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.

NHRA® Team Report
NHRA Nevada Nationals – Las Vegas
Pre-Race Report

Finishing up October in recognition of The Pink Fund® on the Snap-on Dodge®, Cruz Pedregon and team are headed to Las Vegas with memories of his epic wheelie run in a pink paint scheme in 2017 and a win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway drag strip in 2013. “We plan to finish out the season strong while bringing back other great memories of my dad racing here,” says Cruz. “We’re doing that with a hand-lettered ‘Flamin’ Frank’ helmet design that matches the dragster he drove here in Vegas and Pomona back in the ’60s.”

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Before heading to Las Vegas, the team took time to ensure the Funny Car’s main fuel line is fully serviced and ready to race. It broke off the car in Dallas creating a chain reaction of the motor pulling down, drive shaft speeding up, tire spin, intake valve and a connecting rod break that resulted in a small fire.

Following the Texas race, Cruz announced on the team’s Facebook page that after the season ends, he will be heading to the first ever Riyadh Car Show in Saudi Arabia with the California Charger Nostalgia Funny Car and his 2008 NHRA Championship Nitro Funny Car November 21 – 26.

On the side of Cruz’s car
On the side of Cruz’s car this week, you’ll see the name of area Nitro Franchisee Steve Heard. After working as an auto mechanic, Steve decided to become a Snap-on franchisee four years ago. He says his inspiration to work with tools came from his Dad who was in the Air Force and worked on airplanes. Now Steve calls on all three of the Las Vegas-area airports along his Snap-on route. Steve’s been here to the track and taken his picture with Cruz several years running and says he likes Funny Cars the best because they’re the fastest and the loudest.

Things are getting interesting for Pro Stock championship-hopeful Jeg Coughlin Jr.
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 29) — With just two races left in the 2019 NHRA drag racing season, five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. once again finds himself and his JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in the midst of a thrilling battle for straight-line racing’s ultimate prize.

Currently third in the rankings, just 65 points behind leader Erica Enders, who happens to be his Elite Motorsports teammate, Coughlin and crew know they still have work to do if they want to capture a sixth Pro Stock title. But considering their recent performances in the playoffs, where they’ve jumped from eighth to third place, and the fact the season finale in Pomona awards points and a half, Coughlin and his team have pledged to remain super aggressive in pursuit of their top goal. Continue reading Things are getting interesting for Pro Stock championship-hopeful Jeg Coughlin Jr. →

Menard Finishes 21st At Martinsville

October 27, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Mustang were on their way to recovering from a poor starting position in Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway when a freak mechanical issue dealt them a setback they were unable to overcome.

He wound up 21st at the finish. Continue reading Menard Finishes 21st At Martinsville →

Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet Team Show Grit and Determination at Martinsville Speedway

“I’m really proud of everyone on this No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet team for working hard all weekend and giving us a really solid car at Martinsville Speedway. We put up a fight all race long, which really helped us to stay on the lead lap and battle competitively in the top 12 throughout Stages 1 and 2. Early in Stage 3, we were racing hard with another car when we cut a tire and made contact with the outside wall. Our Chevy was just too loose after that, making it really hard to earn back the lap we lost while making repairs. We had a good fight, but this is not the finish we wanted today.”
-Austin Dillon

Daniel Hemric Survives Wild 500 Laps at Martinsville Speedway to Finish 17th in Chevrolet Accessories Camaro ZL1

“It was a solid day for us at Martinsville Speedway in the Chevrolet Accessories Camaro ZL1. We were just too loose and didn’t have the rear lateral grip we needed early in the race. We kept adjusting and trying to put ourselves in position to get the free pass or take the wave around, and finally late in the race we had something go our way that got us back on the lead lap. The No. 20 and the No. 34 got together behind us once we were back on the lead lap and turned us around. I hate that because I thought we were going to drive up into the top 15 pretty easily. It just wasn’t meant to be. We got a little too much damage to move forward at the end. All in all, just proud of these guys, proud of the effort and proud of the fight. We’ll roll on to Texas.”

-Daniel Hemric

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
FIRST DATA 500
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES & QUOTES
OCTOBER 27, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER (* = Playoff Contender)
2nd *William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1
6th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Global Poker Camaro ZL1
9th *Kyle Larson, No. 42 Clover Camaro ZL1
12th Chris Buescher, No. 37 Clorox Camaro ZL1
13th Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Victory Junction Camaro ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER (* = Chevy Playoff Contender)
1st Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
2nd *William Byron (Chevrolet)
3rd Brad Keselowski (Ford)
4th Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
5th Ryan Blaney (Ford)

UNOFFICIAL CURRENT PLAYOFF RANK (Following Round 7 of 10)
POS. DRIVER (* = Chevy Contender)
1. Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota)
2. Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
3. Kyle Busch (Toyota)
4.____Joey Logano ________________
5. Kevin Harvick (Ford)
6. Ryan Blaney (Ford)
7. *Kyle Larson (Chevrolet) Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville–Post Race →

Menard Qualifies 30th At Martinsville

October 26, 2019

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Mustang are set to start Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway from 30th place.

Menard took that spot with a lap at 95.156 miles per hour during qualifying on Saturday afternoon, but the starting line-up won’t be official until after the cars are inspected on Sunday morning.

Menard and the Quick Lane team searched for speed throughout the day on Saturday as both practice sessions and qualifying were held on the same day.

He was 22nd in the opening practice with a best lap of 94.808 mph which he turned on his eighth of 33 laps run in that session.

In Happy Hour he was 28th on the speed chart with a best lap of 93.553 mph, which came on his sixth of 41 laps run.

His qualifying lap wound up being his fastest of the day, but Menard said he was hampered by being the first driver on the track for the session.

“It’s always tough going out first, especially here at Martinsville,” he said. “The tires just take so long to come in. I got a little too loose on entry, a little too tight back to the gas and just kind of on top of the track, but made a lot of changes today, and we’ll see if they work out tomorrow.”

Menard also said he’s proud to be driving for the Wood Brothers at their home track.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “This is my fourth time doing it, and a lot of 21 fans here, so that’s neat to see.”

The First Data 500 is set to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. on Sunday with TV coverage on NBCSN.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
FIRST DATA 500
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING NOTES & QUOTES
OCTOBER 26, 2019

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd Chase Elliott, No. 9 Mountain Dew Camaro ZL1
11th William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1
14th Kyle Larson, No. 42 Clover Camaro ZL1
18th Daniel Hemric, No. 8 Chevrolet Accessories Camaro ZL1
19th Alex Bowman, No. 88 Llumar Camaro ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL QUALIFYING RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
2nd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
3rd Martin Truex, Jr. (Toyota)
4th Aric Almirola (Ford)
5th Michael McDowell (Ford) Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville–Qualifying →

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
FIRST DATA 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 26, 2019

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 MOUNTAIN DEW CAMARO ZL1, met with media and discussed the motor issue he had during the first practice, what his strategy will be on Sunday with having to start from the rear, his views on teamwork and stage points, and more. Full Transcript:

CHASE, IF YOU JUST WANT TO OPEN THIS WITH WALKING US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED IN PRACTICE AND WHAT IS YOUR OUTLOOK FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND?
“We broke a motor there, five laps in, and it’s obviously and unfortunate way to start the day, for sure. But, it’s one of those things really that it kind of what it is at this point and everybody is working hard to try to get our car back put together to get some practice in this next one. At this point, that’s the most important thing.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville–Chase Elliott →

Indy Car Star Rossi Returns To Baja 1000
• Alexander Rossi rejoins Honda Off-Road Racing Team for second Baja 1000
• Rossi to co-drive Ridgeline with Baja veterans Jeff Proctor, Pat Dailey
• Baja Ridgeline Race Truck seeks fourth class victory of 2019

TORRANCE, California (Oct. 25, 2019) – After a headline-making debut in 2018 – including a near miss with a passenger vehicle on the race course captured on a video that went viral – Honda Indy car star Alexander Rossi will again take on the SCORE Baja 1000, driving the Baja Ridgeline Race Truck as part of the Honda Off-Road Racing Team.
An off-road “rookie” at last year’s running of the legendary race, Rossi quickly adapted to the unique demands of desert racing, which saw the Jeff Proctor-led Honda Off-Road Racing Team post a second-place Class 7 finish, the fourth consecutive first- or second-place result for the Ridgeline Baja Race Truck at the Baja 1000.
“I am more than excited to get back in this Honda Ridgeline off-road truck for the Baja 1000,” Rossi said. “It’s safe to say I decided last year, within five minutes of testing the Ridgeline for the first time, that I was going to do this again.” Continue reading Indy Car Star Rossi Returns To Baja 1000 →

Dominic Scelzi Battles Throughout Trophy Cup

Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (Oct. 24, 2019) – A mechanical problem derailed Dominic Scelzi last Saturday when he was in contention for at least a top five and possibly a victory during the final night of the famed Trophy Cup.

It had been an up-and-down type of event for the Roth Motorsports driver, who was running fourth on Saturday when he was sidelined by the problem on Lap 11. Continue reading Dominic Scelzi Battles Throughout Trophy Cup →

Richard Childress Racing at Martinsville Speedway … In 171 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned four pole awards and posted seven victories with drivers Dale Earnhardt (five times), Ricky Rudd (1983) and Kevin Harvick (2011). RCR Chevrolet teams have earned 30 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes at Martinsville dating back to the team’s first start there on April 10, 1972. Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed four of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,985 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 51 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 – Martinsville Speedway →

Acura NSX GT3 Teams Split 2019 SRO GT Championship Titles
• Real Time Racing Acura NSX GT3 wins GT team championship crown
• Acura NSX GT3 Evo racers won at all seven GT weekends of 2019
• Racer’s Edge Motorsports duo wins driver’s championship in Acura NSX GT3

LAS VEGAS, NV (Oct. 20, 2019) – The trio of teams campaigning the Acura NSX GT3 Evo in this year’s SRO Blancpain GT World Challenge America spent much of the season swapping the top spot in the Pro/Am division, so it was only fitting that when the dust cleared in Saturday’s season finale, two Acura teams were sharing championships.

Despite missing three of the year’s 14 races, RealTime Racing used a five-race win streak to claim the GT Series Pro/Am Teams’ Championship; while the Racer’s Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 Evo, with Martin Barkey and Kyle Marcelli at the wheel for all 14 rounds, captured three class victories and 10 podiums to win the GT Pro/Am drivers’ crown. Continue reading Acura NSX GT3 Teams Split 2019 SRO GT Championship Titles →