| Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Set for 2024 DebutNew factory-supported program is first confirmed for new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R WATKINS GLEN, NY (June 23, 2023) – Chevrolet and Pratt Miller Motorsports officials announced today the formation of a program that will lead competition and development efforts with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports. Starting with the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona, Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports will campaign a pair of the new-for-2024, GT3-spec Corvettes for a full season in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. |
How to Watch & What to Watch: Lima Half-Mile – June 24, 2023
| FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive American Flat Track. Complete coverage of this Saturday’s Mission Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialtieswill kick off with the day’s first practice session at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT). Catch every second of on track action on FansChoice.tv |
| Daniels and Co. Attempt to Slow Mees’ Roll at Lima Half-MileThe Mission Lima Half-Mile is set to kick off the second half of the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season in style. Read More… Great Scott! A fair amount of talk was dedicated to the fact that, with his three-Mile sweep, Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) overtook both Bubba Shobert and Bryan Smith to secure sole possession of third all-time on the Mile wins list at 26. Read more…Owner/Operator Lima would be a special place to make history. Not only is it the scene of his very first Progressive AFT victory, it’s also a high-profile race promoted by him and his wife, Nichole. Promoting a race requires a huge amount of effort, especially in the immediate lead-up to the event. Mees doesn’t brush off any of that work to focus on his racing until the actual day of the race. Read More…A New Level One of the reasons Mees has conquered the Lima Half-Mile on multiple occasions is because the pea-gravel cushion makes for arguably the most physically demanding and exacting race on the tour, year-after-year. Read More…Shifting Gears (and Fortunes) Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) escaped back-to-back-to-back Miles with his Parts Unlimited AFT Singles title lead threatened but not taken away. Now is his time to dish out the punishment. Last year, he was utterly dominant at Lima specifically and, more generally, the field’s undisputed Half-Mile ace, with all but two of his seven victories coming at that distance. Read More…1.673 Seconds Speaking of Saathoff, just how much longer can he be denied? He’s not 1.673 seconds short of his first pro win, he’s a combined 1.673 seconds short of having taken five wins in a row! Read More…ExperienceAnd speaking of Drane, it seems he may just be the exception to the rule – that rule being just how important experience is to enjoying success at the Miles. Well, Drane turned a few laps at a test at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds a year ago. Other than that, he’s thrown a leg over a racebike at a Mile on four occasions: Read More…We’re Still Here While Saathoff, Drane, and Lowe (he of two wins and four podiums in his last five outings) have hogged the spotlight as of late, don’t forget about the two riders who may have been viewed as the biggest threats to Kopp’s title defense prior to the start of the season. Read More… |
| Halfway Home Here are a few numbers from the first half of the ‘23 season: 9: Races, just listed to serve as a frame of reference 9: Points separate first and second 6: Times different manufacturers have finished 1st and 2nd 5: Wins by Jared Mees 3: Wins by Jared Mees all last year 2: Times three different makes have been one the box in a single race 0: Podium lockouts by a single manufacturer Read More…Swings of Momentum Even more than in the premier class, the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles class has shifted radically alongside a slate custom-designed for runs of form. That’s expected to continue as we now head into four consecutive Half-Miles followed by three straight TTs. Read More… Championship Points Standings |
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DAY CONTINUES NORTHWEST DOMINANCE IN SUPER DIRT CUP OPENER
(6/22/23 – Ben Deatherage) Algers, WA … Corey Day was again in prime form in NARC 410 Sprint Car Series competition as he earned the $4,100 payday for his opening night victory at the Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway. The Jason Meyers Racing-fielded Meyers Constructors/Four C’s Construction #14 KPC entry now has seven wins in 2023 with the tour.
“This feels good because we really had to win this one to be half decent in (Dirt Cup) points,” said the now 13-time NARC feature winner. “It’s another good job by Shane (Bowers, crew chief). We don’t always start the night off great, but we always talk, communicate, and make the right calls for the feature when it counts.”
Logan Forler put his Steve Forler Trucking/Peterbilt Trucks #2L Maxim in the lead on the first lap. The pace that Forler set was quick, and it only took five laps to hit the tail end of the field. The JNK Auto Repair/Ed Glazier Auto Chlor Systems #7 X-1 of Tyler Thompson gave chase, but before too long, he was barraged by Day and Holmes all at once in a three-car battle. Before too long, Holmes secured second in the Shane DeWald Trucking/NexGen Diesel Exhaust Fluid #18T KPC.
As the race stayed under green flag conditions, Holmes made a big maneuver around Forler to claim the lead on lap 14. Holmes was not out of the woods as he was still in heavy traffic, where he would eventually be caught, stalked, and overtaken by Day. Day took the lead on lap 19 and motored away the balance of the 30-lapper.
Day continued, “I was watching where (Tanner Holmes) was running on both ends and what he was doing in traffic. I knew he was running the bottom of one and two and that the traffic was there, and he’d go down there and get stuck behind lapped cars, and I’d get up and around him in one and two. We started the race slow and fell back to fourth, but we got good around lap seven or eight.”
Shane Golobic, piloting the Matt Wood Racing-owned NOS Energy Drink/Southern Pacific Farms #17W KPC, propelled his way to second. Starting twelfth, Indiana racer Zeb Wise drove the Rayce Rudeen Foundation/Hager Reality Services #26R Maxim for car owners Kevin and Monica Rudeen to a third-place result and earned the Williams Roofing Hardcharger award. Holmes was fourth, while two-time defending NARC champion Dominic Scelzi put his Scelzi Enterprises/Whipple Superchargers #41 Maxim in fifth.
“I went the wrong direction at the beginning of the race,” commented Golobic. “The first few laps, I felt like I was seventh or eighth. Finally, I got my butt in gear, got it rolling, and felt pretty good towards the end. You can’t let Corey Day get out in front of you like that; you won’t beat him unless he crashes coming to checkered.”
“I don’t have a lot of laps around here, so anytime we can move forward is good,” stated Wise. “My car was really good. I feel like I was one of the only guys that could move around all over the track. I’m happy for our team. This race is really big for Kevin and Monica Rudeen, so coming out here and having a good points night is a great way to start the weekend.”
Forler scored sixth, with the seventh going to Cole Macedo in his Skagit debut. Texan Aaron Reutzel was eighth, with Thompson and Justin Sanders completing the top ten.
HOOSIER TIRES FEATURE EVENT (30 Laps): 1. 14-Corey Day [3]; 2. 17W-Shane Golobic [5]; 3. 26R-Zeb Wise [12]; 4. 18T-Tanner Holmes [8]; 5. 41-Dominic Scelzi [10]; 6. 2L-Logan Forler [2]; 7. 21-Cole Macedo [9]; 8. 8-Aaron Reutzel [14]; 9. 7-Tyler Thompson [1]; 10. 2X-Justin Sanders [15]; 11. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt [4]; 12. 55-Trey Starks [16]; 13. 18-Jason Solwold [13]; 14. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield [21]; 15. 16A-Colby Copeland [7]; 16. 96-Greg Hamilton [18]; 17. 73-Chase Johnson [23]; 18. 88N-DJ Netto [24]; 19. 95-Justin Youngquist [17]; 20. 115-Nick Parker [6]; 21. 29-Willie Croft [11]; 22. 69-Bud Kaeding [19]; 23. 53-Jessie Attard [22]; 24. 17-Cam Smith [20]
METTEC TITANIUM LAP LEADERS: Logan Forler 1-13; Tanner Holmes 14-18; Corey Day 19-30
WILLIAMS ROOFING HARDCHARGER: Zeb Wise +9
KAEDING PERFORMANCE CENTER B-FEATURE (15 Laps): 1. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield [1]; 2. 53-Jessie Attard [3]; 3. 73-Chase Johnson [2]; 4. 88N-DJ Netto [6]; 5. 19-Colby Thornhill [7]; 6. 44W-Austen Wheatley [4]; 7. 26-Billy Aton [9]; 8. 42X-Justyn Cox [13]; 9. 9A-Luke Didiuk [12]; 10. 99-Eric Fisher [8]; 11. 3AU-Karl Hoffmans [5]; 12. 46JR-Joel Myers Jr [10]; 13. AU96-Andy Caruana [11]; 14. 2JR-Kelly Miller [14]
LIFELINE USA C-FEATURE (10 Laps): 1. 42X-Justyn Cox [6]; 2. 2JR-Kelly Miller [2]; 3. 9-Sean MacDonell [1]; 4. 14B-Bailey Jean [3]; 5. 57-James Bundy [7]; 6. 00S-Corey Summers [5]; 7. 10G-Dana Glenn [4]; 8. 0-Ashleigh Johnson [9]; DNS 1M-Mike Brown
ARP FAST QUALIFIER (41 Cars): Trey Starks, 11.526
BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (8 Laps): 1. 17-Cam Smith [2]; 2. 14-Corey Day [4]; 3. 99-Eric Fisher [1]; 4. 26R-Zeb Wise [6]; 5. 55-Trey Starks [8]; 6. 19-Colby Thornhill [3]; 7. 29-Willie Croft [7]; 8. 42X-Justyn Cox [11]; 9. 73-Chase Johnson [5]; 10. 2JR-Kelly Miller [9]; 11. 1M-Mike Brown [10]
KIMO’s TROPICAL CAR WASH HEAT TWO (8 Laps): 1. 3AU-Karl Hoffmans [2]; 2. 95-Justin Youngquist [3]; 3. 2L-Logan Forler [4]; 4. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt [5]; 5. 16A-Colby Copeland [6]; 6. 18-Jason Solwold [7]; 7. 8-Aaron Reutzel [8]; 8. 9-Sean MacDonell [9]; 9. 9A-Luke Didiuk [1]; 10. 57-James Bundy [10]
BEACON WEALTH STRATEGIES & RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL HEAT THREE (8 Laps): 1. 88N-DJ Netto [2]; 2. 69-Bud Kaeding [3]; 3. 41-Dominic Scelzi [6]; 4. 2X-Justin Sanders [8]; 5. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield [4]; 6. AU96-Andy Caruana [1]; 7. 115-Nick Parker [7]; 8. 53-Jessie Attard [5]; 9. 00S-Corey Summers [10]; 10. 10G-Dana Glenn [9]
LIFELINE USA HEAT FOUR (8 Laps) 1. 26-Billy Aton [1]; 2. 44W-Austen Wheatley [3]; 3. 7-Tyler Thompson [4]; 4. 17W-Shane Golobic [6]; 5. 21-Cole Macedo [7]; 6. 96-Greg Hamilton [5]; 7. 46JR-Joel Myers Jr [2]; 8. 18T-Tanner Holmes [8]; 9. 14B-Bailey Jean [9]; 10. 0-Ashleigh Johnson [10]
| Davenport and McCreadie Split Afternoon Features at Lernerville |
| SARVER, Pa. (June 23, 2023) – Two former Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champions, Jonathan Davenport and Tim McCreadie each went to Victory Lane during Friday afternoon’s two preliminary features. Davenport claimed his fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season, leading all 25 circuits for his 69th career win in the Series. Michael Norris fought off several contenders for second place, finishing ahead of Brandon Overton, Max Blair, and Mason Zeigler. McCreadie claimed his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season, leading the entire distance as the reigning Firecracker 100 winner becomes the 14th different winner this season on the tour. A heated battle for second on back the entire way saw Spencer Hughes grab the runner-up spot ahead of Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal, and Daulton Wilson. Davenport returning to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series full-time in 2023 picked up his first career win at Lernerville. “Man, I sure hope we can get us one here tomorrow night. This place here hasn’t been very good to me, but it’s special to my heart. A few weeks after my best friend died in 2013, his dad and I came out here and we put his ashes around the top of this place. Ever since then this place has eluded me. It’s awesome that we got the win today. I never came off the top. I was thinking about my old friend Peanut the whole time. I just have to thank my crew for this win. This is a brand-new car. It wasn’t much more than a frame to start the week.” Norris gained the runner-up spot in front of his home track fans. “I hope this is the year we can finally get that Firecracker victory. I have got a pretty good piece under me. We were a little tight in that feature. I really had to hang onto to it. Kudos to the track crew. The track is actually pretty nice considering all the rain we got last night. I hope it’s our year, but every time somebody asks me it’s like yeah, I hope so. I guess I won’t know until we start the feature and do the first lap and I see how I feel.” Overton coming off a rough three weeks will be looking for his third career Firecracker win on Saturday night. “We have got a little bit of work to do. At least we are up here towards at the front. We have been pretty bad here lately. We have had a lot of bad luck as well. It’s just been hard to get caught up. We haven’t quit and we are not going to.” The winner’s Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyna Gro Seed, Lucas Oil Products, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Mark Martin Automotive, ASC Warranty, and Midwest Sheet Metal. Completing the top ten finishers in the Group A feature were Tyler Bruening, Boom Briggs, Earl Pearson Jr., and Ken Schaltenbrand. |
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| McCreadie’s 35th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win came in a caution plagued Group B 25-lapper. “It’s a little treacherous on the cushion and there’s slick spots everywhere. It’s not an easy track to race on. It was probably to my benefit to be out front to be able to see where every little nook and cranny of the cushion is and be smooth. I struggled a little bit in traffic there. Lernerville did a very good job on the track. The place when I got here this morning, I thought maybe it wasn’t even going to be ready. It had a little bit of a cushion but that’s part of racing, but the rest of it’s nice. Hopefully we keep running good.” Hughes continues to edge closer to his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win, surviving a race-long battle with several other drivers to grab the runner-up position. “We just need to keep tuning on it. I wasn’t quite as good up against the cushion there at the end. I was just a little too free. Most of the time I am not that good up on a big curb like that anyway. It was just a real good run for us.” Moran was also in the hotly contested race for a podium spot as he came home in third. “Hudson [O’Neal] messed up right there a little bit at the end. Spencer and Hud were crossing each other over and I just stayed committed to that top. Man, that was a lot of fun. There was a lot of cautions unfortunately, but we were racing all over, it was a blast.” The winner’s Paylor Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Racing for Heroes, Bilstein Shocks, Armslist.com, Baker Mitchell Company Integrous Risk Solutions, Brad Benton Trucking Inc., and The Aesthetic Haus. Completing the top ten in the second feature were Ross Robinson, Garrett Alberson, Kyle Strickler, Chub Frank, and Alex Ferree. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary 17th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel Night #1Thursday, June 22, 2023Lernerville Speedway – Sarver, PA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 15.155 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Spencer Hughes | 15.494 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 – Group A Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 10-Michael Norris[3]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[4]; 4. 11T-Trevor Collins[5]; 5. 55C-Chris Schneider[7]; 6. 25S-Cory Sines[8]; 7. 22-Gregg Satterlee[2]; 8. 9-Breyton Santee[6]; 9. 11P-Joshua Powell[9] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 – Group A Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 5. 1Z-Logan Zarin[5]; 6. 48-Colton Flinner[9]; 7. B22-Bump Hedman[8]; 8. 10L-Gary Lyle[7]; 9. 10K-Zachary Kane[6] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 – Group A Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 111B-Max Blair[1]; 3. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 4. J4-John Garvin Jr[4]; 5. 29-Ken Schaltenbrand[5]; 6. 22B-Darrell Bossard[6]; 7. 96-Mike Smith[7]; 8. 20N-Nicholas Eck[8] Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 – Group B Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 2. 11-Spencer Hughes[1]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 4. 1C-Alex Ferree[3]; 5. 1*-Chub Frank[6]; 6. 77-Tyler Dietz[5]; 7. 66-Todd Bachman[8]; 8. 01-Ron Hall[9]; 9. 20D-Doug Eck[7] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 – Group B Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 15K-Cody Overton[4]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 3. 4S-Ryan Montgomery[5]; 4. 55-Benji Hicks[3]; 5. 8K-Kyle Strickler[1]; 6. 14-Braeden Dillinger[6]; 7. 97-Kevin Smith[8]; 8. (DNS) 184-Kyle Lukon Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 – Group B Finish (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 3. 9Y-Levi Yetter[2]; 4. 3RK-Daryl Charlier[5]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 6. AUS1-Brent Vosbergen[7]; 7. 14A-Dan Angelicchio[6]; 8. 1L-Chuckie Lepsch[8] 17th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel Group A Feature Finish (25 Laps): |
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| 17th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel Group B Feature Finish (25 Laps): |
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| Race Statistics Entrants: 51Group A Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportGroup B Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Tim McCreadieGroup A Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-25)Group B Lap Leaders: Tim McCreadie (Laps 1-25)Group A Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportGroup B Wieland Feature Winner: Tim McCreadieArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/aGroup A Margin of Victory: 3.964 secondsGroup B Margin of Victory: 3.259 secondsGroup A Gorsuch Performance Solutions Cautions: Colton Flinner (Lap 7); Ricky Thornton, Jr., Cory Sines (Lap 16)Group B Gorsuch Performance Solutions Cautions: Kevin Smith (Initial Start); Dan Angelicchio (Lap 2); Ryan Montgomery, Alex Ferree (Lap 3); Cody Overton, Daryl Charlier (Lap 4); Alex Ferree (Lap 5); Braeden Dillinger (Lap 6); Debris (Lap 19); Debris (Lap 20)Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/Series Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aGroup A Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Michael Norris, Brandon OvertonGroup B Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Tim McCreadie, Spencer Hughes, Devin MoranGroup A Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Michael Norris, Brandon Overton, Max Blair, Mason ZeiglerGroup B Penske Shocks Top 5: Tim McCreadie, Spencer Hughes, Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal, Daulton WilsonGroup A Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Gregg Satterlee (Advanced 8 Positions)Group B Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Levi Yetter (Advanced 9 Positions)Group A Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Tyler BrueningGroup B Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonGroup A Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Bump HedmanGroup B Deatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Brent VosbergenGroup A Earnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (25 Laps)Group B Earnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Tim McCreadie (25 Laps)Group A Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Earl Pearson Jr.Group A Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’NealMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Max BlairGroup A Etchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 3 – 15.794 seconds)Group B Etchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Cody Overton (Lap 2 – 17.582 seconds)Group A MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Group B MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Cody OvertonGroup A Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory Fostvedt (Jonathan Davenport)Group B Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Scott Fegter (Tim McCreadie)Group A ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesGroup B ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing EnginesGroup A Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisGroup B Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Ryan Montgomery (15.228 seconds)Group A Time of Race: 13 minutes 41 secondsGroup B Time of Race: 32 minutes 26 seconds 17th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel Point Standings: |
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Winger Retakes Lead from Simpson Late to Win Davenport
DAVENPORT, IA (June 21, 2023) – After blowing tires, breaking internal components and a couple DNFs, Ashton Winger knew his luck on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals trail had to turn around some place at some point. Davenport Speedway was that place, and Wednesday night was that point for the Hell Tour championship contender.
In a span of the final 20 laps of the race, Winger, 23, of Senoia, GA, had passed polesitter Chad Simpson for the lead, lost it to his brother, Chris Simpson, then drove back by him to retake it with only four circuits left. Ripping the top side of the 1/4-mile, Winger held off the Simpson brothers to score the win – the seventh of his Summer Nationals career and first on tour since August 2021.
“This is my favorite racetrack,” Winger said. “This place is just so tough to get around, and it puts on really good racing 90 percent of the time.
“For me to be able to win at my favorite racetrack is really awesome.”
Winger started his run to glory from sixth on the starting grid, climbing up to third in only five laps. Directly ahead of him was Chris Simpson, who he put in the rearview with a slide job through Turns 3-4 on Lap 10.
A caution on Lap 20 restacked the field and gave Winger a chance at the leader on the restart, which he took full advantage of, digging down low underneath Chad Simpson through Turns 1-2 and taking the spot out of Turn 4.
“I think there was just a little bit more brown [dirt] leaving Turn 2 to catch when I got by Chad,” Winger said. “I just blew the bottom, honestly.”
Winger paced the field out front until the next restart with 11 laps left on the board, when Chris Simpson showed his hand down low with a powerful run off Turn 2 and into the lead down the backstretch.
“I figured [Winger] would go and try to protect the top,” Simpson said. “When I saw him slide across the middle in the crumbs, I knew if I hit the bottom in Turns 1-2 really good, I could get by him.”
Now at the head of the field, Chris Simpson became the proverbial sitting duck in the final laps. Though he initially gapped Winger with good speed on the bottom after taking the lead, Winger quickly looked to the high side for a way back around the native Iowan.
“I got up there and I felt where it latched,” Winger said. “It was kinda one of those 50/50 things where I was really glad I found it, but also when you find it – nature of the game, we’ve got stick signals.”
Winger shot back to the top lane through Turns 1-2 on Lap 36 and narrowly drove around Simpson, using what little room was available between Simpson’s right side and the edge of the track to complete the pass down the backstretch.
“It was only a matter of time until [Simpson’s] stick guy moved him up, and his stick guy moved him up literally 10 feet too late,” Winger said. “If he would’ve just laid his entry out getting into Turn 1, there’s nothing I could have done.”
“If I had just moved up a lap earlier, it would’ve been game-over,” Simpson said.
Winger kept the speed and momentum up around the high side and led the field back around to the checkers to collect a $5,000 check and his first Feature win of the 38th annual Summer Nationals campaign.
“When good things happen, I tend to look back at what’s got me here,” Winger said. “It’s just really good to have really good people.”
The win comes as the first for Jeff Mathews Motorsports on the Hell Tour – a team Winger joined late last season. The last time Winger ran an entire Summer Nationals schedule was in 2021, when he took every bit of his family-owned equipment out on the road and scored six wins over the two-month stretch. This time around, however, Winger’s feeling even more confident, despite a few early struggles.
“I think we started out better than we did in 2021, and I stand by that,” Winger said. “But at the same time, we feel like we should be better than we were in 21.
“I’m thankful and I’m lucky – I’m way better funded now than I was in 21. We have way more stuff that I need, thanks to Jeff Mathews and everybody involved in that deal down in Florida.”
UP NEXT
Thursday’s originally scheduled visit to Spoon River Speedway in Lewistown, IL, has been canceled due to track equipment malfunctions deemed unrepairable before race day, leading DIRTcar and track officials to cancel the event.
The Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals pick the action back up Friday, June 23 at Brownstown Bullring in Brownstown, IL. Tickets will be on sale at the gate; streaming is available at DIRTVision.com.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 12-Ashton Winger[6]; 2. 32S-Chris Simpson[2]; 3. 25-Jason Feger[9]; 4. 25S-Chad Simpson[1]; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[4]; 6. 4G-Bob Gardner[7]; 7. 21J-Billy Moyer Jr[12]; 8. 7-Drake Troutman[3]; 9. 31AUS-Kye Blight[8]; 10. 14M-Morgan Bagley[11]; 11. 57-Carson Brown[21]; 12. 58-Tyler Clem[5]; 13. 30-Mark Voigt[20]; 14. 15-Clayton Stuckey[13]; 15. 5-Austin Vincent[17]; 16. 99-Jeff Larson[15]; 17. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[14]; 18. 4D-Doug Tye[22]; 19. 101-Forrest Trent[19]; 20. 19X-Cody Bauer[16]; 21. 21N-Logan Nickerson[18]; 22. 15K-Justin Kay[10]
BRITTANY FORCE AND MONSTER ENERGY NARROWING IN ON VICTORY HEADING TO NORWALK
| BRITTANY FORCE AND MONSTER ENERGY NARROWING IN ONVICTORY HEADING TO NORWALK |
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 21, 2023) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster team enter this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park looking for their first win and a jump up in the points standings. Currently sitting tied for third with teammate Austin Prock, Force owes her positioning to three No. 1 qualifying starts at the season-opening Gatornationals and both Four-Wide events in Las Vegas and Charlotte. She has also had four semifinal points finishes in the last six events, including one at the return of the Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway where Force and her team made a jump from fifth to second in points. Most recently in Bristol, Tennessee, the Monster Energy team had a quarterfinal exit at the postponed New England Nationals and a first-round exit at the Thunder Valley Nationals. “Norwalk is next for our Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team. With four qualifying runs, we have a better shot at getting qualified in the top three and figuring the track out with a little less pressure. You change your game plan with fewer qualifying runs and debate pushing for the top spot. With fewer runs it’s riskier so it’s nice to have an extra run this weekend,” Force said. “This team is staying positive, we are narrowing in on this car and its performance. In the past at Summit Motorsports Park we’ve qualified well and last year we were No. 1, set the track record and had a semifinal exit. Our history gives us some good data to pull from and get set up for the weekend. We are still on the hunt for the first win of the season and looking forward to getting back to Norwalk.” A win at Summit Motorsports Park this weekend would not only be her first of the 2023 Camping World Drag Racing Series season but Force’s first at the venue. Despite not having raised a Wally at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, Force has had success in the event. In her last six starts at the event, she qualified her Monster Energy dragster in the top three with No. 1s in 2019 and 2022 when she set the current track record at 3.666 seconds. Her best finish was runner-up in 2021. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park begins with qualifying on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations for the event are slated for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of race weekend action begins with a qualifying show Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will air on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET. |
ZIZZO AND RUST-OLEUM ROCKET EAGER TO TAKE ON NORWALK
CHICAGO, IL (June 21, 2023) — TJ Zizzo made a dramatic return in May to his hometown track Route 66 Raceway outside of Chicago for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. While the veteran racer hadn’t been on track since late 2021, he took the Rust-Oleum “Rocket” Top Fuel dragster to the semifinals and thrilled thousands of his fans. Zizzo also let his competitors know that the time his team dedicated to improving was going to pay off in 2023. This weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 23-25, Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team will return to America’s Racetrack Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, for the second time in his career.
TJ Zizzo and Rust-Oleum Rocket Top Fuel, photo courtesy of Auto Imagery
“We are full speed ahead, but we have had to traverse around a lot of parts that are just not correct in 2023,” said Zizzo, following a positive but challenging debut in Chicago. “Our team still has a lot of catching up to do. We will be prepared, but we can never be prepared enough.
We just hope to qualify. Just because we ran well at Joliet does not mean we will be able to duplicate that performance at Norwalk. We will continue to put one foot in front of the other until we finally win after $10,000,000 and 10,000,000 hours of trying.”
Zizzo’s enthusiasm and work ethic have driven his Rust-Oleum team to completely overhaul their operation in the past two years. The team competed in Chicago with a new race car thanks to a generous offer by NHRA Hall of Fame driver and team owner, Don Schumacher. For years, Zizzo and his team competed on a budget repurposing quality parts and chassis to race with the better funded teams. They made a gallant effort and saw flashes of success. Zizzo feels like his career could now be turning a corner with an updated Top Fuel dragster.
“After St. Louis 2021, we knew we couldn’t keep up with the best in the sport anymore,” said Zizzo. “We really tried hard with our older equipment and car, but we knew we needed to change. Don reached out to us and offered to build a car that could be competitive. We are still playing catch-up, and Chicago was a great first step but there are no guarantees in this sport which is what makes it so amazing.”
Top Fuel driver TJ Zizzo, photo courtesy of Auto Imagery
He had been able to keep his quality team of crew members intact but investing even more into a race team was not a decision he took lightly. He has continued to work with crew chief Mike Kern and has had support from crew chief consultant Rahn Tobler but the real key to his success has been the support of his family, his crew and long-time marketing partners like Rust-Oleum.
“I also couldn’t have done this without the support and encouragement of my team. Chicago was an emotional and hectic weekend,” said Zizzo. “Getting everything right goes beyond the parts when it comes to making a difference. In fact, it took us a solid year to get this car ready to go out and even feel comfortable making runs. We haven’t had a chance in my entire 30-plus years of driving to have the same equipment that our competitors have. We’ve always been a little behind, but we are catching up. It won’t happen overnight, but we are going to keep working hard.”
Zizzo made his first and only appearance to date in 2012 at the Norwalk NHRA national event. His Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team qualified No. 11 and took out Cory McClenathan in the first round. In the quarterfinals, Zizzo lost a close race to David Grubnic, who is now the world championship Top Fuel crew chief for Brittany Force. Zizzo was first off the line in that race and was leading at half-track before his engine let go and he lost power allowing Grubnic to drive around him for the win light.
This year in Chicago, Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum team made serviceable passes throughout qualifying with their new racecar and earned their spot in one of the quickest Top Fuel fields in history. They entered race day as the No. 16 qualifier, but Zizzo and his team knew they could win from any spot in the ladder. With only a brief test session before the race and three qualifying runs under his belt, Zizzo was still strong off the line taking a starting line advantage over Mike Salinas. The Rust-Oleum Rocket was on a smooth pass while Salinas had his hands full on a wild run that saw him cross the centerline for an automatic disqualification.
Zizzo outran Leah Pruett in the quarterfinals and in the semifinals, his 12,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster overpowered the track on the starting line wrapping up a strong debut weekend for the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team. Zizzo looks to take advantage of four qualifying sessions as he heads to Norwalk for his second race of the year and a good racing surface to make continued improvement with the Rust-Oleum Rocket.
Qualifying begins Friday, June 23 with two runs scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET and two more qualifying runs on Saturday, June 24, at 2:00 p.m. ET and 5:00 p.m. ET. The quickest 16 Top Fuel competitors will square off on Sunday, June 25 for the coveted NHRA Wally trophy as well as the equally significant Norwalk Ice Cream Scoop presented to each category winner. The race will be televised nationally on FOX.
Randy Meyer, Nataas and Green Anticipated for NHRA Norwalk Nationals
Jun 21, 2023 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results
With a big lead in the points standings of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Julie Nataas and Randy Meyer Racing are looking forward to returning to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH after picking up a recent win there. Hunter Green will also be back, this time behind the wheel of the GUNK/Boxo Tools dragster to continue his sophomore season in the Top Alcohol Dragster class.
The team visited the well-known facility earlier this month for the 17th annual Stainless Works Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser. Julie qualified no. 2 running a 5.24 ET at 276 mph, while teammate Matt Sackman sat 4th with a 5.28 ET at 273 mph. Julie took down Jasmine Salinas in first round with an impressive 5.20 ET and Matt also scored a first round win running a 5.26 ET. The pair also won each of their second round matchups, pairing the two Randy Meyer Racing dragsters up in the final round. Julie had slight lane choice with er 5.252 ET to Matt’s 5.253 ET in the semifinals. Matt, known for his sharp reaction times, got the jump on the starting line but lost traction by 60′ while Julie’s OTG dragster won with a strong 5.24 ET and her best reaction time of the race.
“Going into to Norwalk I knew the race could play a big role in our Championship chase, so I was ready for another win,” said Julie. “There was no other option but to keep the points lead. We ran in the low 5.20s on race day and I’m proud of my guys for working hard to keep my race car consistent and fast.”
The team hopes to continue their momentum and lead in the standings this weekend with Julie and Hunter and park one, or both, dragsters in the winner’s circle again. Qualifying will begin at 11am on Friday and first round of eliminations kick-off Saturday at 2pm. Stay tuned to our social media pages for round-by-round updates.
Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Season Comes to Halfway Point in Norwalk, Ohio
NORWALK, Ohio (June 21, 2023) – Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class heads to Summit Motorsports Park for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, the fifth of 10 events on the 2023 schedule, with competitors like Ohio native Mark Pawuk, ready to make a splash. It will take a strong effort from the veteran driver with over 22 racecars entered every driver will have a shot at the title in the all-run field.
Pawuk, who is a second-generation racer and former NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Pro Stock driver, started his own race team ahead of the 2023 season. Pawuk Family Racing will have two entries in Norwalk, Ohio with his son Kyle competing as well.
Mark Pawuk and Empaco Dodge Drag Pak, photo by Innovative Creation Experts
“I’m real pleased with the season so far. Over the winter I started Pawuk Family Racing with my son and daughter. My son is going to be racing this weekend in Norwalk too and my daughter Kassandra handles all our social media along with a bunch of other professional teams,” Pawuk said. “I bought the car in the winter from Don Schumacher and switched engine builders over to Ray Barton and David has been tuning our car. He’s done a really good job. We’ve come a long way from the beginning of the season. We struggled a little bit, but we’ve stepped up our performance in the past couple races.”
Pawuk, who drives the Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger Drag Pak is currently fifth in the points standings after qualifying third at the most recent event at Bristol Dragway’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals where he had a quarterfinal exit. Pawuk’s connection to Summit Motorsport Park goes back decades.
“I never got to race professionally at Summit Motorsports Park, we were racing at Columbus when I got out of the seat of the Pro Stock car, but I grew up going there, raced there in the 70s, Summit Motorsports Park was the place to go. My dad and I were close with Bill Bader and the Bader family,” Pawuk said. “I’d love nothing more than to get a victory there in front of friends and family, all those great Ohio fans and for our local sponsors: Ohio Cat Rental Stores, Mr. Heater / Heatstar, Summit Racing Equipment, Cometic Gaskets and our long-time supporters, Goodyear / Mickey Thompson, Redline Oil, E3 Spark Plugs, VP Racing Fuels. Looking forward to the weekend.”
Hoping to stave off Pawuk’s first victory of the season is current points leader Aaron Stanfield and his Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro. Stanfield is coming off a victory at Bristol Dragway, the first of the season and 10th of his career.
“Getting that win in Bristol was big,” said Stanfield, a two-time Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world champion. “We have been working really hard to get back into the winner’s circle. Now we have the bounty and some momentum going into Norwalk. We want to keep the points lead and maybe stretch it out a little bit. The competition will be tough with over 20 racecars on the property. Everyone is going to have to be at the top of their game.”
Aaron Stanfield, Thunder Valley Nationals Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown winner, photo courtesy Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery
With Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program in play for its second season, Stanfield will have a target on his back for more than just the points lead this weekend. As the most recent winner he also has a $1,000 bounty on his head that will be collected by the first competitor to knock him out of eliminations.
Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown competition at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park begins with qualifying sessions Friday at 3:15 and 6:30 p.m. Eliminations begin Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.. Sunday will wrap up competition with the quarterfinals at 1:15 p.m., semifinals at 2:30 p.m. and finals at 3:25 p.m. ET.
ROBERT HIGHT AND AAA CHEVY SET TO BEGIN DEFENSE OFSUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA NATIONALS
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 21, 2023) – Entering as the defending Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals winners, Robert Hight and the AAA / Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS are hoping to repeat history at Summit Motorsports Park with their third victory of the 2023 season. Currently in third place Hight won in Ohio last year from the No. 3 starting position, his first victory in 15 starts at the fan-favorite venue. Hight has three No. 1 starts at Norwalk in 2007, 2008 and 2011. Before breaking through for a win, he was runner-up in 2008 and 2017. He is the current track record holder for speed at 334.65 mph set in 2017. “Racing in Nrowalk is always a highlight. There’s a lot of history there, the Bader family has created a tradition of putting on great events for fans,” Hight said. “It should be a good weekend. We’ll have AAA out and we’re right in Cornwell Tools’ backyard. It would be great to get AAA their first win of the season and share the winner’s circle with them.” Hight became just the 13th driver in NHRA pro drag racing history to win 600 competitive rounds, a mark he reached with a first-round win at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals after qualifying No. 1. His qualifying efforts extended his record of having qualified No.1 at least once and won at least once in every season that he has contested the championship (18). The AAA Chevy currently sits third in the overall championship standings thanks to two victories at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals and NHRA Arizona Nationals. Hight most recently qualified No. 1 at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee and had a semifinal exit. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park begins with qualifying on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations for the event are slated for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of race weekend action begins with a qualifying show Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will air on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET. |
AUSTIN PROCK AND MONTANA BRAND LOOKING FOR POINTS JUMP WITH A WIN IN NORWALK
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 21, 2023) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster team return to Summit Motorsports Park for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals sitting tied for third with his teammate Brittany Force in the Camping World points standings. Just 58 points back from second, Prock is hoping to create some distance with a second win in the 2023 season. Prock’s year thus far has included a win in the Charlotte Four-Wide event, a runner-up finish in the Winternationals at Pomona, California, and a semifinal finish in the most recent event in the series, the Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol, Tennessee. Prock had his best qualifying effort of the season in Chicago, starting race day from the No. 2 position. “I’m looking forward to heading back to Nrowalk. We had a pretty good race car there last year and hopefully, we can have that right at the first qualifying session to start off a strong weekend,” Prock said. “We have a new front half on the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster that the guys worked on after Bristol. We’re looking forward to debuting the fresh pipe this weekend.” Prock has had a roller-coaster history at the Norwalk event. His best result at Summit Motorsports Park came in a car other than his Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster. In 2021 he worked as a crew guy on Robert Hight’s Funny Car as John Force Racing was re-organizing after the COVID-19 pandemic, Prock stepped in for an ailing Clay Millican qualifying fourth and reaching the semifinals. Back in a JFR dragster last year, he qualified fifth and beat Millican in round one but lost to Josh Hart in the quarterfinals. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park begins with qualifying on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations for the event are slated for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of race weekend action begins with a qualifying show Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will air on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET. |
JOHN FORCE DEBUTS PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVY IN NORWALK
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 21, 2023) – John Force will switch gears at this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park trading in his BlueDEF PLATINUM livery for the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant paint scheme on his Chevrolet Camaro SS, a look he’ll keep for the remainder of the 2023 season. Starting the weekend from the No. 8 spot in the Camping Word Crag Racing Series point standings, Force is coming off a busy weekend at Bristol Dragway where he was runner-up in the postponed NHRA New England Nationals originally scheduled to be contested in Epping, N.H., and had a quarterfinal exit at the regularly scheduled Thunder Valley Nationals. Force is racing for his 17th series championship and is trying to win at least one tour event for the 35th season. “I’m looking forward to going back to Norwalk. Summit Motorsports Park is an amazing facility. The Bader family knows how to do it right,” Force said. “I’ve been coming here for a lot of years. I know the family well, Bill Bader Sr., he built something great and now his family has continued the tradition and grown the vision, it is spectacular really. Every weekend I race, I want to win. It’s why I do it, why I’m still out here. So I’m hoping this PEAK team puts on a good show for these Ohio fans.” A year ago, Force made history at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, winning his 1,400th round of racing by besting Bobby Bode in the first round with the quickest time, 3.878 seconds, and top speed, 333.41 mph, of the entire event. Force started from the No. 1 qualifying position one time at Summit Motorsports Park, in 2013, and won the event in 2014 defeating the now reigning world champion Ron Capps in the finals. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park begins with qualifying on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations for the event are slated for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of race weekend action begins with a qualifying show Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will air on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET. |
JOHN FORCE DEBUTS PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVY IN NORWALK
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 21, 2023) – John Force will switch gears at this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park trading in his BlueDEF PLATINUM livery for the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant paint scheme on his Chevrolet Camaro SS, a look he’ll keep for the remainder of the 2023 season. Starting the weekend from the No. 8 spot in the Camping Word Crag Racing Series point standings, Force is coming off a busy weekend at Bristol Dragway where he was runner-up in the postponed NHRA New England Nationals originally scheduled to be contested in Epping, N.H., and had a quarterfinal exit at the regularly scheduled Thunder Valley Nationals. Force is racing for his 17th series championship and is trying to win at least one tour event for the 35th season. “I’m looking forward to going back to Norwalk. Summit Motorsports Park is an amazing facility. The Bader family knows how to do it right,” Force said. “I’ve been coming here for a lot of years. I know the family well, Bill Bader Sr., he built something great and now his family has continued the tradition and grown the vision, it is spectacular really. Every weekend I race, I want to win. It’s why I do it, why I’m still out here. So I’m hoping this PEAK team puts on a good show for these Ohio fans.” A year ago, Force made history at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, winning his 1,400th round of racing by besting Bobby Bode in the first round with the quickest time, 3.878 seconds, and top speed, 333.41 mph, of the entire event. Force started from the No. 1 qualifying position one time at Summit Motorsports Park, in 2013, and won the event in 2014 defeating the now reigning world champion Ron Capps in the finals. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park begins with qualifying on Friday at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Eliminations for the event are slated for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of race weekend action begins with a qualifying show Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will air on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET. |
CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: Back on Track
| First race in more than a month for GTD PRO contending team, drivers DETROIT (June 21, 2023) – Corvette Racing’s team in the FIA World Endurance Championship is coming off an epic endurance victory. Now it’s time for the program’s squad in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to try and follow suit. Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and the rest of the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R race team resume its push for the IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) PRO title this weekend with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. The event is the first for the team since mid-May and starts a stretch of four races in seven weekends – a run that will largely determine this year’s GTD PRO champions. |
| Corvette Racing has three victories at Watkins Glen, including two in the Sahlen’s Six Hours. Last year’s race was the first at Watkins Glen for the team in the GT3-based GTD PRO class, which provided plenty of lessons for this year’s return visit. | CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of this weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Materials include: · IMSA race advance and quotes· Corvette Racing stats and figures· Corvette Racing racecar comparisons· Corvette Racing Fast Facts· Driver biographies |
| Both Garcia and Taylor are past winners at the Glen. They won together in 2021 – both the Six Hours of a two-hour, 40-minute sprint race – with Garcia also winning in 2014 with Jan Magnussen. The rapid Spaniard also is a two-time pole winner at The Glen (2019 and 2021 Six Hours) while his American teammate was the pole winner and set the fastest race lap in the ’21 sprint race. |
| Corvette Racing Media AdvisoryCorvette Racing will hold a press conference on its future plans in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at 11:15 a.m. ET on Friday, June 23 in the Watkins Glen Media Center Deadline Room. |
| The No. 3 Corvette team and its drivers sit fourth in GTD PRO points after four rounds. They are second, however, in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup standings following long-distance races at Daytona and Sebring. The IMEC is a four-race championship made up of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Watkins Glen and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans to end the season. At The Glen, points are earned at three and six hours with strategic decisions factoring in for both points in the IMEC as well as the regular class championship. In the Sebring round Garcia, Taylor and endurance teammate Tommy Milner scored the most points of any driving competition in GTD PRO. The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 25 and airs live on USA from 2 to 5 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will have live audio coverage on XM 207, SiriusXM Online 992 and IMSA.com, which will have IMSA Radio coverage of all practice sessions, Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race. |
| 2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After four of 11 events)Driver Standings1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 1,4152. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 1,3743. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 1,3244. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1,2975. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 1,136 Team Standings1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 1,4152. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 1,3743. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 1,3244. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 1,2975. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 1,136 Manufacturer Standings1. Lexus – 1,4152. Mercedes-AMG – 1,3743. Porsche – 1,3244. Chevrolet – 1,2975. Aston Martin – 1,146 CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: By the Numbers• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette• 2: Wins at Watkins Glen International in 2021 for Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor: the Sahlen’s Six Hours and the WeatherTech 240 in consecutive weeks• 2: Wins and pole positions in the Sahlen’s Six Hours for Antonio Garcia. He won GTLM in 2014 and 2021 and was the GTLM pole-sitter in 2019 and 2021• 3: Victories at Watkins Glen for Corvette Racing since its debut there in 2014: 2014 and 2021 Sahlen’s Six Hours, and 2021 WeatherTech 240• 5: Consecutive podium finishes for Antonio Garcia at Watkins Glen from 2017-2021• 9: Class victories for Corvette Racing at Le Mans – all since 2001. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone from this year’s GTE Am-winning Corvette are entered in separate entries at Watkins Glen• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001• 18: Victories for Chevrolet in the Sahlen’s Six Hours, ranking second among all manufacturers• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.• 125: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, nine at Le Mans – including two weeks ago – and three in the FIA WEC.• 274: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.• 8,976: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its nine previous trips to Watkins Glen. That represents 2,640 laps… or 1,360 laps around the original Watkins Glen historic circuit.• 357,522.73: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some! Corvette Racing at Watkins Glen (wins in bold)2014No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTLM (Team’s first race at Watkins Glen)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM 2015No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM (Ret., Accident) 2016No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 7th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM 2017No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM 2018No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM 2019No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GTLM (Garcia pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM (Accident on first lap) 2021No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Garcia pole)No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 4th in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap) 2021*No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Taylor pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 2nd in GTLM 2022No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 6th in GTD PRO * Two-hour, 40-minute sprint race |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek Begins With Stops at 81, Off Road
The tripleheader weekend kicks off a stretck of seven races in nine days through the Midwest
WICHITA, KS – June 21, 2023 – A weekend in America’s Heartland awaits the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models as they kick off the inaugural World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek.
A tripleheader weekend begins a stretch of seven races in nine days, starting with the Wichita Late Model Showdown June 23-24 at 81 Speedway in Wichita, KS.
Drivers will battle in 25-lap, split-field $4,000-to-win Features on Friday, June 23, accumulating points throughout the night.
Those points line up the Heat Races on Saturday, June 24, as competitors wage war for $30,000 in a 60-lap finale.
The Wichita Late Model Showdown will pay out a two-day total purse of $152,000.
Then, the Speedweek continues with an appearance at Off Road Speedway in Norfolk, NE, on Sunday, June 25—the first trip to the Cornhusker State for the World of Outlaws since 2008.
A winner’s share of $10,000 is on the line in a 40-lap Feature.
After Off Road, the World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek continues at Mason City Motor Speedway (June 27), Red River Valley Speedway (June 28), River Cities Speedway (June 30), and I-94 EMR Speedway (July 1).
For Tickets: CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App.
Here’s a look at the storylines entering this weekend:
Out In Front: As the Series moves into the Summer, Chris Madden stands tall at the top of the Series points standings.
The Gray Court, SC driver roars into 81 Speedway with a 40-point lead, coming off a third-place finish at Paducah International Raceway earlier this month.
In 14 races this season, Madden has only finished outside the top 10 twice, and both of his wins came at Sharon Speedway, a track similar in size to 81.
He’s made one appearance at 81 throughout his career, finishing eighth in 2017.
A win this weekend would be “Smokey’s” 36th career World of Outlaws victory.
Chasing Smokey: While Madden has held his spot at the top, three drivers are breathing down his neck after a strong showing in June’s Midwest tripleheader.
Bobby Pierce, Kyle Bronson, and Germfree Labs Rookie of the Year contender Nick Hoffman are in a three-way tie for second.
Pierce scored a win at Farmer City on June 1 and has a top-five finish in six out of the last eight races.
The Oakwood, IL driver has also found past success at 81, winning a Lucas Oil MLRA Feature last season.
Bronson enters the weekend after three straight podium finishes, including a win at Tri-City Speedway.
In the last 10 World of Outlaws Features, the Brandon, FL driver has only finished outside the top 10 twice.
A win this weekend would be his fourth World of Outlaws triumph.
While Hoffman didn’t score a win in the June tripleheader, he did score a top-five finish in all three races and was in contention for the win at both Farmer City and Tri-City.
The Mooresville, NC driver has hit the ground running in his Rookie season, with a win, seven top fives, and 11 top 10s.
He’s finished in the top 10 in nine of the last 10 races.
Hell Tour Heat: While Bronson, Pierce, and Hoffman enter the weekend with momentum, perhaps the hottest driver heading into 81 Speedway is Brian Shirley.
After scoring his first World of Outlaws win of the season at Paducah, the Chatham, IL driver kept his momentum rolling by winning three DIRTcar Summer Nationals Features last week, and the Week 1 points championship worth $10,000.
READ MORE: Brian Shirley Taking Summer Nationals Success into Heartland Speedweek
Shirley is currently fifth in the standings, 62 points behind Madden.
A win this weekend would be his eighth career World of Outlaws win.
A Champion’s Edge: The Wichita Late Model Showdown at 81 could be the weekend Brandon Sheppard breaks through with his first World of Outlaws win in a Longhorn Chassis.
The four-time champion has never lost a World of Outlaws Feature at 81, winning last October and back in 2017.
A win for Sheppard would be his 82nd career Series win, adding to his total at the top of the Series win list.
Former champions Dennis Erb Jr. and Shane Clanton also found success at 81 last October. The defending Series champion finished third, while the “Georgia Bulldog” finished 10th. Clanton also added a fifth there in 2017.
Like Sheppard, both are looking for their first World of Outlaws win of 2023.
Critical Experience: While Sheppard has won both Series appearances at 81, three other drivers have found Victory Lane during different events.
Along with Pierce’s win last year, both Cade Dillard and Ryan Gustin have won at 81 in USMTS Modified action.
However, only one full-time World of Outlaws driver has a Late Model win at 81 and Off Road—Johnny Scott.
The Las Cruces, NM driver won MLRA events at both tracks in 2022.
A win this weekend would be the Germfree Rookie of the Year contender’s first career World of Outlaws win.
WHEN AND WHERE
81 Speedway (3/8-mile) in Wichita, KS on June 23-24
Off Road Speedway (1/3-mile) in Norfolk, NE on June 25
ONLINE
81 Speedway: www.81speedway.com
Off Road Speedway: www.offroadspeedway.com
TRACK RECORD
81 Speedway:
15.718 by Mike Marlar on 10/22/22
Off Road Speedway:
13.366 by Justin Zeitner on 6/24/22
On the Internet
World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series
Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
FEATURE WINNERS: (10 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-2
Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2
Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-2 - Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, TN-1
Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-1
Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1
Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-1
HEAT RACE WINNERS (31 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-7
- Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-6
- Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-4
- Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-3
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3
Drake Troutman, Hyndman, PA-3
Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-3
Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-3 - Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-2
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2
Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-2
Max Blair, Centerville, PA-2
Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-2
Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-2
Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2 - Ricky Thornton Jr, Martinsville, IN-1
Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-1
Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1
Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1
Jensen Ford, Johnson City, TN-1
Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1
Chris Ferguson, Mt. Holly, NC-1
Todd Cooney, Des Moines, IA-1
Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
Doug Drown, Wooster, OH-1
Ryan Montgomery, Fairmont, WV-1
Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1
Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (20 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, NM-3
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3 - Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-2
Chub Frank, Bear Lake, PA-2
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2 - Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1
Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1
Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1
Ricky Thornton, Jr, Martinsville, IN-1
Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1
Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1
Carson Ferguson, Concord, NC-1
Garrett Smith, Eatonton, GA-1
Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM-1
Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1
Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1
Alex Ferree, Saxonburg, PA-1
Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1
Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1
PODIUM FINISHES (18 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums
- Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-6
- Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-5
- Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-4
- Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-3
Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-3
Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-3
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3 - Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2
Tanner English, Benton, KY-2
Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-2
Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-2 - Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, TN-1
Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1
Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1
Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1
FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER (11 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.
- Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2
Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-2
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1
Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-1
Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-1
Wil Herrington, Hawkinsville, GA-1
Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-1
Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-1
Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1
SIMPSON RACING PRODUCTS QUICK TIMES (12 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs
- Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-3
- Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2
- Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1
Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-1
Drake Troutman, Hyndman, PA-1
Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1
Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-1
Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1
Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
Kyle Bronson, Brandon FL-1
CASE FEATURE LAP LEADERS (19 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led
- Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-72
- Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-60
- Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-59
- Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-58
Tanner English, Benton, KY-58 - Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-54
- Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-41
- Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-38
- Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-29
- Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-28
Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-28 - Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-18
Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-15
Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-15
Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-15 - Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-14
- Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, TN-10
Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-6
Ryan Montgomery, Fairmont, WV-6
Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-1
Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1
2023 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & Winners
- Thursday, Jan. 19 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Devin Moran (1)
- Friday, Jan. 20/ Volusia Speedway Park/ Barberville, FL/ Devin Moran (2)
- Thursday, Feb. 16/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Bobby Pierce (1)
- Saturday, Feb. 18/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Hudson O’Neal (1)
- Thursday, April 20/ 411 Motor Speedway/ Seymour, TN/ Cory Hedgcock (1)
- Friday, April 21/ Talladega Short Track/ Eastaboga, AL/ Tanner English, Kyle Bronson/Brandon Overton*
- Saturday, April 22/ Talladega Short Track/ Eastaboga, AL/ Brandon Overton (1)
- Thursday, May 4/Mississippi Thunder Speedway/Fountain City, WI/Brandon Sheppard, Cade Dillard*
- Friday, May 19/Marion Center Raceway/Marion Center, PA/Ryan Gustin(1)
- Tuesday, May 23/ Stateline Speedway/Busti, NY/ Nick Hoffman (1)
- Thursday, May 25/ Sharon Speedway/ Hartford, OH/Chris Madden (1)
- Friday, May 26/Sharon Speedway/Hartford, OH/Ryan Gustin (2)
- Saturday, May 27/Sharon Speedway/Hartford, OH/Chris Madden (2)
- Thursday, June 1/ Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL/Bobby Pierce (2)
- Friday, June 2/ Tri-City Speedway/Granite City, IL/Kyle Bronson (1)
- Saturday, June 3/ Paducah International Raceway/Paducah, KY/Brian Shirley (1)
Moyer Jr. Capitalizes on Troutman’s Flat Tire to Win at Moberly
Feger posts third runner-up in six races, Blight nails best career finish in third
MOBERLY, MO (June 20, 2023) – A fast car, a growing lead, and the final laps closing in. Drake Troutman was only moments away from his first career DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory Tuesday night at Moberly Motorsports Park. And then, pop.
The right-rear tire on Troutman’s Wheeler Fleet Solutions, Jay Dickens/Longhorn #7 had blown while entering Turn 3, dramatically slowing him through Turn 4 before the caution was thrown. He pulled behind the wall and into the pit area, and just like that, the 18-year-old Pennsylvanian’s run was over in a matter of seconds.
Outside polesitter Billy Moyer Jr. had been stalking him a handful of car lengths behind, waiting for his opportunity to strike and take the lead back. He inherited the lead under the yellow, fended off a hard-charging Jason Feger, Morgan Bagley and Kye Blight in the closing laps and brought the field back around to the checkers to win his 11th career Hell Tour Feature in the opening race of Week 2.
“Eleven Summer Nationals wins – that’s pretty cool,” Moyer Jr. said. “I’ve been around this a long time and watched a lot of guys who ran a lot of Summer Nationals races and never won more than three or four. So, it’s pretty cool to win 11.”
Back in the pits, Troutman stood by his car, knowing it was fast, despite the bitter outcome.
“That was an upsetting deal, for sure,” he said.
On the other side, Moyer Jr. celebrated his $5,000 victory and recalled the moment when he saw Troutman’s right-rear issue, knowing he was about to be the leader for the final restart.
“My first thought was, ‘Alright, now don’t let anybody behind you get you,’” Moyer Jr. said. “We had a little luck, so we’ll take it.”
Moyer’s run to the checkers started with a run out front for the first 16 circuits of the 30-lap event. Troutman trailed him by only a half-second on average every lap, waiting for Moyer to make a mistake and capitalize.
The two leaders broke away from the pack and soon dipped into lapped traffic, where the gap tightened the most. Troutman ramped-up the banking in Turn 1 with a great burst of speed on Lap 17 and drove right around Moyer Jr. on the top side, sealing the pass down the backstretch.
“We were just kinda riding around there, and if the right opportunity came, we were going to take it,” Troutman said. “[Moyer Jr.] ended up moving down that one trip for the lapper and it just opened up the door for me.”
Though he had just lost the lead, Moyer Jr. had already devised a plan to put himself in a spot to regain it.
“Once [Troutman] got by me, I knew I had a [big gap] on third place – I was just halfway cruising,” Moyer Jr. said. “I was trying to get [Troutman], but I was thinking at that point, it was gonna be hard to pass him. So now, I was trying to make my tires last. And we did, luckily.”
Once he did, there was no stopping Moyer Jr, who cruised to the Week 2 Summer Nationals victory in his first start of the season.
UP NEXT
The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models head to the famed Iowa 1/4-mile of Davenport Speedway in Davenport, IA, for a Wednesday night show on June 21. Tickets will available at the gate; streaming is available at DIRTVision.com.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 21J-Billy Moyer Jr[2]; 2. 25-Jason Feger[7]; 3. 31AUS-Kye Blight[4]; 4. 42-Chad Finley[9]; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 6. 15-Clayton Stuckey[6]; 7. 58-Tyler Clem[12]; 8. 4G-Bob Gardner[16]; 9. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[17]; 10. 42H-Johnathan Huston[14]; 11. 14X-David Melloway[21]; 12. 50K-Kayden Clatt[13]; 13. 38-Thomas Hunziker[22]; 14. 14M-Morgan Bagley[1]; 15. 7-Drake Troutman[5]; 16. 22R-Will Roland[11]; 17. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[10]; 18. 5-Austin Vincent[15]; 19. 101-Forrest Trent[18]; 20. 30-Mark Voigt[20]; 21. 4D-Doug Tye[19]; 22. 12-Ashton Winger[3]
Beccera Wins First Career Summit Modified Feature at Moberly
Austen Beccera collected his first career DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Feature win Tuesday at Moberly Motorsports Park, surrounded by his family and friends.
Beccera, of Carthage, IL, took the lead on Lap 2 of the Feature and never looked back, denying runner-up Chris Spalding’s early challenge for the lead and running away to bag the $1,500 check. He noted the tough frontrunners he faced in the event and took pride in the triumph over his fellow Illinois/Missouri rivals.
“Michael [Long] is here, Dave [Wietholder] is really fast, [Chris] Spalding has been running pretty good back at our local track – it’s good to have some decent cars here,” Beccera said. “It feels pretty good to get a win.”
UP NEXT
The Summit Modifieds take Wednesday off before returning to action Thursday, June 22 at Spoon River Speedway in Lewistown, IL. Tickets will available at the gate; streaming is available at DIRTVision.com.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)
Feature (15 Laps): 1. 22-Austen Becerra[2]; 2. 00S-Chris Spalding[3]; 3. 28-Preston Dawson[5]; 4. 9-Charles Baker[6]; 5. 05-Dave Wietholder[7]; 6. 29-Jace Gay[4]; 7. 18L-Michael Long[1]
JOSH HART READY TO CLOSE DEAL IN NORWALK
| OCALA, FL (June 20, 2023) — The R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will be rolling into Summit Equipment Motorsports Park looking to grab one more win light this year. Team owner and driver Josh Hart raced through three rounds at America’s Racetrack and then his momentum was sidelined by a rainstorm before the final. Hart missed picking up his third career Top Fuel win and the young driver used that experience as a motivator moving forward in his career. This weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, June 23-25, Hart will bring his 12,0000-horsepower R+L Carriers land rocket to the track with his focus on picking up his first win of the season. “We have been making steady progress all season with a new racecar and we have made major strides in the past two races,” said Hart, who has five career final round appearances in Top Fuel. “Getting to the final round in Chicago was big and we lost a close race to my friend Clay Millican. We ran two races in one weekend in Bristol and our R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster made some strong passes. We just need to string four good qualifying runs together and then four good runs on Sunday.” Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery Hart has kept a laser focus on the development of his team since he burst onto the scene during the 2021 NHRA season. Last year was his first full year on tour and this season the young driver who is establishing himself as a leader in the category is finding his way on and off the track. “A lot of people don’t know how much time it takes to run a race team and race competitively,” said Hart, who also owns Burnyzz Speed Shop in Ocala, Florida. “I manage two teams all the time with the assistance of some great teammates. I have my Burnyzz team in Ocala, Florida, and then this R+L Carriers Top Fuel team based out of Brownsburg, Indiana. There are a lot of similarities between the two but there is really no crossover. I think it makes me a better driver when I focus on the task at hand and I am seeing positive results.” Hart’s racing operation is a collaborative effort with veteran crew chief Ron Douglas. The Douglas and Hart combination have built a program that continues to improve race to race. The two soft-spoken racing professionals understand the season is a marathon not a sprint. “Working with Ron Douglas has been a blessing,” said Hart. “He is a tremendous crew chief but more than that he really does a great job running the motorsports operation out of Brownsburg. I knew when I gave him an ownership stake in the team we were going to be together for a long time. I want to win a lot of races with him and he is putting me in a great position to be successful.” This season Hart got off to a slower than expected start, but the team did not panic and over the past five races there has only been one first round exit combined with three final round appearances including but four-wide national events when Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team were competing in the final quad. The race in Chicago was a breakthrough and quick runs in Bristol also have the team eager to get to Norwalk where the track will be quick and conditions should be perfect for great times and speeds. “Norwalk is one of those places you want to put on a good show,” said Hart. “The Bader family pours their hearts into the race and as a competitor you want to give them everything you have because you know how hard they are working. They will have a great crowd and there is an R+L Carriers facility right across the street so we are looking to represent R+L Carriers with a strong performance. The Top Fuel teams will get on the track on Friday for two qualifying runs at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET and they will be back on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to wrap up qualifying. The quickest 16 Top Fuel dragsters will hit the track in head-to-head action on Sunday, June 25, at 11:00 a.m. ET with the race being broadcast nationally on FOX from 4:00-7:00 p.m. ET. |
Daniels and Co. Attempt to Slow Mees’ Roll at Lima Half-Mile
| DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 20, 2023) – Following three straight Miles, Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, now shifts its gears to race four consecutive Half-Miles starting with this weekend’s Mission Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, on Saturday, June 24. Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) comes in with all the momentum after sweeping the aforementioned Miles. He’s also fully at home at the venue with its trademark pea-gravel cushion, considering he’s not just a five-time winner of the race but also its promoter with wife Nichole. Even with all that considered, Mees isn’t necessarily the overwhelming favorite to win this weekend; several others have a legitimate claim as well. Even as a rookie, Mission SuperTwins points leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) looked like the rider to beat pretty much all day here a year ago. In the Main Event, he fought his way up from a bad start to battle for the lead before coming home in second place. And the rider who ultimately beat Daniels was not Mees, but rather Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750). Robinson, who comes in fresh off an ultra-close runner-up result at the DuQuoin Mile, is a two-time winner of the Lima Half-Mile and driven to score his first victory of ‘23. That’s also the case for Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke), another two-time winner of the prestigious event. Bauman was as strong as he’s been all season this past weekend and is now primed to capitalize as the season shifts to some tracks well aligned with his strengths. JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) have all had their moments this season and look to add some more this weekend as the trio headline an extended list of additional podium contenders. Another rider to keep tabs on is the returning Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), who won the Mission Production Twins race aboard the Royal Enfield here in 2021. Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER The hard-won points advantage of defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) took something of a battering during the recent run of Miles. This didn’t come entirely unexpectedly, and despite the dip, he still managed to weather the storm and continues to stand atop the championship standings. Now he’s poised to strike back. A year ago, the foundations of Kopp’s championship campaign were built on his Half-Mile prowess, reeling in five HM victories in eight attempts. Included in that list of wins was a blowout performance at the Lima Half-Mile, in which he shook free from the pack on the race’s opening lap and never looked back. The riders who joined him on the podium that night will look to make it more of a contest this time around, as both come into the weekend considerably more experienced and in stellar form. Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) is just nine points behind Kopp on the strength of five consecutive podiums, four of which runner-ups. And he’s the opposite of satisfied by that impressive stat considering he’s still seeking his first Progressive AFT victory after multiple near-misses. Even with Kopp’s one-sided victory, the rider who turned the most heads at Lima a year ago was arguably Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who finished in second while making his series’ debut. The Aussie is a class full-timer now and quickly making his presence felt, notching up a pair of race wins already in ‘23. The rest of the usual suspects should factor up front again this weekend, including the likes of Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). While a bit quiet at the last two rounds, 1st Impressions Husqvarna teammates Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450) might just make more noise this weekend. Cose managed to win a Mission Production Twins race and podium in Parts Unlimited AFT Singles at Lima on a single evening back in ‘19, while Ott finished inside the top five here just last year. And don’t rule out a huge night for Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 450 SX-F), who was victorious at Lima in both 2018 and 2019. There will be plenty to keep fans entertained at the track on Saturday as well, including numerous vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and extensive motorcycle parking. Don’t miss your last chance to save $10 per ticket before the sale ends and prices return to normal on Wednesday, June 21. Act fast to get General Admission Bleacher ticketsfor just $30 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult GA ticket). Upgraded options include Reserved Grandstand and Premier Reserved Grandstand tickets along with VIP ticket add-ons. 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/meespromotions/events/lima-half-mile-58771 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. ET (3:40 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 the Mission Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, July 2, at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 p.m. PT). For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. |
