(5/13/24 – Ben Deatherage) Sacramento, CA … The wait for an entire weekend of NARC 410 Sprint Car Series racing is almost over, as the 900+ horsepower behemoths of the tour are in action not once but twice, this Saturday and Sunday! First, Thunderbowl Raceway will be the first stop on Saturday, May 18th, for KRC Safety Night.But wait, there is more! The Stockton Dirt Track will visit the reconfigured ¼-mile track for a Sunday Twilight Show spectacular for the rescheduled Salute to LeRoy Van Conett.Among them will be Easton, CA driver Caeden Steele, the current leader in the race for the NARC Rookie of the Year award.  He sits ninth in the standings.”I’m excited to get back to 410 racing, especially Tulare,” said Steele.  “I have a lot of laps there, and that’s one of my favorite tracks because it really fits my driving style.  The season has been pretty great so far. We’ve been lucky enough to avoid some of the wrecks, so we’ll see if we can continue that.”The journey to the famed 1/3-mile clay oval in Tulare marks the fourth event of the 65th Anniversary season for the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series, followed by the Stockton Dirt Track show.The companion divisions for the Tulare are the Kings of Thunder 360 Sprints and West Coast Sport Compacts, while the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets will be on the card on Sunday for Stockton.Sunday’s race will honor the living legend LeRoy Van Conett, one of the all-time great drivers to come out of California.  The “Dragon from Galt” scored eight NARC titles (1969, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, and 1984) and won the track title at Calistoga Speedway on seven occasions.  He was the 1976 Gold Cup Race of Champions winner at the defunct West Capital Raceway. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1999.  The Van Conett race was established in 2016, and Shane Golobic and D.J. Netto are tied for the most wins at this event, with two apiece. Championship ChaseWith three completed rounds in the 2024 schedule, the march for the King of the West championship is still in the early stages.Cole Macedo enters the weekend as the series point leader. He is a tough customer to beat on the track and has yet to finish outside the top five this season. The Lemoore racer, piloting the Tarlton Motorsports #21 entry, already has won two of three events in 2024 and is coming off of a fifth-place result at Antioch.  Aromas driver Justin Sanders, the winner of last Saturday’s show at Antioch, is only 11-points behind Macedo.Who to WatchMany Central Valley-based competitors will attend, several of which are competing for the Rookie Of The Year honors. Steele currently leads the chase as the BCCR Racing #121 entry has been incredible despite a limited number of 410 Sprint Car starts to his name.Gauge Garcia, from Lemoore, is looking to bounce back from a hard flip last weekend.  The Keller Motorsports #2K team is also looking to try and build on their tenth-place finish in their most recent Stockton NARC outing.Dominic Gorden is looking to keep early-season gremlins behind him.  The Clovis teenager had a season-best result last Saturday with his 12th-place effort.Mariah Ede made her NARC debut last weekend. She is one of the newest members of the massive pool of 410 talent from California and has an extremely bright future. The Fresno racer will be running both tracks for the first time in a 410 between the frame rails.Another local driver also making the journey is the aforementioned Netto, from Hanford, who is always a threat to win against the competition when he rolls into the pit area.  The 2019 NARC champion has twice won with the series at Stockton, which happens to be the Van Conett Tribute and grabbed a victory at Tulare in 2015.Justin Sanders got a big win last weekend for the Mittry Motorsports #2X team at the Contra Costa County Clash. The Aromas racer didn’t win; he dominated, leading all the laps of the feature, setting a quick time, and winning the dash. He will undoubtedly look to continue that positive momentum. Sanders was third in his last Tulare outing with NARC and has two Stockton wins.The previously referenced Golobic will looking to score his 16th career NARC victory. The Matt Wood Racing #17W entry has finished second in three shows so far.  The Fremont racer will look to win his second career Tulare win with the series for the first time since 2018. His only two NARC wins at Stockton were during the Van Conett race.Other NARC 410 Series regulars in action will include 2017 champion Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Justyn Cox from Roseville, Oakley pilot Dylan Bloomfield, Billy Aton from Benicia, Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Chico pilots Nick Parker and Michael Ing, and Jarrett Soares of Gilroy. Other notable names expected will be two-time NARC champ Dominic Scelzi from Fresno, Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick, and Ryan Bernal of Roseville.Fan & Competitor InfoThunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds at 620 South K Street in Tulare, California. Grandstand Tickets are $35.00 for Adults, Seniors $33.00, Kids (6-12) $18.00, and 5 and Under are FREE. Bleacher Tickets are $30.00 for Adults, $28.00 for Seniors, Kids (6-12 for $15.00, and 4 and Under are FREE.The Front Gates open at 4:00 PM, Qualifying at 6:00 p.m., and racing at 7:00.Additional information can be found at www.thunderbowlraceway.com.The Stockton Dirt Track is located at the San Joaquin County Fairground at 1658 S Airport Way in Stockton, California. Tickets are $30.00 for Adults, Juniors (5-17)/Seniors (65+)/Military (with ID) $25.00, and 4 and Under are FREE. Please note that there is a $10.00 cash-only parking fee for spectators. Online tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/narc-410-king-of-the-west-sprint-cars-bcra-midgets-tickets-890659044177?aff=website.The Pit Gates will open at 1:00 pm, and qualifying will kick off at 4:00 p.m, with racing starting around 5:15 pm.Additional information can be found at www.stocktondirttrack.com.The NARC racing format includes qualifying, four 8-lap heat races, an exciting six-lap trophy dash, a 12-lap last chance race, and a 30-lap main event.The NARC 410 Sprint Series is the leading 410 Sprint Car tour west of the Rocky Mountains. Since 1960, it has enthralled countless thousands of fans from tracks up and down the Pacific Coast. For more information, visit its website at www.narc410.com or social media pages.The event at Thunderbowl Raceway and the Stockton Dirt Track’s Salute To LeRoy Van Conett, along with every NARC 410 Sprint Car Series race, can be viewed live on Floracing.com.Past Salute To Leroy Van Conett Winners:
2016- Cory Eliason
2017- Shane Golobic
2018- Tim Kaeding
2019- Shane Golobic
2021- D.J. Netto
2022- D.J. NettoThe NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires and Floracing.com. Associate and product award sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, Diversified Machine Inc., Jim Allen Promotions, Kaeding Performance Center, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, KSE Racing Enterprises, Lifeline LLC, Maxim Racing Products, Mettec Titanium, Pyrotect, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Scelzi Enterprises, SCI Racing Products, Starr Property Management, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Lite Brakes, Williams Roofing, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Winters Performance Products.NARC 410 SPRINT CARS SERIES
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
(AFTER THREE EVENTS IN 23-RACE SERIES – 5/13/24)

1. Cole Macedo, Lemoore – 421
2. Justin Sanders, Aromas – 410
3. Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 407
4. Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 404
5. Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 400
6. Sean Becker, Roseville – 399
7. Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 397
8. Shane Golobic, Fremont – 397
9. Caeden Steele, Fresno (R) – 395
10. Nick Parker, Chico – 395
11. Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 387
12. Gauge Garcia, Lemoore (R) – 384
13. Justyn Cox, Clarksburg – 382
14. Jarrett Soares, Gilroy – 362
15. Dominic Gorden, Clovis (R) – 360
16. Billy Aton, Benicia – 359
17. Michael Ing, Chico – 344
18. Burt Foland Jr, San Jose – 339
19. Ryan Bernal, Roseville – 262
20. DJ Netto, Hanford – 252

UPCOMING EVENTS:
June 1 – Placerville Speedway – Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial
FASTEST FIVE DAYS IN MOTORSPORTS
June 12 – Southern Oregon Speedway (Central Point, OR) – Wild Wednesday Sprint Cars
June 13 – The Douglas County Dirtrack (Roseburg, OR) – Thursday Night Thunder
June 14 – Cottage Grove Speedway (Cottage Grove, OR) – Friday Night Frenzy
June 15 – Willamette Speedway (Lebanon, OR) – Sprint Car Invasion
June 16 – Grays Harbor Raceway (Elma, CA) – Fathers Day Timber CupJune 20-22 – Skagit Speedway (Burlington, WA) – Jim Raper Super Dirt Cup
June 29 – Silver Dollar Speedway (Chico, CA) – David Tarter Memorial

Tickets for all three 2024 PFL Global Season Playoff Events available Thursday, May 16th only via Ticketmaster! Women’s Flyweight and Heavyweight Playoffs at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN on August 2  Light Heavyweight and Lightweight Playoffs at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL on August 16 Welterweight and Featherweight Playoffs at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. on August 23  2024 PFL Global Season Playoffs, available live across ESPN platforms in the U.S. and via DAZN in Canada, Europe and additional premium sports platforms internationally

INFORMATION HERE

DARLINGTON, SC – May 13, 2024 – Brad Keselowski won Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, marking his first win as RFK Racing co-owner, 36th of his career, and second at Darlington Raceway. This was Ford Performance’s first win of the 2024 season with the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

“Congratulations to Jack, Brad, Matt, and everyone at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing on the race win at Darlington,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Brad and Matt were fast in qualifying and maintained that speed throughout the entire race. Everyone at Ford Performance, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, and Roush Yates Engines has worked hard this year to bring the Mustang Dark Horse to victory lane and winning at a difficult track like Darlington is really special.”

“It’s just so great to be here in Darlington. I love this track. I love coming here. It’s a special place to me whether you win or not, but to run up front all day and have a great car, qualify up front, it was just an awesome day for Castrol. I’m glad for Ford. Ford has been working really hard to get us up here and here we are. We got them a win, so they don’t have to hear about that anymore. I’m happy for Ford. Hopefully, there are more great things to come. It was a total team effort from the top to the bottom to get us to where we could have a fast car. We executed on pit road, led laps and were there when it counted at the end,” commented Keselowski.

Brad Keselowski started Sunday’s 400-mile race in second and led 37 laps after battling pole sitter Tyler Reddick for most of the afternoon. With 33 laps remaining in the race, Keselowski and Reddick raced side-by-side for a few laps until both were passed by Keselowski’s teammate Chris Buescher. Buescher drove down to the bottom of the track and sped past Keselowski and Reddick to assume the lead. With 10 laps remaining, Buescher and Reddick made contact causing both cars to cut a tire, allowing Keselowski to take the lead. Keselowski took the checkered flag and finished 1.214 seconds ahead of runner-up Ty Gibbs.

A total of five Ford Performance drivers finished in the top 10: Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry finished in P3 along with teammate Chase Briscoe in P5, Rick Ware Racing’s Justin Haley in P9, and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell in P10.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series also raced at Darlington on Saturday. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer started from the pole and finished in P3 while teammate Riley Herbst finished in P7. The NASCAR Cup Series heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend for the All-Star Race while the Xfinity Series takes a one-week break and races next at Charlotte.

39 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 459 WINS – 429 POLES

CHICAGO (May 9, 2024) – Last season, drag racing fans were thrilled to see Chicago native TJ Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster return to action on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Once again Zizzo Racing led by team owner Tony Zizzo and driver TJ will start their season at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals, May 17-19, at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois. The wildly popular event returned last season with sold out grandstands and racing action that included a run to the semifinals by Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team. With a busy off-season behind them, Zizzo Racing is even more prepared and excited to get the 2024 season underway.   “Last year we had all new equipment and had been away from the sport, so it took us some time to get our feet under ourselves,” said Zizzo, one of the most respected drivers on the tour. “We want to represent Rust-Oleum and all our sponsors to the highest level when we hit the track so our goal in Chicago and throughout the season will be to make the most of qualifying and then give it our all on race day. This team has a lot of experience and most importantly we have a lot of heart.”   Last season one of the major contributors to Zizzo Racing’s return and success was the addition of a new race car thanks to a generous offer by NHRA Hall of Fame driver and team owner, Don Schumacher. Over the off-season, Schumacher lost a courageous battle against cancer and the loss weighs heavily on the entire Zizzo Racing team and NHRA community. There will be a number of celebratory memorial events for Schumacher, and he will be top of mind for Zizzo throughout the event and rest of the season.   “Don Schumacher is one of the major reasons Zizzo Racing is still getting to do what we love,” said Zizzo. “He was a great friend and mentor. His impact on racing and the Chicago business community was massive. I think about him every day and every time I go into the shop, I am thankful for every opportunity, every conversation, and the words of encouragement he gave me and our team over the many, many years we raced together and against each other. He was one of the iconic figures in our sport and this weekend will be a celebration of his generosity and impact.”   The Zizzo Racing team has always prided themselves on being race ready no matter when their season starts.  They will begin their 2024 limited race schedule with the Route 66 Nationals and then compete throughout the summer at the Norwalk Nationals, June 27-30 (Norwalk, Ohio), the historic U.S. Nationals, the iconic Norwalk Night Under Fire, August 3 (Norwalk, Ohio), August 28-September 2 (Indianapolis, Indiana) and the Midwest Nationals, September 27-29 (St. Louis, Missouri). At each of these races Zizzo, will be campaigning the beautiful Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster, one of the fastest accelerating race cars on the planet, harnessing 12,000-horsepower and exceeding speeds of 330 mph in less than 3.7 seconds.   “There is nothing that can compare to hitting the throttle on the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster,” said Zizzo, who has raced to one final round in his Top Fuel career. “You can’t really describe it other than to say it is a handful, beautiful, powerful, and amazing all at once and as soon as you make a 3.7 second pass you want to get right back in the cockpit and do it again. I am looking forward to getting the season started in Chicago and talking with fans across the country about Rust-Oleum and how cool the NHRA is.”   Top Fuel qualifying begins on Friday, May 17, and continues Saturday, May 18. Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Rocket team will once again host a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning in their pit area which will be a welcome addition to race festivities. Final eliminations for the 16 quickest Top Fuel dragsters will take place on Sunday, May 19 and the race will be broadcast nationally on FS1. Fans can buy tickets to see Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster at www.nhra.com.

PEAK has been primary sponsor of John Force’s Funny Car since 2015 and hopes for a father-daughter “double up” in the winner’s circle

For Immediate Release NORTHBROOK, IL. (May 9, 2024) – In addition to once again serving as presenting sponsor for the May 17-19 NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL., PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant announced today that it will be the primary sponsor for two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Brittany Force’s dragster in the pivotal race. Old World Industries and its PEAK and BlueDEF brands have been the primary sponsor of 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force for the past decade. PEAK is excited to also partner with John’s daughter, Brittany, in what OWI proudly calls its “hometown race” on the 20-race NHRA national event schedule. “I’m very proud to carry the PEAK colors next weekend in Chicago,” said Brittany Force, whose PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant dragster will match her father’s Funny Car. “When I see PEAK, I see my dad, John Force, 16-time champion. And now to be connected with him through PEAK is something very unique, something very special. I actually ran a PEAK car back in 2018, so I’m excited to bring it back on board again in 2024.” Old World Industries’ management and employees have been looking forward to next weekend’s race both on and off the racetrack. “This event is very important for Old World Industries,” states Director of Marketing – Sports & Partnerships, Brian Bohlander. “Not only is it great to bring NHRA Championship Drag Racing back to the Chicago market, but having both John and Brittany in PEAK colors gives our employees another Force to cheer on. This year, the employees names will be riding along on the top of Brittany’s dragster, so everyone is excited about this.” Brittany Force has 16 NHRA national event wins, has reached the final round 35 times, and been No. 1 qualifier 42 times on the Top Fuel circuit in her career. She is excited at the possibility to potentially “double up” with her father and both share the winner’s circle in next weekend’s race. “The ultimate goal every single weekend is to double up and get both those cars in the winner’s circle,” Brittany Force said. “There would be nothing better than that for us, especially with both cars of my dad and myself representing PEAK. That is the goal, that’s what we’re trying to achieve, and it would be something no one’s ever seen before.” John Force is proud of his daughter and what she has achieved in her career. He’s also excited to be returning to Chicago. “The way I look at it, we’re going home, Chicago is PEAK’s hometown,” John Force said. “We may not live there, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s become our hometown. PEAK saved us 11 years ago and it has been a great partnership, along with Chevrolet. (Old World Industries Chairman) Tom Hurvis is great. It’s our home office; our race car is up in their building in the roof. “PEAK is a company that I love. Tom Hurvis gave me a chance to extend my career and I owe the man for that.” In addition to the race weekend, John, Brittany and teammate Austin Prock will all visit the Old World Industries headquarters in Northbrook, to meet with employees, sign autographs and take photos. Over 150 employees will also attend the race throughout the weekend, cheering on all three John Force Racing cars. A special diecast of Brittany’s PEAK dragster is also being released today for fans and members of the #PEAKSquad to purchase for late season arrival. And a VERY special guest will be on hand during the weekend to not only spend time with Brittany, but who is also slated to warm up John Force’s race car at some point in his pit area. Check social media to find out who the surprise guest is and when the warm up will take place. The first two rounds of Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying take place Friday, May 17, at 3:30 and 6 pm CT. Two more rounds are Saturday, May 18, at 12:30 and 3:30 pm CT. Final eliminations begin Sunday. May 19, at 11 am CT. #2024ORCE— John Force Racing —

Gravel rolls to third win in four races to make Tod Quiring the sixth car owner with 100 World of Outlaws wins  ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (May 8, 2024) – Sprint Car Racing history was made Wednesday night at Lincoln Speedway. All the hype heading into Lincoln Speedway’s Federated Auto Parts Gettysburg Clash was the renewal of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car and Pennsylvania Posse rivalry. And while the atmosphere was alive and well in the Pigeon Hills, the evening evolved into a historic occasion not for the rivalry, but for The Greatest Show on Dirt.David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports had been on a tear entering Pennsylvania. Their previous 11 races consisted of four wins and eight top two finishes. And each victory pushed Tod Quiring’s team closer and closer to 100 career World of Outlaws triumphs. Last Saturday Gravel put them at 99 with a trip to Victory Lane, meaning Lincoln would be the first opportunity at triple digits.And Gravel delivered.The Watertown, CT native started on the pole and drove a masterful 35 laps around the Abbottstown, PA oval to make Big Game Motorsports only the sixth team with 100 wins. Gravel fended off challenges from both Carson Macedo and Giovanni Scelzi to get the job done in Posse territory. “We got Tod’s 100th win,” Gravel said. “Congrats to Tod Quiring. He’s put so much into this sport, and for him to get 100 is really, really cool. Our joke was once he gets his 100, hopefully I can get mine. We’re still a few away from that, but we’re going to keep working hard and doing our jobs. This Huset’s #2 has been really, really fun to drive lately and really all year. Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), and Stephen (Hamm-Reilly) have been doing a really good job.”As Gravel noted, he’s still a handful of checkered flags away from personally hitting 100 wins as Wednesday marked his 94th, moving him within one of equaling Dave Blaney for eighth all-time. With his 100th win, Quiring joined fellow car owners Karl Kinser, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Steve Kinser, and Dennis Roth in the exclusive triple digit category. Six different drivers helped him get there – Gravel (36 wins), Craig Dollansky (28 wins), Sammy Swindell (26 wins), Kerry Madsen (six wins), Terry McCarl (three wins), and Danny Lasoski (one win). Gravel now owns a pair of Lincoln victories with his first coming in 2017.A last lap pass for the win in the Toyota Racing Dash slotted Gravel on the pole of the 35-lap Feature. The green flag waved, and Gravel pulled ahead of Carson Macedo.Throughout the early circuits Macedo looked as if he may pose a strong threat to Gravel. The Jason Johnson Racing #41 stayed glued to the tail tank of the #2 as they both ripped around the top of the 3/8-mile. Traffic became a factor in the early going, but Macedo still wasn’t able to muster a run as they navigated the earliest batch of lapped cars. With 21 laps remaining, Macedo put together some momentum down the front straightaway and took a look to Gravel’s inside in Turns 1 and 2. But he wasn’t able to complete a pass, and Gravel powered away down the back straightaway.Gravel pulled away over the next several laps until a yellow flag with 12 laps remaining. That yellow along with a couple red flags put the pressure on Gravel multiple times as the laps faded. But Gravel never flinched.He nailed every restart as battles broke out behind him. Giovanni Scelzi challenged Macedo for the runner-up spot and secured it with 10 to go. Then it was Anthony Macri attempting to climb onto the podium by following Scelzi around Macedo. The two traded sliders, but Macedo managed to hold on.Up ahead, Gravel drove away smoothly for his sixth win of the World of Outlaws season and the 100th of Tod Quiring’s career as an owner.“It got really slick there at the end off of (Turn) 4,” Gravel explained. “And I didn’t know if I needed to move or not, but I got down the backstretch good. I could run her in pretty hard and then just maintain on exit. If I was in second or third, I would’ve definitely been searching around. I think the bottom came in late there.”Giovanni Scelzi came home second for his fifth podium of the season in the KCP Racing #18 and third top five in a row. The sophomore World of Outlaws campaign continues to be a strong one for Scelzi as he’s third in points.“There’s no excuses from me tonight. We just flat out got beat tonight,” Scelzi said. “My car was unbelievable tonight. Adam Clark (crew chief) went from delivering beer to crew chief on a Sprint Car. He’s done an incredible job.”The final step of the podium belonged to Carson Macedo. The Lemoore, CA driver is on a roll of nine consecutive top five finishes. Macedo had plenty of speed early in the 35-lapper behind the wheel of the Jason Johnson Racing #41 but couldn’t find the speed to challenge Gravel.“I feel like I was pretty good early in the Feature,” Macedo said. “I feel like we had a lot of speed. I feel like Philip (Dietz), Robby (McQuinn), and Adam (Zimmerman) did a great job. I feel like I was kind of just racing my race just waiting to make a move, and it never kind of played out. I feel like he did a good job in traffic.”Anthony Macri and Donny Schatz completed the top five.A 24th to ninth drive earned Danny Dietrich the KSE Racing Hard Charger.Donny Schatz grabbed his first Simpson Quick Time of the year and the 111th of his career.NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three, and Four went to Donny Schatz, Anthony Macri, and Carson Macedo. Milton Hershey School Heat Two belonged to David Gravel.David Gravel topped the Toyota Racing Dash.Brandon Rahmer won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.Bill Balog was awarded the Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars go head-to-head with the PA Posse two more nights (May 10-11) at Mechanicsburg, PA’s Williams Grove Speedway in the HVAC Distributors Morgan Cup presented by Daikin. The winner of the finale is taking home $15,000. For tickets, CLICK HERE.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[1]; 2. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[4]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[2]; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri[6]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz[7]; 6. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[12]; 7. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 8. 27-Troy Wagaman Jr[10]; 9. 48-Danny Dietrich[24]; 10. 2D-Chase Dietz[8]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart[14]; 12. 5-Tyler Ross[16]; 13. X-Matt Campbell[15]; 14. 23-Devon Borden[22]; 15. 75-Cameron Smith[23]; 16. 17N-Dylan Norris[18]; 17. 1X-Chad Trout[20]; 18. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[11]; 19. 8-Freddie Rahmer[17]; 20. 95-Kody Hartlaub[5]; 21. 17B-Bill Balog[9]; 22. 99M-Kyle Moody[13]; 23. 8D-Billy Dietrich[19]; 24. 88-Brandon Rahmer[21]For complete results, CLICK HERE.

BATAVIA, Ohio (May 8, 2024) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will return to a pair of iconic Midwest venues this week as part of the 3rd Annual Illinois Speedweek.  The four-race swing through the Land of Lincoln begins with Spoon River Speedway on Wednesday, May 8 before invading Lincoln Speedway on Thursday, May 9. Both of those events, sanctioned by the FloRacing Night in America tour, feature a $20,000-to-win / $1,000-to-start program for Super Late Models. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction rounds three and four of the third annual Illinois Speedweek on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11. The Farmer City 74 will be a complete program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, including Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 74-lap, $25,000-to-win A-Main. The Modifieds ($2,000-to-win) and Kids Modifieds will join the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Farmer City Raceway. Farmer City Raceway is a 1/4-mile, high banked dirt oval located on the Fairgrounds in Farmer City, Illinois, just off I-74 at Exit 159. On Friday, May 10 all gates will open at 4:00PM CT. The on-track action is slated to begin at 6:00PM CT with Hot Laps. For more information, visit www.farmercityracing.com. Fairbury Speedway’s FALS Spring Shootout presented by Titan Industries will cap off the Illinois Speedweek. The $30,000 to win main event is preceded by a complete program of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The Modifieds are also on the docket, chasing a $2,000 top prize. Fairbury Speedway is a 1/4-mile semi-banked oval located at the Fairbury, Illinois fairgrounds. The Speedway is located three blocks south of U.S. 24 on 3rd Street. All gates at Fairbury Speedway will open at 12:00PM CT (noon) on Saturday, May 11. Hot Laps will begin at 6:00PM CT with racing to follow. For more information, please visit www.fairburyspeedway.com. Both Lucas Oil-sanctioned events are part of the Sunoco Race Fuels Road to Wheatland program. Sunoco Race Fuels will pay out $16,000 in bonus money to the top 15 drivers in the series point standings with perfect attendance at the Show-Me 100 on Memorial Day weekend at Lucas Oil Speedway. Ricky Thornton Jr. is atop the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship – presented by ARP standings, followed by Jonathan Davenport and Devin Moran. Mike Marlar and Hudson O’Neal round out the top five in the championship point standings. For the latest news, results, championship standings and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Farmer City Raceway – May 101. $25,000, 2. $10,000, 3. $6,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,500, 6. $2,700, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,900, 13. $1,800, 14. $1,700, 15. $1,600, 16. $1,500, 17. $1,500, 18. $1,500, 19. $1,500, 20. $1,500, 21. $1,500, 22. $1,500, 23. $1,500, 24. $1,500 = Total $82,800 Fairbury Speedway – May 111. $30,000, 2. $15,000, 3. $7,000, 4. $5,500, 5. $4,500, 6. $3,500, 7. $3,000, 8. $2,500, 9. $2,400, 10. $2,300, 11. $2,200, 12. $2,100, 13. $2,000, 14. $1,900, 15. $1,800, 16. $1,750, 17. $1,700, 18. $1,650, 19. $1,600, 20. $1,550, 21. $1,550, 22. $1,500, 23. $1,500, 24. $1,500 = Total $100,000 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rule:Friday – Saturday, May 10-11Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3 Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4

Darlington, South CarolinaMay 10-12, 2024

THROWBACK AT “THE LADY IN BLACK”The next stop of the 2024 NASCAR season will see all three national series compete at one of the sport’s most historic ovals: Darlington Raceway. The three-day event will mark the 10th time the 1.366-mile South Carolina oval will host the sport’s annual “Throwback Weekend”, with drivers and teams across the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) sporting unique liveries honoring the sport’s history.  For the fourth consecutive season, Darlington Raceway will play host to NASCAR for two event weekends, with the NCS and NXS returning to “The Lady in Black” in September. A shift in the schedule has made the South Carolina oval the new home for the 2024 regular-season finale for NASCAR’s premier series.  In six tripleheader weekends this season, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to achieve a sweep of the wins across all three NASCAR national series – accomplishing the feat three times (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway).

In the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington: Since hosting NASCAR’s inaugural event in 1950, the 1.366-mile South Carolina oval has hosted 125 races for NASCAR’s top division. Chevrolet leads the series with 44 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories at Darlington Raceway, with the manufacturer looking to make it four-straight trips to victory lane at the track in Sunday’s Goodyear 400. There have been 23 different drivers that have earned a victory for Chevrolet at “The Lady in Black”. That list includes Herb Thomas, who produced the Bowtie brand’s inaugural win at the track on Sept. 5, 1955.

In the Next Gen Era at Darlington:  Since the introduction of the Next Gen vehicles to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, Chevrolet leads the way with victories in three of the four races held at Darlington Raceway – all recorded in the series’ last three appearances at the track. The manufacturer’s three-peat at the South Carolina oval started with a victory by Erik Jones behind the wheel of a Petty-GMS Camaro ZL1 in Sept. 2022, with Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron (May 2023) and Kyle Larson (Sept. 2023) sweeping the events last season.

MILESTONE MEMORIESChevrolet heads to Darlington Raceway with an active streak of three-straight trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division, with each of those victories holding a monumental significance for the team. The first two of those triumphs came with Erik Jones and William Byron behind the wheel of two of the sport’s most iconic car numbers – both of which were milestone victories with Jones giving the No. 43 its 200th all-time win (Sept. 2022) and Byron taking the No. 24 to its 100th all-time win (May 2023). Most recently in Sept. 2023, Kyle Larson’s victory in the series’ playoff opener delivered the Hendrick Motorsports engine shop its 500th win in the NASCAR national ranks.

Erik JonesNo. 43 Petty GMS Racing Chevrolet Sept. 4, 2022

William ByronNo. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletMay 14, 2023

Kyle Larson No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletSept. 3, 2023

BYRON, KVAPIL HIGHLIGHTS DARLINGTON NXS ENTRY LISTSlated to join Team Chevy’s full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series contenders at Darlington Raceway include William Byron and Carson Kvapil.

William Byron – the track’s defending winner of the NASCAR Cup Series’ spring event – will get behind the wheel of the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS for his second of four starts in the entry this season. The 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native has just one NXS start at “The Lady in Black” – earning a fifth-place finish in his title-winning season (2017). The No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS has made four starts in the NXS this season, with Kyle Larson taking the entry to victory lane at Circuit of The Americas in March. 

JR Motorsports will be fielding its fifth entry for its fourth start of the season, with Carson Kvapil returning to the seat of the No. 88 Camaro SS for Saturday’s 200-mile event. The 20-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native made his series’ debut at Martinsville Speedway in April – reeling off an impressive fourth-place finish. The two-time CARS Tour Champion followed up that performance with a runner-up finish at Dover Motor Speedway two weeks ago – a result that came after leading his first-ever laps in the series during a late-race battle for the win.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Darlington Raceway: In 67 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet leads the series with 22 all-time victories in the series. Since 2021, the Bowtie brand has visited victory lane at “The Lady in Black” in five of the series’ six appearances at the track. Four of those victories came courtesy of back-to-back season sweeps by JR Motorsports in 2021-2022 with two wins each by Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson. Chevrolet is the series’ defending winner in the spring event at Darlington Raceway – a victory recorded by Kyle Larson behind the wheel of Kaulig Racing’s all-star entry last season.

HITTING THE HALFWAY POINTWith eight races complete, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has officially hit the halfway point of its regular season. Chevrolet has posted a powerhouse performance throughout the 2024 season, with the manufacturer heading into the second-half of the regular-season leading nearly all major statistical categories:  Four drivers from three different Chevrolet teams have earned a combined six victories including Spire Motorsports with three wins (Kyle Busch – two wins; Rajah Caruth – one win); McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes with two wins; and Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez with one win. Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading six pole wins – each of which have been recorded by a different Team Chevy driver.  Chevrolet leads its manufacturer competitors with wins in 12 of the 16 stages thus far this season.In each of Chevrolet’s six victories this season, the Bowtie brand has claimed at least 50 percent of the top-10 finishing positions, including a season-high seven top-10s on two separate occasions (Daytona International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway).Chevrolet – the defending NCTS Manufacturer Champion – has remained atop the series’ manufacturer points standings throughout the entirety of the season thus far. Entering the second-half of the regular-season, Chevrolet holds a 28-point advantage over its manufacturer competitors – a lead nearly triple in size compared to its lead at this time last season.

Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Darlington Raceway:The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has a much shorter history at Darlington Raceway, with Friday’s Buckle Up South Carolina 200 marking the series’ 12th appearance at the track. The 2024 season marks the track’s fourth consecutive year hosting the NCTS, with each of Chevrolet’s three victories in the series coming within that time span. Sheldon Creed and GMS Racing drove Chevrolet to its first two NCTS victories at “The Lady in Black” – sweeping both events in 2021. Christian Eckes and the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Silverado RST team is the series’ defending Darlington winners – picking up the win in the May 2023 event.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       With 30 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has a winning percentage of 60% with 18 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – seven wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – five wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – six wins). ·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway:    Kyle Larson – one win (Sept. 2023)William Byron – one win (May 2023) Kyle Busch – one win (May 2008) ·       In 125 NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 44 victories. In four events in the series’ Next Gen era at the 1.366-mile South Carolina oval, Chevrolet has earned three victories – each recorded in the series’ last three appearances at the track.  ·       Team Chevy’s William Byron is the only driver to have a double-digit win record in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen era – with his victory at Martinsville Speedway marking his 11th all-time victory in the Next Gen Camaro ZL1.  ·       In 84 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 44 victories – a winning percentage of 52.4%.  ·       In six tripleheader weekends this season, Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to reel off a weekend sweep – accomplishing the feat three times (Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway).  ·       With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 858 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

Manufacturer Points Standings Chevrolet: 446Toyota: 435 (-11)Ford: 398 (-48)

Manufacturer Points Standings Chevrolet: 370Toyota: 365 (-5)Ford: 311 (-59)

Manufacturer Points Standings Chevrolet: 308Toyota: 280 (-28)Ford: 251 (-57)

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400Sunday, May 12, at 3 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Xfinity SeriesCrown Royal Purple Bag Project 200Saturday, May 11, at 1:30 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesBuckle Up South Carolina 200Friday, May 10, at 7:30 pm. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 BUSCH LIGHT THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1What is the difference between running really well at Darlington and finishing well?“I wish I knew the answer to that (laughs). Finishing well is keeping the car intact and not hitting the wall too hard. Keeping the wheel straight, keeping paint out of the wheels as much as you can if you hit the wall, have the suspension the same way you went to the track with it at lap 495…those are all the reasons of finishing well instead of just running well.” Does Darlington hold any special significance to you since you kind of burst onto the scene there and everyone took notice of you there?“There’s so much about that CGR No. 42 Xfinity car. The year before at Darlington was when a sponsor saw me dumping the honey tank from the camper and that led me to driving for Chip. Yes, that weekend going down the backstretch and feeling the horsepower of the 42 car, the grip in the corners, qualifying, the race and the ending, obviously. Yes, so much about that is so vivid in my memory. It was a real turning point in my career and my life. My life has forever been changed because of that one weekend at Darlington. I was going to head-to-head with two Cup champions. Racing with those guys was the first time I had done it. Yes, I remember a lot about that weekend.” Darlington is known to be one of the toughest tracks on the circuit, why is that?“Darlington is the most difficult oval to me. The ends being so different and the speed being up by the wall, you’re going to hit the wall if you overstep. It’s a high commitment track. At the end of a run at Darlington you’re running so much slower than the start of a run but you have to be so precise. You put tires on at Darlington and you’re going so much faster than you were. The way you have to adjust your driving at Darlington throughout a run makes it very challenging.” How does it feel to be making your 200th Cup start?“Well, I can definitely remember making my first Cup start at Dover. I was nervous to be in a Cup car, nervous to be doing it at Dover, all of the things that come with it. It’s great to be doing it at Darlington because it’s a track that I really like. I hope to be driving a Cup car and winning for several more hundred starts.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1400 miles at Darlington Raceway is grueling. How do you stay focused?“We always have a long, hot race at Darlington Raceway. Keeping hydrated is key leading up to the event, and working out in the gym and running laps on the simulator helps me maintain focus during 400 miles. I am looking forward to racing at Darlington Raceway. This is one of my favorite tracks. I have finished second here in the past, so we want to improve on that. We need to qualify well on Saturday because track position is extremely important and a good pit stall can make the difference during the race.” Do you enjoy racing at Darlington?“I enjoy racing at Darlington Raceway. It’s challenging. The track gets slick and wears tires quite a bit. The key to Darlington is trying to race the track and not the competition. It would be nice to knock off another Crown Jewel. I have two of them, and another one would be very special.” KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 ZONE CAMARO ZL1Has the Next Gen car changed how you race at Darlington?“I don’t know that it’s really changed the race a whole lot at Darlington. I think we’ve always kind of had trouble passing there to begin with anyways because the track is so narrow and it’s really, really tough to pass regardless. The Next Gen car has definitely created more gaps between the cars, so it is harder to get to the back of the guy in front of you.” Do you still have the same approach where you have to keep the car off the wall and stay out of trouble?“It’s changed a little bit too with the ability of being able to lean up against the wall and be closer to the wall with the body because the flange fit body allows it to flex in and flex out. But the car is still very brittle with the components to it. You can bend a toe-link pretty easy.”  How challenging is entering pit road off the track between Turns 3 and 4?“Pit Road entry in the middle of Turns 3 and 4 is not really that bad. You just have to know where it’s at. Experience is obviously the best key. You have to maintain that slowing down time up on top of the racetrack and then the turning down. You’re only running between 45 and 50 laps on tires versus years ago you’d run 60 or so. The tires are old and worn out and they feel bad but they’re not as bad as they could be.”   Do you enjoy the challenge of racing at Darlington?    “I do feel like Darlington has its own unique challenges and those challenges are pretty fun. It kind of gives to that old school nature of NASCAR but yet still has its own unique differences between any of the other one-mile or mile-and-a-half racetracks that we go to.”  DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 31 BLACK’S TIRE CAMARO ZL1“Darlington is such a wildcard for everyone. This track is always evolving so fast, and these Next Gen cars allow for more versatility, as far as not having to be in one particular lane. There’s a lot of room for opportunity there. I’m also looking forward to having Black’s Tire on our No. 31 Camaro ZL1 and remembering the time I spent alongside Ricky [Benton] during my early racing career.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1Bowman on racing at Darlington Raceway:“Darlington (Raceway) is such a tough place to put an entire day together. The race is super long and you kind of have to run that place in a high risk space for the entire day. It’s hard to do that for that long without mentally making a mistake or kind of overstepping the boundaries and hurting your race car. It’s a tough place for sure, but a challenge that I look forward to tackling this weekend with the Ally Racing team. We’re running a special throwback on our team’s Chevy this weekend too. It will be cool to run the scheme from Jimmie (Johnson)’s rookie year in 2002. Jimmie (Johnson) has always been a great Ally and is a large piece of the history and success behind the No. 48.”  BLAKE HARRIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1Harris on racing at Darlington Raceway: “With running the Ally throwback scheme this weekend, it would be great to get the No. 48 back in victory lane. Darlington (Raceway) is a tough track and honestly, I feel like our team has some unfinished business there (Darlington Raceway) from last fall. We crashed there in the late stages while we were right there around the top five. So, I’m looking forward to getting back to competing at “The Lady in Black” with Alex (Bowman).” CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 PREMIER SECURITY / NLEOMF.ORG CAMARO ZL1“I am so excited for this weekend at Darlington. It’s a really cool scheme on my Premier Security Chevy for an even better cause and we’re racing for a lot of people this weekend. To be a part of this with a longtime sponsor, supporting something that means so much to not only Dave Forystek (CEO of Premier Security) but also myself and my family, I couldn’t be happier. I’m thrilled to go to a place where I can be versatile. I’m ready to put together a really good run for a lot of really great men and women who serve us and our community.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 QUAKER STATE CAMARO ZL1Suárez on the throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway:“It’s special because it’s the only weekend of the entire year of almost 40 races that we get to play around with throwbacks to recognize not just all the generations of drivers, but teams, paint schemes and everything, really. It’s a lot of fun to celebrate the history of NASCAR, teams and drivers. I enjoy it a lot.” What makes Darlington Raceway so tough?“Darlington (Raceway) is one of the toughest racetracks. The reason for that is because it’s tough on tires. It’s only one lane, maybe two at times, in (turns) three and four, and one-and-a-half in one and two. It’s a tricky one. You have to be very precise. It’s a long race, as well. 400 miles, 500 miles, 600 miles – whatever that may be, Darlington is a long race. It’s way different to run 500 miles at Daytona (International Speedway) than it is to run 500 miles at Darlington. At Darlington, it feels like it goes forever. It’s a tough task, but I enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge. We’ve run well there in the past, and we’re looking forward to putting a very special paint scheme upfront – honoring Adrián Fernández with his Quaker State IndyCar scheme from 20 years ago. Hopefully, we can have a good run with it.” BAYLEY CURREY, NO. 41 AUTOVENTIVE / PRECISION SILVERADO RSTDoes the excessive tire falloff help overcome the battle for clean air or does that make it more important?“I think it makes it that much more important. Without the clean air, you’re using mechanical grip more than you’re using aero, so you’re just shredding your tires even more. You have to get that track position early while you have the grip, because once you lose it, it’s pretty much impossible.” MATT MILLS, NO. 42 J.F. ELECTIC / UTILITRA SILVERADO RSTHow difficult is it to run inches from the wall here in Darlington?“Darlington will be a new one for me as far as going there in a truck. I’ve got Xfinity starts there, and in those cars, you can be a little bit more aggressive running the wall because the composite body can take more of a beating. So, the truck will be a little more interesting there, I’ll definitely have to watch out for the risk vs. reward for sure.” ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 45 BUCKLE UP SOUTH CAROLINA SILVERADO RSTOf all the tracks on the Truck Series calendar, why did you choose to add Darlington to your schedule?“Darlington has always been one of my favorite tracks because of how challenging it is on us drivers. I love the tracks that you have to manage all the little details because it feels so rewarding when you hit everything right. Phil Gould and this team have shown a lot of speed at this place over the past few years. Every time I get the chance to drive for Al Niece, I feel confident that we have a shot to contend for the win, but even more so especially at a track where they’ve had recent success at. I’m looking forward to racing there and encouraging everyone to buckle up.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2023): 42First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2024 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 7Poles: 5Laps Led: 1,302Top-five finishes: 26Top-10 finishes: 47Stage wins: 7·       Chase Elliott: 1 ·       Kyle Larson: 6·       Ross Chastain: 1 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 858 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 748Laps led to date: 250,477Top-five finishes to date: 4,324Top-10 finishes to date: 8,908                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,192           Chevrolet: 858           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 828                                                                      Ford: 728           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 185

The Reaper wins his sixth career Feature and brings Todd Cooney his first World of Outlaws win as an owner

FOUNTAIN CITY, WI (May 4, 2024) – The conclusion of this year’s Dairyland Showdown at Mississippi Thunder Speedway announced the rise of a new empire. One led by Ryan Gustin and Todd Cooney Racing. 

Since joining forces at the beginning of 2024, Gustin and his new team have been collecting trophies throughout the first quarter of the season. And on Saturday night, they added their biggest one yet: a $25,000 Dairyland Showdown victory with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models – Gustin’s sixth Series win and Todd Cooney Racing’s first. 

The Marshalltown, IA driver began the night setting a new track record (13.417 sec.) at the Fountain City, WI track – his first Simpson Quick Time Award of the year. Then, he followed that up by winning Heat 1. 

Gustin’s good fortunes continued by drawing the Bilstein Pole Award for the 50-lap finale – leading the field to the Gorsuch Performance green flag alongside New Waverly, TX driver Tyler Erb.

He commanded the field in the first half while a wave of cautions and a hornet’s nest of talented drivers traded positions across the top five that included Erb, reigning Series champion Bobby Pierce, Friday night Dairyland Showdown winner Nick Hoffman, and four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard. 

The two fierce rivals in Erb and Pierce exchanged multiple slide-job moves on each other – with Pierce eventually clearing the driver of the #1T for the second-place spot. 

Halfway into the Feature, Pierce made his chance for the lead come to fruition – sliding his way by Gustin to take the lead. 

Lapped traffic played a heavy hand in deciding the night’s winner as the leaders attempted every inch of the 3/8-mile track to find clean air to navigate through the cars. The top two in Pierce and Gustin used these chances to try and one-up each other in the closing stages. 

With four laps to go in the $25,000-to-win competition, Gustin made his chance for the win on Pierce with a run down the front stretch. Using the lapped car of Daniel Hilsabeck as a pick, Gustin slid up through Turns 1 and 2 to take the lead with sparks flying off the back of the #19R from hitting the wall. 

Scurrying away from Pierce after the lead change, Gustin crossed under the flagstand to claim his first Dairyland Showdown Feature at a track that has seen him win five races previously with USMTS. 

“Well, this big ol’ Jay Dickens engine showed out to keep the tires pretty good,” Gustin said. “I was trying to pace myself there in the first half of (the Feature), then I let Bobby get a big ol’ run on me and slide on me and I knew I had to get up, follow him, and hopefully he had to slide somebody and that’s how it all worked out. You win and lose by lap traffic, I’ve lost a fair share and I’m sure he has too, so that’s how it all goes. 

“Everybody at Wells Motorsports has been great to us and I gotta shoutout Brandon Overton for helping us at Smoky Mountain Speedway and this thing has been on rails. My guys at (Todd Cooney Racing) have been working extremely hard and I can’t thank everyone enough for that.” 

Pierce, in an attempt to catch Gustin on the final lap, slid up the track and smacked the Turn 2 wall. This opened the door for Hoffman to slide under “The Smooth Operator” to finish the night in second. 

“I knew I wasn’t gonna pass Bobby and Ryan on the cushion,” Hoffman said. “I made a little bit of speed in the middle of the track when I needed to get back to fourth at that point. Once the top began to slow down and getting right against the wall, that bottom-to-middle came back into play. That’s how I won last night and that’s what we were set for tonight. The racetrack had a little more grip with the rain we had, and the (track crew) did a fantastic job to give us a track where we could race all around.” 

“When they started sliding each other, it got me back to them. I was gonna settle for third, but Bobby hit the fence on the last lap. I tried biding my time, stayed in fifth for a while battling with the guys and it got the tires hot, but I had enough left towards the end and if we got a caution with a few laps to go, we could’ve won again. To win once and run second the next like Farmer City is badass.” 

Pierce’s costly mistake had him finish on the last spot of the podium – a move he knows could have been avoided in his efforts to chase the lead back from Gustin. 

“It was definitely a heartbreaker for us,” Pierce said. “I thought I had it in the bag, but I caught the lap traffic with awkward timing. The top was kind of getting slower, but yet, it was still there. The way those guys ahead of me raced mattered a lot and messed up the air there. Just did the dip when I should’ve made a dive and Gustin capitalized on it. I wish I held onto second, but of course tried to get the lead and jumped the cushion. I’ll be kicking myself in the butt for a while for that. But it’s just one of them deals and who knows what could’ve been.” 

Sheppard’s consistent run inside the top five rewarded the current Series points leader with a fourth-place finish, while Erb managed to save his tires to complete the Feature’s top five finishers. 

Sheppard continues to lead the Series’ standings with a 24-point lead over Hoffman. Gustin is now eighth in points with a 136-point deficit. 

An 11-place climb rewarded Winona, MN driver Jake Timm with Saturday’s FOX Factory Hard Charger Award. 

RECAP NOTES:
Dirt King Simulator Hottest Hot Lap of the Night Award Winner – Cade Dillard
Bilstein Pole Award Winner – Ryan Gustin
Simpson Quick Time Award Winner – Ryan Gustin
CASE Heat Winners – Gustin (Heat 1), Erb (Heat 2), Pierce (Heat 3), and Cade Dillard (Heat 4).
CASE Last Chance Showdown Winners – Dennis Erb Jr. and Sam Mars
FOX Factory Hard Charger Award Winner – Jake Timm 

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to racing in the month of May with a swing through Ohio and Pennsylvania in two weeks – beginning with Raceway 7 (May 16), Bedford Speedway (May 17), Marion Center Raceway (May 18), and Path Valley Speedway (May 19). For more information about each of the races and ticket options, CLICK HERE. 

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model race live on DIRTVision. 

Feature Results 

CASE Late Model Feature (50 Laps): 1. 19R-Ryan Gustin[1]; 2. 9-Nick Hoffman[5]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 4. B5-Brandon Sheppard[9]; 5. 1-Tyler Erb[2]; 6. 19-Dustin Sorensen[12]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson[8]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 9. 3S-Brian Shirley[10]; 10. 49-Jake Timm[21]; 11. 22*-Max McLaughlin[15]; 12. B1-Brent Larson[22]; 13. 18-Shannon Babb[13]; 14. 97-Cade Dillard[4]; 15. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[25]; 16. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[17]; 17. 22P-Nick Panitzke[16]; 18. 28M-Sam Mars[18]; 19. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[19]; 20. 30-Todd Cooney[23]; 21. 97C-Cody Overton[11]; 22. 14W-Dustin Walker[24]; 23. 77-Jordan Yaggy[20]; 24. 88-Chad Mahder[14]; 25. 44-Chris Madden[7] 

The point leader moves Big Game Motorsports to 99 World of Outlaws wins with wild Eldora victory 

ROSSBURG, OH (May 4, 2024) – Eldora Speedway showed exactly why it’s known as “The World’s Greatest Dirt Track” on Saturday night.

The #LetsRaceTwo finale for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars gave fans a main event they couldn’t look away from. It was everything you could ask for. A 10-time champion battling a driver eying his first. A tricky racing surface with multiple grooves. Several late passes for the lead including one last move to secure the victory on the last lap.

The combatants came in the form of David Gravel and Donny Schatz, and they threw everything they had at each other. Hammering the top. Tiptoeing the bottom. Rolling the middle. Slide jobs. Nothing was left on the table. In the end, Gravel grabbed the checkered flag by powering ahead of Schatz down the back straightaway on the 30th and final lap and holding him off to the finish line. Gravel put the punctuation mark on a clean sweep at “The Big E” as he also set Simpson Quick Time and won both his NOS Energy Drink Heat Race and the Toyota Racing Dash.

“With the lower air pressure and lower tire temps we were really, really good,” Gravel said. “I got my wing so far back I couldn’t steer it, and on the restarts I would move it forward. But then as the run went on I got really loose. Once I got to that lapped traffic, my car kind of stalled out. That’s why I grabbed the wing, but then it made it where I couldn’t move around. I just had to hold the car straight. I couldn’t maneuver. Donny was definitely more maneuverable, but I think in open air we were probably a little bit faster.

“It’s really hard to beat Donny Schatz in the slick like that. He was running really hard in (Turns) 1 and 2 and running the cushion and just hang a little bit off of (Turn) 2. And luckily, we were able to get just better runs down the backstretch each time and get position on him. It feels really good to get another win. Starting on the front row two nights in a row and getting no wins would’ve been very disappointing. Really happy to get this one.”

Gravel grabbed sole possession of the most World of Outlaws wins in 2024 with his fifth. He also moved Big Game Motorsports one step away from a major milestone. Tod Quiring’s team is at 99 victories with The Greatest Show on Dirt. A 100th would make him only the sixth car owner to reach the impressive feat. Five of Gravel’s 93 career triumphs have come at Eldora, putting it in a tie for the third winningest track on his résumé.

The 30-lap Feature was brought to green by Gravel with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid alongside. Kofoid looked under Gravel on the opening circuit but couldn’t find enough speed to make a run at the lead, and Gravel began to pad his early advantage.

It didn’t take long for Gravel to near traffic as third-running Donny Schatz began to close on Kofoid for second. On the eighth circuit, Schatz tried a slider in Turns 1 and 2 and couldn’t clear Kofoid. But in the next set of corners, the 10-time champion rolled the low line to snatch the runner-up spot from the Roth Motorsports #83.

Schatz wasted no time closing on Gravel. He was a second behind the lap he passed Kofoid, and one rotation later it was slashed to six tenths of a second. Then on the 14th lap Schatz found the run he needed and used the low side of Turns 3 and 4 to slip ahead of Gravel and lead the lap. 

A slowing Kalib Henry set up a restart on the 17th lap and opened the door again for Gravel. The Huset’s Speedway #2 got a huge run down the back straightaway and slid ahead of Schatz in the third turn to regain the lead.

Over the next several circuits Gravel pulled away and looked as if he was heading to a comfortable win at Eldora. The gap grew to nearly two seconds on Lap 19, but with less than 10 laps to go the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 came to life as traffic became more and more of a factor. 

By Lap 25 the lead was back under a second and shrinking with every corner. A few laps later the war began. Schatz dipped beneath Gravel in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 28 and narrowly grabbed the spot on the front straightaway. Gravel returned fire with a slider in Turns 1 and 2 that Schatz countered with a crossover and took the lead back. In Turns 3 and 4 Gravel went low as Schatz opted for the middle, and just as the white flag was within sight the red lights flashed for a flipping Bryce Lucius.

Schatz held the lead for the restart, and the battle immediately resumed when the green lights returned. Gravel got a head of steam exiting the second corner and slid ahead of Schatz in Turns 3 and 4. Schatz turned under him to drive back ahead and lead at the white flag. Like the lap before, Gravel got a run out of Turn 2 and dove under Schatz in the final set of corners. But this time he stuck to the bottom and didn’t leave Schatz the lane to crossover. It proved to be the winning move as he came out on top.

“I just tried to go a car width lower or higher than him (Schatz) on the start and was able to get alongside him,” Gravel said. “And then when I slid across, I slid way too hard across all the way to the fence. I should’ve backpedaled, kept the tires underneath me, and put myself in better shape in (Turns) 1 and 2. But luckily, we were able to get a good run. Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), and Stephen (Hamm-Reilly) have been working really hard.”

Schatz brought home the runner-up spot after the hard-fought battle aboard the Carquest #15. The Fargo, ND native notched back-to-back podium finishes during the #LetsRaceTwo weekend and is up to seven top threes in 2024. Schatz felt he might’ve been standing in Victory Lane if it wasn’t for the red flag coming to the last lap.

“He ran away on that one restart,” Schatz said. “He drove by us and ran away. And then we caught back up and got back by. So, I guess if we wouldn’t have had the red, it may have been a different story.”

Carson Macedo brought the Jason Johnson Racing #41 home third to complete the top three. The Californian has now bagged six podiums this season. He fought within the top five throughout the entire race and climbed his way onto the podium with a strong run late in the going.

“I think I just had a really good final restart there,” Macedo explained. “Everybody kind of went to the top, and I sort of filled through the middle and felt really good. It’s a testament to Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman. They gave me a great car there. I thought there were points in the race where I had a really, really good car and then faded a little, and then I got good there at the end. I feel like we gain some momentum with that kind of a race car.”

Giovanni Scelzi and Logan Schuchart completed the top five.

A 21st to ninth drive earned Sheldon Haudenschild the KSE Racing Hard Charger.

David Gravel claimed his fourth Simpson Quick Time of 2024 and the 114th of his career in Sea Foam Qualifying.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three, and Four went to David Gravel (252nd Heat Race win of career), Giovanni Scelzi (46th of career), and Emerson Axsom (first of career). Milton Hershey School Heat Two belonged to Buddy Kofoid (21stof career).

Gravel also topped the Toyota Racing Dash.

Sheldon Haudenschild won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Bryce Lucius was awarded the Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to Pennsylvania for the first three battles with the PA Posse. First up is Lincoln Speedway’s (Abbottstown, PA) Federated Auto Parts Gettysburg Clash on Wednesday, May 8. Then the weekend takes the tour to Mechanicsburg, PA’s Williams Grove Speedway for the HVAC Distributors Morgan Cup on May 10-11. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[1]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz[4]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[6]; 4. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[5]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart[11]; 6. 83-Michael Kofoid[2]; 7. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[7]; 8. 99-Skylar Gee[3]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[21]; 10. 22-Cole Duncan[13]; 11. 27-Emerson Axsom[8]; 12. 23J-Cale Thomas[9]; 13. 21H-Brady Bacon[23]; 14. 7S-Landon Crawley[15]; 15. 17B-Bill Balog[17]; 16. 1-Nate Dussel[24]; 17. 42-Sye Lynch[20]; 18. 101-Kalib Henry[16]; 19. 23-Garet Williamson[22]; 20. 24D-Danny Sams III[19]; 21. 55T-McKenna Haase[18]; 22. 32-Bryce Lucius[10]; 23. 24-Logan Seavey[14]; 24. 49X-Tim Shaffer[12]

NARC NEWSLINE – May 4, 2024, By Jim Allen … I’m sure we all agree when I say it’s been a rough start to the 2024 season. Not just with the NARC schedule, but with just about every dirt track north of the grapevine in California. Mother Nature came bouncing out of her corner like a heavyweight champ with something to prove and pummeled motorsports into submission with wet weather. If the current trend continues, on a prorated basis, NARC would feature a whopping eight races in 2024. The worse thing about it is the weather has typically been perfect all week long, getting everybody excited, before bad weather rolls in on Friday and Saturdays. And not to leave the rest of the country out of the loop, the Outlaws and High Limit also know how to quickly find their rain gear. Because of the choppiness of the schedule, few in open wheel racing have been able to establish any real kind of “weekly” routine, making the natives restless and much of social media poison with the alleged expert opinions of the week.One driver and team that does have their act together this season is Cole Macedo and the Tarlton Motorsports team. Two-fer-two! They survived the unpredictable Battle Royale at Chico and mastered the newly remodeled Stockton Dirt Track before anybody else could. The Tarlton-team, with Drew Werner on the wrenches, is looking for their first NARC title since 2016. By the way, both NARC races had a “Road House” feel to them as only 10 of 24 starters finished at Chico, and 13 at Stockton. Silver Dollar Speedway was described as 1990’s “old-school” rough, leaving aspiring drivers born in this century to struggle and figure it out. As luck would have it, Floracing capitalized on the Chico carnage for its ever-popular weekly crash highlight video … just from that one show. Man, that’s an ego killer! But like clockwork, history always repeats itself. There’s always a couple of events each year that look absolutely perfect on paper and then have you yelling at the steering wheel on the way home. The good news, those two are now behind us (fingers-crossed.)So with that, the NARC schedule has endured the the cancelation of the Dave Helm Memorial (3/9) and Peter Murphy Classic (4/13) in Hanford, the March Madness event at Merced (3/23), a postponement of the April 27th race at Stockton, and the postponement (yes, postponement) of today’s Tulare’s Chris & Brian Faria Memorial.  So if you are keeping score, it’s Mother Nature – 5, Cole Macedo and NARC – 2.Speaking of Stockton, everybody got their first glimpse on April 6th when the former 4/10’s mile oval transitioned into a quarter-mile D-shaped bullring. As expected, the opinions were brutal despite the fact that it took a mad scramble to make the race happen in the first place. It also rained for two straight days leading up to the race and that didn’t help the cause. It took a while to get the “new” Dirt Track raceable and the NARC heats didn’t push off until 8:00 p.m. and the main at 11:13 p.m. (Our goal is to be done by 9:30 p.m.) Also in the pits was SCCT and they had their issues as well, including a longer than normal main event. When you added it all up, the NARC feature was called 27-laps complete at the stroke of midnight. For all of the conspiracy addicts out there, the drivers were informed by radio during the previous caution period that the scheduled 30-lapper was going to be considered complete at midnight no matter what happened. It “happened” with a multi-car crash and wasn’t the way anybody wanted to end a chilly night. As Colt’s Hall of Fame football coach Tony Dungy says in his book, “nothing good happens after midnight.”  Especially in Stockton!When all was said and done, the overall opinion of drivers and teams leaned more positive than negative and suggested improvements to make it even better. That’s great news as promoterTony Noceti is committed to the further evolution and improvement of the facility. After the show, he committed to building wider turns with more banking and a backstretch wall from turn two to four.  Unfortunately, that turned out to be a ton of work and the weather didn’t cooperate (try to act surprised) to allow those upgrades to be completed before our scheduled April 27th race. This postponed the event to a highly-anticipated Sunday Twilight Show on May 19th, the day after the NARC sprint cars invade Thunderbowl Raceway. (Twilight = Qualifying at 4:00 p.m.) That beats the tarnation out of another cancellation. We really need fans and teams to support this show as it could start a new trend and give race promoters another viable option.Other observers thought the Stockton postponement was the perfect opportunity for Peter Murphy to maneuver his April 13th rainout, better known as the Peter Murphy Classic, back into the schedule. However, Murphy already had a weekly show booked on that date. A few racing peeps wanted NARC to invade Kings Speedway which wasn’t going to happen because the Central California locals barely have enough opportunities to race already. Not to mention, the PMC, an event filled with auctions, pageantry, and a pole shuffle, features a $50,000+ purse and needs avid fan support to support that obligation. When you figure in liability insurance, water, lights, marketing, track prep, security, garbage, officials and the like, the total expenses are closer to $70,000. And I’m being conservative. While many open wheel loyalists would attend a 7:00 a.m. Christmas morning sprint car show on short notice, the average fan which makes up 65% of any crowd would be home unwrapping gifts. In hindsight, the April 27th Kings crowd was average at best meaning a high-dollar PMC would have been a financial blood bath. It was the right call.With that being said, there is no official date for rescheduling the 10th anniversary of the PMC. Murphy has run the gauntlet to squeeze it in somewhere, but others barked back about conflicts. It appears that California promoters are battling for the same 1500 core fans. Let’s hope we can figure this thing out.CALISTOGA SPEEDWAY:  Some fans may have had unrealistic expectations that a race schedule would be released soon after the City of Calistoga and Napa County worked out their differences and finalized the sale of the fairgrounds. In reality that was just the starting point and best-case scenario, nobody will see a schedule until 2025. Tommy Hunt said way back in February that it would take his HMC Promotions team about six-months to promote and orchestrate the activities that surround the awesome two-day Louie Vermeil Classic weekend.  Once racing is officially on the agenda, expectations will be at a Mount Everest-level as local politicians have the place under a microscope to make sure they made the right choice. That means an infield pit area packed with sprint cars, an overflowing grandstand, a Gold Cup type of feel, and race fans spending their money downtown. Otherwise, all of the pot-banging we did to get the historic half-mile reopened would have been for naught. All those who agree, say YAH!By the way, Tommy Hunt is undergoing serious health issues these days, and we wish him a speedy recovery.NARC NOTES:  There are about 15 laps remaining to be sponsored for the June 1st Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial race in Placerville. Contact Karen Bradway-Tuccelli on Facebook if you are interested in sponsoring a lap in the 40-lap feature or 12-lap semi. … An entire nation gasped (on Floracing) when Ryan Robinson clipped the tractor tire coming out of turn two and flipped violently while leading at Silver Dollar Speedway at the Mini-Gold Cup NARC opener. While everybody, including wife Kylie, was attempting to comprehend what had just happened, Ryan had already managed to climb out of the Antaya Motorsports #16A and was stepping slowly to the pit area. His movements were purely instinctual as his eyes saw nothing but black after suffering his fifth racing-related concussion. Luckily, the safety crews caught up with him shortly thereafter. Ryan made an announcement a couple of days later that he is retiring from racing. You know it was a tough decision, but it was the right one. He knows that you can only scramble the eggs so many times. Never forget that this is a dangerous sport. … Willie Croft will be battling for the Skagit Speedway championship in Washington this year with “Rudeen” backing on his number 29 sprint car. He will be attempting to dethrone the defending champ, Trey Starks. …… Only six drivers have finished in the top ten in both races. Can you name them? How about … obviously Cole Macedo … Tanner Carrick, Bud Kaeding, Nick Parker, and rookies Gauge Garcia and Cadeen Steele. Carrick may be the most underrated driver in California with a sixth and third place finish in NARC competition, as well as two Ocean 360 wins to his credit. He is overdue to post his first NARC career victory. … Dominic Scelzi is back in California. He was planning to miss the first six NARC shows of the season while he was chasing races around the Midwest with the Outlaws and High Limit. As it turns out, he only missed two. He will be a “wild card” the rest of the season, attempting to steal victories as others chase the championship. … All, like in every single one of our events are on Floracing.com … David Castenada reports that work is underway at Santa Maria Speedway. After sitting dormant for a couple of years, the track needs serious love to make it race ready. Tony Pombo, who signed a lease-agreement for the place, is actively involved in the process.  NARC invades Santa Maria on July 27th – right about the time temperatures hit 110 degrees in the Central Valley. … Justyn Cox cracked three ribs at the Chico opener.  You know it was bad when he couldn’t golf! …… The new NARC 65th Anniversary Coloring Book is hot off the press. Thank you to Creative Finishes Plus and Andy & Candace Forsberg for sponsoring this project. Also, thanks to my wife Carol who did all of the artwork. We will pass them out to kids at upcoming events. … Which reminds me of a quick story from the last time we had a NARC coloring book in 2019. While handing them out to excited kids in Tulare, one impatient attractive woman (40ish) insisted on getting one for herself. I politely told her it’s kids first, since we need to keep them engaged so their parents continue to bring them to the races. I said if there are any left, I would hook her up.  A minute or two later, she impatiently works her way back in line and offers to flip up her shirt and show me the goods if I give her one. Excuse me, did I hear that right? Now I’m not going to say what actually happened at that point, but she walked away with crayons also. …THE ROAD TO THE DIRT CUP:  It’s hard to believe the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports are only about 40-days away. Based on phone calls, emails, and DM, there is going to be a large contingent of fans making this stellar road trip. It’s going to be a parade going up Interstate 5. If you haven’t locked down your tickets yet, each track’s website is ready to serve them up. By the way, the five FFDM shows pay $5,000 to win and $600 to start the A. The Northwest Focus Midgets will be the support division for the first four events. They put on a great show.From the FFDM Father’s Day finale at Grays Harbor Raceway, we continue North to the Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup. That group is busy putting together fan engagement activities for this showcase event. I’m spearheading the Super Dirt Cup Charity Golf Tournament on Wednesday, June 19th – the day BEFORE the three-days of racing kicks off. We are looking to accomplish two things … build on the “Club” in Northern Auto Racing Club by having an enjoyable day at the nearby Avalon Golf Links. And two, raise money for the NARC Benevolent Fund and the Rayce Rudeen Foundation. Please join us, no matter what your skill level. Off the record, this may become more of a drinking event than a birdie event. (#justsaying) Sign-ups are only $100 and that include golf, cart, box lunch, gift bag and a chance to claim a bunch of prizes and awards. Here is the only caveat:  You have to sign-up and pay before June 5th. … We are also looking for hole sponsors. Call me! … Who is your pick to walk away with a $62,000 payday at this year’s Super Dirt Cup?And the hot news of the moment … We have rescheduled the Chris & Brian Faria Memorial for October 12th at Tulare, which is the weekend before the Trophy Cup.  It is now part of a great show that also includes the Sprint Car Challenge Tour.  It’s shaping up to be a terrific October.With that, prepare to get busy because there are 13 NARC shows scheduled in the next 50 or so days. It’s going to flash by in the blink of an eye so get your travel plans dialed in.  Coming to you live from Auburn, CA! May the Fourth be with you. See ya!

Hoffman leads the final 45 laps to score his fourth career Feature with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models

FOUNTAIN CITY, WI (May 3, 2024) –

Nick Hoffman has continued to show that he is a threat for the 2024 World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models championship with his performance on Friday night at Mississippi Thunder Speedway.

The Mooresville, NC driver began the night by going fastest in his group of Sea Foam Qualifying, then followed up by winning his Heat race by over four seconds.

Hoffman started the Feature on the outside of the front row alongside Bilstein Pole Winner Brian Shirley for the 50-lap battle – sliding into second from the drop of the green flag.

On lap five, Hoffman powered his NOS Energy Drink #9 down the bottom of the front stretch to power by Shirley for the lead into Turn 1.

During the stretch of green flag racing, Hoffman had to navigate the continuous packs of lap traffic while fighting to stay at the front of a revolving door of contenders for the win that included Oakwood, IL driver Bobby Pierce, New Berlin, IL driver Brandon Sheppard and Robeline, LA driver Cade Dillard.

The sole caution of the Feature for a flat tire on Rochester, MN driver Dustin Sorensen’s machine on lap 35 gave the field their only sniff at competing against Hoffman for the win.

On the ensuing restart, Hoffman got the jump on the restart on the field into Turn 1 – leaving Pierce and Sheppard to fight for second place while new faces in Marshalltown, IA driver Ryan Gustin and Gray Court, SC’s Chris Madden fought their way inside the top five in the closing stages of the Feature.

With a clear track and twin checkered flags flying high in the air – Hoffman crossed the finish line with his fist high in the air to celebrate winning the largest purse of his racing career.

“This is the biggest money win I’ve ever had in my career,” Hoffman said. “Right now, we need every dollar we can get in building a new shop and everything. This is more of my style of racing right there and what I’ve made a living doing in my Modified by running through the middle of the race track when it’s slick and slow. So, I’m super pumped to race for another $25,000 tomorrow night. 

“I can’t thank everyone enough. Darien and Zach have done a great job for me, along with NOS Energy Drink, C&W Trucking, Peteroff Towing, Bilstein, Longhorn, and Clements Racing Engines. To get our third win of the year and fourth Outlaw win is special and we gotta keep it rolling because these guys are gonna be hot on our tail all year and I fully believe this points battle will go all the way down to Charlotte.”

Pierce finished second after starting the Feature in eighth place. The reigning Series champion is happy with the result – accepting that he used up the tires on his #32 machine in his quest towards the Hoffman.

“This track moves around a lot,” Pierce said. “In the beginning stages, everyone was running the middle to bottom, and then once the top got clean enough, everyone jumped up there. But, with the new dirt, it had some spots that were flatter than it used to be, so it made it tough to enter the corner and get a good run on the top side because it felt like as flat as can be.

“Nick had a really good car, he could pace himself in that middle line and I know I was hurting my tires in the charge to the front – especially the runs I had on Dillard and Sheppard, I knew I abused the tires getting around them. Once I got to second (place), I knew I didn’t have much left for Nick because he had it dialed. I’m pretty happy with second, but we’ll see what we can do to work on it and I know they’re gonna make the track more tacky tomorrow because it rubbered up down the back. You gotta stay on your toes at this place.”

Sheppard crossed the line to finish third and cap off a night that saw improvements from the Longhorn Factory Team #B5 – winning his Heat race and sitting inside the top-five for all 50 laps.

“It was definitely different than the last few years,” Sheppard said. “They did a good job prepping the track all night and it was definitely slick all night long. It was drier than what I anticipated. The car had good balance and we were able to drive nicely all night long and came up a little short tonight. I probably could’ve been more aggressive at the start, but Nick’s been rolling really good so we just gotta keep working and catch up to him.”

Gustin finished just short of the podium to take a fourth-place while Madden followed suit to finish out Friday’s top-five finishers.

Climbing 11 spots to earn the Feature’s Fox Factory Hard Charger Award was won by Lake Elmo, MN driver Brent Larson.

Dillard won his first Simpson Quick Time Award of 2024 with a 13.596 lap time around the 3/8-mile facility.

Heat race winners from Friday night included Dillard in Heat 1, Shirley in Heat 2, Hoffman in Heat 3, and Sheppard in Heat 4.

Jake Timm and Jordan Yaggy claimed the wins in two Last Chance Showdown races.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models cap off the weekend at Mississippi Thunder Speedway with racing on Saturday night, May 4. Like Friday, the Feature will go for 50 laps with $25,000 on the line for the winner. For more information about the event, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model race live on DIRTVision.

Feature Results:

CASE Late Model Feature (50 Laps): 1. 9-Nick Hoffman[2]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[8]; 3. B5-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[5]; 5. 44-Chris Madden[9]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 7. 97-Cade Dillard[3]; 8. 40B-Kyle Bronson[10]; 9. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 10. 1-Tyler Erb[11]; 11. 97C-Cody Overton[14]; 12. B1-Brent Larson[23]; 13. 19-Dustin Sorensen[13]; 14. 22*-Max McLaughlin[6]; 15. 49-Jake Timm[17]; 16. 22P-Nick Panitzke[21]; 17. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[16]; 18. 11H-Lance Hofer[12]; 19. 77-Jordan Yaggy[18]; 20. 88-Chad Mahder[22]; 21. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[26]; 22. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[19]; 23. 14W-Dustin Walker[25]; 24. 30-Todd Cooney[24]; 25. 18-Shannon Babb[15]; 26. 90-Lance Matthees[20]

The Wooster, OH native eclipses his 2023 win total with fourth victory of 2024  

ROSSBURG, OH (May 3, 2024) – Sheldon Haudenschild was right at home in more ways than one on Friday night at Eldora Speedway.

First, he was literally on home turf as the Rossburg, OH oval is only a few hours from his hometown of Wooster, OH. Second, he used the part of the racetrack where he feels right at home to drive to Victory Lane.

Haudenschild started on the pole and drove a masterful 30 laps inches from the intimidating fence at the fast half mile. The 30-year-old sliced his way through traffic and held off multiple challenges from Donny Schatz and Giovanni Scelzi to claim the checkered flag. A proud crowd enthusiastically welcomed one of their own to Victory Lane as Haudenschild climbed atop the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17 and took a celebratory swig of NOS Energy Drink.

Back in 2021 Haudenschild picked up his first Eldora win during #LetsRaceTwo, but he felt that Friday’s triumph validated the prior victory.

“I don’t really ever count first wins,” Haudenschild said. “I feel like they don’t mean much until you back them up. I’ve been really good here in the past. The Kings Royal I ran behind (Kyle) Larson. Even last year I was pretty good here but just haven’t finished the job off. I feel like we just struggled to make a full Feature really smooth, and we did it tonight. I feel like that was a perfect race. A perfect race car. (Kyle) Ripper busts his ass all the time. We were up until two in the morning last night fixing stuff like old times and running on very little sleep. It feels good. Luke (Vaughn), Kinzer (Dussel), everybody has been putting in the work. Can’t ask for much more.”

The fourth win of the season for Haudenschild already elevated his total beyond the three reached in 2023. He’s up to 38 for his career, and Eldora is the eighth track where he’s won multiple times with The Greatest Show on Dirt. It also marked Haudenschild’s fourth victory in his home state of Ohio.

The path to victory required an incredible early effort from Haudenschild before the Feature even started. His Qualifying effort left him starting fifth in a stacked Heat Race. The two rows ahead of him consisted of nothing but star power – Donny Schatz, Giovanni Scelzi, Logan Schuchart, and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid.”

But Haudenschild did what Haudenschild does. He put on a show with a great start to get to third by Lap 3. And then he snatched the final transfer to the Toyota Racing Dash from Scelzi on the final lap of the Heat.

In the Dash, Haudenschild lined up third and drove by David Gravel and Schatz to earn the pole for the 30-lap Feature.

Even though he had the best seat in the house for the green flag of the main event, it would prove to be no easy drive to the winner’s circle. He pulled ahead of David Gravel in the early part of the race, but it wasn’t long before traffic became a factor.

But traffic didn’t seem to phase Haudenschild. While the top was his preferred line, he could move the NOS Energy Drink #17 anywhere necessary to pass cars. At one point he stared down lapped cars racing three-wide ahead and made a daring move to split between two and give himself a little more breathing room from those in pursuit.

The red flag flew with 11 laps remaining for a flipping Garet Williamson. Under the red, heartbreak struck the runner-up Gravel as his right rear tire went down, forcing him to the Federated Car Care Work Zone for a new one.

On the ensuing restart Schatz blasted from fourth to second and hung right with Haudenschild looking to challenge. Schatz kept the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 rolling through the middle while Haudenschild never wavered from the top. After nearly pulling alongside Haudenschild multiple times, Schatz began to slip back as the laps faded.

Scelzi ripped by Schatz to take over second on the white flag with Haudenschild within sight, but it was too little, too late as Haudenschild crossed the finish line with half a second advantage to make his home state proud.

“Hats off to this whole NOS Energy Drink team,” Haudenschild said. “All these guys have been putting in the work. Happy to be in this.”

Scelzi brought the KCP Racing #18 home P2 for his fourth podium of the season and first since Arrowhead Speedway a month ago. The Fresno, CA native used the low line to make up most of his ground as he moved forward from ninth but found himself wishing he would’ve moved to the cushion sooner after finding speed there late in the race.

“The motor we put in was incredible,” Scelzi said. “I’m kicking myself because I wish I would’ve moved up a couple laps sooner because I think I would’ve maybe slid Sheldon for the lead. But he did his job in the Heat Race and did a great job all night. I tried to do my best Greg Wilson impression around the bottom for most of the race and gave up on it there with two to go and should’ve done it sooner.”

Rounding out the top three was Donny Schatz. The 10-time Series champion put together a productive night for his sixth podium of the 2024 World of Outlaws campaign.

“I thought we were going to have a chance at them there at the end,” Schatz said. “And then as we went by the end, they’d left us hanging again. Either way it was a decent finish. Started there and finished there. Went back and came back forward again.”

Logan Schuchart and Carson Macedo completed the top five.

After going to a backup car, Logan Schuchart drove from 24th to fourth to earn the KSE Racing Hard Charger.

David Gravel claimed his third Simpson Quick Time of 2024 and the 113th of his career.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One and Three went to David Gravel (251st Heat Race win of career) and Donny Schatz (523rdof career). Milton Hershey Heat Two went to Carson Macedo (120th of career).

Sheldon Haudenschild topped the Toyota Racing Dash.

Logan McCandless won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

After a flat tire derailed a potential challenge for the win and left him with an ninth place finish, David Gravel was awarded the Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are back at Eldora Speedway on Saturday, May 4 for the #LetsRaceTwo finale. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[1]; 2. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[9]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[3]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[24]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[4]; 6. 83-Michael Kofoid[14]; 7. 70-Kraig Kinser[11]; 8. 23J-Cale Thomas[7]; 9. 2-David Gravel[2]; 10. 7S-Landon Crawley[6]; 11. 42-Sye Lynch[19]; 12. 27-Emerson Axsom[5]; 13. 101-Kalib Henry[8]; 14. 99-Skylar Gee[10]; 15. 29-Logan McCandless[18]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[21]; 17. W20-Greg Wilson[20]; 18. 17B-Bill Balog[15]; 19. 55T-McKenna Haase[16]; 20. 5T-Travis Philo[17]; 21. 6-Bill Rose[23]; 22. 15K-Creed Kemenah[22]; 23. 23-Garet Williamson[12]; 24. 21H-Brady Bacon[13]

Points leader is driving with the savvy of a veteran Funny Car driver, with one win, two runners-up and three No. 1 qualifiers in first 5 races

For Immediate Release Austin Prock has been one of the most pleasant surprises thus far in the 2024 NHRA season. After four seasons of driving a Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing, including compiling four wins and eight final round appearances, Prock was shifted by team owner John Force to pilot the Cornwell Tools/AAA Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for this season. Prock has long aspired to drive a Funny Car and the situation couldn’t be better for the Grand Rapids, Mich. native. His crew chief and assistant crew chief are his father Jimmy and brother Thomas, respectively, and the nicknamed “Prock Rocket” has been nothing short of outstanding behind the wheel. Through the first five races of the 20-race NHRA season, the 28-year-old Prock: *  Won his first-ever start in a Funny Car, capturing a preseason exhibition event in Bradenton, Fla. * Reached the final round of his first NHRA event piloting a Funny Car in the season-opening race at Gainesville, Florida. * Earned his first Funny Car “Wally” winner’s trophy just three races into his new career, capturing the Arizona Nationals victory last month. In so doing, Prock became only the 19th driver in NHRA history to earn victories in the sport’s top two nitro classes, namely, Top Fuel and Funny Car. * His win in Arizona was made all the more sweeter as that same weekend as his boss, Force, also won the Funny Car crown for the Winternationals, which were rescheduled/relocated to Phoenix from its traditional home in Pomona, Calif., due to the final round there being rained out. * He’s been the No. 1 Funny Car qualifier in three of the first five races thus far. * He’s also reached the finals in three of those five events, including runner-up showings at both Gainesville and Las Vegas, and the aforementioned win in Phoenix. * And to top things off, Prock has been the Funny Car points leader following the last two races. That’s obviously not bad for a guy who’s considered a rookie once again this year in a new racing class. When asked if he’s surprised at the great achievements he’s amassed in such a short period of time in his initial Funny Car season, Prock demurs. “It still really hasn’t hit me, I’m like living a fairy tale right now,” Prock said. “But I think it’s a good thing that it hasn’t hit me. We just need to keep our head down and keep focused and keep doing the job we’re doing because it’s been working. “So don’t get too high, don’t get too low, but we’ve definitely got to celebrate the year we’ve had so far.” Prock, who is a trained chef off the track, has definitely been doing a lot of cooking on-track, as well. His aggressive style, cat-like reflexes at the starting line and a never-give-up attitude have helped him become the biggest story in Funny Car in the first quarter of the season. “I’m finally getting comfortable in the race car enough to where I feel like I can go up there and attack,” Prock said. “That’s definitely a confidence booster for myself, and if we get all our ducks lined up in a row and I can drive like that, this category might be in for a world of hurt. That’s obviously our goal every weekend. We’ve just got to keep picking away at it. “Yes, I’m still a rookie and I’m still learning and I only have ambitions to get better and better every weekend. People may not see it from the outside, but personally I feel like I’m getting better and better, getting more comfortable and that’s a good sign. So it’s a long year ahead and we’re just going to attack it one weekend at a time.” Prock has gone from Florida to California, Phoenix to Las Vegas, Charlotte and will be in Chicago in two weeks. “Every track I’ve been to so far has been totally different driving this Funny Car,” Prock said. “There are so many different things going on, like the altitude and things like that. For example, it’s a huge change for the crew chiefs. In Vegas, we’re halfway to Denver (altitude-wise), whereas in Charlotte we’re pretty close to sea level. “I’m looking forward to Chicago. I think we’ll pick up right where we’ve been and we’ll be just fine.” Speaking of Chicago, Prock will travel to the Windy City entering his third consecutive race as the Funny Car points leader in his trusty Chevrolet. “I don’t think I’ve ever held the points lead this long, so that’s something to be proud about,” Prock said. “This team is just doing a great job. When we falter, we just come back and attack and everything seems to work out. “You’re only as good as your last run and we go back and prove that. It’s been a great year.” Prock concedes that one of the biggest keys to his success this season has been working with his father and brother, making it a true family affair. “You know, work and family are two separate things, but it sure is fun racing with my family, it’s been a blast,” Prock said. “I’ve been oddly comfortable in this race car right from the very beginning. “I don’t know if it’s just because I’m meant to be in a Funny Car or if it’s because my dad’s giving me a head nod and rolling off after he’s setting the barrel valve. So I’m really, really blessed to race with my dad and brother and this entire team. I’ve known a lot of the guys for a long time and we’re all kind of like brothers. So it’s pretty cool to be in this pit.” Prock was originally slated to be solely a crew member on the Cornwell team this season until three-time NHRA Funny Car champion Robert Hight yielded his seat in mid-January, prompting Force to ask Prock to take over driving duties for the Cornwell car. But Prock has not forgotten his crew member training over the years. He’s one of only a handful of drivers in the nitro ranks who still works on his car when he’s not driving it. Doing so not only keeps Prock on top of all the workings of his Funny Car, but also keeps the very humble individual grounded, so to speak. And even with his early success this season, Prock is the first to admit he still has a lot to learn in driving a Funny Car. “Nobody really understands unless you’re sitting behind the wheel,” he said. “These things are just so tough to drive. They’re beasts and every lap they’re doing something different. It’s been like that everywhere I’ve gone so far. It’s just been a different challenge. “But it’s fun. I love the challenge, I love racing with this team, I love racing with Cornwell Tools, and I hope we can keep it going.” Keeping it going is at the top of Prock’s to-do list. “Yes, I do believe we can keep it going, I don’t see why not,” Prock said. “You know, this team is just honed in right now. And our package is working. We’ve just got to keep making smart decisions. And I’ve got to keep making smart decisions driving this thing and we’ll see our cards fall. “But like I’ve said all year, if everybody does their best over here, we’re going to be hard to beat every weekend.”

CHICAGO, IL (May 4, 2024) — Zizzo Racing will begin their 2024 season competing at the highest level on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals, May 17-19 with new associate sponsor Master Truck & Trailer (MTT). The Waukegan, Illinois based company has enjoyed a long-standing professional and personal relationship with team owner Tony Zizzo as well as driver TJ Zizzo which will now manifest itself into branding on the Zizzo Racing 12,000 horsepower Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster.
 
“My dad has known John Pinkley at MTT for years and the opportunity to add their company to our race team is a perfect arrangement,” said TJ Zizzo, driver of the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster. “You can’t live in the Lake County area and not hear the incredibly catchy MTT commercials on the radio and everyone at Zizzo Racing is ‘down with MTT.’ On a serious note the quality of products MTT is providing to their customers is amazing and we want to highlight their company at the track and across the country.”

 TJ Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel will be back on track at Route 66 Raceway in May, photo credit Auto Imagery

Master Truck & Trailer will be an associate sponsor for Zizzo Racing at the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago (May 17-19), the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio (June 28-30), the Night Under Fire specialty race in Norwalk (August 2-3), the US Nationals in Indianapolis (August 29-September 2) and the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis (September 27-29).
 
“We love what Tony and Zizzo Racing stand for,” said John Pinkley, owner of MTT. “They love what they do, and they are doing it the right way. We are a local family-owned business and so are they. Being able to support Zizzo Racing is a privilege. I also know that every racer that brings their race car to the track uses a trailer hitch or a fifth wheel and that is our business. I am looking forward to watching Zizzo Racing succeed with our employees and customers at the track.”
 
Locally owned and operated, Master Truck & Trailer, in Waukegan, Illinois, is a one stop shop for all truck accessories, trailer repair, hitches, and other towing needs. They also sell and service a full line of salt spreaders for vehicles, including Boss Plows and Sno-Way products such as heavy-duty snow and ice control equipment including snowplows, snowplow accessories, and salt spreaders.
 
Zizzo Racing will be making more announcements about their 2024 NHRA season in the coming weeks. Their debut race of the 2024 season will be the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals at their home track Route 66 Raceway outside of Joliet, Illinois. Last season Zizzo raced to the semifinals at this event and the ever-improving team will be looking for more success this season.

Xtreme Outlaw Series star prepares return to Humboldt, 81 next weekend after sweeping both races in 2023

CONCORD, NC (May 2, 2024) – Chase McDermand’s sweep of both races with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota last year in Kansas was special. Not for what it did for him in the stats column, but for what it showed about his abilities and his place in the open-wheel racing world.

McDermand, the 23-year-old family-team racer from Springfield, IL, came to Humboldt Speedway and 81 Speedway for the first time last May and walked out of both with the checkered flag in hand — his first career sweep of a national Midget series weekend.

As he prepares to return to both tracks with the Series next Friday and Saturday, May 10-11, he recalled the joy of those triumphs and how much it fueled his drive to compete for the Series championship in 2023.

“It helped our team a lot as far as the confidence goes and the knowledge that came with that,” McDermand said. “It was really just a good building weekend for all of us early in the season to have that success.”

Though he came up short in the points standings with a fifth-place finish, McDermand — like several others — cemented his place in the national Midget ranks as a star of the Xtreme Outlaw Series and with the others ushered in a brand-new era of talent.

Midget goliaths of USAC in the late 2010s — Seavey, Thorson, Courtney, Windom — have gone on to broaden their open-wheel racing horizons, opening the door for the present-day roster of stars — McDermand, McIntosh, Daum, Timms, among others — to make their mark aboard the Xtreme Outlaw Series.

McDermand — a multi-time regional Midget champion at the turn of the decade — spent many years watching the USAC and POWRi greats, dreaming of the day he’d make his mark on the national Midget scene. Now a three-year regular on the Xtreme Outlaw Series, that day has dawned, and he’s never been happier now that it’s here.

“It feels good as a driver to know that I’m a contender,” McDermand said. “It goes back to maybe six or eight years ago sitting in the stands watching the national Midget races with the guys that were in that position that I am.

“It’s really come full circle for me as a driver to be fortunate enough to be in that position. I think [that] says a lot about me and who surrounds me with the team and my family and stuff. It means a lot to all of us to be able to have that privilege throughout the year. I’m just looking forward to making everybody happy, hopefully.”

For the past three seasons, McDermand has enjoyed continued success with support from Oklahoma-based Mounce/Stout Motorsports, who he renewed his partnership with in early 2024. Together, they’ve won seven Xtreme Outlaw Series races — tied with Jade Avedisian for most all-time.

“It’s been good so far; it just feels like home again,” McDermand said. “We work well together. Last year showed that.

“It’s been helpful to have the same notebook as last year. I don’t have to learn a different engine platform and stuff like that, so that’s really helped me get back on the right foot.”

His reunion with team owners Jay Mounce and Gavin Stout came after a sudden change from his original plans for 2024. McDermand announced in November he had entered into a deal with Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports (DMD) to pilot team owner Dave McIntosh’s flagship car and chase the Xtreme Outlaw Series championship.

However, McDermand was forced to make other arrangements before the season opener in March after McIntosh informed him that he would not be able to continue operations at DMD in 2024, and so he picked up the phone.

“I feel like I had a good plan moving forward to better myself and my racing career,” McDermand said. “The way things played out — the economy isn’t as good as it once was, and [McIntosh] decided it was better to close the doors on his racing program, at least for now.

“The way things played out so far is probably the best that could’ve happened. I feel like the speed we’ve had already this season shows that. Now, it’s just all focus on the season ahead.”

McDermand has built his racing mentality on forward thinking. He’s back in his comfort zone at Mounce/Stout, looking forward to getting his first win of the year and defending his 2023 victories next weekend at Humboldt and 81. Though it’s been a year since those wins, he’s accepting of the challenge.

“Obviously, it’s a little bit of pressure that I put on myself to go back to place that you had good speed at before — you’re kind of expected to have that same speed again,” McDermand said. “In racing, it’s hard to stay on top of a mountain for a while, especially 365 days later.”

He currently sits 56 points behind leader Cannon McIntosh in the standings with 24 races left on the schedule. With plenty of time left, McDermand said it’s a gap he can make up in pursuit of his first career national Midget series championship.

“I definitely think that we’re a contender; that’s our number-one goal and focus,” McDermand said. “To be honest, anything less than that would probably be a disappointment to us.”

Don’t miss McDermand and Mounce/Stout back in action with the Xtreme Outlaw Series next Friday-Saturday, May 10-11, at Humboldt Speedway and 81 Speedway in Kansas. Tickets for both events will be on sale at the gate. If you can’t be there to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

The World of Outlaws are ready for a heavy dose of Ohio that will add to the significant history between the Series and State ROSSBURG, OH (May 2, 2024) – From border to boarder, roughly 40,000 square miles of Ohio’s land is dotted with dirt tracks. And the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars have a long and heavy history spread across that terrain. It’s a history that will grow healthily in 2024. The Greatest Show on Dirt is about to embark on a 25-day stretch that features seven races in the “Buckeye State” at five different tracks. It begins with two nights at Eldora Speedway (May 3-4) and leads to stops at Attica Raceway Park (May 17), Sharon Speedway (May 18), Atomic Speedway (May 24-25), and Fremont Speedway (May 27).The seven nights will add to the immense list of Ohio races in Series history. With more than 300 total trips, it’s the third most visited state since Ted Johnson unleashed the band of travelers in 1978. It didn’t take long for the band to roll into Ohio. The second ever World of Outlaws race was contested at Earl Baltes’ Eldora Speedway (Rossburg, OH). Pennsylvanian Bobby Allen went to Victory Lane.“The Big E” welcomed the World of Outlaws eight more times during their debut campaign. Ohio’s own Rick Ferkel made fellow Buckeyes proud by claiming four. Eldora’s nine appearances on the first schedule set the stage for a long and fruitful connection between the track and Series. Two more Ohio ovals hosted the nation’s best Sprint Car drivers in 1978. Limaland Motorsports Park was first conquered by Ferkel. And the Series first and only visit to Wauseon, OH’s Oakshade Raceway went to New Oxford, PA’s Steve Smith. A total of 13 races were contested in the state in 1978 – the most of any as the Series came to life.Each of the first four seasons of World of Outlaws action saw Ohio lead the way in terms of the state with the most events. Eldora remained a mainstay while Wayne County Speedway (Orrville, OH), New Bremen Speedway, Mansfield Motor Speedway, and Millstream Speedway (Findlay, OH) joined the fray during that four-year run.Throughout the 1980s Eldora remained a staple of the schedule, routinely hosting several races per season. Millstream and Wayne County held occasional dates, but it wasn’t until the turn of the decade that two new facilities were added. Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway joined for a debut weekend in May of 1990 swept by Steve Kinser. On July 15, 1990 Millstream Speedway hosted Ohio’s 100th overall World of Outlaws Race. The 1990s also marked another major moment in the connection when the World of Outlaws became part of the Kings Royal – a tradition that continues today as the Series will roll into Eldora on July 19-20 for the 41st edition with $175,000 going to the King.It took another dozen years for the next new track to come along when Danny Lasoski topped the Series debut at Hartford’s Sharon Speedway in 2002. The following season Atomic Speedway – then K-C Raceway – hosted The Greatest Show on Dirt for the first time, bringing the total of tracks visited to 11.As a result of the state’s many racetracks, Ohio has also turned many of its local talents into national stars with the World of Outlaws. Of the 152 drivers to win World of Outlaws races, 16 are Buckeyes.Hartford, OH’s Dave Blaney leads the way with 95 World of Outlaws victories (eighth all-time). His first came at Tri-City Speedway (Granite City, IL) in 1985. In the mid-1990s Blaney became a dominant force teamed with Casey Luna, topping 56 Features from 1993 through 1996 that also included the 1995 championship. The Wooster, OH father-son duo of Jac and Sheldon Haudenschild are the next two most successful Ohioans. Jac’s famous driving style earned him the nickname “The Wild Child” and led him to 72 checkered flags. He won with a record 15 different car owners and enjoyed the most success aboard Jack Elden’s #22, which he wheeled to 32 wins. Sheldon has picked up 37 checkered flags, all since joining Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing in 2018 including a trio already in 2024.The state’s first winner – Rick Ferkel – is next on the list. “The Ohio Traveler” racked up 21 triumphs, eight of which came in his home state. Millersburg, OH’s Brad Doty collected 18 checkered flags before his career got cut short in 1988.Other Ohio winners include Dale Blaney (Hartford), Danny Smith (Chillicothe), Kenny Jacobs (Holmesville), Chad Kemenah (Findlay), Jack Hewitt (Troy), Frankie Kerr (Fremont), Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge), Randy Ford (Elmore), Johnny Beaber (Gibsonburg), Rick Ungar (Belpree), and Dean Jacobs (Wooster).Only a day remains before the World of Outlaws invade Eldora to continue growing the Series’ history in Ohio. With 235 previous trips, Eldora is already the most visited track for the nation’s top talent. Five more nights of Ohio racing in May await after Eldora along with a trio in July and two more in September including a return to Wayne County Speedway. Overall, the 2024 calendar boasts 12 Ohio races at six racetracks – all adding new chapters to the long and impactful history between the World of Outlaws and the “Buckeye State.”WORLD OF OUTLAWS 2024 OHIO RACESMay 3-4 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH (TICKETS) May 17 at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, OH (TICKETS) May 18 at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH (TICKETS) May 24-25 at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, OH (TICKETS) May 27 at Fremont Speedway in Fremont, OH (TICKETS) July 16 at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, OH (TICKETS) July 19-20 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH (TICKETS) September 27 at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH (TICKETS) September 28 at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH (TICKETS)If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.

Kansas City, KansasMay 4-5, 2024

KICKING-OFF MAY IN THE MIDWESTThe NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) will take its turn to contest in a doubleheader weekend with the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) as both series will make their way to Kansas Speedway for the series’ first trip to the Midwest this season. The 1.5-mile Kansas oval will again hold two race weekends for the NCS and NCTS this season, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) joining in on the action as all three series will return to the track in September for a postseason tripleheader.

Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway

Chevrolet leads the NASCAR Cup Series in all-time victories at Kansas Speedway – owning victories in 13 of the series’ 36 events at the 1.5-mile track. The first of those victories came in the series’ debut at the track with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon – marking his first of three career Kansas triumphs. Hendrick Motorsports is tied for the top spot as the winningest organization in series’ history at Kansas Speedway with eight triumphs – most recently with Kyle Larson in Oct. 2021 en route to his first championship title.

Kyle Larson No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletKansas Speedway – Oct. 24, 2021

Christian EckesNo. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing ChevroletKansas Speedway – Sept. 8, 2023

Chevrolet also earned the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory at Kansas Speedway with a win courtesy of Ricky Hendrick. In 27 NCTS races at the 1.5-mile track, Chevrolet has earned 10 victories – two of which came last season when Team Chevy’s Grant Enfinger and Christian Eckes drove the manufacturer to a sweep of the victories. A Chevrolet win in Saturday’s Heart of America 200 would tie Toyota for the series’ all-time win record at Kansas Speedway.

TWO-FOR-TWOThe NASCAR Cup Series has contested on two non-drafting 1.5-mile tracks thus far this season – both ending with a Chevrolet-powered machine in victory lane.

The first of those victories came in March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team. The victory came in near-dominating fashion by the 2021 series’ champion. Following a second-place qualifying effort, Larson went on to sweep both stage wins and lead a race-high 181 of 267 laps en route to the victory.

Chase Elliott kept Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports undefeated at 1.5-mile tracks this season with a victory at Texas Motor Speedway three weeks ago. The 28-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native drove his No. 9 Camaro ZL1 to top-10 finishes in both stages – outlasting a handful of late-race cautions to take the checkered-flag and snap a 42-race winless streak.

Next Gen Numbers on 1.5-Mile TracksHeading to the heartland for this weekend’s event, Chevrolet owns a winning percentage of 50 percent on non-drafting 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen era with eight victories in 16 races. Three of those victories were accompanied by a podium sweep by Team Chevy drivers – twice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Mar. 2022 and Mar. 2023), as well as a one-two-three-four finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Oct. 2022.  Chevrolet’s Next Gen Wins on Non-Drafting 1.5-Mile Tracks: ·       Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Alex Bowman (Mar. 6, 2022) ·       Texas Motor Speedway – Tyler Reddick (Sept. 25, 2022) ·       Homestead-Miami Speedway – Kyle Larson (Oct. 23, 2022) ·       Las Vegas Motor Speedway – William Byron (Mar. 5, 2023)·       Texas Motor Speedway – William Byron (Sept. 24, 2023)·       Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Kyle Larson (Oct. 15, 2023)·       Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Kyle Larson (Mar. 3, 2024)·       Texas Motor Speedway – Chase Elliott (Apr. 14, 2024)

CARRYING MOMENTUM IN THE NCTSComing off a two-week break, Chevrolet drivers and teams in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will return to competition this weekend for five-straight weeks of racing. The Bowtie brand is carrying the momentum of a near dominant season as the series nears the halfway point of its regular-season. With seven races complete, four different Team Chevy drivers have earned a combined six wins. In addition, the manufacturer has tallied a series-leading five pole wins – each recorded by a different Team Chevy driver – and accumulated 11 of 14 stage wins thus far this season. Among each of those victories, Chevrolet claimed at least 50 percent of the top-10 finishing positions, including a season-high seven top-10s on two different occasions (Daytona International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway).

Christian Eckes – the series’ most recent winner at Kansas Speedway – heads into the weekend atop the driver’s points standings with a two-point advantage over second-place Corey Heim. The 23-year-old New York native continues to be the only full-time NCTS contender that is a multi-time winner this season with two victories to his name. In the series’ two appearances on non-drafting 1.5-mile tracks this season, Eckes has driven his No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Silverado RST to a pair of top-10 finishes including a sixth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and a fourth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

Looking Back at a Kansas Sweep

Team Chevy’s Grant Enfinger and Christian Eckes powered the Silverado RST to a sweep of the NCTS races at Kansas Speedway last season. Enfinger is the defending winner of the track’s spring date – with the triumph earning his playoff berth that ultimately led to a runner-up finish in the series’ final points standings. Returning to the 1.5-mile Kansas oval for the series’ Playoffs Round of 10 elimination race, Eckes took the lead on the final restart – leading just the final two circuits to steal the victory. Efinger and Eckes are two of just three former NCTS winners at Kansas Speedway entered for Saturday’s event.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       With 28 races complete across NASCAR’s three national series this season, Chevrolet has a winning percentage of 60.7% with 17 victories (NASCAR Cup Series – six wins; NASCAR Xfinity Series – five wins; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – six wins). ·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Kansas Speedway:  Kyle Busch – two wins (2021, 2016)Kyle Larson – one win (2021) Chase Elliott – one win (2018) ·       In 36 NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 13 victories and 13 poles.  ·       Chevrolet won the inaugural race at Kansas Speedway in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, courtesy of Jeff Gordon (NCS – Sept. 2001) and Ricky Hendrick (NCTS – July 2001). ·       In four NASCAR Cup Series races this season, Chevrolet has earned at least 50 percent of the top-10 finishing results – three of which have come in the series’ past three events (Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Dover Motor Speedway). In each of those events, at least three different Chevrolet organizations were represented in the top-10.  ·       Team Chevy’s William Byron is the only driver to have a double-digit win record in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen era – with his victory at Martinsville Speedway marking his 11th all-time victory in the Next Gen Camaro ZL1.  ·       In 83 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 43 victories – a winning percentage of 51.8%.  ·       With its 42 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 857 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

Manufacturer Points Standings Chevrolet: 406Toyota: 402 (-4)Ford: 363 (-43)

Manufacturer Points Standings Chevrolet: 370Toyota: 365 (-5)Ford: 311 (-59)

Manufacturer Points Standings Chevrolet: 273Toyota: 240 (-33)Ford: 224 (-49)

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400Sunday, May 5, at 3 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesHeart of America 200  Saturday, May 4, at 8 pm. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 BUSCH LIGHT CROCS CAMARO ZL1What is racing at like at Kansas?“Kansas was built like other mile-and-a-half tracks but it doesn’t race like them. It has progressive banking where it gets steeper the further up the track you go up closer to the wall. The winters in Kansas can be tough so that has a big bearing on how the track ages each year. I’ve only raced on the current pavement. I went there the first year of the current pavement in the Truck Series. I’ve gotten to progress with the asphalt there as it ages from super good stuff to where you wanted to stay in the rubber and now you’re looking to get away from the rubber. Now, you want to drive anywhere but where the vehicle in front of you is or where most cars aren’t running. I love the Kansas track. Sometimes I feel like I have to hang on to something so the wind doesn’t blow me away, and sometimes you feel like you’re going to get shoved in the wall because the wind gusts are so strong.” What are restarts like at Kansas?“Restarts at Kansas are wild. We have to stay above the white line until the start/finish line and then you can bail to the bottom. Going back to racing in the truck series, I’ve made plenty of three-wide going to the bottom to get position on guys. I’ve ripped the top, getting a run drafting in turn 1 and pulling out and being able to run wide open up there and get to the right rear quarter panel and get the pass done. Most vehicles you’re a lot of throttle all of the way to turn 3 on the restart.” COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 GAINBRIDGE CAMARO ZL1You had a decent run last Sunday at Dover and Spire Motorsports’ intermediate-track package has been trending in the right direction. It feels like the team is making some gains as we head for Kansas Speedway.“We’re headed to Kansas this weekend looking to make some more positive gains with our Gainbridge Chevrolet. Kansas Speedway has become one of my favorite mile-and-a-halves so this weekend is another great opportunity to create some positive momentum.” KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN CAMARO ZL1You ran well in the spring race last year at Kansas. How did that affect your performance in the fall event where you scored a seventh-place finish?“We had a really good car in the spring race at Kansas last year. I felt like we were a top three car for sure and to be able to bring that same speed back the second time to Kansas was really helpful. I think we learned a lot the first race we had there last year.” What is so challenging about Turn 2 at Kansas? There have been eight cautions at that end of the track over the last three races.“Kansas is tough all around and a lot of it has to do with the wind. The wind can really play havoc on the car’s handling by which direction it’s blowing. I would say that you are trying to maximize your speed at all areas of the track and sometimes when you’re running high against the wall you overstep those bounds and you get in trouble.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1Bowman on racing at Kansas Speedway: “Kansas (Speedway) was one of the first intermediate tracks I got to race at way back in ARCA. I got a lot of laps there and for whatever reason have been pretty naturally successful there (Kansas Speedway) right off the bat, even in the (NASCAR) Cup (Series) car. Obviously we haven’t won there- but we’ve had a lot of good days there. I’m looking forward to getting back to Kansas (Speedway). It’s a fun racetrack that I enjoy going to.” BLAKE HARRIS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1Harris on racing at Kansas Speedway: “I think our team has had some good intermediate runs this year. Our No. 48 Ally Racing team has carried mostly good momentum the past couple of months and we don’t really expect anything different this weekend in Kansas. I’d say Kansas (Speedway) is easily one of Alex (Bowman)’s top five (performing) tracks. I know he really enjoys going there (Kansas Speedway) and has had some good runs and led some laps. We expect to go compete in the top five this weekend and aim for a shot to win.” ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 FOCUSED HEALTH CAMARO ZL1Your primary sponsor, Focused Health, is debuting a new paint scheme this weekend. What are your thoughts on the scheme?“I’m pumped for this new paint scheme. When I first saw the renderings, I wanted to run it as soon as possible. It is a scheme that will stand out and everyone will be able to spot easily on the track. I think a new, bright design like this is significant as we progress through the rest of the season. I’m thankful for Focused Health’s support for me and this No.71 team. I am excited to get to Kansas and show it off. Hopefully we will be at the front of the field, and everyone will see it.” CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 DELAWARE LIFE/CREATIVE ONE CAMARO ZL1Kansas is a track you’ve raced at plenty of times in your career. How are you feeling this week headed back there, this time racing full time in the Cup series for Spire Motorsports?“I really like Kansas and it’s a lot of fun running around the top of the racetrack. Another mile-and-a-half, which seems to be our strong suit. I’m looking forward to racing somewhere where you can move around and try different racing grooves. It’s shaping up to be a good weekend with the 77 team.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 CHOICE PRIVILEGES CAMARO ZL1What do think about racing at Kansas?“Kansas is going to be fun. It’s a mile-and-a-half track that produces great racing because you have the option of going to the bottom or going to the top. It’s a mile-and-a-half but it feels smaller because you can run everywhere. Our mile-and-a-half program has been pretty good this season. I think that will show this weekend.” BAYLEY CURREY, NO. 41 AUTOVENTIVE/PRECISION SILVERADO RSTWith three intermediate tracks in a row, how important is it to string together a solid opening race in Kansas?“I think obviously it’s super important. We’re probably going to turn this truck around to race somewhere soon, whether that be in Darlington or Charlotte. So, being able to start off with momentum and build some confidence heading into this string of races will be important. I feel like we’ve had speed at the other mile-and-a-half tracks with our No. 41 Chevy, so I don’t see anything different here.” MATT MILLS, NO. 42 J.F. ELECTIC/UTILITRA SILVERADO RSTYou’ve had experience in several types of vehicles at this track before, so what are some of the characteristics that make Kansas fun to race on?“I think it’s fun because of the fact that it’s got a lot of grip. You can move around throughout the whole race depending on what your car or truck is doing. Obviously, ripping around the fence is the biggest thrill for us drivers if everything’s working right. Going there in a truck is a little bit more risky to get close to the wall, so hopefully we’ll have a good enough truck to be able to move around and make time so we can race a little more than some of the other mile-and-a-half tracks.” KADEN HONEYCUTT, NO. 45 NIECE PRODUCTS OF KANSAS SILVERADO RSTWhat are some of the most important driving techniques that you’ve been able to pick up while racing on a mile-and-a-half track compared to the short tracks that you’re accustomed to?“I feel like one of the biggest things I’ve learned is getting used to the dirty air. You have to run opposite lanes and make stuff work, while sure you’re not directly behind someone entering the corner. I feel like Kansas is really good for two-lane racing, especially the bottom was good last year. It changes so much, but that was one of the biggest things was making sure I’m out of line from the truck in front. On the restarts, you need to be in the lane to move to the front on either the top or the bottom lane, whichever is moving forward. You’re just having to constantly search for the air that’s making ground up.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2023): 42First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2024 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 6Poles: 5Laps Led: 1,175Top-five finishes: 24Top-10 finishes: 43Stage wins: 7·       Chase Elliott: 1 ·       Kyle Larson: 6·       Ross Chastain: 1 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 857 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 748Laps led to date: 250,350Top-five finishes to date: 4,322Top-10 finishes to date: 8,904                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,191           Chevrolet: 857           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 828                                                                      Ford: 728           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 185

BATAVIA, Ohio (May 1, 2024) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will spend the weekend in the Bluegrass state with a visit to Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on Friday, May 3 and Florence Speedway in Union, KY on Saturday, May 4. Ponderosa Speedway, a unique D-shaped 3/8th mile oval, known as “Kentucky’s Baddest Bullring”, will host the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the Billy Todd Classic. The event will include a complete program of: Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $12,000-to-win main event. Also, in competition on Friday night will be the Crate Late Models, Modifieds, and Hobby Stocks. Ponderosa Speedway is located at 365 Phillips Lane in Junction City, Kentucky. The pit gates will open at 2:30PM followed by general admission gates at 3:00PM with Hot Laps beginning at 7:00PM. For more information about Ponderosa Speedway, visit www.ponderosaspeedway.net. On Saturday, May 4, race teams will vie for a $15,000 top prize in the 38th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial at Florence Speedway. Pit gate opens at 3:00PM on Saturday, with the main and back gates opening at 5:30PM. Hot laps begin at 7:00PM. In addition to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the Crate Late Models and Modifieds. Florence Speedway is located in Northern Kentucky off Interstate 71/75, approximately 25 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio. Take KY exit 180 off I-71/75; west on US 42, nine miles to the track on the left. Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://florencesp.webtix.coor onsite the day of the event. For other information concerning Florence Speedway, visit www.florencespeedway.com. Ricky Thornton Jr. is atop the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship – presented by ARP standings, followed by Jonathan Davenport and Devin Moran. Mike Marlar and Hudson O’Neal round out the top five in the championship point standings. For the latest news, results, championship standings and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series PursesPonderosa Speedway – May 3: 1. $12,000, 2. $6,000, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,800, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,100, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000, 18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000 = Total $52,800 Florence Speedway – May 4: 1. $15,000, 2. $7,000, 3. $5,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,000, 6. $2,500, 7. $2,400, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,800, 13. $1,600, 14. $1,500, 15. $1,400, 16. $1,300, 17. $1,200, 18. $1,100, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000, = Total $63,400 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire RuleFriday-Saturday, May 3-4:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3 Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4

About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2024, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 63 events across 16 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap.  The series receives national exposure through a television package streamed live via FloRacing, with select broadcasts on MAVTV Motorsports Network.   The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com.2024 Official Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Marketing Partners

CONCORD, NC (May 1, 2024) – The Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota returns to Missouri and Illinois for a three-day weekend to cap off May and kick-start June. Spanning Thursday through Saturday, the Series will visit Doe Run Raceway (Doe Run, MO) on May 30, Coles County Speedway (Mattoon, IL) on May 31 and Wayne County Speedway (Wayne City, IL) on June 1. The visits to Doe Run and Wayne County will be the Series’ second consecutive year visiting both tracks, while the stop at Coles County’s 1/8-mile track will be the Series’ first. Last year, 2022 Series champion Zach Daum, of Pocahontas, IL, locked up Victory Lane at Doe Run and both races at Wayne County. Searching for a second title, Daum will be back to defend his wins with Trifecta Motorsports. When the Series debuts at Coles County Speedway, it’ll also be the track’s first national Midget race, having recently opened in 2019. The events at Doe Run and Coles County will also count toward the Xtreme Outlaw-POWRi Challenge Series, seeing Xtreme Outlaw and POWRi stars going head to head for the Challenge championship – won by last year by Daum, who’s also the current Challenge Series points leader. EVENT INFO FOR DOE RUN Date – Thursday, May 30 Location – Doe Run, MO Times (CT) – 2PM Pit Gates Open 5PM Grandstand Gates Open 6:30PM Hot Laps & Qualifying -Racing to follow Tickets – Available at track. How to Watch – Can’t make it? You can watch all the action live on DIRTVision. Last Race Video Recap (July 21, 2023) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UymwSRgLQg Previous Xtreme Outlaw winner at Doe Run – 2023 – Zach Daum on July 21 EVENT INFO FOR COLES COUNTY Date – Friday, May 31 Location – Mattoon, IL Times (CT) – 2PM Pit Gates Open 5PM Grandstand Gates Open 6:30PM Hot Laps & Qualifying -Racing to follow Tickets – Available at track. How to Watch – Can’t make it? You can watch all the action live on DIRTVision. EVENT INFO FOR WAYNE COUNTY Date – Saturday, June 1 Location – Wayne City, IL Times (CT) – 2PM Pit Gates Open 5PM Grandstand Gates Open 6:30PM Hot Laps & Qualifying -Racing to follow Tickets – Available at track. How to Watch – Can’t make it? You can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.Last Race Video Recap (June 3, 2023) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDp0L1R1Yrs Previous Xtreme Outlaw winner at Wayne County – 2023 – Zach Daum on June 2 & June 3