Category Archives: Uncategorized
HADDOCK MAKES MOST OF TEXAS FALL NATIONALS
DALLAS (October 18, 2026) — Texan Terry Haddock showed the kind of grit and resilience that ranchers and cowboys exhibit across the state. The owner and driver of the Concho Supply Inc. Funny Car qualified No. 16 at the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals in one of the stoutest fields in recent memory before losing in the opening round at Texas Motorplex. For Haddock and his team, the early exit did not take away from the positive momentum the team will carry into the final two races of the NHRA Countdown.
“I’m super proud of my guys for this weekend,” said Haddock. “We’ve had a lot of adversity, and all the guys just keep stepping up to the challenge. It just shows that there’s a lot of good stuff happening here with this team. These guys work hard, and we never give up. Very fortunate to have the sponsors that helped us this weekend: Concho Supply, T&D Express, P&C Cable, and Priority Systems. Without all my friends and family feeding money to this car, we couldn’t keep racing.”
On Saturday Haddock had one shot to get into the field and his team stepped up with a solid final effort. The Concho Supply Inc. Funny Car blasted to the finish line with a 4.033 second at 310.97 mph pass that moved him into the final spot in the field.
Terry Haddock, driver of the Concho Supply Inc. Funny car talks with FOX’s Amanda Busick following his final qualifying session run, photo credit Werner Communications
“We broke something on Friday and when I finally found it, it was too late for us to make the second session on Friday night,” said Haddock. “That was on me, not on my guys. We fixed it but it was hard to know where to start again. I started conservatively yesterday. It put some cylinders out and didn’t go as fast as it should have on the first run. We came back and we thought that we could run 3.98 or 3.99 in that last session to make it an all three-second field. We’re blessed we got through it all.”
For his efforts Haddock faced No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman in the first round. Haddock made his best run of the weekend, a solid 4.000 second at 315.21 mph beside Beckman’s 3.884 second pass at 335.12 mph, the third quickest run of the session.
“That was an adventurous run,” said Haddock. “I always like to do the big, long burnouts. I know that this is entertainment as much as it is racing, and the burnouts are so much fun to do. I always do big burnouts when I can. It got exciting at the finish line because the throttle hung wide open. I wasn’t expecting that.”
Haddock was a part of every level of the Stampede of Speed and Texas Fall Nationals. On Wednesday night he was the guest of sponsor Concho Supply Inc. at the annual Champions Dinner. Thursday night he was a featured driver at the Pre-Stage FanFest presented by Red Line Synthetic Oil in downtown Waxahachie. Saturday morning he participated in a Q&A in the Champions Club in front of a packed house.
Terry Haddock (left) talks to the fans in the Texas Motorplex Champion’s Club, photo credit AJ Bohlander photography
HADDOCK MAKES MOST OF
TEXAS FALL NATIONALS
DALLAS (October 18, 2026) — Texan Terry Haddock showed the kind of grit and resilience that ranchers and cowboys exhibit across the state. The owner and driver of the Concho Supply Inc. Funny Car qualified No. 16 at the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals in one of the stoutest fields in recent memory before losing in the opening round at Texas Motorplex. For Haddock and his team, the early exit did not take away from the positive momentum the team will carry into the final two races of the NHRA Countdown.
“I’m super proud of my guys for this weekend,” said Haddock. “We’ve had a lot of adversity, and all the guys just keep stepping up to the challenge. It just shows that there’s a lot of good stuff happening here with this team. These guys work hard, and we never give up. Very fortunate to have the sponsors that helped us this weekend: Concho Supply, T&D Express, P&C Cable, and Priority Systems. Without all my friends and family feeding money to this car, we couldn’t keep racing.”
On Saturday Haddock had one shot to get into the field and his team stepped up with a solid final effort. The Concho Supply Inc. Funny Car blasted to the finish line with a 4.033 second at 310.97 mph pass that moved him into the final spot in the field.
Terry Haddock, driver of the Concho Supply Inc. Funny car talks with FOX’s Amanda Busick following his final qualifying session run, photo credit Werner Communications
“We broke something on Friday and when I finally found it, it was too late for us to make the second session on Friday night,” said Haddock. “That was on me, not on my guys. We fixed it but it was hard to know where to start again. I started conservatively yesterday. It put some cylinders out and didn’t go as fast as it should have on the first run. We came back and we thought that we could run 3.98 or 3.99 in that last session to make it an all three-second field. We’re blessed we got through it all.”
For his efforts Haddock faced No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman in the first round. Haddock made his best run of the weekend, a solid 4.000 second at 315.21 mph beside Beckman’s 3.884 second pass at 335.12 mph, the third quickest run of the session.
“That was an adventurous run,” said Haddock. “I always like to do the big, long burnouts. I know that this is entertainment as much as it is racing, and the burnouts are so much fun to do. I always do big burnouts when I can. It got exciting at the finish line because the throttle hung wide open. I wasn’t expecting that.”
Haddock was a part of every level of the Stampede of Speed and Texas Fall Nationals. On Wednesday night he was the guest of sponsor Concho Supply Inc. at the annual Champions Dinner. Thursday night he was a featured driver at the Pre-Stage FanFest presented by Red Line Synthetic Oil in downtown Waxahachie. Saturday morning he participated in a Q&A in the Champions Club in front of a packed house.
Terry Haddock (left) talks to the fans in the Texas Motorplex Champion’s Club, photo credit AJ Bohlander photography
“The Meyer family goes all out with this race and tries to make it a special event for everybody who attends,” said Haddock. “The Texas hospitality is shown around the world. It’s awesome. We’ve got a group of people here from Europe and England, and we got to show them what it was like, to be a Texan and an American. The Stampede of Speed is just incredible.”
Haddock and the Concho Supply Funny Car team will be back in action at the Las Vegas Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, October 29 – November 1.
Qualifying Results
Q1: 4.954 sec, 157.63 mph; Qual. 11
Q2: No Run; Qual. 20
Q3: 4.140 sec, 284.99 mph: Qual. 19
Q4: 4.033 sec, 310.97 mph; Qual. 16
Race Results
First Round
Jack Beckman, Corona, Calif., PEAK Funny Car, (.082), 3.884 sec, 335.12 mph def. Terry Haddock, New Braunfels, Tex., Concho Supply Inc. Funny Car, (.148), 4.000 sec, 315.21 mph
John Force Racing–Dallas Post Race
RACE RECAP – DALLAS Race 18 of 20 |
 |  |  |
| Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase |
| VANDERGRIFF NABS SEMIFINAL FALLNATIONALS FINISHBeckman and DeJoria depart in Round 2, Hart out in Round 1 |
| RACE RECAP – DALLASRace 18 of 20 |
| | |
| Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase |
| VANDERGRIFF NABS SEMIFINAL FALLNATIONALS FINISHBeckman and DeJoria depart in Round 2, Hart out in Round 1 |
| ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 18, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff went into the semifinal round of the Texas NHRA FallNationals against Matt Hagan knowing a win would move John Force Racing’s Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team one round closer to the 2026 NHRA Funny Car point leader but a loss would extend Hagan’s lead over the second-place Vandergriff with just two races remaining. The late afternoon race was over as soon as it began, however, as the Cornwell Tools Chevy smoked the tires at the step while Hagan crossed the Texas Motorplex finish line in 3.931 seconds at 335.10 mph. Jack Beckman’s PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car team and Alexis DeJoria’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team both bowed out in Round 2 while Josh Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel team were eliminated in Round 1. Vandergriff defeated No. 11 qualifier Blake Alexander in Round 1 with a run of 3.877 seconds at 338.37 mph, his career best speed, to Alexander’s 3.913 seconds at 332.47 mph. In Round 2, the Cornwell Tools Chevy ran 3.9232 at 332.01 mph, giving Vandergriff lane choice to in the semifinal against Hagan, while Austin Prock was disqualified for a red light. “It was a tough semifinal race against the points leader that didn’t go our way,” said Vandergriff. “We had a huge chance to make up some ground but, when you shoot for it, sometimes you miss and we missed it this time. But we’re not out of it yet. We’re still in second in the points and we still have a shot at it. We have two races left and, if we go win both of those, then let the chips fall where they may. I have full confidence in Chris Cunningham, Jason Bunker, this entire Cornwell Quality Tools team and in myself that we can get the job done.” Beckman defeated No. 16 qualifier Terry Haddock in the first round of eliminations, running 3.884 seconds at 335.12 mph to Haddock’s 4.000 seconds at 315.21 mph. In Round 2 against Ron Capps, the PEAK Chevy overpowered the track and smoked the tires almost immediately after the hit, allowing Capps to take the win. “That’s about it for our championship hopes,” said Beckman. “Is there a kernel of hope left there? Yes, but we can’t control it. So, we will go to the next two races with the intent of winning every single round, leaving with the trophies and having a fantastic offseason. It’s super frustrating to be the No. 1 qualifier, run consistently quick like that, and then have our PEAK Chevy not go five feet in the second round before it blew the tires off. Daniel (Hood) and Tim (Fabrisi) will have that remedied by the time we roll into Las Vegas. We have such a great race car. I’m not going to let one run get us down.” DeJoria defeated No. 13 qualifier Dave Richards in Round 1 with a pass of 3.902 seconds at 331.56 mph to Richards’ 3.953 seconds at 332.84 mph. The Bandero Café Chevy lined up against J.R. Todd in the second round and ran 3.890 seconds at 314.66 mph but lost on a holeshot to Todd’s run of 3.930 seconds at 333.75 mph. “We have a very strong Bandero Café Chevy right now and I’m so blessed to be able to race under the JFR banner with a great group of guys I get to call my teammates,” said DeJoria. “We continued our excellent runs through qualifying like we did last race and earned some valuable bonus points. To run three consecutive 3.87-second runs during qualifying is just unheard of. We ran a 3.90 in the first round today and a 3.89 in Round 2 but I just got beat on a holeshot. It’s unfortunate because the fans here are great and I’ve lived in Austin for quite a while so I call the Texas Motorplex one of my home tracks. We haven’t been able to win here yet but I’ll be back.” No. 8 qualifier Hart had lane choice in Round 1 against No. 9 qualifier Will Smith in their first round matchup. The Speedmaster Top Fuel dragster ran 3.778 seconds at 338.04 mph but wasn’t able to get around Smith who ran 3.746 seconds at 334.65 mph. “That was just a good old fashioned drag race,” said Hart. “I cut a 60 light to his 40 light. He went 3.74 and we went 3.77. So, for the fans, I’m sure it was a good race and if you’re going to lose, that’s definitely the way you want to lose. It was just a nice, clean drag race. The JFR Speedmaster team does a fabulous job and those guys deserve the praise. They live the life, work countless hours and give us an honest shot every time we pull up to the starting line.” The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after 18 of 20 races are: 1. Shawn Langdon, 2,546; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,407; 3. Antron Brown, 2,322; 4. Tony Stewart, 2,294; 5. Leah Pruett, 2,281; 6. Will Smith, 2,261; 7. Maddi Gordon, 2,260; 8. Justin Ashley, 2,227; 9. Billy Torrence, 2,198; 10. Josh Hart, 2,197. The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after 18 of 20 races are: 1. Matt Hagan, 2,503; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, 2,405; 3. J.R. Todd, 2,384; 4. Austin Prock, 2, 348; 5. Jack Beckman, 2,443; 6. Ron Capps, 2,315; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 2,276; 8. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,207; 9. Chad Green, 2,155; 10. Spencer Hyde, 2,149. The 19th of 20 races on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the Oct. 30-Nov. 1 NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. |
Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix Post Race
| NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway Freeway Insurance 500 Team Chevy Post-Race Report October 18, 2026 |
Elliott Leads Chevrolet with Third-Place Finish; Larson Maintains Points Lead at Phoenix Raceway |
| MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
| A late-race gamble by crew chief, Alan Gustafson, gave Chase Elliott prime track position for the final restart that ultimately led to a strong third-place finish in the Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway. The result marked the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team’s seventh top-five finish of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season and his sixth top-five finish at the desert oval. It was a turbulent day for the reigning champions Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team, but leaning on the points cushion he carried to the west coast, Larson managed to maintain his points lead with the team heading to Talladega Superspeedway with a five-point lead. RACE RECAP: Stage One: William Byron led Chevrolet’s Chase contenders in yesterday’s qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway, earning a top-10 starting position to kick off the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series’ title run. Taking the green flag for the opening stage, Byron hovered around ninth for what built into a 43-lap stretch en route to the first caution of the day. With a mix of pit strategy already seen down pit road, the Rudy Fugle-led team were among the group that called for a two-tire stop, ultimately gifting his driver a spot on the front row for the restart and a 10-lap run to the stage end. Byron put up a valiant fight during a three-wide battle for the lead within the first couple of laps after the restart, a stint that saw him lead his first lap of the day. Despite losing the battle to those on four fresh Goodyear tires, Byron was able to muscle his way into a solid sixth-place points-earning effort to conclude Stage One. Stage Two: A mix bag of strategies once again saw Byron lineup 11th, the third car on a four-tire strategy, for the start of Stage Two. On an alternate two-tire strategy, the Randall Burnett-led No. 88 team made the jump up into the top-five to lead the Bowtie brigade to the restart and the next 125-lap run. Zilisch’s teammate, Ross Chastain, had a set of four fresh Goodyear tires on his Chevrolet for the start of the stage, ultimately enabling him to drive up into the seventh position during the beginning laps of the stage. While on a tire deficit from his teammate, the rookie held his ground through much of the green flag run, staying within the top-nine to give Trackhouse Racing a solid showing en route to the first green flag pit cycle of the afternoon. The cycle kicked off on Lap 122, right at the halfway mark of the stage, with crew chief Brandon McSwain calling his driver to pit road six laps into the cycle from the sixth running position. A quick green flag pit cycle saw Chastain, along with his Team Chevy teammate, Chase Elliott, reenter and settle into the top-10 as the green flag laps continued to count down in the stage. Taking his turn in the top position for the Chevrolet camp, Elliott sat in the ninth position when a caution flew with 29 laps to go in the stage for Austin Dillon, who’s early top-15 campaign came to an early end when a flat tire led his No. 3 Chevrolet into the wall. With a four-tire and fuel call by crew chief Alan Gustafson under the caution, an one-position gain in the race off pit road put Elliott in the fourth row for a 22-lap run to the end of the stage. Overall happy with the gains in the balance of his No. 9 Chevrolet, Elliott remained as the manufacturer’s leading driver when he took the second green-white checkered flag in the 10th position. Final Stage: With a stellar three-position gain in the race off pit road during the stage break, Elliott found the fourth row once again to lead Chevrolet to the green flag for the final stage of the race. While a long green flag run took over much of the final stage, Elliott remained a steady fixture within the top-10. Sitting in the ninth position, a caution flew for his teammate, Kyle Larson, whose already turbulent day came to an end when he suffered a flat tire with 29 laps to go in the race. Gustafson was one of just three crew chiefs that made the gamble to stay out during the caution. The call moved Elliott back up into a spot on the front row to lead the field to the restart for the final 19 laps around the desert oval. While on a tire deficit, Elliott showed the strength of his Chevrolet as he managed to hold onto the third position to go on and lead the manufacturer to the checkered flag and claim his seventh top-five finish of the season. |
| Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos. Driver 3rd – Chase Elliott7th – Daniel Suarez9th – Ross Chastain  Chevrolet’s season statistics with 33 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:Wins: 8Poles: 6Top-Fives: 53Top 10s: 112Stage Wins: 22 |
| The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase will continue at Talladega Superspeedway with the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 25, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. |
| NASCAR Cup SeriesPhoenix RacewayFreeway Insurance 500Team Chevy Post-Race ReportOctober 18, 2026 |
Elliott Leads Chevrolet with Third-Place Finish; Larson Maintains Points Lead at Phoenix Raceway |
| MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
| A late-race gamble by crew chief, Alan Gustafson, gave Chase Elliott prime track position for the final restart that ultimately led to a strong third-place finish in the Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway. The result marked the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team’s seventh top-five finish of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season and his sixth top-five finish at the desert oval. It was a turbulent day for the reigning champions Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team, but leaning on the points cushion he carried to the west coast, Larson managed to maintain his points lead with the team heading to Talladega Superspeedway with a five-point lead. RACE RECAP: Stage One: William Byron led Chevrolet’s Chase contenders in yesterday’s qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway, earning a top-10 starting position to kick off the seventh race of the NASCAR Cup Series’ title run. Taking the green flag for the opening stage, Byron hovered around ninth for what built into a 43-lap stretch en route to the first caution of the day. With a mix of pit strategy already seen down pit road, the Rudy Fugle-led team were among the group that called for a two-tire stop, ultimately gifting his driver a spot on the front row for the restart and a 10-lap run to the stage end. Byron put up a valiant fight during a three-wide battle for the lead within the first couple of laps after the restart, a stint that saw him lead his first lap of the day. Despite losing the battle to those on four fresh Goodyear tires, Byron was able to muscle his way into a solid sixth-place points-earning effort to conclude Stage One. Stage Two: A mix bag of strategies once again saw Byron lineup 11th, the third car on a four-tire strategy, for the start of Stage Two. On an alternate two-tire strategy, the Randall Burnett-led No. 88 team made the jump up into the top-five to lead the Bowtie brigade to the restart and the next 125-lap run. Zilisch’s teammate, Ross Chastain, had a set of four fresh Goodyear tires on his Chevrolet for the start of the stage, ultimately enabling him to drive up into the seventh position during the beginning laps of the stage. While on a tire deficit from his teammate, the rookie held his ground through much of the green flag run, staying within the top-nine to give Trackhouse Racing a solid showing en route to the first green flag pit cycle of the afternoon. The cycle kicked off on Lap 122, right at the halfway mark of the stage, with crew chief Brandon McSwain calling his driver to pit road six laps into the cycle from the sixth running position. A quick green flag pit cycle saw Chastain, along with his Team Chevy teammate, Chase Elliott, reenter and settle into the top-10 as the green flag laps continued to count down in the stage. Taking his turn in the top position for the Chevrolet camp, Elliott sat in the ninth position when a caution flew with 29 laps to go in the stage for Austin Dillon, who’s early top-15 campaign came to an early end when a flat tire led his No. 3 Chevrolet into the wall. With a four-tire and fuel call by crew chief Alan Gustafson under the caution, an one-position gain in the race off pit road put Elliott in the fourth row for a 22-lap run to the end of the stage. Overall happy with the gains in the balance of his No. 9 Chevrolet, Elliott remained as the manufacturer’s leading driver when he took the second green-white checkered flag in the 10th position. Final Stage: With a stellar three-position gain in the race off pit road during the stage break, Elliott found the fourth row once again to lead Chevrolet to the green flag for the final stage of the race. While a long green flag run took over much of the final stage, Elliott remained a steady fixture within the top-10. Sitting in the ninth position, a caution flew for his teammate, Kyle Larson, whose already turbulent day came to an end when he suffered a flat tire with 29 laps to go in the race. Gustafson was one of just three crew chiefs that made the gamble to stay out during the caution. The call moved Elliott back up into a spot on the front row to lead the field to the restart for the final 19 laps around the desert oval. While on a tire deficit, Elliott showed the strength of his Chevrolet as he managed to hold onto the third position to go on and lead the manufacturer to the checkered flag and claim his seventh top-five finish of the season. |
| Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos. Driver 3rd – Chase Elliott7th – Daniel Suarez9th – Ross Chastain Chevrolet’s season statistics with 33 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:Wins: 8Poles: 6Top-Fives: 53Top 10s: 112Stage Wins: 22 |
| The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase will continue at Talladega Superspeedway with the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 25, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. |
| Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 9th“We put together a solid weekend at Phoenix in the Busch Light Chevrolet. We stayed towards the front in track position all day and made small adjustments. We went through the range of weather from starting overcast and cooler to the sun coming out and it really heating up. It feels good to leave Phoenix with a ninth-place finish and have a good day overall.” Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained from a tire issue during Stage Two. Finished: 37th “Unfortunate ending for the No. 3 Dow Arm & Hammer Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway. We had a strong Chevrolet and I’m really proud of the work the No. 3 team put into giving us a good car this weekend. We were going forward, passing cars and having fun. We cut a right-rear tire in Stage Two and ended up in the wall. I wish I would have recognized that a tire was going down sooner, but I just thought it was rubber build up or something, and at that point, there was nothing we could do. We had too much damage to come back from. We’ll make notes and regroup before going to Talladega next weekend.” Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained from a tire issue in the final stage. Finished: 34th“This No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet wasn’t going to quit today. We never found the improvements we needed, so that was a bummer. I didn’t expect to be good, but I didn’t expect to be that bad either. It wasn’t a lot of fun today, but we were just trying to salvage what we could of the day. We’ll go to Talladega (Superspeedway) and try to forget about today and get back after it. We’ve done well at the superspeedway’s, so hopefully we can execute, get some points and keep ourselves in the hunt.” Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 7th“We had a little bit of everything today, good and bad pit stops, and some challenges we had to overcome. We fought all day, and this No. 7 Freeway Insurance team never gave up. The guys kept working, and we were able to fight our way back and get another top 10 this season. I’m proud of this team and the effort everyone put in.” Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 3rdHow did you hang on there at the end? “Honestly, I was really surprised. I thought more people would stay out. I’m curious to see if those guys had scuffs, or if they had already burnt their scuffs earlier and had stickers on. In our situation, the call was going to be two tires and they were going to be two scuffs. That didn’t really do a whole lot for me in my head at that point in time. I thought that maybe if we could get a couple rows of a buffer, we’d be okay. But I’m really proud of this No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet team for putting together a solid day. It’s been a while since we’ve had one, so that was nice. We made some legitimate improvements, I thought, which was encouraging. The No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) got me there through (turns) one and two on the restart, but to settle in and be able to hold the rest of those guys off, I thought it was solid. I’m looking forward to finishing these next three races off strong and be more prepared and ready for next year.” Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 24th“Our FICO Chevrolet was decent in the first two stages and we were consistently a top-20, 21st-place car. Our car fired off free on entry and exit, tight rolling in the center. We were burning the right rear tire off it but once we made an adjustment, the car reacted positively. Right after our green flag stop, I found something with a line that definitely worked better. I just needed to be tightened up in Turns 1 and 2. Unfortunately the next adjustment didn’t fix the problem and netted out negative for our balance. We flipped back and forth from loose to tight in the final stage. Glad we finished inside the top-25 when it’s all said and done, and we can learn a few things from today to help in the future.” Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 20th“It was a decent day at Phoenix Raceway for this No. 88 Jockey 150th Anniversary Chevrolet team. I thought we fired off the race really well. We did a good job in qualifying to get the car where we needed it to be, but it just didn’t quite keep up with the track as the race went on. It started to slip a little bit there near the end. We still recovered for a top-20 and a decent finish to look forward to Talladega (Superspeedway).” |
JUSTIN SANDERS TIES NARC KING OF THE WEST SINGLE-SEASON WIN RECORD WITH COTTON CLASSIC TRIUMPH
HANFORD, CA (10/17/26) Justin Sanders made history Saturday night at Kings Speedway, capturing his ninth NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series victory of the 2026 season and tying Tyler Walker’s single-season series record set in 2009. In the series’ first visit to Kings Speedway in two years, Sanders delivered a clutch performance to win the annual Cotton Classic. It was the first time NARC has sanctioned the Cotton Classic since 2019/Colby Copeland opened the night by topping the 18-car field in ARP Time Trials, posting a lap of 13.211 seconds for his second Quick Time award of the season. Dominic Gorden, Sanders, and Landon Brooks claimed the three heat races, while Sanders secured his 3rd HD Titanium Dash win of the year in his series leading 17th Dash appearance of the year to earn the pole position for the 30-lap Hoosier Tire A-Main.Tim Kaeding grabbed the early lead and looked poised to score his 80th career NARC King of the West victory. Kaeding built a lead of more than two seconds before a pair of cautions slowed the pace and brought Sanders within striking distance.Sanders made his move on a restart with 10 laps remaining, diving underneath Kaeding in Turn 2 to take command of the race. From there, the Aromas, California, native had to withstand a determined challenge from the veteran Kaeding, who closed the gap with four laps remaining before a costly trip over the Turn 4 cushion set him back.Kaeding got another opportunity with two laps to go when a caution for Dominic Gorden and Steven Kent brought the field back together. He challenged Sanders again on the restart but jumped the cushion in Turns 3 and 4, opening the door for DJ Netto to move into second and Copeland to claim third.With his record setting season, Justin Sanders added his 2nd career NARC King of the West championship.DJ Netto drove from 13th to 2nd earning FK Rod Ends Hard Charger award honors.For more information, visit NARC410.com. Follow us on X @NARC410, on Facebook.com/NARCKingoftheWest, and on Instagram NARC410.You can catch every NARC King of the West race live on FloRacing.com and the FloSports app.NARC King of the West points1st – Justin Sanders 1761pts2nd – Tim Kaeding -2403rd – Landon Brooks -2684th – Dominic Gorden -2905th – Chance Grasty -3026th – Bud Kaeding -3687th – DJ Netto -5278th – Dominic Scelzi -5879th – Sean Becker -70610th – Shane Golobic -719Hoosier Tire A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders[1]; 2. 88N-DJ Netto[13]; 3. 21-Colby Copeland[6]; 4. 21L-Landon Brooks[4]; 5. 7C-Dylan Bloomfield[8]; 6. 0-Tim Kaeding[2]; 7. 14-Jett Barnes[7]; 8. 22-Shane Golobic[9]; 9. 29-Bud Kaeding[12]; 10. X1-Chance Grasty[5]; 11. 2A-Austin Wood[10]; 12. 73B-Braden Chiaramonte[15]; 13. 121-Caeden Steele[14]; 14. 67-Grant Duinkerken[16]; 15. 10-Dominic Gorden[3]; 16. 7-Steven Kent[11]; 17. 5D-Cole Danell[17]; 18. 11-JJ Ringo[18]HD Titanium Dash (6 Laps): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders[1]; 2. 0-Tim Kaeding[2]; 3. 10-Dominic Gorden[3]; 4. 21L-Landon Brooks[4]; 5. X1-Chance Grasty[5]; 6. 21-Colby Copeland[6]Kaeding Performance Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 10-Dominic Gorden[2]; 2. 14-Jett Barnes[1]; 3. 22-Shane Golobic[3]; 4. 21-Colby Copeland[4]; 5. 88N-DJ Netto[5]; 6. 67-Grant Duinkerken[6]Hill’s Meat Company Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders[4]; 2. X1-Chance Grasty[1]; 3. 2A-Austin Wood[2]; 4. 7-Steven Kent[5]; 5. 121-Caeden Steele[6]; 6. 5D-Cole Danell[3]BMRS Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 21L-Landon Brooks[2]; 2. 7C-Dylan Bloomfield[3]; 3. 0-Tim Kaeding[4]; 4. 29-Bud Kaeding[1]; 5. 73B-Braden Chiaramonte[5]; 6. (DNS) 11-JJ RingoARP Qualifying (2 Laps): 1. 21-Colby Copeland, 13.211[7]; 2. 2X-Justin Sanders, 13.221[1]; 3. 0-Tim Kaeding, 13.251[3]; 4. 14-Jett Barnes, 13.254[10]; 5. X1-Chance Grasty, 13.313[13]; 6. 29-Bud Kaeding, 13.315[14]; 7. 10-Dominic Gorden, 13.380[6]; 8. 2A-Austin Wood, 13.399[2]; 9. 21L-Landon Brooks, 13.452[11]; 10. 22-Shane Golobic, 13.517[5]; 11. 5D-Cole Danell, 13.591[8]; 12. 7C-Dylan Bloomfield, 13.625[9]; 13. 88N-DJ Netto, 13.626[17]; 14. 7-Steven Kent, 13.690[4]; 15. 73B-Braden Chiaramonte, 13.723[15]; 16. 67-Grant Duinkerken, 13.879[16]; 17. 121-Caeden Steele, 13.916[12]; 18. 11-JJ Ringo[18]
CORVETTE RACING AT BARCELONA: Another Double-Points Finish
| CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES |
| CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES |
DOUG DUELL NABS FIRST CAREER FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN NO. 1 QUALIFIER IN DALLAS
DALLAS (October 18, 2026) — Qualifying for the 41st annual NHRA Texas Fall Nationals and Stampede of Speed concluded today after several delays stemming from high winds and massive car counts at the 10-day event. Doug Duell of Newburgh, Ind., captured his first career Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series No. 1 qualifier with his final qualifying pass of 7.559 seconds at 182.82 mph. Duell will earn a competition bye in the first round behind the wheel of his Black Dodge Challenger.
“I feel good because I get a bye, so that’s awesome,” said Duell, a Factory Stock Showdown rookie. We’ve been sawing the log on this car all year. Everything that could happen to me has happened. Every race we make improvements. The last few races, I feel like we got an opportunity to win and go into the late rounds. We really feel good about tomorrow. I’m just super, super excited.”
Doug Duell scored his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series No. 1 qualifier on Saturday in Dallas at NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, photo credit Auto Imagery
DOUG DUELL NABS FIRST CAREER FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN NO. 1 QUALIFIER IN DALLAS
DALLAS (October 18, 2026) — Qualifying for the 41st annual NHRA Texas Fall Nationals and Stampede of Speed concluded today after several delays stemming from high winds and massive car counts at the 10-day event. Doug Duell of Newburgh, Ind., captured his first career Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series No. 1 qualifier with his final qualifying pass of 7.559 seconds at 182.82 mph. Duell will earn a competition bye in the first round behind the wheel of his Black Dodge Challenger.
“I feel good because I get a bye, so that’s awesome,” said Duell, a Factory Stock Showdown rookie. We’ve been sawing the log on this car all year. Everything that could happen to me has happened. Every race we make improvements. The last few races, I feel like we got an opportunity to win and go into the late rounds. We really feel good about tomorrow. I’m just super, super excited.”
Doug Duell scored his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series No. 1 qualifier on Saturday in Dallas at NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, photo credit Auto Imagery
A first round win will propel him into a possible first round match-up with either Scott Libersher or David Janac, the No. 6 and No. 7 qualifiers respectively. Duell has to wait overnight for the first round to commence at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at Texas Motorplex. The teams have worked their way through two days of qualifying and on race day Duell will be looking for four win lights in eliminations.
“I think as a racer, you’re just ready to go race right now,” said Duell. “The reality of things is these races are kind of a journey. It’s days and days of it. I’ll sleep good tonight. I’ll be ready tomorrow. I feel good about getting that bye because I can work on my tree a little bit, which has been a learning process because it’s my first year on a pro tree. I’m ready. I feel like I have an opportunity here.”
A tough field of competitors will stand in his way including Libersher and Raymond Nash, the No. 8 qualifier and No. 2 driver in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown points. Nash and Libersher are in a tight race for second place overall for the season. Two weeks ago, Jonathan Allegrucci clinched the 2026 world championship in St. Louis. The Texas Fall Nationals race day will be the culmination of 10-days of racing and Duell is eager to perform in front of a huge crowd.
“When we got here, I said to somebody, I feel like I’m at Indy (home of the historic U.S. Nationals),” said Duell. “There’s so much activity and so many awesome racers here. It’s quite an event.”
Reigning world champion Mark Pawuk qualified No. 10 and will face No. 3 qualifier Rouven Dawson.
The first round of eliminations at the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals will begin tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Fans can follow the racing action at www.nhra.com.
First Round Match-ups
No. 1 Doug Duell vs. Bye
No. 2 Lee Hartman vs. No. 11 K Urban
No. 3 Rouven Dawson vs. No. 10 Mark Pawuk
No. 4 Tony Scott vs. No. 9 David Davies II
No. 5 Matt Hartman vs. No.8 Raymond Nash
No. 6 Scott Libersher vs. No. 7 David Janac
Flexjet Bounty Program
Gatornationals (Gainesville, Fla.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Jonathan Allegrucci, defeated Mark Pawuk (2025 Flexjet world champion)
NHRA 4-Wide Nationals (Charlotte, N. C.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Raymond Nash, defeated Ricky Hord (2026 Gatornationals winner)
Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals (Chicago, Illinois)
$1,000 bounty was not claimed with Allegrucci’s victory
Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals (Bristol, Tenn,)
$2,000 bounty was not claimed with Allegrucci’s victory
Norwalk Nationals (Norwalk, Ohio)
$3,000 bounty claimed by Taylor Dietsch, defeated Jonathan Allegrucci (2026 Chicago and Bristol winner)
Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis)
$1,000 bounty collected by Scott Libersher, defeated Taylor Dietsch (Norwalk winner)
Great Lakes Nationals (Martin, Mich.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Raymond Nash, defeated Scott Libersher (Indianapolis winner)
NAPA NHRA Midwest Nationals (St. Louis, Mo.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Doug Duell, defeated Lee Hartman (Martin winner)
2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results
Gainesville – Ricky Hord, winner; David Janac, runner-up
Charlotte – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up
Chicago – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up
Bristol – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Raymond Nash, runner-up
Norwalk – Taylor Dietsch, winner; Jonathan Allergrucci, runner-up
Martin – Lee Hartman, winner; David Janac, runner-up
St. Louis – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Scott Libersher, runner-up
SEVEN: Sam Hafertepe Jr. Wins Fuzzy’s Fall Fling at Creek County, Clinches Seventh ASCS National Title
SAPULPA, OK (October 17, 2026) — Sam Hafertepe Jr. left Creek County Speedway proving to everyone why he is a seven-time American Sprint Car Series champion.
The Sunnyvale, TX veteran performed when the lights shone brightest Saturday night for the season-ending Fuzzy’s Fall Fling with a daring last-lap pass for his seventh win of the 2026 season.
At the start, Garrett Benson jumped to the lead from the outside as Alex Sewell followed in tow. Behind them, Hafertepe and his title rival Matt Covington began their ascent up the leaderboard, with Covington setting the pace while Benson kept Sewell on the bottom lane.
As lapped traffic held Benson and Sewell from extending the gap from the top five, Covington used the slower cars to help him move up to fifth on Lap 7 while Hafertepe stayed behind the No. 95 Triple X Chassis.
When the halfway flags were shown, Sewell made his move for the lead by running the middle lane to get to the outside of Benson across the backstretch, then held it through Turns 3-4 as Hafertepe and Covington continued to chip away at the two-second lead the leaders held.
With the leaders in sight, Hafertepe took his chance at Covington by moving his No. 15H to the cushion and outran Covington to join the podium step with 14 laps left.
As Hafertepe stalked the leaders within the final 10 laps, Benson returned to the top spot by moving Sewell up from the bottom lane, then squeezed his car underneath the No. 9 machine to retake the top spot with six laps to go.
Hafertepe did not waste his opportunity for the win as he continued to build momentum around the cushion of the 1/4-mile track. With two laps left, Hafertepe passed Sewell for second place. On the white flag, Hafertepe reached the outside of Benson exiting Turn 2, then secured the lead in Turns 3-4 to earn his 95th Series win.
With the victory, Hafertepe clinched the title by 41 points over Covington, padding the all-time ASCS National Tour championship record with his seventh triumph.
“Early in the race, I was like, ‘Okay, we don’t have to do a whole lot.’” Hafertepe said. “So I was like, ‘I’ll just ride around and not force anything,’ because at a track like this, it’s easy to make a mistake and bike it. So if I did that, I’d ruin all my chances. When Matt got by me, I just needed to pace him.
“We got by a couple more guys, and then when we got to the leaders, I was like ‘Man, I can’t keep following these guys,’ and I found something on the top because the bottom of (Turns) 3-4 was slowly starting to go away. I finally got in my head and thought, ‘I didn’t come here to ride. I don’t want to win the championship just by pacing.’ We wanted to do it like a champion.”
Benson and Sewell ended the 40-lap battle with a podium appearance. Covington finished fourth, and Steven Shebester completed the final group of top five finishers from the 2026 season.
Recap Notes:
Quick Time Award: Kyle Clark (11.783 sec.)
Heat Race Winners: Garrett Benson, Christopher Townsend, Alex Sewell, Blake Hahn, Ryder Laplante
Honest Abe Roofing Dash Winner: Kyle Clark
Smith Titanium Last Chance Showdown Winner: Chance Morton
Hard Charger Award: Steven Shebester (+14)
UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series will return in 2027 to start the season at Volusia Speedway Park for the 57th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 4-6.
Where can you find info about Volusia? Click Here
Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.
RESULTS: Feature (40 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[8]; 2. 2B-Garrett Benson[2]; 3. 8-Alex Sewell[5]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[15]; 5. 16S-Steven Shebester[19]; 6. 52-Blake Hahn[4]; 7. 71T-Christopher Townsend[9]; 8. 23-Seth Bergman[18]; 9. 2P-Chase Porter[7]; 10. 2-Gage Laney[12]; 11. 45X-Kyler Johnson[23]; 12. 7M-Chance Morton[21]; 13. 3-Cole Schroeder[11]; 14. 16G-Austyn Gossel[16]; 15. 88C-Brogan Carder[13]; 16. 8M-Kade Morton[22]; 17. 7F-Joshua Tyre[24]; 18. 9$-Kyle Clark[1]; 19. 31-Casey Wills[25]; 20. 23H-Sam Henderson[6]; 21. 88-Terry Easum[14]; 22. 1-Sean McClelland[20]; 23. 88R-Ryder Laplante[3]; 24. 50Z-Zach Chappell[10]; 25. 938-Bradley Fezard[17]
SEVEN: Sam Hafertepe Jr. Wins Fuzzy’s Fall Fling at Creek County, Clinches Seventh ASCS National Title SAPULPA, OK (October 17, 2026) — Sam Hafertepe Jr. left Creek County Speedway proving to everyone why he is a seven-time American Sprint Car Series champion.
The Sunnyvale, TX veteran performed when the lights shone brightest Saturday night for the season-ending Fuzzy’s Fall Fling with a daring last-lap pass for his seventh win of the 2026 season.
At the start, Garrett Benson jumped to the lead from the outside as Alex Sewell followed in tow. Behind them, Hafertepe and his title rival Matt Covington began their ascent up the leaderboard, with Covington setting the pace while Benson kept Sewell on the bottom lane.
As lapped traffic held Benson and Sewell from extending the gap from the top five, Covington used the slower cars to help him move up to fifth on Lap 7 while Hafertepe stayed behind the No. 95 Triple X Chassis.
When the halfway flags were shown, Sewell made his move for the lead by running the middle lane to get to the outside of Benson across the backstretch, then held it through Turns 3-4 as Hafertepe and Covington continued to chip away at the two-second lead the leaders held.
With the leaders in sight, Hafertepe took his chance at Covington by moving his No. 15H to the cushion and outran Covington to join the podium step with 14 laps left.
As Hafertepe stalked the leaders within the final 10 laps, Benson returned to the top spot by moving Sewell up from the bottom lane, then squeezed his car underneath the No. 9 machine to retake the top spot with six laps to go.
Hafertepe did not waste his opportunity for the win as he continued to build momentum around the cushion of the 1/4-mile track. With two laps left, Hafertepe passed Sewell for second place. On the white flag, Hafertepe reached the outside of Benson exiting Turn 2, then secured the lead in Turns 3-4 to earn his 95th Series win.
With the victory, Hafertepe clinched the title by 41 points over Covington, padding the all-time ASCS National Tour championship record with his seventh triumph.
“Early in the race, I was like, ‘Okay, we don’t have to do a whole lot.’” Hafertepe said. “So I was like, ‘I’ll just ride around and not force anything,’ because at a track like this, it’s easy to make a mistake and bike it. So if I did that, I’d ruin all my chances. When Matt got by me, I just needed to pace him.
“We got by a couple more guys, and then when we got to the leaders, I was like ‘Man, I can’t keep following these guys,’ and I found something on the top because the bottom of (Turns) 3-4 was slowly starting to go away. I finally got in my head and thought, ‘I didn’t come here to ride. I don’t want to win the championship just by pacing.’ We wanted to do it like a champion.”
Benson and Sewell ended the 40-lap battle with a podium appearance. Covington finished fourth, and Steven Shebester completed the final group of top five finishers from the 2026 season.
Recap Notes:
Quick Time Award: Kyle Clark (11.783 sec.)
Heat Race Winners: Garrett Benson, Christopher Townsend, Alex Sewell, Blake Hahn, Ryder Laplante
Honest Abe Roofing Dash Winner: Kyle Clark
Smith Titanium Last Chance Showdown Winner: Chance Morton
Hard Charger Award: Steven Shebester (+14)
UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series will return in 2027 to start the season at Volusia Speedway Park for the 57th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 4-6.
Where can you find info about Volusia? Click Here
Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.
RESULTS: Feature (40 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[8]; 2. 2B-Garrett Benson[2]; 3. 8-Alex Sewell[5]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[15]; 5. 16S-Steven Shebester[19]; 6. 52-Blake Hahn[4]; 7. 71T-Christopher Townsend[9]; 8. 23-Seth Bergman[18]; 9. 2P-Chase Porter[7]; 10. 2-Gage Laney[12]; 11. 45X-Kyler Johnson[23]; 12. 7M-Chance Morton[21]; 13. 3-Cole Schroeder[11]; 14. 16G-Austyn Gossel[16]; 15. 88C-Brogan Carder[13]; 16. 8M-Kade Morton[22]; 17. 7F-Joshua Tyre[24]; 18. 9$-Kyle Clark[1]; 19. 31-Casey Wills[25]; 20. 23H-Sam Henderson[6]; 21. 88-Terry Easum[14]; 22. 1-Sean McClelland[20]; 23. 88R-Ryder Laplante[3]; 24. 50Z-Zach Chappell[10]; 25. 938-Bradley Fezard[17]
WHAT AN ENDING: Scelzi Wins Battle, Abreu Wins War as High Limit Season Concludes at Texas
| WHAT AN ENDING: Scelzi Wins Battle, Abreu Wins War as High Limit Season Concludes at Texas Giovanni Scelzi Scores Third-Straight Win, Rico Abreu Clinches Back-to-Back Championships |
 FORT WORTH, TEX. (October 17, 2026) – Saturday’s season finale at Texas Motor Speedway came down to the last lap as the two championship contenders went head-to-head with one winning the battle, and one winning the season-long war for the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing championship.While the box score says that Giovanni Scelzi led all 30 laps around the Fort Worth, Texas track, his path to the $25,000 victory and a weekend sweep at TMS came after an intense duel with his Rico Abreu down the stretch. The pair were separated by a mere 0.016-seconds on Lap 28 and Abreu even passed Scelzi momentarily on Lap 29 – but the Chili’s Grill & Bar #77 was able to survive by 0.202-seconds at the checkered flag. The win marked a third-straight for Scelzi and the Spire Motorsports team as they ended the season red-hot with wins at Lakeside and a weekend sweep at Texas totaling $50,000. The Fresno, California native joins Kyle Larson, Brad Sweet, Rico Abreu, and Aaron Reutzel as the fifth driver to ever earn a hat trick with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing. Scelzi won the war, but Abreu got the ultimate spoil as he came out ahead by 31pts to score back-to-back series championships – his first aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Carquest Auto Parts #24. The St. Helena, California native joined an elite list including Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Donny Schatz, Jason Meyers, Brad Sweet, and David Gravel as back-to-back national sprint car series champions. Brent Marks followed the championship leaders as he closed out the podium with a third-place finish in the Chase Briscoe Racing #19. Rounding out the top-10 in the season finale was Nevada’s Tanner Thorson in fourth, Indiana’s Tyler Courtney in fifth, Iowa’s Austin McCarl in sixth, Texas’ Chase Randall in seventh, Washington’s Kasey Kahne in eighth, Oregon’s Tanner Holmes in ninth, and Oklahoma’s Daison Pursley in tenth. Next for Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing is the All-In Championship Awards Celebration on Sunday, October 18 – available to watch live on FloRacing from the Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards. THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (Saturday, October 17, 2026)Texas Motor Speedway (Fort Worth, Texas)All-In Championship Weekend Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps – Brady Bacon (14.130)Capitol Custom Trailers QuickTime (Flight A) – Daison Pursley (13.735)Capitol Custom Trailers QuickTime (Flight B) – Roger Crockett (13.811)TJ Forged Heat One Winner – Austin McCarlDMI Heat Two Winner – Brent MarksBR Motorsports Heat Three Winner – Roger CrockettRod End Supply Heat Four Winner – Kasey KahneFK Rod Ends Dash Winner – Giovanni ScelziWinters Performance B-Main Winner – Landon CrawleyDURST Dice Roll Driver – Kasey Kahne (8th-to-8th)Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap – Giovanni Scelzi (13.975)Rod End Supply Hard Charger – Tanner Holmes +10 (19th-to-9th)Whiskey Meyers Victory Lane Visitor – Giovanni Scelzi (5th of career)CASM Win Sticker – Spire Motorsports (4th of season)Lap Leader(s) – Giovanni Scelzi 1-30 Interstate Batteries A-Main Results (30 Laps): 1. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 3. 19-Brent Marks[5]; 4. 88-Tanner Thorson[2]; 5. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[6]; 6. 88W-Austin McCarl[3]; 7. 9R-Chase Randall[10]; 8. 4-Kasey Kahne[8]; 9. 13-Tanner Holmes[19]; 10. 9-Daison Pursley[9]; 11. 42-Sye Lynch[12]; 12. 55-Brady Bacon[20]; 13. 24D-Danny Sams III[16]; 14. 26-Justin Peck[14]; 15. 5-Brenham Crouch[11]; 16. 11-Roger Crockett[7]; 17. 45X-Ashton Torgerson[17]; 18. 74-Xavier Doney[24]; 19. 17GP-Kerry Madsen[22]; 20. 12X-Landon Crawley[21]; 21. 21-Brian Brown[15]; 22. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[18]; 23. 22M-Rees Moran[13]; 24. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[23] FINAL 2026 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Championship Standings (After 54 Races):1. 3,197 pts – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 (Rico Abreu)2. -31 pts – Spire Motorsports #77 (Giovanni Scelzi)3. -123 pts – Ridge & Sons Racing #87 (Aaron Reutzel)4. -221 pts – Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC (Tyler Courtney)5. -305 pts – Rudeen Racing #26 (Justin Peck)6. -364 pts – Chase Briscoe Racing #19 (Brent Marks)7. -389 pts – JST Motorsports #88 (Tanner Thorson)8. -431 pts – Buch Motorsports #13 (Tanner Holmes)9. -551 pts – Vermeer Motorsports #55 (Brady Bacon)10. -609 pts – Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9 (Daison Pursley)11. -934 pts – Chase Randall Racing #9R (Chase Randall)12. -1,006 pts – CJB Motorsports #5 (Brenham Crouch))13. -1,097 pts – Mosites Lynch Racing #42 (Sye Lynch)14. -1,185 pts – Randerson Racing #24D (Danny Sams III)15. -1,256 pts – Michael Dutcher Motorsports #17GP (Kerry Madsen) WHAT’S NEXT: Before the 2027 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing season begins, the third edition of High Limit International comes first as the series hosts the highest-paying event in Australian Sprint Car Racing history at Western Australia’s Perth Motorplex on December 28-30. You can watch every lap of the international affair live on FloRacing. |
HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE: Kofoid Bests Williamson in Wild World of Outlaws Belle-Clair Debut
The first ever World of Outlaws visit to Belle-Clair doesn’t disappoint as Kofoid grabs his 16th victory of 2026
BELLEVILLE, IL (October 17, 2026) – The gloves came off Saturday night at Belle-Clair Fairgrounds Park Speedway.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series invaded the brand new Illinois bullring for the first time. Anticipation was sky high for the best Sprint Car drivers in the world to put on a show at the 1/4 mile, and the fans were not let down.
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Garet Williamson delivered an unforgettable duel. The two good friends went to war through the opening half of the 40-lap Feature. One would fire a slide job, and the other would counter with a crossover. One would find a groove of grip and slip by, then the other would use a lapped car as a pick to retake the position.
Ultimately, Kofoid finally gained the upper hand for good on the 18th circuit after several lead changes. The Penngrove, CA native wrestled the top spot away and built a commanding lead in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. A late red flag for Williamson flipping gave the resurging Parker Price-Miller a shot with 11 laps to go, but he was no match as Kofoid powered away and sliced through traffic on his way to Victory Lane and hoisting the Battle at Belle-Clair championship belt.
“That was some of the best racing I’ve been a part of this whole year, maybe even some of the best in the last three years I’ve been with the Outlaws,” Kofoid said. “Definitely special to do it alongside him (Williamson). They were very, very good. I told myself if we stay in traffic, I think I’ll be okay even though I lost it those couple times. Bummer to see what happened to him. It would’ve been nice to be up here with him.”
Kofoid extended his Series-best win tally in 2026 to 16. That ensures he’ll at least tie for the most victories this season, and he’ll own sole possession of that title as long as David Gravel or Sheldon Haudenschild don’t win the final five races of the season. The mark of 16 matches the most triumphs in one season for Roth Motorsports, equaling Danny Lasoski’s total he reached with Dennis and Teresa Roth’s team in 1999.
Parker Price-Miller started on the pole, slipped back as far as sixth, and then rallied to the runner-up position in the Indy Race Parts No. 71.
Mason City, IL’s Karter Sarff made the home state proud by rounding out the Belle-Clar podium for his first World of Outlaws top three in only his third Feature appearance.
Sheldon Haudenschild and Spencer Bayston completed the top five.
NIGHTLY NOTES
Buddy Kofoid earned another Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.
Colton Robinson set Simpson Quick Time in his official World of Outlaws debut.
Heat Races belonged to Parker Price-Miller (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Karter Sarff (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), Zach Daum (WIX Filters Heat Three), and David Gravel (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).
The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Garet Williamson.
Parker Price-Miller topped the Toyota Dash.
Bryce Norris won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.
Sheldon Haudenschild got the final transfer from the Last Chance Showdown then drove from 24th to fourth to take the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.
Logan Schuchart was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.
Emerson Axsom was the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.
Garet Williamson ripped the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.
The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race also went to Garet Williamson.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars debut at Texarkana 67 Speedway on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 23-24, for the Jason Johnson Classic presented by FK Rod Ends and Short Track Nationals. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.
Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 2. 71-Parker Price Miller[1]; 3. 21K-Karter Sarff[4]; 4. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[24]; 5. 17-Spencer Bayston[8]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[16]; 8. 27-Emerson Axsom[13]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[15]; 10. 2-David Gravel[5]; 11. 51-Steven Snyder Jr[23]; 12. 16C-Skylar Gee[12]; 13. 17B-Bill Balog[7]; 14. 6-Bryce Lucius[19]; 15. 79-Gage Montgomery[20]; 16. 2C-Cole Macedo[10]; 17. 7S-Chris Windom[14]; 18. 51B-Joe B Miller[18]; 19. 2MD-Darin Naida[22]; 20. 37-Bryce Norris[21]; 21. (DNF) 23-Garet Williamson[2]; 22. (DNF) 7A-Will Armitage[9]; 23. (DNF) 87-Austin Hartmann[17]; 24. (DNF) 92-Zach Daum[6]
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE: Kofoid Bests Williamson in Wild World of Outlaws Belle-Clair Debut
The first ever World of Outlaws visit to Belle-Clair doesn’t disappoint as Kofoid grabs his 16th victory of 2026
BELLEVILLE, IL (October 17, 2026) – The gloves came off Saturday night at Belle-Clair Fairgrounds Park Speedway.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series invaded the brand new Illinois bullring for the first time. Anticipation was sky high for the best Sprint Car drivers in the world to put on a show at the 1/4 mile, and the fans were not let down.
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Garet Williamson delivered an unforgettable duel. The two good friends went to war through the opening half of the 40-lap Feature. One would fire a slide job, and the other would counter with a crossover. One would find a groove of grip and slip by, then the other would use a lapped car as a pick to retake the position.
Ultimately, Kofoid finally gained the upper hand for good on the 18th circuit after several lead changes. The Penngrove, CA native wrestled the top spot away and built a commanding lead in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. A late red flag for Williamson flipping gave the resurging Parker Price-Miller a shot with 11 laps to go, but he was no match as Kofoid powered away and sliced through traffic on his way to Victory Lane and hoisting the Battle at Belle-Clair championship belt.
“That was some of the best racing I’ve been a part of this whole year, maybe even some of the best in the last three years I’ve been with the Outlaws,” Kofoid said. “Definitely special to do it alongside him (Williamson). They were very, very good. I told myself if we stay in traffic, I think I’ll be okay even though I lost it those couple times. Bummer to see what happened to him. It would’ve been nice to be up here with him.”
Kofoid extended his Series-best win tally in 2026 to 16. That ensures he’ll at least tie for the most victories this season, and he’ll own sole possession of that title as long as David Gravel or Sheldon Haudenschild don’t win the final five races of the season. The mark of 16 matches the most triumphs in one season for Roth Motorsports, equaling Danny Lasoski’s total he reached with Dennis and Teresa Roth’s team in 1999.
Parker Price-Miller started on the pole, slipped back as far as sixth, and then rallied to the runner-up position in the Indy Race Parts No. 71.
Mason City, IL’s Karter Sarff made the home state proud by rounding out the Belle-Clar podium for his first World of Outlaws top three in only his third Feature appearance.
Sheldon Haudenschild and Spencer Bayston completed the top five.
NIGHTLY NOTES
Buddy Kofoid earned another Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.
Colton Robinson set Simpson Quick Time in his official World of Outlaws debut.
Heat Races belonged to Parker Price-Miller (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Karter Sarff (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), Zach Daum (WIX Filters Heat Three), and David Gravel (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).
The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Garet Williamson.
Parker Price-Miller topped the Toyota Dash.
Bryce Norris won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.
Sheldon Haudenschild got the final transfer from the Last Chance Showdown then drove from 24th to fourth to take the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.
Logan Schuchart was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.
Emerson Axsom was the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.
Garet Williamson ripped the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.
The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race also went to Garet Williamson.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars debut at Texarkana 67 Speedway on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 23-24, for the Jason Johnson Classic presented by FK Rod Ends and Short Track Nationals. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.
Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 2. 71-Parker Price Miller[1]; 3. 21K-Karter Sarff[4]; 4. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[24]; 5. 17-Spencer Bayston[8]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[16]; 8. 27-Emerson Axsom[13]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[15]; 10. 2-David Gravel[5]; 11. 51-Steven Snyder Jr[23]; 12. 16C-Skylar Gee[12]; 13. 17B-Bill Balog[7]; 14. 6-Bryce Lucius[19]; 15. 79-Gage Montgomery[20]; 16. 2C-Cole Macedo[10]; 17. 7S-Chris Windom[14]; 18. 51B-Joe B Miller[18]; 19. 2MD-Darin Naida[22]; 20. 37-Bryce Norris[21]; 21. (DNF) 23-Garet Williamson[2]; 22. (DNF) 7A-Will Armitage[9]; 23. (DNF) 87-Austin Hartmann[17]; 24. (DNF) 92-Zach Daum[6]
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
Thornton and O’Neal Win Dirt Track World Championship Preliminary Features
| Ricky Thornton Jr. and Hudson O’Neal each won a 25-lap Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series preliminary feature Saturday night at West Virginia Motor Speedway, opening the 46th Annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing Equipment weekend. Thornton passed early leader Tyler Carpenter for the lead on lap 10 of the first $5,000-to-win feature. Carpenter led the opening nine laps. Thornton went on to win his third straight LOLMDS feature after sweeping both races at Eldora Speedway last weekend. Thornton earned his 65th career series victory by 1.358 seconds over Dillon McCowan, who started 10th and climbed to second. Championship contender Devin Moran completed the Big River Steel Podium in third. Chris Ferguson finished fourth, and Max Blair rounded out the top five. “Early on, we just let Tyler and Devin go, and we were looking for the right opportunity. Those guys took off on the top, and I thought a yellow might give me the perfect opportunity. I knew Tyler wasn’t going to stay down there for very long. I thought if I could make a couple of good laps down there, we were going to be in good shape. When I got to third, I was watching Tyler and Devin. Their cars were a little better through the center than mine. I hit the yuke tire and knocked the nose down, and I thought, ‘I’ve really got to go now.’ I got a really good run off turn two and thought I could slide them going into turn three. Our car was good enough to do that.” McCowan, in his rookie season with the series and making his first career start at WVMS, advanced from 10th to finish second. “We’ve had a tough couple of weeks. Hats off to my guys. The track around the bottom was soupy, and then we ran around the top like a bullring. The car was good. Congrats to Ricky and Devin; they did a good job. Hopefully, we can tune on it some more tomorrow.” Moran, seeking a second straight LOLMDS championship, trails Brandon Sheppard by 45 points heading into Sunday’s season finale. “The track was a bit different from when we were here for the Hillbilly. It didn’t have as much grip on the bottom then as it did tonight. We weren’t expecting that. We know we have a decent car, so we know what to work on for tomorrow.” Thornton’s Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis, owned by Bobby and Jessica Koehler, is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine. Sponsors include Hoker Trucking, Knight’s Companies, Capital Waste, Coltman Farms Racing, Strange Oval, Certified Inspection Services, SI Towing and Recovery, Sunoco Race Fuels, and D&E Outside Services. Completing the top 10 in the first feature were Dennis Erb Jr., Eddie Carrier Jr., Tyler Erb, Kyle Bronson, and Drake Troutman. |
| Thornton and O’Neal Win Dirt Track World Championship Preliminary Features Ricky Thornton Jr. and Hudson O’Neal each won a 25-lap Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series preliminary feature Saturday night at West Virginia Motor Speedway, opening the 46th Annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing Equipment weekend. Thornton passed early leader Tyler Carpenter for the lead on lap 10 of the first $5,000-to-win feature. Carpenter led the opening nine laps. Thornton went on to win his third straight LOLMDS feature after sweeping both races at Eldora Speedway last weekend. Thornton earned his 65th career series victory by 1.358 seconds over Dillon McCowan, who started 10th and climbed to second. Championship contender Devin Moran completed the Big River Steel Podium in third. Chris Ferguson finished fourth, and Max Blair rounded out the top five. “Early on, we just let Tyler and Devin go, and we were looking for the right opportunity. Those guys took off on the top, and I thought a yellow might give me the perfect opportunity. I knew Tyler wasn’t going to stay down there for very long. I thought if I could make a couple of good laps down there, we were going to be in good shape. When I got to third, I was watching Tyler and Devin. Their cars were a little better through the center than mine. I hit the yuke tire and knocked the nose down, and I thought, ‘I’ve really got to go now.’ I got a really good run off turn two and thought I could slide them going into turn three. Our car was good enough to do that.” McCowan, in his rookie season with the series and making his first career start at WVMS, advanced from 10th to finish second. “We’ve had a tough couple of weeks. Hats off to my guys. The track around the bottom was soupy, and then we ran around the top like a bullring. The car was good. Congrats to Ricky and Devin; they did a good job. Hopefully, we can tune on it some more tomorrow.” Moran, seeking a second straight LOLMDS championship, trails Brandon Sheppard by 45 points heading into Sunday’s season finale. “The track was a bit different from when we were here for the Hillbilly. It didn’t have as much grip on the bottom then as it did tonight. We weren’t expecting that. We know we have a decent car, so we know what to work on for tomorrow.” Thornton’s Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis, owned by Bobby and Jessica Koehler, is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine. Sponsors include Hoker Trucking, Knight’s Companies, Capital Waste, Coltman Farms Racing, Strange Oval, Certified Inspection Services, SI Towing and Recovery, Sunoco Race Fuels, and D&E Outside Services. Completing the top 10 in the first feature were Dennis Erb Jr., Eddie Carrier Jr., Tyler Erb, Kyle Bronson, and Drake Troutman. |
 In the second feature, O’Neal took the lead from early pacesetter Jonathan Davenport on lap 16 and pulled away for his 41st career LOLMDS victory. Davenport finished second, and Brandon Sheppard completed the Big River Steel Podium in third. Josh Rice and Dan Ebert rounded out the top five. With the win, O’Neal broke a tie with four-time series champion Earl Pearson Jr. for seventh on the series’ all-time wins list. “We’ve been pretty good; we just haven’t been able to show all the speed we had. I feel like over the last few months, we’ve gotten better and started working in the right direction. All my guys have worked their tails off to give us the best shot. It really crushed all of us after we fell out of the championship race last weekend. My dad told me that night, ‘Hey, there’s no pressure. Just go chase a hundred grand and try to win it.’ We want to race for a championship, but it’s cool to come here and have speed,” said the Martinsville, Indiana, native. “I felt okay. Jonathan was making it tough on me. He was up, down, in the middle, left and right, just trying to find exactly where he needed to be. Then when we got to traffic, I think he got concerned about losing the lead on the bottom. I had a free lane to get up there and just let it sing. I felt good on the bottom, through the middle and against the cushion. I feel like we had a really good balance.” Like O’Neal, Davenport will be looking for his first win in the DTWC, a crown jewel event that has eluded both drivers. “We needed a good finish. We’ve had a pretty rough month. I wasn’t going to do anything stupid when we’re in a good starting spot for tomorrow. I pulled back down in traffic, and then Hudson got by us. My guys did an excellent job. We might have tightened it up a little too much for the tires we were on, just to see if we could overtighten this thing. We’ve been loose since July.” Sheppard heads into Sunday’s DTWC with a chance to win his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship and a record sixth DTWC title, which would break his tie with Freddy Smith. “We want to win, just like everybody else here. But at the end of the day, points are obviously on our mind, too. We’re just going to do the best we can. It’s going to play out like it’s going to play out. We’ll do our best, get a good balance under this thing and try to put it up front tomorrow. Getting our sixth Dirt Track World Championship would be really cool. These guys are super tough, obviously. I feel like I needed to roll the bottom a little bit better, so if we can do that, we’ll be better.” O’Neal’s SSI Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine. Sponsors include Big River Steel, Wheeler Metals, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Merrill Bonding Company, Professional Concrete, Cutting and Drilling, O’Neal’s Salvage and Recycling, Lineal Contracting, Beeman Lumber, Indiana USSSA Fast Pitch Softball, Sunoco Race Fuels, Lucas Oil Products, and Penske Racing Shocks. Completing the top 10 in the second feature were Garrett Alberson, Zack Dohm, Ryan Gustin, Carson Ferguson, and Daniel Hilsabeck. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 46th Annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing Equipment | Night 1Saturday, October 17, 2026West Virginia Motor Speedway | Mineral Wells, WV Group A Results: Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A1: Dennis Erb Jr | 14.378 secondsFast Time Group A2: Devin Moran | 14.472 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #A1-1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 28-Tyler Carpenter[2]; 2. 74X-Ethan Dotson[4]; 3. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[6]; 4. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[1]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[5]; 7. W1-Cory Workman[7]; 8. S8-Jordan Stotts[8]; 9. (DNS) 8W-Wyatt Ervin Summit Racing Products Heat Race #A-2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 5T-Drake Troutman[4]; 2. 75-Eddie Carrier Jr[2]; 3. 22F-Chris Ferguson[5]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 5. 17SS-Brenden Smith[1]; 6. 9 11-Corey DeLancey[7]; 7. 69-Jon Hodgkiss[6]; 8. 21G-Corey Galbreath[8] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #A-3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 55-Benji Hicks[3]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 4. 111-Max Blair[6]; 5. 22M-Corey Miller[2]; 6. 18C-Chris Carpenter[7]; 7. 17KN-Brock Morris[5]; 8. 12R-Ryan Payne[9]; 9. 17K-Kenny Newhouse[8]Simpson Race Products Heat Race #A-4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 10-Garrett Smith[2]; 3. 27L-Michael Lake[6]; 4. 99H-Kyle Hardy[4]; 5. 6-Clay Harris[3]; 6. 12L-Dave Loudin[7]; 7. 47W-Brandon Weigle[5]; 8. R3X-Matthew Bosley[8] Fast Shafts B-Main Group A Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 2. 18C-Chris Carpenter[2]; 3. 9 11-Corey DeLancey[3]; 4. 17KN-Brock Morris[6]; 5. W1-Cory Workman[5]; 6. 12L-Dave Loudin[4]; 7. 47W-Brandon Weigle[8]; 8. 12R-Ryan Payne[10]; 9. R3X-Matthew Bosley[12]; 10. 69-Jon Hodgkiss[7]; 11. S8-Jordan Stotts[9]; 12. 17K-Kenny Newhouse[14]; 13. 21G-Corey Galbreath[11]; 14. (DNS) 8W-Wyatt Ervin 46th Annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing Equipment |Group A – Feature Finish (25 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 4 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $5,0002 – 10 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $3,0003 – 2 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,0004 – 11 – 22F – Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC – $1,5005 – 14 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,2506 – 13 – 28E – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $1,0007 – 7 – 75 – Eddie Carrier Jr – Fairmont, WV – $9508 – 17 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $9009 – 15 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $85010 – 3 – 5T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $80011 – 16 – 99H – Kyle Hardy – Winchester, VA – $70012 – 20 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $60013 – 12 – 27L – Michael Lake – Uniontown, PA – $60014 – 6 – 55 – Benji Hicks – Mount Airy, NC – $60015 – 19 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $60016 – 21 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $60017 – 22 – 18C – Chris Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $55018 – 23 – 11-Sep – Corey DeLancey – Parkersburg, WV – $50019 – 24 – 17KN – Brock Morris – Charleston, WV – $50020 – 9 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – $50021 – 18 – 22M – Corey Miller – Parkersburg, WV – $50022 – 8 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $50023 – 5 – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – $50024 – 1 – 28 – Tyler Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $500 Group A Race Statistics Entrants: 68Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Tyler CarpenterMD3 Lap Leaders: Tyler Carpenter (Laps 1-9); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 10-25)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Margin of Victory: 1.358 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Tyler Erb, Kyle Bronson (initial start); Debris (Lap 6); Benji Hicks, Garrett Smith (Lap 13); Garrett Smith, Brock Morris (Lap 13 restart); Tyler Carpenter, Ethan Dotson, Chris Carpenter, Ryan Montgomery, Corey Miller (Lap 13 restart); Garrett Smith (Lap 20)MyRacePass Series Provisional: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Dillon McCowan, Devin MoranPenske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Dillon McCowan, Devin Moran, Chris Ferguson, Max BlairBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Dillon McCowan, Devin MoranPEM 4th Place Feature: Chris FergusonDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max BlairWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Eddie Carrier, Jr.Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Kyle HardyVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Michael LakeXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Brenden SmithHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Max Blair (Advanced 9 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (15 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon SheppardO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | Lap 9 | 14.635 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Tyler CarpenterVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton Jr.Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Justin TharpARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.0443 secondsTime of Race: 24 minutes 23 seconds Group B Results: Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group B1: Jonathan Davenport | 14.328 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B2: Dan Ebert | 14.497 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #B-1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[5]; 5. 31-Lincoln Smith[8]; 6. 09-Michael Leach[4]; 7. 14-Corey Conley[7]; 8. 7*-Logan Hitt[6]; 9. J0Y-James Joy[9] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #B-2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 4. 0-Braeden Dillinger[4]; 5. 11M-Michael Chilton[7]; 6. 44-Dave Hess Jr[6]; 7. C9-Brandon Morrow[8]; 8. 00-Justin Cooper[5] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #B-3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[1]; 3. 93F-Carson Ferguson[2]; 4. 39-Henry Hornsby III[4]; 5. 3-Chase Hunley[6]; 6. 49M-Luke Morey[5]; 7. 32X-Chad Roush[7]; 8. 44M-Lucas McDonald[8]; 9. 72X-James Nicely Uhler[9] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #B-4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 5 Transfer): 1. 11-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 17-Zack Dohm[2]; 3. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[4]; 4. 17SR-Brody Smith[6]; 5. 2-Brandon Francis[3]; 6. 50-Kevin Davis[5]; 7. K2-Kristopher Southern[7]; 8. U2-Kristin Uhler[8] UNOH B-Main Group B Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 09-Michael Leach[1]; 2. 44-Dave Hess Jr[3]; 3. 49M-Luke Morey[2]; 4. 50-Kevin Davis[4]; 5. 7*-Logan Hitt[9]; 6. 14-Corey Conley[5]; 7. 44M-Lucas McDonald[10]; 8. K2-Kristopher Southern[8]; 9. C9-Brandon Morrow[7]; 10. 32X-Chad Roush[6]; 11. U2-Kristin Uhler[12]; 12. 72X-James Nicely Uhler[14]; 13. J0Y-James Joy[13]; 14. (DNS) 00-Justin Cooper 46th Annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing Equipment |Group B – Feature Finish (25 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 2 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $5,0002 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $3,0003 – 3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,0004 – 4 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $1,5005 – 6 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $1,2506 – 7 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,0007 – 8 – 17 – Zack Dohm – Cross Lanes, WV – $9508 – 5 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – $9009 – 10 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $85010 – 9 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $80011 – 12 – 25z – Mason Zeigler – Chalk Hill, PA – $70012 – 17 – 31 – Lincoln Smith – Belmont, OH – $60013 – 13 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $60014 – 14 – 39 – Henry Hornsby III – Bradley, WV – $60015 – 22 – 44 – Dave Hess, Jr. – Waterford, PA – $60016 – 11 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $60017 – 20 – 2 – Brandon Francis – Parkersburg, WV – $55018 – 16 – 17SR – Brody Smith – Dade City, FL – $50019 – 21 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – $50020 – 18 – 3 – Chase Hunley – Salyersville, KY – $50021 – 24 – 50 – Kevin Davis – Plainfield, OH – $50022 – 23 – 49M – Luke Morey – Zeeland, MI – $50023 – 19 – 11M – Michael Chilton – Salvisa, KY – $50024 – 15 – 0 – Braeden Dillinger – Dawson, PA – $500 Entrants: 68Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-15); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 16-25)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Hudson O’NealMargin of Victory: 2.213 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Braeden Dillinger (lap 1)MyRacePass Series Provisional: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Brandon SheppardPenske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, Josh Rice, Dan EbertBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Brandon SheppardPEM 4th Place Feature: Josh RiceDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Dan EbertWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Zack DohmWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Mason ZeiglerVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Dave Hess, Jr.Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Dave Hess, Jr. (Advanced 7 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (15 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon SheppardO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O’Neal | Lap 2 | 14.655 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: n/aVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Hudson O’NealOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason DurhamARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brandon Sheppard | 14.1698 secondsTime of Race: 9 minutes 57 seconds Dirt Track World Championship Preliminary Points:Pos – No. – Competitor – Hometown – Total – Fastest Lap in Qualifying1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 250 – 14.4842 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 250 – 14.7673 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 240 – 14.3284 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 230 – 14.4725 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 230 – 14.7106 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 220 – 14.3527 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 215 – 14.4978 – 28E – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 210 – 14.3789 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 210 – 14.50310 – 22F – Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC – 210 – 14.64211 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 205 – 14.87312 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 200 – 14.44513 – 75 – Eddie Carrier Jr – Fairmont, WV – 195 – 14.50914 – 17 – Zack Dohm – Cross Lanes, WV – 195 – 14.65715 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 190 – 14.35316 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 190 – 14.51717 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 185 – 14.56118 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 185 – 14.63019 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 180 – 14.58620 – 5T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 180 – 14.60821 – 99H – Kyle Hardy – Winchester, VA – 175 – 14.73722 – 25Z – Mason Zeigler – Chalk Hill, PA – 175 – 14.92023 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 170 – 14.61024 – 31 – Lincoln Smith – Belmont, OH – 170 – 15.06925 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 165 – 14.78426 – 27L – Michael Lake – Uniontown, PA – 165 – 14.97827 – 55 – Benji Hicks – Mount Airy, NC – 160 – 14.60828 – 39 – Henry Hornsby III – Bradley, WV – 160 – 14.86929 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 155 – 14.46330 – 44 – Dave Hess Jr – Waterford, PA – 155 – 14.88531 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 150 – 14.61132 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 150 – 14.67633 – 2 – Brandon Francis – Parkersburg, WV – 145 – 14.84234 – 18C – Chris Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 145 – 15.05135 – 17SR – Brody Smith – Dade City, FL – 140 – 15.06836 – 9-11 – Corey DeLancey – Parkersburg, WV – 140 – 15.53037 – 09 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 135 – 14.70938 – 17KN – Brock Morris – Charleston, WV – 135 – 14.74739 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – 130 – 14.86940 – 3 – Chase Hunley – Salyersville, KY – 130 – 15.02841 – 28 – Tyler Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 125 – 14.48642 – 22M – Corey Miller – Parkersburg, WV – 125 – 14.51743 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – 125 – 14.53344 – 74x – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 125 – 14.60745 – 0 – Braeden Dillinger – Dawson, PA – 125 – 14.76346 – 49M – Luke Morey – Zeeland, MI – 125 – 14.92347 – 50 – Kevin Davis – Plainfield, OH – 125 – 15.02148 – 11M – Michael Chilton – Salvisa, KY – 125 – 15.05149 – 7* – Logan Hitt – Buckhannon, WV – 120 – 14.85650 – W1 – Cory Workman – Gratiot, OH – 120 – 15.50251 – 14 – Corey Conley – Wellsburg, WV – 115 – 15.01052 – 12L – Dave Loudin – Volga, WV – 115 – 15.19353 – 47W – Brandon Weigle – Middlebourne, WV – 110 – 14.81254 – 44M – Lucas McDonald – Good Hope, WV – 110 – 15.45855 – K2 – Kristopher Southern – Jane Lew, WV – 105 – 15.10456 – 12R – Ryan Payne – Pennsboro, WV – 105 – 15.42257 – C9 – Brandon Morrow – Apple Creek, OH – 100 – 15.14758 – R3X – Matthew Bosley – Parkersburg, WV – 100 – 15.39159 – 32x – Chad Roush – Reedsville, OH – 95 – 15.09660 – 69 – Jon Hodgkiss – Pittsburgh, PA – 95 – 15.40261 – U2 – Kristin Uhler – Creston, OH – 90 – 15.46462 – S8 – Jordan Stotts – Pomeroy, OH – 90 – 15.63963 – 17K – Kenny Newhouse – Elkview, WV – 85 – 15.31364 – 72X – James Nicely-Uhler – Creston, OH – 85 – 15.76665 – J0Y – James Joy – Parkersburg, WV – 80 – 16.35966 – 21G – Corey Galbreath – Mineral Wells, WV – 80 – NT67 – 00 – Justin Cooper – Wheelersburg, OH – 50 – 14.84568 – 8W – Wyatt Ervin – Charleston, WV – 50 – NT 46th Annual ARP Dirt Track World Championship presented by Summit Racing Equipment (100 Laps):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH3 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL4 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 28E – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL5 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 22F – Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC6 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM7 – 75 – Eddie Carrier Jr – Fairmont, WV – 17 – Zack Dohm – Cross Lanes, WV8 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX9 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 93F – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC Fast Shafts B-Main 1 (12 Laps | Top 2 transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 25Z – Mason Zeigler – Chalk Hill, PA2 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 39 – Henry Hornsby III – Bradley, WV3 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 18C – Chris Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV4 – 09 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 3 – Chase Hunley – Salyersville, KY5 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – 49M – Luke Morey – Zeeland, MI6 – 7* – Logan Hitt – Buckhannon, WV – 12L – Dave Loudin – Volga, WV7 – K2 – Kristopher Southern – Jane Lew, WV – R3X – Matthew Bosley – Parkersburg, WV8 – U2 – Kristin Uhler – Creston, OH – 72X – James Nicely-Uhler – Creston, OH9 – 00 – Justin Cooper – Wheelersburg, OH UNOH B-Main 2 (12 Laps | Top 2 transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 5T – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL2 – 27L – Michael Lake – Uniontown, PA – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL3 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 17SR – Brody Smith – Dade City, FL4 – 17KN – Brock Morris – Charleston, WV – 28 – Tyler Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV5 – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 50 – Kevin Davis – Plainfield, OH6 – W1 – Cory Workman – Gratiot, OH – 47W – Brandon Weigle – Middlebourne, WV7 – 12R – Ryan Payne – Pennsboro, WV – 32X – Chad Roush – Reedsville, OH8 – S8 – Jordan Stotts – Pomeroy, OH – J0Y – James Joy – Parkersburg, WV9 – 8W – Wyatt Ervin – Charleston, WV MyRacePass B-Main 3 (12 Laps | Top 2 transfer):Row – Car # – Driver – Hometown – Car # – Driver – Hometown1 – 99H – Kyle Hardy – Winchester, VA – 31 – Lincoln Smith – Belmont, OH2 – 55 – Benji Hicks – Mount Airy, NC – 44 – Dave Hess Jr – Waterford, PA3 – 2 – Brandon Francis – Parkersburg, WV – 9-11 – Corey DeLancey – Parkersburg, WV4 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – 22M – Corey Miller – Parkersburg, WV5 – 0 – Braeden Dillinger – Dawson, PA – 11M – Michael Chilton – Salvisa, KY6 – 14 – Corey Conley – Wellsburg, WV – 44M – Lucas McDonald – Good Hope, WV7 – C9 – Brandon Morrow – Apple Creek, OH – 69 – Jon Hodgkiss – Pittsburgh, PA8 – 17K – Kenny Newhouse – Elkview, WV – 21G – Corey Galbreath – Mineral Wells, WV |
John Force Racing–Dallas Saturday
SATURDAY RECAP – DALLAS Race 18 of 20 |
 |  |  |
| Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase |
| PEAK SQUAD TAKES TOP SPOT AT THE METROPLEXDeJoria fourth, Vandergriff sixth and Hart eighth heading into eliminations |
| SATURDAY RECAP – DALLASRace 18 of 20 |
| | |
| Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase |
| PEAK SQUAD TAKES TOP SPOT AT THE METROPLEXDeJoria fourth, Vandergriff sixth and Hart eighth heading into eliminations |
| ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 17, 2026) – Jack Beckman and the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car team earned their fourth No. 1 Qualifier of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the 37th of Beckman’s Funny Car career while the three other John Force Racing entries all qualified in the top half of the ladder for Sunday’s first round of eliminations for the Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex. The PEAK SQUAD secured the top spot with their Friday night run of 3.852 seconds at 330.13 mph. The team also ran 3.885 seconds in Saturday’s second and final qualifying session. Beckman will face No. 16 qualifier Terry Haddock (4.033 seconds at 310.97 mph) in Sunday’s first round of eliminations. Alexis DeJoria had John Force Racing’s most consistent two days of qualifying with three consecutive runs in the 3.80-second range. It was the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team’s Q2 run of 3.873 seconds at 333.09 mph that secured the No. 4 qualifying spot, but they also ran 3.875 seconds in Q3 and 3.878 seconds in Q4. DeJoria will line up against No. 13 qualifier Dave Richards (3.925 seconds at 333.68 mph) in Round 1. Jordan Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team qualified sixth with their Q2 run of 3.881 seconds at 333.83 mph. They also ran 3.889 seconds in Q4. Vandergriff will go head-to-head against No. 11 qualifier Blake Alexander (3.914 seconds at 327.92 mph) in the first round of eliminations. Josh Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel team used their Q1 run Friday afternoon of 3.714 seconds at 337.64 mph to take the No. 8 qualifying position and also ran 3.749 seconds in Q4 Sunday afternoon. Hart will match up against No. 9 qualifier Will Smith (3.714 seconds at 335.80 mph) in Round 1. Both drivers made 3.714-second runs but Hart got the higher qualifying position based on going nearly two miles per hour faster. Final eliminations are scheduled for Sun., Oct. 18, beginning at 12 p.m. CT. Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “Today’s run on a 105-degree racetrack, pound for pound, was the run of the weekend. Today’s run is outstanding, and it probably gives the PEAK SQUAD data for two of the four runs tomorrow. I thought somebody could run an .86 on that last qualifying session. I thought a perfect run would be that, and Dan [Hood] and Tim [Fabrisi, crew chiefs] exceeded that. I just think that was an amazing run relative to conditions. We’ve put ourselves in a position where we have to depend on [points leader Matt Hagan] going out early and that’s always a difficult situation. Now Austin [Prock] had a first-round loss in the Countdown. We’ve had a first-round loss in the Countdown. I’m going to talk to Matt and try to convince him he needs one or two first-round losses in the Countdown because if they don’t do that, we’re going to have a tough time getting around them.” Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “We definitely have a bracket car right now. The Bandero Café Chevy ran three straight 3.87-second runs so I’m happy and we are so stoked to race on Sunday. We earned five bonus points today so what can I say? Our car kicks ass in qualifying, and it gives us that much more confidence going into race day.” Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “I think both qualifying days for this Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet Funny Car were great. In Q1 and Q3, we were testing the waters and found out what we needed. Then, in Q2 and Q4, we executed on what we found out. Running that 3.889 in Q4 felt really good. An elapsed time at that time of day in these conditions was important and to also run a 3.88 last night shows we’re up to the task. We’re ready for race day.” Quote from Josh Hart, Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster: “I’m very proud of the John Force Racing Speedmaster Top Fuel dragster team this weekend. The work that these guys have put into the race program will pay off.” TV Schedule Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 18, leading into eliminations at 3 p.m. ET. |
Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix–Daniel Suarez
| NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway Team Chevy Driver Quotes October 17, 2026 |
Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway. | MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
| NASCAR Cup SeriesPhoenix RacewayTeam Chevy Driver QuotesOctober 17, 2026 |
Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway. | MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
Media Availability Quotes: First off, Daniel, congratulations on signing with Spire Motorsports for next year. Do you mind just talking about that?“Yeah, I mean I think it was expected, right, for everyone. Obviously, the team has been doing a good job, and you just don’t see every day that you put a team and a driver that were struggling the year before and you put them together and you start just getting results right away. So that was very, very positive. Obviously, we’ve been working a lot throughout the year to make our group better and better, and we have made some progress. We still have obviously a long ways to go from where we want to be, not just as a team on the 7 team, but also as an organization with Spire Motorsports, but I believe that we have the pieces to be able to make great things with this organization. So yeah, happy where we’re at and excited where we’re heading.” Last year when you signed the deal, I guess the vibe was sort of like, okay, this was a late deal and we’re not really sure how Daniel’s career is going to go. Now having pen to paper, signing the deal, just kind of talk about the difference between this year and last year and how you feel? “Yeah, you know, I had dinner with Jeff Dickerson a while back. It’s been like four months ago when we started having the contract discussions. This deal has been done for a little while. It’s so funny because he made a comment that made me laugh. He said to me — man, last year, you and Spire were like the last two kids in the dance floor that didn’t have a mate, you know, they didn’t have a partner. And we were like, oh, might as well just dance together. I thought it was very funny. And now, obviously, it’s a completely different game, right? Like I can’t remember, I think last year, I was in the high 20s in the points standings and the 7 team were like 30th or something like that. It wasn’t very good, but there was a lot of work that went into it during the off-season. I have always known what I’m capable of, and I also knew what Spire Motorsports was doing, especially with the 77 and Carson (Hocevar.) So in my mind, I’m like, okay, this group has potential, we just need to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Obviously right now, we’re happy, but not satisfied. We always want more. But if in the beginning of the year, you were telling us, ‘Hey Daniel, this is how the year is going to go — you guys are going to have several top-10s, top-15s, be qualifying up front, win a race, be in The Chase’, we’re going to be pretty happy. But obviously as an organization, we’re greedy people and we always want more. Right now, even though we are competitive, we want more. We want to be able to have a real shot for a championship in the near future. And for that, obviously we have to continue to grow and that’s where we are. But overall, obviously I’m excited. The team is doing a good job, and hopefully we can continue to grow together.” You talked already right there about Jeff Dickerson and how the relationship started. I’m just curious, how has that relationship evolved now here after signing this new deal?“Yeah, I mean, like I said, a year ago from right now, there were not many options either for me or for him. So in a way we, we took what we had, even though that I saw potential and they also saw previous potential in myself. So right now, it’s a completely different story, right? We are a solid team. The last month, we’ve been finishing in the top-15. We’re a strong team, and that’s not a surprise. If we qualify in the top-five today, I don’t think anyone is going to be surprised. That’s good, but we want more, obviously. We want to continue to put the bar higher and higher. Right now, we’re already having conversations about what we need to do better in the off-season for next year. What are our strengths and weaknesses of this year heading into next year. I believe, like I said, that we have had a strong year, but we want more. Those are the conversations, right? Like, okay, we’re happy where we’re at, but how can we make it even better? To be able to beat the Gibbs, the Penske, the Hendrick cars, we’re going to need one more step or two, so how can we make that next step? Those are the conversations that we’re having now.” This week, you got to visit three Phoenix schools, which is something that’s very near and dear to your heart. Just tell me a little bit more about that experience and why it’s so important for you to keep doing this.“Yeah, I mean, I’ve been doing this for a while. I’ve been visiting schools for at least five years. And especially I know that I can make a bigger impact in Hispanic schools, right? Because that’s who I am. And listen, winning races, winning championships, being competitive on the racetrack; that’s amazing and that’s my priority. But if I don’t take advantage of my platform and the journey that I have had to get to this point, coming from Mexico, without speaking the language and all these different barriers I’ve had to go through; I feel like it would be a little bit of a waste. So a handful of years ago, I decided to use what I have built to inspire the next generations and to share a little bit of my journey, and that’s what I’ve been doing. You know, like you mentioned, on Thursday, I went to a few schools. Yesterday, I was in the Mexican consulate and there were actually another 40 or 50 students in there from high school. So for me, that’s special. That’s one of those things that I couldn’t do 10 years ago, but I can now, and I have to take advantage of the journey and the story that I have built with time.” Right now, are you working toward next year, or do you still care about where you finish in points?“Oh, of course I care, Bob (Pockrass). Of course, I care. I would be lying to you if I told you that we’re going to win the championship, right? But I believe that we still have a lot to fight for. I mean, like I said, the last four races, we have finished in the top-15. Is that what we want? No, we want a little bit more than that. But we’re working hard. We’re pushing hard. We’re trying to maximize our potential. I believe that if we do everything right in the next month, I believe that top-10 in points is achievable for us. Very achievable. So we just have to continue to maximize. With that being said, also, I would say 10% of the time that we spend during the week is about what do we need to do as a company to be able to go to the next level? It’s only 10%. It’s not 80%. So this year is still very, very important, and it’s very important for me. I believe that as a driver, you are just as good as your last race, so I want to close this season as strong as possible. And then, we can put full focus into the next.” Next week is Talladega. What went through your mind when you saw Carson (Hocevar) win his first Cup race and is doing that celebration? Are you surprised? Are you like, this guy is nuts? What was your feeling? What was your reaction to all that and all that’s kind of happened around that guy since?“You know, I was extremely happy for Carson (Hocevar). Extremely happy for the 77 team. Very, very happy for Spire Motorsports. Carson deserved that win. He did a great job. About his celebration, you know, it’s so funny that you asked me that question. I can actually pull some pictures and videos of this, but my very first victory in NASCAR Mexico back around 2010 or 2009. I won in Mexico City at the Hermano Rodriguez, where we raced, and I didn’t know what to do. I knew I was such a small kid that I could drive outside the car, and I did exactly the same thing. I can’t remember if I was going backwards like he was, but on the front straightaway, I was driving and hanging like halfway out (laughs). I thought it was very funny. I only mentioned that to Julia because I wasn’t going to make a big deal, that was his moment. But it was very funny that I did something similar 15 years ago.” What have you learned from Michael (McDowell) and Carson (Hocevar) as teammates in year one at Spire Motorsports?“I learned that they are extremely different from each other, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. They’re just extremely different. And I believe that, honestly, I came to Spire Motorsports at a perfect time because if you think about, Carson (Hocevar) is in his low 20s, I’m in my mid-30s, and Michael is in his low 40s. So we are three different generations, completely different. Sometimes, I felt that the gap was too big between Michael and Carson in the way that they think and the way that they were operating, and I feel like I came into the picture in a perfect moment to kind of like connect the dots and it has worked very well. I believe that I have in me a lot of Michael and I have in me a lot of Carson, as well, so that’s why I feel like I’ve been able to help the entire team to connect the dots. And like I said, I’m not saying that in a bad way. I believe that Michael has a lot of assets and a lot of strengths. The same thing with Carson. But they are different. They’re very, very different. There are a lot of things that Michael does way better than Carson, and there are a lot of things that Carson does way better than Michael. So, for me to be able to learn those things and to be able to communicate with both of them, has been fun.” With increased horsepower at this track, does it change the way you drive the car and can you feel it? “It doesn’t really change much with the way that you drive the car. You can definitely feel it, but we raced this package earlier this year, so we already have, in a way, experienced what we are going to have. With the way that you shift on the back straightaway, it’s a little bit different now with more horsepower. You’re having to shift to fifth a little bit more, where before, we stayed in fourth a little bit longer. But yeah, I think it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a little bit warmer tomorrow, it’s supposed to be at least, than the last time we were here, so it should be a fun race.” In the spring, IndyCar was here, as well. They put some stuff on the track, kind of added some more grip maybe with them running. Do you think there’s anything different here with just O’Reilly’s, Trucks and ARCA?“Yeah, I think so. The rubber that the IndyCar guys put down already with those different tires is a little different, but I don’t remember. I don’t think we were affected by that, but the O’Reilly cars may have. I can’t remember how it worked last time here, but I don’t remember us being too affected by that, but the O’Reilly cars definitely did. I miss those guys, to be honest. I think it’s a lot of fun to have the double with the IndyCar guys. I think it’s a lot of fun to watch those guys and to see them around. Hopefully next year, we can do it again. I think it’s a great thing for them, for us, and for the fans.” Daniel, you mentioned visiting the three schools here in Phoenix, and then you also went down to the Fan Fest downtown Phoenix. What can we do to bridge the gap to be able to bring more kids to be able to have that experience?“Yeah, first of all, I really want to give a lot of credit to Latasha, the president of Phoenix Raceway, because she does an amazing job. She takes it personal, right? She’s not just the president of Phoenix Raceway, but also she’s from this area, and she’s always willing to go the extra mile to help and support the community. Actually, we gave away hundreds of tickets to the schools that we were at on Thursday for some of those kids to come for the weekend. Things like this, trying to build different platforms and different ways to have these young kids to interact with all the different positions that we have in the sport. That’s something I was telling the kids. I’m very blessed, I’m very fortunate, that I’m one of the faces of the sport as a driver, but there is so many different positions in the sport: from PR, mechanics, engineers, designing, you name it. I can almost guarantee you that there is a position for everything that you can maybe think of. So that’s, I think, something that’s very important, and I feel like we just have to continue to work in building these different mechanisms, different platforms, to give awareness to these young adults, especially from high school and middle school, that are starting to make different decisions on what they want to do in their lives. Like I said, I have a huge amount of respect for Latasha because I truly believe that she does an amazing job with this racetrack and this community to always go the extra mile.” |
chevy Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix–Kyle Larson
| NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway Team Chevy Driver Quotes October 17, 2026 |
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in a panel with fellow Chase contenders, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway. | MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
| NASCAR Cup SeriesPhoenix RacewayTeam Chevy Driver QuotesOctober 17, 2026 |
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in a panel with fellow Chase contenders, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway. | MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
Kye Larson Media Availability Quotes: You have three JGR drivers and teams on your heels. Which one are you most concerned about? “I would say all of them equally. As Chase (Briscoe) and (Christopher) Bell has proven and Denny (Hamlin) has proven for decades, they can win anywhere at any point. As they said, you just have to limit your bad days, and for us so far, we haven’t had any. I’m not saying that we won’t, so we’re just trying to do what we can to execute to the best of our abilities every week and just try to maximize our days.” Kyle and Christopher, you guys have been super competitive with each other for long stretches of your career, from dirt tracks to now. Has that competitive relationship evolved or changed at all throughout the years? Is it safe to call it a ‘friendly rivalry’ that might not have quite the bitter edge to it?“I think I’ve said it in other press conferences; nobody’s pushed me more than Christopher (Bell) to become a better racer, so I appreciate that. I think in all forms of sports, there’s always athletes that push athletes, and he’s been the guy to push me to be better because he’s beaten me so much throughout my career. I appreciate the competitive rivalry, for sure. Like he said, we’re different people and hangout with different crowds. We’re just different. You’re always going to have that.” You’ve been on record numerous times that you suck at Phoenix Raceway, but you’ve finished in the top-five the last four races and third in the last three, so what makes you say that? What constitutes ‘good’ for you? “Well, I think if you would dig through and pull out average speed throughout a race, I think it would show – which I’m pretty blunt I guess with my comments, but why I feel like we suck here. It just hasn’t, historically, been a good track for us from start to finish. We’re able to finish well, but I think that just has a lot to do with team execution. We’ve done that time and time again here, I feel like. In average ranking, we’re probably an eighth to 13th- place car most times we come here. We’ve had a couple decent ones, but never do we come here and we’re the fastest. It’s just been a tough track for us and one that we’ve worked hard to try and find the speed. William (Byron), I feel like, has been the best out of the four Hendrick Motorsports guys here, consistently, but the rest of us are just always searching.” Obviously we’ve had rain here today, but more importantly, there’s a tremendous amount of cloud cover here today. What are the difficulties with setting up your car for practice in trying to find a feel of the race pace that is going to be presented in a much different way on Sunday? “I don’t know. I think in practice, you’re always trying to find a balance that feels comfortable, and I think that can translate to cool or warm conditions. And then, yeah, obviously it’s going to be a little different in the race, but I think the times that you’re off in practice, no matter what the conditions are going to be like in the race, you’re probably going to be off in the race. If you’re balanced in certain conditions, you’re probably going to be balanced in the other conditions.” Do you guys think it’s weird that a year ago, this would have been the start of a round and Kyle Larson’s lead would have been wiped out and you (Denny Hamlin) would be the points leader? “I just don’t know why we’re still talking about it because it’s not the format, so it just doesn’t matter. This is what it is now.” |
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA qualify P5 and P10 in Barcelona
 October 17th, 2026 – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA will start the 6 Hours of Barcelona in P5 and P10, for the latest round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The No.12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, driven by Will Stevens posted the fifth quickest time in qualifying (a 1:31:116), before progressing to Hyperpole, where he finished the session in P5. The No.38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R driven by Jack Aitken also had a strong qualifying session, setting the fourth quickest time (a 1:30:983). Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to set his last flying lap of the hyperpole session because of a stopped car on track. Jack had to back off, and couldn’t start a new lap before the checkered flag fell. His previous lap of 1:31:065 stood, which was the 10th quickest of the session. The No. 12 car will be driven by Will Stevens, Norman Nato and Alex Lynn in tomorrow’s race. Whilst Jack Aitken, Sebastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber will share driving duties in the No.38 car. The 6 Hours of Barcelona will take place on the 4.657 km (2.894 miles), 14-turn Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It is scheduled for 12pm local time on Sunday 18th October. |
| Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA qualify P5 and P10 in Barcelona October 17th, 2026 – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA will start the 6 Hours of Barcelona in P5 and P10, for the latest round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The No.12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, driven by Will Stevens posted the fifth quickest time in qualifying (a 1:31:116), before progressing to Hyperpole, where he finished the session in P5. The No.38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R driven by Jack Aitken also had a strong qualifying session, setting the fourth quickest time (a 1:30:983). Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to set his last flying lap of the hyperpole session because of a stopped car on track. Jack had to back off, and couldn’t start a new lap before the checkered flag fell. His previous lap of 1:31:065 stood, which was the 10th quickest of the session. The No. 12 car will be driven by Will Stevens, Norman Nato and Alex Lynn in tomorrow’s race. Whilst Jack Aitken, Sebastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber will share driving duties in the No.38 car. The 6 Hours of Barcelona will take place on the 4.657 km (2.894 miles), 14-turn Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It is scheduled for 12pm local time on Sunday 18th October. |
| What they’re saying:No.12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, Will Stevens: “Overall, a pretty solid session. There were a few bits and pieces we could have tidied up, but I feel like the half a second or six tenths we needed to get pole today was probably a little out of reach. We pretty much maximised what we had, so it was a solid result and a good starting position for tomorrow. It looks like we’ll have pretty mixed conditions, especially at the start of the race, when it’s quite likely to be wet. Starting up at the sharp end just makes things that little bit cleaner for the race start. We’ve made good progress so far, we’ll be looking to keep that going tomorrow.” No.38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, Jack Aitken: “On the No. 38 side, we didn’t manage to get a clean lap in during Hyperpole, so we couldn’t really show what we were capable of, which is a shame. But it’s a long race tomorrow and the No. 12 is starting from a decent position, so we’ll work on our plans tonight and see what we can do.” |
CORVETTE RACING AT BARCELONA: No. 33 Starts Season-Best P4
| Both TF Sport Corvette GT3s advance to Hyperpole for first time this year BARCELONA, Catalunya, Spain (October 17, 2026) – TF Sport’s two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will start from the second and fifth rows of the LMGT3 grid Sunday for the Six Hours of Barcelona presented by Visit Qatar and the first race there for the FIA World Endurance Championship. |
| CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES |
| CORVETTE RACING AT BARCELONA: No. 33 Starts Season-Best P4Both TF Sport Corvette GT3s advance to Hyperpole for first time this year BARCELONA, Catalunya, Spain (October 17, 2026) – TF Sport’s two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will start from the second and fifth rows of the LMGT3 grid Sunday for the Six Hours of Barcelona presented by Visit Qatar and the first race there for the FIA World Endurance Championship. |
| CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES |
DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK: Giovanni Scelzi Wins Texas Thriller, Puts Championship Pressure on Rico Abreu
Abreu & TSR Lead Scelzi & Spire by 36pts Entering Saturday’s Championship Finale at Texas Motor Speedway |
| DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK: Giovanni Scelzi Wins Texas Thriller, Puts Championship Pressure on Rico Abreu Abreu & TSR Lead Scelzi & Spire by 36pts Entering Saturday’s Championship Finale at Texas Motor Speedway |
 FORT WORTH, TEX. (October 16, 2026) – With their backs against the wall and championships hopes hanging by a thread, Giovanni Scelzi and his Spire Motorsports, Chili’s Grill & Bar #77 stepped up to the plate with a never say die attitude and no fear to be found – the result: an epic 7th-to-1st drive at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night.Entering Friday’s opener of the All-In Championship Weekend down by 45pts to Rico Abreu and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Scelzi and Spire knew that a big-time performance was needed to keep them in the title fight – especially considering that Abreu had won three of nine High Limit events at TMS. Starting from seventh in the 25-lap feature, Scelzi was already behind the eight-ball as Abreu rolled from P3 and ripped into second right out of the gate. In fact, for 11 of the 25 laps, Scelzi would have been mathematically eliminated from title contention had the checkered flew as they ran with Abreu in front of him by multiple spots. However, the kid they call “Hot Sauce” dug deep for his clutch gene and found another gear – storming into third on Lap 14, taking second on Lap 16, and then ripping right by Abreu himself to take the lead on Lap 18. Scelzi would lead the final eight circuits in arguably the best High Limit race held at Texas Motor Speedway – holding on to secure back-to-back series victories and send him into Saturday’s season finals 36pts behind Abreu and TSR with a chance at the 2026 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing championship. The clinching scenarios are simple for Saturday’s finale in Fort Worth:- Abreu 16th or better – he wins championship- Abreu 17th/18th – Scelzi has to win to take championship- Abreu 19th/20th – Scelzi has to run 1st/2nd to take championship- Abreu 21st/22nd – Scelzi has to run 1st/2nd/3rd to take championship- Abreu 23rd – Scelzi has to run 1st-4th to take championship- Abreu 24th – Scelzi has to run 1st-5th to take championship While Scelzi enjoyed his third trip to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane this season, Tyler Courtney chased him to the stripe as Rod End Supply Hard Charger honors for an 11th-to-2nd run capped his chaotic night that began with an engine change for his Clauson-Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink #7BC. After leading laps 13-17, Abreu fell back to finish third aboard his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Carquest Auto Parts #24. While it wasn’t a championship-clinching night, the defending series champion still controls his own destiny in pursuit of a second-straight title on Saturday. Rounding out the top-five on Friday night was Tanner Thorson aboard the JST Motorsports #88 and Daison Pursley in the Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9. Closing out the top-10 in Texas was Brent Marks, Chase Randall, Tanner Holmes, Brady Bacon, and Ryan Timms. THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (Friday, October 16, 2026)Texas Motor Speedway (Fort Worth, Texas)All-In Championship Weekend Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps – Justin Peck (13.316)Capitol Custom Trailers QuickTime (Flight A) – Rico Abreu (13.151)Capitol Custom Trailers QuickTime (Flight B) – Giovanni Scelzi (13.124)TJ Forged Heat One Winner – Tanner HolmesDMI Heat Two Winner – Brady BaconBR Motorsports Heat Three Winner – Kasey KahneRod End Supply Heat Four Winner – Brenham CrouchFK Rod Ends Dash Winner – Tanner HolmesWinters Performance B-Main Winner – Justin PeckDURST Dice Roll Driver – Kasey Kahne (8th-to-15th)Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap – Tanner Holmes (14.319 on Lap 1)Rod End Supply Hard Charger – Tyler Courtney +9 (11th-2nd)Whiskey Meyers Victory Lane Visitor – Giovanni Scelzi (4th of career)CASM Win Sticker – Spire Motorsports (3rd of season)Lap Leader(s) – Tanner Holmes 1-12; Rico Abreu 13-17; Giovanni Scelzi 18-25 Interstate Batteries A-Main Results (25 Laps): 1. 1. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[7]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[11]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu[3]; 4. 88-Tanner Thorson[5]; 5. 9-Daison Pursley[2]; 6. 19-Brent Marks[10]; 7. 9R-Chase Randall[12]; 8. 13-Tanner Holmes[1]; 9. 55-Brady Bacon[6]; 10. 10-Ryan Timms[16]; 11. 17GP-Kerry Madsen[13]; 12. 5-Brenham Crouch[4]; 13. 88W-Austin McCarl[19]; 14. 26-Justin Peck[21]; 15. 4-Kasey Kahne[8]; 16. 21-Brian Brown[15]; 17. 11-Roger Crockett[9]; 18. 22M-Rees Moran[23]; 19. 42-Sye Lynch[17]; 20. 24D-Danny Sams III[14]; 21. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[24]; 22. 45X-Ashton Torgerson[22]; 23. 44-Chris Martin[20]; 24. 12X-Landon Crawley[18] NEW Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Championship Standings (After 53/54 Races):1. 3,125 pts – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 (Rico Abreu)2. -36 pts – Spire Motorsports #77 (Giovanni Scelzi)3. -98 pts – Ridge & Sons Racing #87 (Aaron Reutzel)4. -212 pts – Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC (Tyler Courtney)5. -278 pts – Rudeen Racing #26 (Justin Peck)6. -360 pts – Chase Briscoe Racing #19 (Brent Marks)7. -382 pts – JST Motorsports #88 (Tanner Thorson)8. -414 pts – Buch Motorsports #13 (Tanner Holmes)9. -528 pts – Vermeer Motorsports #55 (Brady Bacon)10. -590 pts – Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9 (Daison Pursley)11. -921 pts – Chase Randall Racing #9R (Chase Randall)12. -977 pts – CJB Motorsports #5 (Brenham Crouch))13. -1,076 pts – Mosites Lynch Racing #42 (Sye Lynch)14. -1,160 pts – Randerson Racing #24D (Danny Sams III)15. -1,219 pts – Michael Dutcher Motorsports #17GP (Kerry Madsen) WHAT’S NEXT: The 2026 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing season will conclude on Saturday, October 16 as the All-In Championship Weekend pits Rico Abreu vs. Giovanni Scelzi for the right to be a champion at Texas Motor Speedway. Tickets are available for purchase at HighLimitRacing.com, or you can watch every event live on FloRacing. |
Cadillac Racing announces 2027 IMSA GTP driver roster
| Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom |
| DETROIT (October 15, 2026) – Cadillac Racing, the reigning IMSA manufacturer champion, will enter the 2027 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a championship-winning foundation and a deep, experienced driver lineup across three Cadillac V-Series.Rs. As Cadillac begins its fifth year of IMSA GTP competition, the program will pair the continuity of its proven full-season combinations with the strength and versatility of its endurance-race drivers. The 2027 roster is positioned to carry the momentum of a historic 2026 campaign into the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and the full IMSA GTP schedule. Cadillac Racing’s 2027 IMSA GTP driver roster: Cadillac Whelen (No. 31)· Jack Aitken, Frederik Vesti (season)· Earl Bamber (endurance races) Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 10)· Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque (season)· Will Stevens (endurance races)Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 40)· Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz (season)· Norman Nato (endurance races) The fourth driver for Action Express Racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona will be announced at a later date. “We are proud to carry the momentum of our championship-winning 2026 season into 2027 with a driver lineup that combines proven IMSA experience, championship-caliber performance and the depth required to compete across the full GTP schedule,” said Eric Warren, Vice President, Global Motorsports Competition for General Motors. “Our three Cadillac V-Series.R programs have demonstrated remarkable consistency and pace, and this roster gives each team a strong platform for the 2027 season. The goal is clear: defend our titles, continue building on Cadillac’s endurance racing legacy and pursue success at every round, beginning with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.” |
| Cadillac won the 2026 IMSA Manufacturer title, while the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R secured the IMSA team title and Jack Aitken earned the IMSA GTP driver title. Cadillac Racing has stood on the podium in 11 consecutive races, dating back to Sept. 21, 2025, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During that stretch, Action Express Racing won four races and Wayne Taylor Racing scored one victory. In 2026 Cadillac recorded four poles, 11 podium finishes, and three wins. Since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017, Cadillac Racing has totaled 36 IMSA DPi/GTP victories – the most of any manufacturer – and 115 podium finishes, including 31 in GTP and 84 in DPi. |
| What they’re saying: Gary Nelson, general manager, Action Express Racing: “We are very pleased with our driver lineup, and we kept it the same for 2027 with the only change being Fred moving to full time and Earl doing the endurance races. We think so highly of all three guys, and they delivered a championship for the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac. We are looking forward to defending our championships and I can’t think of a better way to do that than a great run in the 2027 Rolex 24 at Daytona.” No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R: Jack Aitken: “I’m thrilled to return to IMSA with Whelen Cadillac to defend our titles. We’ve built something pretty special over the last few years here and we know the competition will be just as fierce as ever, so I’m already looking forward to Daytona and a chance to pick up where we left off. Continuity on the driver lineup with Fred and Earl is great as we’ve got a fantastic chemistry between us, and seeing Fred step up to more racing this year will be fun as well.” Earl Bamber: “Can’t wait to return to the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac next year. I think what we’ve built over the last two seasons is something super, super special, and it just really thrills the team to get another IMSA championship, and also Jack, his first IMSA championship. And now it’s all eyes forward to the big one for us, which is Daytona, where we’re trying to get Cadillac and Whelan, their first win in the GDP era at Daytona.” Frederik Vesti: “Very excited for the 2027 season. Obviously, 2026 was an incredible year altogether. I really enjoyed my time on the team. Just so proud of all of us and everyone, mechanics, engineers, drivers, we’ve done an amazing job. But looking into 2027, I’m very motivated and very excited to be back with Action Express, but in a full-time capacity doing all nine rounds of IMSA. That’s always been part of the plan with the Whelen Cadillac team, a few learning years and then finally stepping up to fight for the championship, which I can’t wait. We are keeping consistency in the team, which means a lot to me. I think we are by far the strongest driver line up on the grid and I’m looking forward to continuing that journey. So yeah, thank you to Gary Nelson, the whole Action Express team, and of course, GM and Whelen Cadillac for the extension and very excited for the future.” |
| Cadillac Racing announces 2027 IMSA GTP driver roster |
| Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom |
| DETROIT (October 15, 2026) – Cadillac Racing, the reigning IMSA manufacturer champion, will enter the 2027 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a championship-winning foundation and a deep, experienced driver lineup across three Cadillac V-Series.Rs. As Cadillac begins its fifth year of IMSA GTP competition, the program will pair the continuity of its proven full-season combinations with the strength and versatility of its endurance-race drivers. The 2027 roster is positioned to carry the momentum of a historic 2026 campaign into the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and the full IMSA GTP schedule. Cadillac Racing’s 2027 IMSA GTP driver roster: Cadillac Whelen (No. 31)· Jack Aitken, Frederik Vesti (season)· Earl Bamber (endurance races) Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 10)· Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque (season)· Will Stevens (endurance races)Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (No. 40)· Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz (season)· Norman Nato (endurance races) The fourth driver for Action Express Racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona will be announced at a later date. “We are proud to carry the momentum of our championship-winning 2026 season into 2027 with a driver lineup that combines proven IMSA experience, championship-caliber performance and the depth required to compete across the full GTP schedule,” said Eric Warren, Vice President, Global Motorsports Competition for General Motors. “Our three Cadillac V-Series.R programs have demonstrated remarkable consistency and pace, and this roster gives each team a strong platform for the 2027 season. The goal is clear: defend our titles, continue building on Cadillac’s endurance racing legacy and pursue success at every round, beginning with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.” |
| Cadillac won the 2026 IMSA Manufacturer title, while the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R secured the IMSA team title and Jack Aitken earned the IMSA GTP driver title. Cadillac Racing has stood on the podium in 11 consecutive races, dating back to Sept. 21, 2025, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During that stretch, Action Express Racing won four races and Wayne Taylor Racing scored one victory. In 2026 Cadillac recorded four poles, 11 podium finishes, and three wins. Since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017, Cadillac Racing has totaled 36 IMSA DPi/GTP victories – the most of any manufacturer – and 115 podium finishes, including 31 in GTP and 84 in DPi. |
| What they’re saying: Gary Nelson, general manager, Action Express Racing: “We are very pleased with our driver lineup, and we kept it the same for 2027 with the only change being Fred moving to full time and Earl doing the endurance races. We think so highly of all three guys, and they delivered a championship for the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac. We are looking forward to defending our championships and I can’t think of a better way to do that than a great run in the 2027 Rolex 24 at Daytona.” No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R: Jack Aitken: “I’m thrilled to return to IMSA with Whelen Cadillac to defend our titles. We’ve built something pretty special over the last few years here and we know the competition will be just as fierce as ever, so I’m already looking forward to Daytona and a chance to pick up where we left off. Continuity on the driver lineup with Fred and Earl is great as we’ve got a fantastic chemistry between us, and seeing Fred step up to more racing this year will be fun as well.” Earl Bamber: “Can’t wait to return to the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac next year. I think what we’ve built over the last two seasons is something super, super special, and it just really thrills the team to get another IMSA championship, and also Jack, his first IMSA championship. And now it’s all eyes forward to the big one for us, which is Daytona, where we’re trying to get Cadillac and Whelan, their first win in the GDP era at Daytona.” Frederik Vesti: “Very excited for the 2027 season. Obviously, 2026 was an incredible year altogether. I really enjoyed my time on the team. Just so proud of all of us and everyone, mechanics, engineers, drivers, we’ve done an amazing job. But looking into 2027, I’m very motivated and very excited to be back with Action Express, but in a full-time capacity doing all nine rounds of IMSA. That’s always been part of the plan with the Whelen Cadillac team, a few learning years and then finally stepping up to fight for the championship, which I can’t wait. We are keeping consistency in the team, which means a lot to me. I think we are by far the strongest driver line up on the grid and I’m looking forward to continuing that journey. So yeah, thank you to Gary Nelson, the whole Action Express team, and of course, GM and Whelen Cadillac for the extension and very excited for the future.” |
Wood Brothers Racing–Phoenix Advance
| Event: Freeway Insurance 500Date/Time: Sunday, October 18, 2026, 3 p.m. ETLocation: Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, ArizonaLayout: 1-Mile OvalTV/Radio: USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio |
 |
| As Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team enter the final stretch of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, this weekend’s Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway presents a promising opportunity to build on their recent momentum and contend for another strong finish.The relatively flat, one-mile oval has been a favorable track for Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing team, who recorded fourth- and seventh-place finishes in their two visits to Phoenix last season. Their success on similar tracks this year provides further reason for optimism, with Berry earning a fourth-place finish at Iowa Speedway, an eighth-place result at Richmond Raceway and a third-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.While the team’s most recent visit to Phoenix on March 8 proved challenging, with brake issues hampering the No. 21 Mustang Dark Horse before Berry was collected in an accident, the driver remains confident in the team’s ability to return to form this weekend.During an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio earlier this week, Berry pointed to the team’s previous success at Phoenix and its continued strength on shorter tracks as reasons for optimism heading into Sunday’s race.“It was a bit of a struggle for us in the spring compared to last year,” Berry said. “We had two really good races there last year, and we’ve been super strong at short tracks this year.“We can look back on those notes and take what we’ve learned at those tracks and apply it to Phoenix. It should be a great race for us.”Berry and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team have delivered a string of competitive performances over the past two months, positioning themselves to continue pursuing top-five and top-10 finishes as the season winds down. Berry believes that consistency is key to putting the No. 21 team in contention for another trip to Victory Lane.“Hopefully we can keep knocking out those top-fives and top-10s, and when you consistently put yourselves in those positions, you get the opportunity to go for a win,” he said. “We are in a position where we can certainly go do that.”With a proven track record at Phoenix and encouraging results on comparable circuits, Berry and the Wood Brothers will look to capitalize on one of their stronger opportunities to contend near the front of the field during the closing weeks of the season.Practice for the Freeway Insurance 500 is scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 5:35 p.m. ET. Both sessions will be televised on truTV.Sunday’s 312-mile race is scheduled to take the green flag shortly after 3 p.m. ET, with television coverage on USA Sports.Stage breaks are scheduled for Laps 60 and 185. |
 |
 Josh BerryAge: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)Hometown: Hendersonville, TennesseeCrew Chief: Miles StanleyIG: @joshberry88X: @joshberry |
Closing Stretch at Modoc, Charlotte Users In New Era for Carolina Late Model Racing
MODOC, SC (October 14, 2026) – For the 20th consecutive year, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will conclude the season in the Carolinas – with an added twist.
New in 2026 is a visit to Modoc Speedway for the Modoc 100 on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24. The inaugural Modoc event has become the lead-in to the annual finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as part of Dave Smith Motors World of Outlaws World Finals, Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 4-7.
The greater Charlotte area has been the center of the full-fendered racing universe for eight decades, dating back to the moonshine-running era in the 1940s. Dirt tracks popped up all over the region in the years that followed, and while several were later paved alongside the rise of NASCAR, many have stayed true to their dirt roots to this day. The result is one of the strongest dirt Late Model scenes in the nation, and one that the World of Outlaws have played an important role in for the past two decades.
Here’s a look at the Carolina tracks that have been part of World of Outlaws history:
The Dirt Track at Charlotte: In the late 1990s, Bruton Smith and the team at Charlotte Motor Speedway wanted to expand the facility’s motorsports offerings beyond the 1.5-mile oval that opened in 1960. Their vision became public in 1999 when the announcement was made that a dirt track would be constructed on the opposite side of Highway 29 from the NASCAR oval.
The original blueprints included a 3/8-mile layout, but plans were changed to the eventual 4/10-mile size during construction. The Dirt Track at Charlotte was completed in the spring of 2000, with the inaugural event being a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader on Memorial Day weekend prior to the Coca-Cola 600.
It wouldn’t be long until the Late Model contingent got their first taste of the state-of-the-art Charlotte facility. The Hav-A-Tampa Series made two stops at Charlotte in 2000, with Scott Bloomquist winning on July 3 and Dan Schlieper taking the checkers on Sept. 23.
Several other touring series added Charlotte to their schedules in the years that followed – the Southern All Stars being the most frequent visitor – prior to the arrival of the World of Outlaws in 2007 for the first edition of World Finals. The new event created a combined championship weekend for the Late Model and Sprint Car communities, as well as the Super DIRTcar Series beginning in 2010.
World Finals has since grown into a premier staple of the World of Outlaws schedule, consistently featuring one of the largest car counts of the season. In the 19-year history of the event, no one has had more success than Jonathan Davenport, who won twice in 2025 to surpass Jimmy Owens as the winningest Late Model driver in World Finals history. Davenport’s eight victories place him second on the World Finals wins list across all three divisions, trailing only Donny Schatz with nine.
For a few years in the 2000s, World Finals wasn’t Charlotte’s only major World of Outlaws event. The Series also visited in the spring for the Colossal 100, an event won by Bloomquist (2007), Steve Francis (2008) and Earl Pearson Jr. (2009) before the race was discontinued.
Cherokee Speedway: Ask anyone to think about Late Model racing in the Carolinas, and there’s a good chance that Cherokee Speedway is one of the first things that comes to mind.
“The Place Your Mama Warned You About” has become one of the most widely known tracks in the sport since opening in 1957. Nearly every national and Southeast regional Late Model tour has made plenty of stops at the 3/8-mile in Gaffney, SC, including the World of Outlaws, starting in 2017.
Much like many other southeastern red-dirt ovals, Brandon Overton has been dominant in Series action at Cherokee, winning four of the nine World of Outlaws races held there. A pair of South Carolinians have also won their first Series race at Cherokee, those being Ross Bailes in 2019 and Michael Brown in 2022.
Cherokee has remained a hotbed for Super Late Model racing since their most recent World of Outlaws race four years ago, with their biggest event being the Blue-Gray 100 every fall. This year’s race is set for Sunday, Oct. 25, the day after the World of Outlaws event at Modoc, creating a tripleheader race weekend in the “Palmetto State.”
Fayetteville Motor Speedway: The lone track in eastern North Carolina that has hosted World of Outlaws racing is Fayetteville Motor Speedway, which appeared on the schedule eight times between 2008 and 2018.
The 5/16-mile oval maintained plenty of parity in Series action with seven different winners in eight races, with Josh Richards being the only repeat winner. Fayetteville is also the home track of current World of Outlaws regular Daulton Wilson, a former track champion in the Pure Stock division.
Following their final World of Outlaws race in 2018, Fayetteville continued to host regional and local racing until its closure at the end of the 2025 season.
Lancaster Motor Speedway: A hub of local and regional Late Model racing for almost 70 years, Lancaster Motor Speedway has a pair of World of Outlaws races in its history books from 2019 and 2020.
In the inaugural event, a blown right-rear tire for Lancaster, SC native Ben Watkins on Lap 20 of 50 handed the lead to Brandon Sheppard, who never looked back. Then on Labor Day weekend in 2020, Overton broke away to a lead of more than three seconds for his fourth-straight World of Outlaws win.
The track continues to host regional Super Late Model racing regularly, and Watkins is riding a six-race Carolina Clash win streak at his home track dating back to 2022.
311 Motor Speedway: No one misses 311 Motor Speedway’s spot on the World of Outlaws schedule more than Tim McCreadie.
The Watertown, NY native won both Series visits to Pine Hall, NC in 2012 and 2013, with both victories snapping a long winless streak lasting nearly a year. McCreadie is one of many big names with 311 wins on their resume alongside Bloomquist, Davenport, Overton, Dale McDowell and even NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon, who won a pair of Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series races there in 2010.
While 311 has sat dormant since 2021, efforts have been made in the past year to potentially reopen the track.
Friendship Motor Speedway: The other dirt track in the North Carolina foothills is Friendship Motor Speedway, sitting 50 miles west of 311 in Elkin, NC.
Opening as a dirt track in 1982, Friendship spent a few seasons hosting pavement racing from 2003 to 2007 before returning to dirt for the 2008 season. Seven years later, Friendship welcomed the World of Outlaws for the first time in 2015 when North Carolina native Chris Ferguson collected his first Series win.
The event appeared to be a one-and-done until 2023, when the track was purchased by Bobby and Jessica Koehler of nearby Mt. Airy, NC, renamed Ultimate Motorsports Park and added to the World of Outlaws schedule on Memorial Day weekend in 2024. Bailes and Bobby Pierce split a pair of split-field Friday Features before Saturday’s main event was canceled due to rain.
When the Koehler family ended their operation of the track to focus on their other businesses, Ultimate Towing & Recovery and Koehler Motorsports, local businessman Chuck Melton stepped in to purchase the facility. The track’s original name was restored for 2026, and Friendship has become one of the few tracks in the southeast to run Super Late Models as part of its weekly racing program.
Carolina Speedway: One of the oldest continuously-operating tracks in the region, Carolina Speedway opened in 1961 under the management of Humpy Wheeler, who got his start in race promotion at Carolina before going on to become the general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After hosting a handful of Hav-A-Tampa shows in the early 1990s, the Gastonia, NC oval got its lone modern-era national-touring event in 2016. The trophy went to Richards, who fended off Chub Frank and Rick Eckert for his fifth of 18 wins that season.
Race-by-Race History
April 21, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Oct. 10, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Shannon Babb
Nov. 2, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 3, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Donnie Moran
April 19, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Steve Francis
Oct. 7, 2008 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
Oct. 29, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Oct. 31, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 1, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
March 29, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Earl Pearson Jr.
April 17, 2009 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Jeff Smith
Nov. 5, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 6, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 7, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
April 30, 2010 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
Oct. 13, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 6, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 6, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Oct. 12, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 4, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 5, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
May 4, 2012 – 311 Motor Speedway – Tim McCreadie
Oct. 10, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Rick Eckert
Nov. 2, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 3, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
April 20, 2013 – 311 Motor Speedway – Tim McCreadie
Nov. 8, 2013 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 9, 2013 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
May 2, 2014 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 7, 2014 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 8, 2014 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
May 1, 2015 – Friendship Motor Speedway – Chris Ferguson
May 2, 2015 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Chris Ferguson
Nov. 6, 2015 – The Dirt Track at Charotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 8, 2015 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
April 29, 2016 – Carolina Speedway – Josh Richards
April 30, 2016 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Brian Shirley
Oct. 28, 2016 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Oct. 29, 2016 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
May 5, 2017 – Cherokee Speedway – Shane Clanton
May 6, 2017 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 3, 2017 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 4, 2017 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Dennis Erb Jr.
May 4, 2018 – Cherokee Speedway – Mike Marlar
May 12, 2018 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 3, 2018 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 3, 2018 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
May 3, 2019 – Cherokee Speedway – Ross Bailes
June 1, 2019 – Lancaster Motor Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
Oct. 4, 2019 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 8, 2019 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Nov. 9, 2019 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Sept. 5, 2020 – Lancaster Motor Speedway – Brandon Overton
Oct. 2, 2020 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 4, 2020 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Overton
Nov. 5, 2020 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Tim McCreadie
Sept. 2, 2021 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Oct. 1, 2021 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 5, 2021 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 6, 2021 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
March 25, 2022 – Cherokee Speedway – Michael Brown
March 26, 2022 – Cherokee Speedway – Max Blair
Nov. 2, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Mike Marlar
Nov. 3, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Tanner English
Nov. 5, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 2, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Mike Marlar
Nov. 3, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 4, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 7, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 8, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Bobby Pierce
Nov. 9, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Nov. 6, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Hudson O’Neal
Nov. 7, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 8, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
World of Outlaws Winners from the Carolinas
Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 40
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 19
Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC – 2
Kyle Strickler – Mooresville, NC – 2
Jeff Smith – Dallas, NC – 1
Ross Bailes – Clover, SC – 1
Zack Mitchell – Enoree, SC – 1
Ben Watkins – Lancaster, SC – 1
Michael Brown – Lancaster, SC – 1
Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 1
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will wrap up the 2026 season with the Modoc 100 at Modoc Speedway (Friday-Saturday, Oct. 23-24), followed by the Dave Smith Motors World of Outlaws World Finals (Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 4-7).
Get tickets in advance for both events by clicking here. Get free pit passes to World Finals by purchasing a two-day pass by Friday, Oct. 16.
Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.
Closing Stretch at Modoc, Charlotte Users In New Era for Carolina Late Model Racing
MODOC, SC (October 14, 2026) – For the 20th consecutive year, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will conclude the season in the Carolinas – with an added twist.
New in 2026 is a visit to Modoc Speedway for the Modoc 100 on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24. The inaugural Modoc event has become the lead-in to the annual finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as part of Dave Smith Motors World of Outlaws World Finals, Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 4-7.
The greater Charlotte area has been the center of the full-fendered racing universe for eight decades, dating back to the moonshine-running era in the 1940s. Dirt tracks popped up all over the region in the years that followed, and while several were later paved alongside the rise of NASCAR, many have stayed true to their dirt roots to this day. The result is one of the strongest dirt Late Model scenes in the nation, and one that the World of Outlaws have played an important role in for the past two decades.
Here’s a look at the Carolina tracks that have been part of World of Outlaws history:
The Dirt Track at Charlotte: In the late 1990s, Bruton Smith and the team at Charlotte Motor Speedway wanted to expand the facility’s motorsports offerings beyond the 1.5-mile oval that opened in 1960. Their vision became public in 1999 when the announcement was made that a dirt track would be constructed on the opposite side of Highway 29 from the NASCAR oval.
The original blueprints included a 3/8-mile layout, but plans were changed to the eventual 4/10-mile size during construction. The Dirt Track at Charlotte was completed in the spring of 2000, with the inaugural event being a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader on Memorial Day weekend prior to the Coca-Cola 600.
It wouldn’t be long until the Late Model contingent got their first taste of the state-of-the-art Charlotte facility. The Hav-A-Tampa Series made two stops at Charlotte in 2000, with Scott Bloomquist winning on July 3 and Dan Schlieper taking the checkers on Sept. 23.
Several other touring series added Charlotte to their schedules in the years that followed – the Southern All Stars being the most frequent visitor – prior to the arrival of the World of Outlaws in 2007 for the first edition of World Finals. The new event created a combined championship weekend for the Late Model and Sprint Car communities, as well as the Super DIRTcar Series beginning in 2010.
World Finals has since grown into a premier staple of the World of Outlaws schedule, consistently featuring one of the largest car counts of the season. In the 19-year history of the event, no one has had more success than Jonathan Davenport, who won twice in 2025 to surpass Jimmy Owens as the winningest Late Model driver in World Finals history. Davenport’s eight victories place him second on the World Finals wins list across all three divisions, trailing only Donny Schatz with nine.
For a few years in the 2000s, World Finals wasn’t Charlotte’s only major World of Outlaws event. The Series also visited in the spring for the Colossal 100, an event won by Bloomquist (2007), Steve Francis (2008) and Earl Pearson Jr. (2009) before the race was discontinued.
Cherokee Speedway: Ask anyone to think about Late Model racing in the Carolinas, and there’s a good chance that Cherokee Speedway is one of the first things that comes to mind.
“The Place Your Mama Warned You About” has become one of the most widely known tracks in the sport since opening in 1957. Nearly every national and Southeast regional Late Model tour has made plenty of stops at the 3/8-mile in Gaffney, SC, including the World of Outlaws, starting in 2017.
Much like many other southeastern red-dirt ovals, Brandon Overton has been dominant in Series action at Cherokee, winning four of the nine World of Outlaws races held there. A pair of South Carolinians have also won their first Series race at Cherokee, those being Ross Bailes in 2019 and Michael Brown in 2022.
Cherokee has remained a hotbed for Super Late Model racing since their most recent World of Outlaws race four years ago, with their biggest event being the Blue-Gray 100 every fall. This year’s race is set for Sunday, Oct. 25, the day after the World of Outlaws event at Modoc, creating a tripleheader race weekend in the “Palmetto State.”
Fayetteville Motor Speedway: The lone track in eastern North Carolina that has hosted World of Outlaws racing is Fayetteville Motor Speedway, which appeared on the schedule eight times between 2008 and 2018.
The 5/16-mile oval maintained plenty of parity in Series action with seven different winners in eight races, with Josh Richards being the only repeat winner. Fayetteville is also the home track of current World of Outlaws regular Daulton Wilson, a former track champion in the Pure Stock division.
Following their final World of Outlaws race in 2018, Fayetteville continued to host regional and local racing until its closure at the end of the 2025 season.
Lancaster Motor Speedway: A hub of local and regional Late Model racing for almost 70 years, Lancaster Motor Speedway has a pair of World of Outlaws races in its history books from 2019 and 2020.
In the inaugural event, a blown right-rear tire for Lancaster, SC native Ben Watkins on Lap 20 of 50 handed the lead to Brandon Sheppard, who never looked back. Then on Labor Day weekend in 2020, Overton broke away to a lead of more than three seconds for his fourth-straight World of Outlaws win.
The track continues to host regional Super Late Model racing regularly, and Watkins is riding a six-race Carolina Clash win streak at his home track dating back to 2022.
311 Motor Speedway: No one misses 311 Motor Speedway’s spot on the World of Outlaws schedule more than Tim McCreadie.
The Watertown, NY native won both Series visits to Pine Hall, NC in 2012 and 2013, with both victories snapping a long winless streak lasting nearly a year. McCreadie is one of many big names with 311 wins on their resume alongside Bloomquist, Davenport, Overton, Dale McDowell and even NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon, who won a pair of Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series races there in 2010.
While 311 has sat dormant since 2021, efforts have been made in the past year to potentially reopen the track.
Friendship Motor Speedway: The other dirt track in the North Carolina foothills is Friendship Motor Speedway, sitting 50 miles west of 311 in Elkin, NC.
Opening as a dirt track in 1982, Friendship spent a few seasons hosting pavement racing from 2003 to 2007 before returning to dirt for the 2008 season. Seven years later, Friendship welcomed the World of Outlaws for the first time in 2015 when North Carolina native Chris Ferguson collected his first Series win.
The event appeared to be a one-and-done until 2023, when the track was purchased by Bobby and Jessica Koehler of nearby Mt. Airy, NC, renamed Ultimate Motorsports Park and added to the World of Outlaws schedule on Memorial Day weekend in 2024. Bailes and Bobby Pierce split a pair of split-field Friday Features before Saturday’s main event was canceled due to rain.
When the Koehler family ended their operation of the track to focus on their other businesses, Ultimate Towing & Recovery and Koehler Motorsports, local businessman Chuck Melton stepped in to purchase the facility. The track’s original name was restored for 2026, and Friendship has become one of the few tracks in the southeast to run Super Late Models as part of its weekly racing program.
Carolina Speedway: One of the oldest continuously-operating tracks in the region, Carolina Speedway opened in 1961 under the management of Humpy Wheeler, who got his start in race promotion at Carolina before going on to become the general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After hosting a handful of Hav-A-Tampa shows in the early 1990s, the Gastonia, NC oval got its lone modern-era national-touring event in 2016. The trophy went to Richards, who fended off Chub Frank and Rick Eckert for his fifth of 18 wins that season.
Race-by-Race History
April 21, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Oct. 10, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Shannon Babb
Nov. 2, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 3, 2007 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Donnie Moran
April 19, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Steve Francis
Oct. 7, 2008 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
Oct. 29, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Oct. 31, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 1, 2008 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
March 29, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Earl Pearson Jr.
April 17, 2009 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Jeff Smith
Nov. 5, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 6, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
Nov. 7, 2009 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
April 30, 2010 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
Oct. 13, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 6, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 6, 2010 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Oct. 12, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Nov. 4, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 5, 2011 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
May 4, 2012 – 311 Motor Speedway – Tim McCreadie
Oct. 10, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Rick Eckert
Nov. 2, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 3, 2012 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
April 20, 2013 – 311 Motor Speedway – Tim McCreadie
Nov. 8, 2013 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 9, 2013 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
May 2, 2014 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 7, 2014 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Darrell Lanigan
Nov. 8, 2014 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
May 1, 2015 – Friendship Motor Speedway – Chris Ferguson
May 2, 2015 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Chris Ferguson
Nov. 6, 2015 – The Dirt Track at Charotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 8, 2015 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
April 29, 2016 – Carolina Speedway – Josh Richards
April 30, 2016 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Brian Shirley
Oct. 28, 2016 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Josh Richards
Oct. 29, 2016 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
May 5, 2017 – Cherokee Speedway – Shane Clanton
May 6, 2017 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 3, 2017 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 4, 2017 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Dennis Erb Jr.
May 4, 2018 – Cherokee Speedway – Mike Marlar
May 12, 2018 – Fayetteville Motor Speedway – Jimmy Owens
Nov. 3, 2018 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Sheppard
Nov. 3, 2018 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Scott Bloomquist
May 3, 2019 – Cherokee Speedway – Ross Bailes
June 1, 2019 – Lancaster Motor Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
Oct. 4, 2019 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 8, 2019 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Nov. 9, 2019 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jimmy Owens
Sept. 5, 2020 – Lancaster Motor Speedway – Brandon Overton
Oct. 2, 2020 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 4, 2020 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Brandon Overton
Nov. 5, 2020 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Tim McCreadie
Sept. 2, 2021 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Oct. 1, 2021 – Cherokee Speedway – Brandon Overton
Nov. 5, 2021 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 6, 2021 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
March 25, 2022 – Cherokee Speedway – Michael Brown
March 26, 2022 – Cherokee Speedway – Max Blair
Nov. 2, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Mike Marlar
Nov. 3, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Tanner English
Nov. 5, 2022 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 2, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Mike Marlar
Nov. 3, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 4, 2023 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 7, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Ricky Thornton Jr.
Nov. 8, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Bobby Pierce
Nov. 9, 2024 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Chris Madden
Nov. 6, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Hudson O’Neal
Nov. 7, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
Nov. 8, 2025 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Jonathan Davenport
World of Outlaws Winners from the Carolinas
Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 40
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 19
Chris Ferguson – Mt. Holly, NC – 2
Kyle Strickler – Mooresville, NC – 2
Jeff Smith – Dallas, NC – 1
Ross Bailes – Clover, SC – 1
Zack Mitchell – Enoree, SC – 1
Ben Watkins – Lancaster, SC – 1
Michael Brown – Lancaster, SC – 1
Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 1
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will wrap up the 2026 season with the Modoc 100 at Modoc Speedway (Friday-Saturday, Oct. 23-24), followed by the Dave Smith Motors World of Outlaws World Finals (Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 4-7).
Get tickets in advance for both events by clicking here. Get free pit passes to World Finals by purchasing a two-day pass by Friday, Oct. 16.
Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.