| Erb holds on for Victory at JacksonIt’s the Carpentersville, IL driver’s eighth career World of Outlaws winJACKSON, MN – JULY 10, 2021 – Dennis Erb Jr. isn’t someone who’s known for showing emotion. But you wouldn’t know it Saturday at Jackson Motorplex after he won his second Morton Buildings Feature of the season. The Carpentersville, IL driver climbed to the roof of his car, throwing two fist pumps into the sky to celebrate his triumph. But those joyful emotions quickly turned to tears in Victory Lane, as Erb was racing with a heavy heart. “I lost my uncle a week ago there, and I lost my dog here this week that’s been going up and down the road going to all of these races with us,” Erb said. “It’s definitely a good win for us tonight.” “The One-Man Band” dominated the first 40-laps of the race, but several late-race cautions kept the field close together. Erb held off challenges from Frank Heckenast Jr. and Brandon Sheppard on a restart with three laps to go. Sheppard threw a slide job to take the lead away but couldn’t hold on as Erb dove to the bottom to wrestle the position away for good. “I went into the corner on that last restart and hit a hole and it turned me a little bit,” Erb said. “I slid up the track but knew I had to keep my speed up because they were going to be up top too and it all worked out for us.” Erb’s victory is his eighth World of Outlaws win tying Mike Marlar and Jimmy Mars for 18th all-time. Frank Heckenast Jr. backed up his win on Friday with a second on Saturday. The Frankfort, IL driver changed lanes after watching Brandon Sheppard pass a few cars in front of him. It gave Heckenast confidence to move to the top, and a chance to sweep the weekend. “I told myself [Friday] before the Feature if you put yourself in contention, you’ll win some of them,” Heckenast said. “If we keep doing this, more wins will come.” Sheppard was also in contention for the win but settled for third. The New Berlin, IL driver used the top side in the final 10 laps, picking off three cars on the outside before losing second to Heckenast. “The Rocket Shepp” had to play a waiting game early in the race to make sure he would be a factor at the end. “I just kind of bided my time as long as I could and took care of my tires as long and as good as I could,” Sheppard said. “I tried the top a few times earlier in the race and it just wasn’t ever any good. Finally, off of one of them restarts I just started hammering it up there and it came to life.” Sheppard extended his points lead for the second straight night. He’s 64 points ahead of Chris Madden who finished fourth. Cade Dillard crossed the line fifth, rebounding from Friday’s heartbreaking finish. Even though this weekend was a wave of emotions for Dennis Erb Jr., more consistent runs may have him riding the top of that wave for the rest of the season. UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet return to Wisconsin for its first mid-week race of the season Tuesday, July 13 at Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, WI. Morton Buildings Feature (50 Laps)-1. 28-Dennis Erb [2][$20,000]; 2. 99JR-Frank Heckenast [3][$10,000]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard [4][$5,000]; 4. 44-Chris Madden [7][$4,000]; 5. 97-Cade Dillard [1][$3,500]; 6. 7-Ricky Weiss [6][$3,000]; 7. 25-Chad Simpson [10][$2,800]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck [9][$2,700]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs [16][$2,600]; 10. 77-Jordan Yaggy [13][$2,500]; 11. B1-Brent Larson [12][$2,000]; 12. 16-Tyler Bruening [8][$1,800]; 13. 10-Paul Parker [14][$1,600]; 14. 76-Blair Nothdurft [11][$1,500]; 15. 10C-A.J. Diemel [15][$1,400]; 16. 19R-Ryan Gustin [5][$1,300] Hard Charger: 99B-Boom Briggs[+7] Qualifying –1. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 16.346; 2. 28-Dennis Erb, 16.353; 3. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 16.438; 4. 97-Cade Dillard, 16.468; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast, 16.49; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening, 16.51; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck, 16.57; 8. 25-Chad Simpson, 16.739; 9. 44-Chris Madden, 16.749; 10. 7-Ricky Weiss, 16.806; 11. 10C-A.J. Diemel, 16.893; 12. 99B-Boom Briggs, 16.901; 13. 76-Blair Nothdurft, 16.95; 14. 10-Paul Parker, 16.989; 15. 77-Jordan Yaggy, 17.127; 16. B1-Brent Larson, 17.352 |
| The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws. |
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BRAD THE BADGER
| Sweet Continues Wisconsin Dominance with Wilmot WinThree Straight Wins for Kasey Kahne Racing #49 Entering Month of MoneyWILMOT, WI – July 10, 2021 – At this point, Brad Sweet is an adopted cheesehead.The Grass Valley, CA native extended his remarkable reign on the state of Wisconsin by scoring his first win in Wilmot Raceway’s Badger 40 on Saturday night – which follows his sweep at Cedar Lake Speedway last weekend.It wasn’t an easy win for the two-time and defending World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion, as he and pole sitter Logan Schuchart had to wade through thick lap traffic whilst battling for the top spot.The Big Cat finally assumed the point on Lap 22 and never looked back, although Schuchart made it extremely close (0.160-seconds) thanks to traffic on the final lap.For the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49 team, its their 13th victory of 2021 as they build their biggest advantage yet in the championship chase. More important than that, they’re riding a hot streak entering the illustrious “Month of Money.””I thought Logan and I were really even tonight,” Sweet mentioned. “I didn’t know where to go on that restart when he got back to my outside. I tried to slide across before he got to me, but we kind of met on the cushion. This is a tight track with some really tight spots, but we were able to hang on. Another great confidence booster heading into this big month we’ve got coming.”Fighting off a relentless cell of afternoon drizzles, Saturday’s Badger 40 was a huge triumph for the Wisconsin fans who packed the Wilmot, WI 1/3-mile and beat Mother Nature to see The Greatest Show on Dirt.Once underway following the rain delay around 7pm, Sweet was instantly the man to beat. He set Slick Woody’s QuickTime, won his Drydene Heat Race, and placed second in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash to Schuchart.The 40-lap NOS Energy Drink Feature was tough to get going early on as a trio of stoppages created a quick #OpenRed for teams to re-fuel cars. Included in those stoppages was championship runner-up David Gravel catching the cushion and flipping in turn four on the first lap. He returned and charged from 24th-to-9th, but flipped again and ended his night on Lap 30.Up front, it was a cat and mouse game as the leaders chased each other through lap traffic. Schuchart’s ultimate downfall came just beyond halfway when the traffic bottled him on the bottom and allowed Sweet to rip the top around the #1S.A shocking caution for third-running Sheldon Haudenschild offered one final chance to snooker Sweet for Schuchart, but the #49 was too strong and survived just fine in clean air.The win was the 71st of Sweet’s World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, and it also marked the 50th career victory for his Kasey Kahne Racing Crew Chief, Eric Prutzman.At 11 total wins (6 at Cedar Lake, 4 at Beaver Dam, 1 at Wilmot), Wisconsin is the winningest state of Sweet’s World of Outlaws career.”We love coming to Wisconsin,” Sweet spoke on the atmosphere. “The fans here are incredible. They come out and support us at every track, and they come drink beer with us afterwards too. It’s like a second home.”A disappointing, but strong second-place finish was the end result for Logan Schuchart after pacing the opening 22 laps aboard the Shark Racing, Drydene Performance Products #1S.”I was just hoping we’d get back in lap traffic,” Schuchart thought. “You try to be a respectful driver and want to race everyone the right way, but I just need to do what Brad did. You get to some of these lap cars and they race you like they’re the ones battling for the lead. I need to be more aggressive and not so much mr. nice guy. We had an awesome race there, though, glad the fans came out and packed the place.”Taking the final podium position in third was 2019 Badger 40 winner Donny Schatz aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Ford Performance, Carquest #15.”We were decent, you know we could stick with them,” Schatz said. “We just needed some more traffic. That one restart we went from sixth-to-third, but the caution killed us. We’re starting to get things going the right way, though. This is a good time to find some of that momentum.”James McFadden finished fourth aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing, Karavan Trailers #9 with an impressive recovery after visiting the work area and going tail-back on the opening lap. Aaron Reutzel in the Roth Motorsports #83 rounded out the top-five on Saturday night.Closing out the top-10 at Wilmot was Carson Macedo of Lemoore, CA in the Jason Johnson Racing #41, Sheldon Haudenschild of Wooster, OH in the Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17, Scotty Thiel of Sheboygan, WI in his family-owned #73, Brock Zearfoss of Jonestown, PA in the Zearfoss Racing #3Z, and Jason Sides of Bartlett, TN in the Sides Motorsports #7S.UP NEXT: The “Month of Money” begins next week for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. It starts on Tuesday, July 13 with the 33rd annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic at Attica Raceway Park. On Wedesdnay-Saturday, Eldora Speedway hosts double Kings Royals with $175,000-to-win on Thursday and Saturday night.NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2][$10,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1][$6,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$3,500]; 4. 9-James McFadden [9][$2,800]; 5. 83-Aaron Reutzel [4][$2,500]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo [8][$2,300]; 7. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [3][$2,200]; 8. 73-Scotty Thiel [5][$2,100]; 9. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [10][$2,050]; 10. 7S-Jason Sides [6][$2,000]; 11. 79-Blake Nimee [17][$1,600]; 12. 2C-Wayne Johnson [14][$1,400]; 13. 39-Jake Blackhurst [19][$1,200]; 14. 21-Carson Short [13][$1,100]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [12][$1,050]; 16. 49J-Josh Schneiderman [21][$1,000]; 17. 4K-Kris Spitz [22][$1,000]; 18. 70-Chris Klemko [23][$1,000]; 19. 2-David Gravel [11][$1,000]; 20. 1A-Jacob Allen [18][$1,000]; 21. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [15][$1,000]; 22. 47N-Marcus Dumesny [16][$1,000]; 23. 23-Russel Borland [20][$1,000]; 24. 25-Danny Schlafer [24][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-22, Brad Sweet 23-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 79-Blake Nimee[+6]NEW Championship Standings (41/81 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (5,772); 2. David Gravel (-132); 3. Carson Macedo (-140); 4. Sheldon Haudenschild (-210); 5. Logan Schuchart (-228); 6. Donny Schatz (-236); 7. Aaron Reutzel (-356); 8. James McFadden (-646); 9. Kraig Kinser (-710); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-970); 11. Jacob Allen (-1084); 12. Wayne Johnson (-1254); 13. Giovanni Scelzi (-1384); 14. Jason Sides (-1488); 15. Mason Daniel (-1902). |
RCR Post Race Report – Atlanta 250
| Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Team Battle Through Challenging Race at Atlanta Motor Speedway |
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 21st |  15th |  12th |
| “We really had to fight hard for every spot today with the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Camaro. We tried a lot of different lines today, but I couldn’t get through the corners like I really wanted to. It was almost like the car was numb entering the corners, so I couldn’t run the bottom lane well, which is always really important at Atlanta. My team worked really hard today on making adjustments that would help, but it was just a tough day and we never really caught a break. We saved a set of tires longer than pretty much anyone else in the field, and that paid off when the caution came out with 11 laps to go. Unfortunately, we never really got a long enough green flag run after that during those final laps with the multiple cautions that came out to really put the tires to good use. You’ll have these days at the track, but our team will come out stronger on the other side. We’ll regroup together and see where we can continue to improve as we prepare for New Hampshire next week.” -Myatt Snider |
THE IRONMAN
| 55 Laps at I-55 to Test Strength of Outlaws on August 6-713th Annual Ironman 55 Offers $20,000-to-win PaydayPEVELY, MO – July 10, 2021 – The Ironman 55 is not only a test of man, but his machine as well.Since 2009, this race at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 has challenged the stars of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series for everything they are worth.It’s 55 laps of grueling, intense action on a 1/3-mile bullring in the heat of the Missouri summer. Not exactly for the faint of heart.Next month on August 6-7, the 13th annual Ironman 55 commences again with The Greatest Show on Dirt storming into Pevely, MO for a weekend.Coming amid the Month of Money, a $20,000 check awaits one man who conquers all at I-55. On top of the money, you get all of the momentum leading into a potential $200,000 payday at the 60th running of the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals pres. by Casey’s General Stores on August 11-14.IRONMAN 55 TICKETS (8/6-7)Although he’s never topped the 55-lap Ironman edition, Brad Sweet of Grass Valley, CA certainly enters as the early favorite for the 2021 running.The two-time and defending World of Outlaws champion is leading the points with 12 victories under his belt and a third-straight title in his sights. Driving his Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49, Sweet has mastered Missouri lately, sweeping all four events the Show-Me State this spring.Included in that sweep was back-to-back wins at I-55 on April 2-3. Already at four-career wins, he’ll enter the August doubleheader with a chance to become the winningest driver in World of Outlaws history at the Pevely 1/3-mile through 61 total events.Arguably the most exciting driver in the field is Sheldon Haudenschild, who executed one of the most dominating victories in Series history at the 2019 Ironman 55.Driving the NOS Energy Drink, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17, Lil’ Haud was fueled up and fired up with his own load of Human Horsepower. In a non-stop, green-to-checkered 55-lap dash, Haudenschild lapped 19 of his 23 competitors and completed the race in just over 11 minutes.His final margin of victory to second-place was 10.308-seconds. The crowd was in awe.The Wooster, OH native returned in 2020 and ran second to Kyle Larson, but he also won the preliminary show to become the 15th multi-time World of Outlaws winner at I-55.Entering the Month of Money, Haudenschild has collected four victories and led 173 laps.Another five full-time drivers have winning experience to rely on when it comes to the Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.Logan Schuchart, who scored the first Crown Jewel of the season ($50,000 at Jackson Nationals) last month, is also an Ironman 55 champion. The Hanover, PA native topped the 2018 edition aboard his Shark Racing, Drydene Performance Products #1S. He’s already a three-time winner this season and looking for more momentum as he climbs into the top five in points.10-time champion Donny Schatz collected two of his 300 career World of Outlaws wins in Pevely. He won once in his own Schatz Motorsports #15 in 2006 and again in 2015 aboard his current ride in the Tony Stewart Racing #15.David Gravel (-94), who sits second in the current championship standings, is another former winner from 2016. The Big Game Motorsports #2 leads the Series in QuickTimes (11), Heat Race Wins (19), Dash Appearances (25), Top-10 Finishes (33), and Average Feature Start (6.53).Double Down Jason Sides in 2012 and Kraig Kinser in 2005 also own victories at I-55.An additional two former Ironman 55 champions in Rico Abreu (2016-17) and Kerry Madsen (2014) are expected to join the World of Outlaws next month and chase another title.Fans unable to make it to the track can watch all of the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month.IRONMAN 55 CHAMPIONS (12 Events): 2020 – Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, CA) 2019 – Sheldon Haudenschild (Wooster, OH) 2018 – Logan Schuchart (Hanover, PA) 2017 – Rico Abreu (St. Helena, CA) 2016 – Rico Abreu (St. Helena, CA) 2015 – Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 2014 – Kerry Madsen (St. Mary’s, NSW, AUS) 2013 – Craig Dollansky (Elk River, MN) 2012 – Craig Dollansky (Elk River, MN) 2011 – Craig Dollansky (Elk River, MN) 2010 – Jason Meyers (Clovis, CA) 2009 – Joey Saldana (Brownsburg, IN)Winners at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (61 Races): 5 wins – Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Craig Dollansky 4 wins – Brad Sweet 3 wins – Daryn Pittman, Joey Saldana, Jac Haudenschild 2 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Kyle Larson, Rico Abreu, Donny Schatz, Jason Meyers, Stevie Smith, Mark Kinser, Doug Wolfgang 1 win – Logan Schuchart, David Gravel, Shane Stewart, Christopher Bell, Kerry Madsen, Paul McMahan, Jason Sides, Tim Shaffer, Brooke Tatnell, Chad Kemenah, Kraig Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Tyler Walker, Randy Hannagan, Andy Hillenburg, Bobby Davis Jr., Brad Doty |
| The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), NOS Energy (Official Energy Product), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, and Racing Electronics. |
DESTINY: Babb Completes Quest for 100th Hell Tour Victory at Farmer City
| Babb now ties Billy Moyer atop the all-time wins list FARMER CITY, IL – July 9, 2021 – Ever since winning #99 three weeks ago, the Dirt Late Model world had been waiting for the moment when one of its biggest icons would finally achieve one of the greatest career accomplishments in the sport’s history. And now, the wait is over. Shannon Babb has won 100 DIRTcar Summer Nationals Features. With his friends, family and his faithful fanbase all in attendance Friday night at Farmer City Raceway, Babb drove his Dyna-Gro Team Zero Race Cars #18 to victory against a strong field of frontrunners and denied them all to collect one of his most historic victories and the $10,000 grand prize. “I knew this week right here – we had a really good shot at getting us a win. This place… we’ve always considered it one of our favorite places to race, and it’s always been really good to me,” Babb, of Moweaqua, IL, said. Looking back on all the years he’s spent in the sport and the highlights along the way, from his very first Summer Nationals win in June 1999 in Haubstadt, IN, to his 99th just three weeks ago in a thriller at FALS, Babb said he knew his passion for the sport was there right away but never imagined the kind of success his career would have at this point. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I knew I really enjoyed racing and I felt like I could run with ‘em if we had the sponsors and the money to continue doing it. We’ve been blessed to have a lot of great people behind us this entire time,” Babb said. He had plenty of competition on his hands over the 40-lap event, coming from third on the starting grid. McKay Wenger jumped out to the early lead from the pole and led the first 23 laps, keeping a strong pace ahead of outside polesitter Garrett Alberson and Babb in third. The deeper they climbed into lapped traffic, the tighter the gaps got. Babb was able to get around Alberson at the halfway point and immediately set his sights on Wenger. On Lap 24, Babb got a great run off of Turn 2 and charged into Turn 3 with a full head of steam. He dove underneath Wenger and slid up in front of him at the exit of Turn 4 to grab the lead. From that point forward, it became Babb’s race to lose. He opened up a sizable advantage over Wenger in traffic and rode it all the way back to the finish line for his second Summer Nationals Feature win of the season. His historic victory places him in a tie with the one and only six-time champion Billy Moyer for most Feature wins on the all-time wins list. “Me and Billy have always raced really good together, and he was really somebody that we always looked up to. I drove for him for seven years, so we’ve got a lot of respect for him and a lot of time racing with him,” Babb said. And now, the agony of anticipation has been put to rest. Thinking of all the great drivers he raced against over his decorated career, Babb has been grateful for all that he’s learned from them. “It hasn’t sunk-in yet, but it will down the road, probably,” he said. “We’ve had a ton of great competition over the years to race against and a lot of people that were here before me that taught us a lot about this deal.” ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (40 Laps) 1. 18-Shannon Babb[3]; 2. 42-Mckay Wenger[1]; 3. 59-Garrett Alberson[2]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[5]; 5. 14G-Joe Godsey[4]; 6. 81E-Tanner English[6]; 7. 24-Ryan Unzicker[9]; 8. 86-Kyle Beard[10]; 9. 25-Jason Feger[8]; 10. 41-Jeremiah Hurst[12]; 11. 11-Gordy Gundaker[11]; 12. 12-Ashton Winger[22]; 13. 32-Bobby Pierce[19]; 14. 7R-Kent Robinson[18]; 15. 74-Mitch McGrath[17]; 16. 19X-Cody Bauer[13]; 17. 4G-Bob Gardner[20]; 18. 334-Billy Hough[21]; 19. 10J-Jordan Bauer[16]; 20. B12-Kevin Weaver[7]; 21. 89-Mike Spatola[14]; 22. J12-Jason Wagner[15] PERFECT 12: Hoffman Makes Perfect Season With 12th Win in 12 Starts For the third year in-a-row, Nick Hoffman has achieved a perfect season with the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals, maxing-out his win total with his 12th victory in 12 starts Friday night at Farmer City Raceway. Each driver’s best 12 finishes are taken into consideration for the overall points standings, and since Hoffman now has 12 wins, he’s received nearly the maximum number of points obtainable for any single driver. The only ways he can increase his points total now is through bonus points, given for races with 26 or more cars in any given field, and by replacing the lower-point victories with more wins at higher car counts. Once again, the three-time and defending champion led all 25 laps Friday night, putting him at a still-perfect 290-for-290 in consecutive Feature laps led. Even with the big names in the house, Hoffman still denied them all. None of his opponents even got the opportunity to make a pass for the lead, as he was able to build on the jump out to the lead he got on the initial start. Even the threat of rain in the area could not stop The Blue Deuce. The show was efficiently completed, and the rain held off until afterwards. “Hats off to the track prep crew to get it in tonight,” Hoffman said. “My phone was wrong again, I guess. I thought we were clear until like 12 or 1 o’clock, and then they start rushing us.” Regardless of the weather and track characteristics, Hoffman had one planned route to Victory Lane – the fastest one. “Our racecar’s really good in any track condition right now, and we’re just having a hell of a lot of fun right now,” Hoffman said. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (25 Laps) 1. 2-Nick Hoffman[1]; 2. 96M-Mike McKinney[2]; 3. 37-Michael Ledford[4]; 4. 8-Kyle Steffens[5]; 5. 7-Drake Troutman[3]; 6. 36-Kenny Wallace[6]; 7. 77-Ray Bollinger[12]; 8. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[7]; 9. 7K-Kelly Kovski[9]; 10. 45-Kyle Hammer[8]; 11. 14C-Rick Conoyer[14]; 12. 43A-Larry Anderson[20]; 13. 35-Ethan Weber[11]; 14. 19-Chad Bauer[15]; 15. 14-Caden McWhorter[16]; 16. 30J-Jerry Johnston[18]; 17. 64-Dawson Cook[17]; 18. 19T-Travis Thrasher[19]; 19. 0-Travis Kohler[13]; 20. Z1-Zac Odedewaldt[10]; 21. 18S-Jarrett Stryker[22]; 22. 12-Wyatt Harms[21] |
| DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, MSD, Quarter Master, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum).Summit Modified Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including : Summit Racing Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Velocita USA, VP Racing Fuels, Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne. |
ONE HECK OF A PRESENT
| Heckenast takes night one at Jackson Motorplex The Frankfort, IL driver scores second career World of Outlaws Victory on his birthdayJACKSON, MN – JULY 9, 2021 – Finding your way to Victory Lane is no easy task with the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models. Sometimes it’s a break in your favor that puts you in a position to win. Sometimes it’s a present.Frank Heckenast Jr. got a birthday present he’ll never forget Friday at Jackson Motorplex. The Illinois driver claimed his second career World of Outlaws win after the center of Cade Dillard’s right rear wheel broke with 13 laps to go.The victory was also Heckenast’s first trip to Victory Lane with the Series since 2015.He expressed relief in Victory Lane, afraid bad luck would bite him before the race was over.“I feel like when everything’s going right, something’s bound to happen,” Heckenast said. “I was just out there the last couple of laps just hoping nothing happened. You don’t get these all the time so we’re definitely going to enjoy this for sure.”Before Dillard’s misfortune, Heckenast was locked in a battle with Brandon Sheppard for second place. That battle taught him what he was doing wrong and how to fix it, setting him up for the $10,000 prize.“I was getting passed by [Sheppard] running the line I thought we should’ve been in, but then I totally changed up my driving style,” Heckenast said. “I changed the way I entered and came off the corner and changed my throttle position and the car just started taking off.”The celebration for Heckenast comes at a time of heartbreak for Dillard. The Robeline, LA driver looked like he was destined for his second win of 2021, but it wasn’t meant to be.While “The Thriller” was disappointed about what happened, his team is still pushing forward.“We had a really good car,” Dillard said. “We’ve had a tough go of it this year and I felt like we had stuff turning around for us and then [the center of the wheel breaking] happened. We’ll just fix it again and go on.”Three-time and defending Series champion Brandon Sheppard crossed the line second—extending his points lead to 62 points over Chris Madden.The New Berlin, IL driver stated Heckenast had the better car in the closing stages of the race.“It looked like [Heckenast] could come off the corner a little better than I was,” Sheppard said. “I was relying on the brown a little bit coming off the corner.”Ryan Gustin, the top Rookie of the race, finished third in a brand-new Rocket chassis. “The Reaper” was thrilled with his results for the car’s first time out.“Everything stayed together, everyone did their job, and we actually learned a couple of things here so hopefully we can carry that over to [Saturday] and maybe get ourselves a win,” Gustin said.Gustin also made-up ground in the chase for Rookie of the Year. Gustin is now 108 points behind Tyler Bruening, who finished 17th after breaking a left rear shock early in the race.Madden was the race’s hard charger, finishing fourth after starting 12th.Lake Elmo, MN driver Brent Larson crossed the line fifth, scoring his second top-five of the season in front of fans in his home state.Heckenast has the chance to add $20,000 more to his bank account if he can sweep the weekend at Jackson Motorplex. Another Victory would make an even brighter start to his next trip around the sun.Around the Turn: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet return to Jackson Motorplex on Saturday, July 10 for a 50-lap, $20,000-to-win event.Morton Buildings Feature (40 Laps)-1. 99JR-Frank Heckenast [1][$10,000]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard [4][$6,000]; 3. 19R-Ryan Gustin [5][$3,500]; 4. 44-Chris Madden [12][$2,800]; 5. B1-Brent Larson [7][$2,500]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb [11][$2,300]; 7. 99B-Boom Briggs [15][$2,200]; 8. 77-Jordan Yaggy [16][$2,100]; 9. 25-Chad Simpson [3][$2,050]; 10. 10-Paul Parker [14][$2,000]; 11. 7-Ricky Weiss [13][$1,600]; 12. 97-Cade Dillard [2][$1,400]; 13. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck [9][$1,200]; 14. 55C-Chad Mahder [17][$1,100]; 15. 28M-Jimmy Mars [10][$1,050]; 16. 76-Blair Nothdurft [8][$1,000]; 17. 16-Tyler Bruening [6][$1,000]; 18. 10C-A.J. Diemel [18][$1,000] Hard Charger: 44-Chris Madden[+8]Qualifying – 1-Brandon Sheppard, 14.337; 2. 25-Chad Simpson, 14.418; 3. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 14.481; 4. 28M-Jimmy Mars, 14.561; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast, 14.568; 6. 97-Cade Dillard, 14.576; 7. B1-Brent Larson, 14.634; 8. 44-Chris Madden, 14.664; 9. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck, 14.712; 10. 76-Blair Nothdurft, 14.774; 11. 7-Ricky Weiss, 14.881; 12. 16-Tyler Bruening, 14.906; 13. 28-Dennis Erb, 14.92; 14. 10-Paul Parker, 15.06; 15. 99B-Boom Briggs, 15.088; 16. 77-Jordan Yaggy, 15.093; 17. 55C-Chad Mahder, 15.322; 18. 10C-A.J. Diemel, 15.589 |
| The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis. |
WINNING PACE
| Brad Sweet focused on more wins, big money With a comfortable points lead at the halfway mark, Sweet’s Kasey Kahne Racing team only have eyes for winsBy Nick GrazianoWILMOT, WI – July 9, 2021 – Brad Sweet ended the first half of the 2021 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season with 12 wins and a more than a 90-point lead in the championship standings.Not good enough.Not for Sweet. At least, not yet. With two World of Outlaws championship trophies – earned back-to-back in 2019 and 2020 – nestled safely in his California home, he’s not concerned about points. Sweet’s only goal is to dominate and win every time his NAPA Auto Parts #49 enters a track.So far, consistency on half-mile tracks hasn’t been to his liking.“We have a good short track package, which seems to keep us in contention at all the short tracks, but when we get to the half-miles, we get a little inconsistent,” Sweet said. “We’re trying to work on that. And obviously, we’ll try to find out if we’ve gotten any better when we get to Eldora (July 14-17 for Kings Royal week).”Of his 12 wins in the first 40 races, three of them came on a half-mile – one at Volusia Speedway Park and two at I-70 Motorsports Park. However, of the 13 events on a half-mile, so far, Sweet has averaged an eighth-place finish. Volusia was probably the best example of the inconsistency that’s been frustrating him. He won the first night, finished fifth in the second race, and then placed 11th in the third race.His team’s solid baseline for smaller tracks – like Wilmot Raceway, where he’ll race on Saturday, July 10 – may be playing culprit.“It’s easy to get behind on a half-mile,” he noted. “The way that we do things is for more drivability, trying to get our cars good on the slicker tracks. I think that hurts us a little bit when you get to a half-mile and Time Trials are really fast. It’s just self-inflicted or maybe just bad decisions on mine and Eric’s (Prutzman, Sweet’s crew chief) part.“You just have to do a better job either way. You’ve got to get yourself to the front row of the Heats to give yourself a chance. There’re a few times on the half-miles this year that we’ve dug ourselves a little bit too much in a hole, like at Knoxville. You’re just not able to overcome it as much as you are on the short tracks.”Sweet’s urgency to find more consistency on half-miles comes with two of the biggest crown jewels of the year on the horizon. Both at half-mile tracks. There are two $175,000-to-win Kings Royals at Eldora Speedway this year (Thursday, July 15, and Saturday, July 17) and the illustrious 60th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway, with a potential $200,000 on the line for the winner, takes place Aug. 11-14. (Sweet is the 2018 Knoxville Nationals champion and a two-time Kings Royal winner in 2013 and 2019).The next five weeks of Series events, known as “The Month of Money,” will have nearly $700,000 in winnings available.“We obviously want to win every race, but there’s something about those four or five big-money races that you know can make or break your season,” Sweet said. “You can win one Kings Royal and feel like you had a great season. You can have a great week right there. You can feel like you had an unbelievable season if you win both Kings Royals. We’re in the business to make money just like anyone else. We want to make money. We want to collect the trophies. We want to put our names in the history books. You only get a certain amount of chances for those in a year. We already went to the Jackson Nationals and Huset’s and didn’t win there. That stuff stings a little bit.“It’s a good time to be a Sprint Car racer. It’s a good time to be with a good team. It’s a good time to peak right now. If you can have a good run right now, I don’t think it matters what happens with the points. I think you can win these few races and feel like you had a spectacular season. It’s something that is on your mind. You can feel it when you roll into Eldora. With $175,000 to win, you can feel the intensity. You’ll take more chances than you typically would on a normal night. Those aren’t points races, the nights at the Kings Royals, so you can put your car in a tighter position than you would’ve on a normal night. When there’s $175,000 on the line, you’re ready to take that extra risk.”That’s the same mentality Sweet is utilizing for the 2021 World of Outlaws season as he chases his third championship. It’s a stat that would add him to a shortlist of names in the record book, which include Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Donny Schatz.While he’ll admit he’s not going to turn down the chance to claim a third consecutive title, Sweet continues to claim he’s not concerned with points. He rarely looks at the standings. However, he said the same thing in 2019 when he was chasing his first title before confessing after that he worried about it a little more than he led on. This time, though, the pressure truly seems to be off. Twelve wins in the first 40 races show it.“I really don’t think I feel pressure anymore,” Sweet said. “I don’t think I have a lot to prove. I think I want to just win a lot of races. When we get off, I get more frustrated that we’re getting inconsistent, not winning races. I don’t really think about the points. Obviously, I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to win the points. You want to stay on top of the mountain. My mind isn’t there. It is on winning. Winning a lot. I know if we do our job, the points will take care of themselves.“After last year, the second [championship], I feel it was like, you don’t have to win that many more to prove that you were a champion or that you could do it. We have a goal for how many races we want to win and know we need to stay super focused each night to accomplish that.”With the pressure off, that’s left “The Big Cat” free to pounce as he pleases. A slide job he may have thought better of before, he’ll go for. A three-wide battle he may have thought about backing out of, he’ll power on. And the more he takes those risks, the better he’s gotten at perfecting them, he said.That’s been a key for his Kasey Kahne Racing team, which consists of crew chief Eric Prutzman, car chief Joe Mooney and tire specialist Andrew Bowman. They’re going on their fifth year together. They’ve built longevity. They know how to win. And they now know how to win a lot.The likes of David Gravel (94 points back in second) and Carson Macedo (128 points back in third) will not let up in their pursuit of hunting down Sweet for the title in the second half of the year. But if Sweet finds the extra level of consistency he’s looking for… well, he’ll explain.“I know people are chasing us,” Sweet said. “We love it.”CLICK HERE for tickets to upcoming World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series events.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription or the monthly FAST PASS subscription.UPCOMING EVENTS July 10 – Badger 40/Wilmot Raceway – $10,000-to-win July 13 – Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic/Attica Raceway Park – $10,000-to-win July 14 – Jokers Wild/Eldora Speedway – $10,000-to-win July 15 – 38th Kings Royal/Eldora Speedway – $175,000-to-win July 16 – Knight Before/Eldora Speedway – $10,ooo-to-win July 17 – 37th Kings Royal/Eldora Speedway – $175,000-to-win July 20 – Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup/Lernerville Speedway – $25,000-to-win July 23-24 – Champion Racing Oil Summer Nationals/Williams Grove Speedway – $10K/$20,000-to-win July 30 – The Big “R” Outlaw Shootout/Ransomville Speedway – $10,000-to-win July 31 – Empire State Challenge/Weedsport Speedway – $10,000-to-win Aug. 6 – Night Before/Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 – $8,000-to-win Aug. 7 – Ironman 55/Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 – $20,000-to-win Aug. 11-14 – 60th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals/Knoxville Raceway – $150,000-to-win + $1,000 per lap led |
| The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), NOS Energy (Official Energy Product), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, and Racing Electronics.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws. |
Smoky Mountain Saturday Still a Go, Heavy Rain Cancels Friday
| Maryville, TN (July 9, 2021) – Heavy morning rain left the track at Smoky Mountain Speedway with unsafe conditions for this evening. With concerns about the safety of the racers, track and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series officials decided to cancel Friday’s $12,000-to-win portion of the Mountain Moonshine Classic weekend. Everything is still on for tomorrow, Saturday, July 10th with a 60 lap A-Main paying $20,000-to-win. On Saturday, the pit and general admission gates will open at 12:00pm (noon). A driver’s meeting is scheduled for 7:00pm with hot laps to follow at 7:30pm. The 604 Late Models and Red Clay 602 Late Models will serve as support divisions at Smoky Mountain Speedway. For those that have purchased a two-day ticket, hold onto those tickets and you will be refunded when you go through the gate on Saturday. Friday only tickets can be used for entry tomorrow with an upcharge. Tim McCreadie leads the Lucas Oil championship standings heading into the weekend. Jonathan Davenport and Hudson O’Neal are currently tied for second, 160 points behind McCreadie. Kyle Bronson currently sits in fourth. The points battle is extremely close in positions five through ten, with only 95 points separating Josh Richards, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton Jr, Shane Clanton, Mike Marlar, and Jimmy Owens. Track and Event Information:Smoky Mountain SpeedwayPhone Number: 865-856-8989Location: 809 Brickmill Road, Maryville, TN 37801Directions: 4.5 miles southwest of US 129 on US411, then 1.6 miles south on Brick Mill Road.Website: www.smokymountainspeedway.com Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Weekend Tire Rule:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (29.0) White Dot 1600 NRM, (29.0) 1600NRMW*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 3 new tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain startingposition. Event Purses:Saturday’s Mountain Moonshine Classic (60 laps) – 1. $20,000, 2. $9,000, 3. $5,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,500, 6. $2,700, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,900, 13. $1,800, 14. $1,700, 15. $1,600, 16. $1,400, 17. $1,300, 18. $1,200, 19. $1,200, 20. $1,200, 21. $1,200, 22. $1,200, 23. $1,200, 24. $1,200. = $73,400 |
| About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2021, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 59 events across 18 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap. The series receives national exposure through a television package filmed, produced and edited by Lucas Oil Production Studios. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will broadcast on four networks including CBS, NBC Sports, CBS Sports Network and the MAVTV Motorsports Network. The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com. |
RCR Event Preview – Atlanta Motor Speedway
| Richard Childress Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway… In 151 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned nine wins and three pole awards, including Kevin Harvick’s emotional victory on March 11, 2001. Dale Earnhardt won eight times at the Hampton, Ga.-based track under the RCR banner. Additionally, RCR boasts 29 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes at AMS and RCR-prepared Chevrolets have led 2,955 laps at the ultra-fast, 1.54-mile oval. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, RCR has recorded three wins, 13 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes over a span of 51 starts. Richard Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, recorded his best finish at AMS, ninth, in the Atlanta Journal 500 on Nov. 2, 1980. Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Atlanta 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, July 10, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. The NASCAR Cup Series’ Atlanta 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, July 11, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. |
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| Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol Camaro ZL1 1LE Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Atlanta Motor Speedway… In nine NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Austin Dillon’s best finish is sixth in his most recent appearance to the track in March 2021. He has earned top-10 finishes in each of his three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track and four NASCAR Truck Series starts at the track. BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Sponsors the No. 3 at Atlanta… BREZTRI is an AstraZeneca product and the sponsor of No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Austin Dillon. You can learn more at breztri.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:Do you feel confident in your current points situation, or are you holding your breath? What is your strategy as we close in on the NASCAR Playoffs?“Anything can happen, that’s for sure. We’re just going to stay on the same program we’ve been on all year long, which is to get as much as we can out of every race. We’ll work hard to stay in the grind.” What are your thoughts on Atlanta Motor Speedway and expectations for this weekend?“We finished sixth at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this year, and I think we can improve on that. We were really fast, but we had a few struggles on pit road. We will probably take something similar to what we took to the first Atlanta race and just try to get as much track position as we can get.” |
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| Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Okuma Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Atlanta Motor Speedway… Tyler Reddick has two previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as well as two NASCAR Xfinity Series and two NASCAR Truck Series starts. Reddick has two top-five finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway, finishing fifth there in 2015 (Trucks) and 2019 (Xfinity). About Okuma… America Corporation Okuma America Corporation is the U.S.-based sales and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world leader in CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan. The company is the industry’s only single-source provider, with the CNC machine, drive, motors, encoders, and spindle all manufactured by Okuma. The company also designs their own CNC controls to integrate seamlessly with each machine tool’s functionality. In 2014 Okuma launched the Okuma App Store, the industry’s only centralized online marketplace for machine tool apps and related content. Along with its extensive distribution network (largest in the Americas), and Partners in THINC, Okuma is committed to helping users gain competitive advantage through the open possibilities of machine tools, today and into the future. For more information, visit https://www.okuma.com/ or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Celebrating 20 Years of Partnership… 2021 marks the 20th year of partnership between Okuma and Richard Childress Racing. The partnership, which began in 2001, has grown with RCR’s need for more intricate and specialized car parts. While the original machine installed in 2001 still operates on a daily basis, RCR has also expanded their fleet to include a total of 19 Okuma machines.TYLER REDDICK QUOTE: It’s going to be hot at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Is that something you look forward to in the summer months?“I love when it gets hot at racetracks. The hotter it gets, the slicker the track surface gets, so I’m really looking forward to racing on Atlanta’s old surface this weekend. We had a really good car during our first trip to Atlanta in the spring. I just unfortunately got into the wall a little bit early on in that race, and that really set us behind a little bit. But we had really good speed that weekend, just lacked the cautions to get back on the lead lap. I’m looking forward to having some redemption this weekend. I know we can run well at Atlanta and am looking forward to continuing our momentum with the No. 8 Okuma Chevrolet this weekend.” |
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| Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Camaro at Atlanta Motor Speedway… Myatt Snider has two career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his first last year during the 2020 campaign and the most recent earlier this season when the No. 2 machine finished in the 11th position. The 26-year-old has also competed in one NASCAR Truck Series race at the Georgia quad-oval, earning a seventh-place finish in 2018. About Crosley Brands… For over 30 years, Crosley Brands has been a leader in the nostalgic electronics category. From their beginning in the premium incentive industry, Crosley Brands developed their own exclusive product lines and built solid relationships with some of the most well-known catalogers and retailers in the business. Today, Crosley Brands is known for two brands – Crosley Radio and Crosley Furniture. At the front lines of the Vinyl Revolution, Crosley Radio seeks to bring new life to a classic medium, with its revolutionary line of turntables to its new series of high-fidelity units. Building on a legacy of entrepreneurship, Crosley Furniture delivers quality products at competitive prices, without sacrificing style. From the patio to the kitchen, bath, entryway and beyond, Crosley Furniture offers over 1,800 indoor and outdoor furniture items in a variety of categories and designs. For more information, please visit www.crosleybrands.com. MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:What are your expectations heading into Atlanta Motor Speedway?“Atlanta’s track surface is old and worn out, which makes it really fast. Our Richard Childress Racing team had a solid run there earlier this season, so we will be taking our notes from that race and applying it to this weekend to build upon our 11th-place finish. We will need to manage the race and our tires to be there at the end, but our Crosley Furniture crew is strong and up for the task.” |
SMOOTH SEVEN
| Pierce Scores Third Herald & Review 100 Title at Macon for Win No. 7 of Season Shirley recovers to eighth after blown tire while leading, Unzicker second for season-best finish MACON, IL – July 8, 2021 – It’s special just to win even one Herald & Review 100, let alone three. Bobby Pierce is now a three-time winner of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals’ most prestigious event at Macon Speedway, just one shy of tying his father Bob for second-most on the event’s all-time win list. The points leader was faced with the ultimate test of keeping his car out front for well over half of the 100-lap race while the rest of the top-five hunted him down in traffic. But first, Pierce had to get around one last car in front of him – Brian Shirley. Shirley, of Chatham, IL, grabbed the lead from polesitter Ryan Unzicker on Lap 3 and proceeded to open up a sizable gap over Pierce before diving head-first into lapped traffic. A few early cautions kept the field restacked and out of thick traffic as the defending Hell Tour champion continued his strong run out front. But soon, disaster struck the Bob Cullen Racing #3s. The caution flag came out on Lap 23, but as soon as the caution lights turned on, Shirley’s right-rear tire went flat. He took the car to the work area and got it changed before the restart but was forced to start from the tail, surrendering the lead to Pierce. “We got pretty lucky tonight with Squirrel [Shirley] having that flat,” Pierce said. “It would have been tough to get by him.” Now with the lead for the first time in the race, Pierce immediately knew his one mission objective. “Brian had that flat on that caution, and I was like, ‘well, here we are.’ So, just ride from there and don’t make any mistakes,” Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, said. And that’s exactly what he did. From that point forward, it became Pierce’s race to lose. He opened up a sizable gap in traffic and began clicking off the laps. He was met with several more restarts, but denied all challengers behind him, even with slower traffic ahead of him. “It got pretty hairy there in lapped traffic a few times. Glad we were able to keep the nose clean and hang onto it,” Pierce said. The field sat under a temporary red flag with three laps remaining while an accident with cleaned up in Turn 1. During that stoppage, Pierce was left to cool off and think about the task ahead of him, which he could have done without. “Sometimes you get relaxed on those cautions. It got so cool tonight, and I was really cool in the racecar. Sometimes you get relaxed, like, you’ve gotta stay up on the wheel. I didn’t really like to see a caution,” Pierce said. Unzicker held on for second – his best finish of the season with the Summer Nationals thus far. Shannon Babb crossed in third, ahead of Myles Moos, who was later disqualified for being light at the scales. This moved Logan Martin into fourth and Gordy Gundaker into fifth. Shirley was able to climb back for an eighth-place finish. UP NEXT The Summer Nationals Late Models are back in action Friday night, July 9, at Farmer City Raceway for the first $10,000-to-win Feature of the week. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (100 Laps) 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 2. 24-Ryan Unzicker[1]; 3. 18-Shannon Babb[7]; 4. 36-Logan Martin[9]; 5. 11-Gordy Gundaker[12]; 6. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[2]; 7. 16-Rusty Griffaw[10]; 8. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 9. 38J-Jake Little[18]; 10. 12-Ashton Winger[19]; 11. 74-Mitch McGrath[22]; 12. 25-Jason Feger[8]; 13. 81E-Tanner English[5]; 14. 51-Dean Carpenter[13]; 15. 27-Greg Kimmons[17]; 16. 19X-Cody Bauer[16]; 17. 11M-Ryan Miller[21]; 18. 11H-Jeff Herzog[14]; 19. 14G-Joe Godsey[15]; 20. 4- Jason Suhre[11]; 21. 30-Mark Voigt[20]; 22. (DQ) 84-Myles Moos[6] UP ON THE WHEEL: Harrison Denies Bollinger at Macon for 53rd Career Victory Six-time champion becomes third different winner of 2021 Mike Harrison knew he would break though for a trip to DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Victory Lane this season. It was just a matter of time. His time came Thursday night at Macon Speedway, where he was forced to catch, pass and then hold-off outside polesitter Ray Bollinger. Using the extreme bottom lane of the fifth-mile bullring, Harrison did it, collecting his 53rd career Summit Modified victory. “I hope all you fans enjoyed that – that was a hell of a race,” Harrison yelled into the DIRTVision microphone as he looked into the crowd in Victory Lane. “That’s what we call racing in the Midwest – get up on the wheel and get it done!” The six-time Summit Modified champion did get it done, in thrilling fashion. Teenage UMP Modified sensation Drake Troutman led almost the entire first half of the race, jumping to the early lead from third on the starting grid. Bollinger got a great restart with 16-to-go and took the lead back from him three laps later. Harrison had been in-shadow of the battle and hooked it up around the very bottom of the track to pass Troutman for second just after halfway, soon setting his sights on Bollinger. The two swapped the lead in opposite grooves for a few laps before a caution was thrown with five-to-go. Harrison gassed it up on the bottom for the restart and swiped the lead back from Bollinger. With two-to-go, Harrison had pulled ahead by a half-straightaway and led the field back to the checkers for his first Summit Modified trophy of the season. While his biggest competition, Nick Hoffman, did not bring his car to the track Thursday night, Harrison still gave him a shout-out in Victory Lane regarding his recent stretch of success. “I knew once I kept my head and kept everything together on this car, we’d get one of these,” Harrison said. “I just wish Nick were here so all the bullshit would stop.” UP NEXT The Summit Modifieds are back in action Friday night, July 9, at Farmer City Raceway for a special edition of Friday Night Lights. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (25 Laps) 1. 24H-Mike Harrison[4]; 2. 53-Bobby Stremme[7]; 3. 77-Ray Bollinger[2]; 4. 7-Drake Troutman[3]; 5. 77T-Guy Taylor[12]; 6. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[1]; 7. 27X-Kyle Helmick[21]; 8. 28-Rodney Standerfer[11]; 9. 21M-Willy Myers[9]; 10. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[6]; 11. 11-Zach Rhodes[5]; 12. 27-Dalton Ewing[8]; 13. 28S-Joe Strawkas[18]; 14. 87C-Alan Crowder[16]; 15. 43-Ed Roley[17]; 16. 19T-Travis Thrasher[22]; 17. 19-Chad Bauer[13]; 18. 57-Tim Hamburg[14]; 19. 4G-Bill Griffith[20]; 20. 88L-Rob Lee[15]; 21. 36-Kenny Wallace[10]; 22. 45-Kyle Hammer[19] DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, MSD, Quarter Master, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum). Pierce Scores Third Herald & Review 100 Title at Macon for Win No. 7 of SeasonShirley recovers to eighth after blown tire while leading, Unzicker second for season-best finish MACON, IL – July 8, 2021 – It’s special just to win even one Herald & Review 100, let alone three. Bobby Pierce is now a three-time winner of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals’ most prestigious event at Macon Speedway, just one shy of tying his father Bob for second-most on the event’s all-time win list. The points leader was faced with the ultimate test of keeping his car out front for well over half of the 100-lap race while the rest of the top-five hunted him down in traffic. But first, Pierce had to get around one last car in front of him – Brian Shirley. Shirley, of Chatham, IL, grabbed the lead from polesitter Ryan Unzicker on Lap 3 and proceeded to open up a sizable gap over Pierce before diving head-first into lapped traffic. A few early cautions kept the field restacked and out of thick traffic as the defending Hell Tour champion continued his strong run out front. But soon, disaster struck the Bob Cullen Racing #3s. The caution flag came out on Lap 23, but as soon as the caution lights turned on, Shirley’s right-rear tire went flat. He took the car to the work area and got it changed before the restart but was forced to start from the tail, surrendering the lead to Pierce. “We got pretty lucky tonight with Squirrel [Shirley] having that flat,” Pierce said. “It would have been tough to get by him.” Now with the lead for the first time in the race, Pierce immediately knew his one mission objective. “Brian had that flat on that caution, and I was like, ‘well, here we are.’ So, just ride from there and don’t make any mistakes,” Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, said. And that’s exactly what he did. From that point forward, it became Pierce’s race to lose. He opened up a sizable gap in traffic and began clicking off the laps. He was met with several more restarts, but denied all challengers behind him, even with slower traffic ahead of him. “It got pretty hairy there in lapped traffic a few times. Glad we were able to keep the nose clean and hang onto it,” Pierce said. The field sat under a temporary red flag with three laps remaining while an accident with cleaned up in Turn 1. During that stoppage, Pierce was left to cool off and think about the task ahead of him, which he could have done without. “Sometimes you get relaxed on those cautions. It got so cool tonight, and I was really cool in the racecar. Sometimes you get relaxed, like, you’ve gotta stay up on the wheel. I didn’t really like to see a caution,” Pierce said. Unzicker held on for second – his best finish of the season with the Summer Nationals thus far. Shannon Babb crossed in third, ahead of Myles Moos, who was later disqualified for being light at the scales. This moved Logan Martin into fourth and Gordy Gundaker into fifth. Shirley was able to climb back for an eighth-place finish. UP NEXT The Summer Nationals Late Models are back in action Friday night, July 9, at Farmer City Raceway for the first $10,000-to-win Feature of the week. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (100 Laps) 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 2. 24-Ryan Unzicker[1]; 3. 18-Shannon Babb[7]; 4. 36-Logan Martin[9]; 5. 11-Gordy Gundaker[12]; 6. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[2]; 7. 16-Rusty Griffaw[10]; 8. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 9. 38J-Jake Little[18]; 10. 12-Ashton Winger[19]; 11. 74-Mitch McGrath[22]; 12. 25-Jason Feger[8]; 13. 81E-Tanner English[5]; 14. 51-Dean Carpenter[13]; 15. 27-Greg Kimmons[17]; 16. 19X-Cody Bauer[16]; 17. 11M-Ryan Miller[21]; 18. 11H-Jeff Herzog[14]; 19. 14G-Joe Godsey[15]; 20. 4- Jason Suhre[11]; 21. 30-Mark Voigt[20]; 22. (DQ) 84-Myles Moos[6] UP ON THE WHEEL: Harrison Denies Bollinger at Macon for 53rd Career VictorySix-time champion becomes third different winner of 2021 Mike Harrison knew he would break though for a trip to DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Victory Lane this season. It was just a matter of time. His time came Thursday night at Macon Speedway, where he was forced to catch, pass and then hold-off outside polesitter Ray Bollinger. Using the extreme bottom lane of the fifth-mile bullring, Harrison did it, collecting his 53rd career Summit Modified victory. “I hope all you fans enjoyed that – that was a hell of a race,” Harrison yelled into the DIRTVision microphone as he looked into the crowd in Victory Lane. “That’s what we call racing in the Midwest – get up on the wheel and get it done!” The six-time Summit Modified champion did get it done, in thrilling fashion. Teenage UMP Modified sensation Drake Troutman led almost the entire first half of the race, jumping to the early lead from third on the starting grid. Bollinger got a great restart with 16-to-go and took the lead back from him three laps later. Harrison had been in-shadow of the battle and hooked it up around the very bottom of the track to pass Troutman for second just after halfway, soon setting his sights on Bollinger. The two swapped the lead in opposite grooves for a few laps before a caution was thrown with five-to-go. Harrison gassed it up on the bottom for the restart and swiped the lead back from Bollinger. With two-to-go, Harrison had pulled ahead by a half-straightaway and led the field back to the checkers for his first Summit Modified trophy of the season. While his biggest competition, Nick Hoffman, did not bring his car to the track Thursday night, Harrison still gave him a shout-out in Victory Lane regarding his recent stretch of success. “I knew once I kept my head and kept everything together on this car, we’d get one of these,” Harrison said. “I just wish Nick were here so all the bullshit would stop.” UP NEXT The Summit Modifieds are back in action Friday night, July 9, at Farmer City Raceway for a special edition of Friday Night Lights. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (25 Laps) 1. 24H-Mike Harrison[4]; 2. 53-Bobby Stremme[7]; 3. 77-Ray Bollinger[2]; 4. 7-Drake Troutman[3]; 5. 77T-Guy Taylor[12]; 6. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[1]; 7. 27X-Kyle Helmick[21]; 8. 28-Rodney Standerfer[11]; 9. 21M-Willy Myers[9]; 10. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[6]; 11. 11-Zach Rhodes[5]; 12. 27-Dalton Ewing[8]; 13. 28S-Joe Strawkas[18]; 14. 87C-Alan Crowder[16]; 15. 43-Ed Roley[17]; 16. 19T-Travis Thrasher[22]; 17. 19-Chad Bauer[13]; 18. 57-Tim Hamburg[14]; 19. 4G-Bill Griffith[20]; 20. 88L-Rob Lee[15]; 21. 36-Kenny Wallace[10]; 22. 45-Kyle Hammer[19] |
| DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, MSD, Quarter Master, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum). |
Summer Nationals at Randolph County Canceled
| MOBERLY, MO – July 8, 2021 – DIRTcar Racing and Randolph County Raceway officials have been forced to cancel the DIRTcar Summer Nationals and Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals’ appearance at the half-mile on Wednesday, July 21, due to a scheduling conflict. The race will not be made up, as no suitable makeup date can be found. The Hell Tour will now open Week #6 on Thursday, July 22, at Springfield Raceway with a Late Model-only program. The Summit Modifieds will return to the track on Friday, July 23, at Tri-City Speedway. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. Week #6 ScheduleThursday, July 22 | Springfield Raceway | Springfield, MO (Late Models only)Friday, July 23 | Tri-City Speedway | Pontoon Beach, ILSaturday, July 24 | Clarksville Speedway | Clarksville, TNSunday, July 25 | Richmond Raceway | Richmond, KYFri-Sat, July 30-31 | Fairbury Speedway | Fairbury, IL (Modifieds only) |
| DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, MSD, Quarter Master, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum). |
chevy racing–nascar–atlanta–advance
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE QUAKER STATE 400 PRESENTED BY WALMART ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY HAMPTON, GEORGIA JULY 11, 2021
RACE #21 – ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAYChevrolet will aim for its 11th NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) victory of the season and 41st win at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 11, in the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart. The Camaro ZL1 1LE has won seven of the past eight NCS races, which includes reigning champion Chase Elliott’s dominating performance at Road America in the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports.
Elliott, a Georgia native, will start from the pole in the 260-lap race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which will be the second NCS event at the track this season. In the 500-mile race on March 31, Team Chevy recorded two top-five finishes – led by Kyle Larson’s second place – and four top-10’s. Larson, whose 12.1 average finish is the best among active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway, swept both stages and led a field-high 269 laps in the March race. In five races on 1.5-mile ovals this season, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE is the only two-time winner (Las Vegas, Charlotte); has recorded four top-five finishes; and has led the most laps (836).
Team Chevy drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will also compete on the 1.54-mile oval on Saturday, July 10, in the 163-lap Credit Karma Money 250. JR Motorsports driver, Justin Allgaier, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro SS, captured his first victory of the 2021 season in the March race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
With a third-place finish, Michael Annett led four Team Chevy drivers in the top-10 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America. AJ Allmendinger, who finished fourth, remains second in the Driver Standings. Chevrolet continues atop the Manufacturer Standings.
Chevrolet NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) drivers will take on their second dirt track race of the season as the series heads to Knoxville, Iowa, for the Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers at Knoxville Raceway on Friday, July 9. Qualifying heats will determine the starting lineup. Team Chevy’s Zane Smith is fourth in the Driver Standings.
CHEVROLET LEADS THE WAYChevrolet increased its points lead in the Manufacturer Standings in the run to its 40th NASCAR Cup Series title. Four-time 2021 NCS winner Kyle Larson is a scant three points out of the top spot. William Byron is third and reigning NCS champion Chase Elliott is sixth to give Team Chevy three drivers in the top-10 of the driver standings heading into the Atlanta race weekend.
A LOOK AT THE PLAYOFF PICTUREWith top-10 finishes at Road America, Kurt Busch and Tyler Reddick continued to solidify their hold on NASCAR Cup Series Playoff spots. Busch, who has four top-10’s in the past five races, holds the 16th and final place and Reddick is 15th. One spot ahead of Reddick is Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon. Busch’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Ross Chastain, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have also entered the picture with six regular-season races left.
AND THE AWARD GOES TO …Team Chevy’s Chase Elliott, who in 2020 won his first NASCAR Cup Series championship and named Most Popular Driver by the National Motorsports Press Association, is among four nominees in the Best Driver category of the ESPY Awards. ABC will telecast the ESPYs on Saturday, July 10.
ON THE WAY TO THE GREENWith no practice or qualifying for the 260-lap/400-mile race, the starting lineup is determined by NASCAR’s metrics system that was introduced to the series last year and incorporates results from both individual races and season-long results. Team Chevy’s Top-20 starters:1st Chase Elliott, No. 9 A SHOC Camaro ZL1 1LE6th Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Camaro CL1 1LE7th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Okuma Camaro ZL1 1LE8th Kurt Busch, No. 1 GEARWRENCH Camaro ZL1 1LE9th Ross Chastain, No. 42 Clover Camaro ZL1 1LE13th Austin Dillon, No. 3 BREZTRI Camaro ZL1 1LE16th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 NOS Energy Drink Camaro ZL1 1LE17th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE19th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE
BOWTIE BULLETS· Chevrolet has already surpassed its win total from the 36-race 2020 season.· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 91 top-10 finishes and 2,226 laps led of 4,923 total this season.· In addition to its 40 wins at Atlanta, Chevrolet has accrued 192 top-five and 385 top-10 finishes.· Chevrolet has recorded four consecutive wins at Atlanta on three occasions: sweeps in 1983-84, 1995-96 and 2003-04.· Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson scored five wins at Atlanta, including back-to-back wins in March 2015 and February 2016 and March and October 2007.· Kyle Larson paces all drivers with 1,441 laps led thus far this season.· Austin Dillon is tied for the lead with 99.92% of laps completed (4,919). · Hendrick Motorsports has 14 victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway.· Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 1 GEARWRENCH Camaro ZL1 1LE, is one of just two active drivers with three victories (2002, ’09, ’10) at Atlanta· Five Team Chevy drivers have combined for 19 stage wins: Chase Elliott (Daytona RC); William Byron (Homestead, Pocono2, Road America); Tyler Reddick (Road America); Kurt Busch (Nashville Superspeedway, Pocono1); Kyle Larson (Las Vegas, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville). TUNE INNBCSN will telecast both the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, July 11, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series Credit Karma Money 250 at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, July 10. Live coverage can also be found on PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. FS1 will telecast the Camping World Truck Series Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers at 9 p.m. ET Friday, July 9.
QUOTABLE QUOTESKYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 2nd IN STANDINGSLARSON ON LEADING LAPS BUT FINISHING SECOND AT ATLANTA IN MARCH: “I definitely learned a lot in the moment, but I can learn even more by rewatching the race. You learn from everything – the good races and you definitely learn from the ones you feel got away. The track will certainly be different with the temperatures and the heat, so we’ll need to learn quickly and adapt quickly so we can hopefully battle for stage wins, the race win and the playoff bonus points that goes along with that.”
CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LEDANIELS ON ATLANTA IN JULY VERSUS MARCH: “The track will be a lot different. In March, the track temperature was not warm and the ambient air temperature was pretty mild. We’re trying to anticipate what the track will do with more sunlight exposure, a hot ambient temperature and a really hot track temperature that will take a lot of grip out of the cars, in general, and change the balance. Hopefully, we anticipate that correctly and also just make sure we manage the race correctly – not going too hard at the beginning of the run to ensure we have enough at the end of a run. I think we have learned a lot since then, so hopefully we can apply that and be really good on Sunday.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 3rd IN STANDINGSBYRON ON RETURNING TO ATLANTA: “Atlanta is typically a track where you’re always fighting loose with really limited rear grip. You’ll also have some front grip issues, as well, with the way tires wear. It’s really about managing it all throughout the run. You want to be able to wrap that white line and be good down low for as long as possible in a run. Hopefully for us, we have that grip in the car that we need.”
BYRON ON RETURNING TO A TRACK IN THE CUP SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH CREW CHIEF RUDY FUGLE: “I feel really good about going back to a track for the first time with Rudy in the Cup Series. We can really work on those little details this time that we wanted to work on before but opted to get a good baseline the first time around. So far, the things we have worked on in the simulator recently for Atlanta seem really good. I’m excited to get back there and I think we’ll run better than eighth like we did in the spring.”
RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE FUGLE ON RETURNING TO ATLANTA: “I’m excited to be going back to Atlanta this weekend. I enjoy the challenge that Atlanta brings and how weather sensitive it can be. I think I’m more excited that this will be the first racetrack we’re going back to that I now have experience with the Cup cars. We formed a good baseline in the March race, and while conditions won’t be the same as it was then, I think we’re going to be rolling off the truck a lot closer to where we want to be, setup-wise. Sunday’s race will be more about executing the small details and putting the ‘full package’ together, where last time we we’re just trying to learn as much as we could as a group and find what William wanted most out of the car. I think Sunday will be a good race to show just how far this No. 24 team has come so far this season.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 A SHOC CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 6th IN STANDINGSELLIOTT ON HOW DRIVERS HAVE TO ADAPT TO ATLANTA’S UNIQUE TRACK? “You know, Cup racing at Atlanta and kind of the way it has evolved, you are saving, but you are also not. It’s really more about having your car driving really good so that you can push hard and not slip tires and that has really became the game, I feel like. It’s not as much riding around and just kind of biding your time and waiting for the last 15-20 laps of a run because you can’t make up those big chunks of time at the end of a run like you maybe could years ago. Nowadays, it’s just hard to do. It’s more about being able to push, having your car just perfect so that you can run as hard as you need to run and slip your tires the least amount as you can. That to me results in the best finish nowadays, in my opinion.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGS“Going to Atlanta this weekend it is going to be a super-hot and slick for 400-miles. It’ll be a good time. I think Atlanta is a great racetrack. We had a good run there earlier this year and ended up third. We need a good solid finish this weekend and the No. 48 Ally team has been working hard on our intermediate Chevrolet.”
GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE “Atlanta has been a good track for our team. We have been able to come out of there with some good runs. The track has some high tire fall off, but you are going to have some teams short pitting and other strategies going on throughout the field.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 12th IN STANDINGSDO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT IN YOUR CURRENT POINTS SITUATION, OR ARE YOU HOLDING YOUR BREATH? WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY AS WE CLOSE IN ON THE NASCAR PLAYOFFS?“Anything can happen, that’s for sure. We’re just going to stay on the same program we’ve been on all year long, which is to get as much as we can out of every race. We’ll work hard to stay in the grind.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS WEEKEND? “We finished sixth at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this year, and I think we can improve on that. We were really fast, but we had a few struggles on pit road. We will probably take something similar to what we took to the first Atlanta race and just try to get as much track position as we can get.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 OKUMA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 13th IN STANDINGS“I love when it gets hot at racetracks. The hotter it gets, the slicker the track surface gets, so I’m really looking forward to racing on Atlanta’s old surface this weekend. We had a really good car during our first trip to Atlanta in the spring. I just unfortunately got into the wall a little bit early on in that race, and that really set us behind a little bit. But we had really good speed that weekend, just lacked the cautions to get back on the lead lap. I’m looking forward to having some redemption this weekend. I know we can run well at Atlanta and am looking forward to continuing our momentum with the No. 8 Okuma Chevrolet this weekend.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 GOOD SAM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 22nd IN STANDINGSWHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS GOING TO ATLANTA? “We were very fast there last time and I see no reason why we won’t be again on Sunday. We want a good run. We were really disappointed about Road America because we knew we were fast.” CAN YOU MAKE A PLAYOFF PUSH? “We have some very good racetracks coming up. We ran great at Atlanta and we have road courses at Watkins Glen and Indianapolis and I really like road course racing. Our superspeedway program has been good this year as well so we are optimistic for Daytona.” HOW HAS THE TEAM’S PROGRESS BEEN SO FAR THIS SEASON?“This team is so young and I think we are getting better every single day. I feel like we are much better than last week and we will be much better next week than we are today. I like that. That was one of the goals at the beginning of the year and that was to see progression and I think everyone has seen that. I am happy with the progress, but it is not good enough and we are always looking for more. “Things look really good for Trackhouse Racing. Justin (Marks) and the crew have been very supportive and I like how we are doing business. The future is bright and I am really excited.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 PETTY’S GARAGE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 26th IN STANDINGSWHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE RACE EARLIER THIS YEAR AT THE TRACK THAT YOU CAN CARRYOVER TO THIS RACE?“I think we have learned a lot about our 1.5-mile program at Atlanta (Motor Speedway). We struggled in that race. I think we know what we need to change going back. Hopefully, we can go and tweak on our Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and just have it be a little bit faster. We lacked overall speed when we went there for the first race this season. The handling wasn’t really that far off – we needed some more speed out of our car. I feel like we all know what we need to do going back, and as long as we can apply that to our No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Camaro ZL1 1LE. I think we are going to be in pretty good shape.
“It is going to be a hot race – it is going to be a tough race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the summertime. It is not going to be easy. It will make it very challenging.” COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 29th IN STANDINGS“I’m looking forward to sliding our Chevy Camaro around Atlanta for what will be the final race on the abrasive surface before the repave. We’re also partnering with NBC and doing some really fun things to promote the movie, “The Boss Baby: Family Business” now in theaters & streaming on Peacock.”
HEADING NORTH: Weiss hopes for breakthrough racing close to home
| The Manitoba Missile’s last win was at Jackson Motorplex in 2020JACKSON, MN– JULY 8, 2021 – When the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models hit their annual Northern swing, it means a lot of drivers are spending time away from home. But for Canadian driver Ricky Weiss, it’s the closest he’ll come to racing at home in 2021. The first stop on the 10-day swing is a doubleheader at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, MN. It’s a place Weiss found success before, as his last World of Outlaws triumph came at the 4/10-mile track last season. While he’s been close to Victory Lane already this season (second place at Bristol), he’s excited to kick off July at a place he’s tasted victory before. “We’ve got some good notes at [Jackson] and it’s just a track that we’ve had a lot of success at,” Weiss said. “Watching (Drydene teammates) Logan [Schuchart] and Jacob [Allen] with the Sprint Cars (during the Jackson Nationals in June) the track is looking good and kind of to my liking.” Even though Weiss scored a win at Jackson Motorplex last year, there’s one race he’s looking forward to even more. A trip to River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND on Friday, July 16, is the closest he’ll come to his Headingley, MB home – less than three hours between them. He should have several familiar faces there to greet him and cheer him on for a potential victory. “We’ve always done good up at [River Cities] and got a good baseline setup,” Weiss said. “It’s close to home, we’ll see some friends and hopefully we can do good.” Weiss enters the Northern swing with a different approach than last year, using his Sniper Chassis. It’s something he and his team have been tweaking on all year, and feel they’re moving in the right direction. “We’ve really been changing a lot, Cody and JR and everybody’s been doing a lot of talking with some different people, and we’re changing stuff in the front end and the back end just to get better,” Weiss said. “It’s definitely shown we’re making big strides at it and big improvements and just looking to get that first win.” A win would be Weiss’s first World of Outlaws triumph in more than a year. He has four top-fives and 11 top-10’s in 2021 so far, and while he feels he’s making strides with the Sniper Chassis, he knows there are places to get better. “The consistency’s there, we just need to get top-five consistency. I think we’re there with the top-10s and we’re qualifying a little bit better,” Weiss said. “There’s just a lot I can do as a driver to improve on that and I think we can tweak on that car a little bit and I think we’ve got something to contend with.” Weiss will have to battle a group of hungry World of Outlaws competitors hoping to keep him from Victory Lane throughout the Northern swing. Perhaps racing close to home is the momentum he needs to break through for his first win of the season. If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month. |
| The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws. |
RIP THE LIP: Pierce Powers to Sixth Victory of the Year on the Top at Spoon River
| Three-time champ throws late slide job for the lead, extends points lead over English LEWISTOWN, IL – July 7, 2021 – Bobby Pierce knew the top would be there at the end – he’d driven it to DIRTcar Summer Nationals Victory Lane many times before. With just seven trips left around the Spoon River Speedway, he knew it was time to crack the whip and make a move for the lead. Pierce wound it up on the lip and reeled-in leader Ryan Unzicker, who had led since the drop of the green. With one great run off the top in Turn 2 and a deep dive to the bottom in Turn 3, Pierce slid up in front of Unzicker and grabbed the lead. Five laps to go. Unzicker came back at him on the bottom and returned the favor with a slide job of his own in Turns 1-2. Pierce crossed underneath him and took the lead back into Turn 3. This time, Unzicker was unable to get the speed on the bottom to challenge again, and Pierce drove off on the top to his sixth Hell TourFeature win of the season. “These guys make a great racetrack. It’s one of the best tracks in Illinois. It’s so fun, and tonight just showed how good of a racetrack it can be,” Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, said in Victory Lane. But to get there, Pierce took his Pierce Platinum Race Car through several grooves getting by the three cars ahead of him earlier in the race. He started outside Row 2 and worked his way by Brian Shirley and Garrett Alberson by using the low and middle-to-high grooves. A caution with 13 laps remaining put Brandon Sheppard to his outside for the restart. Sheppard, of New Berlin, IL, used the high side momentum to challenge Pierce for second and hung tough on the outside for two entire laps. But Pierce was too good on the bottom and finally slid up in front of the #B5 with just over 10 laps remaining. From there on out, Pierce had one focus – catching Unzicker. Which he did with some top-side momentum of his own, and two clean sliders. “I was trying some different lines. I couldn’t quite do the line Ryan [Unzicker] was doing, but we ended up finding a way around him that worked for me,” Pierce said. His 33rd career Hell Tour victory came with his team being a man down. His father Bob, a two-time Summer Nationals champion himself, was away from the track Wednesday night recovering from a surgical procedure. But that didn’t stop Bobby and his team’s resiliency – or from calling dad on the phone for advice. “I guess it works good that way,” Pierce said. “He can watch DIRTVision all night and kinda give us some pointers on what to do. I wore the telephone out. This is for sure a team effort, having these guys work their butts off.” Unzicker held on for second, his best finish of the season thus far, while Sheppard completed the podium. Shirley, back in action after skipping Knox County on Tuesday, climbed back from a transmission swap before qualifying to finish fourth while Jason Feger rounded out the top-five. UP NEXT The Summer Nationals Late Models are back in action Thursday night at the fifth-mile Macon Speedway for one of the most iconic events on the schedule – the 41st running of the Herald & Review 100. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (40 Laps) 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 2. 24-Ryan Unzicker[2]; 3. B5-Brandon Sheppard[5]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 5. 25-Jason Feger[7]; 6. 81E-Tanner English[13]; 7. 11-Gordy Gundaker[15]; 8. 74-Mitch McGrath[8]; 9. 15-Kolby Vandenbergh[10]; 10. 12-Ashton Winger[18]; 11. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[21]; 12. 14G-Joe Godsey[19]; 13. 4G-Bob Gardner[16]; 14. 19X-Cody Bauer[20]; 15. 14R-Jeff Roth[22]; 16. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[9]; 17. 10J-Jordan Bauer[14]; 18. 59-Garrett Alberson[1]; 19. 2-Mike Chasteen Jr[6]; 20. 14-Paul Kuper[12]; 21. 18-Shannon Babb[17]; 22. 48-Tim Lance[11] ELEVENTH HEAVEN: Hoffman Dominates Loaded Field at Spoon River for Eleventh Win The Spoon River Speedway pit area was packed with the strongest field of DIRTcar UMP Modified talent seen all season Wednesday night, and Nick Hoffman dominated them all. He’s now up to eleven wins in eleven DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals starts. Once again, the three-time and defending champion led every single lap of the Feature, bringing him to a perfect 265-for-265 in consecutive Feature laps led. But not without a little shakeup on the final lap. Third-place running Josh Allen looped it in Turn 4 coming to the white flag as fourth-place Kelly Kovski spun to avoid. This erased Hoffman’s near four-second lead over runner-up Tyler Nicely, who sat right on Hoffman’s bumper for the restart. “You never want to see that late in the race, especially when you’ve got a decent lead,” Hoffman said of the late caution. The green and white waved together as Hoffman mashed the throttle. He immediately pulled away from Nicely down the backstretch and cruised across the line for his 49th career Summit Modified victory at a track he holds in very high regard. “I love this place. I love coming here – it’s always perfect. It’s never rough and always fits my style,” Hoffman said. UP NEXT The Summit Modifieds are back in action Thursday night at the fifth-mile Macon Speedway to support one of the most iconic events on the schedule – the 41st running of the Herald & Review 100. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (25 Laps) 1. 2-Nick Hoffman[1]; 2. 25-Tyler Nicely[6]; 3. 7K-Kelly Kovski[7]; 4. 35-Brandon Roberts[4]; 5. 96M-Mike McKinney[9]; 6. 99- Hunt Gossum[10]; 7. 05-Dave Wietholder[18]; 8. 14C-Rick Conoyer[12]; 9. 36-Kenny Wallace[2]; 10. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[8]; 11. 45-Kyle Hammer[17]; 12. K19-Will Krup[11]; 13. 77-Ray Bollinger[20]; 14. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[13]; 15. 3-Mike Brooks[15]; 16. 242-Brandon Bollinger[21]; 17. 117-Frankie Wellman[16]; 18. 19T-Travis Thrasher[22]; 19. 292-Josh Allen[5]; 20. 7-Drake Troutman[3]; 21. 59R-Jacob Rexing[14]; 22. 25W-Allen Weisser[19] |
| DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, MSD, Quarter Master, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum). |
DIRTcar 358 Modified Series to Launch ’21 Tour Aug. 19 at Mohawk
| AKWESASNE, NY – The DIRTcar 358 Modified Series will kick off its 2021 tour on Thursday, Aug. 19, at Mohawk International Raceway.The event was initially scheduled for mid-July, along with a race at Cornwall Motor Speedway, but border restrictions forced those dates to be delayed.For Cornwall, the border restrictions will continue to dictate the possible date to bring the Series to the exciting Canadian quarter-mile track. All other previously announced dates remain as scheduled, with the goal to complete the DIRTcar 358 Series season in 2021 and honor an overall champion, which includes the home track bonus points added to the Series points.Part of the 2021 schedule includes the return of the prestigious DIRTcar 358 Modified ‘Salute to the Troops’ 100 at Oswego Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 9, during the 49th NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week (Oct. 6-10). You can get tickets to the event by CLICKING HERE. Or, if you can’t make it to the track, you can watch the event live on DIRTVision.DIRTcar 358 Modified Series 2021 Schedule:Thursday, Aug. 19 – Mohawk International RacewayFriday, Sept. 10 – Can-Am SpeedwayFriday, Sept. 17 – Mohawk International RacewayWednesday, Oct. 6 – Weedsport SpeedwayThursday, Oct. 7 – Brewerton SpeedwaySaturday, Oct. 9 – Oswego SpeedwaySaturday, Oct. 16 – Brockville Ontario SpeedwayTBD – Cornwall Motor Speedway, Le RPM Speedway, Autodrome DrummondPHOTO: Joe Grabianowski |
| DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory (SDS), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum) (SDS); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Beyea Headers, FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics and Velocita USA. |
WEEK IN WISCONSIN: World of Outlaws gear up for final trip to the Badger State
| More than $60K is up for grabs between three FeaturesSEYMOUR, WI– July 7, 2021 – A week-long tour through Wisconsin is on the horizon for the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models in August, ending with another highly anticipated crown jewel. The Badger state swing starts on Tuesday, August 3, with the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour, WI. Drivers will compete for $10,000 in the 40-lap Morton Buildings Feature. It’s the Series’ second appearance at the 1/3-mile track, not far from the iconic Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Last season, three-time and defending Series champion Brandon Sheppard found his way to Victory Lane in an exciting finish. The New Berlin, IL driver held off fellow three-time Series champion Darrell Lanigan and local driver Nick Anvelink on an exhilarating late-race re-start for his then seventh win of the season. Previous Outagamie Speedway winners2020- Brandon Sheppard on July 10 Later that week, The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet head to the excitement brewing Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI for one of the biggest races of the year. The 3/8-mile track will host the 35th annual USA Nationals on Aug. 5-7. The event has three jam-packed nights of action starting with a full show on Thursday, August 5, including a $6,000-to-win Morton Buildings Feature. On Friday, August 6, the Series returns to for double Heat Races and a Dash. Those events will set the lineups for Saturday’s 100-lap, $50,000-to-win USA Nationals finale. Last year’s event was an unforgettable experience as Brandon Overton won his first USA Nationals title, holding off 2011 Series champion Rick Eckert and Jimmy Mars in the race’s closing stages. Previous Cedar Lake Winners2020 – Ashton Winger on July 3; Brandon Sheppard on July 4; Brandon Overton on Aug. 6 and Aug. 8 2019 – Jonathan Davenport on Aug. 1; Chris Madden on Aug. 3 2018 – Brandon Sheppard on Aug. 4 & 6 2017 – Chris Madden on Aug. 4; Don O’Neal on Aug. 5 2016 – Josh Richards on Aug. 4; Jason Geger on Aug. 5; Josh Richards on Aug. 6 2015 – Jonathan Davenport on Aug. 1 2014 – Jimmy Owens on Aug. 2 2013 – Brandon Sheppard on Aug. 1 2012 – Tim McCreadie on Aug. 3 2011 – Darrell Lanigan on Aug. 4 2010 – Josh Richards on Aug. 6 2005 – Scott Bloomquist on Aug. 7 1989 – Dale McDowell on Aug. 6; Billy Moyer on June 10, Aug. 11, Aug. 12; Donnie Moran on Aug. 10 1988 – Billy Moyer on June 10, Aug. 18, Aug. 19, Aug. 20; Rick Egersdorf on June 11 Fans who plan on attending both events will catch a glimpse into reigning champion Brandon Sheppard’s quest for history. Right now, he’s seven wins away from tying Josh Richards for most wins all-time (78). He’s also in pursuit of Richards for the most Series championships (4). Sheppard currently leads the points standings—58 points ahead of Chris Madden. If he wants to win at either track, “The Rocket Shepp” will have to battle some of the top Super Late Model drivers in the country. Madden is the only other full-time World of Outlaws driver with a win at Cedar Lake Speedway (2) and hopes to win the $50,000 prize for the first time. “Smokey” has more Series wins than any other driver this season (4). Another driver to watch is defending USA Nationals champion Brandon Overton, who’s already won three crown jewel events in 2021. The Evans, GA driver swept both Features during last year’s USA Nationals and hopes to keep his momentum rolling in high-paying events. If you can’t make it to either track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month. |
| The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaw |
Hurricane Elsa Forces Cherokee Cancellation
| Batavia, OH (July 7, 2021) – Due to the forecasted weather and current trajectory of Hurricane Elsa, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series staff and Cherokee Speedway officials have agreed upon the cancellation of Thursday’s 23rd Annual Grassy Smith Memorial. The series looks forward to a return visit in 2022. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be in action Friday, July 9th and Saturday, July 10th for the Mountain Moonshine Classic. Teams will have an opportunity to leave Maryville, Tennessee even richer than in years past, with a 40 lap A-Main paying $12,000-to-win on Friday and 60 lap A-Main on Saturday for $20,000-to-win. On Friday, the pit and general admission gates will open at 12:00 PM (noon). A driver’s meeting is scheduled for 7:00 PM with hot laps to follow at 7:30 PM. The 604 Late Models and Sportsman Late Models will serve as support divisions at Smoky Mountain Speedway. On Saturday, the pit and general admission gates will open at 12:00pm (noon). The Dirt Racing Outreach will hold a service at 3:00 PM, an autograph session is also scheduled 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM. A driver’s meeting is scheduled for 7:00pm with hot laps to follow at 7:30pm. The 604 Late Models and Red Clay 602 Late Models will serve as support divisions at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Tim McCreadie leads the Lucas Oil championship standings heading into the weekend. Jonathan Davenport and Hudson O’Neal are currently tied for second, 160 points behind McCreadie. Kyle Bronson currently sits in fourth. The points battle is extremely close in positions five through ten, with only 95 points separating Josh Richards, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton Jr, Shane Clanton, Mike Marlar, and Jimmy Owens. |
DiBenedetto Expecting a Memorable Quaker State 400 at Atlanta
July 7, 2021
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Mustang will be carrying the colors of the title sponsor of Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
DiBenedetto and his Mustang, which also will be representing long-time backer Menards, will be making their final appearance on a racing surface – and a configuration – that has been in use since 1997. After Sunday’s race the track will be repaved, and the banking in the turns will be increased from 24 degrees to 28, making it the steepest of any intermediate track on the Cup Series circuit. The banking on the straightaways will remain at five degrees.
The width of the racing surface will be reduced from 55 feet to 52 feet on the frontstretch, 42 on the backstretch and 40 in the turns.
AMS officials say the changes are intended to make the racing closer and more competitive.
DiBenedetto, like most of his peers, is a fan of the current layout and its worn, abrasive asphalt.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the Quaker State 400,” he said. “It will be memorable since it’s the final race on the old, fun asphalt before the repave.
“We have had good speed at Atlanta, so this is one we are definitely looking forward to.”
DiBenedetto also is hoping to deliver a strong performance for his sponsors, which is a goal every week but a bit different this time with one of his sponsors in a dual role.
“It’s a big weekend with Menards and Quaker State,” he said.
DiBenedetto and the Menards/Quaker State team are coming off their best run in two months, a 10th-place finish after leading 10 laps at Road America. They are hoping to keep the good times rolling in Atlanta, which is hosting a second Cup race for the first time since 2010, when the track lost one of its two long-held race dates.
“We have really good momentum going as a team with [crew chief] Jonathan Hassler, myself and the team working really well together,” he said.
There will be no qualifying or practice before the start of Sunday’s race. DiBenedetto, who finished 11th at AMS in March, will line up 12th, a spot he and the team earned through their strong run at Road America.
The 260-lap Quaker State 400, which will have Stage breaks at Laps 80 and 160, is set to start just after 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. TV coverage will be carried by NBCSN.
Honda’s Colton Herta on Front Row For Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
Andretti Autosport’s Herta just .0031 shy of pole-winning time
Marcus Ericsson to start third, Scott Dixon grids fifth in hunt for 7th Mid-Ohio win
Honda drivers claim eight of the top 10 starting positions
LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 3, 2021) – Colton Herta came up just three-thousandths of a second shy of winning the pole for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, Presented by the HPD Ridgeline, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and will grid on the outside of the front row for the 80-lap race.
Herta led his opening qualifying session around the 2.231-mile Ohio road course and fought Josef Newgarden through the second round of qualifying before posting a best time of 1:06.677 in the final qualifying session, which left him trailing the Texan by a scant .0031 seconds. The session marks the third consecutive race where Newgarden and Herta have finished first and second in the Firestone Fast Six qualifying.
The Chip Ganassi Racing duo of Marcus Ericsson and Scott Dixon will start third and fifth respectively in their Hondas. Ericcson posted his best qualifying result of the 2021 campaign, while his teammate grids fifth as he seeks his seventh Mid-Ohio victory. Alexander Rossi made it four Honda-powered cars in the Fast Six as the Andretti Autosport pilot will start sixth Sunday.
An exciting second session of IndyCar qualifying saw INDYCAR SERIES point leader Alex Palou just miss a berth in the Fast Six, leaving the Chip Ganassi Racing driver to grid alongside hometown hero Graham Rahal, as the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver will look to reprise his 2015 win from the fourth row.
Honda also placed four additional drivers in the top 12, giving HPD an eight-to-four in the top-12 spots, as Palou and Rahal were joined the 12-car qualifying session by Andretti Autosport drivers James Hinchcliffe (9th) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (10th).
Honda Indy 200 Qualifying Results
2nd Colton Herta Andretti Autosport Honda
3rd Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
5th Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
6th Alexander Rossi Andretti Autosport Honda
7th Alex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
8th Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
9th James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda
10th Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda
16th Ed Jones Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Honda
18th Romain Grosjean-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
19th Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
22nd Santino Ferrucci Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
23rd Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing Honda
25th Jimmie Johnson-R Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
26th Ryan Norman-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
R – Rookie
Quotes
Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport Honda) Qualified Second: “It’s very disappointing when you finish second by a margin that is that close. I think it is the third straight weekend I’ve finished second in qualifying, but it is always fun to battle with Josef. He’s one of the guys that is extremely clean in this series and he always races hard so it’s fun
Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi Racing) Qualified Third: “It was a good session I think all in all it has been a bit of a tricky weekend but we have worked hard and the whole #8 Husky Chocolate #8 team has done a great job. I think Honda gave us great power today to get everything out of the car and we are definitely in a great position to fight for the win tomorrow.”
Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) Qualified Fifth: “A little bit sad about how it went in the Fast Six there. We changed a couple of small things around there but it’s a good starting spot for the PNC Bank #9. Honda’s doing really with their cars in the Fast Six and congratulations to Marcus for starting P3. We’ve won from here before and we’ll try to do it again tomorrow.
Fast Facts
Honda-powered drivers and teams have won 16 of 23 races run at Mid-Ohio since the company entered Indy car racing in 1994, including 11 of 18 races run with engine manufacturer competition.
Led by race winner Colton Herta, Honda drivers swept the top five finishing positions in the second event of a doubleheader Mid-Ohio race weekend in 2020. Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay made it a 1-2-3 result for the Honda-powered Andretti Autosport team; with local favorite Graham Rahal and Marcus Ericsson rounding out the top five.
With five Honda-powered victories at Mid-Ohio, defending series champion Scott Dixon is the most successful IndyCar Series driver at this track. Dixon won with Honda in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012 and again in 2019. His Chip Ganassi Racing teammates, Dario Franchitti and Charlie Kimball, won in 2010 and 2013, respectively, giving the team eight total, and five consecutive Honda victories at Mid-Ohio.
Where to Watch Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 Presented by the HPD Ridgeline
Live NBC Network race coverage of the Honda Indy 200 Presented by the HPD Ridgeline begins at 12 p.m. EDT Sunday, July 4. Additional coverage can be found on the INDYCAR Radio Network and on Sirius/XM satellite radio.
Honda Racing social media content and video links from Mid-Ohio can be found on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Twitter (twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD). Additional features and long-form videos can be found on the Honda Racing/HPD YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV).
Honda’s Colton Herta on Front Row For Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
Andretti Autosport’s Herta just .0031 shy of pole-winning time
Marcus Ericsson to start third, Scott Dixon grids fifth in hunt for 7th Mid-Ohio win
Honda drivers claim eight of the top 10 starting positions
LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 3, 2021) – Colton Herta came up just three-thousandths of a second shy of winning the pole for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, Presented by the HPD Ridgeline, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and will grid on the outside of the front row for the 80-lap race.
Herta led his opening qualifying session around the 2.231-mile Ohio road course and fought Josef Newgarden through the second round of qualifying before posting a best time of 1:06.677 in the final qualifying session, which left him trailing the Texan by a scant .0031 seconds. The session marks the third consecutive race where Newgarden and Herta have finished first and second in the Firestone Fast Six qualifying.
The Chip Ganassi Racing duo of Marcus Ericsson and Scott Dixon will start third and fifth respectively in their Hondas. Ericcson posted his best qualifying result of the 2021 campaign, while his teammate grids fifth as he seeks his seventh Mid-Ohio victory. Alexander Rossi made it four Honda-powered cars in the Fast Six as the Andretti Autosport pilot will start sixth Sunday.
An exciting second session of IndyCar qualifying saw INDYCAR SERIES point leader Alex Palou just miss a berth in the Fast Six, leaving the Chip Ganassi Racing driver to grid alongside hometown hero Graham Rahal, as the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver will look to reprise his 2015 win from the fourth row.
Honda also placed four additional drivers in the top 12, giving HPD an eight-to-four in the top-12 spots, as Palou and Rahal were joined the 12-car qualifying session by Andretti Autosport drivers James Hinchcliffe (9th) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (10th).
Honda Indy 200 Qualifying Results
2nd Colton Herta Andretti Autosport Honda
3rd Marcus Ericsson Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
5th Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
6th Alexander Rossi Andretti Autosport Honda
7th Alex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
8th Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
9th James Hinchcliffe Andretti Autosport Honda
10th Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda
16th Ed Jones Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Honda
18th Romain Grosjean-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
19th Takuma Sato Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
22nd Santino Ferrucci Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
23rd Jack Harvey Meyer Shank Racing Honda
25th Jimmie Johnson-R Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
26th Ryan Norman-R Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda
R – Rookie
Quotes
Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport Honda) Qualified Second: “It’s very disappointing when you finish second by a margin that is that close. I think it is the third straight weekend I’ve finished second in qualifying, but it is always fun to battle with Josef. He’s one of the guys that is extremely clean in this series and he always races hard so it’s fun
Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi Racing) Qualified Third: “It was a good session I think all in all it has been a bit of a tricky weekend but we have worked hard and the whole #8 Husky Chocolate #8 team has done a great job. I think Honda gave us great power today to get everything out of the car and we are definitely in a great position to fight for the win tomorrow.”
Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) Qualified Fifth: “A little bit sad about how it went in the Fast Six there. We changed a couple of small things around there but it’s a good starting spot for the PNC Bank #9. Honda’s doing really with their cars in the Fast Six and congratulations to Marcus for starting P3. We’ve won from here before and we’ll try to do it again tomorrow.
Fast Facts
Honda-powered drivers and teams have won 16 of 23 races run at Mid-Ohio since the company entered Indy car racing in 1994, including 11 of 18 races run with engine manufacturer competition.
Led by race winner Colton Herta, Honda drivers swept the top five finishing positions in the second event of a doubleheader Mid-Ohio race weekend in 2020. Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay made it a 1-2-3 result for the Honda-powered Andretti Autosport team; with local favorite Graham Rahal and Marcus Ericsson rounding out the top five.
With five Honda-powered victories at Mid-Ohio, defending series champion Scott Dixon is the most successful IndyCar Series driver at this track. Dixon won with Honda in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012 and again in 2019. His Chip Ganassi Racing teammates, Dario Franchitti and Charlie Kimball, won in 2010 and 2013, respectively, giving the team eight total, and five consecutive Honda victories at Mid-Ohio.
Where to Watch Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 Presented by the HPD Ridgeline
Live NBC Network race coverage of the Honda Indy 200 Presented by the HPD Ridgeline begins at 12 p.m. EDT Sunday, July 4. Additional coverage can be found on the INDYCAR Radio Network and on Sirius/XM satellite radio.
Honda Racing social media content and video links from Mid-Ohio can be found on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Twitter (twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD). Additional features and long-form videos can be found on the Honda Racing/HPD YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV).