Berry Battles to Runner-Up Finish at New Hampshire

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse turned in a resilient performance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, finishing second in the Mobil 1 301 after leading laps and showcasing race-winning speed throughout the day and rallying back from an early spin.Berry rolled off from the third position and quickly moved into second, challenging Ford Racing teammate Joey Logano for the lead early. He remained near the front until a caution late in Stage 1 shuffled the order, and Berry finished fourth. Stage 2 brought adversity when contact from the No. 88 car sent Berry spinning on Lap 82, but he avoided damage and steadily worked his way back from outside the top 30 to finish the stage in 10th.The final stage highlighted the team’s long-run strength as Berry charged back into the top five and moved into third by Lap 231. A timely caution with 60 laps to go allowed the No. 21 to restart as the race leader with 42 laps remaining, and Berry fought hard to the finish before coming home second behind Ryan Blaney, delivering a strong finish after string of unfortunate luck in recent weeks. “I don’t know. We lacked a little bit of fire off, but, honestly, ever since the start of the race we were just mired in so much traffic,” Berry said about what more he needed to catch Blaney. “Our long run seemed really strong, so I think it could have gone a couple different ways. Still, it’s just a great day. We had a great car. Everybody did a great job. The pit stops were awesome and we have a lot to look forward to.”Berry credited the car’s speed and the team’s persistence in bouncing back from the early spin. “It was a grind for sure, but we had a really good car and we just chipped away at it,” he said. “We just kept putting four on it and kept moving forward and did it the old fashioned way. It was a lot of fun.”The runner-up finish gave Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team a much-needed rebound and sets the stage to finish the season on a high note.

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John Force Racing–CHarlotte Recap

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK SWEEPS 2025 4-WIDES, TAKES THIRD STRAIGHT AT zMAX DRAGWAY WITH CAROLINA NATIONALS WINForce and Beckman bow out after second round of three-round format

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK SWEEPS 2025 4-WIDES, TAKES THIRD STRAIGHT AT zMAX DRAGWAY WITH CAROLINA NATIONALS WINForce and Beckman bow out after second round of three-round format

CONCORD, N.C. (SEPT. 21, 2025) – Austin Prock overcame illness and a full field of competitors gunning for the points leader en route to his eighth victory of the season, a sweep of the season’s three four-wide races and his third consecutive win at zMax Dragway in Sunday’s NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals. John Force Racing teammates Brittany Force (HendrickCars.com Top Fuel dragster) and Jack Beckman (PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car) bowed out in Round 2 of the three-round four-wide format. The reigning NHRA Mission Foods Funny Car Champion ran 3.912 seconds at 332.43 mph to defeat Matt Hagan’s run of 3.952 seconds at 324.12 mph, as well as the slowing car of Daniel Wilkerson and the red-lighting Chad Green. The Carolina Nationals victory was Prock’s 16^th in just his second year of Funny Car competition and 20^th overall (four in Top Fuel). “That was a big win for this Cornwell Tools team, especially after everything that went on in the semifinals,” said Prock. “A few of the front runners went out and we capitalized on it. So, to get the win and the points was awesome, and it extended our lead a little bit going into St. Louis next weekend. “The Prock Rocket was on point all weekend. Our package just seems suited for Bruton Smith’s racetracks. I wasn’t my typical self on the starting line this weekend. I was good but nowhere near what I wanted to be, but the car ran good enough. Our total package was good enough to win so I’m really proud of that.” In Round 2, Prock cut a .060 light and ran low elapsed time of the matchup at 3.930 seconds at 328.78 mph. Also advancing was Wilkerson, who ran 4.072 seconds while Ron Capps suffered an engine explosion before the lights (4.358 seconds) and Bob Tascas III red-lit with a -.002 reaction time. Prock won his Round 1 matchup with a run of 3.926 seconds at 329.34 mph while runner-up Bob Tasca III ran 3.930 seconds at 331.69 mph. Capps earned first lane choice for the second round with the low E.T. of the round at 3.894 seconds while Wilkerson ran 3.957 seconds. “It was good to keep up our performance this weekend, extend our point lead, and get it done here in Charlotte for HendrickCars.com. Mr. H. (NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Rick Hendrick) is pretty pumped right now. He’s a legend of the sport, and he’ll go down as one of the greatest people in motorsports, not just a team owner but as an individual in motorsports. He’s done it all, and to have him on the side of my race car is really special. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone hungrier to win in their hometown than Mr. H. He texted me yesterday and said, ‘Go get me another Wally.’ We did that, and as soon as it was in my hands, it was in the hands of someone with HendrickCars.com. They took it back to the race shop, so he’ll have a little treat for him when he gets there tomorrow.” Beckman set low E.T. in his first-round matchup with a run of 3.939 seconds at 328.46 mph over second-place finisher Matt Hagan’s 3.949 seconds at 327.74 mph. The two had the first two lane choice picks in the second round against Spencer Hyde (3.944 seconds) and Chad Green (3.975 seconds). The 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion again ran 3.939 seconds at 325.69 mph in Round 2, but a .138 reaction time nullified the quickest run of his four-wide race, allowing Hagan (3.963 seconds) and Green (4.011 seconds) to advance to the final round. “It was bad timing to have my worst light of, well, of the last year and a half,” said Beckman. “And there is no other way to spin it. We had the quickest car in our group, and I got beat on a double holeshot … 100% driver error. My job is to do the best I can every time I go up there. I got caught on a blinking light, squeezed the brake harder, and got out of sequence. Six-hundredths of a second doesn’t seem like a lot in life. In drag racing, it’s everything. That is all on my shoulders. It’s a big gut check. Thank goodness for the fans here; they still think that you’re awesome, even the days that you’re far from awesome. I’m sure glad I get a chance to start this again in five days.” The Top 10 in Funny Car are: 1. Austin Prock, 2,298; 2. Matt Hagan, 2,219; 3. Ron Capps, 2,204; 4. Jack Beckman, 2,200; 5. Paul Lee, 2,171; 6. Cruz Pedregon, 2,146; 7. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,142; 8. Spencer Hyde, 2,132; 9. J.R. Todd, 2,116; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 2,107. Force, who earned her 57^th No. 1 Qualifier on Saturday, rebounded from a slow reaction time (.100) with low E.T. of her four-wide race at 3.758 seconds and 338.34 mph. Tony Stewart advanced to the second round with a run of 3.766 seconds at 326.79 mph. Force earned first lane choice for Round 2 against Stewart, Shawn Langdon (3.792 seconds), and Justin Ashley (3.811 seconds). In Round 2, the two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion cut an .066 light, second-best of the race, and ran 3.773 seconds at 338.26 mph, the second-quickest run of the race. However, the round winner was Ashley who had the slowest elapsed time (3.788 seconds) but the quickest reaction time (.036), while Langdon cut on .068 light and ran 3.761 seconds to earn the right to move on to the second round. “This HendrickCars.com team isn’t hanging our heads after that second-round loss,” said Force. “I was there on the tree. I was second best in the quad. And, you know, we put a killer number on the board. It just wasn’t meant for us. So, we pack up, we head straight to St. Louis, but we focus on the positive. We were number one qualifier and made six solid runs down the drag strip. That’s pretty good going into the next race weekend.” Force moved up one position in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Top Fuel point standings and is now in sixth place after the second of six rounds in the Countdown to the Championship. The Top 10 are: 1. Doug Kalitta, 2,287; 2. Justin Ashley, 2,249; 3. Shawn Langdon, 2,228; 4. Tony Stewart, 2,219; 5. Clay Millican, 2,192; 6. Brittany Force, 2,179; 7. Shawn Reed, 2,156; 8. Steve Torrence, 2,151; 9. Antron Brown, 2,128; 10. Josh Hart, 2,085. NEXT RACERound 17 of 20 of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the Sept. 26-28 NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.

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Cadillac dominates at Indianapolis

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

Cadillac Racing GTPs start and finish 1-2 in penultimate race of IMSA seasonINDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 21, 2025) – Cadillac Racing started and finished 1-2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The six hours in between was hectic, exciting and filled with anxious moments. The pole-sitting No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R delivered the first victory of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season for Cadillac and the brand’s 32nd since entering prototype competition in the series in 2017.

What they’re saying

No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R
Filipe Albuquerque: “I’m speechless, because at one point I was so mad at my race. I had a puncture, I was fighting. I was in the middle of everything at P10. We went a lap down; we had no chance at all and no yellows coming. Then Ricky went on doing what only Ricky can. A yellow came, we went back to the lead lap, fighting back with a completely different strategy. We were putting pressure on everybody to push. It was interesting. We needed a yellow, otherwise we needed to pit and drop back to P10. The yellow came at the exact right moment and we got P2. It’s a great result. P2 today is like a win. We were lucky, we must say that. It’s funny that one week ago I was racing and the yellow came one lap too late. It’s incredible how in life, it takes away and it gives you back. It’s nice, it’s a good feeling. A Cadillac 1-2 is awesome. You always want to be the winner, but today, it feels like a win because we came from a long way back.” Ricky Taylor: “Some days, things don’t fall your way and some days, they do. It has been a really rough year for us. Today the team did everything right. Filipe drove an amazing stint. Unlucky with the puncture, but I think we took the risks we needed to take with fuel savings and overtaking to gamble to get a Cadillac win. Between the Cadillacs, we had three different strategies and I think that is what we need to do as a brand going forward. Couldn’t be happier. It was fun to be in the car at the end. Thanks to the team, Cadillac and DEX. Hopefully, we can get our first win at Petit Le Mans.” No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken: “We’ve got a great team from A to Z and that includes my teammates. Any one of us could have finished it off. With the length of the race and how it was going, it was better to get a fresh one in. It was intense, so I’m glad we did. With about an hour to go, we looked like we weren’t going to be able to make it on fuel. But there were some cars in the same position behind us. And I just went on a real big save to see what I could do. And we managed to hold the lead and actually start saving what we needed, which was massive. It was working out. The 10 came through and was a sight for sore eyes, so they helped play a bit of defense. And then with the yellow at the end, it saved us as well from any further troubles.” Earl Bamber: “It’s been an amazing weekend for the Whelen Cadillac. We were talking this week, and we’ve been knocking on the door a lot. We were knocking on the door at Road America. We knocked on the door at Watkins Glen, and we said soon it’s going to open for us. Today it opened. Jack did an amazing job. Everyone on the team did great pit stops. We’ve been the best on pit lane this year and now finally everything went our way. It’s awesome. We’ve got Petit in two weeks and Fuji next week, so let’s go.”Frederik Vesti: “This is huge for the team and for me. I’m super proud of everybody at Cadillac and Whelen. It’s been a hard year so far, but to step on the top step of the podium is massive for us. It’s been a strong, amazing weekend from the Whelen Cadillac. The team worked together, and this result proves that it was a team effort. My stint I am extremely happy. I led every single I was out there and pulled gaps multiple times. I’m proud and happy of the whole team. We’re ready for more.”
No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Cadillac dominates at Indianapolis
Cadillac Racing GTPs start and finish 1-2 in penultimate race of IMSA seasonINDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 21, 2025) – Cadillac Racing started and finished 1-2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The six hours in between was hectic, exciting and filled with anxious moments. The pole-sitting No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R delivered the first victory of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season for Cadillac and the brand’s 32nd since entering prototype competition in the series in 2017.

What they’re saying

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CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: On To Title Fight in Atlanta

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

Garcia, Sims, Chevrolet lead in GTD PRO points after fourth-place finish INDIANAPOLIS (September 21, 2025) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and Chevrolet will go into the final race of the year with the GTD PRO championship lead following Sunday’s six-hour Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims placed fourth in class in the No. 3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R in a race that came down to fuel strategy in the second half.
Unofficially, the duo holds an 18-point advantage in the GTD PRO Drivers and Teams championships, and Chevrolet is out front by 46 points in the Manufacturers standings. The title will come down to the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with 385 points available.

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

The two Pratt Miller-run Corvettes were mid-pack for most of the day. Sims qualified third but stalled going into the first corner and lost track position and ended up just ahead of teammate Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette. The pair of yellow Z06 GT3.Rs were mired in the midfield until a full-course yellow with just under an hour boosted the two Corvettes up the order – the No. 3 to fifth and the No. 4 sixth.
Sims moved up to fourth after a hard fight with the No. 77 Porsche with Nicky Catsburg, Milner’s teammate, in the scrap, too. Unfortunately, the No. 4 received an incident responsibility penalty as part of that battle and eventually finished sixth in class.
In GTD, AWA’s No. 13 Corvette of Matt Bell, Lars Kern and Orey Fidani also finished sixth in class after steadily working their way through the field. After solid stints from Kern and Fidani, the AWA Corvette ran as high as second in class before a late-race penalty knocked it down to 10th before Bell drove back to sixth at the end.
Fidani will go into Road Atlanta tied for the lead in IMSA’s Bob Akin Award standings. It goes to the highest-finishing Bronze driver in GTD with the full-season winner earning an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
DXDT Racing’s day came to an early end after the No. 36 Corvette hit the Turn 14 wall barely 90 minutes into the race. That came not too long after it was hit and spun by a prototype, then jumped a curb.
The final IMSA round of the season for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R teams is the 10-hour Petit Le Mans from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday, October 11.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTESANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I don’t think we could have done much better today than what we did. There were times where we were fighting and giving everything we had. So that was our day. It felt like we were lacking some overall pace to have a chance to win. But we handled our work, carried on and went for the best result we could get instead of giving up. We’ll go into the last race now with the points lead, so we’ll see.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “After the first lap, it changed the complexion of the race. I had hoped we could get ourselves back up a bit further than we did. There were a couple of key moments where we did some decent fuel saving but one of the Fords backed us up on a yellow so we were nowhere near the front of the group coming into the pits. That really eradicated any fuel advantage we had; we probably entered the pits 10 seconds behind. In the fight at the end where the 77 and Ferrari got alongside each other and I was able to draft past each other going into one of the braking zones. I kick myself because I didn’t realize that the Ferrari was on my outside. At the end of the day we gave each other plenty of racing room, but I’m sure from the outside it looked like I was being way too fair because I didn’t know he was there. I think we maximized all we had with our Corvette today. It seemed like the outright pace was lacking a bit, but we held on there for the whole of the last stint or two. Other than that one moment with the Ferrari, nothing else really presented itself to capitalize on. It’s OK. I’d much rather go into the last round with the lead than not in the lead. But it feels like there was a slim opportunity that we could have gone into Road Atlanta with a really nice lead.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This class is certainly competitive no matter what. We didn’t have a terrible day; we just didn’t have a great day. At the end there was a little bit of rough racing and we got a penalty, so P6 in the end. Obviously we wanted more. We just didn’t have the pace we needed to run up front. We got the best result we could with the car we had. Ultimately, I’m proud of the guys. We were a little bit short in practice and qualifying and got the Corvette working well for the race. Nicky was happy and I was pretty happy. We can take the positives and continue to make progress on having good race cars for Petit Le Mans.”

CORVETTE RACING AT INDY: On To Title Fight in AtlantaGarcia, Sims, Chevrolet lead in GTD PRO points after fourth-place finish INDIANAPOLIS (September 21, 2025) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and Chevrolet will go into the final race of the year with the GTD PRO championship lead following Sunday’s six-hour Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This was a bit of a frustrating day. We had some pace in the car but didn’t really get to utilize it. Toward the end there was a lot of fighting going on and unfortunately I brushed the 77 and got a drive-through, which I think was probably the right thing but it put us on the back foot. We got a little lucky with the last yellow and gained another two positions. Other than that, it seemed like it was a bit of a decent day for us. We were behind the sister car and couldn’t really do anything. We were expecting not to be super-fast today and I think it showed. Let’s hope it goes a little bit better at Petit Le Mans.”

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HULL CONTINUES TO BE A BEACON WITHIN NHRA AT CAROLINA NATIONALS

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

CHARLOTTE (September 21, 2025) — While sidelined from competition as he continues to recover from a left-hand injury sustained at the DENSO Sonoma Nationals, NHRA Funny Car driver Buddy Hull stayed in the spotlight this weekend during the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, located just outside of Charlotte.

With Alex Laughlin filling in behind the wheel of the Jim Dunn Racing Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car, Hull focused on connecting with fans and supporting the legendary team during its 75^th anniversary season.

“You can ask my wife, it’s tough for me to be at the track but not be the one who is driving,” said Hull. “But I still love showing up, supporting my team and finding ways to connect with fans and represent Jim Dunn Racing. This team has an incredible history, and I’m honored to be a part of it, even while my hand is healing up.”

Hull led a Life Lessons talk with NHRA announcer Jason Galvin on the NHRA stage, sharing his story of perseverance and the importance of chasing dreams despite setbacks. He also spent time in the Bruton Smith Suites, signing autographs, taking photos and engaging with NHRA fans throughout the weekend.

“Jason Galvin is a ton of fun to talk to, and you never know where the conversation will lead when we get together,” said Hull. “I just hope that I continue to be a positive presence within this sport, while I am working on my hand to be strong enough again to pilot a nitro Funny Car.”

After making two runs during qualifying, Laughlin entered race day in the No. 14 spot. In the first round, he was up against Austin Prock, Bob Tasca III and Hunter Green. While his 3.987 second, 318.24 mph pass was not enough for him to advance to the semifinals, it was the quickest pass that Jim Dunn Racing has made this season.

“I’m proud of Alex and the Jim Dunn Racing team continuing to make strides with the car in my absence,” said Hull. “Big Jim let me know that they had figured out a couple of ongoing issues with the car within the last week, so I was hopeful that would translate to visible on-track success. I hope we can keep moving in a positive direction, both with the car and my hand healing up.”

Following his time in Charlotte, Hull flew back to Texas, where he joined the C10’s in the Park Party on the Square in downtown Waxahachie. There, he helped promote the Texas Motorplex’s Stampede of Speed, which is coming up soon on October 3-12. Fans were able to get up close and personal with Hull’s wrapped Funny Car, drawing plenty of attention and excitement ahead of the upcoming Texas NHRA Fall Nationals.

“The Stampede of Speed is one of my favorite events of the year because it’s more than racing, it’s a full celebration of the sport, the community and the fans,” said Hull. “I can’t wait to get back to competing, but in the meantime, I’m going to keep spreading the word about NHRA drag racing and keep building momentum for my home track, the Texas Motorplex.”

Hull and Jim Dunn Racing will keep fans updated as they evaluate his medical status going into the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals on September 26-28 at World Wide Technology Raceway. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Midwest Nationals visit nhra.com.

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Chevy Racing–NHRA–Charlotte recap

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

CHEVROLET IN NHRA 2025 NHRA 4-WIDE CAROLINA NATIONALS zMAX DRAGWAY CHARLOTTE, NC TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP | NOTES & QUOTES SEPTEMBER 21, 2025

Media Resources: Images | Chevrolet Newsroom

CHEVROLET IN NHRA2025 NHRA 4-WIDE CAROLINA NATIONALSzMAX DRAGWAY CHARLOTTE, NCTEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP | NOTES & QUOTESSEPTEMBER 21, 2025

Media Resources: Images | Chevrolet Newsroom

Post-Race Driver Quotes: AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:“I just love driving this Cornwell Tools Chevy SS race car. I wasn’t feeling great, but you just have to turn everything else off in your life when you have to come out and perform for all your sponsors. So, Mr. H (NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick), another Wally from Charlotte coming home to you. He asked me to get him one yesterday and we delivered, so that’s really special. I’m going to have to buy another trophy. My brother Tom is saying his wife, Halle, had a beautiful baby girl. I can’t wait to get home and meet her.” JACK BECKMAN, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANTS CHEVROLET SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:“Bad time to have my worst light of, well, of the last year and a half. And there is no other way to spin it. We had the quickest car in our group, and I got beat on a double holeshot … 100% driver error. My job is to do the best I can every time I go up there. I got caught on a blinking light, squeezed the brake harder, got out of sequence. Six hundredths of a second doesn’t seem like a lot in life. In drag racing, it’s everything. That is all on my shoulders. It’s a big gut check. Thank goodness for the fans here; they still think that you’re awesome, even the days that you’re far from awesome. I’m sure glad I get a chance to start this again in five days.” BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET DRAGSTER FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:“This HendrickCars.com team isn’t hanging our heads after that second-round loss. I was there on the tree. I was second best in the quad. And, you know, we put a killer number on the board. It just wasn’t meant for us. So, we pack up, we head straight to St. Louis, but we focus on the positive. We were number one qualifier and four, five, six, solid runs down the drag strip. That’s pretty good going into the next race weekend.

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HYDE HAS STRONG QUARTERFINAL FINISH IN CHARLOTTE

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

CHARLOTTE (September 21, 2025) — Rookie standout Spencer Hyde continued to strengthen his case for NHRA Rookie of the Year honors this weekend at the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, powering the Head Inc. Ford Mustang into the second quad for a quarterfinal finish and leaving the event sitting eighth in the championship points standings.

Hyde entered eliminations in the No. 12 qualifying position, thanks to his Q3 pass of 3.967 seconds at 324.12 mph. In the first round, he lined up against veterans Chad Green, Cruz Pedregon and Alexis DeJoria. Rising to the occasion, Hyde delivered his quickest run of the weekend, a 3.944 second, 325.06 mph pass, to take the win light and advance alongside Green.

“We have a race car that can win races and I am getting better with every pass,” said Hyde. “That was a big first-round win for the Head Inc. and Hyde Construction Funny Car team. I can’t say enough about how well this team is working together. We made some great runs in qualifying but it was pretty hot this weekend.”

In the second round, Hyde faced Green again, this time alongside Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman. Despite another strong performance, Green scored a holeshot victory to end Hyde’s day, advancing with No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan. Still, Hyde left encouraged by the progress and momentum his team continues to build.

“We won that first quad because Jim [Head] made all the right calls,” said Hyde. “I was ready and we just got it done. Running four-wide takes some extra concentration and that is something I have been working on. We have four more races and I feel good about our chances. There are a lot of guys bunched up in the points and we just need to keep going rounds.”

With only four races remaining in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Hyde remains firmly in the mix of the Funny Car championship chase, while also strengthening his position as a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors.

Hyde and the Head Racing team will be back in competition next week at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals on September 26-28 at World Wide Technology Raceway. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, September 26 and two more qualifying sessions on Saturday. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Midwest Nationals visit nhra.com.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 6.645 sec, 97.10 mph; Qual. 16
Q2: 4.223 sec, 223.36 mph; Qual. 14
Q3: 3.967 sec, 324.12 mph; Qual. 10
Q4: 4.542 sec, 188.44 mph; Qual. 12
Bonus Points: 0

Race Results
First Round
Win: Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Inc. Funny Car, (.081), 3.944 sec, 325.06 mph
R/U: Chad Green, Midland, Tex., Bond Coat Ford Mustang, (.065), 3.975 sec, 325.61 mph
3^rd: Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind., Snap-on Tools Dodge SRT Hellcat, (.089), 4.021 sec, 311.13 mph
4^th: Alexis DeJoria, Los Angeles, Calif., Bandero Café Funny Car, (.114), 4.689 sec, 173.38 mph

Semifinals
Win: Matt Hagan, Christiansburg, Va., TSR Direct Connection Dodge/SRT Hellcat Funny Car, (.065), 3.963 sec, 327.19 mph
R/U: Chad Green, Midland, Tex., Bond Coat Ford Mustang, (.044), 4.011 sec, 322.50 mph
3^rd: Jack Beckman, Corona, Calif., PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS, (.138), 3.939 sec, 325.69 mph
4^th: Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Inc. Funny Car, (.072), 4.006 sec, 318.02 mph

Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Point Standings – Funny Car
1.         Austin Prock                2298
2.         Ron Capps                   2204
3.         Jack Beckman             2200
4.         Matt Hagan                2199
5.         Paul Lee                      2171

HYDE HAS STRONG QUARTERFINAL
FINISH IN CHARLOTTE

CHARLOTTE (September 21, 2025) — Rookie standout Spencer Hyde continued to strengthen his case for NHRA Rookie of the Year honors this weekend at the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, powering the Head Inc. Ford Mustang into the second quad for a quarterfinal finish and leaving the event sitting eighth in the championship points standings.

Hyde entered eliminations in the No. 12 qualifying position, thanks to his Q3 pass of 3.967 seconds at 324.12 mph. In the first round, he lined up against veterans Chad Green, Cruz Pedregon and Alexis DeJoria. Rising to the occasion, Hyde delivered his quickest run of the weekend, a 3.944 second, 325.06 mph pass, to take the win light and advance alongside Green.

“We have a race car that can win races and I am getting better with every pass,” said Hyde. “That was a big first-round win for the Head Inc. and Hyde Construction Funny Car team. I can’t say enough about how well this team is working together. We made some great runs in qualifying but it was pretty hot this weekend.”

In the second round, Hyde faced Green again, this time alongside Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman. Despite another strong performance, Green scored a holeshot victory to end Hyde’s day, advancing with No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan. Still, Hyde left encouraged by the progress and momentum his team continues to build.

“We won that first quad because Jim [Head] made all the right calls,” said Hyde. “I was ready and we just got it done. Running four-wide takes some extra concentration and that is something I have been working on. We have four more races and I feel good about our chances. There are a lot of guys bunched up in the points and we just need to keep going rounds.”

With only four races remaining in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Hyde remains firmly in the mix of the Funny Car championship chase, while also strengthening his position as a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors.

Hyde and the Head Racing team will be back in competition next week at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals on September 26-28 at World Wide Technology Raceway. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, September 26 and two more qualifying sessions on Saturday. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Midwest Nationals visit nhra.com.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 6.645 sec, 97.10 mph; Qual. 16
Q2: 4.223 sec, 223.36 mph; Qual. 14
Q3: 3.967 sec, 324.12 mph; Qual. 10
Q4: 4.542 sec, 188.44 mph; Qual. 12
Bonus Points: 0

Race Results
First Round
Win: Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Inc. Funny Car, (.081), 3.944 sec, 325.06 mph
R/U: Chad Green, Midland, Tex., Bond Coat Ford Mustang, (.065), 3.975 sec, 325.61 mph
3^rd: Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind., Snap-on Tools Dodge SRT Hellcat, (.089), 4.021 sec, 311.13 mph
4^th: Alexis DeJoria, Los Angeles, Calif., Bandero Café Funny Car, (.114), 4.689 sec, 173.38 mph

Semifinals
Win: Matt Hagan, Christiansburg, Va., TSR Direct Connection Dodge/SRT Hellcat Funny Car, (.065), 3.963 sec, 327.19 mph
R/U: Chad Green, Midland, Tex., Bond Coat Ford Mustang, (.044), 4.011 sec, 322.50 mph
3^rd: Jack Beckman, Corona, Calif., PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS, (.138), 3.939 sec, 325.69 mph
4^th: Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Inc. Funny Car, (.072), 4.006 sec, 318.02 mph

Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Point Standings – Funny Car
1.         Austin Prock                2298
2.         Ron Capps                   2204
3.         Jack Beckman             2200
4.         Matt Hagan                2199
5.         Paul Lee                      2171

6.         Cruz Pedregon             2146
7.         Dan Wilkerson             2142
8.         Spencer Hyde             2132
9.         J.R. Todd                     2116
10.       Alexis DeJoria             2107

Uncategorized

Josh Hart Exceptional Driving Effort Comes up Short in Charlotte

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

Uncategorized

All Four Team Chevy Playoff Drivers Earn Top-10 Finishes to Open the Round of 12

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

NASCAR Cup Series New Hampshire Motor Speedway Round of 12: Race One Team Chevy Post-Race Report September 21, 2025

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

William Byron earned his career-best NASCAR Cup Series finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – driving his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to a third-place finish to open the Round of 12. Byron led Chevrolet to a manufacturer-leading five top-10 results in the 301-lap race including all four of its playoff drivers with Chase Elliott in fifth, Kyle Larson in seventh and Ross Chastain in ninth.
With Race One of Three in the books for the Round of 12, three Team Chevy playoff contenders will leave New Hampshire Motor Speedway above the cutline – led by William Byron in the second position (+47), Kyle Larson in third (+41) and Chase Elliott in seventh (+14).
William Byron’s campaign for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship continued with a top-five qualifying effort at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to begin the Round of 12. A strong start for the 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native found the No. 24 Chevrolet in the third position on the opening lap – going on to maintain a position in the top-five throughout the first green-flag run of the race. With the first caution of the race falling with eight laps remaining in the stage, the majority of the lead pack hit pit road for the first stop of the day before a one-lap shootout to end Stage One. Byron and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, were two of the five playoff contenders that banked points in the opening stage – driving their Chevrolet-powered machines to third- and sixth-place points, respectively.
Approaching the halfway point of Stage One, Kyle Larson made his first appearance in the top-10 to become the biggest mover at that point of the race with six positions gained in his No. 5 Chevrolet. The 33-year-old Elk Grove, California, native settled into the top-10 before ultimately earning sixth-place points at the drop of the first green-white checkered flag.
Riding the momentum from three-straight top-15 finishes, Carson Hocevar ended the opening stage in the fifth position before making an early climb up to third to pace the Bowtie brigade through the first green-flag stint of Stage Two. After a pair of caution flags, Kyle Larson found himself in the runner-up position and quickly closed in for a battle with then race leader, Chase Briscoe. Larson went on to take over the top position on Lap 135 to tally his first lap led of the day. Reporting tight conditions in the corner for his No. 5 Chevrolet, a timely caution on Lap 148 allowed Crew Chief, Cliff Daniels, to bring his driver down pit road for a fresh pair of right-side tires and fuel. Running steady at a one-second margin behind then race leader, Joey Logano, Larson went on to end Stage Two in the second position – leading four Team Chevy drivers in the top-10 including fellow playoff contenders William Byron (third) and Chase Elliott (seventh).
Already familiar faces in the top-five, William Byron and Kyle Larson led Team Chevy to the start of the final stage. Approaching a green-flag pit cycle, the duo made the dive to pit road for a fresh set of Goodyear tires and fuel with 65 laps to go in the race and ultimately cycled back up into the top-five for 17 laps under green before the caution came back out. An issue exiting his pit stall under the caution resulted in a slight loss of track position for the No. 5 Chevrolet team – putting the driver in the seventh position for the restart. Going green for the remainder of the race, Byron took the checkered flag in the third position – leading Team Chevy to five top-10 results at the “Magic Mile”.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos. Driver

3rd – William Byron 5th – Chase Elliott7th – Kyle Larson8th – Michael McDowell9th – Ross Chastain

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 30 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 12Poles: 11Top-Fives: 56Top 10s: 122Stage Wins: 22

UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 will continue at Kansas Speedway with the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, September 28, at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

NASCAR Cup SeriesNew Hampshire Motor SpeedwayRound of 12: Race OneTeam Chevy Post-Race ReportSeptember 21, 2025

All Four Team Chevy Playoff Drivers Earn Top-10 Finishes to Open the Round of 12

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos. Driver

3rd – William Byron 5th – Chase Elliott7th – Kyle Larson8th – Michael McDowell9th – Ross Chastain

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 30 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 12Poles: 11Top-Fives: 56Top 10s: 122Stage Wins: 22

Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 9th“I thought we had a respectable race. Our No. 1 Kubota Chevrolet was too tight for most of the race. We spent most of the race trying to get it to turn better. But once we got that better, we went back forward. When we were too tight, we went backwards. I think we just started the day overall too tight and needed to get some wedge out throughout the race, but it just took us a little while. We’ll take a top-10 finish and go back to work to get ready for Kansas (Speedway). Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 13th“Proud of the effort from our Toys for Tots team. We fought hard for that one. The car was more rigid over the bumps and lacked rear grip at the beginning. We got on the other side of that but then were too tight. Boswell (crew chief) and the guys kept making adjustments and we definitely made it better. The top rolled on restarts to gain ground at the end and we came home with a solid finish which was needed after our last few weeks.” Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 7th“I thought it was a good day for the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team. At times, I thought we were the third or fourth-best car, and then just on cycled tires and right-sides, I just wasn’t as good on those runs. We’ll just look at that and see what we can learn from it. But all-in-all, it was a great day. It was a great points day with getting points in both stages. We want more, but it was a pretty solid day and start to the Round of 12.” Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 30th “The No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet struggled with no lateral as the race began today at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and while the entire Richard Childress Racing team was working to get us back to the front, we got caught up in the crash early in Stage 2 and battled front-end damage the remainder of the race. Our focus remains returning the No. 8 to victory lane, and we hope to do just that next weekend at Kansas Speedway.” Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 5th“The day was good for the No. 9 NAPA Chevy team. Just hate we had to not pit for track position because you want to be up there in the mix. But the way it all worked out, we got some stage points there in Stage Two and got a good result with a top-five finish. We’ll go to Kansas (Speedway) and try it again.” You’ve got a little points cushion going into Kansas. How do you feel going into the next race? Does that give you any extra confidence? “No, there’s no such thing as being safe in this deal. We’ll just lay it out there again next weekend and hope for the best.” William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 3rd“It was a good day overall for this No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet team. I felt like a lot of things that we’ve just kind of been building on for the short-tracks were working for us. I feel like New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been tricky for me in the Cup car. I felt like I was good in the other series, but this place in the Cup car has been tough on us. We’re just trying to build little bits here and there, and I just felt like we could really stack runs together. We had a couple of weak runs in Stage One and the start of Stage Two. But once we got that out of the way, I felt like we were really strong. The Penske guys were super-fast, like they were in another zip code. But I felt like other than that, we were really competitive. Just really proud of our team. If we can just build on this, I think our short-track program will start coming together.” Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 8th“It was a solid day for the No. 71 Gainbridge Chevrolet team. We had good speed and ran in the top-10 for most of the day. We lost some track position a few times. We had a bad restart that kind of got us behind. But I felt like we had good pace. We had good strategy and calls on pit road and made some good improvements. We had a really good long-run car, but just needed a few more laps there at the end to get a few more positions. Overall, this team had great execution, and it was a good day. We still need a little bit more, but we’re getting close.”

Uncategorized

ASHLEY TAKES HOME WALLY TROPHY IN CHARLOTTE FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS

September 23, 2025 ARP Trish

Toyota extends zMAX Dragway win streak to five

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 21, 2025) – Justin Ashley used his signature reaction time to perfection in the final round Sunday afternoon at zMAX Dragway, winning on a holeshot to claim victory in the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals. The triumph is Ashley’s fourth win of the 2025 season and the 19th of his Top Fuel career. The win by Ashley also gives Toyota five consecutive wins at zMAX Dragway.

Ashley had to defeat Toyota teammates Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon in the final round on Sunday. Kalitta, who finished runner-up, remains the Top Fuel points leader heading to World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis next weekend. Antron Brown and Steve Torrence advanced to the semifinals on Sunday also.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps advanced to the semifinals but suffered a car body explosion as he neared the finish line, ending his day before a potential final round appearance. J.R. Todd was eliminated in round one.

Toyota Post-Race Recap

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series

NHRA Four-Wide Carolina Nationals

zMAX Dragway

Race 16 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Winner	Adv. (3.811) v. S. Langdon (3.792) v. T. Schumacher (3.865) v. D. Foley (4.054) W (3.788 -holeshot) v. S. Langdon (3.761) v. T. Stewart (3.784) v. B. Force (3.773) W (3.784 – holeshot) v. D. Kalitta (3.784) v. S. Langdon (3.814) v. C. Millican (4.235)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Runner-Up	W (3.757) v. A. Brown (3.780) v. J. Hart (3.820) W (3.797) v. C. Millican (3.821) v. A. Brown (3.844) v. S. Torrence (4.141) R/U (3.784) v. J. Ashley (3.784 – holeshot) v. S. Langdon (3.814) v. C. Millican (4.235)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finals	W (3.792) v. J. Ashley (3.811) v. T. Schumacher (3.865) v. D. Foley (4.054) Adv. (3.761) v. J. Ashley (3.788 -holeshot) v. T. Stewart (3.784) v. B. Force (3.773) L (3.814) v. J. Ashley (3.784 – holeshot) v. D. Kalitta (3.784) v. v. C. Millican (4.235)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	Adv. (3.780) v. D. Kalitta (3.757) v. J. Hart (3.820) L (3.844) v. D. Kalitta (3.797) v. C. Millican (3.821) v. S. Torrence (4.141)
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	W (3.754) v. D. Mercier (3.761) v. C. Millican (3.785) L (4.141) v. D. Kalitta (3.797) v. C. Millican (3.821) v. A. Brown (3.844)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-finals	W (3.894) v. D. Wilkerson (3.957) v. P. Lee (4.020) v. D. Richards (4.023) L (4.358) v. A. Prock (3.930) v. D. Wilkerson (4.072) v. B. Tasca III (4.014)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (4.302) v. J. Beckman (3.939) v. M. Hagan (3.949) v. J. Smith (6.664)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing

TF Final Result: Winner

Does this win make you and your team in play for the world title?

“Yeah, for sure! It’s a long Countdown – plenty to go. There’s a bunch of really good cars out there. Right now, we can only control what we can control which is taking it one lap and one race at a time. I know that’s cliché, but fact of the matter is, it’s true. We have to take care of business and let the points take care of themselves. Great job to Mike Green (co-crew chief), Tommy DeLago (co-crew chief) and our whole SCAG Power Equipment Toyota team. The car has been so straight (this weekend), so smooth and they did an awesome job. Thanks to all our SCAG dealers and distributors here with us this weekend, everyone at Toyota, Mac Tools, Mobil 1. It takes a team, and everyone did it as a team (today). Four-wide (Nationals) win; Countdown win. Doesn’t get any better than this!”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Final Result: Semi-finals

How do you process something like that to the car body?

ASHLEY TAKES HOME WALLY TROPHY IN CHARLOTTE FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS

Toyota extends zMAX Dragway win streak to five

Toyota Post-Race Recap

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series

NHRA Four-Wide Carolina Nationals

zMAX Dragway

Race 16 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Winner	Adv. (3.811) v. S. Langdon (3.792) v. T. Schumacher (3.865) v. D. Foley (4.054) W (3.788 -holeshot) v. S. Langdon (3.761) v. T. Stewart (3.784) v. B. Force (3.773) W (3.784 – holeshot) v. D. Kalitta (3.784) v. S. Langdon (3.814) v. C. Millican (4.235)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Runner-Up	W (3.757) v. A. Brown (3.780) v. J. Hart (3.820) W (3.797) v. C. Millican (3.821) v. A. Brown (3.844) v. S. Torrence (4.141) R/U (3.784) v. J. Ashley (3.784 – holeshot) v. S. Langdon (3.814) v. C. Millican (4.235)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finals	W (3.792) v. J. Ashley (3.811) v. T. Schumacher (3.865) v. D. Foley (4.054) Adv. (3.761) v. J. Ashley (3.788 -holeshot) v. T. Stewart (3.784) v. B. Force (3.773) L (3.814) v. J. Ashley (3.784 – holeshot) v. D. Kalitta (3.784) v. v. C. Millican (4.235)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	Adv. (3.780) v. D. Kalitta (3.757) v. J. Hart (3.820) L (3.844) v. D. Kalitta (3.797) v. C. Millican (3.821) v. S. Torrence (4.141)
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	W (3.754) v. D. Mercier (3.761) v. C. Millican (3.785) L (4.141) v. D. Kalitta (3.797) v. C. Millican (3.821) v. A. Brown (3.844)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-finals	W (3.894) v. D. Wilkerson (3.957) v. P. Lee (4.020) v. D. Richards (4.023) L (4.358) v. A. Prock (3.930) v. D. Wilkerson (4.072) v. B. Tasca III (4.014)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (4.302) v. J. Beckman (3.939) v. M. Hagan (3.949) v. J. Smith (6.664)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing

TF Final Result: Winner

Does this win make you and your team in play for the world title?

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Final Result: Semi-finals

How do you process something like that to the car body?

“Well, those (things) are sudden. Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) will find out why (the car) did it. These are the most amazing race cars in the world — and the fastest by far. Been doing it a long time. They’re the fastest motorsports on the planet, but (also) the safest. That happening, I still didn’t feel like I was out of control. The car was sort of bouncing around. Just a tribute to everyone who works on these cars, builds them and spends extra time on the cockpits and making them safe. Guido’s really good about that. And all of our NAPA people. They’re out here supporting us. This gets expensive for whoever’s budget. But, what a NAPA Auto Care GR Supra Funny Car! To go 3.89 (twice). Not sure if it put a hole out. Didn’t feel like it did. Austin (Prock) poked his nose out and that’s the last I remember. Then I was coasting to the finish line, trying to not do what we did in Phoenix — hit the wall. Hope the chassis is okay. Tried to get out and find the camera to wave to my mom so she knew I was okay.”

Uncategorized

THUNDERBOWL THRILLER: David Gravel Inches Out Spencer Bayston for $83,000 Dennis Roth Classic Victory

September 22, 2025 ARP Trish

An eventful 35-lapper ends in a drag race to the finish and the defending champion’s 14th win of the year

TULARE, CA (September 20, 2025) – Saturday’s Dennis Roth Classic finale delivered a Sprint Car fan’s dream race.

Tulare, CA’s Thunderbowl Raceway gave the packed grandstands everything they could ask for and then some in 35 laps. A surface with multiple grooves. An early battle for the lead that led to contact and some drama. A late duel for the top spot that resulted in a photo finish for major money. Simply put, the Thunderbowl did not disappoint.

The opening stages of the $83,000-to-win main event pitted a pair of California natives against each other. Templeton, CA’s Kaleb Montgomery led from the pole but had Clovis, CA’s Corey Day close behind. Day slid ahead on Lap 5 restart and took control until Montgomery returned the favor on a restart on the 18th circuit. The two came together down the back straightaway and again in Turn 3 as Montgomery charged back at Day. The result? Montgomery slowed with damage to bring out a caution, and Day ducked into the pits under the yellow also with damage. From racing for $83,000 to both of their nights done just like that.

The woes for that duo put the spotlight on another two as World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion David Gravel and Spencer Bayston inherited first and second for the next restart. The laps clicked away, and Bayston kept the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 within his sights as he fended off challenges from Michael “Buddy” Kofoid. The Lebanon, IN native was fully committed to the cushion as Gravel opted for the top in Turns 1 and 2 and the bottom in Turns 3 and 4.

The run Bayston was looking for came when the white flag flew as he pulled the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21 alongside Gravel. Bayston then got tight in the first corner and pounded the right rear tire on the fence, which looked to seal the deal for Gravel. But Bayston wasn’t done. He turned down the hill exiting Turn 2 for a run, and Gravel struggled with a lapped car heading into the final set of turns. Gravel drifted across while Bayston ripped the top and slipped under him exiting the last corner. A side by side drag race to the checkered flag resulted in Gravel edging out Bayston by just .021 seconds for the Dennis Roth Classic victory.

“I saw him (Bayston) go around me coming to the white and knew I had to fill the hole in (Turns) 1 and 2,” Gravel explained. “I knew I wanted to get under Gauge (Garcia) there and just drove in way too hard and couldn’t stick the middle and had to slide all the way across, and I figured he was coming with a run. What a race. Crazy deal what happened in the front there (between Kaleb and Corey) and gave us a shot to win there. I think if those two guys don’t get together, we probably don’t have a shot to win the race. I’m just glad to hang on. You don’t want to lose races like that, especially big paying ones. It feels good to win another race at Tulare. The track had a lot of character.

“It was the race of the year. Hopefully everybody liked that. I’ve always loved Tulare, coming to Trophy Cup with Rod Tiner and driving for Roth Motorsports. I always have fun coming here. You can boo me. You can cheer for me. Thank you for the support. Sprint Car racing is awesome.”

Gravel and the Big Game team pocketed $83,000 and took home 30 pounds of ribeye from Roth Motorsports for their 14th win of 2025. The Watertown, CT native also made a little history as his fourth Thunderbowl triumph with the World of Outlaws equaled him with Joey Saldana and Tim Kaeding for the most. Through four runnings, he’s also now the only one of Dennis Roth’s 16 World of Outlaws winning drivers to claim the Dennis Roth Classic. Gravel wheeled the iconic No. 83 to four victories in 2014.

With every joy of victory, there’s the agony of defeat. That’s what Spencer Bayston was left with following Saturday’s Feature. Yes, it was an encouraging run with the Tarlton team. Yes, he continued to add to the list of impressive runs he’s put together since parting ways in Jason Meyers Racing in August. Yes, it was a healthy $40,000 runner-up. But Bayston so badly wanted that first Sprint Car win since August of 2023 and had to settle for second by inches.

“I did because I saw him enter down in the bottom of (Turn) 3 and knew I had the top to myself to get a big run,” Bayston said of his chances on the final lap. “I saw him come flying across. I know when you’re racing for $83,000, he doesn’t care where I am to the right of him, so I knew he was coming all the way up. So, I tried to just kind of time it off the cushion as hard as I could to have the advantage on the drag race back to the line. I just didn’t hard enough and spun a little bit. I was looking dead right at him as we went to see if I was edging or not. It was close. It absolutely burns to lose that way when I was in second but kind of had him where I wanted him the whole time.”

Buddy Kofoid put the Roth Motorsports No. 83 on the final step of the podium at the Dennis Roth Classic. That added another $15,000 to the bank account of the sport’s highest earner this year. The Penngrove, CA native has now finished second and third in the race saluting his team owner, and he’s already thinking about how to stand atop the podium next year.

“Once I got to third, I felt pretty good and felt like I was kind of starting to contend with Spencer and David a little bit,” Kofoid said. “I was waiting for traffic, but it just never came. I wanted to be on the top, and Spencer was up there. It was just really dirty and gritty up there and hard to make speed behind someone, but I just felt like I was giving up too much on the bottom in (Turns) 3 and 4. It sucks to run second and third now at Dennis’ race, but again I’m really thankful to be driving Dennis and Teresa Roth’s famous No. 83.”

Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz completed the top five.

Chris Windom marched from 27th to ninth to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

David Gravel claimed his 19th Simpson Quick Time of 2025 in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Spencer Bayston (Real American Beer Heat Two), Carson Macedo (Wix Filters Heat Three), and Garet Williamson (DeBoer and Sons Trucking Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Kaleb Montgomery.

Montgomery also topped the Toyota Dash.

Landon Brooks won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Corey Day.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to Ohio where Sheldon Haudenschild’s Buckeye Brawl presented by NOS Energy Drink brings the tour back to Findlay, OH’s Millstream Speedway for the first time in 31 years on Friday, Sept. 26. Then it’s the final “Buckeye State” appearance of the year at Sharon Speedway (Hartford, OH) on Saturday, Sept. 27 for the Federated Auto Parts Showdown. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

THUNDERBOWL THRILLER: David Gravel Inches Out Spencer Bayston for $83,000 Dennis Roth Classic Victory

An eventful 35-lapper ends in a drag race to the finish and the defending champion’s 14th win of the year

TULARE, CA (September 20, 2025) – Saturday’s Dennis Roth Classic finale delivered a Sprint Car fan’s dream race.

Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz completed the top five.

Chris Windom marched from 27th to ninth to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

David Gravel claimed his 19th Simpson Quick Time of 2025 in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Kaleb Montgomery.

Montgomery also topped the Toyota Dash.

Landon Brooks won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Corey Day.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[5]; 2. 21-Spencer Bayston[2]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[6]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo[4]; 5. W-Donny Schatz[10]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[9]; 7. 18T-Tanner Holmes[13]; 8. 41S-Dominic Scelzi[12]; 9. 7S-Chris Windom[27]; 10. 15S-Kerry Madsen[15]; 11. 18-Emerson Axsom[25]; 12. X1-Chance Grasty[14]; 13. 2C-Cole Macedo[18]; 14. 73-Ryan Bernal[24]; 15. 99-Skylar Gee[17]; 16. 21L-Landon Brooks[21]; 17. 17B-Bill Balog[26]; 18. 0-Tim Kaeding[19]; 19. 2K-Gauge Garcia[23]; 20. 121-Caeden Steele[20]; 21. 88N-DJ Netto[8]; 22. 14BC-Corey Day[3]; 23. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[1]; 24. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[22]; 25. 23-Garet Williamson[7]; 26. 17W-Shane Golobic[11]; 27. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[28]; 28. 45-Cory Eliason[16]

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Matt Covington Wins American Sprint Car Series Return to I-55 Raceway

September 22, 2025 ARP Trish

PEVELY, MO (Sept. 20, 2025) — The American Sprint Car Series’ return to I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park Saturday night was worth all 30 years it took to get the national stars back to the high banks.

In the end, Matt Covington was the driver who tasted victory at the iconic Missouri oval, making the pass on Kyler Johnson in the final laps and holding on through a green-white-checkered finish to bag his third win of the season, the $10,000 grand prize and the first Series checkered flag at the venue since 1995.

“It’s cool. The racetrack is awesome, and I hope we get to come back again,” he said.

After Johnson took the lead from Blake Hahn on Lap 8, he began to open a gap on Covington, which reached slightly over a full second as they rode the high side through traffic around the 1/3-mile track.

Covington made the pass on Hahn to take second on a Lap 10 restart and, after another restart on Lap 11, immediately began his hunt for Johnson and the race lead. His right-rear tire against the cushion, Covington chased Johnson for the next 17 laps, waiting for a mistake to capitalize on.

“I don’t know what it was coming out of (Turn) 2, but the car would hoppy right there,” Covington said. “Honestly, what I felt like made me faster was when I slowed down a little bit. I didn’t attack the curb as hard. A little more brake, a little less throttle.

“It kept the car a little more settled, and I actually felt like I picked up speed by doing that.”

With three laps left, Covington got the opportunity he was looking for. Johnson’s pace abruptly slowed entering Turn 1 as he attempted to get by the lapped traffic in front of him, and Covington immediately closed the gap.

“With lapped traffic there, it just kinda bit me,” Johnson said. “We had two cars up top and then one kind of on the bottom. The one that was running the bottom went to the top, so I was gonna slide him, and then he decided to go to the bottom.”

Down the backstretch and through Turns 3 and 4 they stayed nose-to-tail until Covington dove deep into Turn 1 and slid up in front of Johnson to take the lead out of Turn 2.

“I knew [Johnson’s] car was really fast, but I knew that if I was gonna get by him, we’d have a good shot in lapped traffic,” Covington said. “I got a lot more years of experience, and lapped traffic was where I thought I would excel, and it just worked out that way this time.

“I don’t think he did anything wrong. Sometimes, it’s just hard, and sometimes it’s better running second.”

The caution flag flew one lap later, restacking the field for a green-white-checkered finish and giving Johnson one chance to get back by Covington for the lead.

“I knew the top in (Turns) 1 and 2 was gonna get pretty rough; you had to be pretty technical up there,” Johnson said. “I saw [Garrett Benson] under me just the lap before that, so I knew he was gonna be on the bottom. So, my only option was to try to stick the bottom out of 2, and just couldn’t quite get a good enough run to pull Matt. We could hang even, but we couldn’t quite clear him.”

Covington got a strong takeoff on the restart and drove away with his 22nd career Series victory.

“I tried to start early,” Covington said. “They tell us that we can start anywhere from (Turn) 3 to 4, and I started pretty early into 3, and sometimes that catches a guy off guard. If your car’s good, you feel like you have that much more of a corner to stretch it out a little bit.”

Johnson held on for second place, tying his best career finish with the Series that he set at WaKeeney Speedway in August.

“Matt did a great job; congrats to him and their team. It definitely hurts to lose it with two-to-go, but we’ll get one here soon,” Johnson said.

Crossing the finish line third was leading Rookie of the Year contender Garrett Benson, who ascended from seventh on the starting grid to collect his fourth third-place finish of the season and second podium in two nights.

“I want to win one of these really bad,” Benson said. “This is an awesome track, definitely my favorite now. Each track we go to, I’m like, ‘That one’s my favorite.’ Well, this one tops them all. It’s the most demanding track, up on the wheel.”

Seth Bergman crossed the stripe in fourth while polesitter Blake Hahn rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT

The American Sprint Car Series takes the next two weekends off before returning to action at Salt City Speedway in Hutchinson, KS, for a two-day event Friday–Saturday, Oct. 10–11.

Tickets for the event will be sold at the track on race day. If you can’t be there to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Matt Covington Wins American Sprint Car Series Return to I-55 Raceway