Pierce, Hoffman top standings as St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff weekend vs. Outlaws approaches

SPRINGFIELD, MO – June 21, 2022 – The hot tempers and hotter temperatures continue on the trail of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals this week with five races scheduled for Missouri-Illinois Week.

Missouri-Illinois Week schedule

Tuesday, June 21 – Springfield Raceway (Springfield, MO)
Wednesday, June 22 – Adams County Speedway (Quincy, IL)
Thursday, June 23 – Spoon River Speedway (Lewistown, IL)
Friday-Saturday, June 24-25 – Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO)

If you can’t be at the track, tune into DIRTVision to watch every lap of action live from wherever you are with a FAST PASS subscription.

Here are the drivers to watch for and the storylines to follow this week…

HELL TOUR vs. OUTLAWS – For the first time since 2019, the DIRTcar Summer Nationals regulars go head-to-head with the World of Outlaws in the all-new St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.

Hell Tour regulars Bobby Pierce, Brian Shirley and Jason Feger will line-up beside World of Outlaws full-timers Dennis Erb Jr., Max Blair, Tanner English and more, shooting for a $20,000 grand prize on Saturday, June 25, succeeding a $10,000-to-win event on Friday, June 24. The Summit Modifieds and Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation are also on the card.

2017 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Devin Moran, of Dresden, OH, won the first-ever meeting of the two series at Terre Haute Action Track on June 29, 2018, before Brandon Sheppard, 2013 Hell Tour champion, beat the Summer Nationals drivers as an Outlaw the next night at I-55 in the second meeting. Sheppard again beat the Hell Tour ringers one year later at Terre Haute, piloting the Rocket1 Racing ride, in the most recent tour matchup.

RETURN OF THE NICK – Five starts, five wins for defending DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals champion Nick Hoffman. He’s been largely unchallenged thus far on tour, but this week, he takes on a different challenge; One he has not seen on the Hell Tour since 2018.

Hoffman is projected to be back behind the wheel of the Barry Wright Race Cars #2 Late Model this week, with three events scheduled. He’ll first take on the high banks of Spoon River Speedway in Lewistown, IL, on Thursday, June 23, before battling the World of Outlaws with the Summer Nationals regulars at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Friday-Saturday, June 24-25.

The four-time Modified champion contested a partial Summer Nationals schedule with a Late Model in 2018, piloting a Propane Direct/Jones Oil-sponsored Rocket Chassis #2.

CHAMP OUT FRONT – Four-time and defending Summer Nationals champion Bobby Pierce is off to a great start in his first week back on tour.

Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, finished all but two races on the podium with two wins, two runner-ups, a sixth and a DNF (17th). That 17th-place finish came at Davenport Speedway last Thursday, where he broke while leading the Feature.

Scheduled to attend every race in Missouri-Illinois Week, Pierce has a win at each of the four tracks on the docket.

LOCAL FLAVOR – Each track on tap for Missouri-Illinois Week features their own local heroes that are possible entries at various points throughout the week and could potentially give the Late Model and Modified regulars a run for their money come Feature time.

Springfield Raceway (Late Models only)

• Logan Martin has been a regular on tour through the first week, appearing in every Feature and collecting one top-five and three top-10 finishes thus far. Springfield is the closest track on the 2022 schedule to his home in West Plains, MO, and he’ll no-doubt be gunning for his first career victory with the tour at the 3/8-mile oval.

• Kyle Beard, of Trumann, AR, has made several starts before with the Summer Nationals, most notably driving from 17th to finish 8th in last year’s Feature at Springfield.

• Mason Oberkramer, of Broseley, MO, notched two top-10s last year with the Summer Nationals, and most memorably drove from 12th to finish runner-up in the 2020 Feature at Springfield.

• Other notable possible Springfield entries include Terry Phillips, Brennon Willard, Scott Crigler and Kaeden Cornell.

Adams County Speedway (IL)

• Austen Beccera, of Carthage, IL, tops the Adams County UMP Modified points standings through seven weeks with two wins and top-fives in all but one race. He’ll lead the charge against Nick Hoffman’s win streak as the Summit Modified Nationals comes back to the Quincy, IL-venue for the first time in three years.

• Dave Wietholder, of Liberty, IL, has identical stats to Beccera at Adams County this year with two wins and six top-fives in seven starts. He’s already run well with the tour so far, notably grabbing a runner-up to Hoffman at Peoria Speedway last Wednesday.

• Mike Vandriet Jr., Levi Long and Kenny Wallace all sit top-five in Modified track points and are projected to be in the field as well.

Spoon River Speedway

• Track UMP Modified points leader Josh Allen has two wins already this year at Spoon and will be the top weekly frontrunner to challenge Hoffman’s reign of terror on the Summit Modified tour thus far.

• Mike Brooks, Ray Bollinger, Kelly Kovski and Dave Wietholder make up the rest of the top-five in Spoon River Modified points and are potential entries into the Summit Modified field this Thursday.

Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55

• Daryn Klein, of Trenton, IL, has one win in two recorded starts at the high-banked, third-mile in local this year. Most notably, Klein led several laps in the 2020 Summer Nationals Feature before coughing up the lead to eventual winner Brandon Sheppard. He’s joined by Michael Kloos and Jordan Bauer as the only other weekly racers with wins at the track this season.

• Kenny Wallace, of Arnold, MO, and Mike Harrison, of Highland, IL, have been downright dominant at I-55 this season, each posting three victories apiece.

Wallace, the 2012 Summit Modified champion and current DIRTcar national points leader, is in his final full-time season of racing, and would love nothing more than a win against a tough STL field in his 1986 ASA Late Model throwback scheme.

Harrison, the six-time Summit Modified champion, is having another record book season with the most UMP Modified wins of any driver in the country this year, sitting second overall in the nation.

SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with Jordan Taylor, met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Tuesday to discuss this weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, the team’s performance heading Watkins Glen and other topics. FULL GARCIA TRANSCRIPT: ON RETURNING TO IMSA GTD PRO COMPETITION AT WATKINS GLEN: “Going back to The Glen will be great. I’ve always loved the race there. It has been quite a long time since we’ve raced the GTD PRO Corvette. I’m happy to go back there and go for two races in two weeks. I feel we are prepared for it. Let’s see how we are and hopefully we can fight for a good result and a win. That’s the goal.”MINDSET OF THE TEAM AFTER THE RETIREMENT AT LE MANS: “It obviously was a shock. It’s been awhile since we’ve retired from such a big race like this. Le Mans is always tough for everyone, but I didn’t expect to retire going into the race. It’s disappointing in one hand, but in the other hand I was happy with the performance we were having. Unluckily the sister car had to retire as well. It’s time to bounce back. We’ll be back to the GTD spec so we need to get used to this car configuration. The Glen has always been a really good racetrack for us. It’s another new place for this car in this configuration, and we don’t know where are against the rest (of the GTD PRO field). Looking back at other races, we’ve been competitive so I hope everything stays the same and we’re able to fight for it.” REVIEWING THE SEASON SO FAR: “We’ve had good races so far. Even though we aren’t leading the championship, we’ve been near the top. We’re all looking forward to the next part of the season which is more important. Let’s see where the Corvette stands against the rest of the field.” ON THREE RACES IN 20 DAYS AND IMPORTANCE OF PREPARATION FOR AN INTENSE STRETCH: “The team has been flat-out since they got back from Le Mans. Luckily, the car we use in the States is a completely different one (than the Le Mans chassis) so they already had prepared the car for this part of the season right after Laguna. So on that part we are set. Now we need to get back in our mindset of IMSA racing, knowing the rules, pitlane sequence and how everything works in America. It’s been good to have both teams running either WEC or IMSA. As we showed, we were very prepared to run Le Mans. Now it’s time to get back to our normal season. Corvette Racing has always been prepared. We’re all looking forward to these two races and racing at two of my favorite tracks back-to-back – The Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Let’s see if the Corvette is fast enough to be up front and if we can go for the win.”

HAVE YOU TESTED AT THE GLEN WITH THE GTD PRO CAR, OR DO YOU KNOW THE CAR WELL ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO RELATE AT A NEW CIRCUIT? “No, we didn’t test (at The Glen). I think there was some testing going on but we were fully focused on Le Mans. As we have at every other race track, we will correlate all the data we have from the GTLM car and translate everything we know up to now to what we think a baseline would be for this car. We don’t know how it will go yet, but I think we have a narrow path to know where the car should be. So far we’ve been pretty good off the bat in the first practices. I hope we are the same here at this new track for this car. It’s always a challenge learn on the new tire. Every racetrack is different, and The Glen was pretty tough on the GTLM tires. We don’t know yet what to expect, but the tire will be the main thing.” DESCRIBING WATKINS GLEN AND WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT THAN OTHER TRACKS: “First of all, it’s very fast. There are only a couple of slowish corners but everything else is mid- to high-speed cornering. That’s what makes it a little different. There also is the actual flow on the track with traffic. We are expecting quite a big field out there. Not only will it be a fight in our class, but it will also be tough with the interaction of the other classes. That’s the main thing. Now we are actually slower so in a way that makes it easier compared to GTLM where we were having to pass a lot of cars but also were kind of in the way of the prototypes. Now it’s more about fighting in our class and just getting passed instead of trying to get past some other classes. That may make it little easier but it’s still a question mark for Jordan and me to know how this car will feel. The track is definitely high-demand. Yes there are some straight lines but there also is a lot of action come the race.” FIGHT AMONG ALL THE MANUFACTURERS IN THE GTD PRO CLASS: “It will be a big challenge. Knowing there are seven cars out there (from seven manufacturers) and it being a longer race, we’ll have a few more really good drivers coming over to join the teams. That will make things more interesting. Even being in the mix of the GTD class, they will be running three drivers in those cars, and some pretty good guys will probably be in at the end (of the race). So not only will it be a GTD PRO fight but it will be a mix of GTD and GTD PRO all the way. It should be interesting. We need to be smart on strategy, don’t make any mistakes and be up front so not to get caught up in anything. It will be challenging.”

NORWALK, OH (June 21, 2022) — Fan favorite NHRA Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson will debut a Trick Flow Specialties Ford Mustang Funny Car at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. The 22-time Funny Car national event winner, who most recently earned runner-up finish at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, will switch from his familiar green and black Levi, Ray & Shoup livery to Trick Flow’s dynamic blue and orange for this exciting race. Wilkerson will be chasing his second win at America’s Racetrack, Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The veteran driver won the wildly popular NHRA national event in 2010, defeating John Force in the final.

“We are excited to be representing Trick Flow Specialties this weekend at Norwalk,” said Wilkerson, who has 47 career Funny Car final round appearances. “We have a great relationship with Summit Racing Equipment and Trick Flow Specialties is a great partner. This weekend will be a huge event and we will be looking to go some rounds and get back into the winner’s circle at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.”

So far this season Wilkerson has a semifinal finish at the NHRA Arizona Nationals and a final round appearance at last weekend’s Bristol Dragway. The team owner, driver and crew chief has guided his team to eight qualifying starts from the top half of the field through the first eight races. Wilkerson has enjoyed the support of Levi, Ray & Shoup and Summit Racing Equipment as he battles some of the toughest Funny Car drivers and teams in the modern era. The addition of Trick Flow Specialties for the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals will give the team an added boost this weekend.

Trick Flow Specialties manufactures aluminum cylinder heads, intake manifolds, top end kits, camshaft and valvetrain components, and other performance parts for Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler V8 engines. Located in Tallmadge, Ohio, Trick Flow does all product engineering, pattern-making, CNC machining, assembly, and dyno testing in-house to ensure customers get exceptional quality and Ultimate Bolt-On Performance™, right out of the box.

“We are thrilled to have Tim representing Trick Flow Specialties this weekend,” said Josh Cook, Trick Flow Manager. “Big thanks go to Summit Racing for helping us put this deal together. There is nothing more exciting than NHRA drag racing, and we’re proud to have our team, customers, and guests at the race to support Team Wilkerson.”

Wilkerson will unveil the Trick Flow Specialties Ford Mustang at a special Meet and Greet and Cruise In at Summit Racing Equipment in Tallmadge, Ohio on Wednesday, June 22 from 4 pm to 8 pm. Wilkerson will begin his quest for a victory at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals during qualifying on Friday and Saturday with final eliminations scheduled for 11 am ET on Sunday morning. Fans will be able to tune in to FOX for live racing coverage Sunday beginning at 3 pm ET.

Jimmie Johnson, co-driver of the No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R, met with the media June 21 via Zoom conference to preview this weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on the 3.45-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen International road course. Johnson will team with Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Rockenfeller for the third round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. Cadillac Racing Watkins Glen media resource guide | 2022 Cadillac Racing media guide Transcript of IMSA-related questions:

WATKINS GLEN, TOUGH RACETRACK. WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING THIS WEEKEND FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?“I’m happy to be back in the race car and happy to be back with everybody at Action Express Racing. Really excited to see Kamui and Mike – two great human beings and great guys to be around. All in all, I have a lot of excitement to come back to Watkins Glen. It’s a track and area that I really do enjoy. And to be on the track through the full loop – the Boot – I have not done that many times in all the trips that I’ve been there, so I’m excited to run the full-distance track. And in one of these DPi Cadillacs, the pace and effort you have to drive around that racetrack is quite impressive. Especially comparing it to my days in NASCAR. Some of the braking zones, the Bus Stop and the Carousel, it’s just mind-blowing how fast these cars can travel through those tight little areas. So very excited to get back and have that experience once again.” HOW BIG WOULD A WIN BE FOR YOU THIS WEEKEND?“It would be incredible to win at Watkins Glen. Incredible to win in another division and series. And then the way sports car racing and endurance racing works, the team atmosphere. I really feel like I’m part of the family at Action Express Racing, and to do so and to win as a race team and as a family in a sense would be really special, too.”

HOW MUCH MORE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE IN TUNE WITH THE TEAM AND THE CAR COMING BACK TO WATKINS GLEN?“I truly feel like I’m in a better place. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to drive the car at Sebring to see where I kind of fit in and get more time in the DPi car. Clearly, I’ve been a lot more busy in the IndyCar and have a lot more reps and I feel like I’m evolving and more on pace. I think the 24 and even Petit last year you can see that gap closing and I felt much more comfortable and competitive in the car. In a short race, a six-hour race, the importance of being on pace is even higher yet. I’m excited to get a few laps in practice, and I’m not sure I’ll get much more than that the way the practice sessions work out. Hopefully, the time I spend in the sim tomorrow actually will pay off and I can get a step closer to the pace I want to run.” DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU’RE EXPECTING TO SPEND IN THE CAR SUNDAY?“I think it’s how things play out in the race. A six-hour race with three drivers there’s not a lot of drive time period. But I think the time I spend in the car ultimately depends on my pace.” HAVE YOU HAD ANY MORE TALKS ABOUT LE MANS FOR NEXT YEAR?“I’m still eagerly awaiting the (INDYCAR) schedule. I’m pushing behind the scenes to Jay Fry (INDYCAR president) and others to try to understand what the schedule might be. I want to go to Le Mans. It would be an amazing experience to go with Hendrick and Action Express and the way this whole partnership works. But I think so much hinges on the schedule being released to understand if I can and from the team standpoint what drivers would be at the top of their list. So, I’m thankful to have had a few conversations with them and I know that there’s interest. I certainly have a ton of interest to do it. We’re just waiting for that first domino to fall.” IF THE INDYCAR SCHEDULE WORKS OUT, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE PRETTY HIGH ON THAT LIST?“I do. I feel like the interest is really high on both sides. We haven’t been able to talk anything more formal because the schedule is not out.” WHERE DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF IN IMSA NEXT YEAR?“I really think it’s schedule permitting and then the opportunity permitting. There’s such a shakeup next year within sports car racing. I’m not sure the dust is really settled yet to understand where opportunities might lie. I think in the next month or two there will be more clarity for myself and for a few others out there as well just as the series really comes together and cars and seats and opportunities are out there.” IS IT MORE A CASE OF CAR AVAILABILITY?“That’s definitely a big player in it.” FOR 2023, YOU WANT TO DO A FULL INDYCAR SCHEDULE AND ANYTHING THAT FITS?“Absolutely. What I’ve been doing has been so much fun and enjoyable. I continue to get better and certainly hope to do something similar next year.” SINCE YOU HAVEN’T BEEN IN THE CADILLAC DPI SINCE DAYTONA, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE TO GET UP TO SPEED?“I’m putting a lot of stock into the sim experience I’ll have tomorrow. I know last year I had a testing conflict with INDYCAR and I wasn’t able to drive the sim with Action. After the practice session took place, it was obvious that the sim session would have been very useful for me. The drivers that did participate in it were very pleased with how close reality and sim were for that given experience. So, I worked really hard to get in the sim this time knowing how few laps you get in practice prior to the race. But I think my senses, my eyes have really adjusted well to how fast an IndyCar gets around a racetrack and I think that experience will carry over for us in the DPi car. From a comfort standpoint, the DPi car I’ve been more comfortable in it than I have the IndyCar. The side force properties of the car, the aerodynamics and just the way it rides fits more of my background, if you will. There’s a lot more side force in the car, and it’s always brought me a lot of comfort. So, with all that being said, I’m excited about sim tomorrow and really plan to trust sim and the braking marks and the aggression to drive the track and carry that right to the track and looking forward to that applying.” WHAT DID YOU LEARN LAST YEAR THAT WILL HELP YOU GOING ALL OUT FOR THOSE BIG LAPS?“That was truly the eye-opening experience I had last year. I think I only got six laps of practice before the race, and I was nowhere near pace. And then my stint, towards the end of it, I think I had 20-25 laps in the car. At the end I was finally close on pace and ran my fastest lap. It took me 30 laps to find the aggression level, so that’s why I have so much focus on the sim session. The commitment level was just mind-blowingly high. One, it was an eye-opener but two it’s so much fun to rip around the track that fast, especially going through the Carousel with barely a slight lift and right back to the gas and wide open. What the other drivers said about the commitment level did catch me out when I was there last year, and I hope to do more on pace this year.”

IS THAT WHY YOU ENJOY THE EXPERIENCES IN THE CADILLAC DPI – WHEN YOU HIT IT RIGHT YOU REALLY ENJOY IT?“I do. It makes me feel like a kid again. The years I spent driving cars my senses and body has understood a certain level of grip and speed and braking marks and throttle marks. And when you just shatter everything you know, it just makes you laugh. Inside the car I’m literally laughing like I cannot believe I just did that in a race car. That’s the part I’m really enjoying.” LOOKING TO NEXT YEAR, DO OYOU HAVE A SENSE THAT KAMUI AND ROCKY COULD RETURN WITH YOU?“I really don’t have a good sense of things. I feel like Action has been able to help Kamui navigate through the Toyota conflict, and we’ve been able to do it for a few years. I feel confident if there’s an opportunity we would be able to figure it out. Rocky’s schedule is a little bit more open; he’s not running a race team like Kamui is at this point. I definitely know all of us want to stay together and I feel like behind the scenes and the political pieces of it we could get that organized. It’s just really about cars being available to drive. I think we’ll have a better idea in the next month or so what opportunities might be there.” AND THE ALLY SPONSORSHIP IS SOLID?“The relationship I have with them is rock solid. We’re still in this phase, whether it’s INDYCAR or sports car or any other ideas I have to go racing, people are just starting to talk about options. It’s usually end of summer, beginning of fall when paper starts moving around and people are looking to ink stuff and get it done. So, we’re early in the cycle and I’m certainly trying to keep my options open, and I know I have Ally’s support on and off the track whatever I choose to do. I certainly hope it involves more on track.” CAN YOU EXPOUND ON HOW HAVING TEAMMATES IN VARIOUS SERIES IS DIFFERENT?“I think sports car racing really takes the driver relationship to a deeper level. And in some respects, I think the team relationship, too. You all are working for a common goal at a deeper level than what I’ve experienced in NASCAR. Six days of the week in NASCAR we were that community, but Sundays was all about yourself and what you could do for yourself and your team. Adding that extra day – and especially the most important day of the week from racing terms – really takes those relationships to the next level.” GETTING TO ATTACK THESE HIGH-COMMITMENT TRACKS IN A CADILLAC DPI, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM A CUP CAR?“I think whatever lane you’re in whether it’s sports cars, formula cars, big, heavy stock cars, at a young age your path is sort of chosen for you and you really start spending time on those tracks seeing the cars, the technology. It’s amazing all these little pieces you pick up along the way that help you be stronger in that given discipline. In the NASCAR space I clearly spent a career there, a lifetime there. I always wondered what it would be like to drive the other cars. I am realizing when I cross over all the things that I took for granted I’m now needing to relearn. Sometimes it’s the simplest of things of pit ins, pit outs, the little details on the track that after four or five braking zones those little details on those four or five braking zones add up to a second. It really is a specialized discipline. When you look at how strong the INDYCAR field is, the DPi field, the NASCAR field, they are very specialized skill sets for each one. I just think that’s a credit to motorsports and how strong the series are. I think generations back, certainly it was specialized, but I think there’s a bit more freedom for a driver to move around. This has certainly been an eye-opening experience for me to leave the top of one field and literally start over in these other fields.” COULD YOU EXPOUND ON HOW RACING THE CADILLAC DPI HAS SHATTERED YOUR EXPECTATIONS?“To use Watkins Glen and an area of the track as an example, qualifying coming to the Bus Stop, the brake markers start at 500. In qualifying, we’re at the 5 full brakes from fourth gear down to second towing through the Bus Stop in a NASCAR vehicle. In the DPi car, you’ll be in fifth gear, go down two gears with maybe a lift about the 75 mark – and it’s really just kind of a moderate braking zone. And off that brake wide open exiting the Bus Stop, upshifting with a slight lift through the Carousel. Just the braking zone alone is almost four times better than what we would have in the Cup car. That math really translates all the way around the track – the cornering speeds, the braking zones. The acceleration is less; the vehicle has less power than what a Cup car has so there is a tradeoff, especially in how a lap time is made. NASCAR vehicles really make up that lap time on the straightaways with all the power it has. Braking and cornering, these cars are just in a whole different level of performance.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 21, 2022) – The 2022 Progressive American Flat Track tour will arrive at one of its most challenging and revered events this weekend with the Mission Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, on Saturday, June 25. The pea-gravel cushion Half-Mile pushes competitors to their physical limit while testing their strategic acumen as well, reliably offering a variety of line choices while delivering outstanding racing. Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) has proven himself a master of the demanding battleground time and again. The current points leader has reigned supreme at the Lima Half-Mile on five separate occasions, dating back to his very first premier-class victory way back in 2005. That sterling track record is fitting too, as Mees is not just one of the most successful riders in the event’s history, he and his wife Nichole also serve as the race’s promoters. However, that hasn’t prevented the track from biting even him on occasion, including the time Mees failed to make the Main Event in 2017, as well as last season when he mustered just an eighth-place finish while combating an early-season injury. While Mees struggled here a year ago, fellow Indian Wrecking Crew member Briar Bauman(No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) shined, earning his second victory of the ‘21 season. That wasn’t his first win at Lima, as Bauman actually earned his first win aboard a twin-cylinder at the track back in 2017. He’ll look to pull off a similar trick this year at a venue that’s well suited to his riding style and phenomenal fitness. While the Mees/Bauman rivalry has dominated headlines for the last three-plus seasons, they currently find themselves in the midst of an intense four-way battle for supremacy that also involves Estenson Racing Yamaha teammates Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who currently ranked second and fourth in the points, respectively. Daniels and Beach have made history in recent weeks while claiming two of the last three races. If either rider manages to add another victory this weekend, it’ll be yet another milestone with Yamaha still seeking its first-ever win at the Lima Half-Mile regardless of category. Mission Roof Systems teammates Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) flanked Bauman on the box here a year ago. Robinson also happens to be a past winner of the race, while Ohio native Vanderkooi would love to earn his maiden premier-class victory in his home state. Another story to keep tabs on is the performance of Brandon Price (No. 92 Pro One Industries/Mission Foods KTM Duke 890). Price, who has raced an Indian and a Kawasaki already this season, will compete aboard a KTM Duke 890 less than a month after James Rispoli (No. 43 Wally Brown Racing/Haversack KTM 890 Duke) demonstrated the potential of the platform with a podium performance as a Mission Production Twins Challengeentrant at the Red Mile. Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Following the lightning fast start of Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), the Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines title fight has trended in the direction of a two-rider showdown featuring defending champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) and points leader Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R). While those two have separated themselves from the pack in the points race, it’s been a different story in any given race. There have been five different winners in just six races this season, including last weekend’s debut winner, Billy Ross (No. 109 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R). One rider still looking for their first victory of 2022 is last year’s Lima Half-Mile winner, Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650). The Royal Enfield appears to be more potent than ever but misfortune has prevented Lewis from finishing on the podium yet this season. A return to Lima could be exactly what’s needed to get the program back on track. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) was in commanding form at the Laconia Short Track, building up his Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title lead with a thoroughly dominating performance to claim his third win of the young season. Second-ranked Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) and third-ranked Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) – who aims to return to action post-surgery in Lima – will need to strike back in a significant way and soon in order to keep Kopp in their sights. Fortunately for them, both riders were podium performers at Lima a year ago. 2019 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles champion Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) is just a further two points adrift of Whale and has both the time and talent required to claw his way back into the championship chase. While the usual suspects lock down their positions at the top of the order, any number of riders have threatened to break through with a win of their own in ‘22, including the likes of Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R), Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F). And don’t count out Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Voodoo Ranger Honda CRF450R), who won the Mission Production Twins Main and podiumed in Parts Unlimited AFT Singles on a single evening at Lima in 2019. There will be plenty to keep fans entertained off the track as well, including the Mission Booth, Drag Specialties display, and numerous other vendors, a variety of food and beverage options, the Kids Zone, and a vintage bike show located behind the main grandstand. Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3765 to reserve your tickets today. General Admission tickets are available for just $30 with kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult. Reserved Grandstand and Premium Reserved Grandstand ticketsare available for just $5 and $10 more, respectively. Paddock Access Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport. Fans who want an all-inclusive night of spectating can purchase the VIP Experience, which includes a Premium Reserved Grandstand ticket, Paddock Access Upgrade, food and beverage, and access to the VIP line for shirts and programs for $125. Gates will open for fans at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:10 p.m. ET/3:10 p.m. PT ahead of the day’s Main Event program. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tvprovides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99. The Mission Lima Half-Mile will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, July 3, at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m, PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary. For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com. How to Watch: FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.

Nearly 50 Entries Expected for Inaugural Running of $100,000-to-win Event

BRANDON, SD – June 21, 2022 – The biggest motorsports event in South Dakota history consumes Huset’s Speedway this week.

Scheduled for four consecutive nights, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will bring nearly 50 entries to the Brandon, SD 1/3-mile oval from Wednesday to Saturday. It begins with a standard makeup show, continues with preliminary programs on Thursday & Friday, and concludes with a mega $100,000-to-win High Bank Nationals finale.

BUY TICKETS HERE (Wed-Sat)

Let’s look at what to watch for this weekend on DIRTVision.com:

HUMAN HORSEPOWER: At the right time, Sheldon Haudenschild and Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing are the hottest team on tour. The NOS Energy Drink #17 has won five of the last nine races and swept Wisconsin’s Beaver Dam Raceway last weekend for a $30,000 performance. In two swift shows, the Wooster, OH native jumped from fourth to second in the championship standings and cut his deficit from Brad Sweet down from -74 points to -42 points.

The 29-year-old star has been a contender in each of his five appearances at Huset’s with the World of Outlaws, including a victory on September 5, 2020. Last year, Haudenschild finished sixth, fourth, and ninth in three shows at the Brandon, SD 1/3-mile. This week, with momentum on his side, the son of “The Wild Child” pursues the richest payday of his life.

HOME GAME HERO: David Gravel may hail from Watertown, CT, and car/track owner Tod Quiring may claim Windom, MN, but the Big Game Motorsports #2 dons the Huset’s Speedway sponsorship and colors, making this week’s trip to Brandon, SD a big one for the team. The second-year pairing currently sits third (-48) in the championship standings, but rides an unusual 18-race winless streak, the longest for Gravel in World of Outlaws competition since 2019.

The good news for Gravel and company is that Huset’s has transformed into one of his best tracks since climbing in the #2 with crew chief Cody Jacobs on the wrenches. The duo won three times in four starts at the track last year, and look to use that success to get back to their winning ways this weekend with a big $100,000 of their own boss’s money on the line.

PROVEN WINNERS: Along with Haudenschild and Gravel, another six previous World of Outlaws winners at Huset’s are expected to compete at the High Bank Nationals this weekend. Headlining that list are Series champions Donny Schatz in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 and Brad Sweet in the Kasey Kahne Racing #49.

Schatz leads all active drivers with four Outlaw wins at Huset’s coming in 2001, 2007, 2015, and 2016. The North Dakota native has kept his prowess alive at the South Dakota track with nine-straight top-10 finishes highlighted by results of second, third, and fourth last year.

Sweet was a 2016 winner at the 1/3-mile and has remained as consistent as ever with runs of fourth, second, and eighth last year at the track. The Big Cat and his NAPA Auto Parts #49 pride themselves on success come money time, and success is something the championship leader could certainly use this weekend as he rides a 17-race dry spell.

Other winners include two-time victor Mark Dobmeier, last year’s Huset’s 50 champ Aaron Reutzel, and wily veterans Brooke Tatnell and Terry McCarl.

HUSET’S HITTERS: Four Huset’s Speedway winners from this season will be ready to do it again this week with $100,000 on the line. The venerable Brooke Tatnell & Lynton Jeffrey, along with up-and-coming racers Parker Price-Miller (McGhee #11) and Giovanni Scelzi (KCP #18) have each found victory lane at the track this year.

Through six shows in May & June, Justin Henderson (Tea, SD) leads the points over Matt Juhl (Tea, SD) and Austin McCarl (Altoona, IA). All three are proven winners at Huset’s and all three have finished in the top-five with the World of Outlaws, waiting for their elusive breakthrough with the Series.

Additional names with Huset’s success to watch for this weekend include Ayrton Gennetten, Dusty Zomer, Riley Goodno, Kaleb Johnson, Brendan Mullen, Carson McCarl, and Jack Dover, among others.

STREAKING WHEN IT COUNTS: Haudenschild may have all the headlines at the moment, but a trio of other World of Outlaws stars are amid their own impressive runs entering the High Bank Nationals and will be chasing their first wins at Huset’s.

Logan Schuchart rides the longest active streak of consecutive top-10 finishes (10) with the Series entering this week. The Shark Racing #1S has yet to win since his initial triumph of 2022 at Bristol (TN) in April but has been wildly consistent over this stretch with seven top-fives and an average finish of 4.4 lately. He’ll have four chances at trying to top his Huset’s career-best of seventh this week.

Carson Macedo has the best average finish (4.0) with the Series over the last five races within June. The Jason Johnson Racing #41 is up to five total wins on the season and currently sits fourth (-52) in the championship standings ahead of the first big payday. The Lemoore, CA native has noticeably struggled at Huset’s of late, finishing 15th-15th-14th-18th in his last four starts, but still has frontrunning experience from a second-place in his 2020 debut to rely on.

Spencer Bayston is the most consistent driver over the last three races, nearly putting the CJB Motorsports #5 on the podium each night with runs of third, fourth, and fourth. He’ll be making his third appearance at Huset’s with a lot left to desire after debuting with finishes of 16th-17th in the McGhee #11. Before hitting the track, he and the Carlisle, PA-based operation will unveil a new look and new major sponsor on Wednesday.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK: Four consecutive nights of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car racing is a rarity, but it happens this week. Huset’s will become the sixth track in Series history – East Bay, Eldora, Florida State Fairgrounds, Memphis, Knoxville – to host a quadruple-header.

The unique instance is thanks to a June 5 postponement which will be made up on Wednesday night. That show will be run as a standard World of Outlaws program with the traditional format before Thursday’s preliminary

ALL ABOUT POINTS: When the High Bank Nationals officially begin on Thursday, a special format will be used, similar to the Jackson Nationals in August. Accumulative points are the name of the name with heat race inversions adding some extra excitement, and Saturday’s lineups being set by preliminary performance. You can read the full details on Thursday-Saturday’s format HERE.

SIX-FIGURE PAYDAY: Tod Quiring and Huset’s Speedway will enter another elite club this weekend, becoming only the sixth event throughout the history of Sprint Car Racing to offer a six-figure payday. The Brandon, SD facility will join Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, and Ohio’s Mansfield Motorsports Park as the only four tracks to offer that rich of a check.

• Historical Big One at Eldora (OH) from 1993-2003, revived in 2022
• Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (IA) from 1995-present, highest WoO payday at $176K
• Mopar Million at Eldora (OH) in 2003, richest overall payday at $200K
• Sprint Car World Championship at Mansfield (OH) in 2018
• Kings Royal at Eldora (OH) from 2019-present
• High Bank Nationals at Huset’s (SD), scheduled for this weekend

Through 42 contested six-figure showings, Donny Schatz stands out far and above the rest with 11 such victories. Next closest to the eventual Hall of Famer is the tremendous trio of Steve Kinser, Mark Kinser & Danny Lasoski all at four mega triumphs. Active drivers with a big $100,000+ win include Kyle Larson (2), Brad Sweet (2), Tim Shaffer (2), Tyler Courtney (1), David Gravel (1), and Kraig Kinser (1).

BIG BUCKS: Saturday’s $100,000-to-win finale isn’t the only highlight of the week at Huset’s as a nearly half-million-dollar purse is spread all throughout the week. The stakes only get higher with each passing night as the winning increase from $10K to $15K to $20K to $100K over four consecutive nights.

In Saturday’s grand finale, behind the $100K payday is the top-five finishers cashing in at $30,000 for second, $20,000 for third, $15,000 for fourth, and $10,000 for fifth. Additionally, it pays $5,000 just for 10th-place and spreads down to $3,000-to-start.

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Wednesday-Saturday, June 22-25 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, SD

ON THE INTERNET
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
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DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (28/77 Races):
1. 49-Brad Sweet (3,880 PTS); 2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild (-42 PTS); 3. 2-David Gravel (-48 PTS); 4. 41-Carson Macedo (-52 PTS); 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart (-72 PTS); 6. 15-Donny Schatz (-148 PTS); 7. 5-Spencer Bayston (-178 PTS); 8. 83-James McFadden (-240 PTS); 9. 1A-Jacob Allen (-340 PTS); 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss (-462 PTS).

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (12 Drivers):
7 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17
5 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
3 wins – Brent Marks, Murray-Marks Motorsports #19
2 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
2 wins – Jacob Allen, Shark Racing #1A
2 wins – Kyle Larson, Kevin Kozlowski/Paul Silva #57
2 wins – Giovanni Scelzi, KCP Racing #18
1 win – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing #49
1 win – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S
1 win – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
1 win – Spencer Bayston, CJB Motorsports #5
1 win – Brian Brown, Brian Brown Racing #21

FEATURE LAPS LED (22 Drivers):
143 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
107 laps – Carson Macedo
95 laps – Brad Sweet
71 laps – David Gravel
64 laps – Jacob Allen
61 laps – Spencer Bayston, Kyle Larson
55 laps – Giovanni Scelzi
54 laps – Brent Marks
41 laps – Logan Schuchart
26 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
25 laps – Donny Schatz
15 laps – Justin Peck
14 laps – Brian Brown
13 laps – Cory Eliason
9 laps – Dominic Scelzi, Brady Bacon
8 laps – James McFadden, Anthony Macri
3 laps – Brock Zearfoss
1 lap – Corey Day, Aaron Reutzel

SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (16 Drivers):
5 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo
4 QuickTimes – David Gravel
4 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild*
2 QuickTimes – Jacob Allen, Rico Abreu, Giovanni Scelzi*
1 QuickTime – Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart, Spencer Bayston, James McFadden, Aaron Reutzel, Cory Eliason, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Justin Peck, Buddy Kofoid, Brent Marks
* Denotes New Track Record

HEAT RACE WINNERS (29 Drivers):
12 Heat Wins – David Gravel
10 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
9 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet
8 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen
7 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart
5 Heat Wins – James McFadden, Rico Abreu, Giovanni Scelzi
4 Heat Wins – Aaron Reutzel
3 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz, Spencer Bayston, Kraig Kinser
2 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown
1 Heat Win – Kasey Kahne, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Justin Peck, Anthony Macri, Justin Whittall, Ian Madsen, Parker Price-Miller, Brent Marks, Austin McCarl

DIRTVISION FAST PASS DASH APPEARANCES (37 Drivers):
19 Dashes – David Gravel
17 Dashes – Spencer Bayston
16 Dashes – Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo
15 Dashes – Jacob Allen
14 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart,
9 Dashes – Donny Schatz, Rico Abreu
8 Dashes – James McFadden
7 Dashes – Giovanni Scelzi
6 Dashes – Kraig Kinser
5 Dashes – Kyle Larson, Cory Eliason, Aaron Reutzel
4 Dashes – Brock Zearfoss, Brent Marks,
3 Dashes – Tyler Courtney, Kerry Madsen, Anthony Macri, Brian Brown
2 Dashes – Kasey Kahne, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day
1 Dash – Sam Hafertepe Jr, Colby Copeland, Tanner Carrick, DJ Netto, Brady Bacon, Justin Peck, Matt Campbell, Justin Whittall, Ian Madsen, Cole Duncan, Parker Price-Miller, Austin McCarl, Matt Juhl

MICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (17 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, James McFadden, Ayrton Gennetten
2 LCS Wins – Logan Schuchart, Kerry Madsen
1 LCS Win – Spencer Bayston, Donny Schatz, Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Anthony Macri, Mitchell Faccinto, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Brent Marks, DJ Foos, Christopher Bell, Austin Pierce, Jake Blackhurst

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (11 Drivers):
4 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart
2 Hard Chargers – David Gravel, Carson Macedo, Donny Schatz, James McFadden
1 Hard Chargers – Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Jason Sides, Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson, Alan Krimes, Devon Borden, Anthony Macri, Greg Wilson, Travis Philo, Kyle Larson, Russell Borland

PODIUM FINISHES (20 Drivers):
10 Podiums – Brad Sweet, Sheldon Haudenschild
9 Podiums – Carson Macedo
7 Podiums – David Gravel, Logan Schuchart, Kyle Larson
6 Podiums – Donny Schatz
4 Podiums – Brent Marks
3 Podiums – Spencer Bayston, James McFadden, Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi, Brian Brown
2 Podiums – Aaron Reutzel, Corey Day
1 Podium – Kraig Kinser, Cory Eliason, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Justin Peck, Rico Abreu

TOP 10 FINISHES (39 Drivers):
25 Top 10s – Brad Sweet
24 Top 10s – David Gravel
22 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart
21 Top 10s – Carson Macedo, Sheldon Haudenschild
20 Top 10s – Donny Schatz
19 Top 10s – Spencer Bayston
15 Top 10s – James McFadden
14 Top 10s – Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi
12 Top 10s – Rico Abreu
8 Top 10s – Kyle Larson
7 Top 10s – Cory Eliason, Aaron Reutzel
6 Top 10s – Brent Marks
5 Top 10s – Brock Zearfoss, Anthony Macri
4 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney
3 Top 10s – Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown
2 Top 10s – Kraig Kinser, Kasey Kahne, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1 Top 10 – Noah Gass, Shane Golobic, DJ Netto, Hunter Schuerenberg, Carson Short, Tanner Thorson, Danny Dietrich, Lance Dewease, Greg Wilson, Cole Duncan, Cale Thomas, Cole Macedo, Mark Dobmeier

2022 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thur, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1)
2. Fri, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
3. Sat, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)
4. Fri, March 4 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
5. Sat, March 5 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Carson Macedo (1)
6. Fri, March 11 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (1)
7. Sat, March 12 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Kyle Larson (1)
8. Fri, March 18 / Merced Speedway / Merced, CA / Carson Macedo (2)
9. Fri, March 25 / Bakersfield Speedway / Bakersfield, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (2)
10. Sat, March 26 / Perris Auto Speedway / Perris, CA / David Gravel (2)
11. Tues, March 29 / Vado Speedway Park / Vado, NM / Brad Sweet (1)
12. Sat, April 2 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / Brent Marks (1)
13. Sat, April 9 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / Jacob Allen (1)
14. Fri, April 15 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Carson Macedo (3)
15. Sat, April 23 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Carson Macedo (4)
16. Fri, April 29 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / Logan Schuchart (1)
17. Sat, April 30 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / Spencer Bayston (1)
18. Wed, May 11 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Jacob Allen (2)
19. Sat, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (2)
20. Tues, May 17 / Bridgeport Motorsports Park / Swedesboro, NJ / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)
21. Fri, May 20 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Kyle Larson (2)
22. Sat, May 28 / Atomic Speedway / Waverly, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
23. Mon, May 30 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / Sheldon Haudenschild (5)
24. Fri, June 3 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Carson Macedo (5)
25. Fri, June 10 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brent Marks (3)
26. Sat, June 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brian Brown (1)
27. Fri, June 17 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (6)
28. Sat, June 18 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (7)

Nearly 50 Entries Expected for Inaugural Running of $100,000-to-win Event

BRANDON, SD – June 21, 2022 – The biggest motorsports event in South Dakota history consumes Huset’s Speedway this week.

Scheduled for four consecutive nights, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will bring nearly 50 entries to the Brandon, SD 1/3-mile oval from Wednesday to Saturday. It begins with a standard makeup show, continues with preliminary programs on Thursday & Friday, and concludes with a mega $100,000-to-win High Bank Nationals finale.

BUY TICKETS HERE (Wed-Sat)

Let’s look at what to watch for this weekend on DIRTVision.com:

HUMAN HORSEPOWER: At the right time, Sheldon Haudenschild and Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing are the hottest team on tour. The NOS Energy Drink #17 has won five of the last nine races and swept Wisconsin’s Beaver Dam Raceway last weekend for a $30,000 performance. In two swift shows, the Wooster, OH native jumped from fourth to second in the championship standings and cut his deficit from Brad Sweet down from -74 points to -42 points.

The 29-year-old star has been a contender in each of his five appearances at Huset’s with the World of Outlaws, including a victory on September 5, 2020. Last year, Haudenschild finished sixth, fourth, and ninth in three shows at the Brandon, SD 1/3-mile. This week, with momentum on his side, the son of “The Wild Child” pursues the richest payday of his life.

HOME GAME HERO: David Gravel may hail from Watertown, CT, and car/track owner Tod Quiring may claim Windom, MN, but the Big Game Motorsports #2 dons the Huset’s Speedway sponsorship and colors, making this week’s trip to Brandon, SD a big one for the team. The second-year pairing currently sits third (-48) in the championship standings, but rides an unusual 18-race winless streak, the longest for Gravel in World of Outlaws competition since 2019.

The good news for Gravel and company is that Huset’s has transformed into one of his best tracks since climbing in the #2 with crew chief Cody Jacobs on the wrenches. The duo won three times in four starts at the track last year, and look to use that success to get back to their winning ways this weekend with a big $100,000 of their own boss’s money on the line.

PROVEN WINNERS: Along with Haudenschild and Gravel, another six previous World of Outlaws winners at Huset’s are expected to compete at the High Bank Nationals this weekend. Headlining that list are Series champions Donny Schatz in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 and Brad Sweet in the Kasey Kahne Racing #49.

Schatz leads all active drivers with four Outlaw wins at Huset’s coming in 2001, 2007, 2015, and 2016. The North Dakota native has kept his prowess alive at the South Dakota track with nine-straight top-10 finishes highlighted by results of second, third, and fourth last year.

Sweet was a 2016 winner at the 1/3-mile and has remained as consistent as ever with runs of fourth, second, and eighth last year at the track. The Big Cat and his NAPA Auto Parts #49 pride themselves on success come money time, and success is something the championship leader could certainly use this weekend as he rides a 17-race dry spell.

Other winners include two-time victor Mark Dobmeier, last year’s Huset’s 50 champ Aaron Reutzel, and wily veterans Brooke Tatnell and Terry McCarl.

HUSET’S HITTERS: Four Huset’s Speedway winners from this season will be ready to do it again this week with $100,000 on the line. The venerable Brooke Tatnell & Lynton Jeffrey, along with up-and-coming racers Parker Price-Miller (McGhee #11) and Giovanni Scelzi (KCP #18) have each found victory lane at the track this year.

Through six shows in May & June, Justin Henderson (Tea, SD) leads the points over Matt Juhl (Tea, SD) and Austin McCarl (Altoona, IA). All three are proven winners at Huset’s and all three have finished in the top-five with the World of Outlaws, waiting for their elusive breakthrough with the Series.

Additional names with Huset’s success to watch for this weekend include Ayrton Gennetten, Dusty Zomer, Riley Goodno, Kaleb Johnson, Brendan Mullen, Carson McCarl, and Jack Dover, among others.

STREAKING WHEN IT COUNTS: Haudenschild may have all the headlines at the moment, but a trio of other World of Outlaws stars are amid their own impressive runs entering the High Bank Nationals and will be chasing their first wins at Huset’s.

Logan Schuchart rides the longest active streak of consecutive top-10 finishes (10) with the Series entering this week. The Shark Racing #1S has yet to win since his initial triumph of 2022 at Bristol (TN) in April but has been wildly consistent over this stretch with seven top-fives and an average finish of 4.4 lately. He’ll have four chances at trying to top his Huset’s career-best of seventh this week.

Carson Macedo has the best average finish (4.0) with the Series over the last five races within June. The Jason Johnson Racing #41 is up to five total wins on the season and currently sits fourth (-52) in the championship standings ahead of the first big payday. The Lemoore, CA native has noticeably struggled at Huset’s of late, finishing 15th-15th-14th-18th in his last four starts, but still has frontrunning experience from a second-place in his 2020 debut to rely on.

Spencer Bayston is the most consistent driver over the last three races, nearly putting the CJB Motorsports #5 on the podium each night with runs of third, fourth, and fourth. He’ll be making his third appearance at Huset’s with a lot left to desire after debuting with finishes of 16th-17th in the McGhee #11. Before hitting the track, he and the Carlisle, PA-based operation will unveil a new look and new major sponsor on Wednesday.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK: Four consecutive nights of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car racing is a rarity, but it happens this week. Huset’s will become the sixth track in Series history – East Bay, Eldora, Florida State Fairgrounds, Memphis, Knoxville – to host a quadruple-header.

The unique instance is thanks to a June 5 postponement which will be made up on Wednesday night. That show will be run as a standard World of Outlaws program with the traditional format before Thursday’s preliminary

ALL ABOUT POINTS: When the High Bank Nationals officially begin on Thursday, a special format will be used, similar to the Jackson Nationals in August. Accumulative points are the name of the name with heat race inversions adding some extra excitement, and Saturday’s lineups being set by preliminary performance. You can read the full details on Thursday-Saturday’s format HERE.

SIX-FIGURE PAYDAY: Tod Quiring and Huset’s Speedway will enter another elite club this weekend, becoming only the sixth event throughout the history of Sprint Car Racing to offer a six-figure payday. The Brandon, SD facility will join Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, and Ohio’s Mansfield Motorsports Park as the only four tracks to offer that rich of a check.

• Historical Big One at Eldora (OH) from 1993-2003, revived in 2022
• Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (IA) from 1995-present, highest WoO payday at $176K
• Mopar Million at Eldora (OH) in 2003, richest overall payday at $200K
• Sprint Car World Championship at Mansfield (OH) in 2018
• Kings Royal at Eldora (OH) from 2019-present
• High Bank Nationals at Huset’s (SD), scheduled for this weekend

Through 42 contested six-figure showings, Donny Schatz stands out far and above the rest with 11 such victories. Next closest to the eventual Hall of Famer is the tremendous trio of Steve Kinser, Mark Kinser & Danny Lasoski all at four mega triumphs. Active drivers with a big $100,000+ win include Kyle Larson (2), Brad Sweet (2), Tim Shaffer (2), Tyler Courtney (1), David Gravel (1), and Kraig Kinser (1).

BIG BUCKS: Saturday’s $100,000-to-win finale isn’t the only highlight of the week at Huset’s as a nearly half-million-dollar purse is spread all throughout the week. The stakes only get higher with each passing night as the winning increase from $10K to $15K to $20K to $100K over four consecutive nights.

In Saturday’s grand finale, behind the $100K payday is the top-five finishers cashing in at $30,000 for second, $20,000 for third, $15,000 for fourth, and $10,000 for fifth. Additionally, it pays $5,000 just for 10th-place and spreads down to $3,000-to-start.

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Wednesday-Saturday, June 22-25 at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, SD

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CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (28/77 Races):
1. 49-Brad Sweet (3,880 PTS); 2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild (-42 PTS); 3. 2-David Gravel (-48 PTS); 4. 41-Carson Macedo (-52 PTS); 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart (-72 PTS); 6. 15-Donny Schatz (-148 PTS); 7. 5-Spencer Bayston (-178 PTS); 8. 83-James McFadden (-240 PTS); 9. 1A-Jacob Allen (-340 PTS); 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss (-462 PTS).

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (12 Drivers):
7 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17
5 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
3 wins – Brent Marks, Murray-Marks Motorsports #19
2 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
2 wins – Jacob Allen, Shark Racing #1A
2 wins – Kyle Larson, Kevin Kozlowski/Paul Silva #57
2 wins – Giovanni Scelzi, KCP Racing #18
1 win – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing #49
1 win – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S
1 win – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
1 win – Spencer Bayston, CJB Motorsports #5
1 win – Brian Brown, Brian Brown Racing #21

FEATURE LAPS LED (22 Drivers):
143 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
107 laps – Carson Macedo
95 laps – Brad Sweet
71 laps – David Gravel
64 laps – Jacob Allen
61 laps – Spencer Bayston, Kyle Larson
55 laps – Giovanni Scelzi
54 laps – Brent Marks
41 laps – Logan Schuchart
26 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
25 laps – Donny Schatz
15 laps – Justin Peck
14 laps – Brian Brown
13 laps – Cory Eliason
9 laps – Dominic Scelzi, Brady Bacon
8 laps – James McFadden, Anthony Macri
3 laps – Brock Zearfoss
1 lap – Corey Day, Aaron Reutzel

SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (16 Drivers):
5 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo
4 QuickTimes – David Gravel
4 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild*
2 QuickTimes – Jacob Allen, Rico Abreu, Giovanni Scelzi*
1 QuickTime – Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart, Spencer Bayston, James McFadden, Aaron Reutzel, Cory Eliason, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Justin Peck, Buddy Kofoid, Brent Marks
* Denotes New Track Record

HEAT RACE WINNERS (29 Drivers):
12 Heat Wins – David Gravel
10 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
9 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet
8 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen
7 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart
5 Heat Wins – James McFadden, Rico Abreu, Giovanni Scelzi
4 Heat Wins – Aaron Reutzel
3 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz, Spencer Bayston, Kraig Kinser
2 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown
1 Heat Win – Kasey Kahne, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Justin Peck, Anthony Macri, Justin Whittall, Ian Madsen, Parker Price-Miller, Brent Marks, Austin McCarl

DIRTVISION FAST PASS DASH APPEARANCES (37 Drivers):
19 Dashes – David Gravel
17 Dashes – Spencer Bayston
16 Dashes – Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo
15 Dashes – Jacob Allen
14 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart,
9 Dashes – Donny Schatz, Rico Abreu
8 Dashes – James McFadden
7 Dashes – Giovanni Scelzi
6 Dashes – Kraig Kinser
5 Dashes – Kyle Larson, Cory Eliason, Aaron Reutzel
4 Dashes – Brock Zearfoss, Brent Marks,
3 Dashes – Tyler Courtney, Kerry Madsen, Anthony Macri, Brian Brown
2 Dashes – Kasey Kahne, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day
1 Dash – Sam Hafertepe Jr, Colby Copeland, Tanner Carrick, DJ Netto, Brady Bacon, Justin Peck, Matt Campbell, Justin Whittall, Ian Madsen, Cole Duncan, Parker Price-Miller, Austin McCarl, Matt Juhl

MICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (17 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, James McFadden, Ayrton Gennetten
2 LCS Wins – Logan Schuchart, Kerry Madsen
1 LCS Win – Spencer Bayston, Donny Schatz, Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Anthony Macri, Mitchell Faccinto, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Brent Marks, DJ Foos, Christopher Bell, Austin Pierce, Jake Blackhurst

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (11 Drivers):
4 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart
2 Hard Chargers – David Gravel, Carson Macedo, Donny Schatz, James McFadden
1 Hard Chargers – Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Jason Sides, Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson, Alan Krimes, Devon Borden, Anthony Macri, Greg Wilson, Travis Philo, Kyle Larson, Russell Borland

PODIUM FINISHES (20 Drivers):
10 Podiums – Brad Sweet, Sheldon Haudenschild
9 Podiums – Carson Macedo
7 Podiums – David Gravel, Logan Schuchart, Kyle Larson
6 Podiums – Donny Schatz
4 Podiums – Brent Marks
3 Podiums – Spencer Bayston, James McFadden, Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi, Brian Brown
2 Podiums – Aaron Reutzel, Corey Day
1 Podium – Kraig Kinser, Cory Eliason, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Justin Peck, Rico Abreu

TOP 10 FINISHES (39 Drivers):
25 Top 10s – Brad Sweet
24 Top 10s – David Gravel
22 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart
21 Top 10s – Carson Macedo, Sheldon Haudenschild
20 Top 10s – Donny Schatz
19 Top 10s – Spencer Bayston
15 Top 10s – James McFadden
14 Top 10s – Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi
12 Top 10s – Rico Abreu
8 Top 10s – Kyle Larson
7 Top 10s – Cory Eliason, Aaron Reutzel
6 Top 10s – Brent Marks
5 Top 10s – Brock Zearfoss, Anthony Macri
4 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney
3 Top 10s – Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown
2 Top 10s – Kraig Kinser, Kasey Kahne, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1 Top 10 – Noah Gass, Shane Golobic, DJ Netto, Hunter Schuerenberg, Carson Short, Tanner Thorson, Danny Dietrich, Lance Dewease, Greg Wilson, Cole Duncan, Cale Thomas, Cole Macedo, Mark Dobmeier

2022 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thur, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1)
2. Fri, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
3. Sat, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)
4. Fri, March 4 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
5. Sat, March 5 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Carson Macedo (1)
6. Fri, March 11 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (1)
7. Sat, March 12 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Kyle Larson (1)
8. Fri, March 18 / Merced Speedway / Merced, CA / Carson Macedo (2)
9. Fri, March 25 / Bakersfield Speedway / Bakersfield, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (2)
10. Sat, March 26 / Perris Auto Speedway / Perris, CA / David Gravel (2)
11. Tues, March 29 / Vado Speedway Park / Vado, NM / Brad Sweet (1)
12. Sat, April 2 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / Brent Marks (1)
13. Sat, April 9 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / Jacob Allen (1)
14. Fri, April 15 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Carson Macedo (3)
15. Sat, April 23 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Carson Macedo (4)
16. Fri, April 29 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / Logan Schuchart (1)
17. Sat, April 30 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / Spencer Bayston (1)
18. Wed, May 11 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Jacob Allen (2)
19. Sat, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (2)
20. Tues, May 17 / Bridgeport Motorsports Park / Swedesboro, NJ / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)
21. Fri, May 20 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Kyle Larson (2)
22. Sat, May 28 / Atomic Speedway / Waverly, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
23. Mon, May 30 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / Sheldon Haudenschild (5)
24. Fri, June 3 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Carson Macedo (5)
25. Fri, June 10 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brent Marks (3)
26. Sat, June 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brian Brown (1)
27. Fri, June 17 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (6)
28. Sat, June 18 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (7)

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 15, 2022) – John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS team are no strangers to success at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. They’ll look to recreate some of their past accomplishments as they head to Bristol Dragway this Father’s Day weekend for the ninth of 22 events on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule.  John Force has won the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals a total of four times. Starting in 2004, Force won every three years through 2013 (2004, 2007, 2010, 2013). In addition, the 16-time champion has had two runner-up finishes in 2006 to reigning champion Ron Capps and in 2019 after he qualified No. 1 but came up short to longtime rival Bob Tasca III. Force’s only other No. 1 start at Bristol came in 2015. “I love racing at Bristol Dragway. It’s Thunder Valley, its beautiful. Another Bruton Smith track you know it’s going to be a top-of-the-line facility,” Force said. “It’s tradition being there on Father’s Day weekend, it’s how I’ve celebrated with my girls for years now. This PEAK team, we’ll get out there and look to go some rounds, qualify well. We’re okay, we’re in it and we’ve been fast. I just need to do my job out there on track and I know my son-in-law Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they’ll have this Chevy running right.” After winning earlier this year at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, Force extended to 34 the number of seasons he’s won at least on NHRA national event. Heading into the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway currently sitting fourth in points, Force will be trying to win multiple events for the 27th season in his career. Racing at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway begins with qualifying Friday night at 8 p.m. and continues with Saturday with sessions at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Father’s Day Sunday at noon. Television coverage of qualifying will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning Friday at 8 p.m. ET and continues Saturday at 11 p.m. ET. Eliminations will be on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 3 p.m. ET

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 15, 2022) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster team head to the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway on Father’s Day weekend confident that a win is within their grasp after making steady progress through the first eight events on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule.  Austin Prock is coming off two strong semifinal performances that included his a career best elapsed time 3.672-second pass at the Virginia NHRA Nationals and a 3.686-second pass that was quickest time of eliminations at the most recent event, the NHRA New England Nationals. Prock currently sits fifth in points in a Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster prepared by crew chiefs Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler.  “We’re coming off two semi-final appearances, just knocking on the door for our first win of this season. It’s going to be soon that my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team are hoisting a Wally and it may just be this weekend,” Prock said. “I remember racing with my dad on Father’s Day my whole life, so Bristol Dragway always has a special place in my heart. Nothing better than racing with family.” Prock is bidding for his second tour victory (he won at Seattle in 2019) and his second trip to the final round this season. In just one other appearance at Bristol Dragway in his 2019 rookie season, Prock made only a first-round appearance. The third generation drag racer, son of Auto Club crew chief Jimmy Prock and grandson of former touring pro Funny Car driver Tom Prock, won’t take for granted the significance of getting a win on Father’s Day weekend. Racing at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway begins with qualifying Friday night at 8 p.m. and continues with Saturday with sessions at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Father’s Day Sunday at noon. Television coverage of qualifying will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning Friday at 8 p.m. ET and continues Saturday at 11 p.m. ET. Eliminations will be on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

DENVER, NC (June 15, 2022) — Six races into her rookie season behind the wheel of the Sand Haulers of America Chevrolet Camaro Camrie Caruso has established herself as not just the front-runner for NHRA rookie of the year but as a legitimate threat in the NHRA Countdown. The third-generation driver who currently resides in Denver, North Carolina, has raced to a final round, qualified No. 1, defeated world champions and qualified for every race she has entered. Anyone one of these accomplishments alone would be impressive but the 24-year-old driver has taken her early season success in stride and continues to pursue her dream.

“Even before the season started, I said my goals were to win races and win the Pro Stock world championship,” said Caruso. “I know people thought I was crazy but that is what I believe. I have a great team with Jim Yates, Titan Racing Engines and so many sponsors. This team is all I think about and work on. I have a lot of support from my family especially, my dad and Papa Joe (grandfather) so racing on Father’s Day weekend will be really cool.”

Camrie Caruso and Sand Haulers of America Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Auto Imagery

Caruso started the season qualifying for the Winternationals and in just her second career Pro Stock race she picked up her first round win. Three races later at the SpringNationals in Houston Caruso turned every head in the NHRA when she raced to her first career No. 1 qualifier and then proceeded to take out two former world champions Bo Butner and Greg Anderson on the way to her first final round against Erica Enders. It was a historic match-up pitting two female Pro Stock drivers together for the first time. The weight of the moment did not phase Caruso who despite losing fifth gear nearly upset the multi-time champion.

“This whole season has been a whirlwind, but Houston was a totally different level,” said Caruso, who has won in a variety of other categories including Top Alcohol Dragster. “We were No. 1 all weekend and then we had a tough ladder to get to the final round. Racing Erica was great, but I don’t really care who is in the other lane on Sunday. I know I have to do my routine and hit the tree as hard as I can.”

Throughout the season Caruso has had a consistent race car thanks to the power under the hood from Titan Racing Engines in North Carolina. Crew chief Jim Yates has also been an excellent mentor, coach and tuner for the young team. The multi-time world champion Pro Stock driver has seen it all and provides Caruso with a wealth of knowledge.

“Jim has been amazing,” said Caruso. “We have butted heads a little, but I know he is trying to make me the best driver I can be. After every run we are going over all the data. I am feeling more and more comfortable every race. These next two months will be huge for us.”

In addition to her on-track success Caruso has been incredibly active with sponsors showcasing the benefits of racing in the NHRA and with the Caruso Family Racing operation. Sand Haulers of America will be primary sponsor this weekend once again and will be on Caruso’s Pro Stock Camaro later in the season as well. At the beginning of the season GESI, Right Trailers, Powerbuilt Tools, NGK Spark Plugs and VP Racing Lubricants all jumped on board with the rookie team. All these relationships and sponsorships were brokered by Caruso herself who is hands on with all business matters when it comes to her Pro Stock race car.

“I want to be involved from top to bottom with this team,” said Caruso. “I get a lot of help from my dad and papa but at the end of the day I want to be the one writing the check and then delivering on the racetrack. I have great sponsors that I want to have for many, many seasons. The best way to do that is to show them how we can grow their business through the NHRA and Caruso Family Racing. I want to do as many appearances and interviews as I can to make this program successful. I know that turning on win lights helps, and we have aggressive goals for this season.”

Caruso will get her first pass at Bristol Dragway on Friday night followed by two qualifying sessions on Saturday. Pro Stock final eliminations will begin on Sunday at approximately noon ET. Caruso sits seventh in points just over two rounds out of fifth place.

About Camrie Caruso/Caruso Family Racing
Camrie Caruso is a third-generation driver with Caruso Family Racing. The 24-year-old Pro Stock rookie is following the career path of her father, former Pro Mod racer Marc Caruso and her grandfather, “Papa Joe” Caruso, who competed in Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Pro Mod. Racing a Chevrolet Camaro with power provided by Titan Racing Engines Caruso will race the full NHRA Camping World Series schedule as she chases Rookie of the Year honors and her first world championship. She first got behind the wheel of a race car when she was eight years old competing in the NHRA Junior Dragster League. She has continued to move up through the NHRA competition classes for over a decade rising to Top Alcohol Dragster as well as Elite Top Dragster and Pro Outlaw 632 in the PDRA. Caruso has a Finance degree as well as a Marketing degree from SUNY Empire State College. In 2018 she was recognized by Drag Illustrated magazine as a 30 Under 30, drag racing personality. When she is not at the track, she is handling the marketing for Titan Racing Engines.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 15, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team remain in the hunt for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series points lead as they head to the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway this Father’s Day weekend. The three-time championship team is just 41 points away sitting in second. With back-to-back victories to open the season at the Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. and the Arizona Nationals just outside of Phoenix as well as a victory at the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park where he shared the stage with Top Fuel teammate Brittany Force, Hight and the Auto Club team have consistently been in the conversation. Led by crew chiefs Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham the Auto Club Chevy has continually been one of the Funny Cars to beat through these first eight races. “Not a bad start to the season, eight races in with three wins and second in points,” Hight said. “This Auto Club team is definitely looking for more though. We need to stay consistent, keep working hard and take it one run at a time. The class is really competitive, we were the first to three wins but we aren’t the only ones now and we need to keep it going. That’s the goal heading to Bristol. I haven’t won there in a while and it would be great to get it done on Father’s Day with my daughter, Autumn, there with me.” Hight is the only John Force Racing driver, other than John Force, to have won the Thunder Valley Nationals. Hight picked up his win in 2011. Bristol Dragway is one of only two tracks in the series on which he never has started a race from the No. 1 qualifying position. Last season, Hight raced his way to the semifinals, his best finish at the facility since his 2011 victory. Racing at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway begins with qualifying Friday night at 8 p.m. and continues with Saturday with sessions at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Father’s Day Sunday at noon. Television coverage of qualifying will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning Friday at 8 p.m. ET and continues Saturday at 11 p.m. ET. Eliminations will be on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

OCALA, FL (June 15, 2022) — Last year Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team attempted to tackle the historic Thunder Valley for the first time during the rescheduled NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. A strong qualifying effort did not translate into success for the then rookie driver but the experience of racing at one of the most iconic sites on the NHRA tour gives Hart confidence rolling into Bristol Dragway less than a year later. Competing on the traditional date of Father’s Day weekend has the Ocala, Florida based racer ready to make his own history as a second-year team owner and driver.

“Last year we were winding down our first season where we had a lot of success, but Bristol didn’t go our way,” said Hart, who won twice in his debut season. “We have expanded our team and have been building for future success this season. There is no doubt there have been some bumps in the road, but we aren’t looking backwards. I feel really good about our chances this weekend at the Thunder Valley Nationals.”

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

In his rookie season Hart won his first Top Fuel event and followed that up with a win during the Countdown. He also raced to multiple semifinals competing on a reduced schedule of thirteen races. Support from R+L Carriers and TechNet paved the way for Hart to pursue his Top Fuel dream. Over the off-season Hart invested in new equipment and solidified his plan for making a run at the NHRA Top Fuel world championship. With a brand new 11,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster Hart along with crew chief and business partner Ron Douglas have wrangled with a variety of gremlins that have cut short several promising races.

“When you bring out a new race car you know there are going to be more than a few things you have to work through,” admitted Hart. “We have chased a few problems but thankfully I think we have those issues behind us. We are one hundred percent focused on making consistent quick runs that don’t hurt the engine and get us some win lights.”

Throughout this season of ups and downs one thing that has remained constant is Hart’s positive attitude and his competitive drive. A self-made entrepreneur, Hart truly believes anything is possible and through his relationship with primary sponsor R+L Carriers he is bringing that message to the fans at NHRA races. Throughout the weekend Hart and R+L Carriers representatives meet with guests and fans talking about the wide variety of career opportunities available with the family-owned national company.

“We have the name on the side of the race car but the real work we are doing for R+L Carriers is to talk with people about the many exciting career opportunities that include office jobs, marketing and of course driving. There are career opportunities that can get people on the path to financial independence and jobs that will change people’s lives. That is as exciting for me as crossing the finish line going over 330 mph.”

Hart has seen his share of exciting runs throughout his young career. Along with crew chief Ron Douglas Hart’s R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster is a consistently quick qualifier that has already tallied semifinal finishes at the Arizona Nationals and the Carolina Nationals as well as two quarterfinal finishes at the Winternationals in Pomona and the Virginia Nationals in Richmond this season.

“We have scattered some round wins over the first eight races, but I want to string four win lights together this weekend in Bristol,” said Hart. “I know Ron has been working with the team and I have been working on my responsibilities. This is a complete team effort. We win together and we struggle together. The one thing we aren’t going to do is give up. I can’t wait for that first qualifying run under the lights on Friday.”

Hart and the R+L Carriers team will get their first chance to put up a strong number on Friday night with two more qualifying sessions scheduled for Saturday. Final eliminations will begin at noon ET on Sunday.

World of Outlaws Head to Wisconsin for a Potential $30,000 WeekendBEAVER DAM, WI – June 15, 2022 – A weekend in Wisconsin awaits the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.The Greatest Show on Dirt will spend an extra day battling for extra money at Beaver Dam Raceway this Friday & Saturday as the 12th annual Jim “JB” Boyd Memorial expands to include a $20,000-to-win finale for competitors. The series will reach 30 all-time appearances at the Beaver Dam, WI 1/3-mile by the end of the weekend.After an exciting weekend in Knoxville, Iowa, Brad Sweet continues to lead the championships standings over David Gravel, Carson Macedo, Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart, Donny Schatz, Spencer Bayston, James McFadden, Jacob Allen, and Brock Zearfoss as the Series prepares for the upcoming “Month of Money” and the remaining 50 races on the calendar.BEAVER DAM TICKETS (Fri-Sat)Let’s look at what to watch for this weekend on DIRTVision.com:THE BIG BADGER: When it comes to Beaver Dam, and Wisconsin in general, nobody sticks out quite as much as Brad Sweet does. The Grass Valley, CA native has won in The Badger State more than anywhere else, scoring 11 of his 75 career World of Outlaws wins in the state, only six less than Steve Kinser’s all-time mark of 17 Wisconsin wins. The three-time and defending Series champion enters this weekend with a +62 point lead as he chases a fourth consecutive title this season.Through 28 appearances at Beaver Dam, The Big Cat is tied with Daryn Pittman atop the list with four victories in his short tenure at the track. He’s contested 10 of those 28 races and impressively enough, has a top-five result in all eight of the races he finished. It’s a crucial weekend for the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49 team, who although continues to expand the championship advantage, remains only a one-time winner in 2022 with a Vado (NM) victory to show in March.UPPIN’ THE ANTE: This weekend’s 12th annual Jim “JB” Boyd Memorial will line someone’s pocket with a little extra dough as the event expands on the calendar and atop the purse. Traditionally, a one-day event since established in 2010, the annual running is growing in 2022 with an added day making it a doubleheader and an added dose of money making Saturday’s finale now $20,000-to-win.Thus far this season, the World of Outlaws have conducted five events offering more than the standard $10,000-to-win structure. Ironically enough, all five of those races have been won by a team from the state of Pennsylvania. Brent Marks has won two of those (Texas Outlaw Nationals / Morgan Cup) in the Murray-Marks #19, while Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart (Bristol Bash) & Jacob Allen (Jason Johnson Classic), along with Spencer Bayston (Bristol Bash) in the CJB Motorsports #5 have each topped one.PROVEN WINNERS: Behind Sweet, there’s a loaded line of contenders ready to pounce and earn their next victory at Beaver Dam. The quartet of Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Carson Macedo & Kraig Kinser have all won before at the Wisconsin oval, and look to stop the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 to get another this weekend.Sheldon Haudenschild enters as the defending winner of the Jim “JB” Boyd Memorial, passing Giovanni Scelzi at halfway of last year’s 40-lapper to score his first-career Beaver Dam triumph. The Wooster, OH native will be going for a Series-best sixth World of Outlaws win in 2022 this weekend aboard the Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink #17.Donny Schatz is the most experienced full-time Outlaw at Beaver Dam, contesting 28 of the 29 shows in Series history. The 10-time Series champion scored wins in 2002 and 2015 at the track and goes for his second win of the season this weekend in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Ford Performance, Advance Auto Parts #15.Carson Macedo has yet to win a World of Outlaws race at Beaver Dam, but has won with IRA at the track in late 2017 aboard Joe Gaerte’s #3G. The Jason Johnson Racing pilot finished fifth at the track last year and like Haudenschild, eyes his sixth win of the season in the Albaugh #41 this weekend.Kraig Kinser was a Beaver Dam victor a decade ago, topping the third edition of the Jim “JB” Boyd Memorial in 2012. It’s been a tough, but consistent road for the Bloomington, IN native in recent years with results of 12th, 12th, 13th, 12th, 11th, 12th, 12th. He’ll be looking to break that top-10 barrier for the third time this season as the Outlaws get back to Beaver Dam this weekend.ON THE CUSP: Another group of seven full-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car stars have enjoyed their own taste of success at Beaver Dam in the past, and look for their biggest breakthrough yet with two nights available this weekend.David Gravel owns nine top-10 finishes in 11 starts at the track with a career-best of third on three occasions, including last year’s visit aboard the Big Game Motorsports #2.Logan Schuchart has experienced a rollercoaster ride of results at Beaver Dam with numbers trending down, then up, then down, and ultimately peaking with a third-place finish in 2020 aboard the DuraMAX Oil, Drydene Performance Products #1S.Jacob Allen, Schuchart’s Shark Racing teammate, owns a career-best of fourth at the facility as he returns hoping to capture another boosted payout for his third win in 2022.Kasey Kahne says Beaver Dam is one of his favorite tracks in the country and has the numbers to back up his liking with a career-best of fifth with IRA in 2009 and an Outlaws best of ninth in 2020.James McFadden has run sixth at Beaver Dam in the J&M #55 and KKR #9, now he looks to better that aboard the Roth #83 as he continues to chase his first win of the season.Brock Zearfoss made his Beaver Dam debut last year and quickly found speed with a tenth-place finish in the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3.Bill Rose finished as high as second with IRA at Beaver Dam in 2014 and owns an Outlaws best of 11th at the track.DUELIN’ IN DAIRYLAND: Beaver Dam’s doubleheader marks the first of five races in Wisconsin for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, and all of them come within the next month. The Badger State faithful can find further action with The Greatest Show on Dirt in a few weeks with stops at New Richmond’s Cedar Lake Speedway on July 1-2 and Wilmot Raceway on July 9.BEAVER DAM DEBUT: The three youngest faces on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series tour will all be making their first appearance at Wisconsin’s Beaver Dam Raceway this weekend.Spencer Bayston, the leading Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender, continues to shine in his first year with CJB Motorsports. The Signing Day Sports, Bubbly Brands #5 currently sits seventh in points (-194) with a big Bristol victory, three podium finishes, eight top-five results, and 17 top-10 runs recorded by the Lebanon, IN 23-year-old.Noah Gass of Mounds, OK has continued to grow leaps and bounds during his inaugural season with the World of Outlaws, proven by his first-career top-10 finish at River Cities (ND) to start the month of June. The 18-year-old rookie has yet to encounter Beaver Dam in his short time but is a two-time IRA winner in the state of Wisconsin with a pair of Plymouth Dirt Track triumphs coming last summer.Robbie Price of Cobble Hill, BC is growing more and more accustomed to the Jason Sides #7S as he prepares for the final 50 races of the World of Outlaws season. The 24-year-old Canadian qualified for two Features at Atomic (16th) and Knoxville (19th) last weekend with his sights set on a third and fourth as the Series ventures to Beaver Dam this weekend.THE BIG WHEEL: A native of Sheboygan, WI, Scotty Thiel is always one of the stout locals that rise to the challenge when the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars enter his home state. The 30-year-old has earned four of his 22 career IRA (Interstate Racing Association) wins at Beaver Dam and owns 10 IRA podiums at the track to go along with topping this year’s season debut.When it comes to the World of Outlaws, “The Big Wheel” has made 33 Feature starts with a career-best of eighth-place coming last year at Wisconsin’s Wilmot Raceway. He’s made six DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash appearances throughout his career and looks for a seventh and potentially eighth this weekend in pursuit of bettering his Beaver Dam best of 14th with The Greatest Show on Dirt.REPPIN’ THE IRA: Along with Thiel, a handful of other Interstate Racing Association regulars are expected to make their season debut with the World of Outlaws in Wisconsin this weekend.Jake Blackhurst of Hanna City, IL is an 11-time IRA winner and an 11-time Feature starter with the World of Outlaws. He’s already won with IRA once this year (Francis Creek, WI) and currently sits third in the standings. Blackhurst won at Beaver Dam in the fall of 2020 and chases his first-career top-10 with the Series this weekend.Danny Schlafer of Gibson, WI has yet to taste IRA victory lane but has been rather consistent in 2022 with four top-five finishes placing him fourth in the current points. He enjoyed a breakout a moment earlier this year with a stellar second-place effort against the All Star Circuit of Champions at Plymouth (WI). Schlafer will be aiming for a second-career start with the World of Outlaws with his first coming last year at Wilmot.Scott Neitzel from down the road in Beaver Dam, WI will be representing his hometown with a 22nd career World of Outlaws start on the line. The 25-time IRA winner owns victories at the track as far back as 1995 and scored his only Outlaws top-10 at Beaver Dam back in 2003 with an eighth-place finish.Other recent IRA winners at Beaver Dam include Blake Nimee, Mike Reinke, Jordan Goldesberry, Steve Meyer, and Mike Kertscher.THIS WEEK AT A GLANCEFriday & Saturday, June 17-18 at Beaver Dam Raceway in Beaver Dam, WION THE INTERNET World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws Instagram – @WoOSprint Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/monthCURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (26/77 Nights): 1. 49-Brad Sweet (3,612 PTS); 2. 2-David Gravel (-64 PTS); 3. 41-Carson Macedo (-66 PTS); 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild (-74 PTS); 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart (-88 PTS); 6. 15-Donny Schatz (-158 PTS); 7. 5-Spencer Bayston (-194 PTS); 8. 83-James McFadden (-214 PTS); 9. 1A-Jacob Allen (-324 PTS); 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss (-436 PTS).NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (12 Drivers): 5 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17 5 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41 3 wins – Brent Marks, Murray-Marks Motorsports #19 2 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2 2 wins – Jacob Allen, Shark Racing #1A 2 wins – Kyle Larson, Kevin Kozlowski/Paul Silva #57 2 wins – Giovanni Scelzi, KCP Racing #18 1 win – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing #49 1 win – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S 1 win – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 1 win – Spencer Bayston, CJB Motorsports #5 1 win – Brian Brown, Brian Brown Racing #21FEATURE LAPS LED (22 Drivers): 107 laps – Carson Macedo 95 laps – Brad Sweet 79 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild 71 laps – David Gravel 64 laps – Jacob Allen 61 laps – Kyle Larson 55 laps – Giovanni Scelzi 54 laps – Brent Marks 49 laps – Spencer Bayston 41 laps – Logan Schuchart 26 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr. 25 laps – Donny Schatz 15 laps – Justin Peck 14 laps – Brian Brown 13 laps – Cory Eliason 9 laps – Dominic Scelzi, Brady Bacon 8 laps – James McFadden, Anthony Macri 3 laps – Brock Zearfoss 1 lap – Corey Day, Aaron ReutzelSLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (16 Drivers): 4 QuickTimes – David Gravel, Carson Macedo 2 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Jacob Allen, Rico Abreu, Giovanni Scelzi* 1 QuickTime – Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart, Spencer Bayston, James McFadden, Aaron Reutzel, Cory Eliason, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Justin Peck, Buddy Kofoid, Brent Marks * Denotes New Track RecordHEAT RACE WINNERS (29 Drivers): 11 Heat Wins – David Gravel 9 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo 8 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen 6 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart 5 Heat Wins – James McFadden, Rico Abreu 4 Heat Wins – Giovanni Scelzi 3 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz, Kraig Kinser, Aaron Reutzel 2 Heat Wins – Spencer Bayston, Brock Zearfoss, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown 1 Heat Win – Kasey Kahne, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Justin Peck, Anthony Macri, Justin Whittall, Ian Madsen, Parker Price-Miller, Brent Marks, Austin McCarlDIRTVISION FAST PASS DASH APPEARANCES (37 Drivers): 18 Dashes – David Gravel 16 Dashes – Brad Sweet 15 Dashes – Carson Macedo, Spencer Bayston 14 Dashes – Jacob Allen 12 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart, 8 Dashes – Donny Schatz, James McFadden 7 Dashes – Rico Abreu 6 Dashes – Kraig Kinser, Giovanni Scelzi 5 Dashes – Kyle Larson, Cory Eliason 4 Dashes – Brock Zearfoss, Brent Marks, Aaron Reutzel, 3 Dashes – Tyler Courtney, Kerry Madsen, Anthony Macri, Brian Brown 2 Dashes – Kasey Kahne, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, 1 Dash – Sam Hafertepe Jr, Colby Copeland, Tanner Carrick, DJ Netto, Brady Bacon, Justin Peck, Matt Campbell, Justin Whittall, Ian Madsen, Cole Duncan, Parker Price-Miller, Austin McCarl, Matt JuhlMICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (15 Drivers): 3 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, James McFadden, Ayrton Gennetten 2 LCS Wins – Logan Schuchart, Kerry Madsen 1 LCS Win – Spencer Bayston, Donny Schatz, Brock Zearfoss, Anthony Macri, Mitchell Faccinto, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Brent Marks, DJ Foos, Christopher Bell, Austin PierceKSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (11 Drivers): 4 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart 2 Hard Chargers – Carson Macedo, Donny Schatz, James McFadden 1 Hard Chargers – David Gravel, Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Jason Sides, Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson, Alan Krimes, Devon Borden, Anthony Macri, Greg Wilson, Travis Philo, Kyle LarsonPODIUM FINISHES (20 Drivers): 10 Podiums – Brad Sweet 8 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo 7 Podiums – Kyle Larson 6 Podiums – David Gravel, Logan Schuchart 5 Podiums – Donny Schatz 4 Podiums – Brent Marks 3 Podiums – Spencer Bayston, James McFadden, Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi, Brent Marks, Brian Brown 2 Podiums – Aaron Reutzel, Corey Day 1 Podium – Kraig Kinser, Cory Eliason, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Justin Peck, Rico AbreuTOP 10 FINISHES (39 Drivers): 23 Top 10s – Brad Sweet 22 Top 10s – David Gravel 20 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart 19 Top 10s – Carson Macedo, Sheldon Haudenschild 18 Top 10s – Donny Schatz 17 Top 10s – Spencer Bayston 14 Top 10s – James McFadden 13 Top 10s – Jacob Allen 12 Top 10s – Giovanni Scelzi 11 Top 10s – Rico Abreu 8 Top 10s – Kyle Larson 7 Top 10s – Cory Eliason 6 Top 10s – Brent Marks, Aaron Reutzel 5 Top 10s – Brock Zearfoss, Anthony Macri 4 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney 3 Top 10s – Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown 2 Top 10s – Kraig Kinser, Kasey Kahne, Dominic Scelzi, Corey Day, Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr. 1 Top 10 – Noah Gass, Shane Golobic, DJ Netto, Hunter Schuerenberg, Carson Short, Tanner Thorson, Danny Dietrich, Lance Dewease, Greg Wilson, Cole Duncan, Cale Thomas, Cole Macedo, Mark Dobmeier2022 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS: No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins) 1. Thur, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1) 2. Fri, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1) 3. Sat, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1) 4. Fri, March 4 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2) 5. Sat, March 5 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Carson Macedo (1) 6. Fri, March 11 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (1) 7. Sat, March 12 / Thunderbowl Raceway / Tulare, CA / Kyle Larson (1) 8. Fri, March 18 / Merced Speedway / Merced, CA / Carson Macedo (2) 9. Fri, March 25 / Bakersfield Speedway / Bakersfield, CA / Giovanni Scelzi (2) 10. Sat, March 26 / Perris Auto Speedway / Perris, CA / David Gravel (2) 11. Tues, March 29 / Vado Speedway Park / Vado, NM / Brad Sweet (1) 12. Sat, April 2 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / Brent Marks (1) 13. Sat, April 9 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / Jacob Allen (1) 14. Fri, April 15 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Carson Macedo (3) 15. Sat, April 23 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Carson Macedo (4) 16. Fri, April 29 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / Logan Schuchart (1) 17. Sat, April 30 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / Spencer Bayston (1) 18. Wed, May 11 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Jacob Allen (2) 19. Sat, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (2) 20. Tues, May 17 / Bridgeport Motorsports Park / Swedesboro, NJ / Sheldon Haudenschild (3) 21. Fri, May 20 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Kyle Larson (2) 22. Sat, May 28 / Atomic Speedway / Waverly, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (4) 23. Mon, May 30 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / Sheldon Haudenschild (5) 24. Fri, June 3 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Carson Macedo (5) 25. Fri, June 10 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brent Marks (3) 26. Sat, June 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brian Brown (1)

NHRA^® Team Report

NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

Pre-Race Report

Holding steady in the NHRA Top Five Funny Car standings, Cruz Pedregon and team are looking forward to showing what the Snap-on^® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge^® SRT^® Hellcat^® can do in Thunder Valley.

“Our qualifying efforts prove we’re fast. We’re right on the cusp of really breaking through, and I believe we’re going to bust through one of these days soon. We have the speed; we just need to keep maintaining that consistency throughout the event. And we plan to make that happen at Bristol Dragway,” says Cruz. “We took some time to regroup after a strong showing at Epping.  J.C. (John Collins), Rip (Reynolds) and I made a trip to Las Vegas to make some noise in the desert firing up our back-up car for Snap-on’s SuperSpeedway contest winners and franchisees at Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club. It was a great way to spend the weekend off, and we even got to talk racing with Formula Drift drivers Chris Forsberg and Ryan Tuerck.”

When he gets to Bristol, Cruz and team will host 150 associates from Snap-on’s Elizabethton, Tennessee manufacturing facility. The Elizabethton plant manufactures the hand tools Cruz’s pit crew relies on every weekend racing. He’s visited their plant as well as shops in the area with this week’s Nitro Franchisee Bivins Giddens, whose name is on the side of his car this week. Bivins worked in route sales for a major brand before deciding he “wanted to be his own boss” and investing in a Snap-on franchise. He says he enjoys interacting with his customers and helping them solve problems. If you’re one of the Makers and Fixers relying on hand tools in your work, be sure to share your story at makersandfixers.com.

Follow Cruz and Snap-on on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

To see the latest Cruz news, like his Facebook page, where you can also check out his Vlog “Kickin’ It With The Cruzer.” Follow Cruz on Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to follow @MakersandFixers on Instagram and share your stories at makersandfixers.com.

Twelfth career Hell Tour win for Unzicker, Rookie Payton Freeman sixth in series debut

KANKAKEE, IL – June 14, 2022 – With lapped traffic in front and two multi-time DIRTcar Summer Nationals champions on his tail, Ryan Unzicker had a choice to make. Go now, or risk losing the lead.

“That 14 car – I just caught him at the wrong time,” Unzicker, of El Paso, IL, said. “He left the door open and I had to take it. I felt like if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been giving it my all.”

Having led the season-opening Feature for the 37th annual Hell Tour Tuesday night at Kankakee County Speedway since the drop of the green, Unzicker managed to fend-off the pressure from behind him for over half of the race when he came up on a lapped car in front of him, right in his lane.

Knowing Bobby Pierce and Dennis Erb Jr. were right on his tail, The El Paso Express decided to make a quick decision and shoot a narrow gap that opened as they went through Turns 3-4.

“We gambled, took the shot, made some contact with him, so I’m glad my right-rear held,” he said.

Unzicker didn’t get by without contact, and neither did the next guy coming through. Several laps later, the leaders approached more traffic and more tough decisions to make in getting by. Pierce got into Jeff Roth when making a pass on him just after halfway, enough to allow Erb Jr. to get by for second.

Once Unzicker freed himself from the traffic tangle, it was time to play heavy defense again. Hugging the bottom lane for the entirety of the race, Unzicker held strong on the low side and denied both Erb and Pierce’s passing attempts over 40 laps to collect $5,000 and his first win on the Summer Nationals trail since June 2018.

“My stick guy was pounding me to the bottom, telling me they were right there,” Unzicker said of feeling Pierce and Erb so close behind him.

To his early-season success, Unzicker attributes much of it to his work earlier in the night, laying down the fastest lap in Group 3 Qualifying and winning his Heat Race. That set him up for a pole redraw, which allowed him to get out front early and eventually lead all 40 laps.

“I’m fortunate to start up front, that’s the biggest thing,” Unzicker said. “Fortunate to have a good car for the first six or seven laps to sustain the lead.”

Defending Summer Nationals champion Bobby Pierce was able to get back to second after Erb slipped up in a pass attempt for the lead later on and finished runner-up. Erb, the current World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series points leader, crossed in third, while young Drake Troutman made it to fourth pulling double-duty. Jason Feger, celebrating 20 years of racing this year, rounded out the top-five.

Summer Nationals rookie Payton Freeman, of Commerce, GA, made a sound debut on the tour with a victory in his Heat Race and a sixth-place run in the Feature. The 19-year-old had limited experience on Midwest ovals prior to Tuesday but his determination and raw talent shined through on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Summer Nationals continues Illinois-Iowa Week action Wednesday evening at Peoria Speedway in Peoria, IL. If you can’t be at the track, stream all the action live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 24-Ryan Unzicker[1]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 4. 7-Drake Troutman[4]; 5. 25-Jason Feger[7]; 6. F1- Payton Freeman[2]; 7. 21JR-Billy Moyer Jr[8]; 8. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 9. 9R-Curtis Roberts[11]; 10. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[9]; 11. 36-Logan Martin[13]; 12. 89-Mike Spatola[12]; 13. 14G-Joe Godsey[19]; 14. 99-Hunt Gossum[14]; 15. M27-Mike Provenzano[15]; 16. 77-Preston Luckman[18]; 17. 30-Mark Voigt[20]; 18. 14R-Jeff Roth[22]; 19. 14-Glen Thompson[21]; 20. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[10]; 21. B12-Kevin Weaver[16]; 22. 10-Paul Parker[17]

STILL WINNING: Hoffman Wins 12th Summit Modified Tour Opener at Kankakee

North Carolinian collects 58th career tour victory

He’s back, boys and girls.

Nick Hoffman picked up right where he left off in his history-making 2021 season with a win in the 2022 DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals season opener at Kankakee County Speedway Tuesday night.

The four-time and defending champion started third on the grid, got to the lead on Lap 3 and never looked back, leading the rest of the way unchallenged for his 58th career tour victory – most by any driver all-time.

“I knew I had to get to the lead as soon as I could possibly do it and just try to control the race from there,” Hoffman, of Mooresville, NC, said.

Forced to go to the outside of polesitter Trevor Neville for the lead, Hoffman saw the big vision from within the cockpit of his NOS Energy Drink/Elite Chassis #2.

“I knew the outside lane in Turns 1-2 was there to be able to roll speed as fast as I could,” Hoffman said. “Then, I knew I had to get back down in 3-4. I had to charge 1-2 as hard as I could to be able to beat [Neville] down the back-straightway and get back into his lane in 3-4.”

Even the internal issues he found early in the program could not stop him from getting to Victory Lane.

“We were smoking earlier… Dad had just change the valve cover gaskets on both sides, so we had a mess back there with oil and stuff,” Hoffman said. “Had some issues with my transmission too. It’s just wear-and-tear on parts.”

“This deal’s grueling; we’re only one night in.”

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Summit Modifieds continue Illinois-Iowa Week action Wednesday evening at Peoria Speedway in Peoria, IL. If you can’t be at the track, stream all the action live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (25 Laps) – 1. 2-Nick Hoffman[3]; 2. 36L-Jamie Lomax[2]; 3. 777-Trevor Neville[1]; 4. 8-Kyle Steffens[5]; 5. 36-Kenny Wallace[4]; 6. 25- Tyler Nicely[12]; 7. 79D-John Demoss[7]; 8. 37L-Michael Ledford[14]; 9. 21L-Derek Losh[9]; 10. 65-Todd Sherman[17]; 11. 8A-Austin Holcombe[11]; 12. 130-Chase Allen[8]; 13. 6M-Carl McKinney[13]; 14. 6B-Dave Baldwin[20]; 15. 0-Travis Kohler[19]; 16. 82-Darren Wireman[10]; 17. 4-Mike Learman[16]; 18. 7-Drake Troutman[6]; 19. 35-Jason Hastings[21]; 20. 19C-Carter Sinkhorn[22]; 21. 8K-Levi Kissinger[15]; 22. 5CS-Curt Spalding[18]

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 15, 2022) – Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster team enter this Father’s Day weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway having led the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series points standings for four consecutive races and are still 30 points ahead of second place. Force’s four-race points lead is equal to her longest consecutive streak in her professional career. The Flav-R-Pac team owes their status to an impressive three wins in the first eight of events of the season giving them a 16-5 record on race day. The team’s dominant performance is the best start of Force’s career. The David Grubnic and Mac Savage led team first picked up a win at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, then followed-it up with a dominant victory at Houston Raceway Park and went onto solidify their position with their third victory of 2022 at the Virginia NHRA Nationals. “We head to Bristol next for Father’s Day weekend at one of my favorite tracks on the circuit. This Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is heading in with the points lead and we hope to leave the same way,” Force said. “Being one of my favorite tracks, we’re looking for a long weekend and our fourth win of the season. A win at Thunder Valley has always been on my bucket list and we plan to make it happen this weekend. I’m glad we are bringing this race back on Father’s Day weekend. It’s how I’ve celebrated my dad on Father’s Day for the last 10 years and I’m glad we return to it this season.” Force will be looking for the ultimate Father’s Day gift for her dad, a Wally. She had her best result at the Thunder Valley Nationals when the event was run last October where she went to the semifinals. She has one No. 1 start in 2014 at Bristol Dragway, one of the few venues at which she is yet to hold either end of the track record. Currently, she is the elapsed time record holder at 11 of the 19 tracks that host events in the series and the speed record holder at 10. Racing at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway begins with qualifying Friday night at 8 p.m. and continues with Saturday with sessions at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Father’s Day Sunday at noon. Television coverage of qualifying will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1)

The Series Makes its Return to North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

GRAND FORKS, ND – JUNE 14, 2022 – When the calendar turns to July, only two things are certain. The Summer heat and the return of the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models to the Upper Midwest. 

The second tripleheader weekend of the season awaits The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet, kicking off at River Cities Raceway in Grand Forks, ND, on Friday, July 15.  

2022 marks the 15th appearance at the 1/4-mile bullring as teams prepare for the first of three, 40-lap, $10,000-to-win CASE Construction Equipment Features. 

Last season, two veterans brought fans to their feet as Dennis Erb Jr. and Jimmy Mars waged war for more than 20 laps. The Carpentersville, IL driver held on to win for the third time in 2021 and his first River Cities triumph. 

PREVIOUS RIVER CITIES SPEEDWAY WINNERS

2021 – Dennis Erb. Jr on July 16
2020 – Brandon Sheppard on July 19
2019 – Brandon Sheppard on July 12
2018 – Mike Marlar on July 13
2017 – Shane Clanton on July 14
2015 – Tim McCreadie on July 10
2014 – Tim Fuller on July 18
2012 – Darrell Lanigan on July 13
2011 – Tim McCreadie on July 15
2010 – Austin Hubbard on July 9
2009 – Josh Richards on 10
2008 – Brady Smith on July 11
2007 – Tim Fuller on June 12
2006 – Darrell Lanigan on May 30

The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models move east on Saturday, July 16, taking on I-94 Sure Step Speedway in Fergus Falls, MN, for the second time. 

Illinois standout Frank Heckenast Jr. led wire-to-wire in the Series’ inaugural appearance at the 3/8-mile track, as Tyler Bruening, Brandon Sheppard, and Chris Madden had an epic battle for second behind him. 

PREVIOUS I-94 SURE STEP SPEEDWAY WINNERS

2021 – Frank Heckenast Jr. on July 17

TICKETS: https://bit.ly/3tz5vdu

A trip to Wisconsin finishes the weekend off for the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models as they head to Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie, WI, on Sunday, July 17. 

The Rumble at the Red Cedar will be the third time the Series will race at the Badger State oval after Sheppard held off a hard-charging Cade Dillard to grab the win last season. 

PREVIOUS RED CEDAR SPEEDWAY WINNERS

2021-Brandon Sheppard on July 18
2019-Chase Junghans on July 14

TICKETS: https://bit.ly/3tz5why

Dennis Erb Jr. leads the charge of World of Outlaws drivers hoping to make a push toward the 2022 championship. 

The Illinois veteran has two wins on the Series this season, and currently holds the points lead—98 points ahead of Max Blair. 

Erb scored a win and another top-10 on the weekend last year and hopes to increase his points lead during the swing. 

Blair and Tanner English, who’s third in the standings, will each get their first look at all three of these facilities, hoping to catch Erb, who’s had the lead since leaving Cherokee Speedway in March. 

Another driver hoping for home state glory is Brent Larson. The race at I-94 is Larson’s only chance to bring home state fans to their feet in 2022. 

However, while I-94 is the only event in Minnesota, Red Cedar Raceway is less than an hour from his Lake Elmo, MN residence. 

Larson is hoping to take advantage of his hometown crowd to grave his first career World of Outlaws CASE Late Models win. 

 If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 14) – Pro Stock driver Troy Coughlin Jr. isn’t the type of guy to break the rules, despite what his history at Bristol Dragway may indicate. Either way, he promises to walk a straight path at this weekend’s Thunder Valley Nationals. Honest! Long before he started driving the JEGS.com Chevrolet Camaro for Elite Motorsports, Coughlin was the sport’s biggest superfan, especially when his father Troy Coughlin Sr. was racing. At times, watching dad required “bending” the rules a little bit, something he pushed to the extreme one memorable race day in Bristol. “I was like 10 years old and Dad was in the Winston ‘No Bull’ Showdown,” Troy Jr. said. “At that point he hadn’t won a Pro Stock race but his car was stout that weekend and he was driving really well. They’d hyped up that race with the big money prizes and everything and it was so exciting to watch him work his way through eliminations.” By the time it got to the later rounds, Troy Jr. couldn’t help himself. Although he’d been warned several times by NHRA’s former head of security, Mike Lentz, that he couldn’t be on or near the starting line, Troy Jr. repeatedly decided the risk was worth the reward.

“He’d try to sneak up there every round,” said JEGS Director of Motorsports Scott “Woody” Woodruff. “I had NHRA race control on my radio headset and I’d hear ‘Troy’s kid is up here again.’ Mike Lentz would immediately look at me and I’d tell him I would handle it. I would usually go tell T.J. to hide somewhere else. I knew how badly he wanted to be up there.” By the time Troy Sr. made it to the finals against fellow Ohioan Mark “the Cowboy” Pawuk, young Troy simply wouldn’t be denied. “Woody told me, ‘At least wait until your dad’s done with the burnout and is pulling forward to stage,’ thinking there wouldn’t be enough time for the security guys to run me off at the point. So that’s what I did and even though it seemed like I’d be banned for life, I was able to watch Dad win his first race.”

Troy Jr. has had a special affection for Bristol Dragway ever since, despite the stern lecture he got that day back in 2000, and yet again, is one of the most excited people heading to the picturesque track this weekend. “I have a driver’s pass this time so hopefully I won’t get thrown out,” Troy Jr. said with a laugh. “The goal now is to win my first Pro Stock race at the same track where Dad got his. How cool would that be? “We have a new car this year and we’re still learning what it wants. It’s taking some time but once it all falls into place, look out. There has been so much work, so many hours, so much sweat put into figuring this car out. I know we’re really close. Hopefully, this is the weekend when it all comes together.”

Troy Jr. will actually have two chances to win in Bristol as he is scheduled to also compete in the Super Gas category in his Uncle Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster.  “It’s a super fun car to drive and it’s been in the family stable for quite a while now,” Troy Jr. said. “Uncle Mike (Coughlin) wants to race it in Norwalk (Ohio) and since it hasn’t been run for a while I volunteered to blow the dust off it this weekend. It’ll give me some more laps down the strip. Plus, I get to race some more, which is always a plus. “I still have the same crazy passion for this sport that I did back when I was a kid sneaking up to the starting line to watch my Dad and uncles. I was only dreaming about doing this at that point. Now I’m living that dream and my feelings for the sport haven’t changed one bit. Nothing has changed, except I don’t have to sneak around anymore.”

Champions return, Australia/NZ shows presence, healthy roster expected for first full week

KANKAKEE, IL – June 14, 2022 – It’s time to feel the heat on the trail of the Hell Tour. The 37th DIRTcar Summer Nationals and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals is here.

Illinois-Iowa Week kicks off the 32-race schedule Tuesday night at Kankakee County Speedway – the 34th visit in tour history. A potential $39,000 Late Model champion’s check is on the line should all 32 races be completed by season’s end, while the Modifieds chase the traditional $5,000 check.

Illinois-Iowa Week schedule

Tuesday, June 14 – Kankakee County Speedway (Kankakee, IL)
Wednesday, June 15 – Peoria Speedway (Peoria, IL)
Thursday, June 16 – Davenport Speedway (Davenport, IA)
Friday, June 17 – Tri-City Speedway (Pontoon Beach, IL)
Saturday, June 18 – Fairbury Speedway (Fairbury, IL)
Sunday, June 19 – Sycamore Speedway (Maple Park, IL)

Tri-City and Fairbury will stand as the first $10,000-to-win Late Model shows on the schedule, bringing the competition and racing action to a fever pitch as the tour gets underway.

Tickets will be available at the gate on each race day. If you can’t be at the track, the entire 2022 Summer Nationals will be broadcasted live on DIRTVision. Get your FAST PASS subscription today or download the mobile app to watch from anywhere.

Here are the drivers to watch for and the storylines to follow this week…

RETURN TO FORM – After two seasons following a never-before-seen schedule that stretched into the later weeks of August, the Summer Nationals returns to a format more like its traditional slate in 2022 with 32 race dates in 40 calendar days, predominantly racing an average of six days per week. The first, third and fourth weeks have six scheduled races, Week #2 and Week #5 have five scheduled races and the final week in Michigan is set for four races.

This will crank up the heat on the competitors, once again offering the challenge the Hell Tour has come to be known for as teams fight to stay in the action night after night and keep their equipment, tempers and patience in check.

Though the schedule reverts to a more traditional timeframe, the points fund will follow the format unveiled in 2021, with an upgraded purse for perfect-attendance drivers. For each race completed past 25, the champion’s check will increase by $2,000. Positions 2-10 in points will receive prize money increases in different increments as well. Weekly bonuses and the all-new tow money program will also increase incentives for full-timers.

THE CHAMPS ARE HERE – Defending Hell Tour champions Bobby Pierce, the reigning Late Model champ from Oakwood, IL, and Nick Hoffman, last year’s Modified champion from Mooresville, NC, have made clear their intentions to be in-action during Illinois-Iowa Week and beyond.

Pierce currently has every race through July 3 (end of Multi-State Week) on his schedule, giving several of the traditional Summer Nationals tracks and their fans the chance to see the four-time champion compete against the best from the region. Should he decide to divert from the schedule past that point, a new champion could potentially rise to the top by season’s end.

As he has done in each of the past three seasons, Hoffman plans to tackle the majority of the Modified schedule, aiming for his fourth-straight and fifth career championship. New for this summer, he’s taking NOS Energy Drink along for the ride with a brand-new sponsorship inked with the beverage brand for his already orange-and-blue colored #2.

WELCOME TO HELL, ROOK – Multiple Late Model racers have already made their intentions of following all or most of the entire schedule known, creating an interesting roster of talent tackling the tour for their first time.

• Payton Freeman, of Commerce, GA, won two Features last year in his first full-time season aboard the Southern All Star Racing Series, clinching Rookie of the Year honors and the Series championship by over 500 points. This summer, he faces the biggest challenge of his career against some of the nation’s best Dirt Late Model talent on their home turf behind the wheel of his Madison County Auto Parts / Freeman Plumbing #F1.

• Preston Luckman, of Coos Bay, OR, is new to the Midwest Dirt Late Model racing scene in 2022, but has plenty of experience racing Late Models around his home tracks in Oregon. He’s been a dominant force at Coos Bay Speedway and Cottage Grove Speedway in recent seasons, capturing the 2018 Cottage Grove Super Late Model track championship with seven wins in 16 starts, as well as the 2019 Coos Bay championship with an equal number of wins in 15 starts.

• Brent McKinnon, of Carlyle, IL, announced via social media last week his plans to take on most of the 2022 schedule behind the wheel of his Midwest Farm & Land Company #26. McKinnon received a notable mention in DirtonDirt.com’s “Most Improved Drivers” year-end superlatives category last winter after winning his first career Super Late Model race at Tri-City Speedway in June.

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER – Two Late Model veterans have made the trip across the pond and into the states from Australia and New Zealand to attempt the full schedule this year, marking the first running of the Hell Tour with drivers from outside the US since 2019.

Paul Stubber, the 63-year-old Aussie champion from Wanneroo, Western Australia, is no stranger to the Summer Nationals, contesting several races on the schedule from 2017-2019. Unable to compete in the states due to travel restrictions from the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Stubber takes his recognizable yellow/orange Palice Property Group #31AUS back on the Hell Tour trail this year for a return to his favorite summer racing adventure.

Mick Quin, veteran racer from Hawke’s Bay, NZ, has been racing and winning around the Kiwi circuits of Baypark Speedway and Waikarara Park Speedway in the Super Saloon division – a Late Model-like class in similar power and construction, commonly raced in New Zealand. He’s been highly successful over the past few years racing a US-built Barry Wright ICON chassis against his local competition, and has now loaded up for Kankakee with a brand-new Barry Wright car and Clements engine strapped into his Quin Buildings Direct #23NZ.

ROLL CALL – In addition to each of the drivers mentioned previously, several other Late Model names are projected to join in at various intervals during Illinois-Iowa action, including (but not limited to): Mitch McGrath, Jeff Roth, Joe Godsey, Bob Gardner, Dennis Erb Jr., Ryan Unzicker, Mark Voigt, Brian Shirley, Jason Feger, Brenden Smith, Frank Heckenast Jr., Daryn Klein, Tanner English, Deshawn Gingerich, Justin Duty, Rich Dawson, Hunt Gossum and Billy Moyer Jr.

Batavia, OH (June 14, 2022) – The stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will return to action on June 16th at Cherokee Speedway for the 24th Annual Grassy Smith Memorial and June 17th – 18th at Smoky Mountain Speedway for two days of the Mountain Moonshine Classic presented by Lazydays RV. The weekend kicks off on Thursday with a visit to Gaffney, SC for a full program of Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat races, and B-Main(s), highlighted by a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win main event. The pit gates at Cherokee Speedway will open at 2:00 PM ET with the general admission gates opening one hour later, at 3:00 PM ET. The drivers meeting is set for 6:45 PM ET, followed by hot laps at 7:15 PM ET. In addition to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the Thunder Series 602 Late Models, Thunder Bomber, and Pure Stocks will also be in action. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series then visits Smoky Mountain Speedway for two days of the Mountain Moonshine Classic presented by Lazydays RV. On Friday, June 17, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will compete in a full program of racing consisting of Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, and two 30-lap A-Mains paying $5,000 each to win. In addition to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the Classic and Front Wheel Drive cars will be in competition on Friday. On Saturday June 18, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series returns with Heat Races (lineups determined from Friday’s twin A-Main finishes), and B-Mains, all topped off with a 60-lap A-Main paying $50,000-to-win. The Saturday night program will also feature Sportsman Late Models and Mini Stocks. Both the pit and general admission gates at Smoky Mountain Speedway will open at noon on Friday and Saturday. The drivers meeting will take place at 6:30 PM ET each night with hot laps at 7:00 PM ET. Dirt Racing Outreach will be holding a service at 3:30 PM ET on Saturday at the pavilion located next to the concession stand followed by a driver autograph session at 4:30 PM ET. Brandon Sheppard currently sits on top of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Point Standings followed by the reigning Champion, Tim McCreadie. Tyler Erb sits in a close third with Ricky Thornton Jr and Earl Pearson Jr rounding out the top five in points. Track Information:Cherokee SpeedwayPhone Number: 864-489-1969Location: 153 Speedway Road, Gaffney, SC 29340Directions: I-85 to exit 96, then 0.2 mile south on SR 18, then 0.2 mile east on SR 329, then north on Speedway Road.Website: www.cherokeespeedwaysc.com Smoky Mountain SpeedwayPhone Number: 865-856-8989Location: 809 Brickmill Road, Maryville, TN 37801Directions: 4.5 miles southwest of US 129 on US 411, then 1.6 miles south on Brick Mill Road.Website: www.smokymountainspeedway.com Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Weekend Tire Rules:Cherokee Speedway June 16th:Left Rear/Fronts: Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear: Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (29.0) White Dot 1600 NRM, (29.0) White Dot1600 NRMW *Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Smoky Mountain Speedway: June 17thLeft Rear/Fronts: Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear: Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (29.0) White Dot 1600 NRM, (29.0) White Dot1600 NRMW *Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains*For the A-Main, competitors may use a new right rear tire.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Smoky Mountain Speedway: June 18thLeft Rear/Fronts: Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1350Right Rear: Hoosier (29.0) 1350 NRM, (29.0) 1350 NRMW, (29.0) White Dot 1600 NRM, (29.0) White Dot1600 NRMW *Must use the same set of 4 tires for Heat Races, and B-Mains*For the A-Main, competitors may use 3 new tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Event Purses:Cherokee Speedway June 16th: 1. $10,000, 2. $5,500,3. $3,500, 4. $2,700, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,000, 15. $950, 16. $925, 17. $900, 18. $875, 19. $850, 20. $825, 21. $800, 22. $800, 23. $800, 24. $800 = $48,575 Smoky Mountain June 17th: 1. $5,000, 2. $3,000, 3. $2,000, 4. $1,500, 5. $1,250, 6. $1,000, 7. $950, 8. $900, 9. $850, 10. $800, 11. $700, 12. $600, 13. $600, 14. $600, 15. $600, 16. $600, 17. $550, 18. $500, 19. $500, 20. $500 = $23,000 (x2) Smoky Mountain June 18th: 1. $50,000, 2. $20,000, 3. $10,000, 4. $8,000, 5. $7,000, 6. $6,000, 7. $4,500, 8. $4,000, 9. $3,800, 10. $3,600, 11. $3,400, 12. $3,200, 13. $3,000, 14. $2,500, 15. $2,400, 16. $2,300, 17. $2,200, 18. $2,100, 19. $2,000, 20. $2,000, 21. $2,000, 22. $2,000, 23. $2,000, 24. $2,000 = $150,000