KNOXVILLE, IA (September 18, 2022) – Jonathan Davenport took the lead with two laps to go from Tyler Bruening and went on to win the 18th running of the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals on Sunday afternoon. The victory was Davenport’s first in the only Late Model event at the famed Knoxville Raceway. Bruening, an Iowa native, led from lap 10 to lap 47 when Davenport dove under him to take the top spot, denying him his first career crown jewel victory in heart-breaking fashion. Bruening took home $25,000 for his second-place finish. Brandon Sheppard was third at the end as he now sits just 100-points behind in the championship chase as leader Tim McCreadie finished 25th after completing just 13 laps. Ricky Thornton Jr. was fourth in the final rundown and Earl Pearson Jr. completed the top five drivers. Davenport took the lead early with Bobby Pierce rolling into the second spot. Pierce trailed Davenport for the first eight laps of the race until he took the lead on lap nine. With nine laps complete a caution for Justin Zeitner slowed the field. During the caution period Pierce headed to the hot pit with issues that ultimately ended his night. On the restart, Bruening vaulted to the lead becoming the third different leader of the race in the first ten laps. It was a tightly contested race between Bruening, Pearson, and Davenport until a pair of cautions on laps 19 and 21 kept the field bunched up.  At the halfway mark it was still Bruening showing the way. With the last 29 laps going caution-free it appeared Bruening was within reach of the biggest win of his career. As the laps wound down, Davenport had broken away from a battle with Pearson that had gone on for several laps between the two veteran drivers. Bruening had a little more than a two-second lead that started to slip away as Davenport to close the gap on the top side. Davenport was within striking distance with 47 laps complete and then heading into turn number one he dove underneath Bruening to take the lead a lap later.   Davenport, who won for the 21st time overall this season, said: “I wish I could have said that I was planning for that. I was just too tight there. I didn’t have the best race car by far. I made a mistake first in lapped traffic I thought I might get rolled on the outside and let Bobby around me so I chose the bottom and let Tyler [Bruening] around me. I was trying to race Earl [Pearson Jr.] as clean as I could there, but I knew I had to get by him. I got a big run on Tyler there one time getting into one. I could have blasted on him, but I knew this could be his first crown jewel, so I didn’t want to take it away from him like that.” In his postrace interview, Bruening elaborated on coming so close to winning the biggest race for Late Models in his home state. “I needed two less laps I guess to hold him off. I don’t know. When you are out front for all those laps it’s pretty tough to move out of your line that’s worked the whole race. I didn’t know how close he was until it was too late there getting off of four. I didn’t know how high I could go if all the way up there would do it. It was fun to run up front. We just go beat by the best in the world right now.” Sheppard, who started 11th, charged through the field to round out the podium. “It feels good to run well in this race. I have had a lot of good runs here, so I expected to run good to a certain extent. We had a good car there. Man, I wish it was more laps now because I think we were getting better there at the end. It was unfortunate for Timmy [McCreadie], but we all have bad luck sometimes, that’s part of the game. He still has a pretty good lead on us, so we still have alot of work to do.” The winner’s Lance and Darla Landers-owned, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Spartan Mowers, ASC Warranty, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Midwest Sheet Metal, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas. Completing the top ten were Ricky Weiss, Shane Clanton, Spencer Hughes, Brandon Overton, and Kyle Strickler. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville NationalsSunday, September 18th, 2022Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 2. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[1]; 4. 15-Justin Duty[5]; 5. 18D-Daulton Wilson[4]; 6. 51-Matt Furman[7]; 7. 53-Andrew Kosiski[9]; 8. 93-Chad Simpson[11]; 9. 6H-Al Humphrey[13]; 10. 14W-Dustin Walker[10]; 11. 10-Junior Coover[12]; 12. 22-Charlie McKenna[6]; 13. (DNS) 42-Johnathan Huston Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Race StatisticsEntrants: 48Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-8); Bobby Pierce (Laps 9-10); Tyler Bruening (Laps 11-47); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 48-50)Wrisco Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 1.116 secondsStop-Tech Cautions: Justin Zeitner (Lap 13); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 10); Ryan Gustin (Lap 19); Chris Simpson (Lap 21)Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Bruening, Brandon Sheppard,Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Bruening, Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Earl Pearson, Jr.Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Daulton Wilson (Advanced 13 Positions)Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Tyler Bruening (37 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadieO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Spencer HughesDirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 3 – 18.020 seconds)DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Hudson O’NealOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham (Jonathan Davenport)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Daulton Wilson (19.940 seconds)Time of Race: 28 minutes 27 seconds

• Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) pilot Matt Hagan drove his No. 5 qualified Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car to the semifinals at the Pep Boys Nationals near Reading, Pennsylvania, in the first of six National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” playoff series events
• Hagan’s semifinal performance at Maple Grove Raceway moves him into second place in the Funny Car playoff standings behind points leader and event winner Robert Hight
• TSR’s Leah Pruett qualified her Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster tenth on the Top Fuel eliminations ladder for the first playoff elimination of the season but saw her race day shortened by loss of traction in the first round
• Pruett leaves Maple Grove Raceway tied with Doug Kalitta in eighth place in the Top Fuel playoff standings
• Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat eighth on the Funny Car eliminations ladder and had a quarterfinals performance to keep him eighth in the playoff standings heading to the Carolina Nationals next weekend 

September 18, 2022, Reading, Pennsylvania – The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” six-event playoff series opened with the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pennsylvania, and three Dodge//SRT supported entries ready to vie for the Camping World Drag Racing Series’ top honors in two nitro categories. 

Following the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Tony Stewart Racing’s Funny Car driver Matt Hagan closed out the regular season with three wins, three runner-up finishes, five No. 1 qualifier awards, and with the points reset for the playoffs, the three-time world champ officially began the Countdown ranked third in the Funny Car standings behind Robert Hight and Ron Capps.

Hagan got things started at Maple Grove Raceway by qualifying his Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat fifth on the eliminations ladder with a solid 3.906-second elapsed time run at 326.32 mph. On race day he drove his way through to the semifinals by recording round wins over No. 12 seed Jim Campbell and No. 4 qualifier Bob Tasca to face No. 1 qualifier Hight. The two semifinal competitors launched and battled closely until a loss of traction slowed Hagan’s progress and dashed any hope of advancing further. 

Hagan’s eliminations performance at Reading put him and his HEMI®-powered Hellcat second in the playoff standings, 81 points behind event winner and category leader Hight with five races remaining to battle for the 2022 Funny Car World Championship.

TSR’s Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett, who earned a Wally trophy in the regular season at the Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals in Denver, got her playoff run started at Reading aboard her Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster from seventh place in the Countdown standings. In qualifying, Pruett improved her ride with each pass, added a valuable bonus point with the third quickest run of the second qualifying session at 3.736 seconds at 328.62 mph, and put herself tenth on the eliminations ladder with a 3.734 second/328.38 mph lap. 

Her opponent for the opening elimination round of the Countdown was No. 7 qualifier Doug Kalitta but while the pair both had good starts, Pruett saw her hopes of challenging for the round win go up in tire smoke. With the results, Pruett finds herself tied with Kalitta for eighth in the Top Fuel championship standings, 107 markers behind playoff points leader Justin Ashley.

Fellow Dodge//SRT driver Cruz Pedregon, a two-time Funny Car world champion, is also in the playoff hunt and started off the weekend at Maple Grove Raceway seeded eighth in the Countdown. He drove his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a best qualifying run of 3.931 seconds at 319.45 mph to put himself in the No. 8 seeded position for Sunday’s competition. 

Pedregon turned on win lights in the opening round against No. 9 seed Paul Lee with a 3.918 second elapsed time run at 326.40 mph to advance to a quarterfinal meeting with No. 1 qualifier Hight. 

The pair had identical reaction times of 0.085-seconds, but the Cruz Pedregon Racing machine began to lose traction early in the run and was unable to continue to challenge. With the quarterfinal performance, Pedregon remains eighth in the playoff standings, 151 points behind the Funny Car points leader.

The NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” continues next weekend with the second of six playoff series events, theBetway NHRA Carolina Nationals, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C., Sept. 23-25. FS1 will air qualifying highlights on Friday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday, Sept 25, at 2 a.m. ET, while race day coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Leah Pruett, Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster  

(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.734 seconds at 328.38 mph)

Round 1: (0.080-second reaction time, 4.458-second elapsed time run at 224.51 mph) loss to No. 7 Doug Kalitta (0.071/3.720/329.58)

“We definitely had a very promising race car and I would consider it one of the most promising cars considering we were the only one to make three clean, full passes in qualifying. Unfortunately, when you have the first round in a matchup with a championship contender close to you in points and qualifying, you’re going to have a close race and that’s what we were prepared for. We moved in a way to improve our short times. It’s something we’ve been working on for a while – to try and get better 60-foot times and our increments to 330, which means we have to push harder. We tried to push a little bit harder and the Rayce Rudeen Foundation dragster didn’t like it and we smoked the tires. The most frustrating part about it is we have been on this plan for three races or so and keep throwing a lot of power to different places on the car. It hasn’t been reacting the way we want and at the most important time so far in the season, the car says ‘oh, I recognize that and it’s a little too much now.’ For us to find that threshold in the first round of eliminations in the first race of the countdown is slightly frustrating. We will be testing between now and Charlotte to further our progress because in order for us to have a better ET (elapsed time), we have to start at the starting line to the 60-foot mark and improve our acceleration gain. We won’t stop and that’s the name of the game. There are five races remaining in the Countdown and anything can happen.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 5 Qualifier – 3.906 seconds at 326.32 mph)

Round 1: (0.076-second reaction time, 3.909 seconds at 334.65 mph) defeats No. 12 Jim Campbell (0.125/4.445/207.53)

Round 2: (0.054/3.935/329.67) defeats No. 4 Bob Tasca (0.086/3.941/330.63)

Round 3: (0.078/4.123/255.34) loss to No. 1 Robert Hight (0.072/3.908/331.69)

“We had a pretty strong weekend. We qualified No. 5, so the biggest thing we have to focus on is qualifying in the No. 1, 2 or 3 spot. It really sets the tone for the weekend to put yourself on the correct side of the ladder that works in your favor. We had to get through some really tough cars this weekend by qualifying fifth. There are no easy rounds out there. All in all, I’m really happy with what my guys are doing. As far as putting the car together, we had two turns today that only lasted 35 minutes breaking the car apart, putting it back together and firing it up. The guys are working so well together and I’m really proud of them. We moved back up to second in the Countdown. Anytime you’re gaining, I think it’s positive. Robert (Hight) and those guys will be tough all season long. They have been tough and will continue to be. I think our clutch combination is what we’re struggling with a little bit right now, but that’s way above my pay grade. We will keep working on it more and I have nothing but faith in Dickie (Venables – crew chief), Mike (Knudsen – co-crew chief) and Alex (Conaway – car chief). We always run strong and are in the hunt, so I’m expecting the next five races we will run well and turn the win lights on.”

Cruz Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 8 Qualifier – 3.931 seconds at 319.45 mph)

Round 1: (0.105-second reaction time, 3.918 second elapsed time run at 326.40 mph) defeats to No. 9 Paul Lee (0.078/3.991/319.45)

Round 2: (0.085/5.567/135.46) loss to No. 1 Robert Hight (0.085/3.901/332.67)

“After qualifying in the top eight with a 3.93 (-second run) at 319 mph, we went up against Paul Lee, a formidable car, and disposed of him with a 3.91, which was our quickest run of the weekend. That was great run at 3.26 and we got the speed up on that run too. In the second round against Robert Hight, obviously one of the top cars in the field, we had a nice even start but the car spun the tires at about 200, 300 feet out, which looking back we determined that the clutch wear was down, which has been a little bit of a problem. Mechanically, when the clutch wear is down, it tends to have a more aggressive clutch application, so there’s something we can do to get that where it doesn’t become too aggressive for us. We’re going to go back and get that logged into our system and get ready for Charlotte. We’re feeling good actually. The Countdown is like the NFL playoffs in that if you get hot at the end, anything could happen and we did have our struggles this year, but I feel like we’re making some good solid runs or we’re starting to come into our own. It took a while, but you know it just takes a while sometimes to get things dialed in.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the Pep Boys Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Robert Hight 2225 (7)

2.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 2144 (3)

3.  Ron Capps: 2141 (3)

4.  John Force: 2128(1)

5.  Bob Tasca III: 2119 (3) 

6.  Tim Wilkerson: 2103

7.  J.R. Todd: 2095

8. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 2073

9.  Alexis DeJoria: 2062

10. JIm Campbell: 2022

11. Blake Alexander: 2000

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Justin Ashley: 2170 (2)

2.  Brittany Force: 2161 (4)

3.  Mike Salinas: 2160 (4) 

4.  Antron Brown 2116 (2)

4.  Steve Torrence: 2114 (1)

5.  Austin Prock: 2096 (1)

7. Josh Hart: 2083 (1) 

8.  Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 2063 (1)

8.  Doug Kalitta: 2063

10. Shawn Langdon: 2052

11. Clay Millican: 2046

12. Tony Schumacher: 2032 (1)

READING, Pa. (September 18, 2022) –David Barton and his Saw Mill Auto Chevrolet COPO Camaro picked up their second consecutive Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown victory Sunday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the seventh of eight events on the 2022 season schedule. 

Barton, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, started the day taking on Lenny Lottig after defeating Jonathon Allegrucci in the first round Saturday. Barton would handle his Saw Mill Auto Chevy to a 7.772-second pass at 173.67 mph to better Lottig’s 7.836 at 173.56 setting Barton up to race 2021 U.S. Nationals champion Jesse Alexandra.

David Barton, winner Pep Boys Nationals, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

In the semifinals, Barton had a 7.744-second pass at 174.73 mph in his COPO Camaro bettering Alexandra’s 7.771 at 177.04 to send him to another final round, this time to face the reigning world champion, Aaron Stanfield. It would be a close race, but one Barton would end up on top handling the Camaro to a 7.752 at 177.44 over Stanfield’s 7.824 at 175.96. 

“We picked up and I finally got Stanfield covered for once. He has been kicking my butt for two years. We are finally ahead of him for a couple of races. To stay ahead of Bill Skillman and Stanfield is just a dream come true. All the right things happened for our team this weekend” said Barton, a Robesonia, Pennsylvania native. “We moved here from Canada 30 years ago and it feels really great to get this win at home. I have been coming here since I was a little kid. It was cool to have all our friends and family here as well as the employees from the shop. They do so much work it was cool for them to see the win at the track. The competition is so fierce in this class. The track was playing games with us all weekend. To get it just right and cut a good light, it means a lot.”

All Barton needs to do now is qualify at the final race of the season, the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals to clinch the 2022 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Championship. 

“The competition is so tough out here. To stay ahead of Bill Skillman and Stanfield is just a dream come true,” Barton said. 

David Barton Pep Boys Nationals winner’s circle, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Barton also built his bounty to $2,000 after two consecutive weekends of victories through the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program. He’ll continue to carry the bounty until he is defeated in an elimination round. 

Hoping for some chance at the championship, Bill Skillman in his Ray Skillman Ford Cobra Jet, had a second-round loss to Daniel Condon on Sunday. Condon crossed the finish line with a 7.845 at 174.46 mph to defeat Skillman’s 7.913 at 175.89. Skillman remains second in points for the championship.

The ongoing battle between Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks will pick up at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, September 14-16.

2022 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Schedule/Results

Gainesville – Lenny Lottig, winner; Anthony Troyer, runner-up

Charlotte1 – Bill Skillman, winner, David Barton, runner-up

Richmond – Bill Skillman, winner, Dan Condon, runner-up

Bristol – David Barton, winner, Stephen Bell, runner-up

Norwalk – Bill Skillman, winner, David Barton, runner-up

Indianapolis – David Barton, winner, Aaron Stanfield, runner-up

Reading – David Barton, winner, Aaron Stanfield, runner-up

Dallas, Fall Nationals, October 14-16

Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Top Ten Points Standings:

1. David Barton           682

2. Bill Skillman             566

3. Aaron Stanfield      468

4. Lenny Lottig             405

5. Mark Pawuk            363

6. Dan Condon                       350

7. David Janac             336

8. David Davies III       331

9. Jesse Alexandra      301

10. Anthony Troyer    300

READING, PA (September 18, 2022) — Justin Ashley drove the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy to a runner-up finish at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals for the second year in a row. Today he moved his team into the Top Fuel points lead with five playoff national events remaining in the 2022 NHRA season. As a third-year driver and team owner the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year is building momentum at the right time following five semifinals in the past six races coming into the Countdown.

Final round Justin Ashley and Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy, photo by Ron Lewis

“We are peaking at the right time thanks to our team leadership,” said Ashley. “(Co-owner) Dustin Davis has done a fantastic job of developing a group of people that works so well together. They genuinely care about what they do. (Crew chiefs) Mike Green and Tommy DeLago are very experienced, and it shows. They are always calm, and nothing ever phases them. They are also uber-aggressive and they want to win. That attitude is reflected through the whole team.”

In the first round Ashley was racing newcomer Jeff Chatterson and he never trailed in the drag race, getting the jump off the starting line and making a smooth run for the win. His winning time of 3.732 seconds was just a tick off his quickest qualifying run and gave him lane choice heading into the quarterfinals.

Justin Ashley, photo by Ron Lewis

In the second round Ashley faced veteran and championship contender Doug Kalitta. The two Toyota backed Top Fuel dragsters pulled up with 20 points on the line. Ashley took another round win when Kalitta jumped the starting line by just .007 seconds. The Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy made a smooth run and once again his run was quick enough to have lane choice over his semifinal opponent.

“I would expect races like today the rest of the Countdown,” said Ashley. “Whether you are racing guys in the Countdown or outside the Countdown it is a dogfight out there. You better bring your ‘A Game’ every round. I expect a lot of close races with a lot of lethal teams and outstanding drivers.”

In the semifinals Ashley faced Mike Salinas with the Top Fuel points lead up for grabs. The winner of this race would move around No. 1 seed and points leader Brittany Force who lost in the previous round. Ashley was first off the line and never trailed in the race posting a strong 3.739 second run at 330.80 mph. The win moved him to the ninth final round of his career and fifth for the 2022 season.

In the finals of the Pep Boys Nationals Ashley was looking to keep his career record perfect against Austin Prock. At the season opening Winternationals the pair met in the final round with Ashley taking the win. Today looking to move to 6-0 in head-to-head races Ashley, recognized as one of the best drivers off the starting line, was able to get the jump on Prock and the Phillips Connect Top Fuel dragster made a smooth quick pass. Unfortunately, Ashley was just slightly behind Prock when the drivers crossed the finish line.

“It was a really good weekend especially when you get to the Countdown you want to get as many points as possible whether they are qualifying points or round wins. We do a good job of stacking round wins when we go to at least the semifinals. We definitely want to come to every race and win. It is a long Countdown and leaving here with the points lead is very gratifying. This team has worked so hard to put ourselves in the position.”

Packed grandstands throughout the weekend gave Ashley an added charge as the Countdown playoffs began. New facility owners Kenny and Kyle Koretsky made major improvements and promoted the event drawing in fans from across the northeast.

“This weekend was amazing. There were so many people here,” said Ashley. “It was a joy to be able to race in front of this many people. I have to tip my hat to the Koretsky family. They did a fantastic job with this facility in a very short amount of time. The NHRA fans are what it is all about. To pull up and see the kind of crowd in the stands is amazing.”

In less than a week Ashley and the Phillips Connect team will be defending their points lead at the Carolina Nationals from zMax Dragway outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Ashley holds a nine point lead over Salinas and a 10 points lead over Force so the championship battle is far from over.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 3.703 sec, 330.55 mph; Qual. 1

Q2: 4.828 sec; 148.58 mph; Qual. 1

Q3: 4.344 sec; 182.13 mph; Qual. 2

Bonus Points: +3 (Quickest of Q1)

Race Results

First Round

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.732, 329.83 mph def. Jeff Catterson, Brantford, ONT, 3FP dragster, 3.865, 321.58 mph

Second Round

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.841, 306.12 mph def. Doug Kalitta, CMR Construction and Roofing dragster, DQ – Red-Light

Second Round

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.841, 306.12 mph def. Doug Kalitta, CMR Construction and Roofing dragster, DQ – Red-Light

Semifinals

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.739, 330.80 mph def. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Pep Boys dragster, 9.497, 83.15 mph

Finals

Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand dragster, 3.755, 329.67 mph def. Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.783, 326.40 mph

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Top Fuel

1. Justin Ashley          2170

2. Brittany Force         2161

3. Mike Salinas           2160

4. Antron Brown         2116

5. Steve Torrence       2114

6. Austin Prock            2096

7. Josh Hart                 2083

8. Doug Kalitta             2063

8. Leah Pruett             2063

10. Shawn Langdon    2052

11. Clay Millican         2046

12. Tony Schumacher 2032

READING, PA (September 18, 2022) — In his first full season as a Top Fuel driver and team owner Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team are in the thick of one of the toughest battles for the Camping World Drag Racing Series world championship. Hart, who last year won twice and raced to a handful of semifinal finishes in just thirteen races, competing on a partial schedule tackled all sixteen regular season national events of 2022. Today he competed in his first playoff national event with the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. 

Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

The driver from Ocala, Florida, qualified No. 9 after two days that included three runs which highlighted steady improvement from the former Top Alcohol Dragster national event winner. Hart’s final two passes of qualifying were strong 3.742 second and 3.733 second passes. His final qualifying pass was the third quickest of the session and earned him a valuable qualifying bonus point.

“We made some good runs to close out qualifying,” said Hart. “We knew we would have a tough first round. This is what the playoffs are all about. There are no easy opponents.”

Traditionally, Hart prefers to be one of the first Top Fuel dragsters in the first round to take advantage of ideal track conditions. Today Hart and his opponent Antron Brown were the final pair of the first round which started over 15 minutes late following an opening ceremony’s fireworks delay. While the delay did not affect track conditions thanks to the superior work from the NHRA Safety Safari, Hart and Brown wrapped up a wild session that saw multiple winners who had to pedal their race cars to victory.

Josh Hart driver of the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

When the R+L Carriers team pulled up Hart hit the throttle and his 11,000-horsepower race car launched off the starting line and immediately overpowered the right lane, smoking the tires. Brown was pulling away in the left lane when his race car lost power, but Hart was in no position to chase down his opponent. 

“That was a tough way to go out in the first round,” said Hart. “It is a pretty helpless feeling to see your opponent pull away from you like that. No one over here is going to hang their heads. We are going to put this race behind us. You can have one slip up and still stay in contention for the championship. Today was our slip up and we know what we need to do to win this championship. I am ready to get to North Carolina. We won that race last year and I want to win it again next weekend.”

The Countdown contending driver will head to the Carolina Nationals, a race he won last year, sitting seventh in points. With five races left in the season Hart is less than 100 points out of the lead. The R+L Carriers team controls their destiny as the playoffs move to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 6.278 sec, 107.00 mph; Qual. 12

Q2: 3.742 sec, 330.63 mph; Qual. 9

Q3: 3.733 sec, 330.47 mph; Qual. 9

Bonus Points: +1 (3^rd quickest of Q3)

Race Results

First Round

Antron Brown, Brownsburg, Ind., Matco dragster, 3.851, 249.76 mph def. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster, 10.983, 73.85 mph

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Top Fuel

1. Justin Ashley                 2170

2. Brittany Force              2161

3. Mike Salinas                  2160

4. Antron Brown              2116

5. Steve Torrence             2114

6. Austin Prock                 2096

7. Josh Hart                       2083

8. Doug Kalitta                  2063

8. Leah Pruett                   2063

10. Shawn Langdon         2052

11. Clay Millican               2046

12. Tony Schumacher      2032

READING, PA (September 18, 2022) —- Racing in the first of six playoff races of the 2022 NHRA Countdown Pro Stock rookie Camrie Caruso qualified well and faced a tough first round opponent. During the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway Caruso, the front-runner for NHRA Rookie of the Year, drove her Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro race car to the No. 11 qualifier position after two days of qualifying. Her best run in qualifying, 6.565 seconds at 206.23 mph, set her up for a first round race against Pro Stock veteran Aaron Stanfield.

In the opening round Caruso, who beat Stanfield two weeks ago at the U.S. Nationals on a hole shot in the first round, was once again first off of the starting line. Her reaction time advantage was .026 to .039 seconds, but it was not enough to hold off a charging Stanfield at the stripe. As both Camaros crossed the finish line stripe it was Stanfield’s 6.580 second run out in front of Caruso’s 5.595 second pass.

Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“We are in the Countdown. We just have to work a little harder to win this championship,” said Caruso, a third generation racer. “That is still the goal. It was not ideal to have Aaron in the first round but that is how you get better. Racing tough opponents. We have beaten him before, but today wasn’t our day. He is a great racer. I am happy with how well my team has pulled together and hopefully we can do some damage over these next five playoff races.”

Throughout the regular season Caruso faced and defeated some of the toughest Pro Stock competitors in recent memory. In her first Countdown Caruso entered the playoffs in eighth place. It was a great start for a rookie and after today’s early exit she slipped to tenth but with five races remaining the driver who lives in Denver, North Carolina, has a shot at winning the Camping World Drag Racing Series world championship. A sellout crowd on Saturday and a near sellout on race day showed Caruso and the Tequila Comisario team the playoffs have a different feel.

Camrie Caruso, driver of the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“I loved the playoff atmosphere at Maple Grove Raceway this weekend. It felt like a really big race,” said Caruso. “The Koretskys did a really great job promoting this race. It was sold out on Saturday and there were a ton of people here today too.”

With the race broadcast nationally on FOX a whole new audience was introduced to the rising star in Pro Stock. In less than a week Caruso will be back on track looking to make a move up the points during the Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 6.573 sec, 206.23 mph; Qual. 9

Q2: 6.565 sec, 206.23 mph; Qual. 11

Q3: 6.570 sec, 207.94 mph; Qual. 11

Bonus Points:  0

Race Results

First Round

Aaron Stanfield, Bossier City, La., Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro, 6.580, 208.52 mph def. Camrie Caruso, Denver, NC, Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, 6.595, 207.98 mph 

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Pro Stock

1. Erica Enders                         2225

2. Greg Anderson                   2144

3. Kyle Koretsky                      2137

4. Troy Coughlin Jr                  2135

5. Aaron Stanfield                  2134

6. Dallas Glenn                       2107

7. Matt Hartford                     2063

8. Mason McGaha                  2061

9. Bo Butner                           2053

10. Camrie Caruso                  2052

11. Fernando Cuadra Jr          2032

12. Deric Kramer                     2011

13. Cristian Cuadra                 2002

14. Chris McGaha                   1992

15. Fernando Cuadra             1981

Enders Takes First Pro Stock Win Of The NHRA Countdown

Elite Motorsports Weekend Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series READING, Pa. (September 18 2022) – The Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team swept the first race of the Countdown to the Championship as they nabbed the low qualifier, runner-up and winner titles this weekend at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.  Erica Enders landed her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro in the winners circle defeating teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. in an all-Elite final round. This marks her seventh win of the season and the first time she’s won at this facility. “I’ve had a race car that most Pro Stock drivers dream about all season long,” said Enders just moments after she exited her car. “That’s thanks to my guys. They work their tails off back at the shop. It’s my job behind the wheel to execute perfectly and make them shine. We did that today, and I could not be more proud. “This year I had a goal to win at the tracks we hadn’t won at before. We started off winning the Winternationals in Pomona, then we won in Sonoma which had evaded us for 18 years. We’ve missed Reading for 18 years as well, but we got it done today.” Former Pro Stock world champion Bo Butner knows how to turn it on when it counts. The skilled driver snagged his first No. 1 qualifier of the season at the first event of the Countdown to the Championship with a blistering pass of 6.523-seconds at 210.08 mph. Coming into the Countdown from the 11th position in points, Butner has been poised for a turnaround and it looks like everything is coming together at the right time for his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro.  Elite Motorsports teammates Coughlin and Cristian Cuadra were the first pair out for eliminations on Sunday, qualified No.8 and No. 9, respectively. Coughlin had the starting line advantage and held onto it for the win.  Aaron Stanfield faced rookie Camrie Caruso in the first round of eliminations. The third-generation driver of the Janac Brothers/JC3 Energy Camaro won it by two-thousandths of a second despite Caruso’s slight starting line advantage. In the quarterfinals, Stanfield was defeated by Kyle Koretsky, who’s family recently purchased Maple Grove Raceway where they’ve made substantial improvements to the facility.  In his Corral Boots Mustang, Fernando Cuadra Jr. lined up against current Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson on Sunday morning. With identical reaction times of .020-seconds at the starting line, Anderson pulled ahead of Cuadra Jr. for the round win.  Butner faced his Elite Motorsports teammate, Fernando Cuadra Sr., who qualified in the No. 16 spot in his new Corral Boots Camaro (formerly driven by Butner). Cuadra Sr. got the starting line advantage but Butner managed to get around him for the win. In the second round of eliminations, Coughlin took out Butner, advancing to the semifinals where he faced Anderson. With a reaction time of .020-seconds, Coughlin took out Anderson as he raced to the finals in his JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Entering eliminations from the No. 2 qualifier position, four-time Pro Stock world champion Enders defeated Alan Prusiensky to wrap up the first round of competition. When she faced Matt Hartford in the quarterfinals, he left a few thousandths too early and Enders powered her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro straight down the track for the win, laying down a fierce pass of 5.569 at 209.39. Facing Koretsky in the semifinals, Enders got the starting line advantage and stayed ahead all the way to the finish line before facing and defeating Coughlin in the finals. The next stop on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will be the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C.  ***

Photos

Bo Butner powered his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro to the No. 1 qualifier position at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Photo credit: Auto ImageryBo Butner proudly wears his No. 1 qualifier hat at Maple Grove Raceway. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Aaron Stanfield in his Janac Brothers/JC3 Energy Camaro at Maple Grove Raceway. Photo credit: Auto ImageryTroy Coughlin Jr. lays down a solid smokey burnout in his JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Fernando Cuadra Jr. makes a crowd-pleasing burnout in his Corral Boots Mustang. Photo credit: Auto ImageryErica Enders kicks off the Countdown to the Championship in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

In front of a sellout crowd at Maple Grove Raceway, Cristian Cuadra launches his Corral Boots Mustang. Photo credit: Auto ImageryFernando Cuadra Sr. debuted a new Corral Boots Camaro at the Pep Boys NHR Nationals. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Unofficial Pro Stock Points Standings For The Countdown To The Championship 1. Erica Enders 2,2252. Greg Anderson 2,1443. Kyle Koretsky 2,1374. Troy Coughlin Jr. 2,1355. Aaron Stanfield 2,1346. Dallas Glenn 2,1077. Matt Hartford 2,0638. Mason McGaha 2,0619. Bo Butner 2,053 10. Camrie Caruso 2,052 11. Fernando Cuadra Jr. 2,03212. Deric Kramer 2,01113. Cristian Cuadra 2,00214. Chris McGaha 1,99215. Fernando Cuadra Sr. 1,981

September 18, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team persevered through some early adversity to post a 16^th-place finish in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Burton started the 500-lap race from 27^th place then had a flat tire in the early going that put him a lap down.

He worked his way into position to get the free pass at the end of the first 125-lap Stage and rejoined the lead lap for the start of the second Stage. 

Just after the ensuing restart, Burton spun and had another flat tire after being collected due to contact between two other drivers.

He pitted for fresh tires and rejoined the fray.

On Lap 196, the No. 21 Mustang suffered another flat tire but another driver’s spin brought out the caution flag, which allowed Burton to again collect the free pass and get back on the lead lap.

He moved into the top 25 just past the 200-lap mark and continued to move forward, ending the second Stage in 15th place.

In the third and final segment of the race, he started 23^rd but ran in or around the top 15 for the rest of the way, ending the race in 16^th place.

Burton and the No. 21 team now head to Texas Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s Autotrader Echo Park Automotive 500. 
 

NASCAR CUP SERIES BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY BASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACE TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES SEPTEMBER 17, 2022 TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER2nd     CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL13rd      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL15th      KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL16th      ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL17th      AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ACTION INDUSTRIES CAMARO ZL1 TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Chris Buescher (Ford)2nd     Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)3rd      William Byron (Chevrolet)4th      Christopher Bell (Toyota)5th      Kyle Larson (Chevrolet) Race one of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 will get underway next Sunday, September 25, at Texas Motor Speedway with the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, the NBCSports Gold App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.                                                                                                               TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1Finished: 6thWhat was your big takeaway from this race? “I’m proud of the effort from Trackhouse Racing, the No. 1 Worldwide Express team and Chevrolet to minimize things that take you out of the race. The minimal amount of flat tires.. none for Trackhouse. I don’t know about the other Chevy’s, but just a minimal amount for the bowties. That’s what we need; we needed extra air in the tires and extra clearance off the ground. We struggled just being tight all night. We put a couple rounds in the right-rear there at the end and drove up to sixth. We were up there where we needed to be all night. Looking at the next round, what do you guys need to work on and what do you feel like your strengths were in this first round? “To be honest, I’ve only had Homestead on my mind next for the test this week. We have a lot of questions to answer there. Good, bad or in different – Wednesday night, we’re going to know a whole lot more and that’s what tests are for. We’re taking a lot of spare parts. I need to work on running up top more, running the wall. That’s a big thing we’re going to focus on.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS / TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1, sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 278.Finished: 31st DILLON ON THE ACCIDENT HE WAS INVOLVED IN THAT ENDED HIS RACE: “I was just told the No. 99 (Daniel Suarez) wrecked in front of the field there and got in the No. 47 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.). I hate it for the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevy team. We got left-front suspension damage and if we don’t get that, we’re out there running and probably in a good points position to make it. It’s unfortunate, but we put ourselves in a little bit of a bind, points-wise, in the first two races. We were doing our job today though. We had a great race car and got stage points. It’s just unfortunate we were caught up in it.” HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE REST OF THE SEASON? “Just go and try to win races and get better. I think today was a positive overall. We can use that going into next year.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1 Finished: 25th Reddick on the accident he was involved in and what his team tried to do after that:“I saw the crash happen. I checked up, but I just got run over. We had two bad races with bad finishes. We had two really good race cars, but we just didn’t capitalize on it and that was enough to miss it.” What was it like to limp around and just hope that other drivers had trouble?“It was terrible. It’s out of your control; you can’t really fight to do anything about it. Hoping for others’ misfortunes is no way to race.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1Finished: 2ndYou weren’t really comfortable with your car and then you were locked-in and you got very comfortable, very fast. How would you sum up the night? “It was long. Obviously, hate to run second and get that close. The top just got so dominant there at the end. I couldn’t really run the bottom and keep pace. Unfortunately for me, we never really caught much of lap traffic and that was really what I needed. I hate to be so close. This is my favorite race of the year and it would have been nice to check that box.  Proud of our No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet team for fighting through it. We had a poor starting spot and unfortunate pit selection that kind of handcuffed us all night. We put ourselves in a hole yesterday and was able to get a top-two out of it. We’ll try again next week.” AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ACTION INDUSTRIES CAMARO ZL1Finished: 7th “I’m happy to run 500 laps at Bristol anytime I can do that. That’s a good night. I was pretty happy with our No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1. We just needed a little bit more I think to get to the next level, but really happy when we can run anywhere from about seventh to 10th all night. We had good strategy, and our pitstops were really good. So overall, I’m just really, really happy with the night.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1Finished: 3rd “Honestly, with this Next Gen car, the pace is so fast around here and I didn’t really have a chance to see what was going on around me. I would see guys up in the wall, having flat tire issues or blowing up, so I just tried to avoid it.  Our No. 24 Acronis Chevrolet team did a great job tonight. We were a little bit timid early and didn’t really quite have the car in stage one. We wanted to get those points so we could advance. And then they told me after stage one that we were locked-in. We were a little bit freer after that. We really didn’t change much, but we got the car better and had a good second and final stage.  I’m really proud of this team. This whole round, we’ve been getting better each race. Just really proud of the effort. After a rough summer, this is really good to see how we brought ourselves to the playoffs. Thank you to all of our partners and supporters back home. We’re really excited.”  JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1Finished: 12th“That’s a really strong night for our No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet. We fought hard all night, played some excellent strategy and just had an overall good car. That was a good, good run for the company. We are definitely building something. We will take this and keep improving.” TY DILLON, NO. 42 EG3 TECHNOLOGIES CAMARO ZL1Finished: 26th “Such a bummer way to end an otherwise pretty solid night out at Bristol. Our No. 42 team was able to make some pretty good changes to our EG3 car to help us throughout the race, and that put us in a position for a top-15 finish. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue of some sort took us out early. It’s a shame because we had made some good gains up until that point, but that just how it goes sometimes. Looking forward to heading to Texas next weekend and put this one behind us.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 U.S. AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1Finished: 21st “We knew this week may be a test with the new car at Bristol and it proved to have its challenges tonight. We struggled with the handling early in the race and were making the right changes, but spun missing a wreck and that put us a few laps down and then had a couple of tire issues late in the race. A disappointing night for sure. We have seven more races to build for next year and I know we are capable of running up front and winning races, just need to turn things around. We’ll had to Texas next week, one of my favorite tracks, and see what we can do.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1, sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 278.Finished: 32nd What did you see from your perspective?“Cars stopping in a hurry and no way for me to get stopped. We lost power steering and tried to work our way through it. We stayed out to get stage points, which thankfully we had a great racecar and we were able to get stage points even without power steering and lock ourselves in. But the flip side of that was restarting in the back there and just getting collected.  It’s a bummer, but at least we’re onto the next round and we can focus on Texas (Motor Speedway) next weekend.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1Finished: 19thYou advanced to the Round of 12. I know this was a hard day for you guys; the car wasn’t what you wanted it to be. How rewarding is it to run all of the laps tonight and live to fight another day? “It was a long day. It wasn’t pretty, but we did what we needed to do. We thought we were going to be able to make our car better from yesterday to today, but it was not. We have to regroup. Hopefully we can fight some monsters and come back stronger. I think the next round is pretty good for us. Texas (Motor Speedway), we’re going to be strong. A road course is in our wheelhouse. A superspeedway, anything can happen.  I’m very thankful for our No. 99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevy team. They never give up. The car wasn’t what we needed, but we’re still on the good side of it.” How tough is the mental reset after a night like tonight? “You have no idea how easy it’s going to be for me to reset because that car was not fun. For me, to be able to make it to the next round with the way the car was driving, is a huge plus. Thank you to everyone on our team. They did a very good job. We had the speed, but there were a lot of mistakes; on pit road, myself, overall. We’ll come back stronger for the next round.” TEAM CHEVY RACE QUICK NOTES Stage One:·       Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman led Chevrolet to the green in the 500-lap NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race, starting second and third, respectively, in their Camaro ZL1’s. ·       The 125-lap Stage One saw four Chevrolet drivers take top-10 positions at the end of the Stage, led by Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 in fifth.  ·       Stage One: Team Chevy Top-105th      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL16th      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL18th      Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Camaro ZL19th      William Byron, No. 24 Acronis Camaro ZL1 Stage Two: ·       William Byron – who entered the Round of 16 elimination race in the second position in the playoff standings – clinched his spot by points into the Round of 12 during the early laps of Stage Two. ·       A caution flying at the end of Stage Two; crew chief Cliff Daniels chose pit strategy while running in the top-10, bringing Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 down pit road for a four-tire and fuel stop with 15 laps left in the Stage. ·       At the conclusion of Stage Two, Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 team punched their ticket to the Round of 12 by virtue of points. ·       Stage Two: Team Chevy Top-102nd      Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL14th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hooter Camaro ZL16th      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL17th      William Byron, No. 24 Acronis Camaro ZL18th      Austin Dillon, No. Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Camaro ZL19th      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 Final Stage / Post-Race Notes: ·       On lap 278, Chevrolet playoff drivers Alex Bowman and Austin Dillon were involved in an accident, sustaining damage that forced both teams to retire early from the race. ·       In the duration of the Final Stage, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain were able to lock-in their spots into the Round of 12. ·       In 29 points paying races, Chevrolet has now recorded 69 top-fives and 127 top-10s, continuing to lead all manufacturers. ·       Six Chevrolet drivers have advanced to the Round of 12, with the bowtie brand continuing to occupy 50 percent of the playoff field.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Show Speed and Resilience Before Getting Caught Up in Wreck at Bristol31st28th15th“I’m not exactly sure what happened because I haven’t seen a replay yet. I was told the No. 99 car wrecked in front of the field and got into the No. 47 car. I hate it for the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevy team. We got left-front suspension damage and if we don’t get that, we’re out there running and probably in a good points position to make it into the next round of the NASCAR Playoffs. It’s unfortunate, but we put ourselves in a little bit of a bind, points-wise, in the first two races. We were doing our job today, though. We had a great race car and got stage points. It’s just unfortunate we were caught up in it. Our goal for the rest of the year is to just go and try to win races and get better. I think today was a positive overall. We can use that going into next year.” -Austin DillonTyler Reddick and the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Team Put Up Strong Fight All Night Long at Bristol25th17th13th“This team worked so hard to fix the car all night long. My guys were on it and never gave up. I’m proud of this team and everyone at RCR and ECR. Tonight was frustrating for sure. We thought qualifying was better for us in our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy, but we didn’t quite have the pace or the balance really to make our car better, and unfortunately the balance issues we were fighting, we were pretty much limited. We couldn’t really adjust on it without hurting downforce of the car overall, so we were kind of boxed in. Then we just kind of got collected in that accident back there. I checked up in time, but yeah, I got absolutely ran over from there. Caught the right front and broke the upper control arm for the second week in a row.“ -Tyler Reddick

READING, Pa. (September 17, 2022) – Pennsylvania native David Barton and his Saw Mill Auto Chevrolet COPO Camaro continued their battle for the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Championship with a No. 1 qualifying position and first round win Saturday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. 

David Barton, No. 1 qualifier Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Barton, who is from Robesonia, Pennsylvania, earned the No. 1 qualifying position with a 7.714-second pass at 177.56 mph during Friday night’s qualifying session. On Saturday, Barton would go 7.733 at 174.89 and 7.741 at 177.56.

“The first two qualifying runs I didn’t feel very comfortable in the car,” said Barton, who won the U.S. Nationals two weeks ago. “The track seemed greasy and the cars weren’t launching like they should. I wasn’t sure what was going on. On that last run we hit the nail on the head. I made some minor adjustments and the car finally pulled a normal wheelie. If I had that same set up in Indy the car would have wanted to flip over backwards. I am happy that we figured it out in that third run. I felt pretty good going into the first round.”

With the No. 1 start, Barton would face Jonathon Allegrucci in his Watson Racing Ford Mustang during the first round of eliminations Saturday evening. Barton would have the starting line advantage and never trailed, recording a 7.828-second pass at 177.18 mph to better Allegrucci’s, 7.954 at 173.96. 

“With that first round win I will sleep better tonight. I am trying not to let the points race bother me. It is what it is, and I am just going to go out there and do my best especially with all the support we have at this race,” Barton said. “We love racing here at Maple Grove Raceway. I have a lot of people here from friends and family to employees that are here watching so it adds some pressure. I am not sure I really like that. I like having all the people here of course. We asked them to put this race on the schedule. There are no other Factory Stock Showdown races in Division 1 and there are a ton of fans in the Northeast. People come down from Canada to watch us race. It is exciting but honestly it is also a little nerve wracking.”

Bill Skillman, No. 2 in Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown points, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Barton, who has a $1,000 target on his back as the most recent event winner through the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program will take on Lenny Lottig in the quarterfinals on Sunday. 

Bill Skillman and his Ray Skillman Ford Cobra Jet, remain Barton’s closest rivals for the 2022 championship. Skillman qualified No. 2 with a 7.717-second pass at 184.19 mph and secured his first round win with a 7.774 pass at 171.62 defeating Lee Hartman’s 7.896 at 172.39 in his Carrier Services Group Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. Skillman will start Sunday with a matchup against Daniel Condon. The championship battle will wrap up at the Texas Fall Nationals October 14-16 at Texas Motorplex outside of Dallas.

The battle between Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks continues with the second round of eliminations at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway Sunday at 12:10 p.m. 

First Round Results: 

No. 1, David Barton def. No. 16, Jonathan Allegrucci

No. 2, Bill Skillman def. No. 15, Lee Hartman

No. 3, Ricky Hord def. No. 14, Anthony Troyer

No. 13, Jesse Alexandra def. No. 17 Scott Libersher

No. 12, David Janac def. No. 5, Doug Hamp 

No. 11, Aaron Stanfield No. 6, Warren Walcher 

No. 7, Dan Condon def. No. 10, Mark Pawuk

No. 8, Lenny Lottig def. No. 9, Stephen Bell

READING, Pa. (Sept. 17, 2022) – In front of a sold-out crowd at Maple Grove Raceway, points leaders Brittany Force in the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster and Robert Hight in the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS secured the No. 1 qualifying positions in Top Fuel and Funny Car Saturday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy secured the No. 3 spot while Austin Prock landed the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster in the No. 4 spot. Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster tallied their eighth No. 1 qualifying position of the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and 40th of her career when they capped of qualifying with a thrilling run. Force would handle her David Grubnic and Mac Savage tuned hot rod to a 3.969-second pass at 327.90 mph despite putting a rod out near the finish line. It was a drastic improvement from her 3.967 pass at 270.16 mph earlier in the day. “We weren’t going for the dramatics, but it was a solid run. We got this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster down there and even though it’s unfortunate it was only one of three runs, it should be enough to learn what we need and apply it to race day,” Force said. “Getting down that first run today would have been important, but we are working with what we got, a 3.69 on the board and its No. 1 so can’t complain. We’ve done well here in the past, set records and ran well last year so we’re hoping to do it again. Go some rounds and have a long race day. We came in here with the lead and our goal is to leave here the same way.” Robert Hight and the Auto Club team were consistent through their qualifying efforts. Coming into the day with the No. 1 spot, Hight was second quickest of both runs first with a 3.936-second pass at 329.99 mph and then closed out qualifying with a 3.883 at 332.51. In total, the Auto Club team earned seven bonus points en route to their fourth No. 1 of the season and 75th of Hight’s career. “First off, hats off to the Koretsky family. There’s not a better feeling when you’re coming into the water box than to see a packed house, stands full, standing room only, it’s pretty exciting. That’s exactly what they needed for their first weekend,” Hight said. “These qualifying runs were big for the Auto Club team. We got points every single run. That’s what we have to do all six of these Countdown races. So now, qualifying is behind us and it’s time to focus on race day. Luckily, we get a bye-run first round. We’re still working on some things. That first run today we wore the clutch on it, otherwise I believe we could have been quickest that round. So, we have a run tomorrow to be able to make it right. It’s going to be a battle; it’s going to be a battle every weekend. Whoever wins this championship and stands up there at the banquet on Monday after the finals, they’re going to have earned it. I just hope it’s this Auto Club team.” Coming into the day in the No.3 spot, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team ran into some tire smoke for only a 4.373-second pass at 181.20 mph Saturday afternoon. The Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler tuned dragster was able to improve in the final session with a 3.767 pass at 327.82 mph. They’ll start race day from No. 4 and run against Doug Foley. “This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team is starting off the Countdown to the Championship with our best performance in months,” Prock said. “This team has been working so hard to get these results and I’m looking forward to going to battle with them tomorrow morning. I honestly believe we are capable to walk away with our first Wally of the year tomorrow and make a huge jump up in the standings.” John Force and the PEAK Chevy had a misstep on Saturday first going only 4.463-seconds at 192.47 mph after hazing the tires and shutting off early. In the final qualifying session, Force would drive into tire smoke for only a 6.042 pass at 113.51. He qualifies No. 3 off his 3.890 pass from Friday evening and will race Cory Lee first round. “Tougher day today for the PEAK team. But we’re in the show, ran well last night,” Force said. “It should be a good day tomorrow. We’ve had great weather. What matters is that we are in the show. It’s the Countdown, we need to go some rounds tomorrow and hopefully get this PEAK Chevrolet into the winners circle.” Competition at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway continues with eliminations Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the event continues on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Eliminations will be aired Sunday at 2 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) on FOX Broadcasting Network. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:4th; 3.706-seconds; 332.02 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+2 (2nd quickest Q1)BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy DragsterQualifying:1st; 3.696-seconds; 327.90 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+3 (quickest Q3)JOHN FORCE, 73, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:3rd; 3.890-seconds; 329.99 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +2 (2nd quickest Q1)ROBERT HIGHT, 53, Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:1st; 3.867-seconds; 331.20 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+7 (quickest Q1; 2nd quickest Q2 & 3)

Team Toyota’s top Countdown seeds each start second for eliminations

MOHNTON, Penn. (September 17, 2022) – Justin Ashley led Toyota in qualifying for the Pep Boys Nationals with a second-place effort in the Top Fuel class at Pennsylvania’s Maple Grove Raceway. Ashley is Toyota’s top-seed in the Top Fuel Countdown for the Championship and has earned four straight top-three qualifying efforts. Team Toyota’s Steve Torrence (fifth), Doug Kalitta (seventh) and Antron Brown (eighth) joined Ashley inside the top-half of the qualified field. 

In Funny Car, Ron Capps closed the Saturday qualifying effort with his strongest run of the weekend – a 3.878 – to move him to second on the final qualifying grid. Capps earned three bonus points in the session to add to the bonus point he earned in Friday evening’s session. J.R. Todd also closed with a strong run to qualify his Toyota GR Supra Funny Car inside the top-half of the field in sixth. 

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

Maple Grove Raceway

Race 17 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Brittany Force*	Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster	1st (3.696)	Ferre
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	2nd (3.703)	Chatterson
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	5th (3.711)	Langdon
Doug Kalitta	CMR Roofing & Construction Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	7th (3.724)	Pruett
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	8th (3.731)	Hart
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	12th (3.801)	Torrence

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Robert Hight*	AAA of Southern California Chevy Camaro FC*	1st (3.867)	Bye
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	2nd (3.878)	Burkhart
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	6th (3.912)	Green
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	10th (3.966)	Wilkerson

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 2nd

How do you approach race day?

“Great question. This place is historic for breaking your heart or making you feel so good. It’s the start of the Countdown obviously and so happy the fans came out like they did, it’s unbelievable. Robert (Hight) and I brag about it all the time. We have the two best seats in the house for some of the best runs, especially side-by-side stuff like this. Great job by Guido (Dean Antonelli) and John Medlen (crew chiefs) and the NAPA Auto Care team. Anytime I don’t see that whole car (Hight’s) out next to me, I know we’re running pretty well. The Countdown is going to be this same, exact stuff for all six races. All races and all qualifying. I hope I see a lot more of him (Hight) qualifying at the back of the pack. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Thank you to the fans, love you guys.”

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Davis Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

How were your qualifying efforts?

“It’s been a really good weekend for our team so far. Going into race day in the no. 2 position is really important just to try to position ourselves well. The way the depth of the Top Fuel field is – there is no easy matchups top-to-bottom, nonetheless, we feel good about where slotted in heading into race day. It’s the Countdown, so every run counts. Just proud of this Phillips Connect team. Mike Green, Tommy DeLago (crew chiefs) are doing a great job, and now that Friday and Saturday is behind us, we are focused on final eliminations.”

###

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The Hanover, PA driver passed Carson Macedo with three laps to go to earn his 34th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars triumphHANFORD, CA – September 16, 2022 – Just as a victory seemed out of reach for Logan Schuchart Friday night at Keller Auto Speedway, an opportunity to win came his way.The Hanover, PA driver needed a chance, and he took it, diving under race leader Carson Macedo with three laps to go—the two making contact as Schuchart slid up the racetrack in Turn 2.From there, Schuchart sprinted ahead, holding on to win the Tom Tarlton Classic and earn his 34th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Cars Feature triumph.Schuchart said he couldn’t waste an opportunity with a $21,000 payday up for grabs.“I knew I wouldn’t have an opportunity unless I did something like that,” Schuchart said. “We weren’t going to get into lap traffic again. At this point in the year, I’m racing to win races. That’s the reason we’re out here. It’s a bigger paying race, and we’re racing for the lead. If I have a chance, I’m going to have to take it, and I felt like that was my only opportunity.“I’ll have to watch the replay and see exactly how it went down. The general consensus from what I’m hearing is that it was racing.”Macedo quickly drove away from the field in the first half of the race, remaining unchallenged until the first of several cautions came out on Lap 21.From there, the Golden State competitor continued his quick pace on multiple restarts, using the outside lane. However, a caution with six laps remaining for 10-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz set up the final battle.Macedo pulled away on the restart, but Schuchart kept him in his sights before pulling the slide job with three laps left.The early race leader fell back to fourth and said he felt Schuchart didn’t give him enough room on the pass.“I’m going to have to look back and see the video,” Macedo said. “I just didn’t feel like I had very much room there. He slid me and came across so fast that we got on the brakes, but ultimately, he ran into me.“It is what it is. It’s just one of them deals I think you have to put into the memory bank and just remember. One of these nights coming up, I’ll probably have a shot with him. I feel like me, and the 1S raced pretty hard with each other a few times, and I’m sure I’ll have a shot in the future.”Despite his fourth-place finish, Macedo gained on Series points leader Brad Sweet, who finished sixth, and David Gravel, who finished seventh.Sweet leads Gravel by 74 points leaving the West Coast and Macedo by 94 points.Jacob Allen finished second, completing a one-two finish for Shark Racing in the second consecutive Feature.The Hanover, PA driver earned the KSE Hard Charger award after transferring through the Last Chance Showdown and charging from 22nd to the runner-up spot.Allen stated his team’s decisions throughout the night played a role in a second consecutive podium.“It was a great turnaround for our race team,” Allen said. “I kind of crashed there in Qualifying and had to run the [Last Chance Showdown]. All night long, we just kept working on our setup, and our racecar got better every time we hit the racetrack.“The decisions we made there after the [Last Chance Showdown] right before the Feature were very critical to having such a good run tonight.”James McFadden crossed the line third after falling back as far as eleventh.The Alice Sprints, NT, AU driver said he couldn’t get into a rhythm because of the cautions.“The restarts hurt me,” McFadden said. “I was back in 11th for a while. I could just never get going on the restart. Then once I cleared those, we’d start trucking. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get a rhythm.“I’m disappointed in myself for not getting a good restart and pounded the top earlier.”Sheldon Haudenschild, from Wooster, OH, rounded out the top five.He said he was biding his time as he watched Sweet and McFadden battle in front of him, hoping to make a pass.“I feel like I did pretty good on the restarts; I just had one hiccup when I got over in (Turn) 2 and lost a few spots,” Haudenschild said. “I was really just dodging [Sweet] and [McFadden]. They were racing pretty hard in front of me. I was just kind of waiting and ended up getting [Sweet] there at the end.”UP NEXT: The Greatest Show on Dirt heads to Eldora Speedway for the final time in 2022 for the Before the Crowns Showdown on Friday, Sept. 23. For Tickets: CLICK HERE.NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps)-1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$21,000]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [22][$6,000]; 3. 83-James McFadden [9][$3,500]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo [1][$2,800]; 5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$2,500]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$2,300]; 7. 2-David Gravel [11][$2,200]; 8. 2X-Justin Sanders [2][$2,100]; 9. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [17][$2,050]; 10. 88N-DJ Netto [21][$2,000]; 11. 14-Corey Day [7][$1,600]; 12. 5T-Ryan Timms [5][$1,400]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [12][$1,200]; 14. 88-Austin McCarl [13][$1,100]; 15. 83JR-Kerry Madsen [15][$1,050]; 16. 5-Spencer Bayston [6][$1,000]; 17. 7S-Robbie Price [8][$1,000]; 18. 21-Mitchell Faccinto [24][$1,000]; 19. 5B-Colby Copeland [23][$1,000]; 20. 5V-Landon Brooks [19][$1,000]; 21. 46JR-Joel Myers [18][$1,000]; 22. 20G-Noah Gass [25][$]; 23. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$1,000]; 24. 57W-Shane Golobic [14][$1,000]; 25. 2K-Kaleb Montgomery [20][$1,000]Lap Leaders: Carson Macedo 1-32, Logan Schuchart 33-35 KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen[+20]

The Hanover, PA driver passed Carson Macedo with three laps to go to earn his 34th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars triumphHANFORD, CA – September 16, 2022 – Just as a victory seemed out of reach for Logan Schuchart Friday night at Keller Auto Speedway, an opportunity to win came his way.The Hanover, PA driver needed a chance, and he took it, diving under race leader Carson Macedo with three laps to go—the two making contact as Schuchart slid up the racetrack in Turn 2.From there, Schuchart sprinted ahead, holding on to win the Tom Tarlton Classic and earn his 34th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Cars Feature triumph.Schuchart said he couldn’t waste an opportunity with a $21,000 payday up for grabs.“I knew I wouldn’t have an opportunity unless I did something like that,” Schuchart said. “We weren’t going to get into lap traffic again. At this point in the year, I’m racing to win races. That’s the reason we’re out here. It’s a bigger paying race, and we’re racing for the lead. If I have a chance, I’m going to have to take it, and I felt like that was my only opportunity.“I’ll have to watch the replay and see exactly how it went down. The general consensus from what I’m hearing is that it was racing.”Macedo quickly drove away from the field in the first half of the race, remaining unchallenged until the first of several cautions came out on Lap 21.From there, the Golden State competitor continued his quick pace on multiple restarts, using the outside lane. However, a caution with six laps remaining for 10-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz set up the final battle.Macedo pulled away on the restart, but Schuchart kept him in his sights before pulling the slide job with three laps left.The early race leader fell back to fourth and said he felt Schuchart didn’t give him enough room on the pass.“I’m going to have to look back and see the video,” Macedo said. “I just didn’t feel like I had very much room there. He slid me and came across so fast that we got on the brakes, but ultimately, he ran into me.“It is what it is. It’s just one of them deals I think you have to put into the memory bank and just remember. One of these nights coming up, I’ll probably have a shot with him. I feel like me, and the 1S raced pretty hard with each other a few times, and I’m sure I’ll have a shot in the future.”Despite his fourth-place finish, Macedo gained on Series points leader Brad Sweet, who finished sixth, and David Gravel, who finished seventh.Sweet leads Gravel by 74 points leaving the West Coast and Macedo by 94 points.Jacob Allen finished second, completing a one-two finish for Shark Racing in the second consecutive Feature.The Hanover, PA driver earned the KSE Hard Charger award after transferring through the Last Chance Showdown and charging from 22nd to the runner-up spot.Allen stated his team’s decisions throughout the night played a role in a second consecutive podium.“It was a great turnaround for our race team,” Allen said. “I kind of crashed there in Qualifying and had to run the [Last Chance Showdown]. All night long, we just kept working on our setup, and our racecar got better every time we hit the racetrack.“The decisions we made there after the [Last Chance Showdown] right before the Feature were very critical to having such a good run tonight.”James McFadden crossed the line third after falling back as far as eleventh.The Alice Sprints, NT, AU driver said he couldn’t get into a rhythm because of the cautions.“The restarts hurt me,” McFadden said. “I was back in 11th for a while. I could just never get going on the restart. Then once I cleared those, we’d start trucking. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get a rhythm.“I’m disappointed in myself for not getting a good restart and pounded the top earlier.”Sheldon Haudenschild, from Wooster, OH, rounded out the top five.He said he was biding his time as he watched Sweet and McFadden battle in front of him, hoping to make a pass.“I feel like I did pretty good on the restarts; I just had one hiccup when I got over in (Turn) 2 and lost a few spots,” Haudenschild said. “I was really just dodging [Sweet] and [McFadden]. They were racing pretty hard in front of me. I was just kind of waiting and ended up getting [Sweet] there at the end.”UP NEXT: The Greatest Show on Dirt heads to Eldora Speedway for the final time in 2022 for the Before the Crowns Showdown on Friday, Sept. 23. For Tickets: CLICK HERE.NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps)-1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$21,000]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [22][$6,000]; 3. 83-James McFadden [9][$3,500]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo [1][$2,800]; 5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$2,500]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$2,300]; 7. 2-David Gravel [11][$2,200]; 8. 2X-Justin Sanders [2][$2,100]; 9. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [17][$2,050]; 10. 88N-DJ Netto [21][$2,000]; 11. 14-Corey Day [7][$1,600]; 12. 5T-Ryan Timms [5][$1,400]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [12][$1,200]; 14. 88-Austin McCarl [13][$1,100]; 15. 83JR-Kerry Madsen [15][$1,050]; 16. 5-Spencer Bayston [6][$1,000]; 17. 7S-Robbie Price [8][$1,000]; 18. 21-Mitchell Faccinto [24][$1,000]; 19. 5B-Colby Copeland [23][$1,000]; 20. 5V-Landon Brooks [19][$1,000]; 21. 46JR-Joel Myers [18][$1,000]; 22. 20G-Noah Gass [25][$]; 23. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$1,000]; 24. 57W-Shane Golobic [14][$1,000]; 25. 2K-Kaleb Montgomery [20][$1,000]Lap Leaders: Carson Macedo 1-32, Logan Schuchart 33-35 KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen[+20]

The Hanover, PA driver passed Carson Macedo with three laps to go to earn his 34th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars triumphHANFORD, CA – September 16, 2022 – Just as a victory seemed out of reach for Logan Schuchart Friday night at Keller Auto Speedway, an opportunity to win came his way.The Hanover, PA driver needed a chance, and he took it, diving under race leader Carson Macedo with three laps to go—the two making contact as Schuchart slid up the racetrack in Turn 2.From there, Schuchart sprinted ahead, holding on to win the Tom Tarlton Classic and earn his 34th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Cars Feature triumph.Schuchart said he couldn’t waste an opportunity with a $21,000 payday up for grabs.“I knew I wouldn’t have an opportunity unless I did something like that,” Schuchart said. “We weren’t going to get into lap traffic again. At this point in the year, I’m racing to win races. That’s the reason we’re out here. It’s a bigger paying race, and we’re racing for the lead. If I have a chance, I’m going to have to take it, and I felt like that was my only opportunity.“I’ll have to watch the replay and see exactly how it went down. The general consensus from what I’m hearing is that it was racing.”Macedo quickly drove away from the field in the first half of the race, remaining unchallenged until the first of several cautions came out on Lap 21.From there, the Golden State competitor continued his quick pace on multiple restarts, using the outside lane. However, a caution with six laps remaining for 10-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz set up the final battle.Macedo pulled away on the restart, but Schuchart kept him in his sights before pulling the slide job with three laps left.The early race leader fell back to fourth and said he felt Schuchart didn’t give him enough room on the pass.“I’m going to have to look back and see the video,” Macedo said. “I just didn’t feel like I had very much room there. He slid me and came across so fast that we got on the brakes, but ultimately, he ran into me.“It is what it is. It’s just one of them deals I think you have to put into the memory bank and just remember. One of these nights coming up, I’ll probably have a shot with him. I feel like me, and the 1S raced pretty hard with each other a few times, and I’m sure I’ll have a shot in the future.”Despite his fourth-place finish, Macedo gained on Series points leader Brad Sweet, who finished sixth, and David Gravel, who finished seventh.Sweet leads Gravel by 74 points leaving the West Coast and Macedo by 94 points.Jacob Allen finished second, completing a one-two finish for Shark Racing in the second consecutive Feature.The Hanover, PA driver earned the KSE Hard Charger award after transferring through the Last Chance Showdown and charging from 22nd to the runner-up spot.Allen stated his team’s decisions throughout the night played a role in a second consecutive podium.“It was a great turnaround for our race team,” Allen said. “I kind of crashed there in Qualifying and had to run the [Last Chance Showdown]. All night long, we just kept working on our setup, and our racecar got better every time we hit the racetrack.“The decisions we made there after the [Last Chance Showdown] right before the Feature were very critical to having such a good run tonight.”James McFadden crossed the line third after falling back as far as eleventh.The Alice Sprints, NT, AU driver said he couldn’t get into a rhythm because of the cautions.“The restarts hurt me,” McFadden said. “I was back in 11th for a while. I could just never get going on the restart. Then once I cleared those, we’d start trucking. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get a rhythm.“I’m disappointed in myself for not getting a good restart and pounded the top earlier.”Sheldon Haudenschild, from Wooster, OH, rounded out the top five.He said he was biding his time as he watched Sweet and McFadden battle in front of him, hoping to make a pass.“I feel like I did pretty good on the restarts; I just had one hiccup when I got over in (Turn) 2 and lost a few spots,” Haudenschild said. “I was really just dodging [Sweet] and [McFadden]. They were racing pretty hard in front of me. I was just kind of waiting and ended up getting [Sweet] there at the end.”UP NEXT: The Greatest Show on Dirt heads to Eldora Speedway for the final time in 2022 for the Before the Crowns Showdown on Friday, Sept. 23. For Tickets: CLICK HERE.NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps)-1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$21,000]; 2. 1A-Jacob Allen [22][$6,000]; 3. 83-James McFadden [9][$3,500]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo [1][$2,800]; 5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$2,500]; 6. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$2,300]; 7. 2-David Gravel [11][$2,200]; 8. 2X-Justin Sanders [2][$2,100]; 9. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [17][$2,050]; 10. 88N-DJ Netto [21][$2,000]; 11. 14-Corey Day [7][$1,600]; 12. 5T-Ryan Timms [5][$1,400]; 13. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [12][$1,200]; 14. 88-Austin McCarl [13][$1,100]; 15. 83JR-Kerry Madsen [15][$1,050]; 16. 5-Spencer Bayston [6][$1,000]; 17. 7S-Robbie Price [8][$1,000]; 18. 21-Mitchell Faccinto [24][$1,000]; 19. 5B-Colby Copeland [23][$1,000]; 20. 5V-Landon Brooks [19][$1,000]; 21. 46JR-Joel Myers [18][$1,000]; 22. 20G-Noah Gass [25][$]; 23. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$1,000]; 24. 57W-Shane Golobic [14][$1,000]; 25. 2K-Kaleb Montgomery [20][$1,000]Lap Leaders: Carson Macedo 1-32, Logan Schuchart 33-35 KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen[+20]

KNOXVILLE, IA (September 16, 2022) – Bobby Pierce powered from his fifth starting position to take the lead from Brandon Overton on lap 15 – holding off Ricky Thornton Jr. in the closing laps to win Friday night’s preliminary feature of the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals. Thornton, who started alongside Pierce in row three, passed Overton for second with five laps to go and chased down Pierce. Thornton closed to within one car length of the Illinois driver before falling just .0479 seconds behind the winner, who scored his first career win at Knoxville. Iowa native Chris Simpson was in the hunt the entire distance, passing Overton on the last lap to round out the podium. Overton was fourth with another Iowa driver, Tyler Bruening completing the top five. On a racy surface that saw two and three-wide racing all night, Overton jumped to the lead at the start of the main event. Overton led until Pierce passed him for the top spot on the ninth lap. Pierce then started to pull away from Overton after a couple of laps until the first and only caution of the race flew on lap 13 for Tyler Erb. On the restart Overton was able to regain the lead, but his time out front was short-lived as Pierce retook the point on lap 15. Pierce then appeared to have a comfortable advantage until Thornton started showing momentum on the top side. Thornton dived to the inside of Pierce in turn four, but Pierce was able to gain enough of a distance on the final lap to seal the deal. Pierce, in Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the first time since 2020, became the 19th different winner this season, talked about his move to take the lead the first time in the race from Overton. “The first pass I made on him [Overton] I kind of caught him off guard a little bit. I think that was his first run on the bottom and he kind of missed it. I passed him on the top and then I thought I had it in the bag and then that caution came out, and I thought I had it under control, but the carburetor kind of stumbled off four and I thought something bad happened, but luckily it got going again.” Thornton, who currently sits third in the Lucas Oil championship standings, was pleased with his car in the final laps. “I knew I was pretty good when I got around those guys and then I got stuck behind Bruening and it slowed my pace down. We had a good restart Chris [Simpson] didn’t quite get a good enough restart, so I turned to the bottom and got to third there. Then [Brandon] Overton and Bobby [Pierce] were racing so hard it kind of let me get around Overton. Then Bobby moved up and I could still run up to him. I felt like I was a little better there in one and two.” Chris Simpson, who posted his first top five with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series since 2018, rounded out the podium spot in third. “The car was good. Brandon [Overton] got by me there and I just wasn’t patient to stay on the bottom. I got up top and Bobby [Pierce] got by both of us. Then I started working the bottom again and got by Overton and got up to second. On the restart Bobby and I just messed up a little bit and I about gave it away.” The winner’s Pierce Race Cars Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Hoker Trucking, Allgayer Inc., Base Racing Fuels, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Senior Life Insurance Company, First Spear, Rio Grande Waste Services, Extreme Electric, Vermilion County Bobcats, Leka Tree Service, and Toyota of Danville. Completing the top ten were Ricky Weiss, Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Tim McCreadie, and Jimmy Owens. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals – Night 2Friday, September 16th, 2022Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Tyler Bruening / 17.778 secondsFast Time Group B: Tad Pospisil / 17.717 seconds (overall) Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 3. 32S-Chris Simpson[4]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 5. 25C-Shane Clanton[2]; 6. 18J-Chase Junghans[7]; 7. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 8. 18S-Jesse Sobbing[10]; 9. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 10. 18D-Daulton Wilson[9]; 11. 6H-Al Humphrey[11] Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[6]; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 3. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[5]; 4. 11-Spencer Hughes[2]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[8]; 6. 44-Chris Madden[4]; 7. 22-Charlie McKenna[7]; 8. 157-Mike Marlar[9]; 9. 14M-Reid Millard[11]; 10. 42-Johnathan Huston[1]; 11. 56-Chris Spieker[10] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 2. 8-Kyle Strickler[1]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 4. 29D-Spencer Diercks[4]; 5. 04-Tad Pospisil[6]; 6. 1X-Aaron Marrant[8]; 7. 93-Chad Simpson[10]; 8. 15-Justin Duty[7]; 9. 33-Nick Marolf[9]; 10. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2] Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[4]; 3. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[1]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie[6]; 5. 1-Brandon Sheppard[5]; 6. 7W-Ricky Weiss[3]; 7. 2S-Stormy Scott[8]; 8. 51-Matt Furman[7]; 9. 14W-Dustin Walker[9]; 10. 10-Junior Coover[10] Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (15 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 44-Chris Madden[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 18J-Chase Junghans[4]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[6]; 5. 18D-Daulton Wilson[11]; 6. 22-Charlie McKenna[5]; 7. 14M-Reid Millard[8]; 8. 18S-Jesse Sobbing[7]; 9. 42-Johnathan Huston[12]; 10. 6H-Al Humphrey[13]; 11. 7-Ross Robinson[9]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar[10]; 13. (DNS) 25C-Shane Clanton; 14. (DNS) 56-Chris Spieker UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (15 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 7W-Ricky Weiss[3]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 04-Tad Pospisil[1]; 4. 1X-Aaron Marrant[4]; 5. 15-Justin Duty[7]; 6. 33-Nick Marolf[9]; 7. 51-Matt Furman[8]; 8. 14W-Dustin Walker[10]; 9. 10-Junior Coover[12]; 10. 93-Chad Simpson[6]; 11. 2S-Stormy Scott[5]; 12. (DNS) 40B-Kyle Bronson; 13. (DNS) 19R-Ryan Gustin Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals – Night 2 Feature Finish (25 Laps):

Race StatisticsEntrants: 43Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1-8); Bobby Pierce (Laps 9-13); Brandon Overton (Lap 14); Bobby Pierce (Laps 15-25)Wrisco Feature Winner: Bobby PierceArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Bobby PierceMargin of Victory: 0.479 secondsStop-Tech Cautions: Tyler Erb (Lap 13)Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Chris SimpsonPenske Shocks Top 5: Bobby Pierce, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Chris Simpson, Brandon Overton, Tyler BrueningOptima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Ricky Weiss (Advanced 12 Positions)Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Bobby Pierce (16 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadieO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Spencer HughesDirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Overton (Lap 1 – 19.537 seconds)DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Kyle BronsonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Bob Pierce (Bobby Pierce)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Pierce Race CarsDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Ricky Weiss (17.2103 seconds)Time of Race: 11 minutes 31 seconds

Accident Ends Strong Run by Sheldon Creed, Whelen Team at Bristol Motor Speedway

36th

22nd

14th

“I feel like we gave it a heck of a run the last few weeks. We started running top five, getting faster and almost won at Darlington Raceway. I thought the guys on the Whelen team did really well with adjustments after practice and qualifying today wt a Bristol Motor Speedway and they were getting me in the game. I was trying to hang in there and go as long as I could for the start of Stage 3. I was on older tires but had the top rolling pretty good. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The No. 9 got the No. 54 and then he got into me. Everyone at RCR and ECR have worked hard this season and they put so much effort into it. I’m proud of them.”   -Sheldon Creed

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Pick Up Strong Third-Place Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway

3rd

15th

6th

“Man, I think if I didn’t have that damage on the front, we could have rallied back and won that thing tonight in the Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet. We didn’t have a great practice or qualifying session and I started the race extremely tight. We made it through the first stage and then my team gave me a big adjustment and the car was much better. My spotter got me through some crazy incidents on the track and we were there in the right place at the end. Unfortunately, I got into the back of the 19 with nowhere to go and that gave us damage on the nose. I’ll take a third-place finish and now we have positive momentum heading into the first race of the Playoffs at Texas. I’m proud of this team and everyone at RCR and ECR. We’re ready to win in the Playoffs.” -Austin Hil

READING, Pa. (Sept. 16, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team land in the No. 1 spot after one qualifying session Friday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy trail in the No. 2 spot. Austin Prock also landed the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster in the No. 2 spot while Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team will look to improve from No. 15. Kicking off the NHRA Countdown to the Championship from the No. 1 spot, Robert Hight handled the Auto Club Chevy to a stout 3.867-second pass at 331.20 mph to take over the No. 1 qualifying position and gain three valuable bonus points. “We have to be aggressive because we are going to need all the points we can get. It was a pretty humbling experience going to the website and seeing our almost 300-point lead turn into 20 after the points reset,” Hight said. “Anything can happen with a small lead. We need to pick up ever point we can. It’s one run at a time, get points every qualifying run and then get lane choice and go rounds on Sunday. I’ve lost a championship by 19=points and it sucks to say that if we only had one more run we could have gotten it done. We know we need to focus 100 percent on our car. But we don’t really have to tell this team that. It’s exciting to be part of this, to come back and see the smiles on their faces. Tomorrow, we have to come out and get another three points and the second run tomorrow, with Funny Car running last, someone may come up and get us so we’ll have to try to pick it up.” Just two pair ahead of teammate Hight, John Force and the PEAK Chevy went 3.890-seconds at 329.99 mph that would be second quickest of the first session. Force will earn two bonus points for his efforts. “Good way to start the weekend, start the Countdown. We have a good hot rod, Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi all these PEAK guys, they’ve put this thing together right,” Force said. “Come out again tomorrow and see what we can do. Just keep doing my job, try to keep up with everyone else.” Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team nearly had their first provisional No. 1 qualifier with their 3.706-second pass at 332.02 mph but had to settle for No. 2 by .003-seconds. “That is exactly what this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team needed. We’ve been working really hard and it’s nice to see it pay off. We went testing after Indy and ran pretty similar, even a little better,” said Prock, who earns two bonus points. “I just have to thank Frank Tiegs and all our sponsors and John Force Racing for sticking by us. Looking forward to keeping it going.” Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac dragster had a rare misstep during their first qualifying run. Force started to lose traction early and had to shut off, coasting to a 6.617 at 91.19 mph. “Tough start to the weekend here in Reading for our Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team. We tried to push the car too hard, got greedy, trying to run a high 3.60. We know what the problem is, and we know how to fix it for tomorrow which is the positive,” Force said. “We get two more runs tomorrow, 15 typically not where we’re at but we can definitely come back form that but we get two good runs tomorrow and we can reset before race day.” Competition at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway continues with qualifying on Saturday at 1:15 and 4:45 p.m. Eliminations are scheduled to begin Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the event continues on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Eliminations will be aired Sunday at 2 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) on FOX Broadcasting Network. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:2nd; 3.706-seconds; 332.02 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+2 (2nd quickest Q1)BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy DragsterQualifying:15th; 6.617-seconds; 91.19 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0JOHN FORCE, 73, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:2nd; 3.890-seconds; 329.99 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +2 (2nd quickest Q1)ROBERT HIGHT, 53, Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:1st; 3.867-seconds; 331.20 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+3 (quickest Q1)

BATAVIA, Ohio (September 16, 2022) – With racing at The Red Clay at Woodstock – Historic Dixie Speedway continuing hiatus for the remainder of 2022, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has amended the October 7th-8th weekend schedule. The 33rd running of the Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout at The Red Clay at Woodstock – Historic Dixie Speedway has been canceled. The scheduled event at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala. will shift to Saturday, October 8th. The Swims family paused operations at The Red Clay at Woodstock – Historic Dixie Speedway, and its sister track Rome International Speedway, in 2022 to focus on the health of Martha Swims – who along with her husband Mickey and other family members have owned the legendary racetrack for 46 years. “We have always done everything as a family, including racing,” stated the Swims family. “We are so grateful for all the support that all our friends and family have offered both Martha and our family during this difficult time. We rejoice, for we know that she is with her Heavenly Father.” Until her diagnosis in September of 2021, Mrs. Swims was still handling payroll, inventory, and race night office operations for both Dixie and Rome Speedways. Martha Swims, age 80, passed away on Saturday, July 16, 2022, in her home following her battle with cancer, with her husband, Mickey, and her daughter, Mia, at her bedside. “Martha Swims was a matriarch of dirt track racing,” said Rick Schwallie, Lucas Oil late Model Dirt Series Director. “Dixie Speedway has been a pillar on the series schedule since its inception. We’re grateful for the dedication of the Swims family and their contributions to racing over the past six decades. The family remains in our thoughts and prayers during these difficult times.” The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will visit Talladega Short Track on Saturday, October 8th for a complete program of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Race, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $15,000-to-win main event. Advance tickets for the event can be purchased by visiting https://www.myracepass.com/events/383997/tickets/

NASCAR CUP SERIES BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY BASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACE TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 16, 2022   AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS / TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway. Press Conference Highlights:  HAVE YOU TALKED TO TYLER REDDICK AT ALL SINCE THE DRIVER ANNOUNCEMENT?“Tyler’s a beast, man. He puts in a ton of work during the week. I know he’s super-focused on this race, just like myself. He does a really good job of tuning stuff out and just going to work. You can’t deny Tyler Reddick’s speed each and every weekend this year. I’m sure he’s going to fast today and he’ll be just fine. I talked to him. We were at the Catwalk for a Cause together so we had a little bit of fun there, and it was for a great cause. Now it’s time to qualify and practice. For us and the 3 team, we gotta gain as many points as possible this weekend to put us in a good position at the end of this race. So today’s very important when it comes to qualifying.” YOUR GRANDFATHER SAID YOU WERE THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED YOU HIRE KYLE BUSCH. WHAT DID THAT CONVERSATION ENTAIL?“After the Tyler announcement, it was about what’s the future of the RCR look and where to go from here. In my mind, there was one guy in free agency who anyone who would love to have when it comes to a driver standpoint. It’s something he can bring and elevate your competition side right off the bat. And he moves the needle when it comes to marketing. He really does. He has a huge fanbase. So for me, it was just talking to my grandfather and saying, ‘Hey, what do you think about Kyle?’ He came back with if he would want to drive for us. I was like, why not because we have fast cars and good equipment. Truthfully when it comes to Kyle, he wants to go fast and win races. So he said to let him think about it, and about 30 minutes later. So I texted Kyle and then gave him a call and we talked. It was the same kind of conversation with Kyle… ‘Do you really think he wants me to drive for him?’ And I was like, yeah that’s what I called. It’s a great opportunity for both of them. For me, especially as a teammate, I get to learn a lot from him. The people in our shop are really excited to have a guy with his kind of experience… a two-time champion with over 200 wins. It’s awesome and it’s great for RCR. In the end, that’s what makes me happy. We want to make the Welcome North Carolina race team compete at the top each week and be looked at as a competitor. We’re on an upward trajectory, so we need to keep that going.” HAVE YOU REACHED A POINT WHERE YOU’RE EXPECTED TO HAVE MAJOR INPUT INTO DECISIONS LIKE THIS THAT CAN HELP RCR MOVE FORWARD?“I was born across those railroad tracks, so I feel like it’s all I ever know. To me, everybody who works at RCR and all the faces that I see on a weekly basis… those decisions that my grandfather made for so many years, I’ve seen him have sleepless nights because he wants his people and his company to survive and do well. For me, it’s the same thing. I want the people at RCR to be happy and have jobs for a really long time. When it comes to helping him to make good decisions for the future, I think he takes my opinion. That’s cool, and I think I deserve that too from a competition standpoint, just being in this garage for a long time, seeing a lot and seeing how things work.” THIS IS YOUR FIFTH APPEARANCE IN THE PLAYOFFS. IS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT THIS TIME?“The biggest thing is that the first two races were races that we really could have really capitalized on. We haven’t had the pace we needed to do that, but we’ve survived. So for this race, I’m really hoping we unload right here in practice and have a strong car. I think we’ve done a good job of finishing the first two first races but we need to get some stage points and put ourselves in a little better position come Saturday. We’ve been in this survive-and-advance point, but this is the advance point. We have to step it up another notch than what we’ve had these first two races. I think we’re capable of that. I love that this is a long race, and a lot of things can happen during that timeframe. It would sure be nice to qualify up front, run up front and put the pressure on the guys that are around us.” ALTHOUGH THE NEXT-GEN CAR HASN’T BEEN TO TEXAS, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AT THE MILE-AND-A-HALFS AND HOW THAT MAY TRANSLATE?“The All-Star race was there earlier this season. It was surprisingly a pretty decent race. Texas has struggled a little bit from my standpoint since we’ve paved it. It seems like it’s getting a little bit better and getting a little racier. I saw some good racing since I was watching that one. I think every race we go to next year with this Next-Gen car, anything can happen. We’ve had 18 winners and that’s been special, so you might see a new winner.” THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT WITH THIS BEING THE FIRST RACE HERE WITH THE NEXT-GEN CAR. DO YOU BELIEVE IT’LL BE SUCH A DIFFERENT RACE THAT THINGS WILL GET SHAKEN UP?“Bristol is a place where if your car does certain things well, you can make up ground and be a hero. It rewards you for being able to drive hard for a long period of time. If your car is bouncing all over the place and struggling, it’s a tough night and you kind of have to survive. I’m confident in the work that we’ve put in during the week that we can have a fast car this weekend. When we get it right, I’ve been good here before so I’m pretty confident when it comes to that.” WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THE RACE TO BE LIKE WITH PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING GIVEN THAT WE HAVE A NEW CAR, OR WILL YOU GUYS FIGURE IT OUT BY THEN?“I really don’t know the practice will give us a tell-tale sign about what we’re going to have. I didn’t get to do the test. Speaking to some of guys about the test, the track is pretty rough from the removal of the dirt and it’s a little different. In the simulator, it’s not that bad. It’ll be interesting to see what the difference is when we get out there and move around.” THEY ARE DIFFERENT SPORTS BUT ARE THERE THINGS YOU CAN CARRY OVER FROM THE MANAGEMENT VIEW OF RCR AND PBR?“For sure. The adrenaline-junky side of the athlete from both sides is very similar. On the team aspect, you can relate it to the pit crews and keeping the pit crews together. That’s another part of that. I don’t know if we announced it, but we signed our pit crew on the 3 team to a five-year deal – all of our guys. So they’ve signed up for the next five years. That’s really cool. They’ve been one of the best-performing pit crews on pit road. I’ll give credit to our pit coach for being forward-thinking on the youth that we have on that team and helping Andy Petree and myself getting into the boss man. For him, that’s a new way of thinking. He was receptive of that, and it’s important. It’s a culture-builder. That’s what we want to do at RCR, and that’s build the culture up.” YOU SAID TUESDAY THAT YOU TOLD KYLE THAT THERE WON’T BE ANOTHER TEAM WHO WILL FIGHT FOR YOU. DOES THAT START WITH RICHARD CHILDRESS OR IS THAT BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO HIRE?“It’s a little bit of the short-track mentality of bringing your friends to the track. In Welcome, we’re away from everyone in Mooresville by a bit. That makes us different because there is mostly a drive from people coming to Mooresville or that live around there. We’re kind of our team, and I like it down there. I feel like we’re in a different state than everyone else in Mooresville. I like it that way, and I think Kyle will too. He’s that type of guy that is a fiery competition, and I think that gets along with what RC has built.” AS FAR AS THE POINTS SPREAD TOMORROW, HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THE WAY GUYS APPROACH THE RACE GIVEN THIS IS A SHORT TRACK?“It’s just a rough grind of a track and race. You don’t know the performance of the tire, either. There are a lot of things that can happen here in a very short period of time. First thing’s first and that’s qualify; qualify up front, try and get stage points and try to win the race, but don’t take yourself out of the race. A lot of things are going to happen. It’s very easy with this car to take yourself out of the race because you’re on edge very often. It’s very easy to get a little too much and put yourself in a bad situation. The moment you take yourself out of the fight, you’re probably out when it comes to points.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAYBASS PRO SHOPS NIGHT RACETEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 16, 2022   ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:  LAST WEEK WAS YOUR FIRST TOP-10 FINISH SINCE NEW HAMPSHIRE. IT SEEMED LIKE THINGS HAD – NOT TAKEN A NOSE DIVE – BUT KIND OF TAILED OFF IN AUGUST AFTER THE POCONO RACE. WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE GETTING IN THE TOP-10 TO AND HOW DO YOU FEEL THE PACE OF YOUR TEAM IS NOW COMPARED TO WHERE YOU WERE AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON? “I feel like the pace has not left us. There’s been a lot of mistakes on my part; and then just stuff that’s going to happen in racing, just all kind of piled on for two months in a row there. But the pace never left.. I never questioned that. It was just a matter of me not messing; not speeding on pit road, debris in the drive pin holes at Darlington, or just crashing. It’s just eliminating that.” YOU CERTAINLY HAD IDEAS IN YOUR HEAD OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE IN THE PLAYOFFS BEFORE YOU GOT INTO THE PLAYOFFS. NOW, YOU’RE TWO RACES DEEP. DOES ANYTHING SURPRISE YOU ABOUT THE INTENSITY, FEELINGS OR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU’VE GONE THROUGH DURING THESE FIRST TWO RACES?“A lot of surprises.. and I won’t sit up here and tell you that it feels like the rest of the season because it doesn’t. It’s different. I know that small mistakes can lead to ending our chance to run for a championship. So these races – three at a time, three rounds each – do mean more. I’m not immune to that.  But leaving Daytona and the Monday morning before Darlington, I was amazed about how normal it felt. I thought ‘well it’s going to come later in the week’.. and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, all felt so normal. Race day morning, that was tough. I stayed down in Florence at a hotel. The drive over to the track, I just had a lot of nerves. Once I got into the rhythm of coming and doing stuff like this, meeting with sponsors, team meeting, dinner.. then it’s normal. These races are later in the day, so I’m curious to see how tomorrow feels. But the morning of Darlington, all the way until I got in the hauler and started my normal race day routine of meetings and appearances, it felt different. Looking back on it, it’s cool. But in the moment, it doesn’t feel good.” DID YOU FEEL LIKE GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS, YOU COULD HANDLE IT LIKE ‘HEY, IT’S JUST ANOTHER RACE’ AND YOU FOUND OUT YOU COULDN’T? DID YOU FEEL LIKE GOING INTO IT, YOU KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT?“I feel like once we got into the rhythm of Darlington and Kansas, we handled it. We did everything that we needed to do. You can look back and see things that could be done better, but we’re all experiencing this for the first time. Myself, my crew chief Phil Surgen and my spotter Brandon McReynolds – even just us three have never been in this position in our current roles. I expected the week leading up to it, the days leading up to the race, to be harder to get through. But they were actually more normal than I anticipated and I kind of calibrated to that. And then race day was like a flood of emotions. At the end of the day, I’m right where I’ve always wanted to be and realizing that, it’s all kind of hit me on each race day. It’s really cool and I’m trying to experience all of this as much as I can, but it’s also scary at the same time.” WITH THIS BEING BRISTOL, A SHORT TRACK AND THE FIRST CUT-OFF RACE OF THE PLAYOFFS; I’M WONDERING IF YOU’RE GOING TO ASK YOUR TEAM TO KEEP YOU MORE AWARE OF OTHER DRIVERS AROUND YOU TOMORROW NIGHT IN CASE THERE IS ANY FALLOUT FROM INCIDENTS FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR? “If there is any fallout, I’ll be the first to know. They aren’t going to be able to tell me before it happens.” IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY BEHIND YOU THOUGH, ARE YOU GOING TO WANT TO BE AWARE OF THAT? “I’m aware of everything going on around the No. 1 car at all times.. especially with these new rearview cameras. I tell Brandon McReynolds all the time; spotter union up there better put a petition to get these things out of here because they’re nice and you can see everything.  Yeah, I’m aware. We’ve went through all of the points situations of finishing positions through each stage. So we re-evaluate through each stage, but it doesn’t even need to be said. I have a good enough working knowledge, I feel like. If a caution comes out for a stage break, we’ll see who got points and I’m going to know a ballpark of how it’s updating. I don’t need a read-out every stage.” YOU HAVE FIVE STARTS AT BRISTOL WITH ONE TOP-15 FINISH AND AN AVERAGE FINISH OF 26. 800. HOWEVER, WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR, YOU CAN KIND OF THROW SOME OF THE STATS OUT THE WINDOW BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TEAMS DON’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT HERE. WE MIGHT SEE SOMEBODY WHO WE NEVER EXPECTED TO FINISH WELL, FINISH WELL. DO YOU WIPE THAT OUT OF YOUR MIND? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OF THE CAR HERE? “When I look back on my Cup races here.. this is a good example. With Premium Motorsports for most of those races, aside from last year with the No. 42, my goal was to finish a single digit number of laps down. So that’s nine laps down to the leader or less. That was the challenge, that was the goal; to keep it at nine or less. Don’t be double digits. The things I learned through those races are invaluable. I can never learn that in a fast car.. how to get lapped nine times, eight times, whatever. That’s hard to do. I wouldn’t trade those days, but also I’m in a totally different space now. So transitioning that has been hard.. you all have witnessed that first-hand, my transition from slow cars in the Cup Series to fast cars and you’ve seen my mistakes along the way. I take all of those past races, even though the finishes don’t show. There were times where I crashed on lap one because I was too close to the field and I piled into a wreck when someone turned off of (turn) four. And then there’s other times where I did the right thing, stayed back and I finished the race.  Finishes aside, a lot of times 29th was a win. That was our goal.. or 25th. You run 25th in the No. 15 car back then and you’ve done your job. I know a lot of people look at averages and my average now will always be skewed with those early years. Whether at the end of my career I go back to a car like that, I don’t know. But for right now, I’m going to keep upping my average to where it’s supposed to be. But it will always be skewed because of those. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.” HOW LONG DO YOU THINK WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO GET THE FEEL OF THE NEXT GEN CAR ON THIS TRACK? “I hope I can assess it faster than some people can turn off music on their phones (laughs).  Yeah, practice is going to be wild. Looking at what the wheel force cars did; all three manufacturers spun out and all three blew tires separate of each other. Separate of the tire blow outs to the spins, from what I was told. I’m not going to be upset if we’re not the fastest because we’re probably not on the ragged edge of air pressure and tires blowing. We need solid runs.  And then driving with these shocks and the way they bottom out; you’re just spinning out kind of every practice. I could see that happening here. It’s going to be an experience. We haven’t run here on the concrete configuration in a year, so it really feels like to me – the unknowns of it – feel like the races early in the year when we went to each track for the first time. This is the first time with the new car coming to Bristol. You can’t count the dirt experience; it’s just going to drive so different.” AT 26-POINTS ABOVE THE CUTLINE, DO YOU PLAY THIS A LITTLE BIT CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE OF THE UNKNOWNS?“Yeah, I think of course. You never want to crash in practice, especially this year with this car. You don’t want to crash. I think that the simple answer is yes.. but I still want to go fast. I know I say I don’t want to be the fastest in practice, but I do. I want to be the fastest. I want to qualify on the pole and I want to lead 500 laps. There are going to be certain situations where it’s going to be in my best interest to not insert myself.” WE OFTEN HEAR THAT THIS IS THE TIME OF THE YEAR WHERE TEAMS STEP IT UP. BUT WHEN A NON-PLAYOFF DRIVER WON AT DARLINGTON, IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE WE’VE SEEN AS MUCH DOMINANCE FROM THE PLAYOFF TEAMS THAT WE HAVE IN PAST YEARS. WHAT’S YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT? “It’s different. This car has reset that whole thing. Like you can’t bring different headers here. You can’t bring a new aero-package. You’re trying to maximize everything, but we all have the same parts. You can’t build a new right-front spindle and save it for the playoffs. You can’t bring different brake pads that they’ve found in testing to be better and bring them now. There’s nothing else to bring. We all order the same stuff.  This has been the greatest reset that this sport has ever seen.. ever. From the very first race, you could build a better car. Now, you can only assemble a better car. We all build off the same control arms, chassis, body panels. We all scan them in our hawkeyes. We bring them here and try not to let the sun hit them. We get them through tech and then we race them. They are so equal and it’s been the greatest reset.  Really, there’s geometry and setups. But you’re just moving stuff around on the car, you can’t bring different materials because we all buy the same stuff.” A LOT OF PEOPLE POINT TO BRISTOL OR MARTINSVILLE WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE PAYBACKS. ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CURRENT POINTS SITUATION AND ONLY (CHRISTOPHER) BELL HAVING LOCKED INTO THE NEXT ROUND; WILL GUYS BE ON SO MANY DIFFERENT AGENDAS TOMORROW NIGHT THAT IT SORT OF LESSENS THE POTENTIAL FOR GUYS WORRYING ABOUT PAYBACK? “I can’t speak for what other people are thinking. I just know that I hit the wall nice and hard at Pocono, so I don’t think track or speed matters.” WHAT WAS YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF THE THING THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK WITH BUBBA (WALLACE) AND (KEVIN) HARVICK, WHEN HARVICK ENDED UP HITTING THE WALL? “Yeah, I got tight under Bubba (Wallace). We were super close to each other; didn’t lift in time, didn’t leave him enough room, forced him into the wall. We got off of each other right before he hit the wall, but it was still my fault.  I think on that part, Harvick, no.. I think that’s the air of these cars. I felt bad and I apologized on the radio. But when I watched it, I can’t control the cars behind us. But I feel terrible that happened. He’s one of my heroes.. I don’t want an action in the middle of (turns) three and four to cause a wreck on the exit. I could have given him more room, especially looking back at lap 30-something, for sure.” WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS.. YOU DIDIN’T HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH HARVICK, BUT OF COURSE EVERYBODY DOESN’T GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AT THIS POINT, SO YOU GET BLAMED FOR IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THAT? “I do know. I do hear it and I do get it sent to me. But it does not bother me that a tweet will go out from somebody and it names Harvick and me and leaves Bubba out. It’s like, why.. why does it have to be skewed that way. But it doesn’t bother me. I just see it and I understand how that person views it. And that’s what’s so great about social media.. it’s that everybody’s opinions are instantly out there. Whether somebody has zero followers or 300,000 followers, it does not matter. Their tweet is going to go out and people can take it for how it is. All it takes is a free download of an app and it’s out there.  It doesn’t bother me, it’s just good to know. It’s good to have your head to the ground. As we all co-exist through this sport, it’s good to know where people stand and how they view things. A lot of times social media can tell you a lot about a person. I know a lot of people call it a highlight real. You can tell a lot about somebody with how they talk and the characters they use on there.” EXPLAIN WHAT FACTORS GO INTO WHETHER YOU SHIFT AT A PLACE LIKE BRISTOL OR NOT; AND IF SO, IS THAT DIFFICULT?“Super difficult. I tried it this week in the simulator. It’s possible, I think. I don’t think it’s going to be necessary, but I also didn’t think it would be necessary at Martinsville and it was every lap. I didn’t think it would be like it was at the Clash and it was. I don’t know that we slow down quite enough, but we’re not expecting a ton of tire falloff. But if it does slow down enough, I could see late in a run if we still have good forward drive, start trying it. Guys were doing it at Kansas that were really tight. It’s wild.. I never even thought about it at Kansas, but some guys are a little more openminded to that than me. I’m usually a little late to the game. They have to tell me they’re doing it and then I have to work up my confidence.” DOES SHIFTING HELP WITH SPEED OR HANDLING? “Yes… (laughs). It’s going to help the handling, which is going to help the speed. I don’t know how exactly, but it does. I don’t understand these transaxles yet enough to know.” GOING BACK TO BEING CONSERVATIVE; THAT GIVES ME THE SENSE THAT EVEN AT 26-POINTS ABOVE THE CUTLINE, THERE’S NO FEEL OF BEING SAFE OR COMFORTABLE WITH THAT ADVANTAGE.“No, it’s the Cup Series. These are the best driver and teams in the world. We all know the math and we know the points that need to be acquired. We just have to go race. I can’t ride around; I just have to go race. You can gain and lose points quick, for sure. Stuff happens so fast here that it can change in lap of the 500.” DARLINGTON AND KANSAS – MULTIPLE PLAYOFF DRIVERS HAD PROBLEMS. IS THERE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT BRISTOL COULD NOT BE JUST AS WILD TOMORROW NIGHT?“No, there’s no reason to think it wouldn’t be. It’s on this spot on the schedule for a reason.”