that time. The result was not what I expected, so I think that was the emotion… it was shock.  But then during the week, it’s just, how do you dive into next week? Yes, there are things I do off the track that get my mind away from the sport. But it’s really just about doing the things you’ve been doing and the routine you’ve been doing. It doesn’t just go away in one day. It just kind of slowly as we get towards Sunday, it’s like –- Hey, you know, we got another race Sunday and it’s time to get going here.”   Does this happening kind of impact how you feel about the playoff system as a whole?“I can’t answer that question yet. I got to see how the next month unfolds. I think looking back in the truck series when we won seven races and blew an engine in the second to last race, we didn’t have an opportunity to come back from that. Now we have an opportunity to do something about our result. And so yeah, I want to embrace that. I want to see how the next couple of weeks ago; put everything I can into it and see what happens. I’m not about to complain about the format just because of what happened. I think there’s still opportunity out there, and I think that would be kind of a losing mindset to look at it that way.”  You typically give off kind of this mellow, cool vibe. Along the lines of what Bob (Pockrass) was asking you, you said you did your typical things. How do you get over such a disappointment like that because you’re kind of a ‘Steady Eddie’ anyway, but how do you process that? Is that also a result of the maturity that you have racing in the series that you don’t let something like that really mess you up?“Yeah, I just think I don’t really show the emotions that I’m feeling at the race track because I’m trying to process them, as well. I’m just a very introspective person and I feel like that kind of perspective comes to me throughout the week. I do that on my own time. I don’t tweet about it. I don’t talk to you guys about it. But I do all that work internally and amongst people that I trust. So yeah, all that goes on, you just don’t see it right after the race. But yeah, I obviously do that processing, as everyone needs to.”   How different is Martinsville in the spring to Martinsville in fall? It doesn’t always seem like there’s a carryover from who’s strong to one to the other… “Yeah, it does seem like there’s a big gap between those two races. You know, you kind of make the mistake of trying to copy the spring a lot of times and it doesn’t work. I think it’s just one of those places you have to approach with an open mind. You maybe know how to get around that race track and maybe you know how to crew chief that race track, but it changes every time.  It does seem like the weather and the tire changes have affected that, where the tire changes just enough or the weather changes just enough where the notes are obsolete. I think it’s such a short track that you’re going around that race track so many times that the rhythm and cadence that just one small thing being off changes the whole game. We have to do our prep next week and really understand what we’re going to face. But we probably don’t fully understand the balance until we get there that weekend.”

TULSA, OK (October 17, 2025) — Sixteen months ago, Sam Hafertepe Jr. had never turned a lap around Tulsa Speedway. Now, he’s already the first three-time 360 Sprint Car winner in the history of the track.

After winning two of the three American Sprint Car Series events held at the track in 2024, the Sunnyvale, TX native picked up where he left off with the opening night win at the Double Down in T-Town, his 11th of the season with the Series.

“This place, we always perform really well here,” Hafertepe said. “It’s a good racetrack for us, we have a lot of really good notes. Me and Sean [McClelland], we share a lot of information between each other, that’s probably why we ran 1-2 tonight.”

Hafertepe led the field to green in the 25-lap main event to the inside of McClelland, the ASCS Sooner Region points leader entering the weekend. The No. 15H rolled the bottom around Turns 1 and 2 to get the lead down the backstretch and looked to set sail from there.

A trio of early yellows kept him from doing so, and also made traffic a non-factor in the first half of the race. That wouldn’t be the case in the waning moments though, as Hafertepe caught the tail of the field and struggled to find a way around. That allowed McClelland to eliminate the 1.6-second margin Hafertepe built up in clean air.

McClelland then found himself in the same dilemma as Hafertepe with the cars in front of him – reeling them in was doable, but passing them was more of a challenge. With the laps winding down, McClelland tried and failed to find enough momentum to get around Hafertepe and could only watch him take the checkered flag.

“I knew who was behind me,” Hafertepe said regarding McClelland’s late charge in traffic. “That’s one thing that I didn’t have to worry about him putting the chrome horn to me or nothing like that. That actually kind of eased me a little bit to just hit my marks and just do what you’re supposed to do. It gets really hard, and you’ve got to be so patient to hit the bottom that slow. It just makes it really difficult to be that patient.”

That patience was rewarded with an expanded lead in the title chase that now sits at 166 points with three races remaining. Hafertepe doesn’t need to be the fastest car on the track the rest of the way to lock up his sixth Series championship – nevertheless, he has his sights set on wrapping things up with a bang.

“Hasn’t been the end to the season that we wanted, so it’s good to get a win tonight, hopefully we can go down to Creek County [Speedway] and win down there too,” Hafertepe said. “We want to finish strong. That’s what champions do, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

For McClelland, his second-place effort was his best National Tour result since his most recent win across town at Creek County in 2023.

“I get sick of following that 15H,” McClelland said. “He’s good, that’s why I rely on him to help me out. He’s my best friend. He don’t know it, but he resurrected my career about six years ago, and I can’t thank him enough for it.”

The last step on the podium was occupied by Terry Easum, who notched a new season-high finish after a sophomore National Tour season filled with plenty of trials and tribulations.

“We know we’re capable, it’s just getting me comfortable in the car,” Easum said. “I’m probably the biggest hold up in this car. I just need to keep getting better, and we will. We’ll stick it out, and keep at it until we get better to be on a podium more.”

Matt Covington came home fourth for his third top five in his last four Tulsa starts, while Elijah Gile finished a career-best fifth.

UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series wraps up the Double Down in T-Town at Tulsa Speedway with a $6,000-to-win program on Saturday, Oct. 18.

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

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]; 2. 1-Sean McClelland[2]; 3. 88-Terry Easum[3]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[4]; 5. 12H-Elijah Gile[6]; 6. 88R-Ryder Laplante[9]; 7. 2B-Garrett Benson[5]; 8. 85-Kyle Bellm[10]; 9. 52-Blake Hahn[17]; 10. 36-Jason Martin[12]; 11. 8R-Ryker Pace[13]; 12. 938-Bradley Fezard[18]; 13. 7M-Chance Morton[16]; 14. 71-Brady Baker[23]; 15. 2J-Zach Blurton[7]; 16. 52H-Hayden Mabe[14]; 17. G6-Howard Moore[15]; 18. 15D-Andrew Deal[19]; 19. 45X-Kyler Johnson[22]; 20. 29-Emilio Hoover[20]; 21. 16G-Austyn Gossel[24]; 22. 7F-Joshua Tyre[21]; 23. 26M-Fred Mattox[8]; 24. 8M-Kade Morton[11]

ARTICLE: https://ascsracing.com/news/hafertepe-jr-closes-in-on-sixth-championship-with-friday-tulsa-victory/
PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Schwanke

Hafertepe Jr. Closes in on Sixth Championship with Friday Tulsa Victory TULSA, OK (October 17, 2025) — Sixteen months ago, Sam Hafertepe Jr. had never turned a lap around Tulsa Speedway. Now, he’s already the first three-time 360 Sprint Car winner in the history of the track.

After winning two of the three American Sprint Car Series events held at the track in 2024, the Sunnyvale, TX native picked up where he left off with the opening night win at the Double Down in T-Town, his 11th of the season with the Series.

“This place, we always perform really well here,” Hafertepe said. “It’s a good racetrack for us, we have a lot of really good notes. Me and Sean [McClelland], we share a lot of information between each other, that’s probably why we ran 1-2 tonight.”

Hafertepe led the field to green in the 25-lap main event to the inside of McClelland, the ASCS Sooner Region points leader entering the weekend. The No. 15H rolled the bottom around Turns 1 and 2 to get the lead down the backstretch and looked to set sail from there.

A trio of early yellows kept him from doing so, and also made traffic a non-factor in the first half of the race. That wouldn’t be the case in the waning moments though, as Hafertepe caught the tail of the field and struggled to find a way around. That allowed McClelland to eliminate the 1.6-second margin Hafertepe built up in clean air.

McClelland then found himself in the same dilemma as Hafertepe with the cars in front of him – reeling them in was doable, but passing them was more of a challenge. With the laps winding down, McClelland tried and failed to find enough momentum to get around Hafertepe and could only watch him take the checkered flag.

“I knew who was behind me,” Hafertepe said regarding McClelland’s late charge in traffic. “That’s one thing that I didn’t have to worry about him putting the chrome horn to me or nothing like that. That actually kind of eased me a little bit to just hit my marks and just do what you’re supposed to do. It gets really hard, and you’ve got to be so patient to hit the bottom that slow. It just makes it really difficult to be that patient.”

That patience was rewarded with an expanded lead in the title chase that now sits at 166 points with three races remaining. Hafertepe doesn’t need to be the fastest car on the track the rest of the way to lock up his sixth Series championship – nevertheless, he has his sights set on wrapping things up with a bang.

“Hasn’t been the end to the season that we wanted, so it’s good to get a win tonight, hopefully we can go down to Creek County [Speedway] and win down there too,” Hafertepe said. “We want to finish strong. That’s what champions do, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

For McClelland, his second-place effort was his best National Tour result since his most recent win across town at Creek County in 2023.

“I get sick of following that 15H,” McClelland said. “He’s good, that’s why I rely on him to help me out. He’s my best friend. He don’t know it, but he resurrected my career about six years ago, and I can’t thank him enough for it.”

The last step on the podium was occupied by Terry Easum, who notched a new season-high finish after a sophomore National Tour season filled with plenty of trials and tribulations.

“We know we’re capable, it’s just getting me comfortable in the car,” Easum said. “I’m probably the biggest hold up in this car. I just need to keep getting better, and we will. We’ll stick it out, and keep at it until we get better to be on a podium more.”

Matt Covington came home fourth for his third top five in his last four Tulsa starts, while Elijah Gile finished a career-best fifth.

UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series wraps up the Double Down in T-Town at Tulsa Speedway with a $6,000-to-win program on Saturday, Oct. 18.

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

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]; 2. 1-Sean McClelland[2]; 3. 88-Terry Easum[3]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[4]; 5. 12H-Elijah Gile[6]; 6. 88R-Ryder Laplante[9]; 7. 2B-Garrett Benson[5]; 8. 85-Kyle Bellm[10]; 9. 52-Blake Hahn[17]; 10. 36-Jason Martin[12]; 11. 8R-Ryker Pace[13]; 12. 938-Bradley Fezard[18]; 13. 7M-Chance Morton[16]; 14. 71-Brady Baker[23]; 15. 2J-Zach Blurton[7]; 16. 52H-Hayden Mabe[14]; 17. G6-Howard Moore[15]; 18. 15D-Andrew Deal[19]; 19. 45X-Kyler Johnson[22]; 20. 29-Emilio Hoover[20]; 21. 16G-Austyn Gossel[24]; 22. 7F-Joshua Tyre[21]; 23. 26M-Fred Mattox[8]; 24. 8M-Kade Morton[11]

ARTICLE: https://ascsracing.com/news/hafertepe-jr-closes-in-on-sixth-championship-with-friday-tulsa-victory/
PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Schwanke

EVENT INFO: https://ascsracing.com/schedule/event-info/?event=4547807
TRACK INFO: https://www.tulsaspeedway.com/
FAN 101: https://ascsracing.com/about/

The two drivers atop the points come together in the final corner, and the defending champion holds on for the victory

PUTNAMVILLE, IN (October 17, 2025) – Anticipation was high Friday night as the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returned to Lincoln Park Speedway, and it didn’t disappoint.

The Putnamville, IN track is famous for so many reasons. It’s a high banked bullring. It routinely builds a monstrous cushion. It produces some of the best Sprint Car racing fans will ever see. The “Hoosier State” oval lived up to every bit of its reputation as The Greatest Show on Dirt came back for the first time in nine years.

David Gravel and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid gave the packed stands a show they won’t soon forget. The two began their battle right off the bat as Kofoid started third but drove by polesitter Gravel on the second circuit to take the top spot. Gravel was far from done as he rallied and reclaimed it on the 13th lap as Kofoid struggled in traffic.

The mid-portion of the race unfolded, and Gravel managed to put some distance between himself and the Roth Motorsports No. 83. Then Kofoid found speed as he migrated his line to the huge curb at the top of the racetrack. The gap between the two shrank and shrank until Kofoid finally pulled the trigger on a slider coming to two laps to go. Gravel crossed under him exiting Turn 2 then moved to the top to take away Kofoid’s line. The two took the white flag, but then the red lights flashed for a flipping Brady Bacon.

The red set the stage for a wild restart. The green flag flew, and Kofoid threw a huge slide job on Gravel in Turns 3 and 4. Gravel dipped below him on the front straightaway to retake command as the white flag flew. Kofoid hammered the cushion to pull alongside Gravel on the backstretch. Kofoid committed to the top in the final set of corners. Gravel slid toward the cushion, but Kofoid was already there and the two made contact. The result? A spun around Kofoid as Gravel drove away to the checkered flag.

“Obviously, you don’t want guys to come together on the last corner racing for the win,” Gravel said. “We were equal, wheel-to-wheel there. I just think we were racing for the same spot, last lap, last corner for the win. I felt like I kind of had position on him down the backstretch. I felt like he kind of forced it to go outside of me. He knew I was going to the cushion. I didn’t wreck him on purpose. I know that, and hopefully he does as well. I don’t want to get into a crash and knock the guy out that we’re racing in points either. I want to win in fair and square. I just got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), Pete (Stephens), and Luke (Vaughn) is here helping us out.”

The Watertown, CT native is now up to 16 World of Outlaws victories in 2025 with the Big Game Motorsports team. Gravel elevated his career total to 119, moving him within three of equaling Danny Lasoski for sixth all-time.

Instead of a potential win, a disappointed Kofoid was left with a 14th place finish.

“I felt like we were kind of side by side,” Kofoid said of the final lap. “Then we went into (Turn) 3 he was kind of coming up, and I was kind of already there and didn’t really have an option to move down. I thought for a split second there was a hole and felt like I got most of the way or next to him, and then it just closed up last second. I feel bad for all of the Roth Motorsports crew guys and the whole team. Whether it’s my fault or not, I feel like I let them down.”

Carson Macedo charged the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 from 10th to the runner-up spot and was in line for victory had Gravel also gone around as a result of the contact. The Lemoore, CA native is up to 25 podiums this season.

“I was just in the cat-bird seat hoping that maybe calamity would happen, and I could squeeze in for the win,” Macedo said. “From what I saw, it was just a racing deal. A guy really going for it there. I didn’t think it was going to work, and it didn’t.”

Kofoid sliding down the finishing order allowed Bill Balog to climb onto the podium. A third place run marked the “North Pole Nightmare’s” ninth top three of his sophomore World of Outlaws season.

“We had a super good race car,” Balog said. “I definitely think it was probably a little bit better than the way I was driving it maybe. We had a good car all night. I have to thank Honest Abe Roofing, Anderson’s Maple Syrup, and everybody that helps us out. We just try to do a good job for them. Hats off to Putnamville. Awesome racetrack. This is the kind of thing we needed right here. A short track, great racing, a big curb, and a lot of fun.”

Cole Macedo and Garet Williamson completed the top five.

Kerry Madsen took the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 from 21st to ninth to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Buddy Kofoid earned his third Simpson Quick Time of the year and set a new track record in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Bill Balog (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Cole Macedo (Real American Beer Heat Two), Darin Naida (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Logan Julien (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Darin Naida.

David Gravel topped the Toyota Dash.

Kerry Madsen won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Buddy Kofoid.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the second leg of a three-state tripleheader on Saturday, Oct. 18 at La Salle, IL’s LaSalle Speedway before finishing the weekend at Sun Prairie, WI’s Angell Park Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 19. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog[4]; 4. 2C-Cole Macedo[8]; 5. 23-Garet Williamson[5]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[9]; 7. 71-Parker Price Miller[12]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz[11]; 9. 15S-Kerry Madsen[21]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[20]; 11. 85J-Logan Julien[6]; 12. 51-Scott Bogucki[15]; 13. 37-Bryce Norris[7]; 14. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[19]; 16. 18-Cory Eliason[22]; 17. 21H-Brady Bacon[16]; 18. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[23]; 19. 99-Skylar Gee[17]; 20. 6-Zach Hampton[18]; 21. 34-Sterling Cling[24]; 22. 24-Cole Duncan[14]; 23. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[13]; 24. 2MD-Darin Naida[2]

PUTNAMVILLE PANDEMONIUM: Gravel Wins World of Outlaws Return to Lincoln Park After Contact with Kofoid

The two drivers atop the points come together in the final corner, and the defending champion holds on for the victory

PUTNAMVILLE, IN (October 17, 2025) – Anticipation was high Friday night as the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returned to Lincoln Park Speedway, and it didn’t disappoint.

The Putnamville, IN track is famous for so many reasons. It’s a high banked bullring. It routinely builds a monstrous cushion. It produces some of the best Sprint Car racing fans will ever see. The “Hoosier State” oval lived up to every bit of its reputation as The Greatest Show on Dirt came back for the first time in nine years.

David Gravel and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid gave the packed stands a show they won’t soon forget. The two began their battle right off the bat as Kofoid started third but drove by polesitter Gravel on the second circuit to take the top spot. Gravel was far from done as he rallied and reclaimed it on the 13th lap as Kofoid struggled in traffic.

The mid-portion of the race unfolded, and Gravel managed to put some distance between himself and the Roth Motorsports No. 83. Then Kofoid found speed as he migrated his line to the huge curb at the top of the racetrack. The gap between the two shrank and shrank until Kofoid finally pulled the trigger on a slider coming to two laps to go. Gravel crossed under him exiting Turn 2 then moved to the top to take away Kofoid’s line. The two took the white flag, but then the red lights flashed for a flipping Brady Bacon.

The red set the stage for a wild restart. The green flag flew, and Kofoid threw a huge slide job on Gravel in Turns 3 and 4. Gravel dipped below him on the front straightaway to retake command as the white flag flew. Kofoid hammered the cushion to pull alongside Gravel on the backstretch. Kofoid committed to the top in the final set of corners. Gravel slid toward the cushion, but Kofoid was already there and the two made contact. The result? A spun around Kofoid as Gravel drove away to the checkered flag.

“Obviously, you don’t want guys to come together on the last corner racing for the win,” Gravel said. “We were equal, wheel-to-wheel there. I just think we were racing for the same spot, last lap, last corner for the win. I felt like I kind of had position on him down the backstretch. I felt like he kind of forced it to go outside of me. He knew I was going to the cushion. I didn’t wreck him on purpose. I know that, and hopefully he does as well. I don’t want to get into a crash and knock the guy out that we’re racing in points either. I want to win in fair and square. I just got to thank Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), Pete (Stephens), and Luke (Vaughn) is here helping us out.”

The Watertown, CT native is now up to 16 World of Outlaws victories in 2025 with the Big Game Motorsports team. Gravel elevated his career total to 119, moving him within three of equaling Danny Lasoski for sixth all-time.

Instead of a potential win, a disappointed Kofoid was left with a 14th place finish.

“I felt like we were kind of side by side,” Kofoid said of the final lap. “Then we went into (Turn) 3 he was kind of coming up, and I was kind of already there and didn’t really have an option to move down. I thought for a split second there was a hole and felt like I got most of the way or next to him, and then it just closed up last second. I feel bad for all of the Roth Motorsports crew guys and the whole team. Whether it’s my fault or not, I feel like I let them down.”

Carson Macedo charged the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 from 10th to the runner-up spot and was in line for victory had Gravel also gone around as a result of the contact. The Lemoore, CA native is up to 25 podiums this season.

“I was just in the cat-bird seat hoping that maybe calamity would happen, and I could squeeze in for the win,” Macedo said. “From what I saw, it was just a racing deal. A guy really going for it there. I didn’t think it was going to work, and it didn’t.”

Kofoid sliding down the finishing order allowed Bill Balog to climb onto the podium. A third place run marked the “North Pole Nightmare’s” ninth top three of his sophomore World of Outlaws season.

“We had a super good race car,” Balog said. “I definitely think it was probably a little bit better than the way I was driving it maybe. We had a good car all night. I have to thank Honest Abe Roofing, Anderson’s Maple Syrup, and everybody that helps us out. We just try to do a good job for them. Hats off to Putnamville. Awesome racetrack. This is the kind of thing we needed right here. A short track, great racing, a big curb, and a lot of fun.”

Cole Macedo and Garet Williamson completed the top five.

Kerry Madsen took the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15 from 21st to ninth to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Buddy Kofoid earned his third Simpson Quick Time of the year and set a new track record in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Bill Balog (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Cole Macedo (Real American Beer Heat Two), Darin Naida (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Logan Julien (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Darin Naida.

David Gravel topped the Toyota Dash.

Kerry Madsen won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Buddy Kofoid.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the second leg of a three-state tripleheader on Saturday, Oct. 18 at La Salle, IL’s LaSalle Speedway before finishing the weekend at Sun Prairie, WI’s Angell Park Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 19. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog[4]; 4. 2C-Cole Macedo[8]; 5. 23-Garet Williamson[5]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[9]; 7. 71-Parker Price Miller[12]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz[11]; 9. 15S-Kerry Madsen[21]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[20]; 11. 85J-Logan Julien[6]; 12. 51-Scott Bogucki[15]; 13. 37-Bryce Norris[7]; 14. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[19]; 16. 18-Cory Eliason[22]; 17. 21H-Brady Bacon[16]; 18. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[23]; 19. 99-Skylar Gee[17]; 20. 6-Zach Hampton[18]; 21. 34-Sterling Cling[24]; 22. 24-Cole Duncan[14]; 23. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[13]; 24. 2MD-Darin Naida[2]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Chris Ferguson Earns Victory Fuel Pole for DTWC at Eldora

ROSSBURG, OH (October 17, 2025) – It was preliminary night on Friday for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, as 59 cars competed in six heat races to qualify for the 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP, which will pay $100,000 to win on Saturday night at Eldora Speedway. In heat number one, it was a fierce battle within the Ferguson Family until the very end as Chris Ferguson overtook his cousin Carson just before the checkered flag to secure the victory, earning him the Victory Fuel Pole for the 100-lap main event Saturday night. Carson had led from the start of the 10-lap race, but Chris gained enough momentum on the final lap to pass him on the inside coming off of turn four. Trailing the Fergusons at the finish line was defending DTWC winner Bobby Pierce, who secured the third and final transfer spot. The second heat was won by current championship points leader Devin Moran, who led from start to finish to secure the third starting spot in the DTWC. Nick Hoffman, coming off two third place finishes in the Dream and World 100 at Eldora this year, finished second to Moran, with Clay Harris claiming the third and final transfer position. In heat number three, Brandon Sheppard dominated by leading all 10 laps and taking the win. Sheppard now aims to become the first six-time winner of the Crown Jewel race on Saturday night, starting from the fifth position. Hudson O’Neal finished second, followed by Daulton Wilson, who secured the third and final transfer spot. In pivotal heat number four, where the winner would start alongside Chris Fergerson on the front row Saturday night, Chris Madden dominated the race, winning by more than six seconds over Ricky Thornton Jr. and Brandon Overton. The fifth heat was all Garrett Alberson, the New Mexico native, who led all 10 laps to secure the victory and earn the fourth starting spot in the DTWC. Dennis Erb Jr., a former Dirt Late Model Dream winner at Eldora, charged from the eighth starting position to finish as the runner-up. Jason Jameson claimed the third and final transfer spot. The sixth and final heat of the night was won by veteran Dale McDowell, who led from start to finish, beating Jonathan Davenport and Joseph Joiner. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARP | Night 1Friday, October 17, 2025Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Carson Ferguson | 15.940 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Chris Madden | 15.998 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 22F-Chris Ferguson[2]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[1]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[7]; 6. 20-Jimmy Owens[5]; 7. 29-Clint Keenan[8]; 8. 71R-Rod Conley[6]; 9. 28T-Tyler Carpenter[9]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 9H-Nick Hoffman[4]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 4. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[6]; 6. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[9]; 7. 69J-Jon Hodgkiss[10]; 8. 111-Max Blair[2]; 9. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 10. 09-Michael Leach[8] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 5. 15K-Colten Burdette[8]; 6. 11R-Josh Rice[10]; 7. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[7]; 8. 101-Forrest Trent[4]; 9. 39-Brandon Moore[9]; 10. 69-RC Whitwell[6] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 44-Chris Madden[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 4. 17D-Zack Dohm[4]; 5. 14H-Haiden Cowan[5]; 6. 89-Mike Spatola[8]; 7. 10-Garrett Smith[7]; 8. 3-Matt Miller[6]; 9. 17SR-Brody Smith[9]; 10. 96-Tanner English[10] Lucas Oil Products Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[8]; 3. 12-Jason Jameson[3]; 4. 9-Tim McCreadie[2]; 5. 79-Donald McIntosh[4]; 6. 17SS-Brenden Smith[7]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 9. 55E-Eli Johnson[9] MyRacePass Heat Race #6 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 17M-Dale McDowell[1]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[4]; 3. 19M-Joseph Joiner[3]; 4. 114-Jordan Koehler[6]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 6. 99M-Caden McWhorter[5]; 7. 11K-Evan Koehler[7]; 8. S8-Chris Stotts[9]; 9. 6M-Michael Chilton[2] Fast Shafts B-Main #1 (12 Laps | Top 2 Transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield TN – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield CA2 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham IL – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown IA3 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport TN – 95J – Jerry Bowersock – Wapakoneta OH4 – 29 – Clint Keenan – Pataskala OH – 69J – Jon Hodgkiss – Pittsburgh PA5 – 71R – Rod Conley – Wheelersburg OH – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville PA6 – 28T – Tyler Carpenter – Parkersburg WV – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly TX7 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City PA – 09 – Michael Leach – Sun River MT UNOH B-Main #2 (12 Laps | Top 2 Transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore MN – 17D – Zack Dohm – Cross Lanes WV2 – 15K – Colten Burdette – Parkersburg WV – 14H – Haiden Cowan – Savannah GA3 – 11R – Josh Rice – Crittenden KY – 89 – Mike Spatola – Manhattan IL4 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont WV – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison GA5 – 101 – Forrest Trent – Morristown TN – 3 – Matt Miller – Whitehouse OH6 – 39 – Brandon Moore – Bryan OH – 17SR – Brody Smith – Dade City FL7 – 69 – R.C. Whitwell – Tucson AZ – 96 – Tanner English – Benton KY MyRacePass B-Main #3 (12 Laps | Top 2 Transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown NY – 114 – Jordan Koehler – Mount Airy NC2 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville GA – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham IA3 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City FL – 99M – Caden McWhorter – Fairbury IL4 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon FL – 11K – Evan Koehler – Mount Airy NC5 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover PA – S8 – Chris Stotts – Shade OH6 – 55E – Eli Johnson – Clewiston FL – 6M – Michael Chilton – Salvisa KY 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship Presented by ARP A-Main (100 Laps):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 22F – Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly NC – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court SC2 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden OH – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces NM3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin IL – 17M – Dale McDowell – Chickamauga GA4 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton NC – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler AZ5 – 9H – Nick Hoffman – Mooresville NC – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville IL6 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville IN – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville GA7 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood IL – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans GA8 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter FL – 12 – Jason Jameson – Lawrenceburg IN9 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville NC – 19M – Joseph Joiner – Milton FL

Now officially aligned in the Round of Eight, all three NASCAR national touring series will head to Alabama to take on arguably the biggest wild card stop of the playoffs – Talladega Superspeedway.

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Fresh on the heels of a strong points day, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will carry that momentum with him as he seeks his first career superspeedway victory and an early berth into the Cup Series Championship Four. In the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, the playoff rankings see a strong contingency of three Team Chevy drivers above the cutline in each division heading into the penultimate race of the round.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega: One year ago, Chevrolet conquered the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway with a tripleheader weekend sweep. Among those triumphs included a playoff upset by Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who drove Chevrolet to its 45th all-time win in NASCAR’s top division at the track. The victory added onto Chevrolet’s already stellar showing in the Next Gen era at the Alabama venue – leading its competitors with wins in four of the seven races since the car’s competition debut. Earlier this season, the manufacturer fell just one spot short of a trip to victory lane but proved to be a force to be reckoned with as nine drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations earned top-12 results, including a pair of podium finishes by playoff contenders Kyle Larson and William Byron.

LARSON CONTINUES TO ADD TO THE POINTS BANKKyle Larson made one of the biggest climbs up the NASCAR Cup Series playoff rankings – leaving Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the top provisional points position with a 35-point advantage over the cutline. The 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native turned in a 54-point race to open the Round of Eight – matching race winner, Denny Hamlin, to lead the series. His runner-up finish extended an already stellar performance during the midway point of the postseason with the 2021 champion heading to Talladega Superspeedway with a streak of four-straight top-seven finishes. While luck hasn’t been on his side on superspeedway’s throughout his Cup Series career, Larson has found his footing on the configuration this season.  He has earned top-six results in three of the five races on drafting-style tracks, including a runner-up finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The finish marked back-to-back top-five finishes at the Alabama venue, with the No. 5 team also tallying a fourth-place result at the track one year ago.

BYRON, ELLIOTT LOOK TO TAP INTO SUPERSPEEDWAY SUCCESSWhile a disappointing trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway put William Byron and Chase Elliott in an unfavorable position below the cutline, the Hendrick Motorsports duo will look to tap into their superspeedway success this weekend. This season alone, each driver has earned a victory on a drafting-style track including Byron’s DAYTONA 500 victory and Elliott’s first win of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Elliott’s Alabama accolades include two trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division, including the track’s fall event in 2022 that led him to a berth into the Round of Eight. While still seeking his first Talladega triumph, Byron has yet to finish outside of the top-15 in seven races during the Next Gen era at track. The regular season champion currently sits on a streak of five-straight top-seven results at the Alabama venue, including back-to-back podium appearances in the past two races.

TEAM CHEVY TRIO BOOSTS DOUBLE-DIGIT POINTS CUSHION In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, three Team Chevy playoff drivers cashed in on a strong points result to find themselves sitting above the playoff cutline with a double-digit cushion heading into the Talladega race weekend. The JR Motorsports pairing of Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier rounded out the podium in Las Vegas to not only maintain their one-two playoff positions, but further build onto their points lead to now 82-points (Zilisch) and 44-points (Allgaier) above the cutline. Making the biggest move up the rankings was Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love, who turned a two-point deficit to a 20-point advantage over the bubble heading to the track that delivered his first career Xfinity Series win.

Love Tallies Impressive Talladega Stats: While most drivers look at superspeedways as a wild card, Jesse Love sees this weekend as the perfect opportunity to solidify his first career Championship Four appearance. The 20-year-old Menlo Park, California, native is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner, with his first coming at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2024. Love’s Talladega resume sees a front-row qualifying effort and results no worse than sixth in each of his three starts at the track. In the spring, the Richard Childress Racing driver secured the pole position en route to top-two finishes in each stage, 50 laps led and a third-place finish.  Love has proven to be well-versed in the art of superspeedway racing throughout his short NASCAR career. In five races on drafting-style tracks this season, the Team Chevy driver has earned a victory (Daytona – Feb.), two poles and four top-six finishes. Destined to be a frontrunner in Saturday’s race, an early Championship Four berth is very much in reach.

ENFINGER EYES CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR POTENTIAL The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff rankings are closer than ever with just a single-digit points margin separating the seven title contenders vying for the three remaining Championship Four spots. Heading into the Talladega race weekend, the Bowtie brigade occupies each of those three positions with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum in second and Daniel Hemric in third, as well as Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth who sits in the fourth and final provisional points position.

While he might be sitting on the outside looking in, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger is no stranger to playoff pressure and a trip to his home track of Talladega Superspeedway might just be what he needs to punch his ticket into the title-deciding race. The 40-year-old Fairhope, Alabama, native is a two-time Truck Series winner at Talladega, with his most recent coming one year ago that led him to his third career Championship Four appearance. This season, the Truck Series has only participated in two drafting-style races – both of which ended in top-10 results for Enfinger and the No. 9 team.

PINK CORVETTE STINGRAY PACE CAR TO HIGHLIGHT 2025 ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMPAIGNThis season, Chevrolet celebrates 15 years of supporting the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative with the return of a specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray that will serve as the official pace vehicle for two NASCAR Cup Series races this month, including this weekend in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Once again helping drive donations for the initiative, every caution lap the pink Corvette Stingray completes in Sunday’s race will generate a donation of $500 (up to $25,000). A special addition has been added to this year’s campaign with Chevrolet also pledging to donate an additional $1,500 (up to $25,000) for each Team Chevy driver that earns a top-10 finish in the two participating events.\

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 33 NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 14Poles: 11Laps Led: 3,573Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 135Stage Wins: 25

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete: Wins: 24Poles: 19Laps Led: 3,585Top-Fives: 101Top-10s: 196Stage Wins: 45

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 22 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete: Wins: 6Poles: 2Laps Led: 939Top-Fives: 46Top-10s: 102Stage Wins: 7

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Talladega Superspeedway: NASCAR Cup Series: Specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray in support of the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative NASCAR Xfinity Series: Silverado RSTNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Silverado RST  ·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – two wins (2017 & 2024)Kyle Busch – two wins (2023 & 2008)Chase Elliott – two wins (2022 & 2019)Ross Chastain – one win (2022)  ·        In 112 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet has recorded 45 victories – four of which have come during the Next Gen era to lead its manufacturer competitors.  ·        Chevrolet holds a winning percentage of 68.4 percent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway with 26 wins in 38 races. The manufacturer enters the weekend with 12-straight NXS wins at the Alabama venue – a streak that dates back to the April 2018 event.   ·        Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 14 of the 33 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.   ·        In 141 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 66 victories – a winning percentage of 46.8%.  ·        With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 880 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history. FOR THE FANS: ·        Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Talladega Superspeedway, which features a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2026 Tahoe Z7, 2026 Silverado 1500 ZR2, Trax Activ, Traverse RS, Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Corvette Z06 and a Chase Elliott No. 9 Show Car.  ·        Fans will also have access to a special showing of the Eagle Lunar Terrain Vehicle.  GM brings three areas of expertise to the Lunar Dawn team: electrification, autonomous vehicle technology and chassis development.GM’s expertise in electric vehicle technology will leverage EV performance, quality and durability synergies from its experience back on Earth to applications on the Moon.GM’s ongoing work on autonomous vehicles technology is being applied to the rover and to its unique environment. Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display: Friday, October 17Rajah Caruth: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Daniel Hemric & Connor Mosack: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Grant Enfinger: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Corey LaJoie: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Andres Perez, Bayley Currey & Matt Mills: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.  Saturday, October 18Carson Kvapil: 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Sammy Smith & Connor Zilisch: 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Jeb Burton: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.Nick Sanchez: 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Sunday, October 19Shane van Gisbergen: 9:20 a.m. – 9:35 a.m. Justin Haley: 9:35 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.Kyle Larson: 9:50 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.Chase Elliott: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.William Byron: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: Friday, October 17: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.   Saturday, October 18: 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sunday, October 19: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoYellaWood 500Sunday, October 19, at 2 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoUnited Rentals 250Saturday, October 18, at 4 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoLove’s RV Stop 225Friday, October 17, 4 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow do you approach Talladega?“Talladega is such a wild-card. You truly have no idea how it’s going to go for you. You can be the fastest car but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll win. You need to be a little bit lucky to avoid the accidents so you can even have a shot at winning at the end. There really hasn’t been a pattern for me at this track. I’ve won it from a last lap pass to ending up wrecked making a high-risk move for position, you just truly don’t know what is going to happen. That’s why the fans like it so much, you just never know who is going to win.” Your car has a little bit different look this weekend.“I hope I’m going so fast that it’s hard to see me with the Busch Light Hunting scheme. Busch Light does a great job with their specialty schemes, and I can’t think of a better track to run a Hunting scheme than Talladega. I had fun shooting content in the woods for it. “   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat’s Talladega Superspeedway like compared to Daytona International Speedway?“Talladega Superspeedway is a big speedway, a fast place, with a lot of space. You get four wide, five wide, and you’ve got to be really on point with your spotter. You’ve got to give you good, clear communication during the race. It does race a lot differently than Daytona International Speedway because of how wide the track is. Daytona’s a little rougher, but as the years have gone on, Talladega has started to develop a couple of places that can be trouble spots on the track.” Do you look at Talladega Superspeedway as an opportunity or challenge?“Talladega Superspeedway is an opportunity for the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet team. Speedway racing can be tough sometimes and you can be on either side of the thought process going into it. But it does shake up the Playoffs with being where it’s at in the Round of 8. It’s anybody’s game. There are certain guys who rise to the top even at superspeedways, though.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletLarson on returning to Talladega Superspeedway: “Hopefully we can go to Talladega and do what we’ve done on superspeedways for a while now by scoring stage points and get good finishes by getting to the checkered flag like we have been doing this year. We’ll just try to execute again; have a good points day at Talladega and be in a good position heading into Martinsville (Speedway).”   Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletYou’ve been impressive on superspeedways throughout your career. What is the key to being successful at a track like Talladega?“I have just always really enjoyed superspeedway racing. I’m not sure why that is, but it has just come easier to me and fits my style of racing better. I try to be very patient in the car, wait for the right moment to make the pass and I think that’s why I tend to do better on the bigger tracks. Talladega and Daytona are really just tracks that test your patience. You want to go and be at the front but you know that anything can happen at any moment. It’s a balance of knowing what is needed to get to the front but making it to the end. The Spire cars have been really good at superspeedways this year and I think we can continue that this weekend.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletThe racing has changed a lot at Talladega. Going into this Fall race, how do you race at Talladega now, compared to years past?“You run them more part throttle now more than you ever have before. The fuel mileage game, and the saving of the fuel, and things like that. Trying to get yourself into that leap-frog strategy. It seems like everybody is doing that, where you want to spend the least amount of time on pit road to pick off spots, because it seems like it is more difficult to pass. When the first two lanes, the bottom lane and the middle lane lets call it, when they are sitting there side-by-side saving fuel, the third lane can open up and go more throttle on and make up some time and get the third lane going. But then once the bottom lane and middle lane are wide open, there is no top lane. The bottom just gets too fast, and the top is too far around. You don’t see enough of that speed gain down the backstretch coming off the banking to give you that the propel forward and making up rows, so it’s tougher to pass. When you come down towards the last 10 laps, eight laps, six laps, everybody is scared to pull out of line because you know if you pull out of line, and no one goes with you, you are literally going to pull back to last. So it seems like everybody is a bit more scared to take that chance, and don’t want to take that chance to drop backwards. So they just all stay in line, until they can literally see they checkered flag out of their windshield, and then they all go crazy, and that’s about when the wrecking ensues. So try to miss that one.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletElliott on Talladega Superspeedway: “I don’t see anyone being a standout. Everybody’s just really close and whoever gets themselves in a good spot and positions themselves well and has some good fortune, you know, is going to have a good day.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletByron on Talladega Superspeedway: “Obviously last weekend didn’t end the way we hoped. We were going to be in a good position for the rest of this round and that shows how quickly things can change. Talladega is where anything and everything can happen and change quickly. We would like to collect stage points but also strategy will be big when it comes to fuel. Plus, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where your race could end early all because you pushed too hard for stage points. It’s going to be a very fine balance and all we can do is execute and see where the chips fall at the end.”    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m excited to head to Talladega again this weekend with Jack Link’s on the car. Last year’s win was huge for our team and it’s one of those moments you don’t forget. I’m hoping we can get the #47 back in victory lane this year.”   Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBowman on going to Talladega Superspeedway: “Talladega is unpredictable and all about survival. A lot of it is mental as well. You have to be mentally sharp throughout the whole race and especially towards the end when it gets hectic. We had a decent finish last weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.”    Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet“Talladega is definitely one of my favorites,” he said. “I have a really good track record there with top-five finishes in Xfinity, and multiple Cup Series top-10 finishes. I feel like I know what I need to do behind the wheel to execute, or to at least position myself to leverage the draft and make moves. From there, it’s a matter of seeing what happens. Sometimes all you can do is put yourself in position and hope that it works.   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow do you balance being aggressive while racing for the win and not ruining a playoff contenders’ day? “When it comes to playoff contenders, you do think about them at most of the races, but not Talladega. There’s just no way of actually doing that, because you can’t help what’s going to happen at Talladega. That’s actually one of the less stressful races because of that. You can’t control the big one, when it’s going to happen, or who it’s going to take. So, for us, we don’t have any pressure but to go there and try to win the race. So, it’s low pressure and low stress going into it. We’re not in a spot where we have to worry about the cutoff.  We’re not in a spot where we’re worried about points. We can just go and try to run up front and win the race.”    Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletSpire Motorsports as a whole has been strong on superspeedways this year. What have you learned since the season opener at Daytona that you can apply in Sunday’s race?“For me, I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with pushing for position during a superspeedway race. I had always been so worried about just making it to the end and staying out of trouble, and learned early this year that if I wanted a shot at a win that just wasn’t going to work. We had a good run at Talladega earlier this year and if all goes right, we should be able to knock out a top five.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat do you think about Talladega?“It’s crazy and very different than a traditional oval. We are doing 320 kilometers in a pack of 40 cars. It’s amazing how fast we are going, all squeezed together. Talladega is one of the most difficult races that we do. Hopefully this weekend we can prove that we are getting better at that (superspeedway racing) too and get a good result.” There are only ovals left on the schedule this season. Is there a certain oval you like the best?“I like the challenge of all of them. I like how different they all are. The intermediates, they look the same shape on paper, but when you go there, they all drive so differently. I really like the challenge of finding all the little integrities on the track and what makes the cars work.” You have received massive amounts of support from the people of New Zealand, and even Australia this season. How special is that to you?“The support I’ve gotten coming over here (United States) has been great! As I always say, when New Zealanders or Aussies go overseas, the support we get is amazing. It’s in all different series, like IndyCar, Formula 1 and Formula E, it’s so cool to see the support we get and it’s really appreciated. Every track I go to, there are always some Kiwis or Aussies there to support me. It’s really special.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletYou have been able to run inside the top-10 consistently in recent races at Talladega. Does that make you optimistic about this weekend? “The racing at Talladega can get so crazy but it’s a lot of fun when you can stayout of trouble and have a good day. We’ve been able to do that quite a bit inthe last few races there. It was an up-and-down day for our team in the springrace. I thought our car had speed, but we needed to improve the balance. Ourguys on pit road executed well when it counted the most late in the race.Everyone at Trackhouse does a great job preparing our Freeway InsuranceChevrolet and ECR gives us great engines, especially at Talladega and Daytona.I certainly think we can have another strong run this weekend.” Do you like racing at Talladega?“I love Talladega. At first, I really didn’t like superspeedway racing but themore I did it the more I started to enjoy it. We have been so close so manytimes on the superspeedway. One of these days we are going to win one of theseraces and I hope it is Sunday.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports ChevroletHow do you approach Talladega since it is such a wild card race?“A lot of times you don’t have much to control at Talladega. A lot of things that happen at those types of tracks that are out of your control, so you just have to do what you can to put yourself in the right spots. But sometimes what you think is the right spot can easily turn out to be the wrong spot, and you find yourself in trouble.”  You enter Talladega 82 points above the cutline. Is there comfort being that far above the elimination line?“Plus 82 is not bad. It could be a lot worse for sure. Having another win sticker on this car definitely would have been better.”

Now officially aligned in the Round of Eight, all three NASCAR national touring series will head to Alabama to take on arguably the biggest wild card stop of the playoffs – Talladega Superspeedway.

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Fresh on the heels of a strong points day, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will carry that momentum with him as he seeks his first career superspeedway victory and an early berth into the Cup Series Championship Four. In the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, the playoff rankings see a strong contingency of three Team Chevy drivers above the cutline in each division heading into the penultimate race of the round.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega: One year ago, Chevrolet conquered the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway with a tripleheader weekend sweep. Among those triumphs included a playoff upset by Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who drove Chevrolet to its 45th all-time win in NASCAR’s top division at the track. The victory added onto Chevrolet’s already stellar showing in the Next Gen era at the Alabama venue – leading its competitors with wins in four of the seven races since the car’s competition debut. Earlier this season, the manufacturer fell just one spot short of a trip to victory lane but proved to be a force to be reckoned with as nine drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations earned top-12 results, including a pair of podium finishes by playoff contenders Kyle Larson and William Byron.

LARSON CONTINUES TO ADD TO THE POINTS BANKKyle Larson made one of the biggest climbs up the NASCAR Cup Series playoff rankings – leaving Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the top provisional points position with a 35-point advantage over the cutline. The 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native turned in a 54-point race to open the Round of Eight – matching race winner, Denny Hamlin, to lead the series. His runner-up finish extended an already stellar performance during the midway point of the postseason with the 2021 champion heading to Talladega Superspeedway with a streak of four-straight top-seven finishes. While luck hasn’t been on his side on superspeedway’s throughout his Cup Series career, Larson has found his footing on the configuration this season.  He has earned top-six results in three of the five races on drafting-style tracks, including a runner-up finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The finish marked back-to-back top-five finishes at the Alabama venue, with the No. 5 team also tallying a fourth-place result at the track one year ago.

BYRON, ELLIOTT LOOK TO TAP INTO SUPERSPEEDWAY SUCCESSWhile a disappointing trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway put William Byron and Chase Elliott in an unfavorable position below the cutline, the Hendrick Motorsports duo will look to tap into their superspeedway success this weekend. This season alone, each driver has earned a victory on a drafting-style track including Byron’s DAYTONA 500 victory and Elliott’s first win of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Elliott’s Alabama accolades include two trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division, including the track’s fall event in 2022 that led him to a berth into the Round of Eight. While still seeking his first Talladega triumph, Byron has yet to finish outside of the top-15 in seven races during the Next Gen era at track. The regular season champion currently sits on a streak of five-straight top-seven results at the Alabama venue, including back-to-back podium appearances in the past two races.

TEAM CHEVY TRIO BOOSTS DOUBLE-DIGIT POINTS CUSHION In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, three Team Chevy playoff drivers cashed in on a strong points result to find themselves sitting above the playoff cutline with a double-digit cushion heading into the Talladega race weekend. The JR Motorsports pairing of Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier rounded out the podium in Las Vegas to not only maintain their one-two playoff positions, but further build onto their points lead to now 82-points (Zilisch) and 44-points (Allgaier) above the cutline. Making the biggest move up the rankings was Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love, who turned a two-point deficit to a 20-point advantage over the bubble heading to the track that delivered his first career Xfinity Series win.

Love Tallies Impressive Talladega Stats: While most drivers look at superspeedways as a wild card, Jesse Love sees this weekend as the perfect opportunity to solidify his first career Championship Four appearance. The 20-year-old Menlo Park, California, native is a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner, with his first coming at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2024. Love’s Talladega resume sees a front-row qualifying effort and results no worse than sixth in each of his three starts at the track. In the spring, the Richard Childress Racing driver secured the pole position en route to top-two finishes in each stage, 50 laps led and a third-place finish.  Love has proven to be well-versed in the art of superspeedway racing throughout his short NASCAR career. In five races on drafting-style tracks this season, the Team Chevy driver has earned a victory (Daytona – Feb.), two poles and four top-six finishes. Destined to be a frontrunner in Saturday’s race, an early Championship Four berth is very much in reach.

ENFINGER EYES CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR POTENTIAL The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff rankings are closer than ever with just a single-digit points margin separating the seven title contenders vying for the three remaining Championship Four spots. Heading into the Talladega race weekend, the Bowtie brigade occupies each of those three positions with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum in second and Daniel Hemric in third, as well as Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth who sits in the fourth and final provisional points position.

While he might be sitting on the outside looking in, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger is no stranger to playoff pressure and a trip to his home track of Talladega Superspeedway might just be what he needs to punch his ticket into the title-deciding race. The 40-year-old Fairhope, Alabama, native is a two-time Truck Series winner at Talladega, with his most recent coming one year ago that led him to his third career Championship Four appearance. This season, the Truck Series has only participated in two drafting-style races – both of which ended in top-10 results for Enfinger and the No. 9 team.

PINK CORVETTE STINGRAY PACE CAR TO HIGHLIGHT 2025 ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMPAIGNThis season, Chevrolet celebrates 15 years of supporting the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative with the return of a specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray that will serve as the official pace vehicle for two NASCAR Cup Series races this month, including this weekend in Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Once again helping drive donations for the initiative, every caution lap the pink Corvette Stingray completes in Sunday’s race will generate a donation of $500 (up to $25,000). A special addition has been added to this year’s campaign with Chevrolet also pledging to donate an additional $1,500 (up to $25,000) for each Team Chevy driver that earns a top-10 finish in the two participating events.\

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 33 NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 14Poles: 11Laps Led: 3,573Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 135Stage Wins: 25

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete: Wins: 24Poles: 19Laps Led: 3,585Top-Fives: 101Top-10s: 196Stage Wins: 45

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 22 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete: Wins: 6Poles: 2Laps Led: 939Top-Fives: 46Top-10s: 102Stage Wins: 7

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Talladega Superspeedway: NASCAR Cup Series: Specially-themed pink Corvette Stingray in support of the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative NASCAR Xfinity Series: Silverado RSTNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Silverado RST  ·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – two wins (2017 & 2024)Kyle Busch – two wins (2023 & 2008)Chase Elliott – two wins (2022 & 2019)Ross Chastain – one win (2022)  ·        In 112 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet has recorded 45 victories – four of which have come during the Next Gen era to lead its manufacturer competitors.  ·        Chevrolet holds a winning percentage of 68.4 percent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway with 26 wins in 38 races. The manufacturer enters the weekend with 12-straight NXS wins at the Alabama venue – a streak that dates back to the April 2018 event.   ·        Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 14 of the 33 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.   ·        In 141 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 66 victories – a winning percentage of 46.8%.  ·        With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 880 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history. FOR THE FANS: ·        Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Talladega Superspeedway, which features a variety of Chevrolet vehicles including: 2026 Tahoe Z7, 2026 Silverado 1500 ZR2, Trax Activ, Traverse RS, Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Corvette Z06 and a Chase Elliott No. 9 Show Car.  ·        Fans will also have access to a special showing of the Eagle Lunar Terrain Vehicle.  GM brings three areas of expertise to the Lunar Dawn team: electrification, autonomous vehicle technology and chassis development.GM’s expertise in electric vehicle technology will leverage EV performance, quality and durability synergies from its experience back on Earth to applications on the Moon.GM’s ongoing work on autonomous vehicles technology is being applied to the rover and to its unique environment. Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display: Friday, October 17Rajah Caruth: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Daniel Hemric & Connor Mosack: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Grant Enfinger: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Corey LaJoie: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Andres Perez, Bayley Currey & Matt Mills: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.  Saturday, October 18Carson Kvapil: 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Sammy Smith & Connor Zilisch: 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Jeb Burton: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.Nick Sanchez: 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Sunday, October 19Shane van Gisbergen: 9:20 a.m. – 9:35 a.m. Justin Haley: 9:35 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.Kyle Larson: 9:50 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.Chase Elliott: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.William Byron: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: Friday, October 17: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.   Saturday, October 18: 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sunday, October 19: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoYellaWood 500Sunday, October 19, at 2 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoUnited Rentals 250Saturday, October 18, at 4 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs Round of Eight: Race TwoLove’s RV Stop 225Friday, October 17, 4 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow do you approach Talladega?“Talladega is such a wild-card. You truly have no idea how it’s going to go for you. You can be the fastest car but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll win. You need to be a little bit lucky to avoid the accidents so you can even have a shot at winning at the end. There really hasn’t been a pattern for me at this track. I’ve won it from a last lap pass to ending up wrecked making a high-risk move for position, you just truly don’t know what is going to happen. That’s why the fans like it so much, you just never know who is going to win.” Your car has a little bit different look this weekend.“I hope I’m going so fast that it’s hard to see me with the Busch Light Hunting scheme. Busch Light does a great job with their specialty schemes, and I can’t think of a better track to run a Hunting scheme than Talladega. I had fun shooting content in the woods for it. “   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat’s Talladega Superspeedway like compared to Daytona International Speedway?“Talladega Superspeedway is a big speedway, a fast place, with a lot of space. You get four wide, five wide, and you’ve got to be really on point with your spotter. You’ve got to give you good, clear communication during the race. It does race a lot differently than Daytona International Speedway because of how wide the track is. Daytona’s a little rougher, but as the years have gone on, Talladega has started to develop a couple of places that can be trouble spots on the track.” Do you look at Talladega Superspeedway as an opportunity or challenge?“Talladega Superspeedway is an opportunity for the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet team. Speedway racing can be tough sometimes and you can be on either side of the thought process going into it. But it does shake up the Playoffs with being where it’s at in the Round of 8. It’s anybody’s game. There are certain guys who rise to the top even at superspeedways, though.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletLarson on returning to Talladega Superspeedway: “Hopefully we can go to Talladega and do what we’ve done on superspeedways for a while now by scoring stage points and get good finishes by getting to the checkered flag like we have been doing this year. We’ll just try to execute again; have a good points day at Talladega and be in a good position heading into Martinsville (Speedway).”   Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletYou’ve been impressive on superspeedways throughout your career. What is the key to being successful at a track like Talladega?“I have just always really enjoyed superspeedway racing. I’m not sure why that is, but it has just come easier to me and fits my style of racing better. I try to be very patient in the car, wait for the right moment to make the pass and I think that’s why I tend to do better on the bigger tracks. Talladega and Daytona are really just tracks that test your patience. You want to go and be at the front but you know that anything can happen at any moment. It’s a balance of knowing what is needed to get to the front but making it to the end. The Spire cars have been really good at superspeedways this year and I think we can continue that this weekend.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletThe racing has changed a lot at Talladega. Going into this Fall race, how do you race at Talladega now, compared to years past?“You run them more part throttle now more than you ever have before. The fuel mileage game, and the saving of the fuel, and things like that. Trying to get yourself into that leap-frog strategy. It seems like everybody is doing that, where you want to spend the least amount of time on pit road to pick off spots, because it seems like it is more difficult to pass. When the first two lanes, the bottom lane and the middle lane lets call it, when they are sitting there side-by-side saving fuel, the third lane can open up and go more throttle on and make up some time and get the third lane going. But then once the bottom lane and middle lane are wide open, there is no top lane. The bottom just gets too fast, and the top is too far around. You don’t see enough of that speed gain down the backstretch coming off the banking to give you that the propel forward and making up rows, so it’s tougher to pass. When you come down towards the last 10 laps, eight laps, six laps, everybody is scared to pull out of line because you know if you pull out of line, and no one goes with you, you are literally going to pull back to last. So it seems like everybody is a bit more scared to take that chance, and don’t want to take that chance to drop backwards. So they just all stay in line, until they can literally see they checkered flag out of their windshield, and then they all go crazy, and that’s about when the wrecking ensues. So try to miss that one.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletElliott on Talladega Superspeedway: “I don’t see anyone being a standout. Everybody’s just really close and whoever gets themselves in a good spot and positions themselves well and has some good fortune, you know, is going to have a good day.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletByron on Talladega Superspeedway: “Obviously last weekend didn’t end the way we hoped. We were going to be in a good position for the rest of this round and that shows how quickly things can change. Talladega is where anything and everything can happen and change quickly. We would like to collect stage points but also strategy will be big when it comes to fuel. Plus, you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where your race could end early all because you pushed too hard for stage points. It’s going to be a very fine balance and all we can do is execute and see where the chips fall at the end.”    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m excited to head to Talladega again this weekend with Jack Link’s on the car. Last year’s win was huge for our team and it’s one of those moments you don’t forget. I’m hoping we can get the #47 back in victory lane this year.”   Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBowman on going to Talladega Superspeedway: “Talladega is unpredictable and all about survival. A lot of it is mental as well. You have to be mentally sharp throughout the whole race and especially towards the end when it gets hectic. We had a decent finish last weekend at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.”    Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet“Talladega is definitely one of my favorites,” he said. “I have a really good track record there with top-five finishes in Xfinity, and multiple Cup Series top-10 finishes. I feel like I know what I need to do behind the wheel to execute, or to at least position myself to leverage the draft and make moves. From there, it’s a matter of seeing what happens. Sometimes all you can do is put yourself in position and hope that it works.   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow do you balance being aggressive while racing for the win and not ruining a playoff contenders’ day? “When it comes to playoff contenders, you do think about them at most of the races, but not Talladega. There’s just no way of actually doing that, because you can’t help what’s going to happen at Talladega. That’s actually one of the less stressful races because of that. You can’t control the big one, when it’s going to happen, or who it’s going to take. So, for us, we don’t have any pressure but to go there and try to win the race. So, it’s low pressure and low stress going into it. We’re not in a spot where we have to worry about the cutoff.  We’re not in a spot where we’re worried about points. We can just go and try to run up front and win the race.”    Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletSpire Motorsports as a whole has been strong on superspeedways this year. What have you learned since the season opener at Daytona that you can apply in Sunday’s race?“For me, I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with pushing for position during a superspeedway race. I had always been so worried about just making it to the end and staying out of trouble, and learned early this year that if I wanted a shot at a win that just wasn’t going to work. We had a good run at Talladega earlier this year and if all goes right, we should be able to knock out a top five.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat do you think about Talladega?“It’s crazy and very different than a traditional oval. We are doing 320 kilometers in a pack of 40 cars. It’s amazing how fast we are going, all squeezed together. Talladega is one of the most difficult races that we do. Hopefully this weekend we can prove that we are getting better at that (superspeedway racing) too and get a good result.” There are only ovals left on the schedule this season. Is there a certain oval you like the best?“I like the challenge of all of them. I like how different they all are. The intermediates, they look the same shape on paper, but when you go there, they all drive so differently. I really like the challenge of finding all the little integrities on the track and what makes the cars work.” You have received massive amounts of support from the people of New Zealand, and even Australia this season. How special is that to you?“The support I’ve gotten coming over here (United States) has been great! As I always say, when New Zealanders or Aussies go overseas, the support we get is amazing. It’s in all different series, like IndyCar, Formula 1 and Formula E, it’s so cool to see the support we get and it’s really appreciated. Every track I go to, there are always some Kiwis or Aussies there to support me. It’s really special.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletYou have been able to run inside the top-10 consistently in recent races at Talladega. Does that make you optimistic about this weekend? “The racing at Talladega can get so crazy but it’s a lot of fun when you can stayout of trouble and have a good day. We’ve been able to do that quite a bit inthe last few races there. It was an up-and-down day for our team in the springrace. I thought our car had speed, but we needed to improve the balance. Ourguys on pit road executed well when it counted the most late in the race.Everyone at Trackhouse does a great job preparing our Freeway InsuranceChevrolet and ECR gives us great engines, especially at Talladega and Daytona.I certainly think we can have another strong run this weekend.” Do you like racing at Talladega?“I love Talladega. At first, I really didn’t like superspeedway racing but themore I did it the more I started to enjoy it. We have been so close so manytimes on the superspeedway. One of these days we are going to win one of theseraces and I hope it is Sunday.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports ChevroletHow do you approach Talladega since it is such a wild card race?“A lot of times you don’t have much to control at Talladega. A lot of things that happen at those types of tracks that are out of your control, so you just have to do what you can to put yourself in the right spots. But sometimes what you think is the right spot can easily turn out to be the wrong spot, and you find yourself in trouble.”  You enter Talladega 82 points above the cutline. Is there comfort being that far above the elimination line?“Plus 82 is not bad. It could be a lot worse for sure. Having another win sticker on this car definitely would have been better.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics  Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2025 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 14Poles: 11Laps Led: 3,573Top-Fives: 61Top-10s: 135Stage Wins: 25 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 880 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 764Laps led to date: 256,284Top-Fives to date: 4,430Top-10s to date: 9,142                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,214           Chevrolet: 880           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 846                                                                                          Ford: 746           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 202

The last time Josh Berry and the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team took on Talladega Superspeedway back in April, they had the speed to contend for the win — even after a dose of early hiccup. In the opening laps of that race, Berry’s Mustang struck a bird while running at full speed, but the team quickly regrouped and stayed in the mix. From there, Berry methodically worked his way to the front, leading five different times for a total of 15 laps. A late-race speeding penalty on pit road derailed the team’s shot at victory, leaving Berry with a 28th-place finish despite having one of the strongest cars in the field. Now, as Berry and the No. 21 eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse return to the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway for Sunday’s YellaWood 500, the team’s focus is on execution — and putting together a complete, mistake-free day. “Our team has been really strong on the superspeedways this year,” Berry said. “We were in a good spot in the spring before that late-race speeding penalty, so hopefully we can avoid the chaos, execute and come away with a great result in the eero Ford Mustang.” Per NASCAR rules for drafting tracks such as Talladega, there will be no practice session this weekend. Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET on truTV, while Sunday’s 188-lap, 500.08-mile race is set to go green shortly after 2 p.m. ET on NBC. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 60 and 120.

CONCORD, NC (October 15, 2025) – If you didn’t pick Ryan Gustin to win last weekend’s Bayou Classic at Boothill Speedway, he wouldn’t have faulted you.

Gustin’s 2025 season with the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision has brought some of the highest highs of his career, topped by his first Late Model crown-jewel victory at USA Nationals. It has also included plenty of struggles, like his streak of 10 races without a top 10 following that $100,000 payday.

The stat sheet suggested Boothill could be the place where Gustin got back on his feet considering he won in his Late Model debut there with the World of Outlaws in 2024. But come Friday night, the No. 19R didn’t look anything like the one that snatched the lead and drove to victory one year prior. Damage to the nose sent Gustin to the work area late in the Feature and resulted in a 24th-place finish, but the pace was lacking long before that issue. Gustin qualified seventh in his group and finished fifth in his Heat Race, meaning he needed to resort to a Last Chance Showdown to lock in a starting spot for the Feature.

The team knew they needed a reset after Friday’s program, and after seeking out a few words of wisdom from some supporters, Gustin looked like a new man on Saturday.

“Really, we didn’t have any notes from last year,” Gustin said. “I thought we did, but we got here and we didn’t. Didn’t really know where to be, and obviously we’ve been off. Todd [Cooney] called [Saturday], and we got on the phone with Eric Wells, and he got us really, really good obviously. This is Todd and Eric that made this deal happen, I just did what they said, and it worked.”

The gains were evident as soon as cars hit the track on Saturday night. Gustin improved to fourth in Qualifying, putting him on the front row of his Heat Race that he won over Mike Marlar and Nick Hoffman.

After drawing the pole and keeping a hungry Brian Shirley at bay through the first half of the race, Gustin got the best of Series points leader Bobby Pierce in a 10-lap slider fest that the Boothill fans won’t soon forget.

“We all needed it bad,” Gustin said. “This deal, when you get down like that, it’s hard to mentally get yourself back up. Getting your butt kicked, running 10th place feels like a good run, you know? To go out here and win $50,000 and put on a show like that for the fans and everything, it feels damn good.”

Confidence wasn’t the only thing that the Boothill win helped Gustin rebuild – his points margin was rapidly shrinking as well. The “Reaper” left Cedar Lake third in the standings, more than 120 points ahead of his closest challenger, Tim McCreadie. But Gustin’s two-month slump combined with a stretch of two wins, four podiums and eight top 10s in nine races for McCreadie eradicated the gap down to only four points after Friday’s show. Gustin had been trying to swing the momentum back in his favor for weeks, and it finally came to fruition with a victory on the same night McCreadie failed to finish due to a crash and subsequent suspension damage.

That outcome expanded Gustin’s cushion back to 50 points with only World of Outlaws World Finals (Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 5-8) left to go. Some drivers prefer to ignore the points until the very end and let the cards fall where they may, but not Gustin. The battle is one he’s been paying attention to all year long, and one he’s determined to win next month.

“That’s money at the end of the year,” Gustin said of the $15,000 difference between third and fourth in the World of Outlaws standings. “That’s how most of us racers get through winter. That’s how I get through winter anyway, you’re relying on that point fund check. I’m not sure what happened to [McCreadie], it’s unfortunate, you don’t ever want to see that happen to anybody. All in all, it was a great night for us, and hopefully we can keep this momentum rolling into Charlotte.”

With three Features left to run, Gustin needs to ensure McCreadie beats him by no more than nine spots per night on average to lock up the third spot. It’s an attainable goal for a driver of Gustin’s caliber, but achieving it will likely necessitate a step up over his past record at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Gustin has traveled to World Finals six times in his career, including every year since 2021, but has never recorded a top 10. On the flip side, McCreadie is a five-time Charlotte winner, including four with the Super DIRTcar Series between 2002 and 2011 and one in a Late Model in 2020.

But Gustin wants to do more than simply end the season on a high note at World Finals – he’s looking further down the road. The Cooney Motorsports team has already announced their plans to follow the World of Outlaws tour full-time again in 2026 with the goal of taking a step forward in performance and consistency.

Gustin has shown in 2025 that he’s capable of beating the best Late Model drivers in the nation when he’s on top of his game, but he knows he needs to start doing so on a more regular basis if he wants to contend for his first World of Outlaws championship next season. How does he get there? That’s a code that can only be cracked with blood, sweat and tears.

“If I knew the answer to that question, I’d have done it this year.”

The 2025 World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision season concludes at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as part of World of Outlaws World Finals, Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 5-8, alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the Super DIRTcar Series. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

Boothill Victory Has Gustin Back on Track Heading Into World Finals and Beyond

CONCORD, NC (October 15, 2025) – If you didn’t pick Ryan Gustin to win last weekend’s Bayou Classic at Boothill Speedway, he wouldn’t have faulted you.

Gustin’s 2025 season with the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision has brought some of the highest highs of his career, topped by his first Late Model crown-jewel victory at USA Nationals. It has also included plenty of struggles, like his streak of 10 races without a top 10 following that $100,000 payday.

The stat sheet suggested Boothill could be the place where Gustin got back on his feet considering he won in his Late Model debut there with the World of Outlaws in 2024. But come Friday night, the No. 19R didn’t look anything like the one that snatched the lead and drove to victory one year prior. Damage to the nose sent Gustin to the work area late in the Feature and resulted in a 24th-place finish, but the pace was lacking long before that issue. Gustin qualified seventh in his group and finished fifth in his Heat Race, meaning he needed to resort to a Last Chance Showdown to lock in a starting spot for the Feature.

The team knew they needed a reset after Friday’s program, and after seeking out a few words of wisdom from some supporters, Gustin looked like a new man on Saturday.

“Really, we didn’t have any notes from last year,” Gustin said. “I thought we did, but we got here and we didn’t. Didn’t really know where to be, and obviously we’ve been off. Todd [Cooney] called [Saturday], and we got on the phone with Eric Wells, and he got us really, really good obviously. This is Todd and Eric that made this deal happen, I just did what they said, and it worked.”

The gains were evident as soon as cars hit the track on Saturday night. Gustin improved to fourth in Qualifying, putting him on the front row of his Heat Race that he won over Mike Marlar and Nick Hoffman.

After drawing the pole and keeping a hungry Brian Shirley at bay through the first half of the race, Gustin got the best of Series points leader Bobby Pierce in a 10-lap slider fest that the Boothill fans won’t soon forget.

“We all needed it bad,” Gustin said. “This deal, when you get down like that, it’s hard to mentally get yourself back up. Getting your butt kicked, running 10th place feels like a good run, you know? To go out here and win $50,000 and put on a show like that for the fans and everything, it feels damn good.”

Confidence wasn’t the only thing that the Boothill win helped Gustin rebuild – his points margin was rapidly shrinking as well. The “Reaper” left Cedar Lake third in the standings, more than 120 points ahead of his closest challenger, Tim McCreadie. But Gustin’s two-month slump combined with a stretch of two wins, four podiums and eight top 10s in nine races for McCreadie eradicated the gap down to only four points after Friday’s show. Gustin had been trying to swing the momentum back in his favor for weeks, and it finally came to fruition with a victory on the same night McCreadie failed to finish due to a crash and subsequent suspension damage.

That outcome expanded Gustin’s cushion back to 50 points with only World of Outlaws World Finals (Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 5-8) left to go. Some drivers prefer to ignore the points until the very end and let the cards fall where they may, but not Gustin. The battle is one he’s been paying attention to all year long, and one he’s determined to win next month.

“That’s money at the end of the year,” Gustin said of the $15,000 difference between third and fourth in the World of Outlaws standings. “That’s how most of us racers get through winter. That’s how I get through winter anyway, you’re relying on that point fund check. I’m not sure what happened to [McCreadie], it’s unfortunate, you don’t ever want to see that happen to anybody. All in all, it was a great night for us, and hopefully we can keep this momentum rolling into Charlotte.”

With three Features left to run, Gustin needs to ensure McCreadie beats him by no more than nine spots per night on average to lock up the third spot. It’s an attainable goal for a driver of Gustin’s caliber, but achieving it will likely necessitate a step up over his past record at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Gustin has traveled to World Finals six times in his career, including every year since 2021, but has never recorded a top 10. On the flip side, McCreadie is a five-time Charlotte winner, including four with the Super DIRTcar Series between 2002 and 2011 and one in a Late Model in 2020.

But Gustin wants to do more than simply end the season on a high note at World Finals – he’s looking further down the road. The Cooney Motorsports team has already announced their plans to follow the World of Outlaws tour full-time again in 2026 with the goal of taking a step forward in performance and consistency.

Gustin has shown in 2025 that he’s capable of beating the best Late Model drivers in the nation when he’s on top of his game, but he knows he needs to start doing so on a more regular basis if he wants to contend for his first World of Outlaws championship next season. How does he get there? That’s a code that can only be cracked with blood, sweat and tears.

“If I knew the answer to that question, I’d have done it this year.”

The 2025 World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision season concludes at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as part of World of Outlaws World Finals, Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 5-8, alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the Super DIRTcar Series. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

JOHN FORCE RACING SIGNS JOSH HART TO DRIVE ITS CHAMPIONSHIP TOP FUEL DRAGSTER

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (OCT. 15, 2025) – John Force Racing has signed multiple-time U.S. Nationals winner and two-time NHRA Top Fuel winner Josh Hart to a multi-year contract to drive for the 23-time world championship organization beginning with the 2026 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 5-8, which kicks off the National Hot Rod Association’s 75th anniversary season. The Huntington, Ind., native will step into the cockpit vacated by two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Brittany Force who announced Sept. 12 she will be stepping away from competition at the conclusion of the season to focus on starting a family. The team will continue to be led by crew chiefs Dave Grubnic and John Collins with primary sponsorship coming from Hart’s Ocala, Florida-based Burnyzz Speed Shop. “I have always said ‘Anything’s Possible’ and this opportunity proves that statement. I want to thank John Force and the entire John Force Racing team for being open to this endeavor,” said Hart. “No one can replace Brittany Force and what she has done for the sport and this organization. I have been building my program on my own for five seasons and I learned a tremendous amount. I want to continue to learn from the best and John Force Racing is the best drag racing team in the history of the sport. My goal is to continue learning, winning races and Top Fuel championships as a driver and teammate.” Hart will become just the third driver to race in the highly competitive Top Fuel class under the John Force Racing banner. He will join Force and current John Force Racing Funny Car driver Austin Prock on a short list of Top Fuel competitors. He will carry on the tradition of excellent driving skills, family values and a sponsor-first mindset as he acclimates himself to the organization. “I have been talking to Josh for a while and every time we talked it just made sense for our team to add someone like him,” said John Force, CEO and 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion. “He is a family guy, and he is a businessman. John Force Racing is evolving, and we have to feed the monster. Josh runs a huge operation in Florida, and I was impressed when I saw it a few years ago. Our team is going to keep growing and winning championships with Austin and Jack and Josh. Our focus now is on winning this season’s Top Fuel and Funny Car championships and then we will start working on 2026.” Hart started his own race team for the 2021 season and earned the first of his two NHRA Top Fuel victories in his series debut at the Gatornationals. He won again later that year at the Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway near Charlotte, N.C., and won the 2023 NHRA Top All-Star Callout in Gainesville. Hart is currently 10th in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Top Fuel point standings with two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship. His NHRA career began in 2011, racing in multiple sportsman categories before earning his Top Alcohol Dragster license in 2015. Hart won three Top Alcohol Dragster NHRA national events, including consecutive U.S. Nationals titles (2018-19), and eight NHRA regional events from 2017-2019 before earning his Top Fuel license in 2020. A consistent Countdown qualifier who is on his way to another Top 10 finish this year, Hart is aiming to finish the current season on a high note.  “There have been a lot of rumors about my future since my announcement to sell my racing operation, but I had a plan the whole time,” said Hart. “I hope making this announcement, the first of many, will answer some questions. I have been blown away by the support and interest in my driving future, and I hope this announcement answers a lot of questions. I want to stay focused on winning races for the rest of the season.” Further announcements about the program will be made at the conclusion of the season. Round 19 of 20 of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the Oct. 30 – Nov. 2 NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (OCT. 15, 2025) – John Force Racing has signed multiple-time U.S. Nationals winner and two-time NHRA Top Fuel winner Josh Hart to a multi-year contract to drive for the 23-time world championship organization beginning with the 2026 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 5-8, which kicks off the National Hot Rod Association’s 75^th anniversary season.
 
The Huntington, Ind., native will step into the cockpit vacated by two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Brittany Force who announced Sept. 12 she will be stepping away from competition at the conclusion of the season to focus on starting a family. The team will continue to be led by crew chiefs Dave Grubnic and John Collins with primary sponsorship coming from Hart’s Ocala, Florida-based Burnyzz Speed Shop.

 
“I have always said ‘Anything’s Possible’ and this opportunity proves that statement. I want to thank John Force and the entire John Force Racing team for being open to this endeavor,” said Hart. “No one can replace Brittany Force and what she has done for the sport and this organization. I have been building my program on my own for five seasons and I learned a tremendous amount. I want to continue to learn from the best and John Force Racing is the best drag racing team in the history of the sport. My goal is to continue learning, winning races and Top Fuel championships as a driver and teammate.”
 
Hart will become just the third driver to race in the highly competitive Top Fuel class under the John Force Racing banner. He will join Force and current John Force Racing Funny Car driver Austin Prock on a short list of Top Fuel competitors. He will carry on the tradition of excellent driving skills, family values and a sponsor-first mindset as he acclimates himself to the organization.
 
“I have been talking to Josh for a while and every time we talked it just made sense for our team to add someone like him,” said John Force, CEO and 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion. “He is a family guy, and he is a businessman. John Force Racing is evolving, and we have to feed the monster. Josh runs a huge operation in Florida, and I was impressed when I saw it a few years ago. Our team is going to keep growing and winning championships with Austin and Jack and Josh. Our focus now is on winning this season’s Top Fuel and Funny Car championships and then we will start working on 2026.”
 
Hart started his own race team for the 2021 season and earned the first of his two NHRA Top Fuel victories in his series debut at the Gatornationals. He won again later that year at the Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway near Charlotte, N.C., and won the 2023 NHRA Top All-Star Callout in Gainesville. Hart is currently 10^th in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Top Fuel point standings with two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.
 
His NHRA career began in 2011, racing in multiple sportsman categories before earning his Top Alcohol Dragster license in 2015. Hart won three Top Alcohol Dragster NHRA national events, including consecutive U.S. Nationals titles (2018-19), and eight NHRA regional events from 2017-2019 before earning his Top Fuel license in 2020.
 
A consistent Countdown qualifier who is on his way to another Top 10 finish this year, Hart is aiming to finish the current season on a high note. 
 
“There have been a lot of rumors about my future since my announcement to sell my racing operation, but I had a plan the whole time,” said Hart. “I hope making this announcement, the first of many, will answer some questions. I have been blown away by the support and interest in my driving future, and I hope this announcement answers a lot of questions. I want to stay focused on winning races for the rest of the season.”
 
Further announcements about the program will be made at the conclusion of the season.
 
Round 19 of 20 of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the Oct. 30 – Nov. 2 NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

LINCOLN, IL (October 15, 2025) – The 2025 DIRTcar National Points season celebrates a season full of racing around the United States in the “Land of Lincoln” to crown its newest champions. 

The sixth annual DIRTcar Fall Nationals at Lincoln Speedway on Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 16-18, will award the newest National points champions of the Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Pro Modifieds, and Stock Cars. 

Thursday marks the start of the weekend with open practice for all five divisions, taking place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. CT. Racing begins on Friday with the Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, UMP Modifieds, and Pro Modifieds, then Saturday’s finale adds the Stock Cars into the mix for racing around the 1/4-mile track. 

FALL NATIONALS INFO

FALL NATIONALS COMP GUIDE

REGISTER YOUR CAR

Here are the top storylines to follow: 

High Side Titles – Jason Feger wanted to close out a season full of lasts at the top of the board, and he’s done exactly that in the 2025 DIRTcar scene. 

The Bloomington, IL driver claimed five wins around his home state that helped lead him to his second DIRTcar Summer Nationals championship, then added eight MARS Late Model scores for his third consecutive title.  

After competing in a total of 77 DIRTcar events, scoring 57 top-10s, 39 top fives, and 17 wins, the  “High Side Hustler” bested World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Models presented by DIRTVision points leader Bobby Pierce for his third straight National title. 

The decorated Late Model veteran heads to Lincoln Speedway with a history of success, including three “Hell Tour” wins in the last four years and his first Fall Nationals finale triumph in 2024. 

Falloway’s Shine – The Blue Grass State has another UMP Modified frontrunner to claim as Cole Falloway broke out onto the National scene in 2025. 

After claiming his first five career Golden Gators in his debut visit to Volusia Speedway Park for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, the Owensboro, KY native took the storm into the MARS Modifieds, scoring two wins at Fairbury and Spoon River en route to his first career Series title. 

At Lincoln, “Payday” Falloway has a Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals win from 2024 and picked up a top five in his last visit to the facility in June. 

Prairie State Champs – While Feger and Falloway enjoy owning their titles as National DIRTcar champions, they will be joined by three new title-holders in the Pro Late Models, Pro Modifieds, and the Stock Car divisions. 

Picking up 18 wins, 21 top fives, and 23 top-10s through 26 starts in the Pro Late Models, Warrensburg, IL’s Dakota Ewing smoothly sailed towards his second consecutive DIRTcar championship. Ewing is a five-time Midwest Big Ten Series winner at Lincoln and won the Fall Nationals finale in 2024. 

The Pro Modifieds held a family rivalry in the 2025 season as 22-year-old Deece Schwartz outmatched his 17-year-old brother Drew to take the Pro Modified championship. While Deece was at the top with nine Feature victories for the Ashmore, IL native’s third title, Drew showed higher consistent finishes with the most top-10 finishes of all drivers (23). 

Coal City, IL’s Nick Seplak burst onto the DIRTcar Stock Car radar by recording top-10 finishes in every DIRTcar appearance, along with 23 top fives and 17 wins to take his first national championship. The 21-year-old will make his first start at Lincoln for the Fall Nationals, using experience from his native Illinois tracks in Fairbury Speedway and Farmer City Raceway. 

One Final Sendoff – The DIRTcar Fall Nationals welcomes the top drivers of the Midwestern United States to close out their 2025 campaigns on the Logan County Fairgrounds property through three nights filled with on-track activity. 

In 2024, the event saw a mix of winners as Super Late Model winners included Illinois natives Feger and Ryan Unzicker. In the UMP Modifieds, Kenny Wallace and Ryan Hamilton bagged triumphs while Ewing and Schwartz brought out the brooms to sweep the Pro Late Models and Pro Modifieds, respectively. Crown Point, IN’s Kyle Anderson took the Saturday finale win over Nick Clubb to close the year in the Stock Car division. 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Fall Nationals Close 2025 DIRTcar Season Honoring Newest Champions 

LINCOLN, IL (October 15, 2025) – The 2025 DIRTcar National Points season celebrates a season full of racing around the United States in the “Land of Lincoln” to crown its newest champions. 

The sixth annual DIRTcar Fall Nationals at Lincoln Speedway on Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 16-18, will award the newest National points champions of the Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Pro Modifieds, and Stock Cars. 

Thursday marks the start of the weekend with open practice for all five divisions, taking place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. CT. Racing begins on Friday with the Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, UMP Modifieds, and Pro Modifieds, then Saturday’s finale adds the Stock Cars into the mix for racing around the 1/4-mile track. 

FALL NATIONALS INFO

FALL NATIONALS COMP GUIDE

REGISTER YOUR CAR

Here are the top storylines to follow: 

High Side Titles – Jason Feger wanted to close out a season full of lasts at the top of the board, and he’s done exactly that in the 2025 DIRTcar scene. 

The Bloomington, IL driver claimed five wins around his home state that helped lead him to his second DIRTcar Summer Nationals championship, then added eight MARS Late Model scores for his third consecutive title.  

After competing in a total of 77 DIRTcar events, scoring 57 top-10s, 39 top fives, and 17 wins, the  “High Side Hustler” bested World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Models presented by DIRTVision points leader Bobby Pierce for his third straight National title. 

The decorated Late Model veteran heads to Lincoln Speedway with a history of success, including three “Hell Tour” wins in the last four years and his first Fall Nationals finale triumph in 2024. 

Falloway’s Shine – The Blue Grass State has another UMP Modified frontrunner to claim as Cole Falloway broke out onto the National scene in 2025. 

After claiming his first five career Golden Gators in his debut visit to Volusia Speedway Park for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, the Owensboro, KY native took the storm into the MARS Modifieds, scoring two wins at Fairbury and Spoon River en route to his first career Series title. 

At Lincoln, “Payday” Falloway has a Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals win from 2024 and picked up a top five in his last visit to the facility in June. 

Prairie State Champs – While Feger and Falloway enjoy owning their titles as National DIRTcar champions, they will be joined by three new title-holders in the Pro Late Models, Pro Modifieds, and the Stock Car divisions. 

Picking up 18 wins, 21 top fives, and 23 top-10s through 26 starts in the Pro Late Models, Warrensburg, IL’s Dakota Ewing smoothly sailed towards his second consecutive DIRTcar championship. Ewing is a five-time Midwest Big Ten Series winner at Lincoln and won the Fall Nationals finale in 2024. 

The Pro Modifieds held a family rivalry in the 2025 season as 22-year-old Deece Schwartz outmatched his 17-year-old brother Drew to take the Pro Modified championship. While Deece was at the top with nine Feature victories for the Ashmore, IL native’s third title, Drew showed higher consistent finishes with the most top-10 finishes of all drivers (23). 

Coal City, IL’s Nick Seplak burst onto the DIRTcar Stock Car radar by recording top-10 finishes in every DIRTcar appearance, along with 23 top fives and 17 wins to take his first national championship. The 21-year-old will make his first start at Lincoln for the Fall Nationals, using experience from his native Illinois tracks in Fairbury Speedway and Farmer City Raceway. 

One Final Sendoff – The DIRTcar Fall Nationals welcomes the top drivers of the Midwestern United States to close out their 2025 campaigns on the Logan County Fairgrounds property through three nights filled with on-track activity. 

In 2024, the event saw a mix of winners as Super Late Model winners included Illinois natives Feger and Ryan Unzicker. In the UMP Modifieds, Kenny Wallace and Ryan Hamilton bagged triumphs while Ewing and Schwartz brought out the brooms to sweep the Pro Late Models and Pro Modifieds, respectively. Crown Point, IN’s Kyle Anderson took the Saturday finale win over Nick Clubb to close the year in the Stock Car division. 

The October showdown includes activities off the racetrack, with AllNighter playing live music behind the front stretch grandstands after Friday’s schedule of events. Then, the newest DIRTcar champions will be recognized to commence Saturday’s closer in the “Prairie State.” 

ENNIS, Texas (October 15, 2025) — Melanie Johnson and the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster team continued their strong late-season momentum with a semifinal finish at the Texas NHRA FallNationals during the Stampede of Speed at Texas Motorplex.
 
With 20 cars vying for 16 qualifying spots, Johnson opened qualifying with a solid 5.312-second pass at 273.76 mph on a hot track. In the second session, she improved to a 5.265-second at 275.89 mph, her best of qualifying to secure the 7th position. The team made a setup change for the final session, but the car shook the tires just past 60 feet, resulting in a 10.626-second run.

 Melanie Johnson raced to the semifinals at the 40th Texas Fall Nationals, photo credit Melanie Johnson

Johnson entered eliminations with confidence and carried that momentum into race day. In round one against Matt Cummings, she took the starting line advantage and never looked back, posting a 5.231 at 271.08 mph while Cummings went up in tire smoke.
 
Round two saw Johnson make her quickest run of the weekend, a 5.222 at 275.87 mph, to defeat Kirk Wolf’s 5.380 at 265.50 mph. Her run earned low E.T. of the round.
 
In the semifinals, Johnson faced eventual race winner Joey Severance. The car experienced tire shake at 60 feet, and when she pedaled it, the front end lifted high and carried for nearly 100 feet before she got off the throttle. Severance advanced with a 5.241 at 277.38 mph.

 Still image captured from NHRA TV shows the wild wheel stand in the semifinals for Melanie Johnson

Melanie Johnson Races to Semifinals with
Wild Wheel Stand at Stampede of Speed

ENNIS, Texas (October 15, 2025) — Melanie Johnson and the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster team continued their strong late-season momentum with a semifinal finish at the Texas NHRA FallNationals during the Stampede of Speed at Texas Motorplex.
 
With 20 cars vying for 16 qualifying spots, Johnson opened qualifying with a solid 5.312-second pass at 273.76 mph on a hot track. In the second session, she improved to a 5.265-second at 275.89 mph, her best of qualifying to secure the 7th position. The team made a setup change for the final session, but the car shook the tires just past 60 feet, resulting in a 10.626-second run.

 Melanie Johnson raced to the semifinals at the 40th Texas Fall Nationals, photo credit Melanie Johnson

Johnson entered eliminations with confidence and carried that momentum into race day. In round one against Matt Cummings, she took the starting line advantage and never looked back, posting a 5.231 at 271.08 mph while Cummings went up in tire smoke.
 
Round two saw Johnson make her quickest run of the weekend, a 5.222 at 275.87 mph, to defeat Kirk Wolf’s 5.380 at 265.50 mph. Her run earned low E.T. of the round.
 
In the semifinals, Johnson faced eventual race winner Joey Severance. The car experienced tire shake at 60 feet, and when she pedaled it, the front end lifted high and carried for nearly 100 feet before she got off the throttle. Severance advanced with a 5.241 at 277.38 mph.

 Still image captured from NHRA TV shows the wild wheel stand in the semifinals for Melanie Johnson

“I’ve had the front end pick up after a pedal before, but it usually sets back down right away,” said Johnson. “This time it hiked up and carried for a while and I saw Joey drive around me so I knew he was on a clean pass and I got out of it. It all happened in slow motion inside the car, but watching the video afterward was definitely exciting.”
 
The semifinal finish marked Johnson’s second of the season. The McPhillips Racing team continues to show consistent improvement as they make more power with their AJPE combination heading into the final stretch of the year.
 
“Each race, we’re learning more about what this combination wants,” Johnson said. “We’ve made big strides in performance and consistency, and I’m really proud of the direction we’re heading.”
 
Johnson and the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster team are proud to represent NGK Spark Plugs, Lucas Oil, ARP, and Alan Johnson Performance Engineering (AJPE). The team will next compete at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection in Las Vegas before wrapping up the season at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, California.

Chase for the Championship Culminates in Eldora Finale

BATAVIA, Ohio (October 15, 2025) – For the third consecutive season, the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP will end in a showdown at Eldora Speedway. Devin Moran, in search of his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing title, leads Ricky Thornton Jr., who is battling for his second straight title by just 15 points. Jonathan Davenport is third, followed by Hudson O’Neal and Brandon Sheppard.  Drivers are pursuing their share of the record points fund of over $1.3 million. The 2025 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing National Champion will earn $250,000, while the top five drivers in the final series point standings each earn a minimum of $100,000. “Special thanks to all the sponsors of the Chase for the Championship. Big River Steel, ARP, Sunoco, UNOH, and Summit all contributed additional bonus money throughout the season as part of the Chase for the Championship. We’re grateful for their dedication to the series,” stated Wayne Castleberry, Sales and Marketing for Lucas Oil Motorsports. 2025 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Point Fund: 1. $250,000, 2. $200,000, 3. $150,000, 4.$125,000, 5. $100,000, 6. $80,000, 7. $60,000, 8. $55,000, 9. $50,000, 10. $45,000, 11. $40,000, 12. $35,000, 13. $30,000, 14. $25,000, 15. $20,000 The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will take center stage at Eldora Speedway on Friday with Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, and Heats Races.  On Saturday, the on-track action will begin with Hot Laps for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at 6:00 PM. Then, B-Mains will be contested, followed by the Jim Dunn Memorial Non-Qualifiers Race and the 100-lap, $100,000 to win, 45th Annual Dirt Track World Championship presented by ARP. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – YTD Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 8965 – $344,5492 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 8950 – $562,4003 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 8850 – $473,5004 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 8600 – $363,5005 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 8045 – $268,1256 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 7895 – $205,3507 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 7465 – $168,4008 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 6820 – $137,3259 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 6700 – $124,25010 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 6555 – $105,00011 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 6205 – $90,57512 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 6040 – $95,10013 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 5800 – $85,55014 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 5065 – $56,325

 
DALLAS (October 15, 2025) — Season 2 of Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull continues tonight with a laid-back yet adrenaline-charged conversation featuring longtime Funny Car driver Jeff Diehl, known throughout the drag racing world as “The Surfer.” The episode premieres at 8 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. PT on the NHRA FAST Channel.
 
In this episode, host Buddy Hull sits down with Diehl to talk about his one-of-a-kind journey into the world of Funny Car racing. A Southern California native with deep roots in surf culture, Diehl shares how he first became a Funny Car driver, the surprising ways that surfing and drag racing intersect and what keeps him paddling back out, season after season, in one of the most competitive classes in motorsports. His mix of humor, humility and heart makes this an episode fans won’t want to miss.

 Buddy Hull (left) and Jeff Diehl talked surfing, racing and being big guys behind the wheel in the latest episode of Talkin Funny Cars with Buddy Hull, photo credit Werner Communications

Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull Catches a Wave
with Jeff “The Surfer” Diehl

 
DALLAS (October 15, 2025) — Season 2 of Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull continues tonight with a laid-back yet adrenaline-charged conversation featuring longtime Funny Car driver Jeff Diehl, known throughout the drag racing world as “The Surfer.” The episode premieres at 8 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. PT on the NHRA FAST Channel.
 
In this episode, host Buddy Hull sits down with Diehl to talk about his one-of-a-kind journey into the world of Funny Car racing. A Southern California native with deep roots in surf culture, Diehl shares how he first became a Funny Car driver, the surprising ways that surfing and drag racing intersect and what keeps him paddling back out, season after season, in one of the most competitive classes in motorsports. His mix of humor, humility and heart makes this an episode fans won’t want to miss.

 Buddy Hull (left) and Jeff Diehl talked surfing, racing and being big guys behind the wheel in the latest episode of Talkin Funny Cars with Buddy Hull, photo credit Werner Communications

“Jeff Diehl is one of the most genuine and entertaining guys in the pits,” said Hull. “He’s got this great mix of SoCal cool and Funny Car fire. His perspective on how surfing connects to racing is something fans are really going to love.”
 
Fans of Diehl can watch the episode on the NHRA FAST Channel, available free on 13 platforms including The Roku Channel (USA & Canada), Tubi, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream and others. After the show airs tonight, it will be uploaded to the Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull YouTube channel.
 
“Funny Car racing gives me the same rush as catching a perfect wave,” said Jeff Diehl. “It’s fast, unpredictable and when everything lines up just right, it’s pure magic. Talking with Buddy was a blast, and I’m stoked for fans to hear a bit of my story.”
 
Every Wednesday throughout the rest of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, a new episode of Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull will air at 8 p.m. EST and 8 p.m. PST. Future guests will include Jim Dunn, Tim Wilkerson, Mike Neff and more.

Inside Line Promotions – ANTIOCH, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2025) – Dominic Scelzi is eager to tackle one of his favorite events of the season.

Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif., hosts the 31^st annual Trophy Cup this Thursday through Saturday.

“We’ve been very fast a lot of times at the event,” Scelzi said. “We’ve had great nights and great points finishes. But nothing is guaranteed and nothing is given. You just go there and hope that things go the right way.”

Scelzi’s best showing at the marquee event was last year when he ran second during the second preliminary night before charging from 22^nd to eighth during the finale. That placed him second in the event standings – only three points out of the top spot out of more than 60 competitors.

“I’m hoping that we can have a good showing and we can do something special,” he said. “I’m going in there without any expectations. I’m going to show up and see what cards we are dealt. You just know you are going into a dogfight.”

Scelzi competed last Saturday at Antioch Speedway during a NARC 410 Sprint Car Series event. He qualified second quickest, won a heat race and placed second in the dash to start the main event on the outside of the front row.

“I was the second guy out to qualify and the track was still really greasy,” he said. “I held quick time for about halfway through, but it cleaned off and got faster. Then I won the heat race. I barely won the start of the dash and they sent me back a row saying I jumped the start. I got from third to second in it.

“I ran second the majority of the main event. We had a restart halfway through and I passed D.J. (Netto) for the lead, but we didn’t complete a lap so I restarted second. We went green again for about five laps and I was all over D.J. before we had another caution. On the restart I got into turn one, hit the curb the wrong way and off it went. I felt we had a car that was capable of winning, but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way for us. I’m happy we had speed.”

Scelzi was credited with a 12^th-place result following the wreck.

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 11 – Antioch Speedway in Antioch, Calif. – Qualifying: 9; Heat race: 1 (2); Dash: 2 (1); Feature: 12 (2). 

SEASON STATS –

51 races, 3 wins, 17 top fives, 35 top 10s, 42 top 15s, 46 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Thursday through Saturday at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif., for the 31^st annual Trophy Cup

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.DominicScelziRacing.com

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

X: http://www.x.com/DominicScelzi

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Fuel Delivery Services, Inc. 

Based in Stockton, Calif., Fuel Delivery Services, Inc., is a premier bulk transporter of refined petroleum products. For more information, visit http://www.FuelDeliveryServices.net.

“Mike with Fuel Delivery Services is a great guy who wants to see us do well and make it in racing,” Scelzi said. “We really appreciate his support and look forward to the continued success with Fuel Delivery Services.”

Dominic Scelzi Gearing Up for Trophy Cup a Year After Career-Best Outing at Event

Inside Line Promotions – ANTIOCH, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2025) – Dominic Scelzi is eager to tackle one of his favorite events of the season.

Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif., hosts the 31^st annual Trophy Cup this Thursday through Saturday.

“We’ve been very fast a lot of times at the event,” Scelzi said. “We’ve had great nights and great points finishes. But nothing is guaranteed and nothing is given. You just go there and hope that things go the right way.”

Scelzi’s best showing at the marquee event was last year when he ran second during the second preliminary night before charging from 22^nd to eighth during the finale. That placed him second in the event standings – only three points out of the top spot out of more than 60 competitors.

“I’m hoping that we can have a good showing and we can do something special,” he said. “I’m going in there without any expectations. I’m going to show up and see what cards we are dealt. You just know you are going into a dogfight.”

Scelzi competed last Saturday at Antioch Speedway during a NARC 410 Sprint Car Series event. He qualified second quickest, won a heat race and placed second in the dash to start the main event on the outside of the front row.

“I was the second guy out to qualify and the track was still really greasy,” he said. “I held quick time for about halfway through, but it cleaned off and got faster. Then I won the heat race. I barely won the start of the dash and they sent me back a row saying I jumped the start. I got from third to second in it.

“I ran second the majority of the main event. We had a restart halfway through and I passed D.J. (Netto) for the lead, but we didn’t complete a lap so I restarted second. We went green again for about five laps and I was all over D.J. before we had another caution. On the restart I got into turn one, hit the curb the wrong way and off it went. I felt we had a car that was capable of winning, but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way for us. I’m happy we had speed.”

Scelzi was credited with a 12^th-place result following the wreck.

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 11 – Antioch Speedway in Antioch, Calif. – Qualifying: 9; Heat race: 1 (2); Dash: 2 (1); Feature: 12 (2). 

SEASON STATS –

51 races, 3 wins, 17 top fives, 35 top 10s, 42 top 15s, 46 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Thursday through Saturday at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif., for the 31^st annual Trophy Cup

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.DominicScelziRacing.com

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

X: http://www.x.com/DominicScelzi

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Fuel Delivery Services, Inc. 

Based in Stockton, Calif., Fuel Delivery Services, Inc., is a premier bulk transporter of refined petroleum products. For more information, visit http://www.FuelDeliveryServices.net.

“Mike with Fuel Delivery Services is a great guy who wants to see us do well and make it in racing,” Scelzi said. “We really appreciate his support and look forward to the continued success with Fuel Delivery Services.”

Scelzi would like to thank Red Rose Transportation, Inc., Scelzi Enterprises, Whipple Superchargers, System 1, Fuel Delivery Services, Inc., Red Line Oil, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Roth Motorsports, K&N Filters, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, NAPA Auto Parts, Todd Jorgensen, Sparco, Bell Helmets, Sander Engineering, Wilwood, Mettec, Tel Tac, Kenny’s Components and Worldwide Bearings for their continued support.

Oct 13, 2025 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results

Randy Meyer Racing wrapped up a busy weekend of competition at the Dallas NHRA FallNationals and JEGS AllStars at the Texas Motorplex, fielding all three Top Alcohol Dragsters for one final time this season. The team entered the weekend with high expectations following their recent success in St. Louis, but the results in Dallas were a mix of valuable lessons.

The highlight of the weekend came during Saturday’s JEGS AllStars competition, where Matt Cummings drove the GUNK dragster to the final round in his first season with Randy Meyer Racing. Cummings advanced past teammate Julie Nataas in the opening round after she lost traction early, then defeated Jared Dreher in the semifinals with a 5.25-second pass at 275 mph before falling just short in the final against Joey Severance.

“There was so much excitement and expectation going into the weekend with three dragsters entering the field,” said Cummings. “We know that Randy knows how to make the nitro engines fast in the Texas heat. I had the luxury of qualifying in the top half of the field all season long until this race and it was ultra important because the track turned into a one lane beast. The right lane turned out to be our demise for not only me but our whole team. We couldn’t keep the tires planted through the entire run in the finals against Severance after getting through two tough rounds. We gave it our best effort and I really wanted to keep the AllStars in Randy’s camp.”

Texas NHRA FallNationals

For Julie Nataas, who entered the weekend fresh off a win in the Hedinger’s Equipment dragster, the AllStars did not go as planned. Her opening-round matchup against Cummings ended with tire smoke at the hit, a rare setback for the four-time AllStars champion. “We came out here this weekend to try and get 5 Jegs AllStar wins in a row,” said Nataas. “Losing to my teammate in the first round was tough, but that’s part of racing.”

McKenna Bold made her first career appearance in the JEGS AllStars, representing the Central Region in the Diezel Excavating dragster. She made a clean and consistent pass but came up short against Shawn Cowie in the opening round. “It was a battle of Western Canada, we left together but unfortunately my 5.32 was not enough to drive around his 5.27,” said Bold. “It was a huge honor to compete in my first AllStars, I didn’t get the outcome I wanted, but just being part of that field was special. I’m grateful for the opportunity and proud of what our team accomplished this season.”

Texas NHRA FallNationals

Following the AllStars, the team rolled straight into the NHRA FallNationals, where all three cars qualified solidly, but in the bottom-half of a stacked field. However, eliminations proved challenging as each of the RMR drivers were eliminated in the opening round. Despite the disappointment, the team remains proud of its season-long performance and the growth shown throughout 2025.

“It wasn’t the finish we were aiming for, but this team has worked incredibly hard all season long,” said team owner Randy Meyer. “We’ve learned a lot, and I’m proud of Matt, Julie, and McKenna for being professional drivers. We’ll regroup and come back stronger next year.”

Randy Meyer Racing Battles Tough Loss at Dallas FallNationals and JEGS AllStars

Oct 13, 2025 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results

Randy Meyer Racing wrapped up a busy weekend of competition at the Dallas NHRA FallNationals and JEGS AllStars at the Texas Motorplex, fielding all three Top Alcohol Dragsters for one final time this season. The team entered the weekend with high expectations following their recent success in St. Louis, but the results in Dallas were a mix of valuable lessons.

The highlight of the weekend came during Saturday’s JEGS AllStars competition, where Matt Cummings drove the GUNK dragster to the final round in his first season with Randy Meyer Racing. Cummings advanced past teammate Julie Nataas in the opening round after she lost traction early, then defeated Jared Dreher in the semifinals with a 5.25-second pass at 275 mph before falling just short in the final against Joey Severance.

“There was so much excitement and expectation going into the weekend with three dragsters entering the field,” said Cummings. “We know that Randy knows how to make the nitro engines fast in the Texas heat. I had the luxury of qualifying in the top half of the field all season long until this race and it was ultra important because the track turned into a one lane beast. The right lane turned out to be our demise for not only me but our whole team. We couldn’t keep the tires planted through the entire run in the finals against Severance after getting through two tough rounds. We gave it our best effort and I really wanted to keep the AllStars in Randy’s camp.”

Texas NHRA FallNationals

For Julie Nataas, who entered the weekend fresh off a win in the Hedinger’s Equipment dragster, the AllStars did not go as planned. Her opening-round matchup against Cummings ended with tire smoke at the hit, a rare setback for the four-time AllStars champion. “We came out here this weekend to try and get 5 Jegs AllStar wins in a row,” said Nataas. “Losing to my teammate in the first round was tough, but that’s part of racing.”

McKenna Bold made her first career appearance in the JEGS AllStars, representing the Central Region in the Diezel Excavating dragster. She made a clean and consistent pass but came up short against Shawn Cowie in the opening round. “It was a battle of Western Canada, we left together but unfortunately my 5.32 was not enough to drive around his 5.27,” said Bold. “It was a huge honor to compete in my first AllStars, I didn’t get the outcome I wanted, but just being part of that field was special. I’m grateful for the opportunity and proud of what our team accomplished this season.”

Texas NHRA FallNationals

Following the AllStars, the team rolled straight into the NHRA FallNationals, where all three cars qualified solidly, but in the bottom-half of a stacked field. However, eliminations proved challenging as each of the RMR drivers were eliminated in the opening round. Despite the disappointment, the team remains proud of its season-long performance and the growth shown throughout 2025.

“It wasn’t the finish we were aiming for, but this team has worked incredibly hard all season long,” said team owner Randy Meyer. “We’ve learned a lot, and I’m proud of Matt, Julie, and McKenna for being professional drivers. We’ll regroup and come back stronger next year.”

The Dallas event marked the final race of the year for Matt Cummings in the GUNK dragster, closing out a successful first season with RMR that included multiple No. 1 qualifying efforts, 4 wins, and a runner-up finish in one of the sport’s most prestigious events. McKenna Bold will continue her 2025 campaign with RMR at two remaining NHRA national races to close out the year of her rookie year in Top Alcohol Dragster.