NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY UNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT MARCH 11, 2023

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

We interviewed you last week in Las Vegas and you told us there were some details that your car needed, although your car was pretty fast. “I feel like the car yesterday was good; not great and not bad. Just good. Probably the best we’ve had a car in a while. We’re one more step in the right direction. I think the positive is that we know what we need and I feel like we’re in the ballpark. Right now, yesterday, we didn’t have a winning car but we had a car that in my opinion can have the potential for it.  We’ll see. We made some adjustments for today and hopefully we get it.” You are established in NASCAR now. Have you planned a long term future to help young talents in Mexico to come over and do the same like you did?“Well, maybe one day. I try to help as much as I can every day. But I’m not looking for the talent, right. I’m just helping whoever comes and asks me for help. I wish I had somebody like that when I was coming here. I didn’t have anyone that I was able to ask for advice or help in my early days in the United States.  I’m always very, very open to help. We’ll see what happens in the future, but for now, my main focus is my career. Win more races and championships and continue to grow.  But yeah, I enjoy seeing more diversity in the sport. I’m a big part of that and I’ve been able to help a handful of drivers – at least 10 drivers – come in from different countries. So that’s great and I’ll continue to do that.” Going to COTA in a couple of weeks; the site of Trackhouse Racing’s first win. What has allowed Trackhouse to stay near the front over the last year since that last win? “That’s a very good question. I think it’s a combination of many things, starting with our people. We have great people; great engineers, good pit crews. I think that if we look back to one year ago.. one year ago we were a team that was very promising. I feel like right now, Trackhouse is a reality. I think we have shown that we’re here to stay and to be competitive. Last year was a very good year and this year, so far, has gone in a very good way.  We have to continue to work; not feel comfortable and not stay still because everyone is working very hard. I feel like that has been one of the keys of Trackhouse to continue to evolve and continue to move forward.” You’re driving with the new package yesterday. What differences did you notice and how did you personally have to adjust in the car? “The car has way less grip. It’s almost like when you have new tires, it’s almost like you have 10-lap tires with the previous package. So the car is quite different. The main goal of this package was to make the racing better and make the car drive better in traffic. I don’t really know where we’re at when it comes to that because we haven’t raced with it yet. I guess we’re going to find that out tomorrow. For sure, the car is more difficult to drive and for sure we’re going to have to move around more. But to what extent, I don’t really know yet. We’re going to find out tomorrow.” You had a really strong start to the regular-season with top-10s in every single race. Phoenix (Raceway) obviously hasn’t been your best track overall. What are you going to need to do this weekend to continue that top-10 streak? “I think that my car has another top-10 in it. We have worked really hard in Phoenix just because, like you mentioned, it’s been a tough place to us in the last two years. Before that actually, I was pretty good here. We have worked very hard. We have put a lot of effort and time into this place, and I think that’s showing a little bit. We’re not quite there yet, but I think we’re moving in the right direction.” In just the growth of Trackhouse Racing – as you have the growth of your team, you have more success. Obviously there are different people that are leaders, but certainly the drivers are looked at as a leadership position. How have you evolved or how are you trying to evolve your role as a leader in the organization or with your No. 99 team? “That’s another very good question. I feel like I’ve learned a lot in how to be a better leader. I’m very tough to myself when it comes to my performance; the way I work, my discipline and stuff like that. Sometimes that was making me also be tough with other people. Maybe sometimes knowing the smart way. Sometimes being ambitious and really wanting something bad is a good thing, but if you’re not smart about it, it can be a bad thing. So I feel like I’ve grown a lot in the last 12 months about how to be better; how to be a better leader for my group. If we want to achieve this goal to get here, how we’re going to get here in a smart way and everyone pushing the train forward. So I have learned a lot to that. I give a lot of credit to Josh Wise and a lot of people that have helped me in our group to be better. And I feel like it’s a continuous process. I don’t feel like I’m perfect right now, but I can guarantee you that I’m better than I was a year ago, and I hope that I’m going to be better in a few months than I am right now.  But yeah, I think myself, Travis Mack (crew chief), Tony Lunders (competition director) and many leaders at Trackhouse – I feel like we are continuing to get better and continuing to move forward. Like I said, we have great people. My pit crew – last year in the first half of the season, we struggled a lot. And then in the second half, we had a lot of speed, but we were super inconsistent. Really my pit crew for this year is exactly the same group of guys and I feel like right now, I probably have one of the fastest pit crews out there. It’s everything about training, working together and making sure that everyone knows that we have each other’s backs.  I’m very happy where we’re at right now and I think we’re moving in the right direction.” As you alluded to, it takes many, many people to have success with an organization. But one person you mentioned was Josh Wise. From your perspective, how has he been able to unlock certain things out of you or open certain elements of you to help you grow in ways that you hadn’t before? What kind of difference would it have made had you run into him five years earlier? “Josh (Wise) is a race car driver. He’s a very smart guy, to start with. And also, he has a degree in psychology, so he understands how the mind works better than the average person. I have known him for a long time, but when I started working with him a little bit closer, I feel like I was able to understand it a little bit better. How to approach things as one of the leaders of my team. He has helped me a lot and like I said, it’s a continuous process. I don’t think I am where I want to be. It’s always a ‘going up the mountain’ kind of battle. But I feel like I’m definitely in a way better position than what I was 12 months ago and for that, I’m very, very thankful. I think that because of him, I’ve been able to also help a lot of individuals in my team to continue to move forward.”

PLANO, Texas (March 8, 2023) – Toyota continues to make its mark on the NHRA after more than 20 years competing professionally in the series with the collaboration effort to unveil the new Jr. Roadster. In support of NHRA, Half Scale and Antron Brown to establish this new class, Toyota and TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) engineers developed the GR Supra Jr. Roadster as the first of its kind. The addition to the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League hopes to encourage families interested in getting their kids involved in drag racing at a young age to look at this as an additional option to the popular Jr. Dragster class.

“The motivation behind developing the GR Supra Jr. Roadster nearly two years ago was primarily around the concept of giving families an alternative to the already-popular Jr. Dragster class within NHRA,” said Paul Doleshal, group manager, Toyota Racing. “With the Jr. Roadster, it has a shorter wheelbase compared to the dragster and therefore can ideally fit in the bed of a Tundra and taken to the racetrack. Our TRD engineers have worked closely with Antron Brown, who fields Jr. Dragsters, to ensure that the new Jr. Roadster is ready for a class of its own and we hope that our other OEM partners in NHRA will design their own bodies for the cars and we can see them all competing very soon.”

The GR Supra body was unveiled in November 2021 for the Funny Cars of J.R. Todd and Alexis DeJoria. Both competed with the new body for the 2022 season and were joined by Ron Capps who went on to win the championship. Using the GR Supra as the look for the new Jr. Roadster was only logical based on the excitement and fan reaction that’s been seen since the GR Supra Funny Car took to the track. The GR Supra Jr. Roadster body was built by Riggeal Fiberglass in Pennsylvania.

“It’s truly thrilling to see a new vision like the GR Supra Jr. Roadster from Toyota and have that be a future option for young racers,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “The GR Supra delivered an impressively innovative body style into the Funny Car ranks last year, and for our young competitors in the Jr. Dragster ranks to have the chance to match their favorite racers is a great opportunity. Toyota continues to show its strong commitment to drag racing and the importance of providing exciting options to our young racers and the future of NHRA drag racing.”

NHRA’s Jr. Dragster class started in 1992 and has proven a popular launching point for young racers looking to start their careers in drag racing. The class currently competes at over 130 NHRA member tracks across the country on any given week. Some current Toyota Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers got their start behind the wheel of a Jr. Dragster including J.R. Todd, Shawn Langdon and Justin Ashley. With the new Jr. Roadster class, the hope will be that future generations can have yet another option to compete on the drag strip.

“The Jr. Dragster class has really been a pivotal piece of NHRA since its inception,” said Antron Brown, Toyota Top Fuel driver. “My kids have raced them and several of my competitors got their start racing them or have kids or family members of their own competing. The addition of the Jr. Roadster class is important for so many reasons, but the primary objective for all of us that have been involved in its development was to give families an option that doesn’t require a trailer or additional costs to bring the car to the track and these will give them that opportunity.”

There is currently no designated time frame from NHRA as to when the Jr. Roadster class will begin competing, but GR Supra Jr. Roadsters will be available for purchase through Half Scale (HalfScale.com). 

Cottle gets first Xtreme Outlaw Midget podium in second; Avedisian fourth in KKM debut

DU QUOIN, IL (March 10, 2023) – Cannon McIntosh has quickly become one of the most skilled indoor Midget racers in the nation and showed the Du Quoin crowd exactly why with a victory in the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota season opener Friday night at the Southern Illinois Center.

McIntosh, 20, of Bixby, OK, took advantage of his Row 2 starting spot, racing with the top-five through the first half of the event and making the pass for the lead inside the final 10 laps en route to his second career Xtreme Outlaw Feature win over Shane Cottle and Thomas Meseraull.

“Can’t do any better than that,” McIntosh said on winning the season opener. “Stating off with a win, we’re just gonna take it one race at a time.”

Though he finished the night hoisting the $4,000 winner’s check in Victory Lane, McIntosh’s night was not all smooth sailing out front. After bagging the Whitz RC Racing Products Fast Time Award in Qualifying, he rolled off fourth on the grid of his Heat Race but quickly brought out caution after a miscue on Lap 1.

“Just made a mistake on the first lap going into Turn 3,” McIntosh said. “Brakes are touchy at this little place, and I stalled the engine pretty quick.”

Forced to come from the tail of the field, McIntosh drove the Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports, GearWrench #08 from dead last to second in eight laps, using every lane his competitors left open in front of him to complete the comeback and earn himself a fourth-place Feature starting spot.

At the drop of the green in the Feature, McIntosh stayed patient while polesitter Shane Cottle paced the field out front. Though the leaders refused to show their hands through first green-flag stretch of 12 laps, the urgency picked up over the next 18.

Mitchel Moles, the 23-year-old open wheel regular from Raisin City, CA, making his debut for Keith Kunz Motorsports, was the first to get aggressive up front, powering his new LynK Chassis around the outside of teammate Jade Avedisian for second on Lap 17. The outside lane eventually got the best of Moles, however, as he drove it hard into Turn 3 looking for the lead on Cottle, got on the brakes and stalled the engine at the top of the track, bringing out the yellow again and sending him to the tail.

That incident ended up being a clue for McIntosh, now riding third for the ensuing restart.

“Moles kinda showed the top in Turns 3-4, and I still felt like the bottom was better in 1-2, and then he stalled it,” McIntosh said. “From there, I just knew what to do and got to the front.”

With only two cars in front of him and the laps winding down, McIntosh tried the top on the restart and made it stick, overtaking Avedisian for second on Lap 21, and eventually, Cottle for the lead after the final restart on Lap 23.

From there, it was all McIntosh out front, as he pulled away from the field and crossed under the checkers to collect his second career victory in the Southern Illinois Center. The indoor venues are his bread-and-butter, and always seem to have been since his rookie Midget days racing around his native Oklahoma and its most famed racing event.

“When I finally got the chance to do it at Chili Bowl, I did well and just felt comfortable,” McIntosh said. “Any indoor track, especially when I come here, I just love the vibe being under the lights. It’s just a good feeling, and I have confidence when I walk into Du Quoin or Tulsa at Chili Bowl.”

Leading the first 22 laps, Cottle crossed the line second and bagged his first career Xtreme Outlaw podium finish. He said he felt most comfortable riding the bottom lane all the way around the track, which left McIntosh the lane to get by on the top.

“We led most of the Feature until the top came-in down there in Turns 3-4 and Cannon got around us,” Cottle said. “When you’re out front, you’re just a sitting duck. That’s just part of it.”

Thomas Meseraull, of San Jose, CA, rounded out the podium in his Series debut with the RMS Racing #7x. Like McIntosh, he stayed patient as well throughout the event, but scooped-up the third spot with two-to-go after an aggressive move to the inside of Avedisian in Turn 3.

“It’s a tight track; there’s not a whole lot of room,” Meseraull said. “She kinda was changing lines, and I felt like she was going to the top and was gonna be held up by the car in front of her, so I just kinda bombed it in there.”

Avedisian, 16, of Clovis, CA, settled for fourth in her debut for KKM, while defending Series champion Zach Daum completed the top-five in the first night out for his new King Chassis operation.

UP NEXT

The Xtreme Outlaw Midget action continues with the second night of racing at the Southern Illinois Center Saturday night, March 11, with a 40-lap, $5,000-to-win main event. Tickets will be sold at the door. If you can’t be there to watch, stream all the action live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 08-Cannon McIntosh[4]; 2. 86-Shane Cottle[1]; 3. 7X-Thomas Meseraull[5]; 4. 71-Jade Avedisian[2]; 5. 5D-Zach Daum[8]; 6. 31B-Chase Johnson[17]; 7. 2X-Landon Brooks[16]; 8. 7U-Kyle Jones[15]; 9. 97-Gavin Miller[6]; 10. 17B-Austin Barnhill[7]; 11. 68-Mitchel Moles[3]; 12. 19AZ-Hayden Reinbold[20]; 13. 26-Chance Crum[19]; 14. 71E-Mariah Ede[13]; 15. 50-Daniel Adler[9]; 16. 19M-Ethan Mitchell[11]; 17. 25K-Taylor Reimer[18]; 18. 72J-Sam Johnson[12]; 19. 6B-Andy Baugh[14]; 20. 21K-Karter Sarff[10]

NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY UNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-PRACTICE MARCH 10, 2023

KYLE LARSON TOPS LEADERBOARD IN NASCAR CUP SERIES PRACTICE AT PHOENIX AVONDALE, Ariz. (March 10, 2023) – The NASCAR Cup Series’ (NCS) western swing concludes this weekend as the series takes on the one-mile tri-oval of Phoenix Raceway. The trip to the Avondale, Arizona, venue marks the first short-track race of 2023, which will also feature the debut of the new aerodynamic package that will be run on the series’ short ovals and road courses this season. Teams were given increased practice time for this weekend’s event, with NASCAR’s premier series hitting the track for a 50-minute practice session Friday afternoon. Upon completion of practice, teams are allowed to make adjustments before going through technical inspection, which will take place on Saturday prior to the qualifying session that will set the lineup for Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500.  Kyle Larson topped the leaderboard at the conclusion of practice, driving his No. 5 HendrickCars.comCamaro ZL1 to a fastest lap of 27.427 seconds. Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman (No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1) was third-fastest, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 Thomas’ Camaro ZL1) was seventh-fastest overall to round the Team Chevy top-10.  Drivers in the top-10 of the NCS driver points standings were made available to the media following the series’ practice session, including Chevrolet drivers Ross Chastain and Alex Bowman, who sit in the first and second positions, respectively, in the standings heading into the Phoenix race weekend.

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1: Post-Practice QuotesHow different did this feel this year compared to what you had here last November? “We’re at a large loss of grip, I think even compared to the field. We missed it a bit.” You were obviously in the simulator; you knew there was going to be less grip. Was it about what you felt in the simulator and others were better, or did you feel a lot worse than what you felt in the simulator? “I haven’t really had enough time to really dissect what everyone else has. We had less grip than what we were projecting. Our balance is off.. the car is disconnected front to back. I feel like – the grip they have, my grip starts on their lap 10. Like I have 10 lap old tires when I have fresh tires.” Do you have a tough time getting through all the corners, or was one area worse than another? “We’re pretty loose on entry, so I can’t charge the corner like I want to. I felt like I was going to crash there a couple of times. Really, just a four-wheel slide, both rear and front. So I’m loose entering the corner and exiting, and it never really grips at the center of the corner. It’s not like one glaring thing.. it’s just a lack of grip. We’re a couple of tenths off at fire-off, like on a fast lap. And then even once we get into the run, they start to come back to us, but it’s too late and we’re still off at the end of it.” How did the car feel in traffic and were you able to setup a pass the way your car felt? “I was the one getting passed (laughs). As they were passing me, it looked easier for them than it would have been last fall, for sure.” Any idea with this package whether there is the ability to find grip between now and qualifying? “We’re changing springs, shocks and settings all over the car, so I don’t really have an answer. It’s so new.. I probably won’t have an answer until probably, realistically, Sunday night or in the race to see if it feels different. I just haven’t ran enough to really confidently tell you.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY BEST FRIENDS CAMARO ZL1: Post-Practice Quotes“I feel like our No. 48 Ally Camaro is pretty decent. Cool to have Best Friends on board this week and overall, it was a solid practice for us.” Did it feel any different than what you drove here last year, as far as just downforce and handling? “I think all of the cars are definitely slipping and sliding a little bit more. I don’t think a race car has ever really felt great at this place. I mean even when I’ve been really strong here, the race car never feels great. So yeah, a lot of slipping and sliding around.  I will say, it felt like dirty air was as bad or worse than it’s ever been here, so we’ll have to see how the race goes. That was one car behind another, so maybe it will be different in the race. But yeah, still the same stuff.” You hear grip a lot.. people are talking about grip.“Yeah, I mean when you take downforce off the race car, you have less grip. So that’s just how it’s going to be. I think as a whole, like behind other people, you can physically see people slipping and sliding more, so that’s just going to be part of it.” The aero issue, are you further way in experiencing that or can you get closer to the car before you get that aero issue? “For me, which I don’t know I haven’t talked to anybody else yet, so I don’t really know what everybody else felt… but it just felt like I lost even more grip behind another car from a pretty big distance back. We’ll have to wait and see. That was with pretty new tires and not equal tires between the cars, so a little different scenario than the race will actually be.” Did you try the apron at all, as far as cutting the dog-leg? “I didn’t. I mean we all did last year in the race and it was fine, so I think we’ll all be down there tomorrow for qualifying.” Were you excited to get the extra practice at COTA, as well? “I was excited to run the truck race and everybody else only had 20 minutes of practice. But yeah, I think if we unload and we’re not great, I’m going to be excited to have extra practice. If we unload and our car is amazing and we don’t make it any better, I’m going to be like ‘man, we didn’t need that’. So it’ll be a selfish race car driver thing, one way or another.” Do you feel like this package will fit your driving style after this practice session? “Yeah, I don’t know. I mean I feel like this place has been hard for me and I ask for the wrong things out of the race car in certain areas of this racetrack. So just trying to do the right things and Blake (Harris, crew chief) is really good about helping me lap-to-lap to try to do better things at some of these places. But yeah, hopefully it suits me. We’ll see on Sunday.” 

JOSH BERRY, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAMARO ZL1: Post-Practice QuotesHow excited or nervous are you? Can you take me through Monday and Tuesday until they told you that you were definitely going to do it? What type of emotions or conversations did you have? “Well, to be fair, really before I got home from Vegas, I had a pretty good idea that I was racing. So that eased my mind a little bit and let us focus on this week. We were able to start preparing really as soon as we got home. Monday afternoon, I was at HMS; and in the afternoon, I was at Chevrolet (Technical Center) running laps (on the simulator). It’s been a busy week.  Really thankful to be doing this. It’s a weird opportunity obviously.. we’re all thinking about Chase (Elliott). We want him to get healthy and get back. But thankful for the meantime, I’ll get to run some races.” What does it mean to you to know you’ll be able to be in four or five races and maybe not just one race to try and prove yourself? “Yeah, I think that definitely helps knowing that I at least have a couple of them. We don’t know how many that’s going to be. Like I said before, I’ll be available as long as this group needs me. It’s giving me a great opportunity to learn and grow. I’m just excited to keep going.” Just having the extra time, last week everything was just kind of thrown together. You’re kind of finding your comfort zone now that you’ve had time to work with these guys. “Yeah, I mean I think from my side of things, it’s hard to set expectations. We’ve seen this Next Gen car be a challenge for everybody. Everybody in the industry is having to adapt to that. I’m just trying to control two things.. and that’s my attitude and my effort towards this. Staying positive, working hard and working with this group, and doing everything I can to be prepared. Work with these guys, work with Chase (Elliott) and everybody back at the shop to just try to continue to do better. It’s just one lap at a time and I think if we keep doing that, we’ll be able to get some solid finishes.”

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10, 2023) – Picking up right where they left off, Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster team were quickest of the session Friday at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. John Force and the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car sit No. 2, Robert Hight and the Flav-R-Pac / Cornwell Tools / AAA Camaro are No. 5 and Austin Prock has the Montana Brand / RMT dragster in seventh. Inclement weather would cut the day short before a second session could be completed. Brittany Force and her Monster Energy team came out of the box to lay down an impressive 3.699-second pass at 336.99 mph. The speed landed in the top five fastest runs in NHRA Top Fuel history. The David Grubnic tuned dragster earned three bonus points for being the quickest of the session. “It felt really good just to come out here first race, first run, and go to the top. It’s pretty incredible,” said Force who picked Clay Millican as her first-round opponent in the Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout being contested during Saturday qualifying. “That’s David Grubnic, though, and all these guys. We spent a lot of hours testing, a lot of days testing but it looks like we picked up right where we left off. We’re in that same groove and we have the same team and it’s a good start. That run motivated us not just for this weekend but for the whole season. We always want to improve, get more wins and ultimately end the season with another championship. Not that we’ve all done it together, we know what it feels like, and we want to do it again.” Newly inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, John Force handled the BlueDEF PLATINUM Camaro to a 3.898-second run at 335.07 mph in their first try at the Gatornationals to earn two bonus points. Force will start the second day of qualifying from the No. 2 spot. Robert Hight and the Flav-R-Pac Camaro landed in the fifth spot after going 3.911 seconds at 331.28 mph. Hight will look for improvement with two more qualifying sessions on Saturday. Entering the year with a new crew chief combination of Chris Cunningham and Joe Barlam, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team went 3.779 at 324.44 mph putting them in the top half of the field. Prock will take on Josh Hart in the Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout. The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway will continue with two qualifying sessions Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. with the Pep Boys Call-Out taking place throughout qualifying Saturday. Eliminations on Sunday are slated for 10 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with a qualifying show Saturday at 11 a.m. ET and a dedicated Pep Boys All-Start Callout show on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Sunday race day action will be at noon ET on FOX Broadcasting Network. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:7th; 3.779-seconds; 324.44 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac DragsterQualifying:1st; 3.699-seconds; 336.99 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+3 (quickest Q1) JOHN FORCE, 73, BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:2nd; 3.898-seconds; 335.07 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +2 (second quickest Q1)ROBERT HIGHT, 53, Auto Club Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:5th; 3.911-seconds; 331.28 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0

NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAYUNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT MARCH 10, 2023

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Phoenix Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

With the new aerodynamic package, can you describe what the behavior of the car is like? “Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of the ones that got to test this package, or a similar package to what we’re racing this weekend. But from my understanding from what I heard is – yes, it’s a little bit more difficult to drive by itself. It will be a little bit of a looser feeling in the back of the car; less rear downforce, less overall downforce. But it should – we hope – that it will be a little bit better in traffic where you won’t be effected as much by trailing the car in front of you and the wake that the car in front of you puts off.” How would you assess the effectiveness of the length of the longer restart zone? Do you feel like it gives you any more of an advantage or any more of an ability to dictate the way things go? “No.. I think all it’s done is cause that wreck at California (Auto Club Speedway). So in my opinion, it’s done nothing different; nothing on the positive end. It’s only added a negative end to it because at California, Joey (Logano) was just maintaining his speed and everyone was gaining, gaining, gaining, gaining and closing up their gaps because they were all trying to lay back and then time the run. So he just waited for everybody to run into everybody and then went at the end of the zone. So the later you make that zone, the more anticipation everyone has and the more of an accordion effect that you’ll get. I knew that going in and I was not a proponent of lengthening that zone, but nobody tends to listen to me a whole lot.” How relieved are you just the simple fact that Chevrolet just seems to be on top of their game to start this season? “Yeah, it’s all the KB effect.. everything right here. Got them all tuned into the right pages and we’re rolling (laughs).  But no seriously, I’m going to give a huge props to Eric Warren (Chevrolet’s Director of NASCAR Programs), his group, his team and everybody at the Chevy Tech Center. They have been doing a really good job and a lot of stuff behind the scenes has kind of been happening. I’ve been involved in a little bit of that, especially on the truck side with our guys at KBM, but also some of the Cup stuff. Just trying to work on some of the processes and things that they do. But they’ve come out and done a nice job so far, so that’s positive for our start to the season.” NASCAR has added a 50-minute practice at COTA. Can you address how helpful that is when you’re starting with a new team like you are? “Yeah, well we tested there in January, so I was one of the ones that was like ‘we don’t need the practice, we’re good’. I don’t want to give anybody else anymore added track time. We had plenty when we were there. We ran close to 200 laps and I was smoked after that one. So I didn’t need anymore track time.  But we got that I guess, so we’ll work on what we need to work on with the reduced downforce and the changes that they made to the car. We felt like we had a really good test. We have really good notes on what we had there. We tested with last year’s stuff, not this current one, and so it’s going to be a lot different I’m sure. I don’t know – just with the amount of stuff that you can do in sim, I feel like it would be fine for us if we didn’t have practice. But we’ll take the 50 minutes and go.”  As somebody new coming in, even with what you’ve been able to do and accomplish, how did you take going into those team meetings? How forceful – I don’t know if that’s the right word – but in bringing things up and opening ideas? What is the dynamic of those meetings and how is that maybe different from previous experiences?“Certainly there was a big discussion on that; just on how they’ve (RCR) done things, how I’ve done things. We had a whole roundtable discussion of the key people that we needed. This was early January, so we kind of hammered through a bunch of stuff and I brought up a lot of different topics. I still don’t have all of what I want accomplished yet. Most of that is data-driven and stuff you get after practice or after qualifying and things, so still pushing on much of that. We don’t have all of that how I want it yet.  But everything else, the team meetings have gone well. I feel like they’ve been a little bit productive. Hopefully those that are with us in those meetings feel the same way, so it’s been a good sense. I know Austin (Dillon) and I have really liked the way that it is and how we got it setup, so it’s been useful for us.” With your homework and studying in essence and all the work you do for each event, have you had to do anything new in learning more about this group or seeing how they do things to be able to kind of bring up ‘hey, I know you did this here, but here is another example of a way to do potentially better’.. how does that impact how you study? “Yeah, I mean last week, we struggled at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway).. let’s be honest. Last year at Vegas, we were really good with the Toyota bunch and the Toyota bunch showed decent speed there as well too. I wasn’t privy to those setup sheets, so I wasn’t able to just hand that over and say ‘here, this is what we need to do.. this is where we need to go and start from’. But we’ve been working a lot from their stuff that they’ve been accustomed to and what they’ve been running. Obviously Fontana was a huge success for us; that really worked. Vegas, I thought was going to be better than what it was. We’re still working on some of those answers as to what happened there, but here last year, the No. 8 team ran second and third there towards the later stages of the race and had a good run. Austin (Dillon) was in the top-10 before I think the last-lap crash that we was in. So again, you try to rely on what they did last year and improve it as much as you can with the tools that you have right now. But until you go out there and run these races, really that’s the learning.. is what happens in the race. And then being able to go back and really dissect each and every piece of the car, the race, strategy, pit calls, changes you make, all of that stuff. So these meetings last quite a while.” This package is supposed to put it more in the drivers’ hands and make it more difficult to drive the cars. You have so much experience, so do you feel like that benefits you? “Yeah, I mean you would say that – yes, you want it to be more in the driver’s hands. Although last year, I think I set a new record for the amount of times you can spin out during the season. I was about backwards in every race, so that was not fun.  I think that just kind of goes to show that some guys, they’ll run on the way up the mountain and then they won’t get over peak and go down peak. Where I feel like when I race, I get up to peak and I try to teeter on the front side and the back side of that before completely losing it. So I’m always just maybe a little bit closer to that edge, so that’s some of my issue of spinning or having issues sometimes. But trying to get the most out of everything you’ve got, so having a little bit something that you have to finesse and feel, it just takes a little bit of learning that. Hopefully we got more grip than all the rest.” What is your reaction to having two prominent F1 drivers like Kimi Räikkönen and Jenson Button coming to NASCAR? “Yeah, I mean I hope Kimi (Räikkönen) gets a better opportunity than he had his last time out; going out there and running a full race. But I think it’s fun. I think it’s great that they have that opportunity. Trackhouse won that race last year, so you know they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. The SHR guys I think are doing the No. 15 ride for Jenson (Button). It’s cool to see the diversity of different backgrounds of drivers and where they come from. I’m not excited, but it’s going to be cool to have them out there and be a part of our show. They’re not used to the full contact sport of what NASCAR is. I’m sure Kimi’s eyes were opened quite a bit on how all that went down at Watkins Glen. But he’s more ready and more prepared this time around.” What about William Byron getting back in a KBM truck?“Yeah, that’s going to be great for us. Really good to have William (Byron) – a KBM alum – to come back and work with us again and being a part of the Chevy team. Excited that HendrickCars.com, Rick (Hendrick), Jeff (Gordon) and everybody there at HMS partnered with us on this and got William three races. Those were the ones he chose. He stole one of mine actually. I’m still bummed I don’t get to run at North Wilkesboro, but it will be nice to have an experienced driver again that can come over and continue to help evaluate and it not just be me. We’ve got a lot of new people over there. Brian Pattie and that whole group, the majority of that group is new, so it will be nice to get another set of eyes on it, if you will.” Randall Burnett – three wins last year, so you knew you were getting a good crew chief. What have you learned about him? What are some of the things that you didn’t expect, maybe better than you expected? What are some of the qualities that he brings that you lean on with each other? “Yeah, I was excited about my chance to work with him (Randall Burnett) last year when all of this kind of started to come up. And then just spending some time with him and getting to know him. My wife and his wife, all four us, go out to dinner every once in a while, so that’s been super helpful to just kind of build that relationship and that friendship. Essentially, a driver and a crew chief is like a marriage. You’re going to have your good days and you’re going to have your bad days. How you go about all of that is how you will best come out on top when it’s all said and done.  Randall has been super fun to work with and very receptive to a lot of my ideas. I’ve been trying to just kind of come into his playbook of how he kind of does stuff, and then just kind of throw in little pieces of what my playbook has kind of looked like for the last 15 years or whatever.  Very similar tendencies. He’s really a go-getter. At Fontana, he asked if I was OK because I was so quite over the radio, and I’m like I’m not one that just spouts off all day on the radio. I have my ‘Kyle Busch top greatest hits moments’, yes.. but besides that, there’s not much said on the radio. That was a little bit for him to get accustomed to, but when you’ve got a good driving car, you don’t really talk a whole lot. You go to work.” Regarding Räikkönen and Button racing at COTA – last year, I think (Denny) Hamlin used the word ‘novelty’ having Räikkönen at the race. Can those guys compete, as well as Jordan Taylor, and even (Jonathan) Davenport at the Bristol dirt race. Are they going to be competitive?“Yeah, I mean I would say that there’s opportunity for them to be competitive. I think it all kind of depends on how much work and behind the scenes stuff that they do. Räikkönen last year I thought was respectable. He really didn’t get to show a full race, so we didn’t get a good sense of that. But being with Trackhouse, I would like to think that he’s probably got the best opportunity let’s say.  But these cars are so different than anything that these guys are used to driving. They’re different than what anything I’ve ever been used to driving, so we’re all still trying to feel that out and figure that out. I mean last year, we had 19 different winners and this year, we’re already at three. So it can go the same way again this year. It’s whenever you get the luck of the draw on a pit stop, get out front or whatever it might be. But me jumping in a dirt late model and going to compete against Jonathan Davenport – I failed successfully at that at Bristol last year when I ran the dirt late model, or two years ago. So him coming over and thinking he’s going to jump in and go win a Cup race right out of the gate, I think you have another thing coming. But it’s just a matter of doing the experience, learning from it, having fun with it and getting better at it.” You said last week that you had texted Chase (Elliott). I’m curious if you were able to have a conversation with him, and if so, how are his spirits and everything? “I have not.. no.”

CHEVROLET IN NHRA

AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA

TEAM CHEVY FRIDAY QUALIFYING REPORT

March 10, 2023

TEAM CHEVY TAKES THREE PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIERS IN TOP FUEL, PRO STOCK, AND FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA (March 10, 2023) – The 2023 NHRA season kicked off at Gainesville Raceway in strong fashion, with Chevrolet topping the charts with three provisional No. 1 qualifiers. Starting the year where she left off, Brittany Force powered her Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster to the top of the charts with her 3.699 ET at 336.99 MPH in Q1 after a rain-shortened evening.

In Pro Stock, Erica Enders also picked up where she left off, racing her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS to the top of the leaderboard with her 6.538 ET at 208.84 MPH run.

FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown saw 2022 champion David Barton also occupied the top spot in his COPO Camaro after Q2, crossing the finish line with his 7.738 ET pass at 177.30 MPH and setting low ET in both sessions.

“It felt really good just to come out at the first race of the season, first run, and to go to the top. Pretty incredible,” noted Force. “David Grubnic and all these guys, we spent a lot of hours testing, a lot of days testing, to get us here but it looks like we picked up where we were last season and we’re already moving right into this season. We have the same groove, the same team, the same group of guys, and it’s a good start. To get that run just motivated us all for the weekend, but not just for the weekend, but also the season.”

“It is definitely huge to start off on the right foot,” said Enders. “I was thinking while I was sitting in the car that was only my fourth run since November of last year. We did not do any off-season testing. We made two hits at Bradenton before coming here. We spent the winter in the shop working on the engines looking for more horsepower. We didn’t have a great first run. Decent, but I had a couple of mishaps, and our tune was just a little bit off. We came back, fixed everything up, and wanted to do really well for that night session. We were able to put our JHG car on top, and that’s all that matters to me.”

NHRA is back in action Saturday, March 11 with Q3 and Q4 as well as the Pep Boys NHRA All-Start Top Fuel Callout, broadcasted Sunday, March 12 at 9 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, leading into Sunday’s eliminations on FOX at noon ET.

CONCORD, NC (March 10, 2023) – There’s never been a more exciting time for the World of Outlaws and Super DIRTcar Series with the continued support of key partners and the introduction of several new ones.

Multiple sponsors will continue a more than 10-year sponsorship, while others have extended or signed multi-year agreements, establishing their own milestones – which for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series brings its overall contingency awards package to more than $1 million.

NOS Energy Drink continues to get after it, entering its fifth year as the title sponsor of the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars – currently the second longest running sponsor of the Series. And after a successful debut season, CASE Construction Equipment continues its multi-year deal as title sponsor of the World of Outlaws Late Models and as the Official Construction Equipment company for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Super DIRTcar Series with exciting new initiatives planned for 2023.

CASE is also expanding its brand’s presence across the three series in 2023 with CASE No.1 Engine Oil becoming the Official Engine Oil of each series and sponsoring Heat Race #1 in each series at every race.

Toyota is set to take the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars, World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models, Super DIRTcar Series and Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota to new places in 2023, becoming the Official Vehicle for each series and providing a pace truck for each. Toyota is also sponsoring the World of Outlaws Sprint Car’s Dash.

Also looking to expand its footprint in dirt racing, Federated Auto Parts joined as a new sponsor this year in a multi-year deal to serve as title sponsor of DIRTcar Nationals – along with four other to-be-determined World of Outlaws Sprint Car events – and Federated Car Care is sponsoring the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Work Zone at each event.

Germfree, which is already serving as the Official BioTech partner of Volusia Speedway Park, has joined the World of Outlaws in 2023, sponsoring the World of Outlaws Late Model Rookie of the Year program, giving $10,000 to the top rookie, $3,000 to the second highest finisher and $2,000 to the third highest.

Low-E Insulation has expanded its sponsorship with the organization this year, sponsoring Qualifying for both World of Outlaws series and the Super DIRTcar Series. The company is also sponsoring the six-race Low-E Insulation Spring Showdown (from March 5 at Volusia Speedway Park to March 18 at Lincoln Speedway) with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, where $10,000 will be paid to the highest points earner in that period, $6,000 to the second highest and $4,000 to the third highest.

In a sweet deal to give its students more opportunities for hands-on experience with World of Outlaws Sprint Car teams, while further educating fans about their initiatives, Milton Hershey School has increased its involvement with the Series in 2023. Along with fans getting some of Hershey’s fan-favorite chocolate and candies at several events throughout the year, multiple students will get the chance to work with Sprint Car teams on race nights.

Other new exciting sponsors include Lifeline USA with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, and DIG Race Products and SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel & Aluminum with the Super DIRTcar Series. SRI and Stock Car Steel will award $100 to the driver that draws the #1 pill in the Re-Draw each race.

Returning sponsors that have been with a series for 10 or more years include Chevrolet Performance – the Official Vehicle of DIRTcar and DIRTcar Northeast and one of the longest running sponsors – ASI, Arizona/Gotta Race, Cometic Gaskets, COMP Cams and VP Racing Fuels.

Fan-favorite Whiskey Myers returns for its second season with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, continuing its presenting sponsorship of the “4-Wide Salute to the Fans” and expanding its support by also contributing to the Series’ lucrative contingency program.

To keep up with the 2023 season for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars and World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models, CLICK HERE. And to keep up with the 2023 season for the Super DIRTcar Series, CLICK HERE.

PLAINVIEW, NY (March 10, 2023) – Justin Ashley Racing today announced a partnership with National Debt Relief, the country’s largest debt relief company. The partnership will begin with the season opening NHRA Gatornationals, March 9-12, at Gainesville Raceway and continue throughout the first three races of the 2023 NHRA season. National Debt Relief will have branding on Ashley’s 12,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster on the top and sides of the rear wing, mud flaps and injectors. Ashley will be focused on the communication and promotion of National Debt Relief’s messaging through various media outlets and during the Pep Boys All-Star Callout specialty race which will be contested during the Gatornationals.

“National Debt Relief’s willingness to go above and beyond to ensure the best outcome for their clients is invaluable and I am very grateful for the opportunity to partner with their powerful team,” said Ashley, a multiple time Top Fuel national event winner. “Just as our team works tirelessly to win races, National Debt Relief does the same to help their clients effectively settle their debt and get back to the life they deserve. Although some of our fans have benefited from National Debt Relief, I look forward to formally introducing National Debt Relief to the NHRA community – offering the brand as a resource and helping to provide those that need it the peace of mind that comes with debt relief.”

National Debt Relief has helped hundreds of thousands of people – including NHRA fans – resolve unsecured debt and achieve financial independence over the past decade – bringing consumers back to living their lives and away from focusing on debt. To proactively drive the conversation about debt relief and inspire people to take control, National Debt Relief has partnered with Justin Ashley to expand their awareness with NHRA fans.

“We are looking forward to working with Justin and spreading the message of how National Debt Relief can change people’s lives for the better,” said Jeff Biesman, National Debt Relief’s Chief Marketing Officer.  “We are committed to helping our clients get their lives back, and since 2009, we’ve successfully helped more than 400,000 people get out of debt. This is more important now than ever before – as Americans are relying on credit cards more than ever, prices remain inflated, people are having trouble making payments on time, and credit card balances are at an all-time high.” 

The program will kick off in Gainesville, Florida, at the season opening NHRA Gatornationals on March 9, 2023. Racing action will include four qualifying sessions and final eliminations on Sunday, March 12, which will be televised nationally on FS1 and FOX. 

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About National Debt Relief:

National Debt Relief (NDR) is a BBB A+ Accredited business that helps empower consumers on their financial journey. NDR’s mission is to provide people with human-centered debt relief that help make them feel financially and emotionally whole again. While other brands are transactional, NDR is transformational. At NDR, we treat our clients like real people. Our purpose is to elevate, empower, and transform lives – bringing consumers back to living their lives and away from focusing on debt. NDR offers a successful alternative to bankruptcy, credit counseling, or taking on new loans. As a top-rated debt relief company in the U.S., NDR is proud to have positively impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people on their journey to become debt-free. Founded in 2009, NDR is values-centric; built on integrity, growth and connection. For more information, please visit: www.nationaldebtrelief.com. 

About Justin Ashley Racing
Justin Ashley Racing in partnership with Davis Motorsports fields the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Ashley has finished in the Top Five the past two seasons winning five Top Fuel national events and raced to eleven final rounds. During his Top Fuel rookie season in 2020 Justin won the NHRA Summer nationals, finished in the Top Ten and was recognized as the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year.  Prior to his professional debut Ashley had three wins in Top Alcohol Dragster on the Lucas Oil Series. He is the son of multi-time NHRA national event winner Mike Ashley. In 2017, he was named to the Drag Illustrated magazine’s 30 under 30 list, highlighting some of racing’s most promising young individuals on and off the racetrack. To learn more about Justin Ashley Racing, visit JustinAshley.com.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10, 2023) – Ahead of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, 16-time NHRA world champion John Force, who drives the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, applied one more exclamation point to a career punctuated by superlatives Thursday when he was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame as part of a 2023 class. Founded in 1990 by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and his late wife, Pat, and housed at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in nearby Ocala, the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame recognizes the most accomplished straight-line racers in the world with inductees from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. “All of the inductees, even in the past and those to come, I’m excited to be a part of it,” said Force who was introduced by his long-time friend, confidant, and former publicist David Densmore. “When I got the call from Don, well It made me emotional. To be included in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, to be in Don Garlits’ house here, it means a lot.” Thursday’s induction at the Hilton Convention Center completed a Hall of Fame Grand Slam for the 73-year-old Force who was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega, Ala., in 2008, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, now housed at Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2012, the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame at Fort Worth in 2011, the California Sports Hall of Fame at Alta Loma in 2017 and the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame at Darlington, S.C., in 2019. “I didn’t race to make money, I raced because I loved it,” Force said. “Growing up in a trailer park you found the first thing with wheels that could get you out of there. I fell in love with drag racing, why am I still doing it, at this age? Because I still love it. My kids and grandkids, they help me find the little kid inside, find the fire inside to compete, to be a part of it, to win. “I want to thank everybody, the people who got me here, Steve Plueger, my brother Louie, Austin Coil, Bernie Fedderly, I wouldn’t be standing here without them because I was a real loser,” Force continued. “The people we have now, Robert Hight, Jimmy Prock, David Grubnic, Chris Cunningham, Joe Barlam, my son-in-law Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi, and then my kids, watching my kids compete and now watching my grandkids. My wife Laurie, she’s stood by my side, and I really do love her and appreciate her, if it wasn’t for her, I’d be lost, she’s my Mother Teresa, God protects me because of her.” The NHRA record holder in almost every imaginable professional category including championships (16), final rounds (264), race wins (155), round wins (1421) and No. 1 qualifying positions (165), Force has won at least once in 34 of the last 35 NHRA campaigns, a streak that includes a wire-to-wire triumph in last year’s 4Wide Nationals at Charlotte. Voted No. 2 drag racer in the NHRA’s first 50 years behind only Garlits, Force won 10 straight Funny Car titles from 1993 through 2002 highlighted by a 1996 season in which he won 13 of 19 events and was named Driver of the Year for all American motorsports, the first drag racer ever so honored. Despite all the records and accolades, many consider Force’s greatest achievements to be his 2007 comebacks from the tragic death of teammate Eric Medlen in a testing accident and his own serious injuries in a 300 mph crash later the same season at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas. Subjected to six hours of reconstructive surgery after being airlifted to a Dallas hospital and told by doctors he likely would not race again, Force defied the odds, was back in a car to start 2008 and, after winning two championships with Austin Coil and 12 more with Coil and Bernie Fedderly, he won his 15th with Mike Neff as crew chief in 2010 and his 16th with Jimmy Prock making the tune-up calls in 2013. When qualifying begins Friday in the 54th annual Amalie Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, a race he won five straight times from 1992 through 1996, Force will begin his 47th year on the NHRA pro tour. The season-opening event in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, kicks-off with four qualifying sessions Friday at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eliminations on Sunday are slated for 10 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with a qualifying show Saturday at 11 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Sunday race day action will be at noon ET on FOX Broadcasting Network.

NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY UNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-PRACTICE MARCH 10, 2023

KYLE LARSON TOPS LEADERBOARD IN NASCAR CUP SERIES PRACTICE AT PHOENIX AVONDALE, Ariz. (March 10, 2023) – The NASCAR Cup Series’ (NCS) western swing concludes this weekend as the series takes on the one-mile tri-oval of Phoenix Raceway. The trip to the Avondale, Arizona, venue marks the first short-track race of 2023, which will also feature the debut of the new aerodynamic package that will be run on the series’ short ovals and road courses this season. Teams were given increased practice time for this weekend’s event, with NASCAR’s premier series hitting the track for a 50-minute practice session Friday afternoon. Upon completion of practice, teams are allowed to make adjustments before going through technical inspection, which will take place on Saturday prior to the qualifying session that will set the lineup for Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500.  Kyle Larson topped the leaderboard at the conclusion of practice, driving his No. 5 HendrickCars.comCamaro ZL1 to a fastest lap of 27.427 seconds. Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman (No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1) was third-fastest, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 Thomas’ Camaro ZL1) was seventh-fastest overall to round the Team Chevy top-10.  Drivers in the top-10 of the NCS driver points standings were made available to the media following the series’ practice session, including Chevrolet drivers Ross Chastain and Alex Bowman, who sit in the first and second positions, respectively, in the standings heading into the Phoenix race weekend.

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1: Post-Practice QuotesHow different did this feel this year compared to what you had here last November? “We’re at a large loss of grip, I think even compared to the field. We missed it a bit.” You were obviously in the simulator; you knew there was going to be less grip. Was it about what you felt in the simulator and others were better, or did you feel a lot worse than what you felt in the simulator? “I haven’t really had enough time to really dissect what everyone else has. We had less grip than what we were projecting. Our balance is off.. the car is disconnected front to back. I feel like – the grip they have, my grip starts on their lap 10. Like I have 10 lap old tires when I have fresh tires.” Do you have a tough time getting through all the corners, or was one area worse than another? “We’re pretty loose on entry, so I can’t charge the corner like I want to. I felt like I was going to crash there a couple of times. Really, just a four-wheel slide, both rear and front. So I’m loose entering the corner and exiting, and it never really grips at the center of the corner. It’s not like one glaring thing.. it’s just a lack of grip. We’re a couple of tenths off at fire-off, like on a fast lap. And then even once we get into the run, they start to come back to us, but it’s too late and we’re still off at the end of it.” How did the car feel in traffic and were you able to setup a pass the way your car felt? “I was the one getting passed (laughs). As they were passing me, it looked easier for them than it would have been last fall, for sure.” Any idea with this package whether there is the ability to find grip between now and qualifying? “We’re changing springs, shocks and settings all over the car, so I don’t really have an answer. It’s so new.. I probably won’t have an answer until probably, realistically, Sunday night or in the race to see if it feels different. I just haven’t ran enough to really confidently tell you.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY BEST FRIENDS CAMARO ZL1: Post-Practice Quotes“I feel like our No. 48 Ally Camaro is pretty decent. Cool to have Best Friends on board this week and overall, it was a solid practice for us.” Did it feel any different than what you drove here last year, as far as just downforce and handling? “I think all of the cars are definitely slipping and sliding a little bit more. I don’t think a race car has ever really felt great at this place. I mean even when I’ve been really strong here, the race car never feels great. So yeah, a lot of slipping and sliding around.  I will say, it felt like dirty air was as bad or worse than it’s ever been here, so we’ll have to see how the race goes. That was one car behind another, so maybe it will be different in the race. But yeah, still the same stuff.” You hear grip a lot.. people are talking about grip.“Yeah, I mean when you take downforce off the race car, you have less grip. So that’s just how it’s going to be. I think as a whole, like behind other people, you can physically see people slipping and sliding more, so that’s just going to be part of it.” The aero issue, are you further way in experiencing that or can you get closer to the car before you get that aero issue? “For me, which I don’t know I haven’t talked to anybody else yet, so I don’t really know what everybody else felt… but it just felt like I lost even more grip behind another car from a pretty big distance back. We’ll have to wait and see. That was with pretty new tires and not equal tires between the cars, so a little different scenario than the race will actually be.” Did you try the apron at all, as far as cutting the dog-leg? “I didn’t. I mean we all did last year in the race and it was fine, so I think we’ll all be down there tomorrow for qualifying.” Were you excited to get the extra practice at COTA, as well? “I was excited to run the truck race and everybody else only had 20 minutes of practice. But yeah, I think if we unload and we’re not great, I’m going to be excited to have extra practice. If we unload and our car is amazing and we don’t make it any better, I’m going to be like ‘man, we didn’t need that’. So it’ll be a selfish race car driver thing, one way or another.” Do you feel like this package will fit your driving style after this practice session? “Yeah, I don’t know. I mean I feel like this place has been hard for me and I ask for the wrong things out of the race car in certain areas of this racetrack. So just trying to do the right things and Blake (Harris, crew chief) is really good about helping me lap-to-lap to try to do better things at some of these places. But yeah, hopefully it suits me. We’ll see on Sunday.” 

JOSH BERRY, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CAMARO ZL1: Post-Practice QuotesHow excited or nervous are you? Can you take me through Monday and Tuesday until they told you that you were definitely going to do it? What type of emotions or conversations did you have? “Well, to be fair, really before I got home from Vegas, I had a pretty good idea that I was racing. So that eased my mind a little bit and let us focus on this week. We were able to start preparing really as soon as we got home. Monday afternoon, I was at HMS; and in the afternoon, I was at Chevrolet (Technical Center) running laps (on the simulator). It’s been a busy week.  Really thankful to be doing this. It’s a weird opportunity obviously.. we’re all thinking about Chase (Elliott). We want him to get healthy and get back. But thankful for the meantime, I’ll get to run some races.” What does it mean to you to know you’ll be able to be in four or five races and maybe not just one race to try and prove yourself? “Yeah, I think that definitely helps knowing that I at least have a couple of them. We don’t know how many that’s going to be. Like I said before, I’ll be available as long as this group needs me. It’s giving me a great opportunity to learn and grow. I’m just excited to keep going.” Just having the extra time, last week everything was just kind of thrown together. You’re kind of finding your comfort zone now that you’ve had time to work with these guys. “Yeah, I mean I think from my side of things, it’s hard to set expectations. We’ve seen this Next Gen car be a challenge for everybody. Everybody in the industry is having to adapt to that. I’m just trying to control two things.. and that’s my attitude and my effort towards this. Staying positive, working hard and working with this group, and doing everything I can to be prepared. Work with these guys, work with Chase (Elliott) and everybody back at the shop to just try to continue to do better. It’s just one lap at a time and I think if we keep doing that, we’ll be able to get some solid finishes.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 9, 2023) – Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) secured a nail-biting victory at the DAYTONA Short Track I presented by Daytona Dodge to open the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season in dramatic fashion. A hectic opening several laps around the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway featured the four riders on four different makes who lined the front row for the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event. Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) raised more than a few eyebrows when he grabbed the early lead aboard the Royal Enfield while established Mission SuperTwins superstars Daniels, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 890 Duke) jockeyed for position just behind. After some back-and-forth, Robinson managed to work his way into the lead and then threatened to make an early escape. By the time Daniels and Bauman dispatched Lewis, the Mission Roof Systems rider had nearly a second in hand. Daniels put his head down at that point, stretching out an advantage over Bauman while eating away at Robinson’s. By half distance the two linked up at the front just as they made their way into lapped traffic for the first time. The Estenson Racing pilot began to actively search for a way into the lead with just over two minutes on the clock, nudging the front wheel of his Yamaha MT-07 DT up the inside of Robinson’s Indian FTR750 a few times before finally finding the gap he had been looking for. Once through, Daniels, Robinson, and Bauman appeared safe to open their 2023 campaigns a respective 1-2-3 as time expired. However, the Main Event delivered a final twist in the form of a waving red flag that came after Lewis’ crashed from fifth following a clash with another rider. Not only was Lewis’ hard-earned top five gone, but so seemingly was Bauman’s remarkable podium run in his debut aboard the all-new Rick Ware Racing KTM 890 Duke, his brake pedal disconnected during the Main Event melee. However, even with Bauman’s technical issues and the potential for chaos the top three were forced to negotiate, the trio locked down their positions as they powered away from the staggered start and held on to the checkered flag. The victorious Daniels said, “I tell you what – there’s nothing that makes you more nervous than that right there, leading the laps going away and a red flag comes out with two to go. My dad was talking to me (before the restart), saying “You’re good, you’re good.” And then he stopped talking, and I was like, “No, no, no, keep talking, I’m getting nervous! “These two guys on the podium with me – I grew up watching these guys win here. These guys are my heroes. And now I want to beat them. It’s an honor to win here.” Even if the podium went unaltered in the wake of the late stoppage, there was plenty of reshuffling as a result of the restart. Defending Mission SuperTwins king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) was the biggest beneficiary, slashing up to a fourth-place finish after previously being mired as deep as 12th in the pack. He was followed home by Daniels’ teammate, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who took fifth despite not faring much better than Mees to that point. Four-time DAYTONA ST winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/Castrol Yamaha MT-07) took sixth, followed by Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) and the remounted Lewis. Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) – who had been fourth at the time of the red flag – ended up ninth, while Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) completed the top ten. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Reigning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) got his title defense off to what was effectively a perfect start. The fact that Kopp entered the season as the primary target of every other rider in the field seemingly did nothing but enhance the dominant streak he flashed so often a year ago. Despite contending with a slick track that demanded focus and invited mistakes, the factory KTM ace topped practice and qualifying, won his Heat and the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge, and then ultimately reigned supreme in the season’s opening Main Event. Kopp blasted off to the holeshot and basically put it out of reach a few short corners later. He systematically worked his lead up to around four seconds before cruising his way to an eventual 3.370-second margin of victory. Afterward, Kopp claimed the day didn’t come quite as easily as it appeared outwardly. He said, “The #1 plate definitely is a little heavy I think. There were some nerves and some Outlaw races this offseason where I was doubting myself if we were still good on a Short Track. But this is some way to start a season for sure. We pretty much had a clean sweep of the day.” Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) held down second throughout, perfectly positioned to take advantage of a mistake that never came. Still, his runner-up effort sent a strong message that he’s still very much a threat despite returning to an independent effort in ‘23. Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) rounded out the podium, coming out on top of a race-long fight after making an early strike on Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), the rider signed to fill Gauthier’s former seat at Turner Honda. Aussie sensation Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) made it two Estenson Yamahas in the top five with a nice start to his full-time Progressive AFT in fifth. Kopp’s teammate and expected title challenger Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) didn’t enjoy nearly as smooth an evening as his stablemate. Whale crashed in his Heat and the LCQ, but still just managed to advance into the Main, where he battled his way up to eighth in the end. Next Up: The ‘23 Progressive AFT season picks right back up with the second half of the DAYTONA Short Trackdoubleheader opener on Friday at the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) ahead of the evening’s program. Visit https://www.tixr.com/promoters/americanflattrack to secure your DAYTONA Short Track II tickets today. For those that can’t catch the live action from Daytona International Speedway, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv. FOX Sports coverage, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 from the DAYTONA Short Track I on March 18 at 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT) and DAYTONA Short Track II on March 19 at 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT).

2023 season begins Friday-Saturday with $4,000, $5,000-to-win Features

DU QUOIN, IL – March 9, 2023 – It’s narrow. It’s demanding. It’s exciting. The Southern Illinois Center stands as one of the most unique tracks on the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota schedule, and it opens the 2023 season Friday and Saturday, March 10-11.

The temporary 1/6-mile dirt track set up inside the Southern Illinois Center, on the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, stands as one of the smallest venues in Midget racing. With minimal banking and narrow straights, the configuration presents one of the toughest challenges on the circuit.

Despite its challenging nature, several Xtreme Outlaw full-timers have made the journey out to the Land of Lincoln to compete in the building in years past and are ready to do it again this weekend. This time, it’s for points in the Series standings, and is the crucial first step toward the ultimate goal of capturing the Series championship.

Inaugural Series champion Zach Daum, and veteran racers Kyle Jones and Chance Crum head to the Center looking for their first wins in the building and took time to describe their past experiences racing on the slender course and the entire indoor racing season.

Indoor racing is, in general, not something many other racing disciplines get to partake in. Do you enjoy the indoor racing element in Midgets?

Daum: It’s just a different form of racing. Obviously, the Chili Bowl is a very big deal and gets a lot of publicity, and Du Quoin is nothing like the Chili Bowl. But indoor racing is normally a little bit more physical and… you could give two shoots less about the guy you’re racing. Not as much respect gets shown. It’s just a little bit different. You’re kinda excited to get there, and you’re really happy to be leaving once you’re done with it.

Jones: Now that I’ve run the Chili Bowl so much and places like Du Quoin – we’ve ran some little indoor races down in Texas a few times that have really small tracks – it’s helped a lot. I enjoy it nowadays.

Crum: It’s pretty cool, whether it be Chili Bowl or Du Quoin, racing indoors is definitely fun. It’s definitely going to be cold, but it makes for some fun racing at times when we wouldn’t otherwise be able to race. Things like this put on a good show and attract a lot of cars. I know we’ve got a lot of cars for this weekend – a lot of good ones, so I’m excited.

How would you describe your past experiences racing indoors at the Center?

Daum: We’ve been okay there. It’s one of them places where your results are dictated by a lot of other peoples’ luck. It’s real easy to get caught-up in other people’s messes there; there’s no room to get away from them. At Du Quoin, anybody can be fast. You don’t need a big motor. You can have a Badger or a D2 motor and be fast enough to be competitive.

It’s a deal that’s all its own. You’ve got to put yourself in a position to not get caught-up in accidents and hope no bad luck happens to you either.

Jones: Past experiences have been pretty good. [Du Quoin] was probably the smallest track I’ve ever been on in a Midget, so going there – with a new team and a new car that I ran with at the time – was tough just to get ahold of it right then. It was a one-day show back then, so it was like as soon as you get on the track, you better know what you’re doing and how your car is gonna handle, because you don’t have much time to get ready for it.

Going now with the 7U Trifecta Motorsports guys, we have a really good package for running indoor stuff, coming off Chili Bowl and other small-track stuff. With the good runs we had at Port City and I-44 and places like that, I’m ecstatic. I think we should have a good run.

Crum: It’s been good so far. We’ve had a lot of good luck there, so that’s been nice. Our last couple races there, we’ve got a third and a second, so we’re pretty happy with the luck we’ve had there. It’s definitely a fun track. With the tight-quarters racing, you need things to go your way.

What makes the Center different from other indoor venues you’ve raced?

Daum: The size is so much smaller than anywhere else we race at. It’s so much narrower; just everything about it is smaller. The corners are tighter, the straightaways are narrower. Once you get into the middle of the corner, it’s actually really wide, but you can’t run there because the way the walls are squared-off. It’s not a circle, so it never really builds a cushion like you would see at most racetracks.

Jones: To me, Du Quoin is really flat. Chili Bowl has got some banking, but Du Quoin is real flat. In years prior, the inside berm at Du Quoin – from watching past videos and my previous experiences there – it’s kinda different every time you go there. Sometimes it’s real flat and [almost] non-existent. Sometimes, it’s built-up a little like Chili Bowl’s a little bit. And sometimes, it’s like a mountain – six-foot high staring at you when you’re running around the bottom.

Crum: It’s definitely the smallest track we race at in Midgets. I’ve never raced there in a Micro, but for the Midgets, it’s definitely the smallest track we race at on the schedule, so that makes it pretty unique. It’s really tight corners, really tight straightaways, so it’s really close-quarters racing. Even smaller than the Chili Bowl. It makes for a lot of side-by-side action.

How do you approach racing the track, knowing its close quarters and narrow straights, compared to a typical outdoor track?

Daum: The biggest deal when going into Du Quoin is just being able to keep your head on top of your shoulders. It’s real easy to get mad there. It’s real easy to get frustrated. You know somebody’s gonna run into you. You know somebody’s gonna hit you. You just know it’s gonna happen. Just try to keep your anger level at a minimum. It’s hard to do.

I know I’ve gotten pissed-off there before. I think me and [Bryan] Clauson actually crashed each other out of transfer spots, ended up both getting parked in a qualifier race one year.

Jones: I pretty much tackle it like I do Chili Bowl. Pretty much, go out there and try the make the most of your Heat Race. It all starts off on the Heat Race. If you don’t have a good Heat Race, you’re gonna be plugged back. Depending on how you did in Qualifying, with Xtreme, that does help, but your Heat Race is everything.

[You’ve got to] stay out of trouble, for one, but you’ve also got to pass cars. You’ve got to be aggressive, you’ve gotta pass cars, because if you just stay stagnant – fifth-to-fifth – that isn’t gonna cut it.

Crum: Points early in Qualifying and Heat Races is always important, but I think here, it’s especially important. You wanna put yourself in a good position to start toward the front of the Feature, because track position is hard to come by. With so many good cars and such a tight track, it gets hard to pass.

How do you like your chances this weekend?

Daum: I really don’t. We’ve been okay, but never won a race there. But, we had never won a race at Port City, either [until last year]. We’ve got a brand-new car, brand-new motor – everything’s a brand-new package to me. We’re gonna feel it out early in the night, and hopefully, we put ourselves in a good enough position that we can make something happen.

Jones: At first, I wasn’t really looking forward to it. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. Whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen, so you’ve got to start looking forward to it. Not only that, but start figuring out ways to get better, or start preparing yourself to make the most out of your time there.

Crum: Overall, I feel really good about our team. As far as our chances this weekend, I think it’s gonna come down to having the kind of good luck we need. There’s going to be so many good cars and it’s going to be really difficult, but it’s going to be a lot of fun. That’s why we go; we love the competition.

Tickets for the 2023 Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota season opener at Southern Illinois Center are available at the gate on race day. If you can’t be at the track, catch all the action live on DIRTVision.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 09, 2023) – Robert Hight, debuting the Flav-R-Pac / Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, enters the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals with arguably the most motivation in the class. With the No. 2 on the side of his car after a career-best season, Hight will be looking for a repeat of last year with a slight alternative to the ending. Coming off a career-best eight wins in the 2022 season, Hight held the points lead for 15 of the 22 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing series events including a stint of 12 consecutive before the final race of the season where he missed the championship title by just three points. “Last year was amazing, it really was. I’m so proud of this team, they worked hard, and they continued to work hard in the off-season. We were all pretty disappointed with how things ended, and it’s been a long couple of months,” Hight said. “We’re more than ready to get back to racing. I can’t wait to be back in the seat of this Chevy Funny Car. Hopefully, things go our way and we get Flav-R-Pac their first Funny Car win.” A three-time series champion (2009, 2017, 2019) and a Top 8 finisher every year he has contested a championship, Hight has been especially successful at Gainesville Raceway where he has won the Funny Car title four times (2012, 2014, 2016, 2019). Robert qualified No. 1 for the first time in his career at the 2005 Gatornationals and has started from the No. 1 position in 2007, 2019, and 2022. “The Gatornationals have always been a big race on the schedule. This year, it’s even more prestigious because we’re opening the season here,” Hight said. “That comes with a lot of other stuff, media day and filming. We’ve also got Don Garlits International Drag Racing Hall of Fame this year with John being inducted. It should be fun, I’m looking forward to going and supporting the boss, he deserves this, he’s earned it.” The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the season-opening event in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, begins with four qualifying sessions Friday at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. with the Pep Boys Call-Out taking place throughout qualifying Saturday. Eliminations on Sunday are slated for 10 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with a qualifying show Saturday at 11 a.m. ET and a dedicated Pep Boys All-Start Callout show on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Sunday race day action will be at noon ET on FOX Broadcasting Network.

AUSTIN PROCK AND MONTANA BRAND / RMT GEARED UP FORNHRA GATORNATIONALS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 09, 2023) – No one closed out the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season with more momentum than Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster team. Jumping from 12th to third in the six-race Countdown to the Championship, Prock and his crew now headed by Chris Cunningham, are looking to continue that momentum as they kick off the 2023 season at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Prock finished the 2022 season with a pair of victories in the Countdown to the Championship and his first career No. 1 qualifying position. Making his third appearance at the Gatornationals, Prock is hoping to start the 2023 season with the same momentum he had closed out 2022, a double-up victory this weekend would do just that. Prock has the opportunity to snag a Wally Sunday at the Gatornationals and the NHRA Pep Boys All-Star Top Fuel Callout being raced during Saturday qualifying. “I’m looking forward to the first race of the year. We have a lot going on. We’ve got the Pep-Boys Call Out that we qualified for and there are a lot of good cars in there. It’s a good competition and it’s always fun,” Prock said. “We have a new crew chief team with Chris Cunningham and Joe Barlam and a handful of new guys on the Montana Brand / RMT car. Everybody has been doing a great job and I’m looking forward to seeing how we hash-up against everyone else and to see if we can pick up from where we left off.  Austin is making just his third appearance in the Florida race and while he has yet to advance beyond the first round, Prock has a unique opportunity at the Gatornationals, a race in which he can become the third generation of the Prock family to reach the final round. His dad, Jimmy Prock, crew chief on Robert Hight’s Chevrolet Funny Car, has won the race five times. His grandfather, Tom Prock, was runner-up to Don Prudhomme in the 1975. “We’ve done some good testing over the past couple weeks. The first test session that we had in Gainesville we ran mid-to-low 60’s just like we did at Pomona,” Prock said. “We changed a bunch of things in the bell housing and clutch discs and it all responded really well. We should be able to go out there and compete for a Wally the first week out.” The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the season-opening event in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, begins with four qualifying sessions Friday at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. with the Pep Boys Call-Out taking place throughout qualifying Saturday. Eliminations on Sunday are slated for 10 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with a qualifying show Saturday at 11 a.m. ET and a dedicated Pep Boys All-Start Callout show on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Sunday race day action will be at noon ET on FOX Broadcasting Network.

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 9, 2023) — The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown once again begins its season at historic Gainesville Raceway, March 10-12 for the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. After a lengthy off season, the heated competition between Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Mustang Cobra Jets and Dodge Mopar Challenger Drag Paks will be front and center at a total of 10 NHRA national events in 2023. Last season David Barton dominated the end of the season to capture the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown championship winning two of the final three races of the season.

“It’s been a productive off-season for our team. We took some time to celebrate the championship, but we also made some improvements heading into 2023. We want to start this season at the same high-performance level we left with at the end of last year,” said Barton, who collected three wins in five final round appearances in 2022. “There’s heated competition in this category, we may not get enough credit for that, but there are guys out here going after it every weekend, not just one or two either but everybody. Now, this year, with 10 races to prove who deserves the title, it’s going to be even more exciting. I know I’m looking forward to it and where better to kick things off than a historic track like Gainesville.” 

In his 2022 championship campaign, Barton snagged a runner-up finish at the second event, but it wasn’t until mid-summer in Bristol, Tennessee that he would pick up his first victory and go on a run of four consecutive final round appearances. He would pick up his final two victories of the season at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and at his hometown race in Reading, Pennsylvania. 

David Barton celebrates winning NHRA Reading Nationals, photo courtesy Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Barton earned the championship with a narrow point lead over veteran Bill Skillman who also had three victories in his Ray Skillman Auto Ford Cobra Jet. 

Besides chasing down and hoping to take the series crown from Barton, drivers will also be gunning for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program $1,000 from 2021 champion and winner of the season ending Texas NHRA FallNationals, Aaron Stanfield. The program will see a “bounty” placed on the head of the previous event winner. As the most recent winner Stanfield is now being hunted by the rest of the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown field. If a competitor can beat Stanfield at this weekend’s Gatornationals, that driver will receive the $1,000 prize. If Stanfield takes home the win in Gainesville, his bounty is upped to $2,000.

“The 2022 season was a bit shaky for us. We had success towards the end with a pair of runner-up finishes and then the win to close it all out, but the first half was a bit rocky,” said Stanfield who is a two-time class champion. “We’ve been working hard in the shop to carryover our end of season success and hopefully get things started on the right foot in 2023. It might play into our favor that we have a pair of extra races but that might be true for everyone. It’s definitely going to be another good year with high-level competition, you can be sure of that.”

Aaron Stanfield launches his COPO Camaro at NHRA FallNationals, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Qualifying for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown season opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begins Friday with sessions at 12:45 and 3:30 p.m. and continues Saturday with a third and final session at 11:15 a.m. before eliminations kick-off at 2:55 p.m. Eliminations are set to conclude Sunday with second round at 11:50 a.m. and the finals slated for 2:20 p.m. 

BATAVIA, Ohio (March 9, 2023) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is back in action next week – Friday, March 17 at Atomic Speedway and Saturday, March 18 at Brownstown Speedway. Drivers will contend for a $12,000 top prize in Friday’s Buckeye Spring 50 at Atomic Speedway. The pit gate will open at 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET, followed by general admission gates at 2:00 p.m. ET. Dirt Draft Hot Laps are slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET followed by Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and the 50-lap Buckeye Spring 50 finale. Also on the card will be the 305 Sprint Cars and Sport Modifieds. Atomic Speedway is located at 2535 Blain Highway in Waverly, Ohio – just off S.R. 23 six miles south of Chillicothe. For more information about Atomic Speedway, including how to purchase discounted tickets in advance, please visit www.atomicspeedway.net.  Teams will travel west on Saturday to the historic Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, Ind. A complete program is on deck for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series – highlighted by the $15,000-to-win, 50-lap, 26th Annual John Jones Auto Group Indiana Icebreaker. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be joined by the Modifieds and Pure Stocks.  All gates at Brownstown Speedway will open at 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET, with on-track action set to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET. Brownstown Speedway is located one mile southeast of Brownstown, Ind. on S.R. 250 at the Jackson County Fairground. To purchase tickets in advance or find more information about Brownstown Speedway, visit the track’s website at www.brownstownspeedway.com.  The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has seen eight different winners in the first eleven events of the 2023 season, including two first-time winners. Among those victors are the top three in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship – presented by ARP standings – Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O’Neal, and Brandon Overton. Tim McCreadie and Devin Moran round out the top five in championship standings. For complete standings, please visit www.lucasdirt.com/standings.  Track Information:Atomic SpeedwayPhone Number: (740) 703-9749Location: 2535 Blain Hwy, Waverly, OH 45690Website: www.atomicspeedway.net Brownstown SpeedwayPhone Number: (812) 358-5332Location: 476 East CR 100, Brownstown, IN 47220Website: www.brownstownspeedway.com Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rule:March 17th – Atomic SpeedwayLeft Front – Any Hoosier (28.5) or (90) CompoundLeft Rear/Right Front – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) LM20Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT2, (92) LM20, (92) NLMT3, (92) LM30s *Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new tires.*Can cut and/or sipe any tire.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. March 18th – Brownstown SpeedwayLeft Front – Any Hoosier (28.5) or (90) CompoundLeft Rear/Right Front – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) LM20, (90) NLMT3, (90) LM30sRight Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT2, (92) LM20, (92) NLMT3, (92) LM30s, (92) NLMT4, (92) LM40 *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.*Can cut and/or sipe any tire.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Weekend Purses:Buckeye Spring 50 at Atomic Speedway: 1. $12,000, 2. $6,000, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,800, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,100, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000, 18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000 = Total $52,800 Indiana Icebreaker at Brownstown Speedway: 1. $15,000, 2. $7,000, 3. $5,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,000, 6. $2,500, 7. $2,400, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,800, 13. $1,600, 14. $1,500, 15. $1,400, 16. $1,300, 17. $1,200, 18. $1,100, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000, = Total $63,400

2023 AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals

Gainesville Raceway

Gainesville, Florida

March 10-12, 2023

KICKING OFF THE 2023 SEASON IN GAINESVILLE

As the 2023 NHRA season kicks off in Gainesville, Florida, Chevrolet looks to defend multiple titles from 2022. With Brittany Force’s second Top Fuel title in the Chevrolet dragster, Erica Enders’ fifth Pro Stock championship in the Chevrolet Camaro, and David Barton’s Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown in the Chevrolet COPO Camaro, Chevrolet enters the new year looking to defend their most recent Manufacturers Cup.

The site of her first career NHRA victory in 2016, Brittany Force looks to keep her and her Chevrolet team’s strong momentum rolling into the weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at John Force Racing. Alongside her, teammate Austin Prock enters his fourth season in Top Fuel competition looking to build on his achievements heading into the new year.

In Funny Car, John Force looks to continue his legendary drive this season while defending his historic stats of 16 championships, 155 wins, and 165 No. 1 qualifiers. His teammate, Robert Hight, looks to defend and add to his three Funny Car championships, in addition to his 61 career wins (26 supported by Chevrolet), and 77 career No. 1 qualifiers.

In Pro Stock, Chevrolet once again joins Erica Enders and Elite Motorsports in the drive for a sixth championship, along with Greg Anderson at the newly formed KB Titan Racing in seeking his sixth Pro Stock title. Joining Enders in the Elite Motorsports camp in the hunt for the Winner’s Circle this year is Bo Butner, Troy Coughlin Jr., and Aaron Stanfield. Racing to add to her achievements in her Rookie of the Year season in 2022, Camrie Caruso joins Anderson at KB Titan Racing, along with Dallas Glenn (the 2022 Pro Stock winner at Gainesville), Kyle Koretsky, and Deric Kramer.

Kicking off their 2023 season, the COPO Camaro drivers of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown take to the starting line once again in the fight to defend the 2021 and 2022 Chevrolet-supported back-to-back championship runs, captured by Aaron Stanfield and David Barton respectively, as well as the 2022 Gainesville victory by Len Lettig.

The 2023 AMALIE Motor Oil Gatornationals get underway starting with Qualifying Friday, March 10, broadcasting March 11 at 10 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday’s qualifying from Gainesville will air also on FS1 Sunday, March 12 at 9 a.m. ET, with eliminations on Sunday airing at 12 p.m. ET on FOX.

MOST RECENT DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NHRA BY CHEVROLET

2022: Brittany Force, Top Fuel

2022: Erica Enders, Pro Stock

2022: David Barton, Factory Stock Showdown

2019: Robert Hight, Funny Car

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES)

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pack Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster for John Force Racing:

“We are pumped coming in here after finishing so strong and winning a championship together. We are looking forward to seeing what we can do this season. Last season we had five wins and we want to go beyond that. We want more wins. We’d like to set more track records, but the ultimate game plan is to win the championship for this team. 

We came out early and did six days of testing. We’re pretty confident going into this race weekend, especially because it’s two races in one. It’s the PepBoys All-Star Call Out, it’s going to be fun. I already kind of had a brief discussion with (David) Grubnic on who we are going to call out, so we already have a game plan in mind. We’ll see how it goes. There’s no good team or driver to call. They’re all going to be tough, that’s why we are all up there together. There are eight of us. Either way, it’s going to be tricky but we are ready for the challenge.”

Brittany on competing at Gainesville:

“Gainesville is definitely a special place for me. I’ve been coming up here since I was a kid watching my dad and Ashley (Force Hood) race. My first win in a Top Fuel car was here in 2016. Again, it’s a special place. I love it here. It’s the Gatornationals; it’s just a big one. It’s the one race I remember as a kid that was such a unique one. I knew it was a big race. It was the Gatornationals. It drew in a huge crowd, and it had so much momentum and excitement behind it. It is one you never wanted to miss.”

Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rock Mountain Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster for John Force Racing:

“I’m looking forward to the first race of the year. We have a lot going on. We’ve got the Pep-Boys Call Out that we qualified for and there are a lot of good cars in there. It’s a good competition and it’s always fun. We have a new crew chief with Joe Bartlum and Chris Cunningham and a handful of new guys on the car. Everybody has been doing a great job and I’m looking forward to seeing how we hash up against everyone else and to see if we can pick up from where we left off.” 

Austin on Gainesville and pre-season testing:

“The first test session that we had in Gainesville, we ran mid-to-low 60’s just like we did at Pomona. Then we changed a bunch of things in the bell housing and clutch discs in the second half of the season and it all responded really well. We should be able to go out there and compete for a Wally the first week out!”

CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS IN NHRA

1,421: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time)

591: Round wins for Robert Hight (14th all-time)

366: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 247 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body

264: Final Round wins by John Force (the last coming in Topeka, runner-up)

165: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time)

155: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967

77: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time)

75: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro body

42: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force

27: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.

24: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car

18: Number of Pro Stock championships

16: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA

16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force

7: Number of Funny Car driver championships

2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships

UPCOMING NHRA MILESTONES

950: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) is second all-time with 912 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule.

600: Robert Hight has 591 Funny Car elimination round victories to rank 14th on the all-time NHRA list. Reaching 600 round wins would put him 13th all time.

436: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record to 436 consecutive race day appearances.

138: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) ranks third on the NHRA all-time list with 121 No. 1 qualifiers. He could pass Warren Johnson (Pro Stock, 138) for second to John Force (165) on the list.

62: Robert Hight will move into the top 10 on the all-time NHRA victory list with his next win, tying the retired Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) with 62 wins. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is ninth on list with 65.

46: Erica Enders has 43 career Pro Stock victories (all with Chevrolet). Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) is the all-time NHRA female leader with 46. 18: Brittany Force (16 Top Fuel career wins) will move past Shirley Muldowney (18 wins) into third on the NHRA all-time victory list for females. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 43) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, 46) are ahead.

6: Erica Enders (Pro Stock) could tie Warren Johnson (6 Pro Stock championships) for second on the class list. The same holds for Greg Anderson. Bob Glidden is the leader with 10.

3: Brittany Force (Top Fuel, 2 championships) would tie Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) for second on the NHRA all-time championship list by females with another title in 2023. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 5) is the leader.

The third-year driver is looking forward to time in familiar territoryMECHANICSBURG, PA (March 9, 2023) – The addition of a Pennsylvania swing in March for the 2023 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car tour was a welcomed shift for Brock Zearfoss.The Jonestown, PA native shaped his talents with the Pennsylvania Posse throughout the “Keystone State” before transitioning to the World of Outlaws tour full-time in 2021.Rather than heading west to California like years past, he’ll get to put those talents on display at home again for the final two nights of the Low-E Insulation Spring Showdown at Williams Grove Speedway (March 17) and Lincoln Speedway (March 18). “It’s nice to be able to get back home,” Zearfoss said. “Obviously, I love racing in Pennsylvania. It’s where I’m from. It’s where I cut my teeth. It’s racetracks I’m super familiar with. All of our sponsors are right there, and it’s nice to race in front of them whenever we get the chance to. Hopefully we can get a win early in the season. Obviously, California is a whole different animal than what I’m used to racing at home with half-mile stuff. It’ll be nice to get home to tracks I’m familiar with and kind of keep that flow going to carry to the Midwest.”The entire region of central PA is special to any Sprint Car driver from the area, but the next track on tap, Williams Grove, will always be especially meaningful for the “Jonestown Jet.” Back in 2017, making his eighth World of Outlaws Feature start, Zearfoss topped the opening night of Summer Nationals at the Mechanicsburg, PA facility for his first Series win. He’s also posted five of his 53 career top-10s at the iconic half-mile.“The first Outlaw win is special. It’s something you always remember,” Zearfoss said. “We had a little bit of luck in the Feature when Lance (Dewease) unfortunately got upside down and put us in the lead, but it wasn’t really given to us that night. I had to earn it. I had David Gravel and Donny Schatz breathing down my neck for about 15 laps. It wasn’t easy. I didn’t drive off into the sunset, still had to race my butt off. It’s something I’ll never forget.”On top of racing at familiar tracks, the simple element of being close to home and his own race shop is another benefit he’s looking forward to. The grind of the World of Outlaws tour rarely allows teams a respite from the road. Now, even with the Port Royal Speedway race weekend canceled due to wintry conditions, Zearfoss gets a couple weeks at home rather than being a few thousand miles from his front door like he would be on the West Coast.“Anytime that you can rest is good,” Zearfoss said. “Sleeping in your own bed is really nice, too. To start the season off, get racing and get back in the flow of things and kind of get going but still be able to spend some time at home and sleep in your own bed, stay rested is nice. Being in California, you’re sleeping in hotel rooms. It’s a long way out there. There’s a lot of driving in between. Being at home all of the tracks we race at in Pennsylvania are no farther than an hour.”Heading into home territory, Zearfoss will look to fix his early season performance disparity between Low-E Insulation Qualifying and the Feature.Time trials have posed some problems as he’s averaging timing in 26th quick through the five completed Volusia Speedway Park races, but the main event has been an entirely different story.When the green flag drops on the Feature, Zearfoss has proven to be one of the fastest cars on track and able to slice through the field better than anyone. The 32-year-old is averaging passing nearly eight cars per Feature with a net position change of plus-39 so far this season, more than double the next best. His efforts have already earned him two KSE Hard Charger awards.“We take away that our car can pass race cars,” Zearfoss noted of his early season impressions. “I can take away that I work well with (my crew members) Todd Berkheimer, Matt Frisbie, and Kasey Walters. We’re all working together really well. We all understand each other. Todd understands what I’m looking to feel in the car. I think the adjustments that we’ve made throughout the night, racing five races down there (Florida) throughout the nights, you know, we adjusted our car, and our car responded well to it.”While weather chopped a pair of nights off the planned PA tilt, Zearfoss still hopes he can build on the strides they made in Florida by performing well on familiar tracks in front of his hometown fans. By the time Williams Grove and Lincoln roll around next weekend he’ll have had plenty of days of work in his own shop and nights of sleep on his own pillow. With the comforts of home on his side, Zearfoss is confident he can perform well and create some early momentum in his third season with The Greatest Show on Dirt.“It adds a little bit of excitement to get to go home to the tracks you’re familiar with,” Zearfoss said. “It comes back to the confidence level. I have confidence in my race car and my team, but it just gives that little extra bit when you know you’re going home and you’re racing in your backyard.”For tickets to the final two rounds of the Low-E Insulation Spring Showdown at Williams Grove Speedway, March 17, and Lincoln Speedway, March 18, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch both races live on DIRTVision – either online or with the DIRTVision App.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 09, 2023) – Two-time and reigning NHRA Camping World Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force and her Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Camaro SS team enter this weekend’s Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway with the same intensity that won them the 2022 championship. “This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team is pumped coming into the 2023 season after finishing so strong and winning a championship together. We are looking forward to seeing what we can do this season,” Force said. “Last season we had five wins and we want to go beyond that. We want more wins. We’d like to set more track records, but the ultimate game plan is to win another championship for this team.” Now with a No. 1 emblazoned on the Monster Energy dragster, Force, the only woman other than Shirley Muldowney to have won the series title in NHRA’s signature category, returns to a track forever embedded in her history. Force tallied her first professional win at Gainesville Raceway in 2016 when she doubled up for victory with teammate Robert Hight. It was also the first professional nitro sweep for John Force Racing. “Gainesville is definitely a special place for me. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid watching my dad and then Ashley race,” Force said. “My first win in a Top Fuel car was here in 2016. Again, it’s a special place, I love it here, it’s the Gatornationals, it’s just a big one. It’s one of the races I remember as a kid that seemed so prestigious. It drew in a huge crowd, and it had so much momentum and excitement behind it. It is one you never want to miss.” Force set the current Gainesville Raceway track ET record (3.680 seconds on March 15, 2019) when she and Hight were No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 2019 Gatornationals and set the track speed record (337.75mph) in her most recent appearance (March 12, 2022). This weekend will also play host to the second annual Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout featuring eight of Top Fuel’s most competitive drivers. Force is the top seed and will pick her first-round opponent in a bid to win her first all-star race after finishing runner-up in a final round contested at Indianapolis during the U.S. Nationals after the event was rained out in Gainesville, Fla. “After coming out early and testing for a total of six days, we’re pretty confident going into this race weekend and we’re excited for it to be two races in one. It’s the Pep Boys All-Star Call Out, it’s going to be fun,” Force said. “I already kind of had a brief discussion with Grubnic on who we are going to call out, so we already have a game plan in mind. We’ll see how it goes. There’s no good team or driver to call. They’re all going to be tough, that’s why we are all up there together, the eight of us. So, either way, it’s going to be tricky but we are ready for the challenge.” The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the season-opening event in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, begins with four qualifying sessions Friday at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. with the Pep Boys Call-Out taking place throughout qualifying Saturday. Eliminations on Sunday are slated for 10 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with a qualifying show Saturday at 11 a.m. ET and a dedicated Pep Boys All-Start Callout show on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Sunday race day action will be at noon ET on FOX Broadcasting Network.