After bad luck struck in the prelim, both Reutzel and Gravel rebound for top two spots with Bogucki and Heskin joining themKNOXVILLE, IA (August 11, 2023) – Misfortune is bound to strike a contender or two during their prelim at the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store. There are too many variables in racing to allow all of them to get through smoothly. And FVP Parts Hard Knox Night is about allowing those World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car heavyweights a chance to regroup and potentially lock in to the Knoxville Nationals finale.And that’s exactly what happened Friday night at Knoxville Raceway.Bad luck bit a pair of favorites in Aaron Reutzel and David Gravel on Wednesday night, leaving them forced to compete on Hard Knox Night. And the two did exactly what they’re supposed to do. Reutzel wheeled the Ridge & Sons Racing #8 to the victory while Gravel finished a close second. Their finishes secured them spots 21st and 22nd in the lineup for the $185,000-to-win, $15,000-to-start finale.It was a comfortable drive for Reutzel as he led the field to green and never looked back. The result looked slightly in doubt coming to the checkered as Gravel got a run off the final corner but Reutzel held on. The Clute, TX native entered the night confident that if he did his job, they should have no issue locking in.“It’s fourth or nothing here,” Reutzel said. “I don’t know where fifth lines you up here, but I know it ain’t good. I had tough luck. Same with David, tough luck… I just kind of put myself in a bad spot (on Wednesday) and got caught up in a wreck, but my guys did a great job getting the car back together. We had a fast race car. We knew we just needed to come into tonight and get a good (Qualifying) time, get through our heat where it started us up front and do what we did.”For Gravel, Wednesday’s troubles left him a little weary entering the Feature, especially with having to start seventh. But the Big Game Motorsports driver did what he needed to do to lock into his 11th Knoxville Nationals finale.“I’m just happy to get in the show,” Gravel said. “We’ve been fast. We had a plenty fast enough car to lock in on a prelim night, but that’s racing sometimes. Happy to bounce back with a different car, different engine. We just threw these body panels on there and were fast. I was bummed to start seventh in that Feature. I knew we’d be good enough to get up there, but again you just never know. It’s racing.”There’s another element to Hard Knox Night. It’s not only about giving the titans of Sprint Car racing a second chance. It’s also an opportunity for some speedy underdogs to potentially sneak in. And Friday at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World” delivered on that storyline as well. After battling some recent adversity, Scott Bogucki drove an excellent 25 laps aboard the Liebig #10 to finish third, earning a spot in The Granddaddy of “Em All for the first time in his career in his seventh attempt.“I really don’t have the words,” Bogucki said of his emotion. “It’s pretty emotional. I came over here 10 years ago as a crew guy, and this was always the dream. We missed it by one car two or three times now. Same thing Wednesday night. We qualified good and missed the Heat transfer by one. After last week and all of the disasters that have gone on, it’s so nice to rebound. I can’t thank Shane enough and all of the guys with the #10 for believing in me.”Behind Bogucki came another feel-good story. Davey Heskin started 10th and spent the race moving forward and took over the final transfer in the closing laps. The St. Michael, MN driver locked into the sport’s biggest race for the first time in 11 years. The moment left Heskin full of emotion.“Honestly, it’s just unreal,” Heskin said. “It’s a blessing to have everything we have. On Wednesday I was pretty down but we came back. I think tonight was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been for a Heat Race. I think that kind of showed the last few laps. It’s just unreal to lock in. Everybody here knows how much time and effort is put into these things. Just to do it with your family and friends is something unreal.”The spots are secured for the four individuals who emerged from Hard Knox Night. Now, they can rest easy and focus on all that remains for them – the 62nd Knoxville Nationals finale on Saturday.Parker Price-Miller owned the misfortune of finishing fifth to complete the top five. While it was a strong outing, it left the Kokomo, IN native without a guaranteed position in the Knoxville Nationals finale. The difference between finishing fourth and fifth in the Hard Knox Feature is starting 24th in the Saturday finale or 11th in Saturday’s Last Chance Showdown.On top of winning the NOS Energy Drink Feature, Reutzel also claimed the Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award for the first time this year and the eighth time of his career.Brent Marks was the KSE Racing Hard Charger by virtue of his run from 19th to 6th in the main event.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to David Gravel (231st Heat Race win of career). Your Life Iowa Heats Two through Six were claimed by Parker Price-Miller (22nd of career), Cory Eliason (20th of career), Chris Windom (first of career), and Tim Kaeding (77th of career).UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the $185,000-to-win, $15,000-to-start finale of the 62nd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals on Saturday, August 12. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to Knoxville, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.RESULTS:A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 8-Aaron Reutzel[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[7]; 3. 10-Scott Bogucki[2]; 4. 2M-Davey Heskin[10]; 5. 9P-Parker Price Miller[9]; 6. 19-Brent Marks[19]; 7. 7TW-Brandon Wimmer[3]; 8. 5T-Ryan Timms[5]; 9. 1-Justin Henderson[8]; 10. 11-Cory Eliason[17]; 11. 26-Zeb Wise[22]; 12. 22K-Kaleb Johnson[15]; 13. 21H-Brady Bacon[21]; 14. 4W-Jamie Ball[4]; 15. 3-Tim Kaeding[14]; 16. 39M-Justin Sanders[16]; 17. 49X-Tim Shaffer[11]; 18. 2K-Lynton Jeffrey[18]; 19. 4CW-Chris Windom[12]; 20. 5C-Dylan Cisney[13]; 21. 7S-Robbie Price[24]; 22. 17W-Shane Golobic[23]; 23. 17B-Bill Balog[6]; 24. 42-Sye Lynch[20]

Avedisian seven points back of McIntosh after runner-up finish, McDermand takes third at -74

SPRING RUN, PA (Aug. 11, 2023) – For the first time in his young career, Daison Pursley is a Feature winner with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota.

Pursley, the 18-year-old open-wheel standout from Locust Grove, OK, wheeled the Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports #19 to victory Friday night at Path Valley Speedway Park, holding off a fierce challenge from Jade Avedisian in the closing laps to score the win in the Appalachian Midget Week finale.

“Ever since they started coming out last year that they were going to create a new series, I knew I wanted to put my name in the record books of winning a Feature,” Pursley said. “Pretty cool to get that job done with Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports. It shows how good their cars are and how hard they work week-in and week-out.”

Right behind Pursley in third place came Chase McDermand, who wrapped up the Appalachian Midget Week championship by 51 points over Zach Daum with his third-straight podium finish. For never having raced in the State of Pennsylvania before the week began, McDermand made his sudden impact felt with back-to-back victories Tuesday and Wednesday before the endcap on Friday to secure the $2,500 champion’s check.

“It feels really good, especially just to know that we have our speed back,” McDermand, 22, of Springfield, IL, said. “It feels really good for me, and I know it feels really good for Jay [Mounce] and Gavin [Stout] to know that their program is back on track.”

While both drivers started and finished inside the podium, both faced heavy resistance to keep their spots up front.

Pursley started outside the front row and took off in the first half of the race, setting a quick pace around the 1/4-mile. He defended on restarts and cut through lapped traffic without much issue in the first half, then came his biggest challenge of the race.

Avedisian, the 16-year-old Keith Kunz Motorsports standout from Clovis, CA, was riding second on a Lap 31 restart and got a great run on Pursley down the backstretch. Though she couldn’t make the slide job work in Turns 3-4, she set it up again in Turn 3 the next time by and held it briefly out of Turn 4 as Pursley crossed her over to regain control. The two traded sliders and crossovers a few more times before the caution was displayed with four-to-go.

“Thankfully, the yellow came out because I made a wrong decision trying to block her,” Pursley said. “I thought I was a little ahead of her, but I wasn’t ahead of her enough. She actually slid me and was probably gonna take the spot.”

The next restart, Pursley grabbed hold of the line Avedisian was running in Turns 1-2, counteracting her advantage through those corners and leading the field back around to the checkers to score the win.

“I kinda thought he was gonna figure out what I was doing in Turn 1-2,” Avedisian said. “Once he did that, I kinda had no shot; we were about the same speed.”

Avedisian crossed the start/finish line in second, wrapping up what was a tough week for her and her KKM crew. Two flips in the Feature on Tuesday and a 10th-place run Wednesday slipped her back in the Series points championship. But after Friday’s finish, she’s closed the gap to leader Cannon McIntosh back up to only seven points with 12 races left.

“We haven’t had the best week, especially after Tuesday night, flipping twice and then [the KKM crew] having to work all morning just to get me back out on Wednesday,” Avedisian said. “Can’t say enough about how good this team is.”

McDermand rounded out the podium and a great first venture into the Keystone State. He broke out of a multi-week slump that began before the summer break and is now only 74 points out of first place in the Series standings, displaying the grit and integrity of he and the Mounce/Stout Motorsports team.

“It’s a lot between Mounce/Stout and their crew – traveling from Oklahoma to Pennsylvania is probably about an 18-20-hour drive,” McDermand said. “Between that and me and my mom driving out here, it’s pretty tiring racing and then driving to the next one.

“I’m fortunate enough this year to have Jay and the crew to take a little bit of a load off me, so I don’t have to do as much on the car in terms of the maintenance stuff so I can get a little rest and be more of a driver.”

UP NEXT

The Series now takes a two-week break before returning to action Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 24-26, at Davenport Speedway (Davenport, IA) as part of the World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series’ marquee Quad Cities 150 event.

Tickets for the three-day event are on sale now at XtremeOutlawSeries.com. If you can’t be there in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 19-Daison Pursley[2]; 2. 71-Jade Avedisian[3]; 3. 40-Chase McDermand[1]; 4. 7U-Zach Daum[5]; 5. 97-Gavin Miller[16]; 6. 19AZ-Hayden Reinbold[4]; 7. 98-Briggs Danner[8]; 8. 25K-Taylor Reimer[9]; 9. 60X-Kyle Jones[22]; 10. 08-Cannon McIntosh[10]; 11. 19M-Ethan Mitchell[13]; 12. 55-Trevor Cline[7]; 13. 23-Preston Lattomus[18]; 14. 25-Derek Sheaffer[17]; 15. 11-Eric Heydenreich[19]; 16. 75-Michael Markey[20]; 17. 0W-Kevin Woody Jr[14]; 18. 76-Michael Smith[12]; 19. 17B-Austin Barnhill[6]; 20. 46-Kenney Johnson[11]; 21. 44-Adam Andretti[21]; 22. 4-Ayden Hare[15]

The 11-time NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals champ survives a fierce battle with Chase Randall for opening night win

KNOXVILLE, IA (August 9, 2023) – Plenty of eyes were on Donny Schatz entering this week’s 62nd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store. Even more eyes than normal. Schatz has an opportunity to tie Steve Kinser’s record of 12 Knoxville Nationals titles. Wednesday’s prelim showed no signs of him feeling any pressure. 

The 10-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car champion drove an excellent 25-lap main event on the opening prelim night at Knoxville Raceway. On the day before his 46th birthday, Schatz rolled from seventh on the grid to the front and sealed the deal by besting Chase Randall in a late battle. The win marked his first in a Knoxville Nationals prelim in 20 years.

Not only did Schatz come out on top of the NOS Energy Drink Feature, but his point total of 479 also placed him atop the Knoxville Nationals points. There’s still another prelim to be run, but Schatz has set himself up nicely to have a shot at “The King’s” record on Saturday.

“I remember when I first came here, we were really good on the prelim nights but couldn’t ever put it together on Saturday to get the win, and we took a little bit of that emphasis off,” Schatz said. “I don’t think you can leave anything on the table anymore. We qualified 10th. I think being in that fifth Heat was really key to get through there. The longer you run the more the track widens out, and the track was great all night. Man, my race team, these guys. We didn’t run that good when we were here in June, and we tried a few things. We’re always trying things. Kind of went back to square one, and that’s what you saw. The car feels really good. I can still move around some power, so hopefully we can be in a good spot Saturday.”

While it was Schatz who surged ahead late, the early story of the Feature became about two drivers new to the Nationals. In only his second attempt at The Granddaddy of ‘Em All, Blake Hahn earned the pole of the prelim. Lining up directly behind him in third aboard the TKS Motorsports machine was JETCO Rookie of the Year contender – Chase Randall.

When the green flag dropped, Hahn pulled ahead with the lead while Randall quickly worked his way into second on the second circuit.

Early on Hahn gapped Randall with clean air. While the lead duo had space between, the battles were plentiful inside the top 10 as drivers jockeyed for spots. Schatz began to come to life as the race approached lap 10. After moving into sixth at the initial start, Schatz cracked the top five on the ninth lap. One circle later and he was into fourth. Schatz looked like his peak self as he searched for grip in various lines and often found it.

A red flag on lap 17 for a flipping Justin Peck set up an eight-lap shootout to the finish. Randall took the opportunity to flex his muscle as the Waco, TX native slid by Hahn in Turns 3 and 4 to take over the top spot.

Behind that battle, Schatz quickly moved into third on the opening lap of the restart and then into second a lap later. Schatz began to close on the 18-year-old and pulled the trigger on a slide job on Lap 21 only to have Randall cross him over down the back straightaway and return the favor in the next set of corners.

“I didn’t really have any rhythm going when I got to him and got past him. I kind of went for it and really thought he’d look at me like a senior citizen and give me a pass, but he didn’t,” Schatz said with a laugh. “He went right back on by. That’s cool to see. That’s why we’re here. This is the Knoxville Nationals.”

On the next lap, Randall slid himself in Turns 1 and 2 allowing Schatz to get a run heading into Turn 3. This time, Schatz executed a slider that Randall couldn’t find the momentum to counter.

With the lead secured, Schatz went on to roll to a comfortable victory on the opening qualifier night. When the checkered flag flew, Schatz led Randall by roughly a second and a half to cement a statement win. Now, the focus shifts to Saturday’s finale for the pilot of the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15.

“I just wanted to get locked in the show,” Schatz said. “That’s kind of the goal. Once you get yourself in a position where you get qualified, you can kind of move that goal post.”

Randall’s runner-up was the latest testament to his continued strides. The Texas talent went wheel to wheel with a living legend for a win on the sport’s grandest stage. Being that close to a win could’ve left a slightly bitter taste for the Knoxville Nationals rookie, but the overall feeling was primarily prideful.

“I feel pretty good about it,” Randall said. “It’s hard to be mad about it, finishing second like that after coming so close. I’m really proud of it and how we did and how the team made the right decisions throughout the night to set us up and put ourselves in position to be that close. And it kind of shows how much hard work they’ve been putting in to get better each and every week. Running here we’ve had really good speed here this whole year, and to be running up front in our prelim night at the Knoxville Nationals is pretty cool.”

Charging from 12th to third to complete the podium was Sheldon Haudenschild aboard the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink #17. The Wooster, OH native even moved around eventual winner, Schatz, early on but couldn’t keep him behind him to contend for the victory.

“I knew once I got by Donny early that I needed to keep him back there,” Haudenschild said. “I kind of got hung up on the #39 a little bit, and Donny was able to get by and gap us. All in all it was a good night… I feel pretty good. This is the best I’ve felt in my car in a long time. Getting on the podium was a great night.”

Kerry Madsen and Blake Hahn rounded out the top five.

Tasker Phillips claimed the KSE Racing Hard Charger with a run from 24th to 11th.

The night’s Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award went to David Gravel for the ninth time this season and the 106th of his career.

CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One was claimed by Brady Bacon (fourth Heat Race win of career). Your Life Iowa Heats Two through Five were topped by Sheldon Haudenschild (94th of career), Justin Henderson (33rd of career), Sye Lynch (third of career), and Carson McCarl (second of career).

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are back at Knoxville Raceway on Thursday, August 10 for the second and final prelim night to finalize the top 16 starters for Saturday’s finale. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to Knoxville, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS:

A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz[7]; 2. 2KS-Chase Randall[3]; 3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[12]; 4. 55-Kerry Madsen[4]; 5. 52-Blake Hahn[1]; 6. 42-Sye Lynch[9]; 7. 39-Hunter Schuerenberg[6]; 8. 7W-Dustin Selvage[2]; 9. 7TW-Brandon Wimmer[14]; 10. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[21]; 11. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips[24]; 12. 21H-Brady Bacon[16]; 13. 9-Kasey Kahne[5]; 14. 14-Corey Day[22]; 15. 83-James McFadden[23]; 16. 21T-Cole Macedo[13]; 17. 1-Justin Henderson[18]; 18. 22-Riley Goodno[10]; 19. 1X-Jake Bubak[11]; 20. 1M-Don Droud Jr[19]; 21. 7S-Robbie Price[17]; 22. 27-Carson McCarl[20]; 23. 83T-Tanner Carrick[15]; 24. 13-Justin Pe

KUTZTOWN, PA (Aug. 9, 2023) – Before the start of Appalachian Midget Week, Chase McDermand had never once competed in the State of Pennsylvania. Two races in, and he’s got two Feature wins.

With a swift move in traffic around the bottom of Action Track USA, McDermand took the lead from polesitter Kyle Jones before the halfway point and held the field off the rest of the way to secure his second win in two nights with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota.

“I’d be lying if I told you I expected to win the first two,” he said.

A win in similar fashion Tuesday night at Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway started McDermand and the Mounce/Stout Motorsports team off on the right foot, taking the lead in the first half of the race and holding on for the win. He began Wednesday night’s main event almost identically, starting from outside Row 2 and quickly advancing inside the top two spots in the first 15 laps.

Once McDermand made the move to take second three laps in, he was a second-and-a-half behind Jones. As Jones dipped into lapped traffic, McDermand began to rapidly close the gap.

“I was really trying to watch the lapped traffic probably even more than I was watching [Jones], just to figure out where they were gonna go,” McDermand said. “The lapped traffic was having their own race, too, switching lines up, so I was mainly just trying to stay out of trouble and figure out how to get a run on [Jones] at the same time.”

By Lap 10, McDermand had closed all the way in on Jones. Coming across the stripe to complete the lap, Jones reached a cluster of slower cars all racing for position. McDermand drove it in hard on the bottom and Jones slid up slightly, opening the door for a pass for the lead.

“We were dicing in lapped traffic, and I saw him get underneath me, and I was trying to pass a lapped car at the same time,” Jones said. “It was getting pretty hairy, but it was all clean. Can’t ask for a cleaner racecar driver than Chase.”

McDermand got a great run out of Turn 2 and down the backstretch, taking the spot away for good on Lap 11. Now in control of the race, McDermand hit the nitrous and scampered away from the field, opening up a three-second advantage on Jones before the first break in the action came with a red flag on Lap 20.

Before the red, McDermand was turning some of the fastest laps on the track.

“I was just trying to find a smooth line, trying to avoid all the holes, trying to upset the car as little as possible, and we were able to do that,” McDermand said. “The car had good drive in it to where I could really switch up my lines, and it was pretty much good everywhere.”

McDermand was forced to survive multiple restarts in the final 10 laps, defending the top spot from several challengers behind him. One of which was Keith Kunz Motorsports entrant Taylor Reimer, who was hot on Jones’ trail for second in the final laps.

“I saw on the board that Reimer was in second, so I was trying to play offense just as much as I was defense those last few laps,” McDermand said. “Try to play it smart and not be vulnerable to her sliding me on those last couple laps.”

Reimer, 23, of Tulsa, OK, was busy in the final 10 laps fending off Series points leader Cannon McIntosh behind her, as well as looking for a way by Jones to take second.

“Once I was able to get going and I got Cannon behind me, I was able to enter high in Turns 1-2 and diamond it off a little bit,” Reimer said. “That’s where [Jones] slid-up into 2.

“I got a run off of 2 and slid him into 3, hit a rough patch, but I didn’t see him after that.”

Reimer crossed the stripe in second, tying her best Xtreme Outlaw finish of the season. The run marked her eighth-straight top-five finish, and though she’s happy with the results, she still hungers for her first national Midget series win in proper fashion, crossing the finish line first.

“I’m getting tired of seeing everyone get the confetti and just watching them,” Reimer said. “My goal was to be more consistent, and to win. But in order to win, you have to be consistent, running up in the top. Super proud of my team, they’ve done a great job all year, and I finally feel like our results are showing.”

Jones was able to hang onto third in the end in the John Levecque-owned #60x. The 29-year-old Texan linked up with the North Carolina-based team specifically for Appalachian Midget Week, and despite some concerns in the closing laps, Jones still bagged his second podium of the season with the Xtreme Outlaws.

“At the end there, I think we were a little low on fuel,” Jones said. “It started sputtering, and that’s how Taylor got by me. Chase was just in a league of his own; he was gone as soon as he got by us.”

UP NEXT

Appalachian Midget Week continues Thursday, Aug. 10 with a visit to Linda’s Speedway in Jonestown, PA. Tickets will be available for purchase at the gate. If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 40-Chase McDermand[4]; 2. 25K-Taylor Reimer[2]; 3. 60X-Kyle Jones[1]; 4. 97-Gavin Miller[3]; 5. 08-Cannon McIntosh[8]; 6. 19M-Ethan Mitchell[10]; 7. 19-Daison Pursley[6]; 8. 7U-Zach Daum[7]; 9. 29-Tim Buckwalter[13]; 10. 71-Jade Avedisian[5]; 11. 19AZ-Hayden Reinbold[9]; 12. 23-Preston Lattomus[11]; 13. 25-Steve Buckwalter[21]; 14. 76-Michael Smith[12]; 15. 17B-Austin Barnhill[14]; 16. 75-Michael Markey[17]; 17. 55-Trevor Cline[16]; 18. 98-Briggs Danner[18]; 19. 0W-Kevin Woody Jr[15]; 20. 50-Mark Sokol[20]; 21. 4-Ayden Hare[19]

TOPEKA, Kans. (Aug. 09, 2023) – Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster team sit third in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series points standings as they head to the Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park still looking for their first win of the season. Force sits 199 points behind the lead, 167 behind second place on the efforts of four No. 1 qualifying positions including the final event at Bandimere Speedway, the Mile High Nationals, where she set her 14th NHRA track speed record. “Headed to the final national event at Heartland Motorsports Park. I’m really sad to see it go away. That’s a racetrack I raced A-Fuel in the sportsman divisions and I had my first ever double up with my dad in 2021 there. It’s a very special track with a lot of memories,” Force said. “Our game plan going in with this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is to go out on a strong note. We want to qualify top five and go some rounds on race day.” Force picked up her first victory at Heartland Motorsports Park in 2021 when she doubled up with her father, John Force, for the first parent-child victory in the professional categories. She qualified No. 1 in three of her nine appearances at Heartland Motorsports Park, in 2014, 2016 and 2021. In 2014 she and her sister Courtney Force shared No. 1 qualifying status with Courtney taking the Funny Car top spot. Last year, Brittany Force qualified sixth but had a first-round exit. The Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park begins with three rounds of qualifying Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Saturday at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Eliminations will be air Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

TOPEKA, Kans. (Aug. 09, 2023) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster team are on the path to success as they head to the next stop on the Camping World Drag Racing Series tour, the Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park. Off the efforts of a win at the Four-Wide Nationals at Charlotte, a runner-up finish at the Winternationals at Pomona, California and the second No. 1 qualifying position of his career in Sonoma, California, Prock will start at Heartland Motorsports Park in sixth place in Camping World points but only 22 points out of third. Despite early exits during the famed Western Swing, Prock’s Montana Brand dragster has purely been victim to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. At both Seattle and Sonoma, Prock had the second-best passes of the rounds, unfortunately, he faced the drivers with the best runs. “I’m excited to get back in the seat of my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster. We’ve had a great car the last few weekends and are looking to prove that to everyone this weekend,” Prock said. “John Force Racing has had a history of wins in Topeka and I would like to add our Montana Brand team to that list for the last stand at Heartland Motorsports Park. My team and crew chiefs are confident and so am I. Excited to see how the cards fall.” In his first start at Heartland Motorsports Park, Prock reached the semifinals after qualifying No. 3. Last year, after qualifying 14th, he lost to Josh Hart in the opening round. The Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park begins with three rounds of qualifying Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Saturday at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Eliminations will be air Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES GALLAGHER GRAND PRIX INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE AUGUST 11-12, 2023 CHEVROLET RACES BACK TO INDIANAPOLIS FOR THE GALLAGHER GRAND PRIX AT THE FAMED INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY DETROIT (August 9, 2023) – For the second time this season, the Chevrolet drivers and teams of the NTT INDYCAR Series will compete on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of a triple-header event weekend with NASCAR’s Xfinity and Cup Series. With a stacked weekend on deck for the Bowtie brand, the INDYCAR Series will share its Saturday race day with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Rain or shine, the Gallagher Grand Prix will showcase 85 laps, or 207.32 miles, of exciting open-wheel action Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network from Indianapolis. Defending winner of both the 2020 and 2021 events, as well as a two-time NTT P1 Pole Award winner in 2020 and 2021, Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet said of the upcoming weekend, “I’m really excited to get to Indianapolis. It’s my favorite road course on the calendar, one that I’ve won five times and have a lot of pole positions. It’s always good racing. It’s also really cool to be on the same weekend as NASCAR. I think it helps both of us, and it’s a weekend I look forward to each year. It’s the only time I’ve seen them (our Chevrolet NASCAR teammates) at the same track, and it’s the only time it ever happens. It’s so cool to see those guys race, and they get to watch Indy cars go around on track. It’s awesome.” With three pole awards total to the Chevrolet brand (2020 – Will Power, 2021 – Pato O’Ward, and 2022 – Felix Rosenqvist), in addition to 18 podiums and 630 laps led on the road course, Team Chevy looks to the weekend with anticipation in capturing victory once again this year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Most recently, Arrow McLaren INDYCAR’s O’Ward and Alexander Rossi took to the second and third steps on the podium, respectively, in the spring event this year for the Bowtie brand banner. Rob Buckner, IndyCar Program Manager at General Motors, said “Returning to Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the second time this season is a welcome stop for most of the Chevrolet-powered teams that are based in and around Indy. Even though it is a very compressed two-day race schedule, it is a big opportunity for the teams to put their best foot forward.” “Over the years, Chevrolet has had great success on the road course at Indianapolis, but it is always a different set of challenges from spring to late summer. It’s a different time of year, so the track and air temperature will influence tire performance, which tasks our engineers to work closely with the Chevrolet-powered team engineers to get a solid setup package. We’ll also have different brands and compounds of tire rubber on the track throughout the weekend with NASCAR sharing the course, but changing track conditions aren’t unusual in the NTT INDYCAR Series and we are prepared for it.” Adding another element of excitement to the weekend, Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren INDYCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, and Chevrolet are proud to unveil his 2024 Indianapolis 500 car in Pagoda Plaza at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, Aug. 13 at 11 a.m. ET. Leading the field to the green in Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix, the powerful white Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 convertible with black and yellow trim will pace the NTT INDYCAR Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course. Finally, the Team Chevy display will be open all weekend long at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, greeting both INDYCAR and NASCAR fans alike starting Friday, Aug. 11 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Power will join Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin on the Team Chevy stage in the midway Friday, Aug. 11 from 3:05 to 3:20 p.m. ET. Ed Carpenter Racing drivers Rinus VeeKay and Ryan Hunter-Reay will kick off Saturday’s appearances from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m. ET. Callum Ilott and rookie Agustin Canapino from Juncos Hollinger Racing will follow from 11:45 a.m. to noon ET. Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, and Tony Kanaan of Arrow McLaren INDYCAR will appear from 12:30 to 12:45 p.m. ET prior to the race.  The Gallagher Grand Prix on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course starts with the first practice session on Friday, Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. ET, qualifications and the Firestone Fast Six on the same day at 12:30 p.m. ET. Wrapping Friday, the NTT INDYCAR Series sees a final practice session at 4 p.m. ET. Saturday’s 85-lap event takes the green flag live on USA Network at 2 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“Back in May, we had the best performance we’ve ever had on the Indy road course. It will be awesome to go back to try and repeat that podium.” Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”I’m happy to be back at our home track. We had a great race here in May with all three cars. I love this track, and we’ll do everything we can to have that same success and get that first win for the team.” Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”Over the past few races, we’ve experienced a few struggles. But motorsport is never a straightforward journey; it’s a test of resilience. As we return to the site of our last podium, it reminds us that every race is an opportunity to learn and grow. We’re going to harness that past success “ Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“We’re back to the Indy road course this weekend where we had a strong outcome in May across the team. We know what it takes to race well here, so after a tough weekend in Nashville, we’re ready for our momentum to swing the other way as we head into the final races of the season.” Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:“It’s always special going to back to Indy! This will be my first attempt at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with ECR. I am looking forward to developing the team’s setup package there to suit my driving style.” Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:“I am very excited to get back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, can never have enough races there! I have had lots of firsts there, first Top 5, first pole, first win. It’s a great place for me! Hopefully we can get a little redemption from earlier this year, from the Indy 500, we’re just going a different direction this weekend. We learned a lot from the Indy GP during May that should help us now in August. It’s good to be back on a road course for the first time in a while, no crazy bumps on this one! It’s going to be exciting and hopefully it’s a really good race for us and BITNILE.COM!” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:“I’m very much looking forward to this weekend at the Brickyard. I did race there last year, but in the Xfinity car not in the Indy car. It’s a lot of fun to be partnered with NASCAR on a race weekend and I wish we would do it more often. “I’m just a very big fan of the flow of the road course here at IMS. It has a little bit of everything from high-speed chicanes to low-speed hairpins with big brake zones. This track also races very well and we were pretty good here in May. This track is very similar to Road America and I think having a good rhythm here and understanding how to build the tire temperature for qualifying and then having a very good long-run car will be the key to getting a solid result.” Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:“With the Gallagher Grand Prix this weekend at the Brickyard, I’m very excited to return to a very smooth, permanent road course. There have been a lot of street courses lately, and bumpy ovals such as Iowa, so happy to get back to Indianapolis. This track whether it’s the oval or the road course is always special in an Indy car. I look forward to seeing all the fans and reminiscing on the strong month of May we had.” “The last time we were there was very promising. Actually, we finished with the best car we had all week in the GP so we’re going to be starting with that package. It was definitely very competitive in the race. Unfortunately, we had to serve a penalty due to some radio issues and we got a couple laps down, so it didn’t show the pace that we had but we’re looking forward to redeeming ourselves this weekend.”

CHEVROLET AT INDIANAPOLIS (ROAD COURSE – V6 era, since 2012):Wins at Indianapolis Road Course: 92015: Will Power2016: Simon Pagenaud2017: Will Power2018: Will Power2019: Simon Pagenaud2020: Josef Newgarden (Race 2)2020: Will Power (Race 3)2021: Rinus VeeKay (Race 1)2021: Will Power (Race 2) Pole Awards at Indianapolis Road Course: 92015: Will Power2016: Simon Pagenaud2017: Will Power2018: Will Power2020: Will Power (Race 1)2020: Rinus VeeKay (Race 2)2020: Will Power (Race 3)2021: Pato O’Ward (Race 2)2022: Felix Rosenqvist (Race 2) Podiums at Indianapolis Road Course by Team Chevy since 2012: 18 total, 5 in the Fall (since adding a second event in 2020) Laps Led on the Indianapolis Road Course by Team Chevy since 2012: 630 total, 229 in the fall (since adding a second event in 2020).**Note: Will Power led every lap of 75 laps for Team Chevy in the 2020 INDYCAR Harvest Grand Prix Race 2.

2023 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:195: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.  111: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.  125: Earned poles since 2012.  7: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.  7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.  12: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 5: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. 26: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.  14: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including the past 11 with Chevrolet power.  9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.  46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

ROBERT HIGHT AND CORNWELL TOOLS LOOKING FORPOINTS JUMP WITH VICTORY AT HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK

TOPEKA, Kans. (Aug. 09, 2023) – Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS team are looking to build momentum as they head into this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park. Hight has three wins to his credit at Heartland Motorsports Park (2010, 2011 and 2019). The last two years Hight has ended his race day to boss and teammate John Force. Last year, he qualified second before facing Force in the semifinals. Hight was runner-up in 2013 and in 2018 when he lost to teammate Courtney Force in the first of four all-John Force Racing finals at Heartland Motorsports Park. Hight has also started from the No. 1 position four times in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010. “Winding down on the regular season as we head to Topeka. It’s a great race track, there should be a lot of quick runs, fast runs, hopefully the weather cooperates,” Hight said. “We’re not in a bad spot. This Cornwell Tools team, we’re in the top half but we know we need to give ourselves the best chance to be in the best position possible when the Countdown comes around. We’ve got some work to do these next couple of races, but I have no doubt we’ll be ready to get the job done. I have faith in Jimmy Prock and all of these guys.” Coming off a victory at the famed Night Under Fire match race at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, Hight is bidding to become just the fourth driver to win as many as four NHRA Funny Car championships (after Force, Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme). Hight will start the race in fourth place in the Camping World Series points standings on the strength of wins at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals and the return of the national event in Chicago. The Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park begins with three rounds of qualifying Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Saturday at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Eliminations will be air Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

FOUNTAIN CITY, WI – August 9, 2023 – Class is back in session, and Milton Hershey School is bringing the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series to Mississippi Thunder Speedway to kick off an epic Labor Day Weekend doubleheader. 

The updated weekend schedule begins Friday, Sept. 1, at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, WI, for the now one-day Milton Hershey School Back to Class Showdown, paying $20,000-to-win and $1,500-to-start. 

Earlier this season, the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models battled in split-field Features at Mississippi Thunder, with Brandon Sheppard and Cade Dillard coming out on top, showing them the path to Victory Lane when the Series returns in September. 

The event initially scheduled on Thursday, Aug. 31 will no longer take place.

Another $20,000 is on the line Saturday, Sept. 2, when the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, MN, for the first time since 2019 for the Labor Day Duel.

Sheppard is the most recent winner in World of Outlaws competition at Deer Creek, besting a hard-charging Ricky Weiss in race’s closing stages. Series points leader Bobby Pierce scored a win at the track earlier this season and aims for another as he moves closer to his first World of Outlaws championship.

A total purse of $163,000 will be paid out across the two days. 

“Milton Hershey School has been a great World of Outlaws partner, and we’re excited to connect racing and the return of school through this event at Mississippi Thunder Speedway,” World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Series Director Steve Francis said. “It’s going to be a big weekend, for sure.”

 

CREW CHIEF, ROB FLYNN, FOCUSED ON COUNTDOWN

Event: 

Menards NHRA Nationals by PetArmor

            Heartland Motorsports Park; Topeka, Kansas

Scrappers Racing Competitors:

            Mike Salinas, Top Fuel

TOPEKA, Kan. (August 9, 2023) – Mike Salinas and the Scrappers Racing team set the top speed of the weekend at Sonoma Raceway during the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning. The Valley Services Top Fuel dragster posted a speed of 335.65 mph at 3.717 seconds to capture the Top Fuel category’s top speed. Salinas had Antron Brown in the other lane and unfortunately the top speed was not enough to see the win light as he lost to Brown on a holeshot.

But the Scrappers Racing team and specifically crew chief Rob Flynn, sees the number one qualifier earned in Seattle and that round one speed in Sonoma as positive momentum for the team and their performance as the Countdown approaches.

“When I look back, Seattle was good for us and we ran well and of course qualified low there,” said Rob Flynn. “When we made the first qualifying run at Sonoma, the car was running really good, but unfortunately we smoked the tires down track. But we thought we had the right setup to be ready for the night run and really thought we were going to be good, but our setup wasn’t where it needed to be. And then in the third qualifying round, we were back in the right lane and then in the final run, the car was running good.”

“As crew chiefs, we follow a path,” continued Flynn. “Last year, obviously we did really well. This year, we are making more power, which is obvious after the first round, but it’s been obvious for a long time. We just haven’t had the right setup. So going into first round at Sonoma, I just said, what we’re doing is we’re chasing this totally wrong because every time we do anything, it’s been spinning the tires. So for that first round in Sonoma, we just took a whole different path. We tuned it back up like we know it should be to run 335 and let the clutch slip and we knew it would run. And it did.”

At Heartland Motorsports Park last year, Salinas set the top ET of the event for Top Fuel with a time of 3.754 seconds. Salinas would make it to the semi-finals before losing. With the focus on the Countdown, Salinas and the Scrappers Racing team currently sit eighth in the point standings with three events prior to the resetting of the points. Flynn and his team are focused on the challenges at Topeka, but also getting positioned to begin the Countdown and the team’s quest for a championship.

“We’ve got nine races left and three prior to the Countdown,” said Flynn. “We have a test session after Brainerd and then get ready for the U.S. Nationals. After that, everything happens in a hurry. We’ve got six races in eight weekends so it’s pretty much crunch time. For the next six races anyway, then you see where everyone stands at that point. Last season, we were strong early and winning races prior to the Countdown, but this year we were trying not to peak too early in the year, but of course we didn’t want to struggle either. We’re going into this stretch with all our new parts and we know we’re a team capable of going rounds, winning races and contending in the Countdown.”

The NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsport Park will kick off with the first round of qualifying on Friday evening at 8:00 PM CT.

TOPEKA, Kans. (Aug. 09, 2023) – John Force’s PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car will have a special “Happy Birthday” message to PEAK’s parent company, Old World Industries, founder and Chairman Tom Hurvis at this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park, the final NHRA Camping World Series National event that will be held at the racetrack. To commemorate his 85th birthday that just passed on Monday, August 7th, the hood of Force’s Funny Car will feature Hurvis’ photo and recognize him as the “Ultimate PEAK Performer” alongside a “Happy 85th Birthday” message.   “I’m excited to have this tribute to Tom Hurvis on my car for his birthday. He’s an individual that built a great company with his partners. He’s unbelievable. I learn so much from him, I’m taking notes on how he’s building his legacy. The different foundations he works with to educate the youth. I read his book, which I’m glad I did because he quizzed me on it after,” Force said. “I have a lot of love and respect for him and his family. I want to make him proud with the way I drive this PEAK Camaro.” This will be the final national event hosted at Heartland Motorsports Park with the track closing at the end of the year. Force will hope to close the track with a third consecutive trip to the finals. Force has taken his PEAK Chevy to the final round the last two years, finishing runner-up in 2022 but winning alongside daughter Brittany Force in 2021 to make it the first time a parent-child duo had won together in the professional categories. “This has been a great racetrack for a lot of years. I know it’s not easy keeping a track going so I’m sad to see this one go,” Force said. “I have a lot of memories here, a lot of wins, but 2021 was special, to share the winner’s circle with my daughter, Brittany, that was something else, that was a dream. Maybe we can do it at Heartland Motorsports Park one more time. I have a fast race car, this PEAK Chevy, now it’s just about getting the job done.” John Force’s 10 career wins in Topeka include three in the spring race only contested from 1993 through 1997. He won both the spring and fall races in 1996, the year he was named Driver of the Year for all of motorsports after winning 13 of 19 starts. In addition to 1996 and 2021, his wins at the Menards Nationals came in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2005, and 2008. Force has started from the No. 1 qualifying position seven times (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2013). He also was the No. 1 qualifier in four of five years in the spring race (1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996).  The Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park begins with three rounds of qualifying Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 3 and 5:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Saturday at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Eliminations will be air Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

Aug 4, 2023 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results

Julie Nataas expands her points lead in the 2023 season driving Randy Meyer’s nitro-injected Top Alcohol Dragster after winning last weekend’s regional event held in Topeka, Kansas. This was Julie’s first win for the regional event; she won here for the first time last year for the Menards Heartland Nationals in 2022. Joining Julie on the team was Deni Jensen who was making her rookie debut after licensing earlier this year with the team.

Julie and Deni started off qualifying well but could not improve in the heat. Their pair of dragsters finished 3rd and 4th in standings, pairing them up for a first round face-off. Julie had the holeshot advantage and won with a 5.40 ET at 266 mph while Deni chased her down with a 5.43 ET at 264 mph. Julie went on to face Shane Conway in second round running her best pass of the weekend crossing the finish line with a 5.28 ET at 273 mph to pair her up against the number one qualifier, Aaron Cooper. Both cars slowed down in the final but Julie held on with her lead for the win with a 5.36 ET at 271 mph to Cooper’s 5.50 ET at 249 mph.

“It feels great winning the Kansas regional race knowing we’re going back here for the national,” said Julie. “When we won the Kansas regional race we also locked up the regional championship which means we only have the national championship to think about. Of course we would have liked the last regional win come earlier in the season so we could benefit from it in the national, but it’s not over yet. We won the Topeka national last year and I’m definitely looking to win it again and its going to be our last shot at it at this track. I want another sweep this season. This could be it. I know we can do it.”

The historic Heartland Motorsports Park will host it’s final NHRA drag racing event on August 11-13 for the Menards Heartland Nationals. Randy will have both Julie and Hunter Green driving his Top Alcohol Dragsters in hopes to collect their 5th national event win and 3rd consecutive win.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 9, 2023) – A year ago, Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its long-awaited return to Castle Rock Race Park in glorious, sell-out fashion. This weekend, the series will only build on that success by bringing twin A1 stories to the 29th CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers in Castle Rock, Washington, on Saturday, August 12. The headliners are obvious. Last year’s winner and Washington native, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), arrives at the venue where he grew up racing with designs on winning a ninth TT in his most recent ten attempts. Meanwhile, reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) comes to Castle Rock holding a mere five-point advantage over up-and-coming challenger Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) in their season-long struggle for the 2023 Grand National Championship. Those two storylines are intertwined as Beach’s TT excellence potentially positions him as a points buffer should either Mees or Daniels manage to get in front of him to slot between themself and their title rival. Such an outcome could prove the difference this season, particularly for Daniels who is desperate to make up the deficit ahead of September’s Springfield doubleheader finale. Daniels showed the outright pace to seriously challenge Beach at Castle Rock a year ago, only to have his chances end when his bike stalled off the start. Despite being forced to line up on the back row for the restart, the ascendant ace somehow slashed his way up to fourth on a track that proved extremely difficult to overtake on. Mees, meanwhile, used that fact to his advantage, holding another TT extraordinaire, Briar Bauman(No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke), at bay to finish as the ‘22 race runner-up. Bauman, meanwhile, leads an impressive line-up of potential spoilers who could yet play a pivotal role in the championship battle. Others who have demonstrated the chops to run up front this weekend include another Washingtonian, three-time Castle Rock TT winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/Castrol Yamaha MT-07), and Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), the series’ all-time winningest TT rider. Meanwhile, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman(No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke) and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) all registered top-ten results here a year ago and will no doubt look to push their way even further up the order in the ‘23 rematch. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER This weekend, Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) will be presented with the rare opportunity to earn his first-career TT victory, tie Dallas Daniels’ record for most wins in a single Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER, and sew up his second-consecutive championship, all in front of his home crowd. All he has to do now is go out and win. If he does, all of the above are guaranteed to happen. Easier said than done, however. Kopp showcased the speed and style to stand atop the box here a year ago, but poor starts and a costly crash prevented it from transpiring. Now he returns motivated, confident, and boasting a 49-point advantage to work with. Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) took the victory and will be a favorite to fight up front again this time around. So too will Estenson Racing teammates, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who currently rank 2-3 in the points, respectively, after finishing 1-2 in the opposite order a couple weeks back at the Peoria TT. Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 A1R Racing/FRA Trust Honda CRF450R), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) all enjoyed strong outings at Castle Rock a year ago and there’s no reason to think they won’t be factors again this time around. Another rider to keep tabs on is the ultra-versatile Ryan Sipes (No. 264 Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull GASGAS MC 450F), who makes his Progressive AFT return following a near-two-year absence. The multi-discipline hero already boasts two prior TT wins on his Hall of Fame worthy résumé and would only add to his legend by securing a third this weekend. There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors and free motorcycle parking. General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under $5), and there are a variety of General Admission Parking and Multi-Day Camping Passes options to select from. Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/sdiracing/events/castle-rock-tt-59623 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT). For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv. FOX Sports coverage of CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 20, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT).

Storylines Collide as Progressive AFT Invades Castle Rock

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 9, 2023) – A year ago, Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its long-awaited return to Castle Rock Race Park in glorious, sell-out fashion. This weekend, the series will only build on that success by bringing twin A1 stories to the 29th CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers in Castle Rock, Washington, on Saturday, August 12. The headliners are obvious. Last year’s winner and Washington native, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), arrives at the venue where he grew up racing with designs on winning a ninth TT in his most recent ten attempts. Meanwhile, reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) comes to Castle Rock holding a mere five-point advantage over up-and-coming challenger Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) in their season-long struggle for the 2023 Grand National Championship. Those two storylines are intertwined as Beach’s TT excellence potentially positions him as a points buffer should either Mees or Daniels manage to get in front of him to slot between themself and their title rival. Such an outcome could prove the difference this season, particularly for Daniels who is desperate to make up the deficit ahead of September’s Springfield doubleheader finale. Daniels showed the outright pace to seriously challenge Beach at Castle Rock a year ago, only to have his chances end when his bike stalled off the start. Despite being forced to line up on the back row for the restart, the ascendant ace somehow slashed his way up to fourth on a track that proved extremely difficult to overtake on. Mees, meanwhile, used that fact to his advantage, holding another TT extraordinaire, Briar Bauman(No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke), at bay to finish as the ‘22 race runner-up. Bauman, meanwhile, leads an impressive line-up of potential spoilers who could yet play a pivotal role in the championship battle. Others who have demonstrated the chops to run up front this weekend include another Washingtonian, three-time Castle Rock TT winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/Castrol Yamaha MT-07), and Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), the series’ all-time winningest TT rider. Meanwhile, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman(No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke) and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) all registered top-ten results here a year ago and will no doubt look to push their way even further up the order in the ‘23 rematch. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER This weekend, Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) will be presented with the rare opportunity to earn his first-career TT victory, tie Dallas Daniels’ record for most wins in a single Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER, and sew up his second-consecutive championship, all in front of his home crowd. All he has to do now is go out and win. If he does, all of the above are guaranteed to happen. Easier said than done, however. Kopp showcased the speed and style to stand atop the box here a year ago, but poor starts and a costly crash prevented it from transpiring. Now he returns motivated, confident, and boasting a 49-point advantage to work with. Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) took the victory and will be a favorite to fight up front again this time around. So too will Estenson Racing teammates, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who currently rank 2-3 in the points, respectively, after finishing 1-2 in the opposite order a couple weeks back at the Peoria TT. Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 A1R Racing/FRA Trust Honda CRF450R), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) all enjoyed strong outings at Castle Rock a year ago and there’s no reason to think they won’t be factors again this time around. Another rider to keep tabs on is the ultra-versatile Ryan Sipes (No. 264 Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull GASGAS MC 450F), who makes his Progressive AFT return following a near-two-year absence. The multi-discipline hero already boasts two prior TT wins on his Hall of Fame worthy résumé and would only add to his legend by securing a third this weekend. There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors and free motorcycle parking. General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under $5), and there are a variety of General Admission Parking and Multi-Day Camping Passes options to select from. Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/sdiracing/events/castle-rock-tt-59623 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT). For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv. FOX Sports coverage of CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 20, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT).

Storylines Collide as Progressive AFT Invades Castle Rock DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 9, 2023) – A year ago, Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its long-awaited return to Castle Rock Race Park in glorious, sell-out fashion. This weekend, the series will only build on that success by bringing twin A1 stories to the 29th CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers in Castle Rock, Washington, on Saturday, August 12.   The headliners are obvious. Last year’s winner and Washington native, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), arrives at the venue where he grew up racing with designs on winning a ninth TT in his most recent ten attempts.   Meanwhile, reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) comes to Castle Rock holding a mere five-point advantage over up-and-coming challenger Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) in their season-long struggle for the 2023 Grand National Championship.   Those two storylines are intertwined as Beach’s TT excellence potentially positions him as a points buffer should either Mees or Daniels manage to get in front of him to slot between themself and their title rival. Such an outcome could prove the difference this season, particularly for Daniels who is desperate to make up the deficit ahead of September’s Springfield doubleheader finale.   Daniels showed the outright pace to seriously challenge Beach at Castle Rock a year ago, only to have his chances end when his bike stalled off the start. Despite being forced to line up on the back row for the restart, the ascendant ace somehow slashed his way up to fourth on a track that proved extremely difficult to overtake on.   Mees, meanwhile, used that fact to his advantage, holding another TT extraordinaire, Briar Bauman(No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke), at bay to finish as the ‘22 race runner-up.   Bauman, meanwhile, leads an impressive line-up of potential spoilers who could yet play a pivotal role in the championship battle. Others who have demonstrated the chops to run up front this weekend include another Washingtonian, three-time Castle Rock TT winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/Castrol Yamaha MT-07), and Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), the series’ all-time winningest TT rider.   Meanwhile, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman(No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke) and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) all registered top-ten results here a year ago and will no doubt look to push their way even further up the order in the ‘23 rematch.   Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER   This weekend, Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) will be presented with the rare opportunity to earn his first-career TT victory, tie Dallas Daniels’ record for most wins in a single Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER, and sew up his second-consecutive championship, all in front of his home crowd.   All he has to do now is go out and win. If he does, all of the above are guaranteed to happen. Easier said than done, however. Kopp showcased the speed and style to stand atop the box here a year ago, but poor starts and a costly crash prevented it from transpiring. Now he returns motivated, confident, and boasting a 49-point advantage to work with.   Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) took the victory and will be a favorite to fight up front again this time around. So too will Estenson Racing teammates, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who currently rank 2-3 in the points, respectively, after finishing 1-2 in the opposite order a couple weeks back at the Peoria TT.   Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 A1R Racing/FRA Trust Honda CRF450R), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) all enjoyed strong outings at Castle Rock a year ago and there’s no reason to think they won’t be factors again this time around.   Another rider to keep tabs on is the ultra-versatile Ryan Sipes (No. 264 Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull GASGAS MC 450F), who makes his Progressive AFT return following a near-two-year absence. The multi-discipline hero already boasts two prior TT wins on his Hall of Fame worthy résumé and would only add to his legend by securing a third this weekend.   There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors and free motorcycle parking.   General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under $5), and there are a variety of General Admission Parking and Multi-Day Camping Passes options to select from.   Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.   Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/sdiracing/events/castle-rock-tt-59623 to reserve your seats today.   Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT).   For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.   FOX Sports coverage of CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 20, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT).

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 9, 2023) – A year ago, Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its long-awaited return to Castle Rock Race Park in glorious, sell-out fashion. This weekend, the series will only build on that success by bringing twin A1 stories to the 29th CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers in Castle Rock, Washington, on Saturday, August 12. The headliners are obvious. Last year’s winner and Washington native, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), arrives at the venue where he grew up racing with designs on winning a ninth TT in his most recent ten attempts. Meanwhile, reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) comes to Castle Rock holding a mere five-point advantage over up-and-coming challenger Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) in their season-long struggle for the 2023 Grand National Championship. Those two storylines are intertwined as Beach’s TT excellence potentially positions him as a points buffer should either Mees or Daniels manage to get in front of him to slot between themself and their title rival. Such an outcome could prove the difference this season, particularly for Daniels who is desperate to make up the deficit ahead of September’s Springfield doubleheader finale. Daniels showed the outright pace to seriously challenge Beach at Castle Rock a year ago, only to have his chances end when his bike stalled off the start. Despite being forced to line up on the back row for the restart, the ascendant ace somehow slashed his way up to fourth on a track that proved extremely difficult to overtake on. Mees, meanwhile, used that fact to his advantage, holding another TT extraordinaire, Briar Bauman(No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke), at bay to finish as the ‘22 race runner-up. Bauman, meanwhile, leads an impressive line-up of potential spoilers who could yet play a pivotal role in the championship battle. Others who have demonstrated the chops to run up front this weekend include another Washingtonian, three-time Castle Rock TT winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/Castrol Yamaha MT-07), and Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), the series’ all-time winningest TT rider. Meanwhile, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman(No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke) and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) all registered top-ten results here a year ago and will no doubt look to push their way even further up the order in the ‘23 rematch. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER This weekend, Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) will be presented with the rare opportunity to earn his first-career TT victory, tie Dallas Daniels’ record for most wins in a single Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER, and sew up his second-consecutive championship, all in front of his home crowd. All he has to do now is go out and win. If he does, all of the above are guaranteed to happen. Easier said than done, however. Kopp showcased the speed and style to stand atop the box here a year ago, but poor starts and a costly crash prevented it from transpiring. Now he returns motivated, confident, and boasting a 49-point advantage to work with. Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) took the victory and will be a favorite to fight up front again this time around. So too will Estenson Racing teammates, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who currently rank 2-3 in the points, respectively, after finishing 1-2 in the opposite order a couple weeks back at the Peoria TT. Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 A1R Racing/FRA Trust Honda CRF450R), and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) all enjoyed strong outings at Castle Rock a year ago and there’s no reason to think they won’t be factors again this time around. Another rider to keep tabs on is the ultra-versatile Ryan Sipes (No. 264 Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull GASGAS MC 450F), who makes his Progressive AFT return following a near-two-year absence. The multi-discipline hero already boasts two prior TT wins on his Hall of Fame worthy résumé and would only add to his legend by securing a third this weekend. There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors and free motorcycle parking. General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under $5), and there are a variety of General Admission Parking and Multi-Day Camping Passes options to select from. Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/sdiracing/events/castle-rock-tt-59623 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT). For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv. FOX Sports coverage of CertainTeed Castle Rock TT presented by Law Tigers, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 20, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT).

TOPEKA, Kan. (August 9, 2023) – After a tremendous performance in Denver, the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team will roll into Heartland Motorsports Park prepared to continue their hot streak this weekend at the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor. This will be the last time that the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competes at this iconic facility and everyone has their sights set on nabbing that final Wally.  Troy Coughlin Jr. leads the Elite Motorsports team in points as he’s currently sitting in third place thanks to a win in Denver in his JEGS.com / White Castle Camaro. He also won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge at the event, so he’s in a great position heading into the competition this weekend. Coughlin won the national event in Topeka last year and hopes to make it two in a row.  Five-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders has been on quite an upswing as of late. She got her second No. 1 qualifier of the season in Denver and she’s eager to parlay that momentum into a stellar performance in front of the midwest fans. Thanks to a semifinal finish in Denver, she will join her teammate Coughlin in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge during qualifying on Saturday.  Aaron Stanfield, driving the Janac Brothers Racing / JC3 Energy Services / Melling Engine Parts Camaro, and Bo Butner, the driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro, have both been on the verge of nabbing a win this season. They feel positive after spending time fine-tuning their programs during a gap in their competition schedule. Their teammate, rookie driver Jerry Tucker, is looking for the same in his Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer Camaro.  The Cuadra Boys, featuring patriarch Fernando Cuadra Sr., and his sons Fernando Jr., Cristian and David, will all be competing in their Corral Boots Mustangs. They spent time testing in Tulsa during the break, making runs as late as 1:00 AM in order to avoid the daytime heat. As they examined their runs, they found opportunities for improvement that they are excited to put into practice this weekend in Topeka.  There are only three races left in the regular season, so points are at a premium. The competition will be fierce this weekend and Elite Motorsports is as ready as they’ve ever been to face that competition head-on.  In the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Patterson-Elite team is ready to show up in full force for an exciting weekend of racing. The team includes Jay Storey, who recently won in both Stock Eliminator and Super Stock at a Division 5 Points Meet in Topeka. Also competing in Super Stock are Aydan Patterson, A.J. Patterson, Ryan Montford and Tim Nicholson. Kent Claassen will compete in Stock Eliminator while Allen Firestone, Kyle Firestone and Mike Morehead are competing in the Top Sportsman category.  Competition for the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor will run from Friday, August 11 to Sunday, August 13 at Heartland Motorsports Park.  ***

Driver Quotes

Erica Enders”Topeka has been good to me and our team in the past. It’s close to our shop in Oklahoma, so we always have a lot of friends, family and Elite racers competing in this event, in all classes. The summer swing is winding down and it’s time to get serious. Topeka would be a great race for us to get our second win of the season, to set the pace for the rest of the year. Being the last race at Heartland Motorsports Park, it would make a win that much more special as well. We’ve had a bit of time and my guys and I are fresh and ready. We’ve tested, spent time in the engine shop, and are ready to go show the world why we are Team Elite.”

Aaron Stanfield“We’ve been working hard during this break in the schedule and we are ready to give it everything we’ve got in Topeka. This part of the season gets really heated as everyone is trying to get a spot in the Countdown to the Championship. I’m looking forward to the competition.”

Troy Coughlin Jr.“Team Yellow is ready and excited as always! A lot of hard work has been done during the time off and we’re ready to put it to use! We love the process and the journey! Hopefully, we can repeat what we did in Topeka last year and land this JEGS.com Camaro in the winners circle!”

Bo Butner“Last year, we almost got the win in Topeka in Super Gas, and Randi Lyn [Stock Eliminator racer and wife] has been to the final here a couple of times. It seems like this is a track that almost wants us to win, but there’s always been something holding us back at the national events. This is our last time coming here, so of course you want to win. You always want to bring home the trophy, and we’ve been waiting for our Pro Stock win for JHG a long time. It’s been coming, and it would be great to get it done this weekend. Topeka is a track we need to check off our list before it’s gone, and this is our last chance, so a win there would be very special.”

Fernando Cuadra Sr.“Much of this break was spent on testing, trying to learn new things and improve our performance. I’m feeling positive about Topeka and I think it’s going to be a great weekend!”

Fernando Cuadra Jr.“We’ve been learning a lot this season and the time we spent testing during this break has definitely helped us. It went so well, that now I’m feeling really excited about putting it all into action this weekend. I’m like a kid on Christmas morning!”

Cristian Cuadra“I’m currently in ninth place in the points. But I’m going to have to work hard to stay in the Top Ten as the competition is getting intense. Our crew is amazing and I’m excited to do my job on the track.”

David Cuadra“Going back and forth between Top Sportsman and Pro Stock has given me a really unique perspective. I intend to use that to my advantage in Topeka. The competition is going to be tough but I’ve got a positive mindset and we are ready to go far.”

Jerry Tucker“I’m feeling more comfortable behind the wheel with every round, and this crew is absolutely phenomenal. It’s getting down to crunch time right now and everyone is hustling to land in the Top Ten. It’s an honor to have Outlaw Beer riding with us once again as we roll into Heartland Park.”

Photos

DALLAS (August 8, 2023) — Buddy Hull has been steadily building his racing program and heading into the NHRA Topeka Nationals the Dallas-based businessman and Top Fuel racer is eager to make some big strides this weekend. This will be Hull’s fifth event of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and Hull has faced a plethora of challenges, but the rising star in the NHRA is undeterred. The Renegade Race Fuels Top Fuel dragster with backing from Methanol Moonshine will be ready to race this weekend starting on Friday at Heartland Park Topeka.   “This is one of the hardest things I have ever done but it is also one of the most satisfying,” said Hull, as the team prepares for a return engagement to Heartland Park Topeka. “We had some mechanical issues that really had us scratching our heads at the start of the season. We got those sorted out after Chicago and we had a great race in Denver. We ran really well and most importantly we didn’t hurt any parts. I can’t wait to get to Topeka and really see what we can do. I have to thank my crew chief Mike Guger for really putting in some long hours to get this car where it needs to be.”   Hull and veteran tuner Guger teamed up at the beginning of this year and the partnership has taken Hull’s race team to the next level. Throughout his career Hull has maintained a level of excellence as he has grown his program consistently improving his parts inventory and building a crew that give him a race car that can compete with the full-time operations at NHRA national events. This season Hull has also added additional marketing support to extend his brand as well as the impact for his primary sponsors Renegade Race Fuels and Methanol Moonshine. Hull will also be receiving support from local companies including Laird Noller Ford who is supplying Hull with a tow vehicle to move Hull’s 12,000-horsepower Renegade Fuels Top Fuel dragster from the pits to the starting line. Additionally, Hull is getting support from Equipment Share in Topeka. “We work to present our operation just like the full-time teams because that is where I want to be very soon,” said Hull. “We work with national and regional companies to make sure we are giving them exposure and great customer services. In Denver we hosted guests from a number of different companies and everyone had a blast. NHRA drag racing is one of the most exciting sports on the planet and the marketing opportunities are amazing.”   Last year racing at the Topeka Nationals for the first time Hull qualified 15th and lost a close first round race to Justin Ashley. This year Hull will be looking to improve on that effort and pick up a few round wins in Topeka before turning his attention to the biggest race of the year, the U.S. Nationals.   “No one is looking past Topeka but we are looking to get a lot of things squared away this weekend so we can have a great event in Indy,” said Hull. “The info we got in Denver will hopefully continue to improve in Topeka and we would love to be a Cinderella story at the biggest race of the year. I am very comfortable in the race car and Mike has a solid tune-up. I am sad this will be the final Topeka, but I am excited we will be racing in Kansas City in 2024.”   The final Topeka Nationals will be a bittersweet race for Hull and his team considering it is one of the closer events to his home base in Dallas, Texas. The driver and team owner understands that change is inevitable and he also believed the philosophy that when one door closes another one opens.   “There was a lot of history at the Topeka track but we can make a lot of history in Kansas City starting in 2024,” said Hull. “The events we have raced this season have been packed. Phoenix was a sell-out. Chicago was packed. Denver had so many people it was awesome. I think we will have great crowds in Topeka and Indy. I love racing on the NHRA tour and I am doing everything in my power to get out here full-time. It is a process, but I love a challenge.”   Hull and the Renegade Top Fuel team will get their first crack at the track on Friday night then they will have two more qualifying runs on Saturday, August 12. Final eliminations will commence on Sunday at 11 a.m. The race will be broadcast nationally on FS1 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET.

NHRA^® Team Report

NHRA Menards Heartland Nationals

Pre-Race Report

It’s another bittersweet weekend for Cruz Pedregon and the NHRA family as we say farewell to racing at Heartland Motorsports Park. Topeka has been a winner for Cruz three times and the team is tuned and ready for the Snap-on^® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge^® SRT^® Hellcat^® to go rounds and be a winner again for this one last race at Heartland.

“We tested several new setups and put down some strong runs at ‘Night Under Fire’ last weekend and we are in a good place for the Topeka race,” Cruz says. “All four runs were full passes with a final pass of 3.91 at 326 mph.”

Along with the past weekend’s tuning changes and successful passes, Cruz goes on to say racing before the sold-out crowd in Norwalk with a standing-room-only, 40,000-member crowd was a thrill for him and the entire team and really has them fired up for these last days of racing at Heartland.  

Cruz, Crew Chief J.C. (John Collins), and the team say the work they did at Night Under Fire has them well-prepared for Topeka, Brainerd, and on to Indianapolis. For those races, the Snap-on Funny Car will return to the “Makers & Fixers” paint scheme to honor and highlight the Makers and Fixers among us and provide a call to action for them to share stories of their critical work at makersandfixers.com. 

PLAINVIEW, NY (August 8, 2023) — With five wins and six final round appearances this season Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team are looking to keep the pressure on the rest of the field as the regular season ends. With three races remaining before the points are reset Ashley, who already has fifteen championship points in the bank, is looking to extend his lead with another Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win this weekend at the NHRA Topeka Nationals and add another win to his personal record-setting season. The fourth-year driver and team owner knows that there are tough competitors from the top to the bottom of the Top Fuel class but he is ready to take on all challengers.

Justin Ashley and Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“We had a very productive Western Swing,”. said Ashley, who has 10 career Top Fuel wins. “The highlight was winning Sonoma. But we were able to take something valuable from each race that we can apply moving forward. Finding success at such a critical part of the regular season was important for our Phillips Connect Toyota team.” 
 
This season Ashley has continued to improve and demonstrate that he and his team are serious contenders for the Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world championship. They have a category leading six final rounds and five wins plus they have not dropped a round in the newly created Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge which will be contested again this weekend at Heartland Park Topeka. The specialty race contested during Saturday qualifying will pit Ashley against his Sonoma semifinal foe Josh Hart with $10,000 and three championship points on the line for the eventual winner among the four semifinalists.
 
“I love everything about the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and I think it is one of the best competitions the NHRA has put together in recent memory,” said Ashley. “You have a different mindset on Saturday when you are in the Mission Challenge versus just making two qualifying runs. We try and take advantage of every qualifying run and stay within our routine, but there is more to it with championship points and extra money on the line. Our rematch against Josh should be great for the fans on Saturday.”
 
Throughout the season Ashley has been handling his Mike Green and Tommy DeLago tuned 11,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster like a solid veteran. The second-generation driver is also leading the class once again in reaction time average and his prowess on the starting line has turned on more than a handful of win lights for the team. The combination of a consistently quick race car and a lightning quick driver off the starting line has the team eager to get to Heartland Park Topeka for one last race at the high performance race track.

Justin Ashley exits the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

 
“There is a lot of history at Heartland Park Topeka and we would like nothing more than to take that final Wally back to our shop,” said Ashley. “Jim Epler, Executive VP of Phillips Connect, made the first 300 mph pass here in Funny Car so our team has plenty of motivation. We have run well here in the past and look forward to an exciting weekend.” 
 
In his two previous appearances at the NHRA Topeka Nationals Ashley has qualified well into the top half of the field starting from the No. 5 post in 2021 and last year heading in to race day as the No. 2 qualifier. In both those races he advanced out of the first round and last year he recorded a semifinal finish losing to eventual winner Toyota teammate Antron Brown.
 
“The competition is so tough in Top Fuel that anyone can win the race,” said Ashley, who won the Sonoma Nationals as the No. 7 qualifier. “The fields are as tight as Pro Stock cars with races being decided by thousandths of a second. Everything on your team has to be nearly perfect for every run. I love this level of competition and I think it really shows how well our Phillips Connect Toyota team is working together. The leadership from Mike, Tommy and Dustin Davis has been incredible and it trickles down the rest of the team, myself included. It a lot of fun and we want to keep the momentum rolling.”
 
Ashley along with the rest of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge competitors will participate in a free fan autograph session on Saturday and the former junior dragster driver will once again host a group of young drivers in the Maynard Ashley Racing pit area on Friday afternoon. These extra fan events keep Ashley grounded and focused on what is truly important at the track.
 
“I am so fortunate to live my dream and race this Phillips Connect Top Fuel dragster,”  said Ashley. “Speaking with the junior drivers and their parents is just a small way of giving back to the youth within the NHRA community. It’s important they know that their dreams are very much attainable if they do the right things. The Mission Foods autograph session is a lot of fun because it gets the drivers together in a more casual setting where they can interact with fans. It’s something I enjoy taking part in when the opportunity is there.”
 
Ashley and the Top Fuel class will be on track on Friday night for one night-time run and then they will have two qualifying runs on Saturday. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. CT with the race broadcast hitting the FS1 airwaves from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET.
 

Knoxville Raceway hosts the iconic Crown Jewel boasting a $185,000-to-win, $15,000 to start finale

KNOXVILLE, IA (August 8, 2023) – The Granddaddy of ‘Em All is here. The time has come for the 62nd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store.

All eyes of the Sprint Car world will be fixed on Iowa’s Marion County Fairgrounds as the top talents from all of Sprint Car racing converge on the iconic half mile that is Knoxville Raceway. World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car teams. PA Posse. Cali Clique. Gassers from coast to coast. The best drivers from every region are bound for the “Hawkeye State” with dreams of Sprint Car immortality.

This year’s edition has grown even more with the total purse for the four-day event exceeding a million dollars. The winner’s share for Saturday has been upped to $185,000, and making the main event is worth $15,000 – up $5,000 from only a year ago.

The pursuit of Knoxville Nationals glory begins Wednesday, Aug. 9, with the first of two split-field prelims. The second will follow on Thursday and help decide the first 16 starters for Saturday via accumulating points. Friday serves as #HardKnox night which will add four more to the main event. And then Saturday’s alphabet soup will complete the lineup before 24 of the nation’s best lay it all on the line for 50 laps.

BUY KNOXVILLE NATIONALS TICKETS

Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:

A CHANCE AT HISTORY: Back in 2002, Steve Kinser scored his 12th Knoxville Nationals victory – a record that many thought couldn’t be touched. At the time, nobody else owned more than five. But thanks to his 11th title last season, Donny Schatz has a chance to equal “The King” this year.

All 11 of Schatz’ triumphs have occurred in the last 16 years. In the five years Schatz didn’t win over that span, he finished second on four occasions. Before he won his first in 2006, Schatz ran runner-up four more times. In 24 career starts in the Knoxville Nationals finale, Schatz has missed the top two only five times and owns a 3.5 average finish.

With such a mind-boggling résumé, it will come as no surprise if Schatz parks the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 in Victory Lane when all is said and done to equal one of the sport’s most astonishing records.

AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB: While five former Knoxville Nationals champions are entered for the 2023 edition, only Schatz belongs in the exclusive club of multi-time winners. That leaves four others vying to become the eighth driver in event history to top the Crown Jewel multiple times.

Kraig Kinser triumphed 18 years ago for his one and only Nationals win. The Bloomington, IN native has teamed with Premier Motorsports for a run this year. Kinser also owns three more Knoxville Feature victories including a 2016 Nationals prelim.

Brad Sweet broke through in 2018 at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World.” Sweet and his Kasey Kahne Racing crew carry the point lead into the week, but the Knoxville Nationals is all about the glory of winning as championship points aren’t a factor. In addition to his Nationals title, Sweet has collected three more World of Outlaws wins at Knoxville, most recently in 2019.

A year after Sweet’s win, it was David Gravel’s turn to taste Nationals Victory Lane as he wheeled the Jason Johnson Racing #41 to an emotional victory in 2019. The Watertown, CT native has been incredibly successful at the historic half-mile with 11 total wins including the most recent Knoxville World of Outlaws race in June.

Kyle Larson was the most recent driver to add their name to the list of champions. Two years ago, “Yung Money” parked the Silva Motorsports #57 in Victory Lane for his first title in The Granddaddy of ‘Em All. Larson is fresh off a thrilling Ironman 55 score and looking to become a multi-time Knoxville Nationals champion.

A NEW NAME?: While a handful of drivers have proven they’re capable of winning the Nationals, a few drivers stand out as favorites to claim the Crown Jewel for the first time.

Carson Macedo may not have an eye-popping Knoxville résumé, but his 2023 performance suggests he can’t be counted out. He’s already racked up five wins this season. Jason Johnson Racing is a two-time Nationals winning team (2016 with Jason Johnson and 2019 with David Gravel). Macedo has won a trio of Knoxville Features with JJR including a pair of 2021 World of Outlaws events.

It’s impossible to not mention Brian Brown among the favorites to notch their first Nationals. “Blackjack” is fresh off topping his second 360 Nationals in a photo finish. Brown has nearly done it all at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World.” He’s a multi-time track champion, second on the all-time track win list, and he’s been a Nationals runner-up on three occasions. This week he looks to seal the deal on Knoxville’s ultimate accomplishment.

Rico Abreu has been as strong as any car in the country this year with Ricky Warner on the wrenches. Competing on a part-time basis, Abreu has already racked up four World of Outlaws wins this year. Less than two weeks ago the St. Helena, CA native topped an All-Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) race at Knoxville. The last two years Abreu has won the Hard Knox night, but his 2023 speed suggests he may lock in from his prelim and have the privilege of sitting out Friday.

Any Knoxville race is a home race for KCP Racing. The Des Moines, IA based team has Giovanni Scelzi behind the wheel as he continues his rookie World of Outlaws season in the Knoxville Nationals. The combination won the 2021 360 Nationals and sat on the pole of the 410 Nationals the next week before finishing fourth. With their strong track record, “Hot Sauce” could be in the running for the win on Saturday. 

SHARK SWEEP: Last year’s preliminary action was dominated by Shark Racing, and the duo of Logan Schuchart and Jacob Allen will look to replicate that performance in 2023 and punctuate the week with a Knoxville Nationals crown.

A year ago, Schuchart got the week started by claiming the Capitani Classic. He then backed that up with a Wednesday prelim triumph. His teammate – Allen – won his first Knoxville Feature the next night to complete a Shark sweep of the prelims.

The duo finished off the week with impressive charges (Schuchart: 17th to 3rd, Allen 11th to 5th) to put both of 1990 Knoxville Nationals champion – Bobby Allen’s – cars in the top five on the sport’s biggest stage.

ROOKIE RUNS: It’s going to be tough to top Buddy Kofoid’s strong Knoxville Nationals JETCO Rookie of the Year run from last year when he finished 11th, but this year’s rookie crop features 18 names and boasts some notable talent.

With as long as he’s been making waves in a Sprint Car, it’s hard to believe this year will be Ryan Timms’ first Knoxville Nationals attempt. The Oklahoma phenom doesn’t have a ton of Knoxville experience, but he did finish 12th in a local race last month.

Chase Randall has impressed many this year as he continues his rise through the Sprint Car ranks. The Waco, TX driver owns six overall wins this year – three of which have been behind the wheel of a 360 Sprint Car at Knoxville.

Another Texan turning heads this year is Lubbock’s Brenham Crouch. He’s currently leading the Interstate Racing Association (IRA) point standings and will be making his way to Iowa for a rookie run at the Nationals.

HANDIN’ OUT HARDWARE: On top of competing for the glory of a Knoxville Nationals title, teams can also receive a number of awards this week.

Teams and drivers will be recognized for the following accomplishments: Best Appearing Car Award, Best Appearing Crew, Best Appearing Helmet, Mr. Sprint Car Award, Rookie of the Year Award, Hard Charger Award, and Pole Award.

If you can’t make it to Knoxville, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE

Wednesday-Saturday, August 9-12 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, IA

CAMRIE CARUSO HOPING TO CONTINUE 
SUCCESS AT “LAST” TOPEKA

MOORESVILLE, NC (August 8, 2023) — Camrie Caruso and the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock entry and have been gearing up for the NHRA Topeka Nationals for over three weeks since they were last on track at the NHRA Mile High Nationals in Denver. The Pro Stock category didn’t compete in Seattle or Sonoma, but they will get back into high gear this weekend at Heartland Park Topeka for the final Topeka Nationals before the NHRA tour moves to the Flying H Drag Strip for the 2024 season. Caruso has only one Topeka Nationals under her belt, but the 2022 Rookie of the Year is eager to get back to Kansas.

Camrie Caruso and Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Innovative Creation Experts

“Last year was a blur to be honest,” said Caruso. “This was the part of the season when we really started to battle to finish the season as a rookie team. We had a solid rookie season, but I feel like this year we have taken a major step forward on so many levels from being a part of KB Titan Racing to my driving getting better. Everyone said it would take time and they were right. I can’t wait to get back into my Tequila Comisario Camaro this weekend. I hated the layoff.”
 
In her young career Caruso Caruso has competed at three “last” races and has a strong success rate. There have been seven last races in recent memory and no one has a better winning percentage than Caruso.  She was runner-up at the last Houston race (2022), won the last Phoenix race (2023) and went to the semifinals of the last Denver race (2023).  She didn’t run the other four — Memphis in 2009, Englishtown in 2017, Atlanta in 2021 and Richmond in 2022 which didn’t run Pro Stock. Her 9-2 winning record (81.8%) has her just ahead of Funny Car’s Matt Hagan (16-5, 80.0%, seven races), Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson (14.4, 77.7%, six races), Top Fuel’s Brittany Force (13-4, 76.4%, five races) and Top Fuel’s Steve Torrence (18-6, 75%, seven races). 
 
“I don’t think there is anything special about doing well at last races other than you want to leave your mark,” said Caruso. “I didn’t even know about this, but I think it is pretty cool. I want to win every race but getting the last Wally from Topeka would be great. I hate to see Topeka go away but I also am excited to see the track in Kansas City come online in 2024.”

 Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro and Pro Stock standout Camrie Caruso, photo by Innovative Creation Experts

Last year at Heartland Park Topeka Caruso qualified No. 13 and lost a close first round race to Pro Stock standout Aaron Stanfield. The highlight of the weekend for Caruso was clinching her spot in the NHRA Countdown. This season with a win at the Arizona Nationals and a victory in the inaugural Pro Stock Stock Allstar Callout Caruso is a lock for the Countdown and will be one of the championship contending Pro Stock drivers when the six-race playoffs start in September. Before that challenge begins Caruso has her attention on Topeka, Brainerd, and the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
 
“This weekend is the start of a very important three race stretch for our Tequila Comisario Chevrolet team,” said Caruso. “We raced to the semifinals in Denver and we want to keep that momentum going this weekend and beyond. This is the time to get hot and start winning rounds. I know we have a team that can win races and I just want to get back into my car and starting hitting the tree.”
 
Caruso will be competing for the second time this season in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge thanks to her semifinal finish at the Mile High Nationals in Denver. She will face a rematch with KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn and then hopefully a final round race with either Troy Coughlin Jr. or Erica Enders. The Mission event will be contested on Saturday during qualifying and there will be championship points and $5,000 for the winner on the line.
 
“I love the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and can’t wait to get my rematch with Dallas,” said Caruso. “The first time we competed I was able to pick up a championship point but this weekend I would love to get the three points for winning and that $5,000 check. This race adds a whole new dynamic to Saturday and I know the fans love it. We’ll be signing autographs at the Mission Food tent on Saturday morning and I can’t wait to see the fans.”
 
This season Caruso has come into her own picking up her first career win at the Arizona Nationals and then following that up with her second career No. 1 qualifier the next race at the Winternationals where she raced to the semifinals. Her strong qualifying efforts in 2023 earned her a spot in the first Pro Stock Allstar Callout race in Chicago and the second-year driver took out Cristian Cuadra, Troy Coughlin Jr and Aaron Stanfield to take the title. She has been solidly positioned in the Pro Stock Top Ten and with the playoffs looming she is a serious championship contender.
 
“This season has been very exciting and satisfying but we still have a lot of work to do,” said Caruso, who was also a winner in the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks. “This team has a lot of potential and we are just getting started. I love being a part of KB Titan Racing and we have a lot of strong teams over here so that just makes everyone better. Topeka will be a great test for us to get ready for the lats few races of the regular season and then we will look at the Countdown.”
 
The Pro Stock class will get one qualifying run on Friday and two more on Saturday before final eliminations get underway Sunday, August 13 at 11 a.m. The race will be broadcast on Sunday afternoon from 3 p.m.  – 6 p.m. ET on FS1.

NEWMANSTOWN, PA (Aug. 8, 2023) – The longest and most grueling stretch of the season begins today as the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota kicks off the inaugural Appalachian Midget Week.

Five races in five nights at five different tracks across Pennsylvania and New Jersey carry the Series into the second half of the season as the points battle tightens up in the chase for the season championship. A separate points tally will be kept over all five races, using the current Xtreme Outlaw points championship scale, and award the top five drivers with cash prizes at the conclusion of the final event – $2,500 to the champion, $1,250 for second, $750 for third, $500 for fourth and $250 for fifth.

The week begins Tuesday, Aug. 8 with a debut at Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway, followed by trips to Action Track USA (Aug. 9), Linda’s Speedway (Aug. 10), Path Valley Speedway (Aug. 11) and Bridgeport Motorsports Park (Aug. 12), all paying $4,000 to the Feature winner. Each race is co-sanctioned with the American Racing Driver’s Club (ARDC) and will reward the highest-finishing ARDC driver in each Feature with a $100 bonus.

Tickets for each race will be on sale at the gate; if you can’t be there to watch in person, stream every lap live from all five races with a FAST PASS subscription to DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this week:

POINTS BATTLE – What started as a 180-point difference in the Series points standings between Cannon McIntosh and Jade Avedisian six races ago is now down to eight points heading into the biggest racing stretch of the season.

Avedisian, 16, of Clovis, CA, sat fourth place in the standings, 180 points behind McIntosh when the Series came back into action in late July at Doe Run Raceway. With three wins and no finishes worse than sixth in the six races since the break, she has retaken the lead in the standings by eight points over McIntosh.

McIntosh, 20, of Bixby, OK, has cooled off after red-hot start to the season, posting only two top-five finishes since the break. He aims to get back to Victory Lane for the first time since May with the Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #08 this week as one of the few full-timers in the field with prior experience at the lineup of tracks in Appalachian Midget Week.

NEW CAR, NEW TRACKS – Kyle Jones will rejoin the Xtreme Outlaw roster this week for the first time since the end of July, driving for a new team at several tracks he’s never competed at before.

North Carolina car owner John Levecque will field a Ripper Chassis for Jones to compete with Wednesday-Saturday – all but the first race of Appalachian Midget Week. This will be a week of new challenges for the 29-year-old Texan, as he visits each of the PA/NJ tracks for the first time in his career.

Jones was the Series points leader in April, piloting the Trifecta Motorsports #7U before Zach Daum was tapped to fill the seat in early July. He last appeared on the national Midget scene with the Xtreme Outlaws two weekends ago, when he finished 11th in a Branigan Roark-owned Ripper Chassis #33 before taking the Dan Minear-owned #16 out to a fourth-place finish at Southern Illinois Raceway the following night after leading most of the race.

BUCKWILD – Two of Pennsylvania’s best multi-division, open-wheel racers in the Northeast make their Xtreme Outlaw Series debuts this week – Tim and Steve Buckwalter.

Tim, of Douglassville, PA, will pilot the Matt Seymour Racing #29 on Tuesday at Clyde Martin and Wednesday at Action Track. The Marlboro, MA-based team has already seen great heights of success this year, going to Victory Lane at the Chili Bowl Nationals with Oklahoma racer Hank Davis on the Tuesday night preliminary Feature, and later fielding the Little 500-winning asphalt Sprint Car for 18-year-old Jake Trainor in May. As for Tim, he qualified for his second-straight Chili Bowl A-Main this past January in the same car he’ll be racing this weekend.

Steve, of Royersford, PA, more commonly known for his weekly 410 Sprint Car racing efforts around the famed tracks of Pennsylvania, has many years of Midget racing and fabrication experience as builder of Elite Midget Chassis. He’s projected to join the roster at various tracks during the week while also fielding a car for New York racer Kevin Woody and Pennsylvanian Derrick Sheaffer at select events.

NON-WING THING – Briggs Danner is slated for a return to the Xtreme Outlaw roster this week for the first time since May.

Danner, 21, of Allentown, PA, posted finishes of fourth and eighth with the Series during the two-day Double Down Showdown event at Millbridge Speedway in the John Schneider-owned #98. He’s scheduled to be back in the seat of the car at various races this week.

This year, Danner has been full-time at the controls of the Hogue Racing #39 Non-Wing Sprint Car, competing around his home state with the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars, of which he currently leads points with two Feature wins thus far. Some Non-Wing Micro Sprint experience at Clyde Martin, Action Track and Linda’s will also help his case as he aims for his first national Midget series win.

ACTION TRACK TOPPER – Daison Pursley is slated to make his third PA/NJ Midget venture this week behind the wheel of the Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports #19.

Pursley, 18, of Locust Grove, OK, competed with USAC during the Northeast swing of races in 2020 and 2021, and took the checkered flag at Action Track in 2021, which stands as his only Midget win in the area. As part of the Keith Kunz Motorsports stable, Pursley defeated a host of accomplished national Midget talent that night including Logan Seavey, Chris Windom, Tanner Thorson, Zach Daum and others.

He’s headed back to the Northeast for the third time in his career this week, now a part-time teammate to Xtreme Outlaw full-timer Hayden Reinbold. Tuesday at Clyde Martin will be his second appearance with the Series this year, following a start at Tri-City Speedway in June.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

When and where
Tuesday, August 8 – Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway (Newmanstown, PA)
Wednesday, August 9 – Action Track USA (Kutztown, PA)
Thursday, August 10 – Linda’s Speedway (Jonestown, PA)
Friday, August 11 – Path Valley Speedway (Spring Run, PA)
Saturday, August 12 – Bridgeport Motorsports Park (Swedesboro, NJ)

On the internet
Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota
Twitter – @Xtreme_Outlaw
Instagram – @XtremeOutlaw
Facebook – @XtremeOutlawSeries.WRG

Live broadcast
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com. Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month.

Current championship points standings (view full standings)

1. Jade Avedisian: 3323 points | Keith Kunz Motorsports #71
2. Cannon McIntosh: 3315 points (-8) | Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #08
3. Gavin Miller: 3213 points (-110) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #97
4. Zach Daum: 3169 points (-154) | Trifecta Motorsports #7U
5. Chase McDermand: 3147 points (-176) | Mounce/Stout Motorsports #40
6. Taylor Reimer: 3113 points (-210) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #25K
7. Chance Crum: 2910 points (-413) | Rudeen Racing #26
8. Hayden Reinbold: 2633 points (-690) | Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports #19AZ
9. Ethan Mitchell: 1922 points (-1401) | Bundy Built Motorsports #19M
10. Austin Barnhill: 1844 points (-1497) | Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #17B

Toyota Feature winners (7 drivers)
4 wins – Cannon McIntosh (Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports), Jade Avedisian (Keith Kunz Motorsports)
3 wins – Zach Daum (Trifecta Motorsports) 
2 wins – Chase McDermand (Mounce/Stout Motorsports)
1 win – Jesse Love (Chad Boat Industries), Daniel Whitley (Abacus Racing), Karter Sarff (Sarff Racing)

Toyota Feature laps led (15 drivers)
78 laps – Cannon McIntosh
70 laps – Jade Avedisian
59 laps – Daniel Whitley
52 laps – Zach Daum
41 laps – Karter Sarff
28 laps – Ryan Timms
26 laps – Thomas Meseraull
24 laps – Chase McDermand
23 laps – Gavin Miller
22 laps – Shane Cottle, Kyle Jones
21 laps – Ashton Torgerson
11 laps – Hayden Reinbold
4 laps – Jesse Love
1 lap – Nick Drake

Whitz RC Racing Products Quick Time Awards (11 drivers)
4 awards – Cannon McIntosh
2 awards – Ethan Mitchell, Daniel Whitley
1 award – Gavin Miller, Hayden Reinbold, Jesse Love, Kevin Thomas Jr, Zach Daum, Joe B. Miller, Corbin Rueschenberg, Chase McDermand

Heat Race winners (20 drivers)
7 wins – Jade Avedisian
5 wins – Cannon McIntosh, Chase McDermand
4 wins – Zach Daum
3 wins – Hayden Reinbold
2 wins – Chance Crum, Nick Drake, Ethan Mitchell, Gavin Miller, Corbin Rueschenberg, Andrew Felker, Daniel Whitley
1 win – Austin Barnhill, Shane Cottle, Thomas Meseraull, Kyle Jones, Rico Abreu, Briggs Danner, Daison Pursley, Chase Johnson

High-points honors (12 drivers)
3 honors – Cannon McIntosh
2 honors – Daniel Whitley, Jade Avedisian
1 honor – Gavin Miller, Chance Crum, Rico Abreu, Landon Brooks, Briggs Danner, Hayden Reinbold, Kyle Jones, Andrew Felker, Chase McDermand

Last Chance Showdown wins (12 drivers)
2 wins – Kyle Jones
1 win – Landon Brooks, Karter Sarff, Howard Moore, Ryan Timms, Taylor Reimer, Henry Chambers, Chance Crum, Chase Briscoe, Mitchell Davis, Cannon McIntosh, Corbin Rueschenberg

DIRTVision Hard Charger Awards (15 drivers)
2 awards – Hayden Reinbold
1 award – Mitchel Moles, Chase Johnson, Ryan Timms, Chance Crum, Zach Daum, Gavan Boschele, Taylor Reimer, Chase McDermand, Shane Cottle, Cooper Williams, Kyle Jones, Cannon McIntosh, Jerry Coons Jr, Jade Avedisian

Podium finishes (16 drivers)
8 podiums – Cannon McIntosh
7 podiums – Zach Daum
6 podiums – Chase McDermand, Jade Avedisian
4 podiums – Gavin Miller
3 podiums – Daniel Whitley, Taylor Reimer
2 podiums – Shane Cottle
1 podium – Thomas Meseraull, Kyle Jones, Ryan Timms, Ashton Torgerson, Landon Brooks, Jesse Love, Jerry Coons Jr, Karter Sarff

Top-10 finishes (38 drivers)
14 top-10s – Cannon McIntosh, Jade Avedisian, Gavin Miller
13 top-10s – Chase McDermand
12 top-10s – Zach Daum
10 top-10s – Taylor Reimer
9 top-10s – Chance Crum
5 top-10s – Landon Brooks, Kyle Jones, Ethan Mitchell, Daniel Whitley
4 top-10s – Gavan Boschele, Karter Sarff
3 top-10s – Thomas Meseraull, Ryan Timms, Corbin Rueschenberg, Austin Barnhill, Hayden Reinbold, Chase Johnson
2 top-10s – Briggs Danner, Shane Cottle, Chase Briscoe, Kevin Thomas Jr, Branigan Roark, Andrew Felker, Jerry Coons Jr, Cooper Williams, Mariah Ede
1 top-10 – Mitchel Moles, Daniel Adler, Sam Johnson, Rico Abreu, Ashton Torgerson, Don Droud Jr, Nick Drake, Jesse Love, Trey Marcham, Joe B. Miller

2023 Schedule & Winners – Race No. Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Fri, March 10 / Southern Illinois Center / Du Quoin, IL / Cannon McIntosh (1)
2. Sat, March 11 / Southern Illinois Center / Du Quoin, IL / Jade Avedisian (1)
3. Fri, April 14 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Cannon McIntosh (2)
4. Fri, May 5 / Humboldt Speedway / Humboldt, KS / Chase McDermand (1)
5. Sat, May 6 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Chase McDermand (2)
6. Tue, May 22 / Millbridge Speedway / Salisbury, NC / Cannon McIntosh (3)
7. Wed, May 23 / Millbridge Speedway / Salisbury, NC / Cannon McIntosh (4)
8. Thu, June 1 / Tri-City Speedway / Pontoon Beach, IL / Jesse Love (1)
9. Fri, June 2 / Wayne County Speedway / Wayne City, IL / Zach Daum (1)
10. Sat, June 3 / Wayne County Speedway / Wayne City, IL / Zach Daum (2)
11. Fri, July 21 / Doe Run Raceway / Doe Run, MO / Zach Daum (3)
12. Sat, July 22 / Southern Illinois Raceway / Marion, IL / Jade Avedisian (2)
13. Sat, July 29 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Jade Avedisian (3)
14. Sun, July 30 / Brushcreek Motorsports Complex / Peebles, OH / Daniel Whitley (1)

15. Fri, Aug. 4 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Karter Sarff (1)

16. Sat, Aug. 5 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Jade Avedisian (4)