NASCAR CUP SERIES MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT AUGUST 5, 2023

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Michigan International Speedway. Press conference transcript:

YOU COME INTO SUNDAY 40 POINTS OUTSIDE THE PLAYOFFS, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THINGS. DO YOU TRY AND MAXIMIZE STAGE POINTS OR DO YOU HAVE TO GO ALL IN FOR THE RACE WIN?  “My stance has been the same since I got back.  I think we need to win. So, and like I have said a thousand times since I have been back, I think gaining a lot of points and contending for wins is very much one in the same.  It’s not coincidence that the guys that are high up in points have race wins, but they are also leading the regular season thing, or whatever it’s called, too. Those things go hand in hand. If you are gaining a lot of points, you are probably going to have a shot to win. And if you are not, then you are probably not going to have a shot to win. So, I think those are one in the same.” IS THERE SOMETHING WE COULD ADD TO THIS CAR THAT WOULD OPEN THINGS UP TO THE RACING A BIT? “That is a great question, and I am not familiar with the INDYCAR rules at all. I know that they were first to the spec car thing and I had heard that what we were doing was more in line with what they had going on or what they had going on. But I don’t know. I don’t know what you open up. I think this is really what NASCAR as a sanctioning body wants. That they want a lot of control over the cars. And they want to have parts suppliers and have the teams buy parts instead of building them. I think the thought was that it was going to save a lot of money, you know. And I will let other people answer whether or not that, that is true. I don’t know what you open up to make it better or worse. I am not really sure.  But I do know this, the cars are very much alike. It’s so funny like every week we do our post-race debriefs and the engine shop comes up with a really nice report for us to look at while we are talking through our race and it kind of splits up like part throttle, full throttle, closed throttle, and like the four of us are like within a percent of each category. When those things are the same, it’s just going to be really hard to be different. I just don’t see it changing.” REGARDING RACING AT BERLIN IN A SUPER LATE MODEL “Yeah, I have run more this year than I have in the past….I don’t know how many years.  So, I am looking forward to it. We have been working at it much like the Cup side, just trying to get a little better and trying to get some momentum on that side of things too.  So, I am looking forward to going to Berlin, its been a little while since I have been there and I am looking forward to getting back to a really unique and weird short track I have run at a few times.  But looking forward to getting up there, it’s a good show, a good mid-week show and a place that seemingly has a lot of support from the local community that I remember. Always great crowds and they put up a nice purse too, which in the asphalt world is a big deal in my opinion. So, I think its important for the racers to go and support those shows that put up a lot of money to win, when they do, because it doesn’t happen all the time. I am excited to go and support it and try to get a win.” REGARDING HOW MUCH TO READ INTO THE RACE THIS WEEKEND AS A MEASURING STICK FOR THE PLAYOFFS “That is a great question, and it is kind of your last sample of what would be a normal race track I guess.  So, that is a very valid question, but I am just trying to think back to last year and it seems like all the Gibbs cars were really strong here last year as a whole. I think at some tracks, the characteristics here might carry forward and I am not sure that all of them necessarily are that way. I would say that its not unfair to say that this is our last normal opportunity to show what you have or don’t have, but I do think this place is very unique and it is its own animal. You kind of look at it and you think maybe its like Fontana, but its really not at all like Fontana.  I never had a chance to race here at the old surface, so this is all I have really known ever since I have been running. This place has always been kind of its own world. I do think it is the last normal look, I guess, but at the same time, this place is very different. I wouldn’t read to terrible far into it.” REGARDING WATKINS GLEN AND LOOKING AT IT FOR A WIN BASED ON PAST SUCCESS “Yeah, I have said this, I don’t circle races. That is not how I operate. I just take it week to week and try to get better.  Like I have told you guys a thousand times, and I will make it a thousand and one, I just want to be a guy that can go and contend every week and be in the running wherever we go.  Whether it is a half mile, road course, two-mile speedway, I don’t want to care. I don’t want to care where we are going. That is where I want to get. I will keep working really hard until we can achieve that.” HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET A GOOD ENTRY INTO TURN ONE AT WATKINS GLEN TO SET UP THE ENTIRE LAP? “I think it definitely matters.  I think about it more in terms of a restart and track position is extremely important. You know, it’s really difficult to pass the leader there, especially now. So, the game has changed. Used to, it was all about how good of a launch you got, but now its about who is pushing you and how good of a push you are going to get.  So, you are almost better off having a bad launch and the person behind you getting to you sooner than you are doing a good job of getting a good go at it. That is just the game that it’s turned into.” CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE MICHIGAN TRACK TO US? “Yeah, I can try. When I say that, I think I am more referring to….heck, I don’t know what year this thing was paved, but it had to be 2012, 11, somewhere in there.  Correct me if I am wrong, but that would be around my guess.  Whatever asphalt they used, I wish they used it on the roads and the highways around the United States because it just doesn’t seem to age.  It doesn’t seem to give away a lot of grip. It is changing color a little bit, but it certainly doesn’t seem like it has become anymore abrasive, or the grip level has gone down any. For that reason, the middle of the track is the dominant place on the road. The bottom is too flat to run at pace for a lengthy period of time. And the middle, because of the way the track is shaped, is the fastest way through and it has enough banking to make it work. I think the hope is, and I think it will age eventually, is to keep working it up and have a wider racing groove with the right amount of banking to run. I think that is what they are trying to achieve with the grippy stuff, and trying to promote us moving up. Yeah, it’s just that the place has a lot of grip. Still very fast and hasn’t really seemed to change. We will see if its any different this weekend, but I kind of doubt it.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT AUGUST 5, 2023

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 KWIK TRIP/KWIK STAR CAMARO ZL1, met with the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Michigan International Speedway. Press conference transcript:

I HAVE TO KICK IT OFF LIGHTHEARTED AND ASK YOU ABOUT SRX AND JOEY LOGANO JUMPING ON THE RADIO DURING THE BROADCAST. WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR HEAD THE MOMENT YOU HEARD HIS VOICE? “What the hell (laughs).. that was probably the first thing. But after that, I don’t even remember what he asked me – but we were kind of in a little cat-and-mouse game, I guess that’s what he brought up with Brad (Keselowski) and just kind of trying to figure out how hard to push and what to do at that point in the race knowing there were still a couple cautions coming. You just kind of try to take care of your stuff and pace yourself. And then that’s right when Helio was on the bout to go to the front and take the lead. He nudged me and got by me, so thankfully Joey (Logano) was on my radio, so it was his fault that I lost the spot. But we were able to make it back up later. I wish he would have come back on the radio later when I was on some of those restarts. He could have spotted for me, that would have been good.” HE ACTUALLY SAID ON THE BROADCAST WITH TWO-TO-GO – HE THOUGHT ABOUT JUMPING BACK ON YOUR RADIO, BUT FIGURED THAT WAS A BAD TIME TO DO IT. ARE YOU GOING TO INVITE HIM BACK TO BE A SPOTTER ANYTIME SOON? “Yeah, it was fine – I mean it doesn’t matter if it’s him, or Kevin or Connor, whoever else they have up in the booth there with SRX. It’s always just kind of lighthearted, so it’s fun. It’s kind of neat that they do that. There’s no money on the line, there’s no points on the line.. none of that stuff, so obviously it’s not quite as serious as our Sunday job.” HEADING DOWN THE LAST TWO RACES AND SURVEYING THE LANDSCAPE, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE OF WHAT SRX IS DOING WILL LOOK LIKE? WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE, WHAT DO YOU REALLY LIKE, STUFF LIKE THAT? “Honestly, I feel like they’ve got a pretty good program on what they’re doing. I know it’s really tough on the guys and the girls who work behind the scenes and do all the stuff with preparing the cars, working on the cars. Fortunately Berlin was a decent race – about the only work they really have to do is clean out the burnout rubber from my car this week. There’s 12 cars, you could probably do 16, at least. It would be cool to see more cars. It think that it’s OK when you have some calamity and some crashes and stuff like that, as long as everybody is keeping safe. (David) Stremme had a throttle stick in one of the test cars the other day and he wailed the wall and he was okay.  (Tony) Kanan destroyed the fence too at Stafford.  So, the cars do have some good safety aspects to them, which is nice. We are at short tracks, so its not going 180 miles an hour, you know? We are going 100 to 120 maybe. Its just cool that they have all the short tracks that they go to and there are a lot of great short tracks across the country that would be really fun to watch those cars go around at. You know, Richmond might actually be too big of a racetrack to go to for those cars. You could put on a race there but I believe it would be too big of a speedway.  The short track, half mile and under are a really good place for them.” REGARDING WHAT TO DO TO THE NEXT GEN CAR TO OPEN IT UP AND CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF A SPEED DESPARITY“I don’t know.  The biggest thing for me that I feel like is a hindrance to the car in traffic and all that kind of stuff is the under body. They wanted a flat sheet across the bottom so it’s the same for everybody that they don’t have to police, but honestly, I think that is our biggest detriment with this car.  We all talk about over body, under body, aero and this and that for years.  Tens of years. And we all thought the under body aero was the way to go, but honestly, we have gone backwards.  It’s worse in traffic. So, I feel like that stems from that and to get rid of that and just have over body and what all we do there.  The cars are all the same and you buy them from the same supplier and everything else, so they are homologated basically. They have a scanning device that scans the floors, so why don’t we just scan the bottom of the cars without a pan. And all the rough surfaces and everything else under the bottom of the car. But that is kind of my thing, and I don’t know if that makes any more discrepancy between the field on speed. I think that is just a traffic thing in my opinion.” YOU GUYS MOVED BREXTON UP A DIVISON. WAS IT TIME TO CHALLENGE HIM?“So, the Midwest Swing, that is what we call it, and that is what we are on.  When we go to some of these places, as competitive as Millbridge is….Millbridge is cadet class is basically their beginner box class, anywhere else.  So, last year we ran the beginner box class and we won at Wisconsin, and we should have won at Iowa, but we go put on burn with two to go. So, I figured this year, you know, if he wants to kind of step up and move up to the older kids’ class and run with the older kids. Because that is more so his grouping of talent with the other kids in the Midwest. I don’t know if they just don’t race as much or what, but the competition at Millbridge is the highest anywhere.  If you can win at Millbridge, you can win anywhere. I have had multiple dads tell me that and it’s true. So, I feel like the best kids in the country are there, so when we go out of town, we will bump up a class.” HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET THROUGH TURNS ONE AT INDY AND TURN ONE AT WATKINS GLEN SO YOU DON’T SCREW UP YOUR WHOLE LAP?“Yeah, talking about cars being close and similar and hard to pass and all that…..that’s your time to make up time on the restarts.  Right then and there. Once you get through the first three or four corners, its over. So, that is why you see so many aggressive moves, dive bombs, and all that stuff on restarts, is to make up.  If you can get two spots right now, then that is two spots that you are better than you were.  So, for Indy, I bet I missed it in the drivers meeting here at 10 O’clock this morning, I was still sleeping, so trying to catch up from a long week, but where the restart zone is and stuff like that to try to get us a little bit singled out. I felt like the restarts at Chicago were perfect. I thought that was a really good idea. We had an acceleration zone right before a corner and then we were single file so it all kind of kept us a little bit away from each other and it was good, clean racing. Once you could make up time on a guy and out brake a guy, you did that.  It wasn’t just four wide down a straightaway funneling into a one lane corner.” REGARDING THE TRUCK SERIES AND THE NEW TV PACKAGE HELPING THE SERIES“No, I voiced my opinion on what I feel. But I don’t foresee it changing, so we will just see what happens down the road and what new TV deal there is and what that means. But I honestly don’t think it’s going to be a significant enough change to make a difference and we will see what we can do with our team going forward. We have my part time races, my five races next year and we have the rest of the truck still open for next year and figure out what we are going to do from that respect. But Purdy will be back, and Sanchez will be back, so we are pretty good with where we are at.”

Bayston scores fifth career World of Outlaws win and builds confidence for Saturday’s IronmanPEVELY, MO (Aug. 5, 2023) – A winless drought can cause doubt to form for even the strongest teams. Such was the case for Spencer Bayston, heading into the Ironman weekend with a winless streak dating back to June 2022.The 2022 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year never lost faith. But doubt asked when, and if, a win would come again.Confidence answered, Friday night at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 for the Night Before The Ironman.While cut nine laps short due to an incident with the track fence, Bayston had already made himself untouchable in Feature. After taking the lead on Lap 5, he gapped the field by seconds, leading to he and CJB Motorsports’ first win of the season.“You start to wonder if you can win again,” Bayston said. “You know, it’s been over a year. We have all the tools. We have great partners. Great members and a phenomenal car owner with Chad Clemens. There’re times you start to question yourself. Just to get his out of the way feels really, really good.”When it came time for the Feature, Cole Macedo started pole with David Gravel – the championship points leader entering the night – to his outside. Macedo darted ahead of the field in the first corner while Gravel looked to have an anchored tied to him and fell to fourth on the opening lap.Brad Sweet moved up to second and Bayston wasn’t far behind in third. “The Big Cat” bicycled on the second lap, allowing Bayston to dive underneath him and steal the spot.Two laps later, Macedo had his own scare, hitting a rut and bouncing all four wheels off the track. Like the camo on his #5 car, Bayston then made the pass for the lead so quick Macedo couldn’t have even seen it coming.Once the CJB machine was in clear air out front, it was in a class of its own. Behind it, Sweet and Giovanni Scelzi soared by Macedo before sparring for second. The two traded attacks lap after lap, eventually letting James McFadden join in on the fight.“Hot Sauce” won the battle and soon after benefited from a caution on Lap 19, erasing the four second lead Bayston had over him.When the race resumed, Bayston pulled ahead but Scelzi wasn’t letting him out of his sight. However, the brewing battle was halted when Corey Day flipped into the Turn 4 fence, bringing out the red flag. With the fence damage too severe to fix for the night, the race was deemed complete.Bayston’s drought was finally over.“It feels so good,” Bayston said about getting his fifth career World of Outlaws win. “I know that’s not the normal, conventional, way to do it, but I was certainly happy for that one to be over. But I was so confident with my car and with what [my CJB Motorsports team] did with it there before the Feature to give me a car that was versatile and could move around through traffic and could battle. I was confident if we ran that one out, I could keep cutting my laps and we’d be in good shape.”Scelzi had to settle for second, his second top-five finish in a row and third podium of the season.“Good call to end the race; smart call by the officials,” Scelzi said.Sweet finished third, adding to his insane I-55 statistics. Now, in 16 starts at the 1/3-mile track, he has 14 podium finishes.With Gravel finishing eighth, Sweet also reclaimed the points lead – making for the ninth lead change of the season. The Grass Valley, CA driver now leads Gravel by two-points going into Saturday’s Ironman 55.While the $20,000-to-win, 55-lap, spectacle is one of the most grueling races of the year, there’s at least one driver entering with no doubtful questions. Only confident answers.The Night’s Notebook: The KSE Racing Hard Charger was Logan Schuchart.The night’s Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award went to David Gravel for the eighth time in 2023 and the 105th time of his career.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat 1 went to Cole Macedo (first Heat Race win of career). NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Four were claimed by James McFadden (43rd of career), Brad Sweet (229th of career), and Giovanni Scelzi (33rd of career).Cole Macedo topped the Toyota Racing Dash.Jamie Veal topped the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the Ironman 55 finale at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Saturday, Aug. 5, with $20,000 going to the winner. The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota will also be on the card vying for a $5,000 victory. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action on DIRTVision.RESULTS NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 5-Spencer Bayston[3]; 2. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[5]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[4]; 4. 83-James McFadden[6]; 5. 21T-Cole Macedo[1]; 6. 11-Cory Eliason[7]; 7. 20G-Noah Gass[9]; 8. 2-David Gravel[2]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[10]; 10. 45-Rusty Hickman[12]; 11. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 12. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[13]; 13. 14-Corey Day[15]; 14. 31-Zach Daum[16]; 15. 51B-Joe B Miller[14]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[17]; 17. 17AU-Jamie Veal[21]; 18. 7S-Robbie Price[19]; 19. 97-Scotty Milan[23]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart[25]; 21. 101-Cody Maroske[18]; 22. 22-Riley Goodno[24]; 23. 7A-Will Armitage[20]; 24. (DNF) 1A-Jacob Allen[22]; 25. (DNS) 17-Sheldon Haudenschild

Bayston scores fifth career World of Outlaws win and builds confidence for Saturday’s IronmanPEVELY, MO (Aug. 5, 2023) – A winless drought can cause doubt to form for even the strongest teams. Such was the case for Spencer Bayston, heading into the Ironman weekend with a winless streak dating back to June 2022.The 2022 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year never lost faith. But doubt asked when, and if, a win would come again.Confidence answered, Friday night at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 for the Night Before The Ironman.While cut nine laps short due to an incident with the track fence, Bayston had already made himself untouchable in Feature. After taking the lead on Lap 5, he gapped the field by seconds, leading to he and CJB Motorsports’ first win of the season.“You start to wonder if you can win again,” Bayston said. “You know, it’s been over a year. We have all the tools. We have great partners. Great members and a phenomenal car owner with Chad Clemens. There’re times you start to question yourself. Just to get his out of the way feels really, really good.”When it came time for the Feature, Cole Macedo started pole with David Gravel – the championship points leader entering the night – to his outside. Macedo darted ahead of the field in the first corner while Gravel looked to have an anchored tied to him and fell to fourth on the opening lap.Brad Sweet moved up to second and Bayston wasn’t far behind in third. “The Big Cat” bicycled on the second lap, allowing Bayston to dive underneath him and steal the spot.Two laps later, Macedo had his own scare, hitting a rut and bouncing all four wheels off the track. Like the camo on his #5 car, Bayston then made the pass for the lead so quick Macedo couldn’t have even seen it coming.Once the CJB machine was in clear air out front, it was in a class of its own. Behind it, Sweet and Giovanni Scelzi soared by Macedo before sparring for second. The two traded attacks lap after lap, eventually letting James McFadden join in on the fight.“Hot Sauce” won the battle and soon after benefited from a caution on Lap 19, erasing the four second lead Bayston had over him.When the race resumed, Bayston pulled ahead but Scelzi wasn’t letting him out of his sight. However, the brewing battle was halted when Corey Day flipped into the Turn 4 fence, bringing out the red flag. With the fence damage too severe to fix for the night, the race was deemed complete.Bayston’s drought was finally over.“It feels so good,” Bayston said about getting his fifth career World of Outlaws win. “I know that’s not the normal, conventional, way to do it, but I was certainly happy for that one to be over. But I was so confident with my car and with what [my CJB Motorsports team] did with it there before the Feature to give me a car that was versatile and could move around through traffic and could battle. I was confident if we ran that one out, I could keep cutting my laps and we’d be in good shape.”Scelzi had to settle for second, his second top-five finish in a row and third podium of the season.“Good call to end the race; smart call by the officials,” Scelzi said.Sweet finished third, adding to his insane I-55 statistics. Now, in 16 starts at the 1/3-mile track, he has 14 podium finishes.With Gravel finishing eighth, Sweet also reclaimed the points lead – making for the ninth lead change of the season. The Grass Valley, CA driver now leads Gravel by two-points going into Saturday’s Ironman 55.While the $20,000-to-win, 55-lap, spectacle is one of the most grueling races of the year, there’s at least one driver entering with no doubtful questions. Only confident answers.The Night’s Notebook: The KSE Racing Hard Charger was Logan Schuchart.The night’s Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award went to David Gravel for the eighth time in 2023 and the 105th time of his career.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat 1 went to Cole Macedo (first Heat Race win of career). NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Four were claimed by James McFadden (43rd of career), Brad Sweet (229th of career), and Giovanni Scelzi (33rd of career).Cole Macedo topped the Toyota Racing Dash.Jamie Veal topped the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the Ironman 55 finale at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Saturday, Aug. 5, with $20,000 going to the winner. The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota will also be on the card vying for a $5,000 victory. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action on DIRTVision.RESULTS NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 5-Spencer Bayston[3]; 2. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[5]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[4]; 4. 83-James McFadden[6]; 5. 21T-Cole Macedo[1]; 6. 11-Cory Eliason[7]; 7. 20G-Noah Gass[9]; 8. 2-David Gravel[2]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[10]; 10. 45-Rusty Hickman[12]; 11. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 12. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[13]; 13. 14-Corey Day[15]; 14. 31-Zach Daum[16]; 15. 51B-Joe B Miller[14]; 16. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[17]; 17. 17AU-Jamie Veal[21]; 18. 7S-Robbie Price[19]; 19. 97-Scotty Milan[23]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart[25]; 21. 101-Cody Maroske[18]; 22. 22-Riley Goodno[24]; 23. 7A-Will Armitage[20]; 24. (DNF) 1A-Jacob Allen[22]; 25. (DNS) 17-Sheldon Haudenschild

McIntosh finishes eighth, Avedisian third, points gap down to 24 in standings

PEVELY, MO (Aug. 4, 2023) – It takes every bit of heart, skill and speed to master Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 against some of the best national Midget racers in the country. Karter Sarff showed he had each of those qualities Friday night as he, for the first time in his career, triumphed over the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota.

Sarff, 20, of Mason City, IL, took the lead from multi-time POWRi National Midget League champion Zach Daum in the early going and led the rest of the way to collect the $4,000 grand prize in the Night Before the Ironman.

“It’s pretty insane,” Sarff said. “It’s starting to sink-in now that we’re in tech here. It’s pretty awesome; I don’t even know what to say right now. I’m pretty pumped.”

A run so strong, Sarff even gained a bit of respect from the first man he beat.

“He ran a good race; he ran a smart race,” Daum said. “He ran as hard as he could and still was able to keep the tires underneath him and not turn over, not bounce, not bike, not make mistakes. He ran an awesome race, you gotta give him credit.”

Sarff took the lead from polesitter Daum on Lap 7 with a pass coming out of Turn 2. He wound it up on the curb in the middle of the track and threw it into Turn 1 with force, pointed his Provisio Partners #21K to the inside of Daum coming out of Turn 2 and zoomed past the veteran racer for the top spot.

“It’s the diamond line,” Sarff said. “I was just gassing it up and ripping tearoffs. I got a good run on him and was able to clear him. Luckily, it stuck, didn’t hit any big holes and I could pull away.”

“He was just driving so much harder than I was,” Daum said. “He was entering harder; he was getting through the center better. A couple times during the race I felt I could keep pace with him, but I just couldn’t keep pace with him every lap.”

From there on out, Sarff was in command. One caution flag and a red flag period after Xavier Doney’s wild ride in Turn 3 forced Sarff to survive two restarts with Series regulars Daum, Taylor Reimer and Jade Avedisian right on his tail. Still, the young Illinoisan held strong and at no point let his opponents get a chance to take away what is now the biggest win of his Midget racing career.

“I’m just glad I got it done with every single car here; [they’re] the best in the world,” Sarff said. “We beat ‘em all tonight and it just shows what our team can do.”

Daum, of Pocahontas, IL, was able to hang onto second for his seventh top-five finish in the last seven Series races. He said being smart about navigating the hammer-down track was the key to staying where he was in the final laps.

“I just tried to play it smart, not make any mistakes,” Daum. “I was just trying not to put myself in a position to bounce or get hit, or whatever.”

Daum did, briefly, lose the second spot in the closing laps to Avedisian but was able to get back by her in the next set of corners to retain second. In doing so, he found the bottom lane was a bit better than he originally anticipated but was too far into the race to make a significant push on the leader.

“I could’ve moved down to the bottom sooner than I did in Turns 3-4,” Daum said. “I kinda found the bottom, but it was too little, too late. I was just so scared to move, leading early and then running second. Just didn’t want to move and then get freight-trained.”

Avedisian crossed the stripe third to complete the podium after starting seventh. With her strong finish, the 16-year-old Californian now trails by only 24 points in the Series standings after points leader Cannon McIntosh’s eighth-place result.

UP NEXT

The Xtreme Outlaw and POWRi National Midgets wrap-up the Ironman 55 weekend alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on Saturday, Aug. 5, with a $5,000-to-win main event.

Tickets will be available at the gate. If you can’t be there, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 21K-Karter Sarff[3]; 2. 7U-Zach Daum[1]; 3. 71-Jade Avedisian[7]; 4. 31-Chase Johnson[8]; 5. 25K-Taylor Reimer[2]; 6. 97K-Cooper Williams[9]; 7. 26-Chance Crum[10]; 8. 08-Cannon McIntosh[6]; 9. 40-Chase McDermand[4]; 10. 97-Gavin Miller[12]; 11. 44-Branigan Roark[14]; 12. 19AZ-Hayden Reinbold[18]; 13. 71E-Mariah Ede[13]; 14. 9-Xavier Doney[16]; 15. 26R-Corbin Rueschenberg[5]; 16. 56-Mitchell Davis[15]; 17. 77W-Joe Wirth[11]; 18. 31K-Jaxton Wiggs[17]

Ricky Thornton Jr. and Hudson O’Neal will start on the front row of Saturday’s $50,000-to-win finaleNEW RICHMOND, WI – August 4, 2023 – After fireworks entertained a packed Cedar Lake Speedway crowd, Chris Madden put on his own “Smokey” show. Night two of the USA Nationals saw Madden return to his winning ways at Cedar Lake, thundering around Hudson O’Neal for the lead on the first lap and never looking back, claiming his third World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series win of the season.  Madden, who started second, wasted no time getting to the front as the field took the green. In one swift move, “Smokey” drove around the outside of O’Neal, the pole sitter, in Turns 1 and 2. Not even a caution with four laps to go could stop him from there as he cruised to the $6,000 win.  The triumph is Madden’s first since Memorial Day weekend at Sharon Speedway—a track similar in size to Cedar Lake. He said he’s thankful for the supporters who stuck by him as he fought to return to Victory Lane.  “We had a real good racecar all night,” Madden said. “We were just a tick free in Qualifying, and I wasn’t able to get off of (Turn) 4 to get a better lap. We had a great car in the Heat Race in traffic, and then we had a great race car in the race tonight.   “We’ve been down a little bit. But my guys have been working extremely hard. I want to thank my whole team and all my sponsors for sticking behind us, and we appreciate all of them.”  While he’s happy with the win, he’s also looking ahead to Saturday’s 100-lap finale—a race the Gray Court, SC driver won in 2019.  “I know this place pretty well,” Madden said. “A hundred laps here; it takes some driving. So, we’ll see.”  Madden also cut the deficit in the chase for the World of Outlaws Late Models championship. He’s currently second in points, 92 points behind Bobby Pierce.  O’Neal crossed the line second—his fourth straight World of Outlaws top five. He lost the spot to English in traffic, before gaining it back on the restart following the race’s only caution for Jonathan Davenport on Lap 21. Despite missing out on the win, O’Neal said he felt Rocket1 Racing is gaining momentum toward Saturday’s finale.  “We’re building, man,” O’Neal said. “We’re getting a little bit better. It’s been long couple of months, and it’s been a long road trip. As much as I feel like we’re getting better, we’re starting to find our way back to where we were a couple of months ago.   “Tonight, we were just one spot short. But I feel like we have a really good race car. If we just keep building, then maybe we’ll have something for them tomorrow night.”  English finished third, earning his sixth podium finish of 2023. While he was in second, the Benton, KY driver closed in on Madden with 10 laps to go, but never had a chance to wrestle the lead away from the #44.   “We would’ve liked to have been a little better,” English said. “If our line hadn’t went away, we would’ve been alright. I had like a traction strip right in the middle of the racetrack and it kind of faded at the end, and it bit me. When it was gone, my car was gone. So, I have to figure out a little bit better deal to run through when it’s black.”  Ricky Thornton Jr. finished fourth, and Brian Shirley rounded out the top five.  After Friday’s Feature, the top 16 drivers in USA Nationals points are locked into Saturday’s $50,000-to-win finale. Thornton and O’Neal will start on the front row for the 100-lap race after earning the most points over two nights.  Here are the 16 drivers locked into Saturday’s USA Nationals Feature: Ricky Thornton Jr.Hudson O’NealTanner EnglishBrandon SheppardBobby PierceBrian ShirleyShannon BabbDennis Erb Jr.Chris MaddenCade DillardDaulton WilsonJonathan DavenportJohnny ScottTyler ErbShane ClantonNick HoffmanUP NEXT:The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 5, for the final night of the 36th USA Nationals. Last Chance Showdowns and a Last Chance Qualifier will kick off the night before one driver earns $50,000 in the night’s 100-lap finale. If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model race live on DIRTVision.      CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Feature (25 Laps): 1. 44-Chris Madden[2]; 2. 1-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 3. 96V-Tanner English[3]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[8]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 7. B5-Brandon Sheppard[11]; 8. 9-Nick Hoffman[12]; 9. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 10. 32-Bobby Pierce[10]; 11. B1-Brent Larson[22]; 12. 18-Shannon Babb[4]; 13. 19R-Ryan Gustin[20]; 14. 97-Cade Dillard[13]; 15. 1ST-Johnny Scott[16]; 16. 1T-Tyler Erb[15]; 17. 7-Drake Troutman[17]; 18. 25-Shane Clanton[26]; 19. 40B-Kyle Bronson[25]; 20. 28S-Dustin Sorensen[19]; 21. 174-Ethan Dotson[9]; 22. 8-Kyle Strickler[18]; 23. 49-Jonathan Davenport[14]; 24. 12-Ashton Winger[23]; 25. 15-Nick Anvelink[24]; 26. 11-Gordy Gundaker[27]; 27. 30-Todd Cooney[28]; 28. 8M-Dillon McCowan[21] FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER: Brent Larson [+11]

The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: CASE Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), CASE No.1 Engine Oil™ (Official Oil and Lubricant), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Simpson Performance Products (Preferred Safety Gear Partner), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Toyota (Official Vehicle), and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Fox Factory (Hard Charger Award), Low-E Insulation, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Swift Springs, and Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Capital Race Cars, FIREBULL, Germfree, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, Rocket Chassis, and Sea Foam.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES BIG MACHINE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE REPORT AUGUST 4, 2023 WILL POWER TOPS FIRST BIG MACHINE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX PRACTICEWill Power, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, topped the first practice session to open the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix with his fastest lap of 1:16.4042.Chevrolet was represented in the top-10 after the singular session of the day by Power, Arrow McLaren INDYCAR’s Alexander Rossi (third) and Pato O’Ward (fourth), as well as Power’s Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin (ninth).Despite making slight contact with the wall at the end of the session, Power was able to maintain the first position to end the Friday practice session on top of the leaderboard.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 PRACTICE RESULT:Pos.  Driver1st     Will Power3rd     Alexander Rossi4th     Pato O’Ward9th     Scott McLaughlin A second practice on the streets of Nashville kicks off Saturday morning activities for the NTT INDYCAR Series at 11:40 a.m. ET. Qualifications and the Firestone Fast Six for Sunday’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville take place following second practice, starting at 2:45 p.m. ET. A final practice will then wrap Saturday for the Chevrolet drivers and teams, starting at 6:25 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160. The 80-lap, 168-mile race Sunday, Aug. 6 will take the green flag at noon ET live on NBC.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Chevrolet at Team Penske:“Pretty warm day here in Nashville, but overall the DEX Imaging Chevy felt pretty good. Just didn’t get a run on the green (alternate) tires, and had plenty of red flags at the end, but it feels just as good as last year which is a good thing. Car is really nice, so hopefully we can come back stronger tomorrow.” Will Power, No. 12 Chevrolet at Team Penske:“It’s physical. After that first round, why would I say it’s not physical? But, it’s physical. Man, it’s physical.” At the end (of the session), what led to the contact with the wall?“I just locked on the way in, thought I was going to make it. Just did it really, I mean, it didn’t knock the suspension off but it was enough to, yeah. It’s not ideal. You found pace earlier than that. What is it you like about the setup that you have?“The car is really good. I think we’re in a good window. I think all of the cars are pretty similar. It’ll be about putting it all together when it counts.” Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“There’s not much change to the track other than a couple of walls in place a little differently from here to there. Compared to last year, I think it’s been a good start. We need to look more into it to see which direction we need to go to for qualifying, but as of now, we’re solid.” Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“I wasn’t super happy with Practice 1. It was a fairly difficult session, and I also didn’t get a run on the Firestone Reds. Red flags kind of left us with a question mark on those tires, but what are you going to do. Pato and Alexander seemed fairly happy. We kind of diverted on setup before the weekend to see which one was best, and I think mine definitely wasn’t, so we’ll probably go to one of their cars and go from there.” Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“It was a very good start to the weekend. We’re in the window. We know where the time to be found is, and we’ll just work on a couple things overnight and hopefully stay on top of the conditions as they change tomorrow.” Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“Decent start to the weekend for the team. Pato (O’Ward) and Alexander (Rossi) are right up there in the mix. We have a little more to find, but we’ll get to work on that. Felix (Rosenqvist) was a little bit less comfortable in the car, but the good news is that he has a couple good references to look at in his teammates, so I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

WILL POWER, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet – End of Day Press Conference:THE MODERATOR: Wrapping up first practice session. Joined now by the two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, Will Power. Good start to the weekend, Will. Your thoughts? WILL POWER: Yeah, good start. Certainly had good cars here last year. Just the race is a very different story to being quick in practice and qualifying. Yep, good start. Long weekend. But very determined to start at the front. That’s been the issue. Starting at the front in Iowa is okay, but it’s very easy to pass there. If I wasn’t the first across the line in Toronto, would have been starting certainly better than sixth, maybe first. Then you have a legitimate shot at the win, otherwise you don’t. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Will. Q. Last race on this quirky layout. From a driver standpoint, would it mean anything to kind of conquer this type of layout before you go to the new layout next year?WILL POWER: Just to win a race in this series is just a big deal, so… Winning a race would be amazing. Yeah, I was blown away at the announcement yesterday. I actually didn’t know that, that we’d be going down what’s the name of the street – Broadway – yeah, that’s pretty special, pretty cool. It will be a big finale. A lot of celebration afterwards with all those bars around. Q. How is your thumb? Did that actually damage the car at all?WILL POWER: Yeah, it didn’t look like it, but I would change the front corner. They’ll probably change it. You can’t sort of have a hit like that. Just got it, locked up a bit, boom.Yeah, thumb is good. Q. Since it didn’t bend or break anything, does that actually make it worse? Had it not broken, would have gotten all that force to your hand?WILL POWER: I think if you break it, you’re probably in harder. When it grabs, goes all the way around, it’s sort of… I think it did it quick. Got the end there. Wasn’t terrible. Yeah, it’s fine. It’s fine. Just a little tight. Q. You were also the fastest guy in the session, by a quarter of a second.WILL POWER: A lot of the quick guys did get a run on their reds. But greens… And I was pushing, yeah. I haven’t been down runoffs this year. Trying to push the limit a little bit.It was the second run, too. It surprised me that happened. Maybe it was ’cause it was the first lap, but… I didn’t go crazy deep. I just sort of grabbed the front, yeah, got to the wall. Q. What is it like trying to game plan this race when two winners had six stops?WILL POWER: Yeah, you can’t. There’s just really nothing you can do. It’s just like luck of the draw when it’s like that, when it’s that crazy. Just one sort of yellow, yeah, you could try to play it safe. Man, you could start last and win it maybe the way it’s been easy. Maybe it goes completely normal. I thought that’s what would happen last year. Just didn’t. Surprised me. Just didn’t. Q. Colton (Herta) was telling us last night that leading here isn’t fun because you’re waiting for something to go wrong.WILL POWER: Yeah, you would expect there’s going to be a yellow. Just expect it. I mean, it’s unfortunate if you’re leading, but just know that’s going to be the deal.Yeah, I’ve got a good pit box for yellow flag stops. If it goes full course, we’ve got a good pit box. Q. It seems that at Mid-Ohio and Toronto the drivers have favored the primary tires over the alternates. What do you think would be the best strategy here? Do you remember what you did last year?WILL POWER: Tires have been a bit softer this year, so it’s almost taking the soft tires out of play a bit. Sort of get them on, get rid of them. Whether you do that in the first stint, middle or last stint, depending on your risk level. If you’re starting way back there, you might start on them. If it goes yellow, get straight off them, pit, take them… I mean, yeah, it’s kind of made the strategies mixed up. Been interesting, yeah. Q. Was there any grinding to take away any of the bumps from last year?WILL POWER: It’s the same, similar. The transition going into turn four is pretty good. Yeah, still the same, man. It’s pretty rough. When you’re at top speed and turning, you get roll bottoming. That’s where it’s really starting to hurt. Otherwise not terrible. It’s just those two spots, which is the end of the straights basically where you actually are having to turn, not just go straight. Q. This is the one-year anniversary with the new tire. Does it amaze you they handle about as well as the reds did?WILL POWER: Yeah, didn’t seem to be any compromise. I think it’s just the sidewall. Yeah, not surprised. Q. The fact that Firestone has been able to really develop a tire, it’s a safe tire but it also degrades over a run, which helps safety and competition, the ability for engineers to be able to do that, does that amaze you sometimes?WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, I think it’s really important for us to have degradation. Just makes the racing better. They can make a tire that lasts forever, because they’re really good at what they do. I think they’re bringing a really good combination right now. Q. I heard during the broadcast a comment I haven’t heard before. Could you maybe comment on that. It was mentioned how the track drives differently when you go over the bridge as opposed to when you come back over the bridge. Do you notice a difference yourself?WILL POWER: The seam is a lot harsher coming back away from the city. You get a lot more bottoming heading to the braking zone. Just slightly different.Yeah, probably just going further off the bridge. That’s why you go into a dip. Sort of bottoms even more, yeah. They’re harsh bumps come the second time over. It’s hard. You feel it.

Both Cadillac V-Series.Rs top time sheet in practice on the 4-mile course

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 4, 2023) – Cadillac Racing recorded the quickest lap times in free practice 1 and 2 – with different Cadillac V-Series.Rs holding the top spot on the time sheet – in preparation for the IMSA Sports Car Weekend at Road America. Pipo Derani took over the seat in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R from Alexander Sims midway through the 90-minute afternoon session and posted the best lap of Grand Touring Prototype cars at 1 minute, 47.986 seconds on the recently resurfaced 4-mile, 14-turn road course.

His 34th and final lap time pipped Sebastien Bourdais, who registered a best lap of 1:48.187 in the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R. Bourdais and teammate Renger van der Zande topped the time sheet in the morning session (1:49.538), with the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R second (1:49.592). Derani and Sims enter the 2-hour, 40-minute race atop the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP standings. Cadillac leads the Manufacturer Championship standings. Cadillac Racing posted eight podium finishes at Road America in the DPi era, including victory in 2021 (Derani, Felipe Nasr).

Media resources Road America guide:* Cadillac Racing statistics* DPi history at the track* Driver, team bios* What makes the car tick* Design influences Photos for editorial use:* Driver headshots* Driver candids

Bourdais and van der Zande earned a podium result at Road America in 2022 – one place behind the runner-up finish of the sister Cadillac DPi-V.R driven by Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn. Van der Zande has also driven to third place in 2021 and second in 2020 in the Cadillac DPi-V.R at Road America.The live USA Network telecast and Peacock streaming of the race starts at 11 a.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 6. Outside the U.S., streaming will be available at IMSA.com/TVLive. IMSA Radio at IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com plus SiriusXM live (XM 207, Web/App 992) broadcast of the race also starts at 11 a.m.

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.RSebastien Bourdais following the first practice in which he posted the quickest lap: “It’s just a very different from the Road America from what we knew. I think it will get better after time. On the INDYCAR weekend it must have been really exciting because basically nothing had run before, and even now after INDYCAR, after NASCAR and testing it’s still surprising when you go down the inside. I think it’s going to be tricky in traffic. There is a high amount of grip on the line and on the inside and in the braking zones it’s low. We’ll sort it out. Overall, I think we learned things at the Indy road course that helped us figure out a few things and we’re on the right path with the 01 Cadillac.”No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.RPipo Derani following the second practice in which he posted the quickest lap: ““It was a positive day for all of us at Cadillac Racing. A better order in the second practice, I would say. Jokes aside, it’s not only being quick in practice 1 and expecting to be quick in practice 2. You have to keep working on it, trying different things to find a little bit here and a little bit there. It was a good start but obviously the competition is very stiff and strong. It’s a long track and a small mistake going really quick can cost you a couple of tenths (of a second) and a position. Trying to put everything together is not easy and that’s why we’re trying to have a car that’s good and easier to achieve the desired lap times. At the end of the day it’s competition whether it’s’ practice or qualifying. You always want to be the quickest. Practice is very tight and we shouldn’t expect anything different in qualifying., which means that every detail is going to count.”

NEWMANSTOWN, PA (Aug. 4, 2023) – For the first time in two years, national dirt Midget racing is coming back to the Northeast with the inaugural Appalachian Midget Week, featuring the stars of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota.

Five-straight days of racing – Tuesday-Saturday, Aug. 8-12 – at five tracks across Pennsylvania and New Jersey will have some of the best rising open-wheel talents in the country battling for a $4,000 grand prize each night and their share of a $5,250 points fund, paying $2,500 to the champion, $1,250 for second, $750 for third, $500 for fourth and $250 for fifth in the miniseries standings.

The last time a national Midget series made a trip up the Eastern Seaboard was in 2021, when the USAC National Midget Series held its seventh installment of Pennsylvania Midget Week. Several present-day Xtreme Outlaw Series championship chasers took part in the swing at one or multiple points in that span, racing at many of the same stops that now exist on the Appalachian Midget Week schedule.

• Cannon McIntosh (Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #08) – The 20-year-old Xtreme Outlaw Series points leader from Bixby, OK, contested shows with the USAC swing through PA in 2020 and 2021, once with his former team at Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM) and the other with his family-run team at Dave Mac-Dalby.

• Zach Daum (Trifecta Motorsports #7U) – A veteran of the open-wheel racing world, Daum, 32, of Pocahontas, IL, made three starts on the USAC swing in 2021, and has prior experience racing in other open-wheel divisions at a few of the tracks on the schedule.

• Taylor Reimer (Keith Kunz Motorsports #25K) – The 23-year-old from Tulsa, OK, competed in all five races with USAC in 2021, collecting two top-10 finishes over the five-day stretch. Now a multi-year veteran with KKM, Reimer is headed back to PA/NJ with much more experience and familiarity under her belt.

• Gavin Miller (Keith Kunz Motorsports #97) – Though Miller is only in his first full-time Midget season with KKM, he’s had plenty of laps in a Micro Sprint around four of the five tracks on the 2023 Appalachian Midget Week slate. The 16-year-old rookie is the lone driver on the Xtreme Outlaw Series from Pennsylvania (Allentown), giving him a slight advantage over others with his prior experience at the venues.

Each offered their perspectives on their prior racing experience at the PA-NJ tracks ahead of the start of Appalachian Midget Week, airing live all week on DIRTVision.

How do you mentally prepare to take on a five-day stretch of racing?

McIntosh: You always know it’s a grueling challenge every year; any Midget week. I’ve had quite a bit of experience now doing Midget week. This’ll be my third Midget week in Pennsylvania. Feels like it’s been a while; it’s been a couple years. It’s nice that Xtreme is getting us back out there. I feel like all five of those racetracks are really good, especially those first two. I’m looking forward to it.

Daum: It’s just the little things, like making sure you’re eating good. Making sure you’re staying hydrated – that’s the biggest thing people don’t realize. That’s a lot of mental focus you lose if you’re not properly hydrated; you don’t feel good. It’s easy to get sick out on the road when you’re eating truck stop food. You’re eating crap, basically. Having sure you have some decent meals you can eat, making sure you drink plenty of water and try to get as decent amount of sleep as you can – that’s the biggest thing I try to do to prepare for that stuff.

Reimer: Honestly, I feel like we race them all the time, so after a while, you get used to it. I feel like it used to be more where we’d race two times in a weekend, but now we have these stretches where we race four-to-five times. I think it helps building momentum throughout the week. If we have a couple good runs, I think it makes it a little bit easier to go into a week where we’re racing a lot more.

How do you expect to perform?

McIntosh: I think we’ll be really good. I ran USAC’s Midget week there a couple times. Now with Xtreme going there, we’ll be just fine. Robert [Dalby, crew chief] got to do it once with me, and the other time was with Keith [Kunz]. Either way, I feel like I have decent laps there. I think those are my style tracks; a couple of them are bullrings and the other couple are just good racetracks.

Daum: Hopefully, we can just carry in the momentum we’ve got already. We’ve been really good here lately. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, we’re not trying to change too much, we’re just trying to keep rolling. We’ve got a good package, so as long as we can keep rolling and continue on that trend, I think we’re gonna be okay.

It’s not often national Midget racing comes to the Northeast. What are your thoughts on expanding into that region of the country?

McIntosh: I think it’s good for the sport. Obviously, there’s some good tracks out there and they race Midgets really well, so it’s kinda surprising we don’t race there more often. It’s good that Xtreme’s getting us back on the schedule out there because I think the fans want to see it. I feel like when we are there, there’s tons of fans that show up because they want to see Midget racing. Everyone tunes into Chili Bowl every year, so for them to be able to see Midgets come into Pennsylvania and their hometown is cool for them to see.

Daum: It’s just a lot of fun. You get to go out there and see different racetracks. I’ve been kinda hounding these guys about going down in the south and racing. There’s a lot of tracks in the south that could have really good Midget races. When you stay complacent and just keep racing in three or four states that are right in the Midwest, you don’t get to see these hidden gems that are what make racing so great. Going to new racetracks is always a good thing – it broadens your horizons about what else is out there.

Miller: I think it’s pretty cool. You see people you know there – family, friends, past people you’ve seen before. I think it’s pretty cool for Xtreme Midgets to go to places like that. Hopefully, there’ll be more races there some time in the future.

Reimer: I’m really excited to go to PA. The fans there, when we went for the USAC series, they were really cool and they had a lot of people out there, so I’m excited to go back. That’s what Midget racing is all about – getting to meet people and putting on a good show for the fans.

What’s the one track you’re looking forward to racing the most?

McIntosh: I think Lanco (Clyde Martin Memorial). It’s been a couple years since I’ve been there, but from what I remember, it was a really good track. Last time I was there, I flipped pretty bad with a shock failure. I’ve raced Millbridge a lot since then and, to me, it seems pretty similar to that place, so I’m definitely excited to get back to Lanco.

Daum: Probably Path Valley. Last time I was there, we were riding in a motorhome with a guy and we took out some dude’s front door. His house was literally right on the side of the road, he opened it, and we took his front door off. I vividly remember that trip; I remember the racetrack being really fun. It’s big enough to be a good size racetrack, but still small enough that I think it’s gonna produce really good racing.

Miller: I would say I’m looking forward to Lanco (Clyde Martin Memorial) the most. I raced on that track all the time; it was pretty fun. On the last night of [USAC PA Midget Week], I raced that two years ago. It was pretty fun in a Micro.

Reimer: I think Lanco (Clyde Martin Memorial). That track’s really fun. It kinda reminds me of like a small bullring, sorta like Millbridge or Port City. I remember it was really fun last year. We had some hard luck on our side in the Heat Race and then got unlucky in the Feature. I’m looking to going back there and hopefully getting a good finish.

These races kick off the second half of the season. How crucial will these races be to your late-season championship push?

McIntosh: They’re a big deal. If we can put ourselves in the top five every night, that’s all we need to do. Guys can close on you just a little bit if you run fifth every night and they run second or third maybe. But if you’re fifth every night, that consistency will show in the end. If we can get a couple wins while we’re out there and stay in the top five the whole swing, I think we’ll be okay.

Daum: We can’t afford to fall out of any races – that’s our biggest thing right now. [The Trifecta Motorsports team] – they’ve been OK; they haven’t fallen out of too many races on the owner’s [points] side of things. [On the] driver’s side, we had some issues earlier in the year and couldn’t capitalize on some of what we should’ve been able to capitalize on. Now, we just can’t afford to fall out of any races.

Miller: It’ll definitely be critical if we can pull off a bunch of good finishes there. It’ll definitely help my points a lot. That’s something you’ve got to worry about at the end of the season. The last handful of races, we’re not there yet, so I’m not trying to think about it right now and just race my race, stay focused and not let that interfere with my driving.

The Oakwood, IL driver scored his seventh win of 2023, and 11th triumph of his career

NEW RICHMOND, WI – August 3, 2023 – In a season filled with firsts, Bobby Pierce added another to his resume Thursday night at Cedar Lake Speedway.  

The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series points leader took the lead on Lap 1 and never looked back to earn the opening night win of the 36th annual USA Nationals. 

It was his second win in a three-day span, after claiming his second Hawkeye 50 triumph on Tuesday. That momentum carried into Thursday night at Cedar Lake, winning his Heat Race and then drawing the pole for the 25-lap Feature. 

Pierce drove away from three-time and defending USA Nationals champion Jonathan Davenport on the opening lap of the Feature. However, his momentum was slowed twice in the first five laps as Daniel Hilsabeck spun to bring out a caution on both occasions. 

Despite the yellow flags, the Oakwood, IL driver aced both restarts, pulling away from the field.  

Behind the “Smooth Operator,” four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard climbed to the front, locked in a battle with Davenport for second. The two traded slide jobs for a couple of laps before Sheppard got the advantage in Turn 2 on Lap 7. That’s when the New Berlin, IL driver set his sights on Pierce. 

Sheppard inched closer and closer every lap. But when they found traffic, Pierce found a better course to navigate throughout it each time. Out of traffic, Sheppard could close in, close enough to dive underneath the #32 at times, but that was as close as the #B5 would get. And every time Sheppard feel back, Ricky Thornton Jr. was there, waiting. 

In the final 10 laps, Pierce pulled away to win his seventh World of Outlaws Feature of 2023. 

Pierce said his $6,000 victory came down to tire choice and some luck. 

“It’s pretty crazy the roll we’re on,” Pierce said. “We had a little luck tonight drawing the one, and Gordy had some issues in the Heat Race, and I don’t know if I was going to pass him or not. But sometimes, a little luck goes a long way. 

“The car was a little tight in the Feature. I got tight there, and I just changed my line. I think we made the right call on tires. A lot of guys running up front had the opposite of what I had.” 

Even though Pierce is celebrating, he knows what’s ahead of him this weekend as he prepares for his chance at $50,000 on Saturday. 

“We have a lot of confidence,” Pierce said. “We’ve already got this first night out of the way. We’ve got a lot of really good points, and [Series] points in general.” 

The win extends Pierce’s points lead to 112 points over Chris Madden, who finished 14th – earning the Fox Factory Hard Charger award, coming from his 23rd starting position. 

Sheppard settled for second, but only after a battle with Thornton Jr., the Prairie Dirt Classic winner, in the last few laps. Thornton pulled underneath Sheppard’s Longhorn Chassis a few times but didn’t have the momentum to make the pass. 

The four-time champion said he was happy with his car but might’ve gone the wrong way on his tire choice. 

“My car was really good,” Sheppard said. “The car was balanced and maneuverable. I could put the car top, middle, bottom, anywhere I wanted to go. As soon as I got into lap traffic in the end, I pushed it a little bit harder, and I felt my tire getting hot and getting greasy, and I started sliding a little bit more. I think that was my biggest issue. But overall, it’s a solid start to the weekend.” 

Thornton finished third—his third consecutive World of Outlaws podium. The Martinsville, IN driver said he needed the top lane to slow down to have a chance at the win. 

“I was really good in the middle and the bottom,” Thornton said. “We’re kind of setting up for the 100 lapper. I told [my crew], really, as long as we get a top five here, it’ll set us up good for tomorrow at least. We had a good car. Bobby was a little better than us, but I feel like clean air had a lot to do with that, too.” 

Despite finishing third, Thornton didn’t walk away empty handed. He won the annual F.A.N.S. Fund dash to end the night, passing Ricky Weiss to earn the $2,500 prize. 

Brian Shirley finished fourth in Thursday’s Feature, while Hudson O’Neal rounded out the top five. 

After one night of action at Cedar Lake Speedway, Pierce leads the USA Nationals points standings by one point over Brandon Sheppard. The top 16 drivers after Friday’s Feature will lock into Saturday’s USA Nationals finale. 

Here’s a look at the Top 10 in points:  

1. Bobby Pierce 742
2. Brandon Sheppard -1
3. Ricky Thornton Jr. -12
4. Hudson O’Neal -19
5.Jonathan Davenport -20
6. Brian Shirley -21
7. Cade Dillard -23 
8.Tanner English -24 
9. Shannon Babb -30 
10. Shane Clanton -50

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to Cedar Lake Speedway for night two of the 36th annual USA Nationals at Cedar Lake. Drivers will battle in another 25-lap Feature paying $6,000-to-win. 

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

CASE Construction Equipment Late Mode Feature (25 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 2. B5-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 5. 1-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 6. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 7. 96V-Tanner English[9]; 8. 97-Cade Dillard[8]; 9. 18B-Shannon Babb[13]; 10. 25-Shane Clanton[11]; 11. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[15]; 12. 31-Kye Blight[10]; 13. 40B-Kyle Bronson[19]; 14. 44-Chris Madden[23]; 15. 1ST-Johnny Scott[7]; 16. 1T-Tyler Erb[12]; 17. 19R-Ryan Gustin[24]; 18. 18D-Daulton Wilson[14]; 19. 174-Ethan Dotson[21]; 20. 55C-Chad Mahder[17]; 21. 9-Nick Hoffman[22]; 22. 11-Gordy Gundaker[25]; 23. B1-Brent Larson[26]; 24. 49T-Jake Timm[20]; 25. 30-Todd Cooney[27]; 26. 14W-Dustin Walker[28]; 27. 7-Drake Troutman[16]; 28. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[18] FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER: Chris Madden 

F.A.N.S Fund Dash (12 Laps): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 2. 7W-Ricky Weiss[3]; 3. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[2]; 4. 12-Ashton Winger[4]; 5. 25F-Jason Feger[6]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson[9]; 7. 11G-James Giossi[10]; 8. 126-Kaede Loudy[1]; 9. 8M-Dillon McCowan[7]; 10. (DNS) 7-Drake Troutman 

BATAVIA, Ohio (August 3, 2023) – One of the most anticipated events of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season, the Sunoco North/South 100 – Presented by Lucas Oil is just one week away. The country’s top dirt late model drivers will converge at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky., Thursday-Saturday, August 10-12, to chase over $280,000 in prize money. A stellar field of drivers are expected to battle it out in two preliminary nights, Thursday and Friday. Each night, the field will be split into two groups based on pill draw, with each group competing in a full program of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and their respective A-Main. The combined points from Thursday and Friday’s preliminary events will determine the line-ups for Saturday’s Heat Races. The Modifieds will also compete in a full program on Thursday and Friday, vying for a $1,000 top prize each night. Saturday’s off-track festivities will kick off with the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Memorabilia Auction, followed by a Dirt Racing Outreach Service. The on-track action begins with Dirt Draft Hot Laps and Heat Races for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The Modifieds compete in a 30-lap, $3,000-to-win A-Main, followed by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series B-Mains. The 100-lap, $75,000-to-win Sunoco North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil then takes center stage, followed by a $2,000-to-win Non-Qualifiers race to cap off the weekend action. On Thursday and Friday, the pit gate opens at 3:00 PM ET, while the general admission gates open at 6:00 PM ET. Hot laps start at 7:00 PM ET, with racing one hour later at 8:00 PM ET. The pit, and general admission gates will all open at 3:00 PM ET for Saturday’s Sunoco North/South 100 – Presented by Lucas Oil. There will be a Dirt Racing Outreach Service at 5:00 PM ET following the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Memorabilia Auction. Hot laps are set to begin at 7:00 PM ET, with racing at 7:30 PM ET. Advance tickets and reserved seats for the Sunoco North/South Shootout and/or the Sunoco North/South 100, are available at: https://florencesp.webtix.co/events/154_41st-Annual-Sunoco-Race-Fuels-North-South-100-pres-by-Lucas-Oil.  Florence Speedway is a half-mile clay oval located in Northern Kentucky off Interstate 71/75, approximately 25 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit www.florencespeedway.com.  The Official Host Hotel of Florence Speedway is the Hilton Cincinnati Airport, located at Exit 182 (Turfway Road) off I-75/71 in Florence, Kentucky. The Hilton Cincinnati Airport offers discounted rates to anyone attending the Sunoco North/South 100. Only a limited number of rooms are still available. For reservations, call (859) 371-4400 and request the North/South 100 rate, or book online at https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=CVGCHHF&groupCode=FNSR&arrivaldate=2023-08-10&departuredate=2023-08-14&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT Ricky Thornton Jr. leads the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship – Presented by ARP to Florence Speedway. Hudson O’Neal is second, Jonathan Davenport is now third, with Brandon Overton and Tim McCreadie rounding out the top five. For the latest news, results, championship standings and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Thursday, August 10:1st A-Main: 1. $5,000, 2. $2,500, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,250, 5. $1,000, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $490, 12. $480, 13. $470, 14. $460, 15. $450, 16. $440, 17. $430, 18. $420, 19. $410, 20. $400, 21. $400, 22. $400, 23. $400, 24. $400 = Total $20,450 2nd A-Main: 1. $5,000, 2. $2,500, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,250, 5. $1,000, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $490, 12. $480, 13. $470, 14. $460, 15. $450, 16. $440, 17. $430, 18. $420, 19. $410, 20. $400, 21. $400, 22. $400, 23. $400, 24. $400 = Total $20,450 Thursday, August 10 Total: $40,900 Friday, August 11:1st A-Main: 1. $5,000, 2. $2,500, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,250, 5. $1,000, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $490, 12. $480, 13. $470, 14. $460, 15. $450, 16. $440, 17. $430, 18. $420, 19. $410, 20. $400, 21. $400, 22. $400, 23. $400, 24. $400 = Total $20,450 2nd A-Main: 1. $5,000, 2. $2,500, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,250, 5. $1,000, 6. $800, 7. $700, 8. $600, 9. $550, 10. $500, 11. $490, 12. $480, 13. $470, 14. $460, 15. $450, 16. $440, 17. $430, 18. $420, 19. $410, 20. $400, 21. $400, 22. $400, 23. $400, 24. $400 = Total $20,450 Friday, August 11 Total: $40,900 Saturday, August 12:41st Annual Sunoco North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil: 1. $75,000, 2. $20,000, 3. $10,000, 4. $9,000, 5. $8,000, 6. $7,000, 7. $6,000, 8. $5,000, 9. $4,500, 10. $4,000, 11. $3,500, 12. $3,250, 13. $3,000, 14. $2,750, 15. $2,700, 16. $2,650, 17. $2,600, 18. $2,575, 19. $2,550, 20. $2,525, 21. $2,500, 22. $2,500, 23. $2,500, 24. $2,500, 25. $2,500 = Total $189,100 Non-Qualifiers Race: 1. $2,000, 2. $1,000, 3. $800, 4. 750, 5. $700, 6. $650, 7. $600, 8. $550, 9. $500, 10. $450, 11. $400, 12. $400, 13. $400, 14. $400, 15. $400, 16. $400, 17. $400, 18. $400, 19. $400, 20. $400 = Total $12,000 Saturday, August 12 Total: $201,100 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rules:Thursday, August 10 – Friday, August 11:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials and Heat Races Saturday, August 12:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4 Previous North/South 100 Champions:2022 – Jonathan Davenport2021 – Brandon Overton2020 – Tim McCreadie2019 – Chris Madden2018 – Ricky Weiss2017 – Tim McCreadie2016 – Bobby Pierce2015 – Jonathan Davenport2014 – Eddie Carrier Jr.2013 – Don O’Neal2012 – Don O’Neal2011 – Jimmy Owens2010 – Jimmy Owens2009 – Jimmy Mars2008 – Darren Miller2007 – Jimmy Owens2006 – Steve Shaver2005 – Bart Hartman2004 – Steve Shaver2003 – Dan Schlieper2002 – Chub Frank2001 – Rained Out2000 – Scott Bloomquist1999 – Bob Pierce1998 – Donnie Moran1997 – Rick Aukland1996 – Donnie Moran1995 – John Gill1994 – Jack Boggs1993 – John Gill1992 – Jack Boggs1991 – Rodney Combs1990 – Mike Head1989 – Jeff Purvis1988 – Scott Bloomquist1987 – Jeff Purvis1986 – Jack Boggs1985 – John Mason1984 – Pat Patrick1983 – Pat Patrick

Born of technology and ingenuity, fast street cars are all the rage in modern drag racing. Beginning with its first event of the 2024 season, NMCA provides a new class for low-10-second street/strip machines to battle on the quarter-mile — Scoggin Dickey Parts Center Street Warrior 10.10 presented by Chevrolet Performance. “We’ve seen huge growth among our street-car classes in both the NMCA and NMRA series,” said Rollie Miller, General Manager & National Event Director of NMCA. “Street Warrior 10.10 will open the door for really quick, GM-powered street cars to compete on the national stage and earn payout and pro level contingency money while competing for a championship.” Debuting at Rockingham Dragway on April 11-14, 2024 as part of the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals, Scoggin Dickey Parts Center Street Warrior 10.10 presented by Chevrolet Performance will showcase street-legal (including current registration and valid insurance) rides capable of running single-digit elapsed time but competing with a single index. Run with a heads-up start on a .400 Pro Tree and running the full quarter mile, Street Warrior 10.10 competitors will be randomly paired via chip draw during eliminations. “We’re excited about the Street Warrior 10.10 class being open to anything under the sun that’s got a GM powerplant in it, including the wide range of crate engines from Chevrolet Performance,” Warren Ekery, Event Marketing Coordinator at Scoggin Dickey Parts Center, said. “It will be fun to see where it goes because it opens participation up to so many more street-car racers. They can come out and run on an index class and they don’t have to try to be competitive with the seasoned heads-up racers with purpose-built race cars.” Scoggin Dickey Parts Center Street Warrior 10.10 presented by Chevrolet Performance is a season points championship class set to run during every Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals event. Competing vehicles must be motivated by General Motors engines — including Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and GM — powerplants. Winners of the class will take home $1,000, runners-up will score $400, semifinalists will earn $125, and quarterfinalists will drive away with $50. There is also pro level NMCA contingency available, which pays $350 to the winner and $175 to the runner-up per qualified product. Stay tuned for possible Chevrolet Performance crate engine bounties for purchases made through Scoggin Dickey Parts Center. Click Here for Complete Rules For more on the full slate of Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals classes and races, visit NMCADigital.com.

August 3, 2023

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Wood Brother team are set once again honor Ford’s 20-Year Senior Technicians with a special paint scheme for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Ford’s home track – Michigan International Speedway.

Once again, the honorees will have their names on the No. 21 Mustang and will be invited to attend Sunday’s race on the two-mile oval in Brooklyn, which is like a home track for the Woods and the No. 21 team. The Woods have raced Ford Motor Company vehicles exclusively throughout their decades-long NASCAR career and have a long-term sponsorship relationship with Motorcraft and Quick Lane.

The track also is home turf for crew chief Brian Wilson.

“I was born in Detroit and went to many races at MIS growing up,” he said. “Any time we’ve had success there it’s been a special weekend.”

Wilson, like most everyone in the Cup garage, knows how important it is to represent their manufacturer well in a race in the heart of the American automobile manufacturing world.

“Everyone at Ford knows how important it is to run well at Michigan,” he said. “Continuing the win streak and bringing home the Heritage Trophy is the primary focus this week.”

Wilson also is pleased to be a part of the celebration of veteran Ford and Lincoln technicians.

“The car looks especially mean this week with the primarily black scheme,” he said. “We hope to put it up front to make everyone proud.”

Practice for the FireKeepers Casino 400 is set for Saturday at 12:35 p.m. Eastern Time and will be followed immediately by qualifying.

Sunday’s 200-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2:30 p.m. with Stage breaks planned for Laps 45 and 120.

USA Network will carry the live TV coverage both days.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIESBIG MACHINE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIXNASHVILLE, TENNESSEETEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCEAUGUST 4-6, 2023 CHEVROLET RACES INTO MUSIC CITY WITH MOMENTUM FOR THE BIG MACHINE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX DETROIT (August 3, 2023) – Racing into Music City this weekend, Nashville hosts its third annual Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the temporary street circuit downtown. Seeking the first win for Chevrolet on the 2.17-mile, 11-turn track full of unique features, the Bowtie brand has one NTT P1 Pole Award (Scott McLaughlin – 2022) as well as one podium (Scott McLaughlin – 2022) and 34 laps led (McLaughlin – 22 laps, 2022, Josef Newgarden – 12 laps, 2022). With the Team Chevy drivers and teams navigating the one-of-a-kind course that sees553 yards of bridge exclusive to INDYCAR and 300 feet of pit lane, the track offers tight racing around Nissan Stadium and over the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge while blending three loves of Nashville – music, food, and racing. Josef Newgarden, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, calls Music City home and looks forward to racing in front of a hometown crowd saying, “It’s great to get back to Nashville. For me, it’s special being a home track event. We’ve got some good momentum, but I don’t know that it will translate fully to Nashville. The tough thing about INDYCAR is that (the tracks) are all are so different. The tracks that we go to, this street circuit is 180 degrees from what we had in Iowa. The second GP race in Indianapolis will be a totally different challenge again. It’s about being flexible. I think if we can have a good run here on these last five races, then we can still challenge for this championship. I’m feeling really confident in what Chevrolet has done for us, and we’re going to try and put all that work to use this weekend.” “Chevrolet is heading to Nashville with momentum after a successful double race weekend in Iowa,” said Rob Buckner, IndyCar Program Manager at General Motors. “As is always the case in the NTT INDYCAR Series, going from a very fast short oval to a tight, technical street course presents a new set of demands for both the driver and his Chevrolet-powered car. “With the additional consideration of high heat and humidity, not to mention the long run over the bridge and the twisty sections on both sides of the river, our Chevrolet engineers have been working closely with our Chevrolet teams to arrive with a package as close as possible when they roll off the transporter. The track can present a lot of different options on the amount of downforce you can run. There have been lots of time spent looking at both previous races’ data to see where we can improve. Working to score a W on the last street course of the season.” The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix race weekend on the streets of Nashville kicks off with practice Friday, Aug. 4 at 4 p.m. ET. The second practice of the event takes place Saturday at 11:40 a.m. ET, with qualifications following at 2:45 p.m. ET. The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix takes the green flag Sunday, Aug. 6 live on NBC at 12 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:“This weekend will be a test to a lot of the training we’ve done in the offseason just because of how humid and hot it will be, as it usually is every single year. It’s a very tough, physical race because of the heat, and it’s also a bumpy and challenging track. Nashville has probably been the track where we haven’t quite reached our potential either due to getting hit or having other issues.” Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”It’s super cool to be back in Nashville. It’s obviously one of the most fun cities in the Midwest and the U.S. It’s really a growing city, and it’s awesome to be here representing the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. I love the track layout; there have been some dramatic events there in the past. This is my third time coming here, and it’s one of those where you have to survive until the end because there’s so much going on, especially in the restarts. We’ll see if we can be a little quicker this year and have a good weekend.” Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”Nashville is such an electrifying city, and that energy really translates to the track. The blend of music, culture and passionate fans creates an atmosphere that’s unparalleled. This race has become a flagship event on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar, and we all feel that prestige and excitement. Every year, the race always seems to be chaotic and a bit of a coin flip, but hopefully we are on the right side of it come Sunday for our final street course race of the year.” Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“We hope the rest of the field will be following our Arrow McLaren Chevrolets over the Cumberland River and through the streets of Nashville come Sunday. Street circuits haven’t been our strongest discipline this season, but we’ve got some fresh ideas and new developments to try as we aim to have some fun and build a better race team week-after-week. When it comes to race strategy, Nashville has proved it can reward the gambler. So, teams are really going to need to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em this weekend.” Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 20 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:“The Music City Grand Prix presents another opportunity for us as a team to push forward and improve on our 2023 season. We have some positives to draw upon from our Toronto race weekend. Hopefully, we can apply those findings to the BITNILE.COM cars on a similarly bumpy street circuit in Nashville!” Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:“It’s going to be an exciting weekend in Nashville! There is definitely a chance to us to get the BITNILE.COM car into the Top 10 and get some points. It’s a cool track, very bumpy, and there is always a lot of stuff happening. Staying out of that stuff is going to be important! It’s going to be a really warm weekend so living Florida and being used to the heat all the time should help. I just love the city of Nashville. Being able to drive there for the third time already is so exciting, it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long but it has!” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:“I would say the key to getting around Nashville is being able to hit your marks, and be consistent like on every street course. The thing with Nashville is you also have to drive a very uncomfortable race car to go fast, that meaning it’s a very bumpy track and you have to be comfortable with being shook at 180 miles an hour consistently.” Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:“The key to Nashville is having a package for the car that can allow it to turn really well in the low-speed corners and a car that is very compliant over bumps. I have been preparing by doing a lot of heat training, along with my normal training and sim time.”

CHEVROLET AT NASHVILLE (V6 era, since 2012):Wins on the streets of Nashville: 0 Pole Awards in Nashville: 12022: Scott McLaughlin Podiums in Nashville by Team Chevy since 2012: 1 Laps Led in Nashville by Team Chevy since 2012: 34

2023 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:193: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.  111: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.  124: 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.

PEVELY, MO (Aug. 2, 2023) – The Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota joins forces with the POWRi National Midget League this Friday-Saturday, Aug. 4-5, at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 as part of the marquee Ironman 55 for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.

The Xtreme Outlaws will cross the halfway point of the 2023 season at the conclusion of this weekend, which features a $4,000-to-win main event on Friday before the $5,000-to-win finale on Saturday night. Sixteen races will be complete with 15 remaining after Saturday night, heading right into a grueling stretch of five-straight days of racing in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the inaugural Appalachian Midget Week.

Both races will also serve as the fourth and fifth races in the Xtreme Outlaw-POWRi Challenge Series, which pays a $2,500 check to the champion at the end of the season for their efforts in each Xtreme Outlaw-POWRi co-sanctioned event on the schedule. Zach Daum currently leads the standings by 45 over Jade Avedisian with seven races remaining.

Advance sale tickets for both nights of racing at I-55 are on sale now at XtremeOutlawSeries.com and will be available for purchase at the gate on race day. If you can’t be at the track to watch in person, stream every lap live with a FAST PASS subscription to DIRTVision.

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

STILL ON TOP – His points lead is shrinking. Fortunately, Cannon McIntosh heads back to I-55 this weekend – a place he’s won at already this year – just what the doctor ordered to increase his gap in the standings again.

McIntosh, 20, of Bixby, OK, was victorious in the 30-lap Toyota Racing Feature at I-55 in April, taking the lead in the second half of the race from Zach Daum and going on to his second Series victory of the season. He’s won twice more since then but hasn’t been to Victory Lane since his sweep of Millbridge Speedway in May, where he extended his Xtreme Outlaw points lead up to nearly 100 points.

Most recently, he and the Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports crew had a solid night at Atomic Speedway last Saturday, placing third before taking their third DNF of the season Sunday at Brushcreek Motorsports Complex, which dropped them from a 67-point lead in the standings down to 44.

KKM KRYPTONITE – There’s one track on the Xtreme Outlaw Midget schedule that continues to stump Jade Avedisian, and she’s headed back for another double-dose of it this weekend.

In four career starts at I-55, the 16-year-old Californian has had only one finish inside the top-15 – last year, on Saturday night of Ironman 55 weekend. She ran 14th that night, 15th the night before, and most recently, 16th with the Xtreme Outlaws this past April. Her first career I-55 start – April 2022, driving for Chad Boat Industries – ended in the Last Chance Showdown.

Though it’s been tough sledding for the Keith Kunz Motorsports pilot, she’s never been in a better position to right the wrongs she’s endured in Pevely. This past weekend, Avedisian scored her third Feature win of the season at Atomic and had a second-place run going Sunday at Brushcreek before blowing a tire. Those results chopped her points deficit down to 44, marking the second-straight weekend she’s cut into what was once a 121-point gap to McIntosh.

DONE IT BEFORE – In last year’s edition of the Ironman 55, Chance Crum took the checkered flag on Friday night. This year, he’s in dire need to do it again.

Crum, 26, of Snohomish, WA, rebounded from a slump of three-straight Xtreme Outlaw Feature finishes outside the top-15 last Saturday at Atomic with a sixth-place run. The next night at Brushcreek, he retired early after a flip in the Feature, making only one top-10 finish for he and Rudeen Racing in their last five Series starts.

Fortunately, I-55 is next, where they’ll need some more 1/3-mile magic to start cutting into their large points deficit.

DOUBLE DUTY – Defending Series champion Zach Daum will pull the double this weekend behind the wheel of both a Midget and a 410 Sprint Car.

The 32-year-old open-wheel veteran from Pocahontas, IL, has linked up with car owner Matt McGarry for a return to the seat of the McGarry Motorsports #31 Sprint Car, in which he’ll compete with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars for a shot at a spot in the Ironman 55 main event on Saturday. Daum and McGarry have had success together in the past, winning the 2021 MOWA Sprint Car Series championship, and more recently a MOWA Feature win at Macon Speedway in June.

The Sprint Car will be supplemental to his Midget efforts, though, as Daum will still retain his duties in the seat of the Trifecta Motorsports #7U for both nights with the Xtreme Outlaws. They’re coming off another successful weekend, moving up one position in the points standings to fourth after Feature finishes of fourth and second last Saturday-Sunday.

Daum is a former Midget Feature winner at I-55, taking the checkers with POWRi in 2016, and had a great shot at victory with the Xtreme Outlaws this past April after leading 18 laps.

THREE MUSKETEERS – POWRi National Midget League regulars Corbin Rueschenberg, Karter Sarff and Cooper Williams will all be in attendance this weekend, looking to take down the Xtreme Outlaws in the two-day event.

Fourteen-year-old Rueschenberg, of Mesa, AZ, comes in as the POWRi points leader by 140 over McIntosh. Though he’s not been to Victory Lane in his first full-time Midget season with Mounce/Stout Motorsports, Rueschenberg did climb from 18th on the starting grid up to ninth with the Xtreme Outlaws at I-55 in April, making him a strong contender for his first national Midget win this weekend.

Sarff, 20, of Mason City, IL, nearly won Friday night of Ironman weekend last year, coming up 0.3 seconds short at the line for his first Series victory. He sits third in POWRi points, 160 back of Rueschenberg.

Fifteen-year-old Cooper Williams, of Decatur, AR, brings the Keith Kunz Motorsports #97K into Pevely for his seventh appearance of the season with the Xtreme Outlaws, sitting fourth in POWRi points.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

When and where
Friday-Saturday, Aug 4-5 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55

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. Cannon McIntosh: 2922 points | Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #08
2. Jade Avedisian: 2878 points (-44) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #71
3. Gavin Miller: 2826 points (-96) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #97
4. Zach Daum: 2778 points (-144) | Trifecta Motorsports #7U
5. Chase McDermand: 2740 points (-182) | Mounce/Stout Motorsports #40
6. Taylor Reimer: 2685 points (-237) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #25K
7. Chance Crum: 2530 points (-392) | Rudeen Racing #26
8. Hayden Reinbold: 2290 points (-632) | Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports #19AZ
9. Ethan Mitchell: 1922 points (-1000) | Bundy Built Motorsports #19M
10. Austin Barnhill: 1844 points (-1078) | Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #17B

Toyota Feature winners (6 drivers)
4 wins – Cannon McIntosh (Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports)
3 wins – Zach Daum (Trifecta Motorsports); Jade Avedisian (Keith Kunz Motorsports)
2 wins – Chase McDermand (Mounce/Stout Motorsports)
1 win – Jesse Love (Chad Boat Industries), Daniel Whitley (Abacus Racing)

Toyota Feature laps led (15 drivers)
78 laps – Cannon McIntosh
59 laps – Daniel Whitley
56 laps – Jade Avedisian
46 laps – Zach Daum
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
6 laps – Karter Sarff
4 laps – Jesse Love
1 lap – Nick Drake

Whitz RC Racing Products Quick Time Awards (9 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

Heat Race winners (19 drivers)
6 wins – Jade Avedisian
5 wins – Cannon McIntosh
4 wins – Chase McDermand
3 wins – Zach Daum, 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

High-points honors (11 drivers)
3 honors – Cannon McIntosh
2 honors – Daniel Whitley
1 honor – Gavin Miller, Chance Crum, Rico Abreu, Landon Brooks, Briggs Danner, Hayden Reinbold, Jade Avedisian, Kyle Jones, Andrew Felker

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 (14 drivers)
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, Hayden Reinbold

Podium finishes (15 drivers)
8 podiums – Cannon McIntosh
6 podiums – Chase McDermand, Zach Daum
4 podiums – Gavin Miller, Jade Avedisian
3 podiums – Daniel Whitley
2 podiums – Shane Cottle, Taylor Reimer
1 podium – Thomas Meseraull, Kyle Jones, Ryan Timms, Ashton Torgerson, Landon Brooks, Jesse Love, Jerry Coons Jr.

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

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE

Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, MichiganAugust 5-6, 2023

RACE TO MICHIGAN HERITAGE TROPHYTwo of NASCAR’s top series will take center stage in the “auto capital of the world” this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is set to make its annual appearance at Michigan International Speedway. Located just outside General Motors’ headquarters in Detroit, the two-mile oval has more than just a checkered flag at stake for NASCAR’s premier series. Chevrolet’s drivers and teams will also be vying for the prestigious Michigan Heritage Trophy – an award presented to the winning manufacturer in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400. A recognition that was introduced to the series in 2013, Chevrolet has taken the honor six times – with the last three courtesy of Kyle Larson’s three-peat, recorded from August 2016 to August 2017. Heading to the manufacturer’s home race, the NCS has only competed on one two-mile oval (Auto Club Speedway) this season – a race that saw Kyle Busch collect his first win since returning to the Bowtie brigade.

HOME OF LARSON’S FIRST CAREER NCS WIN

“Motor City” holds a special place in Kyle Larson’s career with Michigan International Speedway being the home of his first career win in NASCAR’s premier series. In his 99th career NASCAR Cup Series start; Larson drove the No. 42 Chevrolet for car owner Chip Ganassi to the win by a 1.478-second margin over now Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott (August 2016).

The California native went on to sweep the series’ two races at the Michigan oval the following season – making him one of only 10 drivers in series’ history to post consecutive NCS wins at the track.

ELLIOTT: LOOKING AT THE NUMBERSChase Elliott is continuing to inch closer to the NASCAR Cup Series’ playoff picture – now sitting in the 20th position in the points standings and only 40-points below the cutline. Elliott is on the horizon of a few of his best tracks, including Michigan International Speedway. Despite still looking for his first victory in the Irish Hills, Elliott’s career statistics at the two-mile oval boosts the Team Chevy driver as a frontrunner heading into the race weekend.  In 12 career NCS starts at Michigan International Speedway, the 27-year-old Georgia native has amassed 10 top-10 finishes. Of those results include three top-five finishes, all of which were runner-up results that were posted in his first three starts at the track. Elliott also leads the series in average finishing position at the track with 8.0. In the series’ only two-mile oval appearance of the season at Auto Club Speedway, Elliott was part of Chevrolet’s top-four sweep – driving his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 to a career-best runner-up finish at the track.

NXS WIN LEADER IN “MOTOR CITY” Chevrolet holds a winning percentage of over 50 percent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Michigan International Speedway – collecting wins in 17 of the series’ 30 appearances at the track. The manufacturer’s first victory came in the series’ debut at the two-mile oval in August 1992 with Todd Bodine – a win that saw the Bowtie brand sweep the podium with Hut Stricklin in second and Dale Earnhardt Sr. in third. The Camaro SS has taken the victory in three of the series’ last four Michigan events – recorded by three different Team Chevy drivers (Austin Dillon – 2018; Tyler Reddick – 2019; and AJ Allmendinger – 2021).

MAYER SECURES PLAYOFF BERTH WITH HOMETRACK WIN After conquering a double-overtime finish, JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer earned his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Road America. A victory made extra special at his home track, the Wisconsin native became the eighth NXS driver – and fifth from the Chevrolet camp – to clinch a spot in the series’ playoff field. This will mark Mayer’s second appearance in the series’ post-season with the first coming in his rookie campaign in 2022 – making his way into the Round of Eight and ultimately ending the season seventh in the final driver points standings.

PLAYOFF BOUND FOR FIVE NCTS TEAM CHEVY DRIVERSAt the drop of the checkered flag at Richmond Raceway, the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoff field was officially set with the 10 drivers that will compete for the championship title. Chevrolet accounts for 50 percent of the Playoff field with five drivers from five different Chevrolet teams set to compete for the manufacturer’s 15th NCTS Driver’s Championship. Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger – each already making repeat visits to victory lane this season – sit in the third through fifth positions, respectively, in the playoff standings. NCTS rookie Nick Sanchez (eighth) and Matt DiBenedetto (ninth) were two of four drivers that pointed their way into the post-season.

The first of three races in the NCTS Playoffs Round of 10 will take place at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park next Friday, August 11. The Bowtie brand will head to the historic track as the event’s defending winners with Playoff contender Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team.

TEAM CHEVY HITS DOUBLE-DIGIT WINS ACROSS ALL NASCAR NATIONAL SERIESWith Carson Hocevar’s victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular season finale at Richmond Raceway, Chevrolet has officially hit a double-digit win count across all three NASCAR national Series. The manufacturer continues to maintain a winning percentage of more than 50 percent in each series – collecting 12 wins in 22 NASCAR Cup Series races, 11 wins in 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 10 wins in 16 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races.  Chevrolet has proven to be a frontrunner in the battle for the Manufacturer’s Championship in all three NASCAR national series as the Bowtie brand continues to hold steady atop all three manufacturer points standings. Chevrolet has a history in sweeping the Manufacturer’s Championship titles across all three NASCAR national series in a single season – accomplishing that feat on four separate occasions (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996).

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will pace the field in the doubleheader race weekend at Michigan International Speedway. The Camaro SS 1LE will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Saturday’s Cabo Wabo 250, and the Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400. ·       NASCAR Cup Series victories by active Chevrolet drivers at Michigan International Speedway:     Kyle Larson – three wins (2017 sweep, 2010)Kyle Busch – one win (2011) ·       In 105 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Michigan International Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 26 victories and 27 poles.  ·       Three of the five repeat winners in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season come from Team Chevy: William Byron: series-leading four wins (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington & Atlanta 2)Kyle Busch: three wins (Auto Club, Talladega, WWTR)Kyle Larson: two wins (Richmond & Martinsville) ·       In 22 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (12), top-fives (49), top-10s (93), stage wins (18) and laps led (2,344). ·       Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 12 victories in 22 NASCAR Cup Series races, 11 victories in 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 10 wins in 16 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.  ·       With William Byron’s win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 297 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories – all recorded with Chevrolet.  ·       Chevrolet’s series-leading 12 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing).  ·       Chevrolet drivers have recorded 18 of the 44 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (seven; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (three), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).  ·       Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 56 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 61 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 51 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  ·       Chevrolet has swept the Manufacturer Championships across all three NASCAR national series in a single season four different times (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996). ·       With Grant Enfinger’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway, GMS Racing is now the winningest Chevrolet organization in NCTS’ history with 44 all-time wins in the series.  ·       With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 845 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

FOR THE FANS:·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Plaza at Michigan International Speedway. ·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Silverado 2500 LTZ, Tahoe RST, Blazer RS, Trax 2RS, Equinox Premier, Silverado ZR2, ‘NASCAR 75th Anniversary’ themed Camaro ZL1 and the Corvette E-Ray. ·       Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 show car.  Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Saturday, August 5·       Justin Allgaier: 12:15 p.m. ·       Brandon Jones: 12:30 p.m. ·       Josh Berry: 12:45 p.m. ·       Sam Mayer: 1 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Sunday, August 6·       Erik Jones: 10:30 a.m. ·       Daniel Suarez: 11:15 a.m. ·       Alex Bowman: 11:30 a.m. ·       Kyle Busch: 11:45 a.m. ·       Josh Bilicki: 12 p.m.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: ·       Friday, August 4: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.·       Saturday, August 5: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.·       Sunday, August 6: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

TUNE IN: NASCAR Cup Series: FireKeepers Casino 400Sunday, August 6, at 2:30 p.m. ET(USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Xfinity Series: Cabo Wabo 250Saturday, August 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 JOCKEY CAMARO ZL1How important is it to have things on a high note as the regular season comes to a close?“We always want to run well but as long as we keep bringing fast cars and nailing the balance or getting it close at least. We’ve been a bit off there recently where we’ve been sliding the fronts a little too much or the rears a little too much. It’s not a fundamental issue, it’s just small tweaks. We’ re just looking for those last little bits.” So you feel like you’re in a good place?“I do. There aren’t any fire alarms at Trackhouse Racing.” You guys have had a little bit of a quiet summer, no that it’s a bad thing, but just flying under the radar just doing what you guys need to do to be ready for the playoffs?“Absolutely. We want to win and contend for wins, lead laps, put ourselves at the front during the race. There’s no panic. Just go about our business and see the fruits of our labor.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Larson on racing at Michigan International Speedway:“Our team is looking forward to running at Michigan (International Speedway) this weekend. My first ever NCS win was at Michigan (International Speedway), so it’s certainly a special place to me. With only two 2.00-mile tracks on the (NASCAR Cup Series) schedule, our team is looking for redemption following Fontana (Auto Club Speedway). I’ve had two solid top-10 finishes with the No. 5 team in my last two starts, so I hope to be able to repeat that. The guys have been putting in hard work at the shop to build a fast HendrickCars.com Chevy, so I’m eager to hit the track and give it our best.” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Daniels on racing at Michigan International Speedway:“We are definitely looking forward to Michigan (International Speedway). It’s a super-fast track. Lots of wide-open throttle time but your car also has to handle good. It’s (Michigan International Speedway) got its own unique challenges but we have a lot of confidence in our engine shop. They have been giving us great engines and obviously that has a big impact at this track. We’ve got to do a good job of putting a good car under Kyle and let him do his thing. Hopefully we can go have a nice solid (race) day. KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 KWIK TRIP / KWIK STAR CAMARO ZL1What makes the Cup races so difficult to win at Michigan? “Michigan is always a difficult track just because it’s so fast. You’re going through the corners at such a fast speed that you’re sustaining high speeds all the way around. I’ve won at Michigan once years ago but that was on the old asphalt and now it’s finally getting to where the current racetrack asphalt is aging and leading itself to wider grooves that you can kind of maneuver around the racetrack a little bit better. Hopefully that’s the case this time around when we go back to Michigan.” Is there any track on the schedule that you can compare to Michigan? Fontana was similar but now it’s off the schedule.   “Fontana is the closest just because it’s a two-mile racetrack, but the asphalt, grip level, and banking level is entirely different at each of those tracks. I would say Kansas, maybe, is the most similar. Kansas has really aged well and has progressive banking from the bottom to the top so you can run all over the racetrack. You can run to the top, right up against the wall for the majority of the day at Kansas. Michigan is not quite there yet. I’m not really sure anywhere compares entirely to Michigan.” Is there a fine line on how far to trim the car out at Michigan between practice/qualifying and the race?  “Michigan, for practice, qualifying and the race, you’ve got to put it in race trim. There’s not enough time between practice, qualifying and the race and not enough allowed adjustments to give yourself a slick, low-drag car for qualifying and then a high-downforce car for being in traffic for the race. You just put as much downforce in it as you can because you know you’re going to be out of the throttle at some point during the race. You just need as much grip as you possibly can get to keep your car going on the long run.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Elliott on racing at Michigan: “Michigan (International Speedway) is an important race on the schedule with it being close to Detroit. It’s also a part of the country I really enjoy during the summer months and I’m looking forward to going up there. It would be great to go there this weekend, get a win for Team Chevy and lock ourselves into the playoffs.” AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 FARMSMART CAMARO ZL1“I’m looking forward to going to Michigan; we’ll have a lot of on-throttle time and it’s a racetrack I’m excited to go drive at. Last year, Noah [Gragson] had really good speed in the No. 16 car, and our big racetrack speed has been there this year so, I think it’s a track we can go to and do well at.” JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1“I’m looking forward to going back to Michigan. Our No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 has had a lot of speed on the larger tracks this year, so hopefully we can break our string of bad finishes and start gaining back momentum.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1“Michigan for me is always fun, getting to go home, and spending some time up there, I will be there a little bit extra this year with the wedding on Wednesday and everything else going on, so it is kind of a cool way to cap everything off with the race on Sunday. Getting to tailgate with fans is something that we have done on and off a bit ever since I started coming to Michigan in the Cup Series, but cool to have the hometown fans at the track and have a big group coming up to watch the race. I feel like our car was good there last year, it was kind of an up and down race, but we came home with a solid finish through it all. We had speed there the whole time, and hopefully we can have a solid car. It’s always fun to go run well there, and it’s important to me to go out and run well in front of so many people that grew up in this area like I did. No guy from Michigan has ever one there, so that’s always something that you want to keep in your mind and try to make that happen, so I am looking forward to being home and the weekend in general.” RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / MINUTE RICE CAMARO ZL1“It’s in the backyard of our manufacturer and you always want to win there. It’s a racetrack that is fast and hard to pass. We don’t have a lot of off throttle time. We’re in the gas a lot and it’s high-speed. For us, it’s a fun racetrack, but also a frustrating racetrack at the same time. You’re trying to calculate your passes and when you are going to pass. I was just at the shop with my team, and they were working on our No. 47 Kroger/Minute Rice Camaro, and I feel good about the setup we have in it and looking forward to going up to Michigan and performing well.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1Is it time to panic about making it into the playoffs?“No, there is a lot of racing left. I told my guys all of us need to relax and have fun. That’s when we perform our best. We have some really good tracks coming up for us. Trackhouse Racing has a great road course program and we have run really well at Daytona and Michigan.” You led 33 laps at Michigan the last time you raced there. What do you remember about that race?“I really thought Ross and I had great cars that day. That wreck couldn’t come at a worse time. It cost both Ross and I a shot at the victory. My guys gave me a great Worldwide Express Chevrolet there last year and I hope we are as fast on Sunday.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2022): 41First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2023 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 12Poles: 7Laps Led: 2,344Top-five finishes: 49Top-10 finishes: 93Stage wins: 18·       Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)·       William Byron – 7 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte)·       Kyle Larson – 3 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono)·       Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)·       Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)  CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 845 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 741Laps led to date: 247,888Top-five finishes to date: 4,270Top-10 finishes to date: 8,805                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,179           Chevrolet: 845           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 823                                                                      Ford: 723           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 177

The next Summer of Money stop will see drivers dueling in the demanding 55-lap Ironman with the winner banking $20,000PEVELY, MO (August 2, 2023) – There may be no race more appropriately named than the Ironman 55. It’s grueling. It’s exhausting. It’s intense. It’s a test of a driver’s stamina. And it’s what’s next for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.After a Sunday showdown in New York, The Greatest Show on Dirt will travel nearly 900 miles this week to Pevely, MO where Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 awaits. The high-banked bullring will host two nights (August 4-5) of action this weekend concluded by Saturday’s 55 lapper to decide the champion of the 15th Ironman 55. The winner of the 2023 edition will take home the unique dumbbell trophy and $20,000.The prestigious event serves as two more nights toward one of the most competitive championship battles in Series history. David Gravel carries a narrow eight-point lead over Brad Sweet into Pevely with Carson Macedo lurking in third, 40 markers behind Sweet.Ironman also presents two more chances to gather some momentum heading into the biggest week of the season with the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals on deck.As an added bonus for fans, they’ll be treated to double the open wheel action as the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota will be joining the fun for both nights.BUY TWO-DAY TICKET PACKAGEBUY FRIDAY TICKETSBUY SATURDAY TICKETSLet’s look at some of the weekend’s top storylines:I AM IRONMAN: Of the stout field expected to fill the I-55 pit area this weekend, a trio are former Ironman 55 champions.Sheldon Haudenschild owns a pair of Ironman dumbbells (2019 & 2021) behind the wheel of the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink #17. The Wooster, OH native has history in his sights this weekend as a third win would equal him with Craig Dollansky for the most. Of Haudenschild’s two triumphs, his 2019 victory stands out as one of the most dominant performances in Series history when he won by more than 10 seconds and lapped up to sixth place. As he crossed the finish line, Johnny Gibson summed it up perfectly with five words, “Sheldon Haudenschild destroys the field.”Logan Schuchart conquered Ironman in 2018 with Shark Racing. To this day that remains Schuchart’s lone victory at the quarter mile – a fact he looks to change this weekend. While he hasn’t picked up a second I-55 win as of yet, Schuchart has been remarkably close with 12 more top fives on top of the 2018 score. A second Ironman title would put him in the company of Dollansky, Haudenschild, and Rico Abreu as the only competitors with multiple wins.The most recent Ironman is four-time and defending Series champion – Brad Sweet. Last year “The Big Cat” dominated the demanding race, leading all 55 circuits. Considering Sweet’s I-55 résumé, it’s difficult to not consider him the favorite. In his last 15 starts at the south of St. Louis oval, Sweet owns six victories, 13 podiums, and a 2.7 average finish. If he can come out on top again, Sweet will become the first since Rico Abreu in 2016 & 2017 to claim consecutive Ironman titles.PEVELY PROS: The former winners of the event have already shown their capability, but a handful of other competitors stand out as likely candidates to lift the dumbbell for the first time this weekend.In recent years, Carson Macedo has emerged as one of the strongest drivers anytime the World of Outlaws roll into Pevely. Last April the Lemoore, CA native picked up his first win at the quarter mile. Then he followed that with another victory in August when he slid by Brad Sweet in the final corner. The Jason Johnson Racing pilot hasn’t missed the top five in his last four I-55 starts.The Ironman 55 is one of few marquee events that doesn’t appear on Donny Schatz’s list of achievements. He’s been about as close as you can get with four runner-up finishes, most recently in 2019. The 10-time Series champion has proven he can get to Victory Lane in Pevely with victories in 2006 & 2015, and he’ll look to snag that elusive Ironman title this weekend.David Gravel might not have as robust of a record at I-55 as some of his competition, but he can’t be counted out considering his 2023 performance to this point. Dating back to early June, Gravel has five wins, 12 podiums, and only one finish outside the top 10 in his last 17 races. The point leader has triumphed in Pevely once before, topping night one of the 2016 Ironman.KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: There’s one driver who has stood on the second and third steps of the Ironman podium the past two editions, and it’s James McFadden.Two years ago, the Australian finished runner-up aboard Kasey Kahne Racing’s #9 machine. Then, last year he made the move to his current ride – the Roth Motorsports #83 – and brought it home third. McFadden also finished third in the 2014 edition, so he’s hungry to stand atop that elusive top podium spot.He and the Roth crew have been strong all season long with four wins under their belts.GASSIN’ AROUND PEVELY: For Noah Gass, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 has always been one of his strongest tracks.Before he became a full-time World of Outlaws driver in 2021, Gass earned his first top 15 with the Series at Pevely in 2021. Last year during his rookie campaign, Gass finished 13th on night one of Ironman before posting a very impressive ninth in the finale. Then, back in April of this season he earned another top 15.The Mounds, OK native will enter Ironman weekend with some momentum. Gass is fresh off notching his best finish of the season – an 11th at Weedsport Speedway.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action on DIRTVision.THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCEWHEN AND WHEREFriday-Saturday, August 4-5 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, MOON THE INTERNETWorld of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws Instagram – @WoOSprint Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/monthCURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (44/78 Races):1. 2 – David Gravel (5772PTS) 2. 49 – Brad Sweet (-8PTS) 3. 41 – Carson Macedo (-48PTS) 4. 1S – Logan Schuchart (-224PTS) 5. 17 – Sheldon Haudenschild (-314PTS) 6. 18 – Gio Scelzi (-318PTS) 7. 15 – Donny Schatz (-338PTS) 8. 5 – Spencer Bayston (-470PTS) 9. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss (-814PTS) 10. 1A – Jacob Allen (-861PTS)NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (13 Drivers):10 wins – David Gravel (Big Game Motorsports #2)6 wins – Brad Sweet (Kasey Kahne Racing #49)5 wins – Carson Macedo (Jason Johnson Racing #41)4 wins – James McFadden (Roth Motorsports #83), Rico Abreu (Rico Abreu Racing #24)3 wins – Donny Schatz (Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15), Logan Schuchart (Shark Racing #1S)2 wins –Sheldon Haudenschild (Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17), Kyle Larson (Silva Motorsports #57)1 win – Buddy Kofoid (CMS Racing #11), Brady Bacon (TKH Motorsports #21), Anthony Macri (Macri Motorsports #39), Brian Brown (Brian Brown Racing #21), Gio Scelzi (KCP Racing #18)FEATURE LAPS LED (19 Drivers):219 laps – Brad Sweet193 laps – David Gravel187 laps – Carson Macedo174 laps – Rico Abreu133 laps – James McFadden96 laps – Donny Schatz93 laps – Buddy Kofoid81 laps – Logan Schuchart70 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild47 laps – Kyle Larson43 laps – Brent Marks39 laps – Gio Scelzi24 laps – Brian Brown23 laps – Spencer Bayston11 laps – Anthony Macri10 laps – Cory Eliason3 laps – Brady Bacon, Danny Varin1 lap – Austin McCarlSIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (16 Drivers):13 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo7 QuickTimes – David Gravel5 QuickTimes – Logan Schuchart2 QuickTimes – Anthony Macri, Rico Abreu, Sheldon Haudenschild, Bill Balog, Justin Peck1 QuickTime – Brian Brown, Donny Schatz, Buddy Kofoid, Gio Scelzi, James McFadden, Jacob Allen, Kyle Larson, Brad SweetHEAT RACE WINNERS (34 Drivers):25 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo21 Heat Wins – David Gravel11 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet, Donny Schatz10 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild9 Heat Wins – Buddy Kofoid, Gio Scelzi8 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart6 Heat Wins – Rico Abreu, James McFadden5 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen, Spencer Bayston4 Heat Wins – Brent Marks, Justin Peck3 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Brian Brown, Bill Balog, Parker Price-Miller2 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Kerry Madsen, Cory Eliason1 Heat Win – Danny Dietrich, Freddie Rahmer, Tim Kaeding, Mark Dobmeier, Kasey Kahne, Austin McCarl, Lachlan McHugh, Ryan Timms, Tim Estenson, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Kyle Larson, Shane Stewart, Lance DeweaseTOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (37 Drivers):32 Dashes – Carson Macedo31 Dashes – David Gravel27 Dashes – Brad Sweet21 Dashes – Logan Schuchart19 Dashes – Gio Scelzi17 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild16 Dashes – Donny Schatz15 Dashes – Rico Abreu12 Dashes – James McFadden, Spencer Bayston9 Dashes – Buddy Kofoid8 Dashes – Jacob Allen, Brent Marks7 Dashes – Brock Zearfoss6 Dashes – Cory Eliason5 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Justin Peck4 Dashes – Brian Brown3 Dashes – Danny Dietrich, Robbie Price, Parker Price-Miller, Tyler Courtney2 Dashes – Garet Williamson, Austin McCarl, Kasey Kahne, Bill Balog, Kyle Larson1 Dash – Freddie Rahmer, Devon Borden, Aaron Reutzel, Brady Bacon, Chad Trout, Dylan Norris, Cap Henry, Stuart Brubaker, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Shane Stewart, Danny VarinMICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (29 Drivers):4 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild3 LCS Wins – Spencer Bayston2 LCS Wins – Robbie Price, Parker Price-Miller, Noah Gass, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo1 LCS Win – Brock Zearfoss, Gio Scelzi, Hunter Schuerenberg, James McFadden, Wayne Johnson, Ryan Timms, Ayrton Gennetten, Kraig Kinser, Freddie Rahmer, Henry Malcuit, Cole Macedo, Tim Estenson, Aaron Reutzel, Kerry Madsen, Sye Lynch, Cory Eliason, Donny Schatz, Tyler Courtney, Rico Abreu, Jacob Allen, Daryn Pittman, Sam Hafertepe Jr.KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (31 Drivers):4 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild3 Hard Chargers – Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, James McFadden2 Hard Chargers – Brock Zearfoss, Donny Schatz, Logan Schuchart, Danny Dietrich1 Hard Charger – Gio Scelzi, Robbie Price, David Gravel, Justin Peck, Blake Hahn, Buddy Kofoid, Joe B. Miller, Kyle Larson, Hunter Schuerenberg, Kyle Moody, Freddie Rahmer, Skylar Gee, Cole Duncan, Austin Pierce, Brenham Crouch, Tim Kaeding, Spencer Bayston, Jacob Allen, Caden Englehart, Zeb Wise, Rico Abreu, Carson Macedo, Dale BlaneyPODIUM FINISHES (23 Drivers):24 Podiums – David Gravel19 Podiums – Brad Sweet14 Podiums – Carson Macedo11 Podiums – Rico Abreu9 Podiums – Logan Schuchart8 Podiums – Donny Schatz7 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild6 Podiums – Buddy Kofoid5 Podiums – James McFadden, Brent Marks4 Podiums – Kyle Larson3 Podiums – Brian Brown, Jacob Allen, Spencer Bayston2 Podiums – Gio Scelzi1 Podium – Danny Dietrich, Kasey Kahne, Devon Borden, Parker Price-Miller, Brady Bacon, Anthony Macri, Garet Williamson, Dave BlaneyTOP 10 FINISHES (50 Drivers):39 Top 10s – Carson Macedo, David Gravel38 Top 10s – Brad Sweet33 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart30 Top 10s – Gio Scelzi29 Top 10s – Sheldon Haudenschild27 Top 10s – Spencer Bayston25 Top 10s – James McFadden23 Top 10s – Donny Schatz20 Top 10s – Rico Abreu16 Top 10s – Buddy Kofoid14 Top 10s – Jacob Allen11 Top 10s – Justin Peck, Brent Marks8 Top 10s – Cory Eliason7 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney6 Top 10s – Brian Brown, Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne, Danny Dietrich5 Top 10s – Brock Zearfoss3 Top 10s – Anthony Macri, Bill Balog2 Top 10s – Aaron Reutzel, Blake Hahn, Brady Bacon, Parker Price-Miller, Robbie Price, Zeb Wise, Freddie Rahmer1 Top 10 – Devon Borden, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Joe B. Miller, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brandon Rahmer, Chad Trout, Lance Dewease, Cap Henry, Cole Macedo, Stuart Brubaker, Skylar Gee, Cole Duncan, Austin McCarl, Garet Williamson, Tim Kaeding, Chase Randall, Shane Stewart, Dave Blaney, Larry Wight, Dale Blaney2023 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)1. Fri, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)2. Fri, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (2)3. Sat, Feb 11* / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / James McFadden (1)4. Sun, March 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1)5. Mon, March 6 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (3)6. Sat, March 18 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Rico Abreu (1)7. Fri, March 24 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Buddy Kofoid (1)8. Sat, March 25 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Brad Sweet (1)9. Fri, March 31 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / Brad Sweet (2)10. Sat, April 1 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / James McFadden (2)11. Fri, April 7 / U.S. 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)12. Sat, April 8 / 81 Speedway / Wichita, KS / Rico Abreu (2)13. Fri, April 14 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (3)14. Fri, April 28 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL / David Gravel (4)15. Sat, April 29 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Brady Bacon (1)16. Fri, May 5 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Logan Schuchart (1)17. Sat, May 6 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Rico Abreu (3)18. Wed, May 10 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Anthony Macri (1)19. Fri, May 12 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brad Sweet (4)20. Fri, May 19 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Donny Schatz (1)21. Sat, May 20 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Donny Schatz (2)22. Fri, May 26 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Brad Sweet (5)23. Sat, May 27 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Carson Macedo (2)24. Mon, May 29 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / James McFadden (3)25. Fri, June 2 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / David Gravel (5)26. Sat, June 3 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN / Carson Macedo (3)27. Fri, June 9 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brian Brown (1)28. Sat, June 10 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (6)29. Fri, June 16 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Gio Scelzi (1)30. Sat, June 17 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)31. Wed, June 21 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Kyle Larson (1)32. Thurs, June 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / James McFadden (4)33. Fri, June 23 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Logan Schuchart (2)34. Sat, June 24 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (7)35. Fri, June 30 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (6)36. Sat, July 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / David Gravel (8)37. Sat, July 8 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI / Carson Macedo (4)38. Tues, July 11 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Kyle Larson (2)39. Fri, July 14 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (5)40. Sat, July 15 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Donny Schatz (3)41. Thurs, July 20 / BAPS Motor Speedway / York Haven, PA / David Gravel (9)42. Fri, July 21 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Logan Schuchart (3)43. Sat, July 22 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Rico Abreu (4)44. Sun, July 30 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / David Gravel (10)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 2, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is set to showcase its thrilling Grand National Championship title fight before a rapt audience of diehard motorcycle enthusiasts at this weekend’s The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sunday, August 6. The high-profile event will be featured at this year’s 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally – which is expected to draw more than 500,000 attendees – and comes just a week removed from an explosive Peoria TT that had the potential to completely upset a raging Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle championship battle. Ultimately, however, the dramatic affair resulted in just a three-point swing at the top of the order. That was enough, however, to move reigning class king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) back into first, one point ahead of his young challenger, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). While still very much either riders’ championship to win, the outcome in Peoria could still prove pivotal. Rather than looking to gain back ground at Black Hills Speedway, Mees is now operating from a position of strength at a venue he’s won at three times in the past (‘15, ‘17, and ‘18). That, along with his status as the winningest Half-Miler in the history of the series, makes Mees the pre-race favorite coming into the weekend. However, Daniels did manage to upset Mees the last time the two squared off on a Half-Mile with his 0.095-second victory at the Drag Specialties Bridgeport Half-Mile a week-and-a-half-back. Last year’s Black Hills Half-Mile saw its Mission SuperTwins Main rained out, but the lead-up to that point hinted at a clash featuring not just Mees and Daniels, but also Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) and last weekend’s winner, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). Due to the inclement weather, Bauman actually stands as the most recent winner of the race, having captured victory at Black Hills Speedway in 2019. Several others have the potential to play the role of spoiler this weekend while sorting out their own championship disputes. Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) currently holds a small lead over Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) as they contend for fifth in the standings along with bragging rights as the top independent Indian. Meanwhile, the likes of Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing/2 Wheelz KTM 790 Duke), Kolby Carlile (No. 36 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), and Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) will continue to look for ways to make waves. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER While the commanding title lead of defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) and incredible second half of Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) have naturally made them the focus of attention, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) has emerged a genuine force to be reckoned with. Brunner has climbed to second in the championship order with three top-two finishes over his last four attempts, including his first victory of the season this past weekend in Peoria. The Estenson Racing pilot now carries that momentum into Black Hills Speedway where he won at a year ago. Considering Kopp’s Half-Mile chops and Drane’s current form, they are obvious contenders for victory as well. Others to keep tabs on are the Turner Honda Racing trio of Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). Saathoff is less than ten points removed from second in the championship having already netted seven podiums on the season, while Mischler and Lowe went 2-3 here a year ago. Fourth place in last year’s race went to Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), who showed renewed speed with a run to fifth in Peoria. Meanwhile, there are a pair of former Black Hills Half-Mile winners who are itching to make similar resurgences in Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 450 SX-F) and Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), the duo having won here in 2018 and 2019, respectively. There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Sunday as well, including numerous vendors and dedicated motorcycle parking. General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $25 (kids 12 and under $5), with Premium General Admission Grandstand tickets only $10 more. VIP tickets, which offer access to an exclusive indoor viewing area and include food and beverage, are $125. 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/americanflattrack/events/black-hills-half-mile-73564 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 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 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 theThe City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 13, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT). For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

Inside Line Promotions – ALGER, Wash. (Aug. 2, 2023) – Dominic Scelzi jumpstarted his summer in a big way last week when he recorded four feature triumphs during five races with the Western Sprint Tour.

Despite missing the first two races of the Speedweek, Scelzi climbed to fifth in the final standings thanks to wins at three different tracks in Oregon and Washington.

“It’s been a really grueling season,” he said. “Our plan was to go up to Skagit Speedway and have a good run at Summer Nationals, which is the second largest 360 race on the West Coast in my opinion. We wanted to race on the way up. I’d always wanted to run in Banks and Cottage Grove so it worked out to make a week out of it.”

The busy week began last Monday at Sunset Speedway in Banks, Ore., where Scelzi set quick time during qualifying before he advanced from sixth to fourth place in a heat race, from third to second place in the dash and from second to win the A Main during his debut at the track.

“We led every lap and luckily for us there weren’t any close calls,” he said. “The race track was really good and it got better in the main event. There was a little grip about two feet off the fence and right on the bottom. I ran the majority of the race on the bottom in turns one and two. In turns three and four I was entering against the cushion and exiting through the middle. I was trunked on the wing early because it was super slick. I raced it momentum-like. It was a lot of fun.”

The next two nights were spent at Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. Scelzi opened Tuesday’s action – his first-ever race at the track – by setting quick time during qualifying. He hustled from sixth to second place in a heat race and from fifth to third place in the dash. Scelzi marched from third to capture the main event.

“The track was wet and fast and kind of hard to pass,” he said. “We got to second in the feature and with eight laps to go we had a restart. I had just gotten to the leader and got under him in turns three and four just before that caution. When the yellow came out I felt it changed the dynamic of the race as his entry changed into turn one and he started slipping off turn two after we restarted. He was entering low and sliding up on the exit. I was on the very bottom of turns one and two and diamonding turns three and four. I was able to get a good run off turn four and slide up in front of him in turns one and two with about two laps to go. He got underneath me entering turn three and I went four wheels above the cushion to drive by him for the win.”

Wednesday nearly featured a sweep of the program for Scelzi, who was quickest in qualifying, won a heat race from sixth, placed second in the dash from fourth and scored the feature triumph after starting on the outside of the front row.

“We led every lap of the main event and the track was slick and wide,” he said. “We lapped up to sixth and I think we won by a little more than seven seconds. The race went green to checkered. Around Lap 12 I was in traffic and was just hanging out. The guy in second got under me into turn three. When I saw that I did a big move on the lapped cars in front of me and then tried to run as ragged as I could the rest of the race. It worked out for our third win in a row.”

The team headed north to Skagit Speedway on Friday for the opening night of the Bob’s Burgers & Brew Summer Nationals. Scelzi was second quickest out of 45 drivers in qualifying before advancing from sixth to third place in a heat race. He maneuvered from 10 ^th to sixth place in the A Main to earn enough points to rank second in the event standings, locking into the dash on Saturday.

“We were really good throughout the preliminary night,” he said. “We were just a little tight in the feature. I wasn’t very good against the cushion and had to run the bottom the majority of that race. I think what I took away from Friday was we had speed, but needed to be better if we wanted to compete for the win on Saturday.”

A fourth-place finish in the dash on Saturday started Scelzi on the outside of the second row in the main event.

“The track was really slick across and had a big curb,” he said. “My focus was trying not to get too tight into the curb. I got a good start and followed Trey (Starks) into second on the first lap. I stayed with him the first half of the race and then I got him in traffic off turn four. After that I had to maneuver traffic well and I think we did a good job. My car got better and better as the race went. It was huge to win the Summer Nationals and to close the week with our fourth win in five races.”

Scelzi will return to action Aug. 18-19 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., during the Johnny Key Classic with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour.

QUICK RESULTS –

July 24 – Sunset Speedway in Banks, Ore. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 4 (6); Dash: 2 (3); Feature: 1 (2).

July 25 – Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 2 (6); Dash: 3 (5); Feature: 1 (3).

July 26 – Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Qualifying: 1; Heat race: 1 (6); Dash: 2 (4); Feature: 1 (2).

July 28 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 3 (6); Feature: 6 (10).

July 29 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Dash: 4 (2); Feature: 1 (4).

SEASON STATS –

31 races, 9 wins, 21 top fives, 24 top 10s, 28 top 15s, 30 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Aug. 18-19 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., for the Johnny Key Classic with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour

Bobby Pierce scored his second Hawkeye 50 victory and sixth World of Outlaws win of 2023, extending his points lead to 84 over Chris Madden

BOONE, IA (Aug. 1, 2023) – Displayed behind Bobby Pierce, watching him talk and smile to the cameras, was his newest trophy. The Hawkeye 50 trophy – second of his career.

While the event title represents Iowan’s nickname and the number of laps around Boone Speedway, it’s also a perfect summarization of Pierce’s performance Tuesday night; 50 laps of hawk-eyed vision for grip around the 1/4-mile track.

The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series returned to Boone Speedway for the third straight year to kick off racing in August during the Summer of Money, boasting a $15,000 payday.

Taking place two days after the Prairie Dirt Classic, where Pierce was passed late in the race by Ricky Thornton Jr. for the win and had to settle for another runner-up finish, the Hawkeye 50 was a chance for many to make up for their PDC loss. Or, for Thornton Jr., grab a second straight win with the Series – a feat he’d yet to do.

The start of the night saw Dennis Erb Jr. scoring the Simpson Quick Time Award, but then finishing second to Bobby Pierce in CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat #1. Then, redraw found them 1-2, again.

Erb, the reigning Series champion, drew the pole. Pierce, the current Series points leader, drew the outside pole.

However, when the Feature commenced, Pierce picked up where he left off in the Heat race, darting around the outside of Erb and powered ahead to the lead. Once in clean air, Pierce pulled ahead by more than a second in the first few laps.

Behind him, Thornton was showing signs of putting on another memorable march from the sixth position. He snuck to fourth on the first lap and passed English for third by Lap 12. Two laps later, he took second from Erb. But that only lasted another three laps before Erb slid back by.

Four laps later, on Lap 22, Thornton threw his #20RT into Turn 3 and slid from the bottom to the top, clearing Erb for second. From there, full force ahead to try and catch Pierce.

The seeing-red charge Thornton put in place to run down and pass Pierce for the PDC win wasn’t fully manifesting this time around. He’d close a little, then lose a little. Close a little, lose a little.

Then, Pierce about slid people off their seats as he almost slid off the track. Entering Turn 1, his car washed high, a little too high, and his right rear tire went over the berm. Dancing with the throttle and wheel, he managed to keep his car going straight and on track, but before he could regain his composure, Thornton was looking underneath him.

“I think I went in there a little too easy and I didn’t get it whipped out enough. The right rear hit that cushion and kind of set the front end over and I was going a little too fast at the time too,” Pierce said. “When it happened, I saw Ricky right here (pointing to the left side of his car) and I was like, shoot, man, he all most got into me because he had nowhere to go. From then on, I knew I had to go something different. It wasn’t going to work doing that.”

At that point, Pierce started trying every line he could think of and make up. While he was top dominate most of the race, Pierce ran the low line for a few laps. But when he did that, Thornton moved to the top and closed on Pierce each time they hit a straightaway.

That wasn’t going to work either. New idea. 

Pierce began running an awkward slider line, coming into turn like he was going to run the bottom, but then let his car slide to the middle of the track. That tactic helped him find the grip Thornton didn’t have and pull away again.

“Once that lip of cushion went off the racetrack, you couldn’t get that boost anymore, so you wasted time going out there,” Pierce said. “So, I knew it was either bottom or middle. Neither of them felt good, so I was like f*** it, I’m just going to go in there. I’ve seen some guys do that in Qualifying and it works out alright. I figured it was dirty enough I could do all that again. I just cut that corner time off and just matted down the straightaways.”

His hawk-eyed observation of the surface paid off, leading Pierce to a 1.2 second victory of Thornton. It was Pierce’s second Hawkeye 50 triumph (first was the Hawkeye 100 in 2021), and sixth Series win of the year. He’s also on a streak of four top-two finishes in a row with the World of Outlaws.

With roles reversed, Thornton found himself in second behind Pierce this time. He knew once Pierce found his line his car had nothing more to give.

“I felt pretty good, I knew it was going to be tough to beat Bobby off the front row,” Thornton said. “He’s really good wherever it’s dirty like this. He’s a little bit better in that condition than we are… Overall, a really good night for us. I went with a little bit of a different tire-wise than they did. Really, I didn’t want the yellow (on Lap 39). I felt like I was maintaining or maybe a tick better than he was before the yellow and then after that he was way better than I was. I think I just burned my stuff up trying to get up to him.”

After the caution on Lap 39, English took advantage of the tightened field to challenge and pass Erb for the final spot on the podium.

“We’ve been struggling a little bit since we left Kansas,” English said. “Back on the same tires and back on kind of some of the same tracks. Maybe there is something to that. Maybe that is why we run good… I wasn’t as good as I thought I needed to be tonight. I felt not very good and I was really surprised I was able to hang with them there at the end. I’m just happy to have a good finish.”

Chris Madden finished fourth and Ryan Gustin 11th, swapping them in points with Madden back up to second. However, with Pierce winning, Madden is back by 84 points. Gustin, in third is now 90 points back.

After the cameras had their time with Pierce in Victory Lane, he didn’t need be hawk-eyed or eagle-eyed to spot the two-foot-tall trophy staring at him. It said everything it needed to about his night.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series returns to Cedar Lake Speedway for the prestigious $50,000-to-win USA Nationals, Aug. 3-5. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS:
CASE Construction Equipment Late Mode Feature (50 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 3. 96V-Tanner English[3]; 4. 44-Chris Madden[7]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[1]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[11]; 7. 97-Cade Dillard[5]; 8. 25-Shane Clanton[9]; 9. 18D-Daulton Wilson[10]; 10. 30-Todd Cooney[13]; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin[4]; 12. 11-Gordy Gundaker[12]; 13. 9-Nick Hoffman[15]; 14. B1-Brent Larson[19]; 15. B5-Brandon Sheppard[14]; 16. 1ST-Johnny Scott[8]; 17. 40B-Kyle Bronson[21]; 18. 32B-Cody Laney[22]; 19. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[16]; 20. 8-Kyle Strickler[18]; 21. 25S-Chad Simpson[17]; 22. 14W-Dustin Walker[23]; 23. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[24]; 24. 32S-Chris Simpson[20]