Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s tense battle for
Pro Stock supremacy moves to race day
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 2) — Jeg Coughlin Jr. hopes to continue chiseling away at the lead of teammate Erica Enders Sunday at the 19th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals after qualifying fifth overall in a competitive 16-car Pro Stock field.

Coughlin has moved from eight to third in the points since the Countdown to the Championship started four races ago and knows Sunday’s elimination session at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be pivotal in this year’s playoff chase.

“We feel very good about our playoff run to date and we certainly look to keep this good momentum going tomorrow,” Coughlin said. “We need to out-last the two cars in front of us in the points and hold off the group right behind us to give ourselves a chance at this thing. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s tense battle for Pro Stock supremacy moves to race day →

BRITTANY FORCE AND ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SIT NO. 1 WITH RECORD SETTING PASS FRIDAY AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 1, 2019) — Brittany Force and the Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel dragster team now own both ends of the NHRA Top Fuel National records after they ran 338.17 mph in 3.659 -seconds to take over the No. 1 spot Friday night at the Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. They previously set the elapsed time record of 3.623-seconds at the opening Countdown to the Championship event at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE AND ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SIT NO. 1 WITH RECORD SETTING PASS FRIDAY AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY →

BRITTANY FORCE AND ADVANCE AUTO PARTS DOMINATE RACE DAY WITH SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 3, 2019) — Brittany Force and the Advance Auto Parts team, who now own both ends of the Top Fuel national record after running 338.17 mph Friday night, raced their way to the second win of their season, 10th of Force’s career and first at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday at the Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The win puts Force just sixteen points out of the NHRA Mello Yello points lead with one race remaining.

“Las Vegas is a home track for me. I grew up out here racing super comp and A-fuel. I’ve always wanted to win here. This weekend has just been incredible for this Advance Auto Parts team. We have the record with mph, a 338. It’s incredible to hold that with the Advance Auto Parts boys. And we set the ET this year too. We’ve accomplished a lot but really what we’re going after is a championship together.” Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE AND ADVANCE AUTO PARTS DOMINATE RACE DAY WITH SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY →

Matt Hagan Drives Dodge//SRT Charger Hellcat Widebody to Funny Car Trophy at Dodge NHRA Nationals

Hagan scores second consecutive win; Mopar Dodge//SRT drivers have a shot at Funny Car title as NHRA season heads to final event

· Mopar Dodge//SRT driver Matt Hagan wins Funny Car trophy at 19th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil in Las Vegas, notches second consecutive event win for Dodge//SRT Charger Hellcat Widebody

· Leah Pritchett starts Top Fuel eliminations as top qualifier in her HEMI®-powered Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster; upset in second round

· Mopar Dodge//SRT driver Jack Beckman begins the day atop the Funny Car ladder, advances to semifinals in Dodge//SRT Charger Hellcat Funny Car

· All five Mopar Dodge//SRT drivers have a mathematical shot at Funny Car and Top Fuel championships as series heads for final event in Pomona, California, in two weeks

· Craig Maddox and Todd Hoven earn Dodge Top Finisher honors in Sportsman classes

· Dodge Garage, a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, features highlights from NHRA season

· New @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel features Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers in NHRA action Continue reading Matt Hagan Drives Dodge//SRT Charger Hellcat Widebody to Funny Car Trophy at Dodge NHRA Nationals →

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
DODGE NHRA NATIONALS PRESENTED BY PENNZOIL
THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
RACE RECAP AND DRIVER QUOTES
NOVEMBER 3, 2019

Chevrolet female drivers set records at Las Vegas

Brittany Force wins 500th Top Fuel event in NHRA history, closes points gap
Erica Enders wins 150th race by a female, extends Pro Stock points lead
Robert Hight remains atop Funny Car standings; John Force is fourth

LAS VEGAS (November 3, 2019) – Following the penultimate race of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, Chevrolet drivers are well-positioned to claim titles in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Las Vegas Post Race →

Menard Finishes 20th At Texas

November 3, 2019

Paul Menard was correct in his post-qualifying assessment on Saturday that his No. 21 Menards/Jack Links Ford Mustang would be faster than his 31st-place qualifying result indicated.

In Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Menard quickly moved forward and ran in the top 15 – and the top 10 at times – before fading to 20th at the finish.

In the third and final segment of the race, Menard was still running in the top 15 when he made a green flag pit stop just before the caution flag flew for a spin by Bubba Wallace.

Crew chief Greg Erwin elected to take the wave-around to rejoin the lead lap, but that meant Menard would be restarting at the back.

Between the lost track position, a tight handling condition and an 86-lap green-flag run to the finish Menard was unable to regain the lost ground and ended the race in 20th place.

Eddie Wood said he was liking the way things were going for the No. 21 team until the last quarter of the race.

“The first two Stages went pretty good,” he said. “We ran in the top 10, and although we wound up not getting any Stage points we were right there the whole time.

“Everything was ok with the car until that caution came out. We went a lap down there, and never could make up what we lost.”

Menard and the Wood Brothers team return to the track next weekend for the Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway in Phoenix.

Austin Dillon and No. 3 RigUp Chevrolet Put Up A Good Fight at Texas Motor Speedway

“We put up a good fight tonight in the No. 3 RigUp Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Texas Motor Speedway. We came from the back three times, which is a testament to the amount of speed we had in these Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets tonight. I think we could have ended up with a top-10 finish if a few more things would have just went our way. We’re working hard to make our cars respond better in traffic, and we’re learning a lot as a team. We’ll be in a strong position for 2020. I want to thank RigUp for their support this weekend.”
-Austin Dillon

Daniel Hemric Battles to 16th-Place Finish at Texas Motor Speedway with No. 8 Cat Dozers Chevrolet

“Everyone on this No. 8 Cat Dozers Chevrolet team fought all day and never gave up. We were just way too tight to start the race, then we had a piece of debris wrap around the splitter and cover the right side air duct, which really hurt the handling. I hate we lost that whole run to adjust on the car and make it better, because when we did get a chance to work on it and wave around, we were sitting in a position to have a good day. I feel like we just needed one more caution to be on equal tires with everyone ahead of us and fighting on the lead lap, it just didn’t work out. I’m proud of everyone on this Caterpillar team. We live to fight another day and we’ll go on to Phoenix to do just that.”

-Daniel Hemric

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
AAA TEXAS 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES
NOVEMBER 3, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER (* = Playoff Contender)
5th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1
9th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1
12th * KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1
13th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 RIGUP CAMARO ZL1
16th DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 8 CAT DOZERS CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER (* = Chevy Playoff Contender)
1st Kevin Harvick (Ford)
2nd Aric Almirola (Ford)
3rd Daniel Suarez (Ford)
4th Joey Logano (Ford)
5th Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)

UNOFFICIAL CURRENT PLAYOFF RANK (Following Round 8 of 10)
POS. DRIVER (* = Chevy Contender)
1. Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota); Win
2. Kevin Harvick (Ford); Win
3. Kyle Busch (Toyota); +22
4.___Joey Logano (Ford); +20 ________
5. Denny Hamlin (Toyota); -20
6. Ryan Blaney (Ford); -23
7. * Kyle Larson (Chevrolet); -23
8. * Chase Elliott (Chevrolet); -78 Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Texas–Post Race →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
AAA TEXAS 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 1, 2019

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

HOW’S YOUR CAR?
“I feel like my car is pretty good, like I could run wide open fairly easy. Maybe we could trim out a little bit to get some more speed, but I think as far as racing goes, it handles good.”

HOW DO YOUR APPROACH SUNDAY’S RACE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO THE FINAL FOUR?
“Obviously, we have to have a really good day. 24 points out, if I can’t win, I need to do a really good job in each stage and probably finish in the top-three. Hopefully, I can go win and that would make next week easy. I know I have to have a really good day.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Texas–Kyle Larson →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
AAA TEXAS 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 1, 2019

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 Media Breakout Session Highlights:

ON THE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION, HOW WAS YOUR CAR?
“It was okay. Not a lot of pace, I didn’t feel like, from a speed-standpoint, so just trying to weigh out as we always do at these places now, how fast you want to go versus how you want your car to drive and you hope you can have a little bit of both. And, whoever can have a little bit of both tends to be pretty good. So, just trying to balance that out. It’s hard to tell, I feel like, until you can get all the information gathered and kind of go from there.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Texas–Chase Elliott →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
AAA TEXAS 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
NOVEMBER 1, 2019

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1, Media Breakout Session Highlights:

YOUR CAR LOOKED PRETTY SPORTY IN PRACTICE. TALK ABOUT IT.
“It was good. I think the first couple of runs weren’t quite as good as we wanted them to be, but once we kind of got the balance of our car a little better, I thought it was pretty good. I think the Toyota’s and the Gibbs’ guys are really fast. It’s going to be pretty tough to compete with that, but I think we are in the ballpark I would say with where we have been on 1.5-mile tracks. I feel really optimistic.”
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Texas–William Byron →

Giovanni Scelzi Posts Top-10 Outing During World of Outlaws Race at Port Royal

Inside Line Promotions – PORT ROYAL, Pa. (Oct. 31, 2019) – Giovanni Scelzi garnered his 35th top 10 of the season last Friday during the opening round of the Nittany Showdown.

Scelzi and car owner Bernie Stuebgen kicked off the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader at Port Royal Speedway by qualifying fifth quickest out of 26 drivers in their group. Continue reading Giovanni Scelzi Posts Top-10 Outing During World of Outlaws Race at Port Royal →

Driver Blogs
DI DRIVER BLOG PRESENTED BY WELD RACING: Megan Meyer
By Drag Illustrated | October 30, 2019

“Some women fear the fire, some women simply become it.”- R.H. Sin

Just days after we won the NTK Nationals and the Championship, we flew down to Dallas for my final race of the year. We were so relieved that we could enter the race without worrying about points, and just have fun at the track. We were supported by Smart Chicken, a company that has partnered with our family since Rachel and I raced Super Comp dragsters, and we were promoting our partnership with Women Rock Inc. to bring awareness to their fight against breast cancer. We ended up having an excellent weekend at the track and took home the win to be my 5th NHRA National event win of the year, extend our points lead, and get a jump start on 2020. Continue reading DI DRIVER BLOG PRESENTED BY WELD RACING: Megan Meyer →

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
AAA TEXAS 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
NOVEMBER 3, 2019

BOWTIE BULLETS:
CHECKING ON CHEVROLET CONTENDERS
Chevrolet drivers Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson are competing in the Round of 8 of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Heading into the eighth of 10 races – on the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval – a look at their success in 33 starts:

* Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 (3 wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s, 5 stage wins and 232 stage bonus points; 8th in points)
* Kyle Larson, No. 42 McDonald’s Camaro ZL1 (1 win, 7 top 5s, 16 top 10s, 5 stage wins and 213 stage bonus points; 7th in points)

HOW CHEVY DRIVERS HAVE FARED
How the drivers fared at Texas on March 31 and in October 2018 playoff race:
Elliott – Started 3rd, Finished 13th (March) Started 16th, Finished 6th (2018)
Larson – Started 22nd, Finished 39th – accident (March) Started 22nd, Finished 5th (2018)

Their career-best start and finish at Texas:
Elliott – Started 3rd (March 2019) Finished 4th (November 2016) *
Larson – Started 5th (November 2015, ‘16) Finished 2nd (April 2017)
* Elliott is tops among active drivers with an average finish of 8.0 at the track. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Texas–Bowtie Bullets →

CHEVROLET AT LAS VEGAS

What: Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil
When: Friday, Nov. 1-Sunday, Nov. 3
Where: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations and finals live at 3 p.m. ET November 3

Chevrolet drivers continue push to titles at Vegas
Penultimate race of the Countdown critical for points Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Las Vegas Advance →

Richard Childress Racing at Texas Motor Speedway … In 109 starts at Texas Motor Speedway dating back to 1997, RCR has recorded one win (Jeff Burton, April 2007), eight top-five and 32 top-10 finishes. Prior to Texas Motor Speedway’s inaugural season in 1997, Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, earned a pair of top-10 finishes at the now defunct Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,988 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 52 pole awards,108 wins, 489 top-five finishes and 1,075 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.3. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two 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 – Texas Motor Speedway →

BRITTANY FORCE AND ADVANCE AUTO PARTS FIRED UP FOR CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2019) — With two events remaining in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, Brittany Force, pilot of the Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel dragster, is making her way to the Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil this weekend motivated for more high performance as she competes for her second Wally of the season on her pursuit of the Top Fuel crown.

Force and her David Grubnic and Mac Savage led Advance Auto Parts team enter the fall event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway sitting third in the points standings, just 46 points out from first. With a season of accomplishments that include a second consecutive win at the SpringNationals in Houston, two runner-up finishes and eight No. 1 qualifiers, a second Top Fuel championship title could be on the horizon for the 2017 title holder. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE AND ADVANCE AUTO PARTS FIRED UP FOR CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY →

Continue reading AUSTIN PROCK AND THE MONTANA BRAND / ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST TEAM HUNGRY FOR GREAT PERFORMANCE AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY →

Dodge//SRT Mopar Drivers and Teams Fueled For Championship Push at Dodge NHRA Nationals

With just two events left, three Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Funny Car drivers are within striking distance of 2019 NHRA championship

· Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers Matt Hagan, Jack Beckman and Ron Capps look to close gap at Dodge NHRA Nationals powered by Pennzoil at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Nov. 1-3
· Leah Pritchett set to battle for NHRA Top Fuel championship in her HEMI®-powered Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster
· Hagan drove the Western Technical College Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car of DSR to victory in fourth round of the Countdown at Texas Motorplex near Dallas
· Beckman opened six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs with a victory in Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania, behind the wheel of Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
· Mopar CAP “Assemble Your Future” initiative hosts local, next-generation service technician students for at-track activities as a reward for participation in the program
Dodge Garage, a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts, features highlights from NHRA season
New @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel features Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers in NHRA action Continue reading Dodge//SRT Mopar Drivers and Teams Fueled For Championship Push at Dodge NHRA Nationals →

Dominic Scelzi Eyeing Championship Entering KWS-NARC Season Finale

Inside Line Promotions – FRESNO, Calif. (Oct. 29, 2019) – Dominic Scelzi is focused on domination this Saturday when the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series season wraps up at Stockton Dirt Track.

Scelzi and Roth Motorsports head into the oval in Stockton, Calif., ranked third in the championship standings – only seven points out of the lead.

“My best chance is to set quick time during qualifying, which gives four points, and for those guys in front of me in the standings to not qualify in the top four,” he said. “And then if I win the feature I can win the championship. It’s three points more to win than to run second so that’d be the seven points right there. The tiebreaker for the championship is feature wins and we have everyone beat there.”

Scelzi enters the event with a series-leading five wins this year. He has also led a series-best 82 feature laps. Scelzi has set quick time during qualifying two times – tied for the second most. His four heat race victories are tied for fifth most. Additionally, Scelzi has three dash wins, which ranks second.

“In all honesty I have no expectation,” he said. “We were quick time the last time we were there in the No. 83 car. If we go quick time and win the main event that’s all we can do. We can’t control what the other two guys are doing. I think I’m in a good spot. Those guys are even on points. They have to worry about each other. I think that will help me out because they only have to beat each other by one point. If we go quick time I’m still behind going into the feature. Then we let it all hang out. I believe if we’re standing on top of the podium on Saturday we’re going to be a champion.

“I want it extremely bad. This is the first year I’ve run the entire schedule for points. The last time we attempted it was 2015 and I had an injury that took me out. We have had three nights with bad luck this year. If just one of those where a dumb thing happened didn’t happen we’re in the points lead by a lot. I feel like we’ve been the best car. For us the only way to finish this out is to win another race.”

Scelzi has been victorious at Stockton Dirt Track each of the last two years and during four of the last six seasons.