What: Summit Racing Equipment NHRA NationalsWhen: Friday, June 24-Sunday, June 26Where: Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OhioTV: FOX will telecast eliminations at 3 p.m. ET June 26                                                                       Chevrolet seeks to claim more big payoffs in visit to OhioBrittany Force, Erica Enders continue to pace Top Fuel, Pro Stock in points races

DETROIT (June 23, 2022) – Aaron Stanfield is looking to stitch together another solid race weekend in the Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car as the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series heads to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. Stanfield earned his first victory of the season at Phoenix in February and has reached the finals the past two races – winning June 19 at Bristol Dragway — to make a dent in Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders’ points lead.“Being able to hand my dad a Pro Stock Wally at Bristol on Father’s Day is probably up there among my biggest (accomplishments),” said Stanfield, who won twice in Top Dragster at Bristol before jumping in a Pro Stock car.  “I don’t know if it necessarily means it’s clicking for me just yet. They’ve done a really good job with my race car. I should be doing well with as fast as it is.” Enders, driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS, has advanced to the final round in five of the seven races, winning four. She holds a 19-3 record on race day. Enders is also the defending Pro Stock winner at Norwalk. She defeated Greg Anderson, who went on to claim the 2021 class title in the HendickCars.com Camaro SS, in the final. He continues the quest for victory No. 100 to join John Force (155) as the only professional drivers with triple digit wins. Brittany Force, runner-up in Top Fuel at Norwalk last year, continues to pace the field in points in the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster. Force, with three victories, has held the top spot in the standings for a career-best five races. Robert Hight, the No. 1 Funny Car qualifier at Bristol in the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS, also has three wins and holds down second in the standings. He also holds the track Funny Car speed record, set in 2017. John Force, who reached the semifinals last week in the PEAK/BlueDEF Platinum Camaro SS, is fourth in the Funny Car standings. His next round win will the record-extending 1,400th of his illustrious career. Austin Prock, a semifinalist in two races of the past three races in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, is fifth in Top Fuel standings.

The race weekend will also feature the fifth round of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. David Barton of Reading, Pennsylvania, took a step toward his second title in the category by driving his Chevrolet COPO Camaro to the victory last week at Bristol in an all-COPO final round against Stephen Bell of Shreveport, Louisiana. “I feel like we have good momentum going. Every single race we’ve had a car in the final,” said Barton, who moved to the top of the standings. “We’ll keep it rolling as good as we can.” Following the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Chevrolet teams will prepare for the annual Western Swing – three consecutive weekends of racing – starting July 15-17 at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado. CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITTOP FUELBRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (three-time winner this season; points leader; runner-up at Norwalk in 2021): “Heading into Norwalk, a quick turnaround from Bristol. Definitely OK with that. This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team plans to pick up some points. We get four qualifying rounds before going into race day, which is awesome. We’re looking for a top three qualifying position and getting as many points as we can then going rounds on race day and getting into that winner’s circle.” AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (runner-up at Pomona opener; semifinalist in two of past three races): “I’m excited for Norwalk. I have some unfinished business there. I was able to fill in for Clay last year and made it to the semis. I feel like that opportunity put me back on the map from a driving aspect. I’m looking to go all the way this year with my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team. To get a win there would be an awesome story. I think we have the team to do it and we’re going to come in swinging.” FUNNY CARJOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier and Charlotte four-wide winner; won at track in 2014): “I’ve got a lot of history in Norwalk. The Bader Family, they do as amazing job putting on a real show. The stands are always packed, which is what drag racers live for, turning that corner and seeing all those fans. That really gets you going, really gets my energy up. This PEAK Chevy is right there in the hunt. Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, my crew chiefs, they make the adjustments, and they figure this Camaro out, we’ll be ready to go.” ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AAA OF OHIO CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time winner this season; second in points; holds track Funny Car speed record, set in 2017): “I like these back-to-back races, I don’t like having all the downtime. So, I’m excited to be heading to Norwalk. We didn’t have the performance we wanted in Bristol and this gives an opportunity for this AAA team to quickly pick things back up,” Hight said. “We’re still second in points and it’s a tough field right now. We aren’t the only ones with three wins and when we aren’t winning, we still need to be going rounds, picking up qualifying points and making sure we’re still in it. We have to be consistent.” PRO STOCKKYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier at Phoenix; runner-up at Gainesville; semifinalist in June 19 race at Bristol; third in standings): “Norwalk is a great track. Running back-to-back like this I feel better as a driver. I get more confidence. I was driving good and felt good (at Bristol). I thought if I could get past Greg (Anderson) in the second round I have a good shot at winning the race. The car was running good. In the semis, we just missed the setup a little bit. Norwalk, here we come. It is supposed to be good and hot, which my car likes and has a good tune-up for. We’ll be ready to go.” DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner at Gainesville; No. 1 qualifier at Epping; semifinalist in June 19 race at Bristol): “Going to Norwalk is one of my top races every year, even before I start driving my RAD Torque Systems / KB Racing Chevrolet Camaro. I consider it one of the nicest facilities on the circuit and I know our car will respond well to it if we keep working off our semifinal round appearance momentum from Bristol last weekend.” GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning Pro Stock champion; seeking to become second pro driver with 100 wins; has three victories at the track): “The Summit Racing Equipment event is in just a few days at one of the nicest tracks we go to, and I’m looking forward to getting there. That’s been a good race for us, a good race for me, personally, and I would really like to have a get-well weekend there for this HendrickCars.com team.” TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up at Phoenix; from Columbus, Ohio): “I always love racing with family, I love racing in the great state of Ohio, and it’s great when you know you’ll have a ton of support in the stands with all the JEGS associates who are always on hand, so this weekend checks all the boxes for me. We found some issues with the suspension and shocks on our race car since the last race and everything has been corrected so we’re looking to have a strong rebound race. My thanks to Mark Ingersoll, Kyle Bates, Ricky Calloway, and Kelly Murphy for all the extra hours they’ve put in getting this new RJ Race Cars chassis up to speed.” CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, KINGS OF VAPOR CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first season in Pro Stock; No. 1 qualifier and runner-up at Houston): “I have raced at Norwalk a bunch and I am excited to have Kings of Vapor on my Camaro this weekend. I won there in Top Alcohol Dragster and I have raced my 632 car there. My dad has won there in Pro Mod so I really enjoy Norwalk. The fans have always been great and I am looking forward to racing my Kings of Vapor Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock car this weekend.”

Blair notches third podium in three races

QUINCY, IL – June 22, 2022 – Right as he was rolling trackside for the Feature, reigning DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion Bobby Pierce caught a positive wave of energy. Inside, he knew Wednesday night’s return to Adams County Raceway (IL) for the first time since 2019 was going to go well for he and the #32 crew.

“I felt great before the Feature,” he said. “Just before we took the green, I felt like the car was good on the warmup laps. I had a great feeling.”

Pierce used the low side of the quarter-mile for the majority of the race, making moves to the inside of his competition to take the lead in the first half and the eventual trip to Hell Tour Victory Lane for the 44th time in his career.

“I started fifth on the bottom, and realized I had to move up and get going on top,” Pierce said of his lane choice in the opening laps. “I did and I was rolling, and I passed a car or two, and then I was the first one to go back down and find that really low line in Turns 1-2.

“When I found it, in a couple laps it seemed like I was in the lead. It changed that quick.”

Though he made quick work of the opponents in front of him en route to the lead, keeping them behind him got hairy in the home stretch. A caution was thrown with three laps remaining, which erased Pierce’s lead and put a hungry Shannon Babb right on his rear bumper.

Pierce mashed the throttle in Turn 4 and pulled away from Babb, leaving the others behind him as he crossed the stripe for his third Summer Nationals Feature win of the 2022 campaign.

“At that point, I didn’t really think anyone would have anything on the top,” Pierce said. “If I got pressured, maybe I could turn it up a notch and do something.

“I wasn’t too worried, I just knew I had to hit my marks the last few laps and not allow anything to happen.”

Babb, of Moweaqua, IL, came home second after spending the entire race inside the podium. Max Blair, of Centerville, PA, garnered his third-consecutive podium finish in his last three Summer Nationals starts with a third-place Wednesday night. Ryan Unzicker and Brian Shirley rounded-out the top-five.

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Summer Nationals next heads to its birthplace on Thursday, June 23 – Spoon River Speedway in Lewiston, IL. If you can’t be at the track, watch every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature 40 Laps | 00:16:42.305

1. 32-Bobby Pierce[5]; 2. 18-Shannon Babb[4]; 3. 111V-Max Blair[2]; 4. 24-Ryan Unzicker[6]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[9]; 6. 25- Jason Feger[11]; 7. 86-Kyle Beard[7]; 8. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[20]; 9. 36-Logan Martin[18]; 10. 42-Mckay Wenger[1]; 11. 14G-Joe Godsey[10]; 12. 81E-Tanner English[15]; 13. F1-Payton Freeman[13]; 14. 44-Blaze Burwell[3]; 15. 77-Preston Luckman[19]; 16. 31-Paul Stubber[14]; 17. 4D-Doug Tye[8]; 18. 97-Cade Dillard[17]; 19. 10-Garrett Smith[12]; 20. 30-Mark Voigt[22]; 21. 7B-Mark Burgtorf[21]; 22. 29-Spencer Diercks[16]

EARNED IT: Hoffman Defends Against Challengers to Win at Adams County

While Nick Hoffman’s perfect DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals season is still intact, it was certainly challenged Wednesday night at Adams County Speedway (IL).

After the drop of the green on the 25-lap Feature, Hoffman slipped back to fourth after Elite Chassis customer Kelly Kovski made the pass on him for third inside the first five laps of the race. A yellow was thrown shortly after, which Hoffman used to return the favor on the ensuing restart.

“I kinda did a bad job in the first five laps at picking the correct lane,” Hoffman said. “I could’ve just fell in line and rode in third, which, looking back on it, probably would’ve been the smarter thing to do, but I was trying to run out the middle of the racetrack and it just go super dirty.”

Hoffman next set his sights on Kenny Wallace in second, catching and passing him the same way four laps later. That left only leader Tyler Nicely to go.

Hoffman and Nicely raced side-by-side for several laps, swapping the top spot back-and-forth a couple times before Hoffman used the lapped traffic to get away with the lead for good.

“[Nicely] was running the middle lane, kinda where I wanted to be, and I was able to make enough speed around the bottom to at least show him the nose,” Hoffman said of his pass for the lead on Nicely. “I was really surprised he didn’t come down and try it. There were plenty of times where he could’ve come down and ran the bottom, but he didn’t.”

In the end, Hoffman mastered Adams County for his 63rd career Summit Modified victory, while Kyle Steffens zoomed ahead on the final restart, taking four positions in two laps to claim the runner-up spot. Nicely rounded out the podium.

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals next heads to the birthplace of its sister Late Model tour on Thursday, June 23 – Spoon River Speedway in Lewiston, IL. If you can’t be at the track, watch every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature 25 Laps | 00:16:31.199

1. 2-Nick Hoffman[3]; 2. 8-Kyle Steffens[5]; 3. 25-Tyler Nicely[2]; 4. 22-Austen Becerra[6]; 5. 05-Dave Wietholder[9]; 6. 10K- Kelly Kovski[4]; 7. 00S-Chris Spalding[16]; 8. 36-Kenny Wallace[1]; 9. 99B-Brandyn Ryan[11]; 10. 130-Chase Allen[10]; 11. 16D-Shawn Deering[15]; 12. 9C-Russ Coultas[13]; 13. 00B-Scott Bryant[14]; 14. 54-Zachary Hawk[17]; 15. 17V-Mike Vanderiet Jr[7]; 16. ONE-William Huff[21]; 17. 9-Charles Baker[22]; 18. 117-Frankie Wellman[19]; 19. 77S-Rick Stevenson[8]; 20. 16-Levi Long[18]; 21. 8C-Michael Claeys[12]; 22. (DNS) 16S-Steve Stotler

NORWALK, Ohio (June 22, 2022) – John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS team head to Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals needing just one win light to set a round win record. The next time John Force illuminates a win light in his PEAK / BlueDEF Chevy, it will lift him to a record 1,400 round wins in an NHRA career spanning 47 seasons. There are few venues at which he would rather achieve that milestone than Summit Motorsports Park, a track on which he was racing years before the NHRA’s 2007 introduction of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals and where he first had a grandstand named in his honor. Force is the only one of the four current JFR drivers to have a win in Norwalk, 2014 when he beat reigning champion Ron Capps in the finals and has one No. 1 qualifier that came in 2014. “I’ve got a lot of history in Norwalk. The Bader Family, they do as amazing job putting on a real show,” Force said. “The stands are always packed which is what drag racers live for, turning that corner and seeing all those fans, that really gets you going, really gets my energy up. This PEAK Chevy is right there in the hunt. Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, my crew chiefs, they make the adjustments, and they figure this Camaro out, we’ll be ready to go.” After prevailing earlier this year at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Charlotte, Force is trying to win multiple events for the 27th different season. He currently has the PEAK / BlueDEF Chevy sitting solidly in the No. 4 position in the points standings. Racing at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park begins with four qualifying sessions on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the race weekend will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Friday t 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Batavia, OH (June 22, 2022) – After 11 Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge events, the points battle is likely to come down to the wire at the season finale with just five points currently separating Brandon Sheppard and Ricky Thornton Jr at the top of the board; both of which have wins in the $100,000-to-win season ending Dirt Track World Championship. To put the five points in perspective, there are 20 points more awarded for winning the race than for finishing in second: with a five-point difference between the majority of positions throughout the field. The winner of the Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge points category will receive a $15,000 bonus, while second and third will receive $5,000 and $2,000 respectively at the year-end awards banquet. Drivers must maintain perfect attendance with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series to be eligible for these cash awards. Brandon Ford, World’s Largest Volume Ford Truck Dealer, continues their support of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series with the Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge. The mini-series within the 2022 schedule is awarding points to drivers at twenty (20) TV events; eighteen (18) LIVE televised events broadcast on the MAVTV Motorsports Network and the two (2) next day airings. Brandon Sheppard currently sits atop the Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge points with two wins, five top five’s and seven top ten’s out of the eleven completed races in the mini-series. However, Ricky Thornton Jr trails Sheppard by a mere five points with four top five finishes and only finishing outside the top ten once out of the eleven races. Tim McCreadie holds down the third spot in Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge points followed by Earl Pearson Jr in fourth and a tie for fifth between Hudson O’Neal and Tyler Erb.  With nine events remaining in the Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge, the next event is this weekend at the 16th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel during the series’ first visit to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA. Saturday’s event will be live on MAVTV Plus with a next day airing on MAVTV Motorsports Network. The MAVTV Motorsports Network is the only cable television network in the U.S. dedicated solely to motorsports. With a total of 220+ providers across cable, satellite, telco, and digital broadcast platforms, MAVTV is now available to more viewers than ever before. For more information visit www.mavtv.com.  The talent of the nation’s top dirt late model drivers will be put on display along the way, not only during the 18 live events on MAVTV Motorsports Network, but also through the live stream of all Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events on www.mavtvplus.com. Brandon Ford, located in Tampa, FL, has won Ford’s prestigious President’s Award for 19 consecutive years, saluting the top-performing Ford and Lincoln dealerships that pursue excellence in the highest levels of customer satisfaction in both sales and service. Brandon Ford has one of the largest inventories of new and pre-owned vehicles in the nation. Brandon Ford is centrally located just minutes away from the Crosstown, I-75 and I-4. They are located at the corners of State Roads 301 and 60, with entrances at both sides. Their hours are posted on their website for your convenience, as well as contact phone numbers for each of their departments. To learn more about Brandon Ford or if you are interested in purchasing a vehicle, visit: www.brandonford.com.

The World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Summer Nationals winner looks to best both fields at I-55 By Nick GrazianoPEVELY, MO – (June 22, 2022) – Bobby Pierce has done what no other Late Model driver has been able to do yet this season – win against World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model and DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Model drives. Multiple times, as well.This weekend, he’ll have the opportunity to do so again but in the same race – twice.For the first time since 2019, the World of Outlaws and Summer Nationals tours collide during the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Friday-Saturday, June 24-25. The best of both series will battle against each other for a $10,000 payday on Friday and then a $20,000 payday on Saturday.For Pierce, the defending Summer Nationals I-55 winner and five-time overall victor at the Pevely, MO track, it’s an exciting opportunity to race at one of his best – and favorite tracks – for a large purse. But with the combination of the Summer Nationals and World of Outlaws fields, he said nothing will be easy.“As a driver, I definitely don’t like the more competition,” Pierce said with a chuckle. “No, as a competitive side, it is great, and Pevely is a great track. So, should have no problem with it being a great show. Pevely is one of my favorite tracks. And then you bring in all that competition, it’s going to be a lot harder than your typical ‘Hell Tour’ show. Hopefully one of the Summer Nationals guys can win it and it’s me.”Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, is the four-time and defending Summer Nationals champion and current points leader for the Series with two wins. Also, in four World of Outlaws starts this season he’s already matched a season-best for the Series by claiming two victories.With that success comes the confidence he’s a top contender no matter which series he’s up against.“It makes you feel good going into it,” Pierce said. “You feel like you have a good shot at winning because you’ve done it already. But I treat every race like the same. Whether it is the Million (at Eldora) or whatever race. You kind of have to forget about the last night or last week. Every night is a new night so you want to do the best you can every night. The best of the best forget about the last night and then try to win the next one.”While Pierce has mastered that during the Summer Nationals “Hell Tour” (32 races in 40 days) so have many of the drivers he’ll be competing against list World of Outlaws champions Brandon Sheppard and Shane Clanton, and fellow Summer Nationals champion and current World of Outlaws points leader Dennis Erb Jr.Fortunately, for Pierce, I-55 is a track he’s been racing at since he was 13 years old.“You haul the mail there early if it is fast,” Pierce said. “Toward the end, the track moves around. I’ve been there for a Feature where in the one race you’re on the bottom, top, move to the middle. Kind of have to chase the racetrack around, which as a racer we love that. We love for a track to have those different lines we can choose from to race on and make moves and pass cars and get to where we need to be. It’s a racy little place when it’s right.“Just like any time you have to qualify good and have a good Heat Race. This time especially with bringing in the World of Outlaws guys. You want to make sure you’re dialed all night.”To win it, though, would mean more than any other I-55 win for Pierce. While it’s four hours away from his Illinois homestead, the Missouri track is almost a home away from home for him. He grew up going to the track with his father – legendary dirt Late Model driver Bob Pierce – ran against the World of Outlaws for the first time at I-55 and, simply, enjoys the track.“It would be my biggest win at Pevely,” Pierce said. “I think it would be the most I’ve raced for at Pevely. I’m definitely going to want to win it.“Heck, I kind of grew up racing at Pevely when I was younger. When I first got started in Supers I was 13 or 14. And the first time I went to Pevely was for a World of Outlaws show. And when I was 13, that was my first year in a Super and I was like all over the place. I made the show. I passed someone in the B-Main. I can’t remember who it was. But it was like one of the World of Outlaws guys. It would be my biggest win there for sure. It would mean a lot to me.”To watch Pierce take on the stars of the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models and DIRTcar Summer Nationals, you can purchase your tickets here.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.

The World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Case Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Fox Factory (Hard Charger Award), MSD, My Place Hotels, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), Swift Springs, and Wrisco–Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including Dirt Car Lift, Capital Race Cars, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, FIREBULL, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, Rocket Chassis, and Sea Foam.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

Jun 22, 2022 | Featured, Megan Meyer, Pre-Race Releases, Special Announcements

Two-time NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Megan Meyer, who stepped away from competition after the 2020 season to start a family, will return to the driver’s seat of a Randy Meyer Racing A/Fuel dragster for two races this summer. With support from Meyer Truck Center and NGK’s Shop Squad, Meyer will run an exhibition race at Eddyville Raceway Park’s Night of Fire and will compete at Mo-Kan Dragway’s Nitro Chaos. 

“I missed the competitiveness and just being out there driving the car,” said Meyer, who won world championships in 2019 and 2020. “When I went to the races last year while I was pregnant, and again when I went to a race earlier this year, I just missed being behind the wheel. I really enjoyed being on the starting line with the crew and celebrating wins with them, but I also do miss the other parts of it that come with driving.”

Meyer’s first race will be Eddyville Raceway Park’s Night of Fire on July 2, where she’ll face fellow RMR driver Matt Sackman in a match race series. She’ll then race at the second Nitro Chaos race of the season at Mo-Kan Dragway in Asbury, Missouri, on July 15-16. Both races are eighth-mile events for the RMR cars. Both tracks are fairly local for Meyer, who grew up going to races at Eddyville and Mo-Kan. 

“Whenever the opportunity came up to do the Night of Fire race and to do Nitro Chaos, I thought that was the perfect opportunity for me,” Meyer said. “Mo-Kan is my second home track outside of Topeka. I remember going to Eddyville as a little kid. I used to race Jr. Dragsters there and my dad would do the match races. I remember we’d open up the back door of the trailer and my sister [Rachel] and I would put as many parts as we could out there to sell. It’s kind of a full-circle moment for me now, being able to be in that same position my dad was in. We’re bringing all the used parts that we can get rid of and will have new merchandise out there for the fans.”

The family business, Meyer Truck Center, will serve as Meyer’s primary sponsor, while the Shop Squad has signed on as an associate sponsor. The Shop Squad is a new brand from NGK Spark Plugs, Meyer’s longtime sponsor. Geared towards automotive and service professionals, the Shop Squad community is free to join. One of the biggest benefits of the Shop Squad program is training, and over 25 on-demand courses are currently available. New members can sign up today to enter for a chance to win a Solo Stove, with drawings conducted monthly. 

“Team NGK & NTK couldn’t be more excited to welcome the two-time NHRA World Champion, Megan Meyer, back to the track in 2022,” said Brian Lesiewicz, General Manager of Sales and Marketing – NGK Aftermarket Division. “We are excited to partner with Megan to promote our Shop Squad community, focused on learning, sharing and supporting with automotive technicians, repair shops and technical schools across the USA and Canada.”

Meyer insists that she’s still “semi-retired” and doesn’t plan to run any NHRA Lucas Oil Series races in the foreseeable future. She’s focused on motherhood, as well as continuing to help manage Randy Meyer Racing and Meyer Truck Center. 

“Having the break from drag racing has really changed my perspective on the things that are important in life,” Meyer said. “Before 2020, racing was 100% my passion and focus and my career. Now, my career has shifted and I see the racing more as part-time. This isn’t too competitive, just the chance for me to get back behind the wheel, have some fun with it, and get back to doing what I love without the stress of traveling and chasing points like we did in NHRA when we were going after the championships.”

It’s also an opportunity for Meyer to continue introducing her 10-month-old son, Henry, to the sport at a young age just like her father did with her. 

“Henry’s not old enough to remember any of it, but it will still be cool to have that third generation out there,” Meyer said. “He has been to the drag races before, so he kind of knows what’s going on. For me as a mother, it’s a chance to prove to him that girls can race too, and he has the chance to follow in my footsteps if he wants to, or if he wants to follow in his dad’s footsteps and be more of a dirt bike racer. [Husband] Adam and I are also into go-karts now, so we’re just trying to introduce him to all different kinds of motorsports and we’ll see which one he wants to go with. It will be really special for me to have him out there with us.”

Fans can stay up to date on Meyer by visiting and following her Instagram and Facebook social media pages for the dragster’s new look, race updates, and behind the scenes videos.

NORWALK, Ohio (June 22, 2022) – Robert Hight and the AAA Ohio Chevrolet Camaro SS team head to Summit Racing Motorsports Park for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals ready to make-up some ground and keep the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series points lead well within grasp. Hight has three wins so far this season with back-to-back victories at the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. and the Arizona Nationals just outside of Phoenix and 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 AAA team also have two No. 1 qualifiers, most recently taking the top spot at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals just last weekend at Bristol Dragway. Their performance has kept them at the top of the points, holding steady at second just 42 behind leader Matt Hagan. “I like these back-to-back races, I don’t like having all the downtime. So, I’m excited to be heading to Norwalk. We didn’t have the performance we wanted in Bristol and this gives an opportunity for this AAA team to quickly pick things back up,” Hight said. “We’re still second in points and it’s a tough field right now. We aren’t the only ones with three wins and when we aren’t winning, we still need to be going rounds, picking up qualifying points and making sure we’re still in it. We have to be consistent.” Robert Hight has done everything at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals except hoist the winner’s trophy. He’s been No. 1 qualifier three times (2007, 2008 and 2011), a finalist twice (2008 and 2017) and is the current track record holder for speed having accelerated his AAA Chevy Camaro to a finish line speed of at 334.65 mph in 2017. Racing at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park begins with four qualifying sessions on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the race weekend will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Friday t 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.

6/22/2022 – Alex Nieten) Redding, CA… Back in April when the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car campaign began, Max Mittry had only one race in a 410ci sprint car, but that hasn’t slowed him down in his first campaign.

The teenager has made an immediate impact competing against the best drivers the West Coast has to offer in 2022. Earlier this year at Silver Dollar Speedway he earned Quick Time honors in just his second ever series appearance. Throughout the season so far he’s tallied four top-10s with a best result of sixth.

For Mittry, the route to racing began before he was even born as his father and now car owner, Demo Mittry, was a heavy fixture on the outlaw kart scene as the now popular sprint car stepping stone was in its earliest stages. Demo both raced and built the small but powerful machines, and shortly after Max was born, he quickly developed a passion for the sport, one that led to the young racer collecting many checkered flags as he laid the foundations of a racing career.

“I just fell in love with it,” Max Mittry said. “He (Demo) built me a kart, and I started racing and had some pretty good success, got a championship and won a lot of races.”

The quick success in the karting ranks opened the door for Mittry to give 360ci sprint cars a shot, and Mittry also wasted no time finding speed, even grabbing a podium against a loaded ASCS field at a race in Arizona at one point.

“After the kart championship, my dad said, ‘hey do you want to try a sprint car?’ And I said sure, why not,” Mittry explained. “Then I moved up to a sprint car and have been having a lot of success, a lot of consistency in them.”

Next up for Mittry came the natural progression to a 410ci sprinter when he was old enough. One of California’s best drivers, Justin Sanders, played an instrumental role in helping Mittry get started in a 410 and still plays a major role to this day.

“I wasn’t old enough the last few years to even try out a 410,” Mittry said. “As soon as I turned 16 that was the first thing that came to mind is when am I going to hope in the 410. Luckily, Justin, who is a part of our team now, he got us the hook up on a motor.”

The connection between the Mittry family and Sanders strengthened last year as they spent more time around each other and also helped each other out at times. Eventually, the Mittry crew rolled out a second car for Sanders late last year, and they remain Mittry Racing teammates today.“We used to pit next to each other a few times,” Mittry said of how their friendship began. “He actually asked my dad to help him out when we went up to Skagit last year, and my dad ended up helping him out. Then they started talking, started getting close, and then we decided we were going to put Justin in a car at the Copper Classic in Arizona.”

Sanders, who owns 11 career NARC victories, may best be known for his exploits behind the wheel of a sprint car. However, in the pit area, he’s also known as one of the better mechanical minds, capable of making a car go fast via not only the wheel and pedals but also the wrenches. Mittry points to having Sanders’ help in this area as well as his willingness to offer driving tips as a couple key catalysts to his early speed in a 410.

“He (Sanders) knows stuff that I wouldn’t even think about in a sprint car,” Mittry said. “Last year we were pretty good. We were consistently fast but didn’t have much when it came to the main event. He’s just been helping us out, getting us dialed in on both the 360 and 410.

“Also, as a driver coach, he’s running the same tracks I am on the same nights,” Mittry added. “So, he knows what the track and the car is going to do, and he relays info to me to make me better as a driver and make me faster on the track.”

Even with having Sanders’ help and producing some strong results, Mittry’s adjustment to a 410 has been anything but easy. While the power of the two cars may not be visually evident to a fan sitting in the stands, the Redding native notes that it’s easy to feel it in the seat when the accelerator is pressed.

“It’s a completely different ballgame,” Mittry said of switching to the 410. “The 360s, don’t get me wrong, they have a lot of power. They can get around the tracks pretty good, but when you get behind the wheel of a 410 it’s a different beast under the hood of that thing… You just have that main power source that’s about 150 or 200 more horsepower.”

While taming that amount of power can be difficult, Mittry has found that it does offer some benefits when it comes to keeping the car under control.

“I honestly do think it’s a little bit more comfortable to be in a 410 since you have all that power you don’t have to worry about getting balled up,” Mittry noted. “Usually, you can power out of it.”

Moving forward in the short term, Mittry is keeping realistic expectations. Even though he’s ran up front early in his NARC career, the 16-year-old remains aware that he’s competing against the best drivers the West Coast has to offer and wins are extremely hard to come by. Mittry hopes to improve but isn’t expecting to take the world by storm.

“I do want to have a few NARC podiums this year,” Mittry said. “I definitely think I can do it, just got to better myself as a driver and put myself in a better spot.”

Looking even further along, Mittry does hope to elevate his performance after he has more experience under his belt and one day add his name to the historic list of NARC champions along with battling against the country’s best drivers when he can.

“Long term goals include trying to get a championship or two and maybe run with the World of Outlaws here and there, but that’s just stuff down the road. I’ve still got to better myself as a driver before I get to that point.”

DENVER, NC (June 22, 2022) — As Pro Stock competitor Camrie Caruso’s rookie season speeds towards the halfway mark the 24-year-old driver is looking forward to racing at a track where she has enjoyed early career success. Summit Motorsports Park has been the scene of Caruso Family Racing victory celebrations in a variety of classes that all led up to Caruso’s head-turning Pro Stock rookie success. The rookie of the year contender will be racing the Kings of Vapor Chevrolet Camaro representing the 10-year-old large brick and mortar retail chain, with a complete online store as well, that prides itself on customer service. As a vapor store, not a tobacco shop, they stock a wide selection of vapes, juice, and accessories. 

“I have raced at Norwalk a bunch and I am excited to have Kings of Vapor on my Camaro this weekend,” said Caruso. “I won there in Top Alcohol Dragster and I have raced my 632 car there. My dad has won there in Pro Mod so I really enjoy Norwalk. The fans have always been great and I am looking forward to racing my Kings of Vapor Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock car this weekend.”

Through seven races this season Caruso has qualified for every national event and her qualifying efforts have landed her in the top half of the field every race except for a No. 9 start during the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals. She earned her first career No. 1 qualifier at the SpringNationals in Houston, just her fifth professional race, and that same weekend she raced to her first career final round. Last weekend at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee, Caruso had one of the quickest cars on the property qualifying No. 2 and racing to the quarterfinals.

The young driver is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of her 210 mph Pro Stock Camaro this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in a few days. For a rookie driver, seat time is one of the most valuable commodities.

“I like back-to-back races honestly,” said Caruso, who is the favorite to earn Rookie of the Year honors this season. “I like it because I am in the car consistently. Being out of the car for over three weeks is tough for a new driver. I feel like we have something to improve on right away. I am getting input and advice from my crew chief Jim Yates every run so the sooner I can put that information to good use the better.”

The Caruso Family Racing operation has built a solid base of marketing partners mainly thanks to the hard work Camrie put in between races and at the track.  In addition to support from Kings of Vapor Caruso’s race team has the support of GESI, Sand Haulers of America, Powerbuilt Tools, NGK Spark Plugs, VP Racing Lubricants, and Right Trailers.

“I have a lot of great marketing partners. We are working to get them exposure and help them build their businesses,” said Caruso. “At the track I spend a lot of time on the ropes signing autographs and talking about Powerbuilt Tools or VP Racing Lubricants or any of our other sponsors. We are also hosting guests at the races and looking to build up our hospitality program. We are a brand-new team so there is so much that goes into just getting to the races and succeeding. I am having a lot of fun but this is also a full-time job.”

Caruso’s passion is obvious at the track and her driving skills have continued to improve under the tutelage of Pro Stock world champion driver and tuner Jim Yates. The veteran has brought a wealth of experience and insight to the team. Yates’ contributions combined with the impressive engine power of Titan Racing Engines have allowed Caruso to concentrate behind the wheel and on the starting line. 

“I get more confident every race,” said Caruso, who has advanced to at least the quarterfinals four times this season. “I know I have a great race car thanks to Titan Racing Engines, Jim and our whole crew. This is a great team effort and for as new as our team is we are having success but we still have a lot to learn. We are only going to get better and that is the most exciting part about the rest of the season.”

The Kings of Vapor Chevrolet Camaro will be back on track this Friday for two qualifying sessions followed by two more qualifying sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday with FOX broadcasting the race at 3 p.m. ET. 

OCALA, FL (June 22, 2022) — Back-to-back races have many benefits for NHRA professional teams. Drivers get into a groove and teams can gel into a more cohesive working unit. For Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team getting back to the track for the NHRA Norwalk Nationals will afford them the opportunity to put a frustrating Thunder Valley Nationals in the figurative rearview mirror. Through two days of qualifying at Bristol Dragway Hart and his Ron Douglas tuned 11,000-horsepower R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster were making consistently quick runs and entered race day as the No. 3 qualifier, their best qualifying position of their young career. They made another solid run in the first round but surprisingly it was not enough to advance to the quarterfinals.

“We had our best qualifying position and we just had a tough first round match-up which shows how competitive this Top Fuel category is,” said Hart, who has two career national event Top Fuel wins. “The good news is we aren’t hurting parts on our R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster and we are making quick runs.”

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

Throughout this season Hart and his young team have been chasing several issues breaking in a brand-new Top Fuel dragster. This learning curve has tested the entire team but in Hart’s opinion his team is rising to the occasion every race.

“We have made a lot of improvements throughout the season and I think we have a lot of issues behind us so we can focus on winning rounds and races,” said Hart. “We have a couple semifinal finishes and our qualifying efforts are getting better. We just need to put everything together on race day which I know we can do starting this weekend in Norwalk.”

Josh Hart with fans, photo credit Auto Imagery

Hart has already gotten his race week started with a daylong appearance to support primary sponsor R+L Carriers on Tuesday. The driver spent the day meeting R+L Carriers employees, posing for photos and signing autographs. The event was one of many Hart attended across the country in support of one of his biggest marketing partners.

“It is an honor to work with a company like R+L Carriers that treats all their employees like family,” said Hart. “They are a true family business that treats everyone with respect. It isn’t hard to get excited to meet and talk with these folks when everyone has a smile on their face. I could not be prouder to represent this company.”

During the Norwalk Nationals in addition to Hart’s race rig R+L Carriers will also have their Hometown Showcase display on the property.  The Hometown Showcase delivers inspiration, scholarships and career opportunities to students across America. The Showcase partners with interested schools and communities to offer support to booster clubs, scholarships and on-site visits to highlight the many careers available including technology, logistics, sales, mechanics, professional drivers and more information in available here: https://hometown.rlcarriers.com/

Hart has been an amazing ambassador on and off the track. In just over twenty professional races the driver from Ocala, Florida has raced to at least the semifinals in half of his races. He also has spent hours with fans and guests talking about the unique employment opportunities across the country with R+L Carriers. At every NHRA National event Hart’s team displays the very competitive compensation structure as well as wide variety of job opportunities available.

“There is nothing cooler than talking with a race fan and then getting them excited about possibly working with R+L Carriers,” said Hart. “Every race I get to talk with people about an opportunity that could change their life. The racing is a lot of fun and very challenging but the time with the fans is what really motivates not just me but the whole team. I am looking forward to seeing a packed house in Norwalk and making some really quick passes.”

The past four national events have seen three of Hart’s best qualifying efforts of the season. He has also advanced to a semifinal and quarterfinal. His two most recent events have seen the kind of race day results the team expects but the overall performance is something that will pay dividends as the season heats up. The Norwalk Nationals will be another warm weather event and July will wrap up with the famed Western Swing. The recent elapsed times posted by Hart’s R+L carriers Top Fuel dragster will give the team every opportunity to start racking up win lights.

“This sport is very unforgiving, but I am not the kind of person that is going to give up,” said Hart. “I have built a few businesses from nothing. This is the first full season for this team, so every race weekend is an opportunity for success. Anything is possible.”

The Norwalk Nationals will be one just a handful of national events to feature four qualifying sessions before eliminations commence on Sunday. The added qualifying run will give Hart’s team more data and put them in a position to succeed. The race will be broadcast nationally on FOX beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.

NORWALK, Ohio (June 22, 2022) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster team have something to prove as they head to the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park for the 10th of 22 events on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Although he lost a first-round match with Terry McMillen in his only Norwalk start with John Force Racing in 2019, Prock had the opportunity to fill-in for Clay Millican in last year’s event. Prock reached the semifinals where he lost to eventual event winner Steve Torrence. “I’m excited for Norwalk. I have some unfinished business there. I was able to fill in for Clay last year and made it to the semis. I feel like that opportunity put me back on the map from a driving aspect,” Prock said. “I’m looking to go all the way this year with my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team. To get a win there would be an awesome story. I think we have the team to do it and we’re going to come in swinging.” Prock is coming off two strong semifinal performances that included a career best elapsed time 3.672-second pass at the Virginia NHRA Nationals and despite a first-round loss last week at Bristol, Tenn., the third generation drag racer remains fifth in points. Prock will try to get back on track in a Montana Brand / RMT dragster prepared by crew chiefs Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler. Prock is bidding for his second tour victory after winning at Seattle in 2019 and subsequently earning NHRA Rookie of the Year recognition.  Racing at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park begins with four qualifying sessions on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the race weekend will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Friday t 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.

NORWALK, Ohio (June 22) – For the Buckeye State-proud members of Team JEGS, nothing compares to racing in their native Ohio, which is why this weekend’s NHRA national event in Norwalk is always circled on the racing calendar. Led by three-time Norwalk winner Troy Coughlin Jr., the driver of the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stocker, this event’s yellow-and-black attack will also feature three-time Division 3 champion Mike Coughlin in Top Alcohol Dragster and Mike’s teenaged son Clay, who is racing in Super Stock in his first NHRA national event. “I always love racing with family, I love racing in the great state of Ohio, and it’s great when you know you’ll have a ton of support in the stands with all the JEGS associates who are always on hand, so this weekend checks all the boxes for me,” Troy Jr. said. “To be here for my cousin Clay’s national-event debut is also really cool. It’s a very exciting weekend for all of us at JEGS. “We found some issues with the suspension and shocks on our racecar since the last race and everything has been corrected so we’re looking to have a strong rebound race. My thanks to Mark Ingersoll, Kyle Bates, Ricky Calloway, and Kelly Murphy for all the extra hours they’ve put in getting this new RJ Race Cars chassis up to speed.” Norwalk has been a great place for Team JEGS. Troy Jr.’s three victories at this facility came in 2014, 2018 and 2019, while his uncle Mike and father Troy Coughlin Sr. shared the winner’s circle here in 2014.

Troy Coughlin Jr.

Mike wasn’t originally scheduled to contest the Top Alcohol Dragster class at this event but a last-minute change of plans for fellow driver Robin Samsel opened up a seat in the Samsel family dragster and Mike was quick to fill-in for his friend. “Robin had to pull out of this race but his car was ready to race and he said I could drive it if I wanted to,” said Mike, a three-time Division 3 champion (Top Sportsman, 2007 and 2009, and Top Dragster, 2019). “It took me 0.0 seconds to say ‘yes.’ I really wanted to race this event in a Top Alcohol Dragster. “This year I’m splitting the driving duties in the McPhillips Racing dragster with my teammate Matt Cummings and he was assigned this race so I thought I’d be rooting for him instead of driving myself. Then we got a second chance and I couldn’t be happier. “Rich and Rich Jr. (of McPhillips Racing) already help Robin and his son Tony with some tuning advice so we’re very familiar with that group. It should be business as usual. We’ve also got Jasmine Salinas running her dragster this weekend so we’ll have a three-way attack of McPhillips-tuned cars. That’s more data for all of us.”

Mike Coughlin

When not racing the Samsel dragster, Mike will be watching his son Clay compete against the country’s best Super Stock drivers. World champion racer and friend Jeff Taylor will be coaching Clay along as he enjoys his first big race of the summer. “Clay’s very excited,” Mike said of his high school-aged son. “He’s competed at a handful of races now in the JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt and he’s doing really well. This will be another big step in his learning process, racing in front of that many fans.”

Clay Coughlin

Although he’s retired from drag racing, Jeg Coughlin Jr. will also be taking a special ride this week when he travels to Mogadore, Ohio, near Akron, for a VIP trip in the Goodyear Airship. “I am very appreciative of the offer to take a spin in the world-famous Goodyear Airship,” Jeg Jr. said. “Like most Americans, I’ve grown up seeing that thing flying over all the biggest sporting events and to think I’ll be going for a ride in it myself is a real thrill. It’s not every day you get a chance like this so I’ll be sure to enjoy every minute.” Throughout his years behind the wheel, where he managed to secure six world championships, Jeg Jr. has had many unique opportunities. He once flew with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, piloted a bobsled belonging to the USA gold-medal winning bobsled team, and got behind the wheel of just about every type of racecar known to man. “It certainly gives you a different perspective on things when you get to experience these special moments,” Jeg Jr. said. “As I’m sure this ride in the airship will be.  “Goodyear is as much a part of motorsports as any company. We’ve partnered with them both through Team JEGS and here at JEGS Automotive, where we’ve always carried a complete line of Goodyear tires for our worldwide customer base. This makes me reminisce of the times with John Slickevere, Carolyn Ashbee, Bryce Jones, Rob Carter and Greg Stucker, our great friends at Goodyear through the years.”

NORWALK, Ohio (June 22, 2022) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevy dragster team will look to continue their domination of the Top Fuel class as they head to Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, the 10th event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule. The points leader for a career best five straight events, Brittany Force is arguably on pace to claim her second NHRA Top Fuel championship at the helm of the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragster prepared by David Grubnic and Mac Savage. With three wins already under her belt this season, the 2017 World Champion will try to give JFR its first Top Fuel win at Norwalk after finishing runner-up to Steve Torrence by .014 of a second in 2021. “Heading into Norwalk, a quick turnaround from Bristol. Definitely okay with that. This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team plans to pick up some points. We get four qualifying rounds before going into race day, which is awesome,” Force said. “We’re looking for a top three qualifying position and getting as many points as we can then going rounds on race day and getting into that winners circle.” In last year’s semifinals, she set the current track record of 3.696 seconds, becoming the first and, as yet, only driver to break the 3.70 second barrier at Norwalk and making Summit Motorsports Park one of the 10 tracks on which she is the current ET record holder. Her lone No. 1 start in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals came in 2019, from which she advanced to the semifinals. Racing at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park begins with four qualifying sessions on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the race weekend will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Friday t 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.

At this week’s NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, the JEGS Mail Order team will be well represented with Troy Coughlin Jr. racing in Pro Stock, his uncle Mike Coughlin, who is racing in Top Alcohol Dragster, and Mike’s son, Clay Coughlin, making his NHRA national event debut in Super Stock. Troy Jr. will once again be racing as a member of the Elite Motorsports team which includes world champions Erica Enders, Bo Butner, Aaron Stanfield, and the Cuadra family. Troy’s crew chief is Mark Ingersoll, who has extensive experience as a championship-winning tuner. Troy Jr. is in his second full season of Pro Stock competition. Last year, Troy Jr, finished No. 6 in the Camping World NHRA Pro Stock standings. In 17 events, Troy Jr. compiled an 18-17 record in elimination rounds with a runner-up finish in Gainesville to go with six semifinals. During qualifying for the Gainesville event in March, Troy Jr. made his best run in a Pro Stock car at 6.528 seconds with a career-best speed of 211.93 mph. After seven events this season, Troy Jr. is ranked No. 11 in the highly-competitive Pro Stock category. He is just 12 points behind No. 10 driver Fernando Cuadra Jr. and 14 points behind Deric Kramer, who is No. 8. Earlier this year in Las Vegas, Troy Jr. debuted a new Chevy Camaro built by RJ Race Cars. During its maiden voyage, Troy Jr. ran a 6.667 to qualify No. 5 in a tough field. Last season at the Norwalk event, Troy Jr. qualified No. 6 and dropped a tough Round 1 race against Comp Eliminator world champ Bruno Massel. The Coughlin family have enjoyed success at the Norwalk track, which is located just a couple hours from the team’s home base in Delaware, Ohio. Troy Jr. won the Norwalk Top Alcohol Dragster title in 2019 while in 2014, Troy Sr. won in Pro Mod while Mike claimed the win in the Top Sportsman class. Troy Sr. also earned three runner-up finishes in Pro Mod in Norwalk (2012, 2015, 2017) while Troy Jr. was a Top Alcohol Dragster finalist in 2018. Troy Jr. is an eight-time national event winner with victories in Top Alcohol Dragster (3), Super Gas (3), and Super Comp (2). He has also competed in Top Fuel and Pro Mod during his career. Since making his Pro Stock debut in 2020, Troy Jr., has competed in 32 events and qualified for 30 of them. He qualified No. 1 at last year’s Topeka event. Overall, Troy Jr. has a 27-30 record in Pro Stock elimination rounds. Troy Jr. is the first third-generation Coughlin to win a major event. Troy Jr. won the U.S. Nationals in Super Comp in 2010 and also won the Indy Super Gas title in 2014. His other wins have come in Las Vegas (2009), Gainesville (2013), Columbus (2014), Reading (2018), Norwalk (2019) and Reading (2019). Troy Jr. was crowned the 2018 and 2019 North Central Region Top Alcohol Dragster champion. He was also crowned the 2013 NHRA North Central Division Super Gas champion. In 2019, Troy Jr. appeared in 10 final rounds in Top Alcohol Dragster and earned five wins, including national event titles in Norwalk and Reading. Troy Jr. has also earned victories at regional events at Atco Dragway, Beech Bend Raceway Park, and Virginia Motorsports Park. In addition to his success in NHRA events, Troy Jr. also is regarded as one of the sport’s best E.T. bracket racers. He has accumulated several major victories including a $25,000 payday at the Atco Dragway Superbucks event and a $10,000 win at the Spring Buck Blast at South Georgia Motorsports Park. He also won a $20,000 race at the Powerball of Bracket Racing event in Darlington, S.C.

Mike Coughlin will be making his sixth start in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. This week, Mike is driving the injected nitro dragster run by veteran driver and team owner Robin Samsel. Mike will also have the assistance of his regular car owners and tuners, Rich McPhillips Sr. and Jr. Mike opened the season with a victory at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona and was a runner-up at the recent NHRA Regional event held at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Earlier this season at the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, Mike recorded an elapsed time of 5.155-seconds and a top speed of 285.56 mph, both of them career bests. After previously racing in a variety of sportsman and professional classes including Pro Stock Truck, Super Gas, Super Comp, Top Dragster, and Top Sportsman, Mike successfully upgraded his NHRA competition license during a test session in late 2021 at zMax Dragway near Charlotte. Mike has won national events in five classes; Pro Stock Truck, Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp, Top Dragster, and Top Sportsman. Mike Coughlin is a two-time Division 3 champion in the Top Sportsman class (2007-2009) and the 2019 Division 3 Top Dragster champion. Mike is a 15-time NHRA national event winner. His first win came at the 1999 Englishtown event where he beat Tim Freeman in the Pro Stock Truck final. Mike is also a two-time U.S. Nationals winner, having claimed Pro Stock Truck titles there in 1999 and 2001. Mike began his career in the Super Gas and Super Comp classes in the 1980s and has extensive experience in the heads-up “super classes.”

High school student Clay Coughlin, 17, got his start in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League and won his first race at the age of 8. Clay made his debut in the Super Stock class at the recent NHRA Lucas Oil Series event held in Norwalk. The third-generation racer reached the second round in his debut behind the wheel of his Chevy Cobalt. Last year, four-time world champion Jeff Taylor, a longtime associate of the JEGS team, helped set-up Clay’s Chevy Cobalt Super Stock entry. Taylor will be on hand this weekend to assist Clay. Overall, the Coughlin family, including John, Troy, Mike, Jeg Jr. and Troy Jr. have combined for 128 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in 11 different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Top Alcohol Dragster, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.

TEAM JEGS – By the Numbers 3: Wins for the Coughlin family in Norwalk 3: Team JEGS entries in action for this week’s event (Troy Jr., Mike, and Clay) 8: NHRA national event wins for Troy Jr. in 3 different classes (Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp, Super Gas). 11: Number of classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory 15: National event victories for Mike Coughlin in five different classes 128: Combined NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family 231: Combined NHRA national event final rounds for the Coughlin family

Garcia, Taylor hope to rebound from Le Mans with Six Hours repeat

DETROIT (June 22, 2022) – While their run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended with disappointment, Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and the rest of Corvette Racing’s squad in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship are back stateside for another shot at a long-distance race victory. The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen is the first race in the U.S. since May 1 for Corvette Racing and the rest for the field of competitors in the new GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category. Through five races, Garcia and Taylor stand second in Drivers points as does Chevrolet in the Manufacturers standings on the strength of a class victory at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The No. 3 Corvette also arrives at The Glen leading GTD PRO in the Michelin Endurance Cup – a championship made up of the WeatherTech Championship’s four long-distance races. Given recent success at The Glen, there’s a better than average chance that advantage remains going into the weekend.

Corvette Racing has three victories at Watkins Glen since 2014 – including two last year. Garcia and Taylor won in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category in last year’s Sahlen’s Six Hours as well as the WeatherTech 240 sprint a race a week later. Garcia is one of nine drivers to win more than once in the Sahlen’s Six Hours and has five podium finishes in his last five races at The Glen, while Taylor won for the first time in the event a year ago.  Chevrolet has a strong history of success in the race with 18 victories – second among active manufacturers. The GTD PRO Corvette differs in several ways from the C8.R that ran at Watkins Glen in 2021. Chief among the differences are additional weight, restricted power and customer Michelin tires that are mandated for all GTD entries as opposed to Michelins specifically designed for the C8.R in GTLM trim.

CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of this weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Materials include: · IMSA race advance and quotes· Summary of changes to the GTD PRO Corvette C8.R· Corvette Racing Watkins Glen stats and figures· Corvette Racing Fast Facts· Driver biographies

Chevrolet Motorsports Display On-Site at The GlenIn addition to the many series and events on the racetrack at Watkins Glen, fans will have plenty to see and experience from Chevrolet. The Chevrolet Motorsports Display will be full of Chevy vehicles that spectators can learn more about throughout the weekend. The Chevrolet Motorsports Display opens at 8 a.m. Friday through Sunday and is located in the Fan Midway at Watkins Glen International. Numerous Chevrolet vehicles and other highlights include: • The 2023 Corvette Z06 convertible• Additional Chevrolet products such as Blazer RS, Silverado ZR2, Camaro 2SS 1LE and Colorado ZR2 • A Corvette Racing C8.R showcar and LT6.R engine• An opportunity to receive a 2022 Team Chevy t-shirt  Fans should also be on the lookout for an additional Corvette on the racetrack. A Corvette Stingray will serve as Official Pace Car for the two-hour Tioga Downs Casino race for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge starting at 3:45 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 26. The race will stream live on Peacock with USA’s live television coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ETIMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning at IMSA.com along with XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I really, really like this race. I enjoy the track a lot. I believe it was my very first race in America in GRAND-AM. We’ve generally been strong there. Being a six-hour race, there always is something going on. It might be a super-hot race, there may be rain storms… you never know what’s a race at Watkins Glen is going to be like. That’s why experience is a good thing to have there. I think I’ve run in every different condition there so I’m looking forward to going back in this new class and see how this spec of the C8.R fits in there.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Winning last year’s race was a big deal. It was always on my dad’s bucket list of races to win as a driver. I think it was the only endurance race that he hadn’t won. He won Daytona, Sebring, Petit Le Mans and Le Mans, so the one he always talked about was the Six Hours. The same was happening for me. I had gone all these years without winning it. I finished second a couple of times, I think, and it was always something little. To finally have everything click and work out was pretty special. It really kicked off our season last year with a good run of success.”“Watkins Glen was always a cool race for me from obviously watching sports car racing but also being a fan of motorsport. It was one of the few natural-terrain road courses that Formula One used in America. Seeing old footage of Formula One cars around there and still having the classic blue guardrails to pay homage to the history is pretty special. To win at those types of tracks is really nice.”

2022 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After four of 11 Events)Driver Standings1. Mathieu Jaminet/Matt Campbell – 1,3452. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1,2953. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 1,2654. Cooper MacNeil – 1,1125. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 1,106 Team Standings1. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 1,3452. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 1,2953. No. 14 VasserSullivan – 1,2654. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 1,1125. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 1,106 Manufacturer Standings1. Porsche – 1,3452. Chevrolet – 1,3053. Lexus – 1,2954. Mercedes-AMG – 1,2205. BMW – 1,180 CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: By the Numbers• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 24 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette• 2: Wins at Watkins Glen International in 2021 for Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor: the Sahlen’s Six Hours and the WeatherTech 240 in consecutive weeks• 2: Wins and pole positions in the Sahlen’s Six Hours for Antonio Garcia. He won GTLM in 2014 and 2021 and was the GTLM pole-sitter in 2019 and 2021• 3: Victories at Watkins Glen for Corvette Racing since its debut there in 2014: 2014 and 2021 Sahlen’s Six Hours, and 2021 WeatherTech 240• 5: Consecutive podium finishes for Antonio Garcia at Watkins Glen dating back to 2017• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001• 18: Victories for Chevrolet in the Sahlen’s Six Hours, ranking second among all manufacturers• 23: Number of drivers to compete for Corvette Racing at Le Mans. That number grew in 2021 with Nick Tandy, Nicky Catsburg and Alexander Sims joining the lineup.• 25: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 121: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans• 257: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999• 8,476.20: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its eight previous trips to Watkins Glen. That represents 2,493 laps… or more than four full trips around the Earth at its equator. The two Corvettes combined to go over the 100,000 mile mark in the 2021 race.• 344,240.56: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back! Corvette Racing at Watkins Glen (wins in bold)2014No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTLM (Team’s first race at Watkins Glen)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM 2015No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM (Ret., Accident) 2016No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 7th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM 2017No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM 2018No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM 2019No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GTLM (Garcia pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM (Accident on first lap) 2021No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Garcia pole)No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 4th in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap) 2021*No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Taylor pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 2nd in GTLM* Two-hour, 40-minute sprint race

June 22, 2022

Like lots of working folks everywhere, Harrison Burton, crew chief Brian Wilson and the rest of the No. 21 DEX Imaging team are back at work after a week off, refreshed and ready to put maximum effort into the job at hand.

For the DEX team, the immediate task centers around this weekend’s Ally 400 at Nashville Speedway.

“Everyone on our team enjoyed the off week and used it to recharge for the second half of the season,” Wilson said. “With the progress we’ve made recently at intermediate-style tracks and including Gateway, we all look forward to continuing in that direction this weekend in Nashville. 

“The 1.33-mile track is a mix of those styles of tracks with some Dover mixed in being a concrete surface.”
 
Wilson said the schedule at Nashville works in the team’s favor.
 
“This weekend is one of our last extended-practice weekends with extra time and sets of tires,” he said. “Our focus is on unloading with the speed we had at Gateway and using the session to learn in ways we can’t with a normal practice.”
 
Wilson also said he’s expecting another strong effort from the over-the-wall members of the team on Sunday.
 
“At Sonoma our crew had great speed on pit road, so from practice through the race I look forward to executing a full weekend with competitive speed in all facets,” he said.
  
Practice at Nashville is set to begin Friday at 5:30 p.m. (6:30 Eastern Time) and run for about an hour. Qualifying starts just after noon (1 p.m. Eastern) on Saturday, and the Ally 400 is scheduled to get the green flag just after 4 p.m. (5 p.m. Eastern Time) on Sunday. Stage breaks are set for Laps 90 and 185.
 
Beginning this week, Cup Series coverages switches from FOX to NBC. NBC will broadcast the Nashville race, with USA covering practice and qualifying.
 

Five Cadillac DPi-V.R teams prepare for 6-hour event on challenging Watkins Glen course

DETROIT (June 22, 2022) – As Pipo Derani can attest, one strong race can change the fortunes of an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team. Last June, Derani co-drove the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R to a fourth-place finish in the six-hour race at Watkins Glen International and returned a week later to win the 2-hour, 40-minute race. That victory gave the team momentum, which translated into four consecutive podium finishes – including two wins – in the closing races on the way to earning the DPi championship.

Derani, along with co-drivers Olivier Pla and Mike Conway, will aim for a similar kickstart this weekend in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Four other Cadillac DPi entries will seek to secure the victory on the 3.45-mile, 11-turn road course and score maximum points in the third of four rounds of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. “Coming into this race, it will be Olivier’s second race in the car. We believe he is going to be super strong,” Derani said. “This is an important race for the endurance championship; one that we are very much in the fight. That’s going to play a lot into the strategy as well. Having Mike coming back to the team is a great addition. I’m looking forward to going back into a long-distance race – six hours – which normally plays into our hands.”

Watkins Glen links * Media resource guide: Story ideas, notes, track statistics, driver profiles and more. * 2022 media guide: Historical statistics, tech transfer, why we race and more. * Back in No. 48 Ally Cadillac:Jimmie Johnson Zoom conference transcript. * What’s ahead for 2023: A look at the Cadillac Project GTP Hypercar that previews the third generation prototype.

Pla, who joined the team for the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on June 4, co-drove to victory in 2019 at Watkins Glen and has finished on the podium three times in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar competition. “It’s an amazing track with high-speed corners. It’s a very difficult race too with all the categories together,” he said. “Strategy is very important there. It’s about having good track position at the end. The last two hours, you need to be at the front. I’m really looking forward to the race and to give the maximum to get a strong result for the team.” The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R is the endurance race pacesetter, with Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook and Loic Duval co-driving the JDC-Miller MotorSports entry, through two of the four events. The No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R won the last endurance race – the Twelve Hours of Sebring – in March. The Cadillac Racing entry will be co-driven by Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber. The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, which has claimed two victories and four pole starts, will be co-driven by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande. Co-drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Kamui Kobayashi will again join seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R. The team is competing in the four endurance races this season. “In one of these DPi Cadillacs, the pace and the effort you can drive around that racetrack is quite impressive – especially comparing it to my days in NASCAR,” said Johnson, who did not compete at Sebring International Raceway because of a scheduling conflict with INDYCAR. “Some of the braking zones, the Bus Stop in the back, and the Carousel, it’s just mind blowing how fast these cars can travel through those tight little areas. I’m very excited to get back and have that experience once again.” The Cadillac DPi entries received a 15kg weight reduction to 945kg for the race weekend as part of IMSA’s Balance of Performance adjustments. The Cadillac DPis will still be 15kg heavier than the Acura counterparts. The USA Network will telecast the closing hours of the race, starting at 2 p.m. ET June 26. Peacock will provide flag-to-flag streaming coverage, starting at 10:40 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will broadcast all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along with XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992. Following action at The Glen, Cadillac teams will venture north for the 2-hour, 40-minute Chevrolet Grand Prix on July 1-3 on the 2.459-mile, 10-turn Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It’s the first back-to-back race weekend of the IMSA season and will be the first stop at the track in to Bowmanville, Ontario, since 2019.Cadillac DPi roster for Sahlen’s Six Hours of The GlenNo. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)Renger van der Zande, Sebastien BourdaisVan der Zande and Bourdais co-drove the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R to the victory on the Belle Isle street circuit June 4 and the streets of Long Beach on April 9 – starting from the pole both times. … Belle Isle was the 17th IMSA victory for van der Zande and ninth for Bourdais. … Bourdais set the qualifying lap record time in both events. He also set the lap record time in earning the pole for the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring and for the May 15 Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. … Bourdais is a four-time INDYCAR champion. … Bourdais and van der Zande competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans two weeks ago.Car chief-Phil BinksLead engineer-John HennekRace strategist-Peter BaronNo. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac Racing)Earl Bamber, Alex LynnFirst-year entry in expanded Cadillac Racing DPi program. … Bamber and Lynn co-drove to a runner-up finish on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting second. They placed third June 4 on the Belle Isle street circuit… They, along with Neel Jani, co-drove to victory March 19 in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. … Bamber salutes his home country with a silver fern design on the sides of his helmet — a quasi-national emblem used for various official New Zealand symbols. … Lynn competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans two weeks ago. … Bamber drove the No. 02 Cadillac during a test day at The Glen earlier this month.Car chief-Jamie CoatesLead engineer-Danielle ShephardRace strategist-Michael Harvey

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)Pipo Derani, Olivier Pla, Mike ConwayPla made his debut in the No. 31 Cadillac on June 4 at Detroit. … Derani and Felipe Nasr won the 2-hour, 40-minute race in 2021 at Watkins Glen. … Derani and Tristan Nunez co-drove to third place on the Laguna Seca road course after starting sixth. They followed with a third-place finish May 15 at Mid-Ohio. … Derani and Nunez, joined by Conway, started second and finished third in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring. … The three-driver team started seventh and finished fourth in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season. … Derani and Felipe Nasr were the 2021 IMSA DPi Driver Champions and Whelen Engineering/Action Express Racing was the Team Champion. … Derani and Pla were teammates for the second consecutive year for the 24 Hours of Le Mans two weeks ago.Car chief-Bill KeulerTechnical director/lead engineer-Iain WattRace strategist-Tim KeeneNo. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic DuvalVautier and Westbrook co-drove to third place on the streets of Long Beach on April 9 after starting fifth. Vautier and Westbrook, joined by Duval, drove to second place in the March 19 Twelve Hours of Sebring and opened the ’22 season by starting second and finishing third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. … The team sits atop the Michelin Endurance Cup Championship standings. … Westbrook is a London-trained chef. … Vautier and Westbrook competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans two weeks ago. … Duval drove the No. 5 Cadillac on a test day at The Glen earlier this month.Car chief-Josh KerriganLead engineer-Rick CameronRace strategist-John ChurchNo. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing) Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike RockenfellerTeam is running the four endurance races this season. … Team of Johnson, Kobayashi, Rockenfeller and Jose Maria Lopez opened the season by starting third in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Repairs in 13th hour necessitated by being bumped off course negated a strong showing, and team placed 11th overall. … Lopez was the third driver for the Sebring race, sitting in for Johnson, who had a conflicting INDYCAR race weekend. … The team started fifth and finished sixth at Sebring. … In May, Johnson competed in the Indianapolis 500 and was voted rookie of the year. … Kobayashi, co-driving with Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez, was runner-up in the 24 Hours of Le Mans two weeks ago.Car chief-Scott DarnellTechnical director/lead engineer-Iain WattRace strategist-Chad Knaus

Cadillac Racing DPi-V.R Watkins Glen results 2021-2017 2021 (2-hour, 40-minute race): First (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr        Second (No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen        Fourth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval2021 (6-hour race):  Fourth (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Mike Conway        Fifth (No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Jimmie Johnson, Simon Pagenaud, Kamui Kobayashi        Sixth (No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen        Seventh (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastien Bourdais2020: No race2019: Fourth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor         Sixth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Joao Barbosa, Filipe Albuquerque, Mike Conway         Seventh (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran        Eighth (No. 50 Juncos Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Will Owen, Rene Binder        Ninth (No. 84 JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start ninth – Simon Trummer, Stephen Simpson, Chris Miller        11th overall (No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Tristan Vautier, Misha Goikhberg, Juan Piedrahita2018: Fifth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor         Sixth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 12th – Gabby Chaves, Filipe Albuquerque, Christian Fittipladi         Seventh (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start ninth – Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran, Mike Conway         11th overall (No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Tristan Vautier, Matthew McMurry2017: First (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa, Filipe Albuquerque         Sixth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor         16th overall (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Dane Cameron, Eric Curran, Filipe Albuquerque See the Cadillac lineup Spectators can view an array of Cadillac vehicles, including the exciting CT5-V Blackwing, CT4-V Blackwing and the 2023 Escalade-V, at the Cadillac display in midway at The Glen. The display is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. The 2023 Escalade-V — the industry’s most powerful full-size SUV that goes on sale late this summer – expands the V-Series lineup. Now in its fourth generation, Cadillac’s V-Series represents ultimate performance, the epitome of Cadillac’s engineering capability, with unrivaled sophistication and comfort for everyday driving. In adding Escalade-V to the lineup, the V-Series family continues to expand, while consistently combining power, luxury, thoughtful technology and athletic refinement for the discerning enthusiast.

Blair finishes third, notches third top-five in four starts

SPRINGFIELD, MO – June 21, 2022 – On a restart with three laps to go, leading the Feature for the second time in three days, Brian Shirley could feel something was amiss on his car.

As he rolled into DIRTcar Summer Nationals Victory Lane Tuesday night, the crew discovered the culprit immediately – a flat right-rear tire on the Bob Cullen Racing #3s.

“I didn’t know I had a flat tire, but I knew… something was wrong,” Shirley, of Chatham, IL, said. “For me to go [to the bottom line] and bend, it wasn’t good. I couldn’t bend with the tire being that flat.”

Though it was going flat in the final laps, it didn’t seem to bother the four-time Hell Tourchampion. The tire held just enough air in it for Shirley to motor across the finish line, holding off hungry challengers Bobby Pierce and Max Blair to record the 37th DIRTcar Summer Nationals win of his career and first at the big quarter-mile oval of Springfield Raceway.

Starting outside Row 2, Shirley had to work to get the lead in the first half of the race, working around Joe Godsey for second on Lap 8, and later getting past polesitter Payton Freeman for the lead on a Lap 18 restart.

“I was able to get a better drive there off of Turn 2 on that restart and was able to launch in front of [Freeman] in Turns 3-4,” Shirley said. “He wanted to be up top too, and that’s where I wanted to be.”

Once he got the lead, Shirley’s drive to the finish was peppered with yellow flags, putting him through several restarts with a field of relentless drivers behind him. At least five cautions were thrown in the final 20 laps of the 40-lap affair, forcing him to be extra sharp on the gas at the drop of the green.

“I was definitely nervous, I’m not gonna lie,” Shirley said. “I was hoping about two or three [restarts] before the final one that we could just go green for a little while and get some laps, because at that time, I could gap ‘em pretty good.”

Max Blair was his biggest threat for the lead in the closing laps. Using the bottom lane, the Centerville, PA-driver nearly pulled even with Shirley at various points but was unable to match Shirley’s speed on the top.

“He was definitely better; it would’ve taken a mistake for me to get by him,” Blair said of Shirley. “I thought, at one point, I hit the bottom pretty good there for a couple laps in-a-row, and I thought maybe there was a chance. But once he got that top off and got rolling, he was just too good up there.”

Shirley’s anti-kryptonite was the super-smooth top line in Turns 3-4, which he took almost the entire race.

“Tonight, they did a heck of a job,” Shirley said of the track preparation. “They had a mud ring around the bottom, had it to where we could run the top. Even down there, I felt like you could’ve run the top, it was just faster to run the bottom in Turns 1-2. Kudos to the track guys.”

Reigning tour champion Bobby Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, had a steady run from his seventh starting spot to come back and finish second. He trailed Blair for most of the second half of the Feature but was able to get by him with two-to-go, notching his third runner-up finish of the season thus far.

Blair crossed the stripe third for his third top-five finish in the last four races. With his normal World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series schedule on break until this Friday-Saturday at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 vs. the Summer Nationals regulars, he’s taken this past week to refine his Viper Risk Management #111v and work out the bugs before the big money goes on the line this weekend in Pevely.

“I need to steer better,” Blair said. “That’s the thing we’ve been fighting the last few nights. If we can get it to steer better, maybe we’ll have a little something more for them.”

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Summer Nationals action continues with the second race of Missouri-Illinois Week on Wednesday, June 22, at Adams County Speedway in Quincy, IL. If you can’t be at the track, watch every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature 40 Laps | 00:36:11.338

1. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[7]; 3. 111V-Max Blair[5]; 4. 36-Logan Martin[8]; 5. 86-Kyle Beard[16]; 6. F1- Payton Freeman[1]; 7. 93-Mason Oberkramer[6]; 8. 24-Ryan Unzicker[3]; 9. 25-Jason Feger[11]; 10. 91-Rusty Schlenk[13]; 11. 14G-Joe Godsey[2]; 12. 77-Preston Luckman[9]; 13. 10-Garrett Smith[15]; 14. 0-Deshawn Gingerich[10]; 15. 50- Kaeden Cornell[12]; 16. 45-Kylan Garner[17]; 17. 30-Mark Voigt[19]; 18. 14R-Jeff Roth[22]; 19. 26M-Brent McKinnon[18]; 20. 4D-Doug Tye[20]; 21. 23NZ-Mick Quin[14]; 22. 31AUS-Kye Blight[21]

Batavia, OH (June 21, 2022) – With the first three of 13 Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup races in, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regular, Ricky Thornton Jr leads this point category. The mini-series within the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule consists of 13 events that pay $30,000 or more to the winner. The next event in this mini-series is the 16th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel where drivers will compete for a record $50,000 top prize. First place winnings for all 13 crown jewel cup events in 2022 comes to an extraordinary $688,000. Drivers with perfect attendance with the series will earn points at these 13 events based on their respective finishes. The Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Champion and the top five in Crown Jewel Cup points will receive bigger cash awards than in years past; this mini-series Champion will receive a $15,000 cash bonus at the year-end awards banquet. The drivers who finish second through fifth in the Crown Jewel Cup standings will earn $6,000, $4,000, $3,000, and $2,000 in cash, respectively for a total point’s fund of $30,000 for these 13 events. Just 25 points behind Ricky Thornton Jr in Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup points is the reigning series Champion Tim McCreadie, who has won or been in the hunt for the Cup several years in a row. Numerous tight battles between eligible drivers are ensuing throughout the rest of the points rundown with Earl Pearson Jr, Brandon Sheppard, Tyler Erb and Hudson O’Neal (tied), Garrett Alberson, Ashton Winger, Spencer Hughes, Ross Robinson, and Daulton Wilson. As part of the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup, the Quest for Cash still includes a potential bonus of $50,000 or $100,000. These bonuses are also available to drivers that maintain perfect attendance with the series for the entire season. If a driver wins six (6) of the thirteen (13) Crown Jewel Cup events in 2022, that driver will receive a $50,000 bonus. A driver that wins eight (8) of thirteen (13) Crown Jewel Cup events will earn a $100,000 bonus.** Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup 2022 events (winner):May 28, 2022- Lucas Oil Speedway- Show-Me 100- $50,000 to win (Chris Ferguson)June 4, 2022- West Virginia Motor Speedway- Historic 100- $50,000 to win (Jonathan Davenport)June 18, 2022- Smoky Mountain Speedway- Mountain Moonshine Classic- $50,000 to win (Chris Madden)June 25, 2022- Lernerville Speedway- Firecracker 100- $50,000 to winJuly 3, 2022- Muskingum County Speedway- Freedom 60- $30,000 to winJuly 9, 2022- Deer Creek Speedway- Gopher 50- $50,000 to winJuly 23, 2022- I-80 Speedway- Silver Dollar Nationals- $53,000 to winAugust 13, 2022- Florence Speedway- North/South 100- $75,000 to winAugust 20, 2022- Batesville Motor Speedway- Topless 100- $50,000 to winAugust 27, 2022- Port Royal Speedway- Rumble by the River- $50,000 to winSeptember 4, 2022- Tyler County Speedway- 54th Annual Hillbilly 100- $30,000 to winSeptember 17, 2022- Knoxville Raceway- Late Model Nationals- $50,000 to winOctober 15, 2022- Portsmouth Raceway Park- Dirt Track World Championship- $100,000 to win **A minimum of 11 of the scheduled 13 Crown Jewel Cup races must be completed during the 2022 season with a minimum of 24 cars entered at each of those events. To be eligible, the driver must have perfect attendance in all Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races in 2022.

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.