Race Wrap: 26th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout

(March 2, 2020 Santa Ana CA) Kicking off the Holley NMRA Ford Nationals season in fine style, the 26th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout roared into Bradenton Motorsports Park, drawing a crowd of fans and a horde of racers. All in attendance enjoyed cool weather, fast race cars and everything an NMRA event has to offer, including a huge car show and a manufacturer’s midway brimming with performance parts. Racers established a foothold in the season’s championship points chase and an elite group headed for the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle to celebrate the spoils of victory. Continue reading Race Wrap: 26th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout →

Rachel Doubles-Up at Lucas Oil Regional Event in Louisiana

Mar 2, 2020 | Featured, Race Results, Rachel Meyer

For the second year in a row, Rachel Meyer dominated the Top Alcohol Dragster class at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana this past weekend. Rachel defeated number one qualifier, Jackie Fricke, in the final round. Continue reading Rachel Doubles-Up at Lucas Oil Regional Event in Louisiana →

DiBenedetto Finishes 13th In Auto Club 400

March 1, 2020

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Quaker State team capitalized on some mid-race adjustments to earn a 13th-place finish in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway. DiBenedetto picked up six positions on the final green-flag run of the race and moved up to eighth place in the Cup Series standings.
Continue reading DiBenedetto Finishes 13th In Auto Club 400 →

DiBenedetto, Menards/Quaker State Team Set To Start 12th At Fontana

February 29, 2020
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Quaker State Ford Mustang qualified 12th fastest at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday as Fords swept eight of the top 15 starting spots for Sunday’s Auto Club 400.

“I held it wide open and didn’t lift,” DiBenedetto told reporters at Auto Club after his qualifying run. “That is good.”

He pointed out that the Menards team’s main goal on Saturday was to have a Mustang that would be fast in the race, not just for one lap in time trials. Continue reading DiBenedetto, Menards/Quaker State Team Set To Start 12th At Fontana →

NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
FEBRUARY 29, 2020

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE
3rd Alex Bowman, No. 88 Cincinnati Camaro ZL1 1LE
4th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
9th Kyle Larson, No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1 1LE
10th Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. No. 47 Kroger Camaro ZL1 1LE
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Qualifying →

NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY BREAKOUT SESSION HIGHLIGHTS
FEBRUARY 28, 2020

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE BREAKOUT SESSION HIGHLIGHTS:

ON THE ‘KYLE BUSCH CHALLENGE’, WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT YOUR ‘CHERRIES TWEET’ SPARKED ALL THIS?
“Yeah, I guess. It was really a joke. I’m not offended with Kyle Busch wins Truck races. I actually like it a lot because I feel like it helps expose the guys that are good and the ones who aren’t. I think when he does win and he has to battle for the wins, I think it shows which kids are really good. So, I just dropped some cherries on there because when I do win dirt races, I do get a lot of that as well. It was more of a dig at the NASCAR fans and dirt fans who give me crap also, but in a different series. But, I guess it upset (Kevin) Harvick enough that he put a bounty up, which is cool. I think it’s great for the sport and great for the Truck Series. Hopefully the ratings are even better for these races coming up and hopefully it’s exciting, too.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Kyle Larson →

NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY BREAKOUT SESSION HIGHLIGHTS
FEBRUARY 28, 2020

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW COATINGS CAMARO ZLI ILE MEDIA BREAKOUT SESSION HIGHLIGHTS:

ABOUT RUNNING TRUCKS FOR GMS THIS YEAR: “I don’t have a relationship with GMS. I never ran one of their trucks. It would be fun to run five or six races this year but I don’t have the sponsorship it takes to run a truck and no one has come to me about it.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Auto Club Speedway–Austin Dillon →

NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY BREAKOUT SESSION HIGHLIGHTS
FEBRUARY 28, 2020

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA 24 TRIBUTE CAMARO ZL1 1LE BREAKOUT SESSION HIGHLIGHTS:

WOULD YOU EVER SLEEP IN A TEEPEE LIKE RYAN BLANEY, OR IS THAT NOT YOUR SCENE?
“No. That’s not my scene. I went back home. We’re testing the Next Gen car here on Monday and Tuesday. So, I’ll be out West the rest of next week.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR– Auto Club 400–William Byron →

NASCAR CUP SERIES
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. NOTES & QUOTES
FEBRUARY 28, 2020

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO, 48 ALLY CAMARO ZLI ILE met with media and discussed racing at his hometown track and what his last year as a full-time Cup drivers means to him, what NASCAR and the state of California mean to each other, advice he would offer up & coming drivers, and more.

Auto Club Speedway president, Dave Allen, presented Johnson with a helmet by Troy Lee Designs, a moto 3 helmet with ‘Too Hip’ written on the back, thanking Johnson for the memories. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Jimmie Johnson →

Trent Hindman and Shelby Blackstock Team Up In NSX GT3 Evo To Run 2020 SRO GT World Challenge Americas
• Acura Motorsports development drivers coming together in 2020
• The pair will compete in full 13-round SRO GT World Challenge America season
• Duo demonstrates HPD’s commitment to helping young drivers progress
Santa Clarita, CA (February 28, 2020) – Trent Hindman, the 2019 International Motor Sports Association GT Daytona class champion, will pair with Shelby Blackstock, a multi-race winner in his Civic Type R TCR, for a full-season effort in the 2020 SRO GT World Challenge America Series in an Acura NSX GT3 Evo, it was announced today.
Blackstock and Hindman will compete for Racers Edge Motorsports as a Silver Cup team in the 13-round GT Championship that features world-class competition. The pairing is a natural fit for both drivers, as each has enjoyed success while competing in Sports Car and Touring Car endurance classes. Continue reading Trent Hindman and Shelby Blackstock Team Up In NSX GT3 Evo To Run 2020 SRO GT World Challenge Americas →

DiBenedetto/Menards Team Hoping To Continue Strong 2020 Start At Fontana

February 27, 2020

Matt DiBenedetto and his Wood Brothers team, fresh off a second-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, are headed to Auto Club Speedway with their iconic No. 21 Mustang carrying the green colors of Menards and Quaker State for the first time this season.

And DiBenedetto, who enters the weekend 10th in the Cup Series point standings, carries with him the confidence that comes from having a fast Ford at Las Vegas.

“Daytona is really its own animal,” DiBenedetto said. “Las Vegas was our first of what I’d call a normal weekend and a pretty good indicator of how we’ll be going forward.” Continue reading DiBenedetto/Menards Team Hoping To Continue Strong 2020 Start At Fontana →

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
AUTO CLUB 400
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
FONTANA, CALIFORNIA
MARCH 1, 2020

BOWTIE BULLETS:
CHEVROLET TAKES HALF OF POLES, 14 WINS
Chevrolet drivers have registered 15 pole starts and 14 victories in the 30 NASCAR Cup Series races since Auto Club Speedway opened in 1997 to lead all manufacturers. Chevrolet career driver and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with six victories at the 2-mile oval, including back-to-back in the October 2009 and February 2010 races. Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Cup Series race at the 2-mile oval on June 22, 1997. After starting third, Gordon led 113 of the 250 laps to beat Chevrolet driver Terry Labonte by 1.074 seconds.
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Fontana–Bowtie Bullets →

Dominic Scelzi Battles for Win Before Misfortune Strikes During Season Opener

Inside Line Promotions – HANFORD, Calif. (Feb. 26, 2020) – Dominic Scelzi enjoyed a strong start to the season last Saturday at Keller Auto Speedway, where he contended for a victory before a mechanical problem ended the night early.

“It went really good to start with,” he said. “We timed in decent. The track was getting faster when we went out, but we had a good time and that put us in a good spot for the heat.” Continue reading Dominic Scelzi Battles for Win Before Misfortune Strikes During Season Opener →

Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series History at Auto Club Speedway … In 90 overall NASCAR Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, RCR Chevrolet teams have earned one win (Kevin Harvick – 2011), three pole awards (Mike Skinner – April 2000, Austin Dillon – 2016 and 2019), 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes. RCR has a 19.1 average starting position and a 16.5 average finishing position at the moderately-banked D-shaped race track.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,998 NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 51 pole awards,108 wins, 490 top-five finishes and 1,077 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.3. RCR has earned 16 total championships (six NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, seven NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two NASCAR Truck Series titles and one ARCA Menards Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series. Continue reading RCR Event Preview – Auto Club Speedway →

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Gearing Up
for Exciting 2020 Season
Series Boasts Lower Ticket Prices and Increased Purse Payouts
CORONA, Calif. (February 25, 2020) – Less than a month remains until the roar of 900 horsepower trucks fill the grandstands of the country’s finest short course off road facilities, as the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Presented by GEICO gears up for what is sure to be an exciting 2020 season. A total of nine classes, filled with the most promising and established talent in the sport, will embark on an 11 round journey to crown a champion, with everything set to kick off at the season opening OPTIMA Batteries SoCal Shootout Presented by K&N Filters from Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, on March 14-15.

It’s almost go time for the 2020 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, which will kick off
on March 14-15 from Southern California’s Glen Helen Raceway.
Photo: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
An array of changes are on deck for 2020, with none more important than the addition of two more rounds of action. Over the course of seven weekends from March to October the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series will visit five different tracks, across five different states, spearheaded by three consecutive doubleheader weekends that will open the season and bring the championship to its halfway point. As always, the year will end with the thrilling Lucas Oil Challenge Cup, which will take place the same day as the final round for the single busiest day of racing for the entire 2020 season. Continue reading Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Gearing Up for Exciting 2020 Season →

Top Fuel — Steve Torrence, 3.679 seconds, 321.27 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 4.052 seconds, 218.90 mph.

Funny Car — Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 3.883, 326.40 def. Jack Beckman, Charger, 6.156, 119.31.

Pro Stock — Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.531, 210.44 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.606, 209.33.

Competition Eliminator — Dean Carter, Dragster, 6.904, 177.00 def. Doug Lambeck, Pontiac Sunfire, 8.335, 160.54.

Super Stock — Kyle Rizzoli, Chevy Camaro, 9.479, 133.65 def. Justin Lamb, Chevy Cobalt, 8.872, 149.40.

Stock Eliminator — Brad Burton, Pontiac Firebird, 10.759, 109.97 def. Jon Irving, Plymouth Satellite, 11.416, 108.92.

Super Comp — Val Torres, Dragster, 13.321, 92.96 def. Cal Belden, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

Super Gas — Ed Olpin Jr, Chevy Corvette, 9.943, 158.35 def. Matthew Larson, Corvette, 9.932, 169.21.

Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers — Art Hoover, Dragster, 6.603, 198.93 def. Phil Unruh, Dragster, 6.346, 223.21.

Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers — Paul Mitsos, Dodge Stratus, 6.688, 199.88 def. Ed Olpin, Chevy Camaro, 6.935, 198.58.

Top Fuel Harley — Jay Turner, Harley, 9.054, 99.99 def. Rickey House, Harley, Foul – Red Light.

Myatt Snider and the No. 21 TaxSlayer Team Rally From Late-Race Incident to 16th-Place Finish at Las Vegas

“We had a really fast No. 21 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro over the weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We managed to carve our way through the field multiple times during the race, and that’s a testament to all the hard work this team puts into our cars. Thanks to my crew chief Andy Street and all the RCR guys for making this TaxSlayer Chevrolet so competitive all night. We barely had to adjust it, which is always a great sign. I’m proud of the effort the team put in this weekend. We had to overcome a lot, from spinning in practice on Friday, all the way through the late-race contact tonight. It shows what a strong team we have that we can bounce back every time. I can’t wait to get back in the car at Phoenix Raceway in a couple of weeks.”

-Myatt Snider

Tommy Johnson Jr. Earns NHRA Arizona Nationals Win in
All-Mopar Dodge//SRT Funny Car Final Round Battle

· Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. earns National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Arizona Nationals title win aboard MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
· All-Mopar Dodge//SRT Funny Car final round sees Johnson Jr. defeat DSR teammate Jack Beckman at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix
· Defending Arizona Nationals winner Matt Hagan and his Mopar Dodge//SRT Charger Hellcat Funny Car earn second consecutive No.1 qualifier of the 2020 season but fall short of a chance to repeat with a first round loss
· All four DSR Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat sit top-five in Funny Car championship points
· Top Fuel DSR driver Leah Pruett qualifies her Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster third for second consecutive race and earns a quarterfinal appearance

February 23, 2020, Phoenix, Arizona – It was an all-Mopar Dodge //SRT Funny Car final round showdown at the Arizona Nationals with Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Tommy Johnson Jr. earning his first victory of the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Series season over his teammate, Jack Beckman. Continue reading Tommy Johnson Jr. Earns NHRA Arizona Nationals Win in All-Mopar Dodge//SRT Funny Car Final Round Battle →

Austin Dillon and the Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road/E-Z-Go Chevrolet Team’s Gamble in Las Vegas Pays Off with Solid Top-Five Finish

“Our Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet was strong all day, but we needed track position. Thankfully we were able to make some moves at the end of the race to earn a fourth-place finish. It’s just really hard because everybody is really close, and you can tell how close we all are by how many cars are on the lead lap at the end of these races. NASCAR did a great job of getting these cars to where they are now. The race really came down to restarts. You had to get what you could on the start. It is crazy racing out there. On the second-to-last restart we started on the inside and lost a ton of positions, so at the end of the race when the caution came out, we knew it would be to our benefit to be on the outside. The leaders hit pit road and we were strategic. We had been running the same lap times at the beginning of a run with fresh tires as we were at the end of a run, so staying out was our best move if most of the other cars were pitting. Luckily, we were lined up on the outside on that final restart and were able to fight our way to fourth. It’s a great start to the season. This has been fun.”

-Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 TAME the BEAST Team Kick Off 1.5-Mile Speedway Program with Strong Showing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

“Overall, we had a solid day with our No. 8 TAME the BEAST Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. I was loose for the majority of the day when I tried to run the bottom, but the adjustments my team made through the race helped a lot. I was able to get the top to work fairly well, especially on the long runs. I just needed a little more to fire off with, but we’ll work on that. It was great to be able to run inside the top 10 today. That’s momentum we can build on. When that final yellow came out, we decided to gamble in Las Vegas and stay out to go for the win. Unfortunately, we lined up fifth, which meant we were on the bottom for the restart. The bottom hadn’t restarted well all day, so that wasn’t in our favor and we fell backwards but ultimately had a shot at it. We’ll get back after it at Auto Club Speedway next weekend.”

-Tyler Reddick
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DiBenedetto Finishes Second At Las Vegas

February 23, 2020

In his second ride in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang, Matt DiBenedetto finished second in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, tying his best career Cup finish and posting his first-ever top-10 on an intermediate track.

“This is all just too surreal,” a beaming DiBenedetto said in a televised post-race interview.

“Tough to be that close, but, hey, this is only the second race of the season.”

“It was the strength of this team. It’s so cool to have the backing of all the people that allow me to drive this thing. It took so many people, Motorcraft, Quick Lane.” Continue reading DiBenedetto Finishes Second At Las Vegas →