NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACE WAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES MARCH 7, 2026

Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR CUP SERIESPHOENIX RACEWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESMARCH 7, 2026

Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:   You’ve raced a lot of other stuff outside of NASCAR. Is there any realistic possibility or chance we see you one day racing in endurance in Europe?“Not anytime soon. No, I’m pretty committed to NASCAR and what I’ve got going here. I’ve always dreamed of racing at Le Mans and stuff like that. But yeah, it’s going to have to wait.”   Did you enjoy participating in the latest edition of Full Speed? What was the most satisfying aspect of that for you?“Yeah, I really enjoyed it. I’m very new to NASCAR, obviously, and although I feel like I’ve made it to the Cup Series quickly, not a lot of people really know me, how I got here or much about me at all. So yeah, it’s cool to share my story a little bit through that docuseries. I haven’t watched it yet, but I saw clips from it before they posted. I thought they did a really good job piecing everything together. I was going to watch it on the flight here, but I ended up playing Mario Kart the whole flight. But I’ll end up watching it sometime here in the next few days.”   With some of the drivers having issues with cool shirts last week, do you relook at what you do, or do you just have confidence in what your team’s doing with it?“Yeah, I mean, it’s always a risk when you wear that thing is that it could always fail. But you know, you have t to have airflow to it. That’s a big part of it. If you cut off the airflow to the cool shirt box, it gets hot and fails. I’ve always made sure to tell my team that I’ll give up a count or two of downforce to make sure that I’m not going to burn up inside the race car, and if that means flowing a little extra air to it, then so be it.  But you know, I’ve never had one of those fail… knock on wood. But yeah, surely last week if mine failed, it would have been a really tough day. It was already hot and when those things fail, it gets hotter than just being in the car without anything.  Yeah, it’s always a risk. But thankfully, I haven’t had one fail on me yet.”   I don’t know how many times you’ve run for points, but is it startling to see yourself 32nd?“It’s not what we want, obviously. Although it’s early, you still think about it. But it’s a very long season. We’re three races into 36, so although I’d rather be sitting inside the top-10 and say ‘yeah, it’s good’, a lot of it’s out of our control. I feel like we’ve ran better than 32nd in points so far this year, and the results just haven’t really shown it. So yeah, we just got to keep doing our thing and it’ll turn around.”   I’m curious if you’ve found that people are willing to run with you because you bring such a strong resume into the series? Have you not had that kind of a problem in terms of getting people to run with you? What would you say has been the biggest lesson that you’ve learned as a full-time Cup Series driver?  “Yes and no. I mean, I think if Joey Logano’s lined up behind me and he has the option to push Brad Keselowksi who’s got 25 years of experience, or me, he’s probably going to push Brad. But I think it definitely helps not having a bad reputation, so I think there’s a lot of guys that are willing to work with me. But, you know, not a lot of people have seen me on track to trust me or whatever it is. But yeah, it’s definitely something that you build over time and it’ll continue to grow.I would say after each race, you can’t let it get to you. Obviously I’ve had a couple rough weeks so far, but you just have to keep doing the same thing and know that it’s going to turn back your way eventually and that things are going to start to go well. After the first two weeks, I was sitting dead last in points. I went to COTA last week and felt like I had a chance to win the race and finish 14th. It sucks, but you got to know that there’s a lot left in front of you and you can’t stress on the things that are out of your control.”   You said you played a little bit of Mario Kart on the flight down here. Who’s your main character and what’s your favorite track?“Yeah, a couple of my crew guys on my team, we all have Nintendo Switches and we hop on Mario Kart on the fligh

Davenport Makes History with 95th Career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Victory

WAYNESVILLE, GA (March 6, 2026) – Jonathan Davenport made Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing history on Friday night, scoring the 95th win of his career by capturing the 50-lap, $12,000-to-win Wieland Winter Nationals feature at Golden Isles Speedway. With the victory, Davenport becomes the all-time winningest driver in series history, breaking a tie with the late Scott Bloomquist. Tyler Erb rallied from the outside of the seventh row to finish second, followed by Ricky Thornton Jr., Max Blair, and Ethan Dotson rounding out the top five. Blair earned the Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race award after passing 22 cars en route to his fourth-place finish. Brandon Overton raced to the early lead, pulling away with Brian Shirley and Davenport in the opening 10 laps until the first caution flew with 11 laps complete. Overton led the first 14 laps before Davenport cleared him for the top spot on lap 15. Current Midwest Sheet Metal points leader Hudson O’Neal was on the move during the first half of the race, advancing from his 17th starting position to take second on lap 33. A pair of caution flags kept the field tightly bunched, and Erb capitalized by slipping past O’Neal on the bottom groove on lap 41. The final caution waved with 41 of the 50 laps complete, setting up a dash to the finish. With Davenport committed to the high side of the racetrack, Erb searched for speed on the bottom in turns three and four, briefly closing the gap. However, Davenport maintained control to secure his third straight win of the week at Golden Isles and his series-record 95th career victory. Davenport will now attempt a weekend sweep on Saturday night in the $25,000-to-win Wieland Winter Nationals finale. “It was fun for sure tonight. There were a couple of times I had to hit the brake pedal,” Davenport said. “I saw him (Brandon Overton) coming, and I got turned back under him. We were just sliding back and forth, and that was definitely a lot of fun. Turns three and four were just a little bit different tonight. I felt like the shelf was more aggressive, and it was starting to rubber right against it. There were a couple of times when I hit it just right that I could roll around there pretty good without being all the way up on it.” “One time I went through there really fast and about knocked the wall down. I thought I had a flat because it started vibrating, but I think my stuff was just worn out. Tyler (Erb) must have been really good to get up there. I could see him down there, but after running the top so many laps and hitting my marks, I didn’t think he could get a run to the flag stand coming to the white or the checkered and try to slide me.” Erb, who started 14th and worked primarily the bottom groove, finished just 0.992 seconds behind Davenport. “I didn’t think I was going to catch him following him through three and four, and I felt like one and two were faster around the top,” Erb said. “I just committed to running that line. I really didn’t want that last caution. I got ahead of Hudson but just didn’t have quite enough. Starting 14th and finishing second is pretty good. We’ll try again tomorrow. It was a good race.” Thornton, who started eighth, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “With 15 to go, I thought if I just finish here it’s going to be a good night, and it turned out to be a good night for us,” said the 2024 series champion. “I qualified well again. I was really good in the heat race, and overall we just put ourselves in a solid position.” Davenport’s Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Ace Doran Hauling and Rigging, Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas. Completing the top 10 were Hudson O’Neal, Garrett Alberson, Kyle Bronson, Dillon McCowan, and Garrett Smith. The 15-lap 604 Late Model feature went to veteran racer Ross Bailes of Clover, South Carolina, who drove the Pursley Racing entry to the $1,500 victory. Bailes led all but the opening lap. Griffin Smith, winner of Thursday night’s 602 Late Model feature, finished second, followed by Adam Yarbrough, Michael Brown, and Trent Ivey. The $2,000-to-win Crown Vic feature concluded with Hunter Thigpen of Lyons, Georgia, in Victory Lane after Daniel Starner made contact with race leader Johnny Collins on the final lap, sending Collins spinning. Starner was disqualified from the event. Brody Collins was credited with second, followed by Tony Bromley, Adam Chambers, and Daniel Baldwin. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsFriday, March 6, 2026Golden Isles Speedway | Waynesville, GA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Michael Leach | 15.140 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B:Kyle Bronson | 15.257 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 2. 09-Michael Leach[1]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 4. 14-Trey Mills[2]; 5. 88-Trent Ivey[5]; 6. 99-Devin Moran[6]; 7. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[8]; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[11]; 9. 388-Jackson Hise[7]; 10. 79-Donald McIntosh[9]; 11. 93L-Cory Lawler[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 3. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[4]; 5. 71-Hudson O’Neal[6]; 6. 111-Max Blair[10]; 7. 60-Dan Ebert[11]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[5]; 9. 8-Dillon McCowan[8]; 10. 555-Brock Pinkerous[9]; 11. 81F-Jadon Frame[3] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 16-Cody Overton[3]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 5. 13-Dallon Murty[8]; 6. 19M-Brenden Smith[5]; 7. 16S-Sam Seawright[9]; 8. 15K-Cory Hedgecock[6]; 9. 16B-Ross Bailes[10]; 10. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[7]; 11. (DNS) 35-Christian Augspurger Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 5-Mark Whitener[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[5]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[7]; 6. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 7. 55-Benji Hicks[8]; 8. 93J-Donovan Jackson[10]; 9. 77-Preston Luckman[9]; 10. 11-Josh Rice[4] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 2. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 3. 88-Trent Ivey[1]; 4. 111-Max Blair[4]; 5. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 6. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 7. 8-Dillon McCowan[10]; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[7]; 9. 555-Brock Pinkerous[12]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8]; 11. 93L-Cory Lawler[13]; 12. 79-Donald McIntosh[11]; 13. 388-Jackson Hise[9]; 14. (DNS) 81F-Jadon Frame UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 13-Dallon Murty[1]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 3. 16S-Sam Seawright[5]; 4. 19M-Brenden Smith[3]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 6. 15K-Cory Hedgecock[7]; 7. 93J-Donovan Jackson[8]; 8. 16B-Ross Bailes[9]; 9. 55-Benji Hicks[6]; 10. 11-Josh Rice[12]; 11. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[11]; 12. 77-Preston Luckman[10]; 13. 35-Christian Augspurger[13] Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (50 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 3 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $12,0002 – 14 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $6,0003 – 8 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $3,5004 – 26 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,9005 – 11 – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – $2,5006 – 17 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $2,4007 – 7 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $2,2008 – 10 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,1009 – 27 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $1,15010 – 15 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $2,00011 – 16 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,60012 – 1 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,40013 – 2 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $1,20014 – 23 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $1,10015 – 20 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,05016 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $1,00017 – 12 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $1,00018 – 18 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $1,00019 – 25 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $10020 – 9 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,00021 – 19 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $1,00022 – 13 – 14 – Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – $1,00023 – 22 – 16S – Sam Seawright – Fort Payne, AL – $1,00024 – 28 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $10025 – 4 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $1,00026 – 21 – 88 – Trent Ivey – Union, SC – $1,00027 – 6 – 16 – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $1,00028 – 5 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – $1,000 Race Statistics  Entrants: 43Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brian ShirleyMD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1-12); Jonathan Davenport (Lap 13); Brandon Overton (Lap 14); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 15-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 0.992 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Michael Leach (Lap 11); Cody Overton, Freddie Carpenter (Lap 11 restart); Freddie Carpenter (Lap 29); Sam Seawright (Lap 37); Brandon Sheppard (Lap 41); Trey Mills (Lap 41 restart)MyRacePass Series Provisionals: Devin Moran; Dan EbertFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: Cory Lawler; Max Blair; Dillon McCowan; Freddie CarpenterTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton, Jr.Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max Blair, Ethan DotsonBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton, Jr.PEM 4th Place Feature: Max BlairDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Ethan DotsonWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Clay HarrisVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Daniel HilsabeckHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Max Blair (Advanced 22 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (36 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O’NealO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport | Lap 40 | 15.736 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Cody OvertonVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton Jr.Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory FostvedtARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Mark Whitener | 15.4932 secondsTime of Race: 34 minutes 39 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1210 – $74,7002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1135 – $51,5003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1110 – $27,2504 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1020 – $18,9505 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1015 – $25,2006 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 975 – $13,6757 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 970 – $15,4008 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 955 – $33,5009 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 905 – $15,35010 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 905 – $16,80011 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 880 – $14,00012 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 865 – $13,87513 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 840 – $10,62514 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 795 – $8,90015 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 785 – $6,97516 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 745 – $9,00017 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 740 – $9,42518 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 690 – $4,82519 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 670 – $5,55020 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 670 – $4,70021 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 665 – $6,35022 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 640 – $6,92523 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – 610 – $3,22524 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 575 – $1,000

The 10-time champion slices through traffic to end long winless drought

EASTABOGA, AL (March 6, 2026) – Make no mistake about it, Donny Schatz is back.

Last year served up perhaps the most trying time of his career. After battling struggles through the first half of 2025, Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing parted ways in August. Schatz patched together plans to finish his 29th consecutive World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season, driving for four different teams over the last few months. He went winless for the first time since his rookie year in 1997.

But throughout it all, Schatz made one thing clear: he’s not done. The 10-time champion linked up with CJB Motorsports for his 30th season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. They unloaded with speed at Volusia Speedway Park to open the campaign, but gremlins continued to cause them to start toward the tail of the field.

Then on Friday the scene shifted to Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track, and Schatz and the CJB crew put together a nearly perfect night. They timed in second quickest in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Schatz won his Heat Race and followed that by topping the Toyota Dash. That lined him up on the pole for the 35-lap Feature, and Schatz was just about perfect.

He faced early pressure from Bryce Lucius and Sheldon Haudenschild, but once the leaders got to traffic, the Fargo, ND driver took them to school. Schatz moved all over the track as he put cars between himself and Haudenschild and drove away to one of the most popular wins we’ll see all year.

“I just can’t remember the last one,” Schatz admitted. “It was a long time ago. What can you say? These guys. Chad (Clemens) built this team from the ground up. We didn’t want to do anything to cripple Brenham (Crouch) in any way. These guys worked their tails off this winter. When we went to Volusia, I said, ‘I think if we’re alright, we can win a race there.’ I felt like we were good enough to. We just didn’t get things to go the right way. But, man, Talladega. We just had a solid all night performance. To get back to Victory Lane feels really good. It’s like getting a monkey off your back.”

The triumph was Schatz’s first trip to World of Outlaws Victory Lane in 510 days dating back to Oct. 12, 2024 at Lincoln Speedway. He’d never won at Talladega before, making it the 90th different track that his now 317 career checkered flags are spread across. For CJB, Schatz becomes the sixth different driver to top a World of Outlaws race with the Chad Clemens-owned team, joining David Gravel, Paul McMahan, Spencer Bayston, Fred Rahmer, and Shane Stewart.

Sheldon Haudenschild’s punctuated a strong week for himself and KCP Racing with a runner-up result.

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid bounced back from Monday’s mechanical misfortune with a third place effort.

Bryce Lucius and Garet Williamson completed the top five.

With Carson Macedo finishing seventh and David Gravel in 11th, the two are now knotted atop the standings.

NIGHTLY NOTES:

Cole Macedo clocked the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

Sheldon Haudenschild recorded his second straight Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Bill Balog (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Donny Schatz (DIRTVision Heat Two), and Buddy Kofoid (WIX Filters Heat Three).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Bryce Lucius.

Donny Schatz topped the Toyota Dash.

Giovanni Scelzi debuted the Spire Motorsports No. 77 Sprint Car and wheeled it from 22nd to 14th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Carson Macedo was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Ashton Torgerson finished 12th to notch his third consecutive Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Buddy Kofoid’s 12.933 was enough to grab the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Cole Macedo.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to Texas for a weekend at Kennedale Speedway Park on March 13-14. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you get tickets to see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz[1]; 2. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[4]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 4. 32-Bryce Lucius[2]; 5. 23-Garet Williamson[8]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog[5]; 7. 41-Carson Macedo[13]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart[7]; 9. 9-Daison Pursley[9]; 10. 17-Spencer Bayston[6]; 11. 2-David Gravel[17]; 12. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[12]; 13. 7S-Chris Windom[14]; 14. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[22]; 15. 19-Brent Marks[18]; 16. 27-Emerson Axsom[11]; 17. 9R-Chase Randall[10]; 18. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[20]; 19. 15K-Creed Kemenah[19]; 20. 40-Howard Moore[15]; 21. 16C-Scotty Thiel[21]; 22. 98-Ricky Peterson[25]; 23. 28M-Conner Morrell[23]; 24. 51-Scott Bogucki[24]; 25. 2C-Cole Macedo[16]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/hes-back-donny-schatz-delivers-talladega-masterclass-for-first-win-with-cjb/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=4549528
TRACK INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/tracks/?track=Talladega%2BShort%2BTrack

HE’S BACK: Donny Schatz Delivers Talladega Masterclass for First Win with CJB

The 10-time champion slices through traffic to end long winless drought

EASTABOGA, AL (March 6, 2026) – Make no mistake about it, Donny Schatz is back.

Last year served up perhaps the most trying time of his career. After battling struggles through the first half of 2025, Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing parted ways in August. Schatz patched together plans to finish his 29th consecutive World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season, driving for four different teams over the last few months. He went winless for the first time since his rookie year in 1997.

But throughout it all, Schatz made one thing clear: he’s not done. The 10-time champion linked up with CJB Motorsports for his 30th season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. They unloaded with speed at Volusia Speedway Park to open the campaign, but gremlins continued to cause them to start toward the tail of the field.

Then on Friday the scene shifted to Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track, and Schatz and the CJB crew put together a nearly perfect night. They timed in second quickest in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Schatz won his Heat Race and followed that by topping the Toyota Dash. That lined him up on the pole for the 35-lap Feature, and Schatz was just about perfect.

He faced early pressure from Bryce Lucius and Sheldon Haudenschild, but once the leaders got to traffic, the Fargo, ND driver took them to school. Schatz moved all over the track as he put cars between himself and Haudenschild and drove away to one of the most popular wins we’ll see all year.

“I just can’t remember the last one,” Schatz admitted. “It was a long time ago. What can you say? These guys. Chad (Clemens) built this team from the ground up. We didn’t want to do anything to cripple Brenham (Crouch) in any way. These guys worked their tails off this winter. When we went to Volusia, I said, ‘I think if we’re alright, we can win a race there.’ I felt like we were good enough to. We just didn’t get things to go the right way. But, man, Talladega. We just had a solid all night performance. To get back to Victory Lane feels really good. It’s like getting a monkey off your back.”

The triumph was Schatz’s first trip to World of Outlaws Victory Lane in 510 days dating back to Oct. 12, 2024 at Lincoln Speedway. He’d never won at Talladega before, making it the 90th different track that his now 317 career checkered flags are spread across. For CJB, Schatz becomes the sixth different driver to top a World of Outlaws race with the Chad Clemens-owned team, joining David Gravel, Paul McMahan, Spencer Bayston, Fred Rahmer, and Shane Stewart.

Sheldon Haudenschild’s punctuated a strong week for himself and KCP Racing with a runner-up result.

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid bounced back from Monday’s mechanical misfortune with a third place effort.

Bryce Lucius and Garet Williamson completed the top five.

With Carson Macedo finishing seventh and David Gravel in 11th, the two are now knotted atop the standings.

NIGHTLY NOTES:

Cole Macedo clocked the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

Sheldon Haudenschild recorded his second straight Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Bill Balog (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Donny Schatz (DIRTVision Heat Two), and Buddy Kofoid (WIX Filters Heat Three).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Bryce Lucius.

Donny Schatz topped the Toyota Dash.

Giovanni Scelzi debuted the Spire Motorsports No. 77 Sprint Car and wheeled it from 22nd to 14th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Carson Macedo was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Ashton Torgerson finished 12th to notch his third consecutive Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Buddy Kofoid’s 12.933 was enough to grab the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Cole Macedo.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars head to Texas for a weekend at Kennedale Speedway Park on March 13-14. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you get tickets to see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 15-Donny Schatz[1]; 2. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[4]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 4. 32-Bryce Lucius[2]; 5. 23-Garet Williamson[8]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog[5]; 7. 41-Carson Macedo[13]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart[7]; 9. 9-Daison Pursley[9]; 10. 17-Spencer Bayston[6]; 11. 2-David Gravel[17]; 12. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[12]; 13. 7S-Chris Windom[14]; 14. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[22]; 15. 19-Brent Marks[18]; 16. 27-Emerson Axsom[11]; 17. 9R-Chase Randall[10]; 18. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[20]; 19. 15K-Creed Kemenah[19]; 20. 40-Howard Moore[15]; 21. 16C-Scotty Thiel[21]; 22. 98-Ricky Peterson[25]; 23. 28M-Conner Morrell[23]; 24. 51-Scott Bogucki[24]; 25. 2C-Cole Macedo[16]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/hes-back-donny-schatz-delivers-talladega-masterclass-for-first-win-with-cjb/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=4549528
TRACK INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/tracks/?track=Talladega%2BShort%2BTrack

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Kody Kopp (No. 12) sweeps the opening rounds of the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season at the Daytona Flat Track. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Unstoppable Kopp Uncorks DAYTONA Double

Kody Kopp (No. 12) sweeps the opening rounds of the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season at the Daytona Flat Track. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 6, 2026) – One night after his history-making Mission AFT SuperTwins debut, Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) raised the bar that much higher with an even more convincing repeat performance in the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II. Kopp’s remarkable DAYTONA Flat Track double victory adds fuel to an already scorching hot Grand National Championship landscape, laying the early groundwork for what should prove to be a scintillating 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. Main Event 1 The series brought back the high-stakes, high-intensity Mission Triple Challenge format first introduced in ‘25 for the second night of the DAYTONA doubleheader. Under those rules, three successive Main Events – a 10-lap sprint, a 15-lapper that pays double points, and a final 20-lap Main which concludes the night with triple the points – combined to determine the evening’s overall winner. And with lap times in the 17-second range, that first 10-lap battle immediately threw the contenders into the fire. Reigning Grand National Champion Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) lunged ahead of surprise polesitter Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust Advisors Harley-Davidson XG750R) off the line, but both riders were immediately overtaken by Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke). After a bit of back-and-forth, Daniels settled in on Fisher’s tail, while RoosEvans turned his attention to fending off Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Jacob Construction/Parts Plus Harley-Davidson XG750R). Everything was reset on lap 6 of 10, however, when LCQ winner Logan Mcgrane (No. 14 Schaffers MotorSports/Ryan Varnes Racing KTM 790 Duke) crashed, bringing out a red flag. Fisher resumed his advantage off the staggered restart and successfully held Daniels at bay to the checkered flag. RoosEvans retained his position in third as well, leaving the major happenings behind the top three.  Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) got a flier of a restart, storming around the outside of Bauman for fourth. While Bauman fought back through, Thursday winner Kopp powered forward, pushing his way past Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/OnlyFans/Castrol Yamaha MT-07) and then closing in on Robinson for fifth. Kopp made good on that threat, overtaking Robinson on the final lap to claim a spot inside the top five. Meanwhile, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods Honda CB750 Hornet), who was forced to burn his provisional start just to make the Main, fought his way up to eighth to secure himself a better starting position and brighter prospects for the subsequent Mains. Main Event 2 Momentum from Main Event 1 carried over for the aforementioned pair of rising stars. Starting on the inside of Row 2, Kopp continued his aggressive push up the order, first forcing his way under Daniels and then doing the same to Bauman to climb into second on the race’s opening lap. One lap later, the Latus Motors Racing ace slipped past Main Event 1 winner Fisher to take the lead and promptly escape at the front. Lowe, too, picked up where he left off. Starting from the outside of Row 2, Lowe followed Kopp through the field, moving into second on lap 3. From there, the American Honda-backed Lowe was the only rider who could even keep Kopp honest – finishing just under a second back – while a field packed with proven premier-class heroes was left to tangle for third. Daniels and Bauman crossed each other up for position on more than one occasion before the Estenson Racing star got a firm hold on fourth. Once there, he reeled in third-placed Fisher. But yet again, he was unable to find a way through at the stripe. Bauman held on for fifth, followed by Robinson, Henry Wiles (No. 911 J&M Logging/Ray C’s Harley-Davidson Kawasaki Ninja 650), and Halbert. Main Event 3 Kopp hustled his Harley-Davidson XG750R into the lead at the start of the third and decisive Main with Lowe and Fisher in close contention.  While those three streaked away at the front, Daniels was shuffled down to eighth, trailing Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07), Halbert, Robinson, and Bauman, in addition to the leading trio. For a moment, Kopp actually looked vulnerable. He was displaced by both Fisher and Lowe in quick succession with 16 of 20 laps remaining. However, rather than get discouraged, the heralded premier-class rookie regrouped, adjusted, and retaliated. He reclaimed his position out front with 11 laps to go and continued to build upon his advantage, taking the checkered flag with a healthy 1.195-second margin in the end. That distance was actually Daniels, who made a characteristic charge late. This time, he finally found a way past Fisher, slipping through on the final lap of the final Main. That move also saw him edge ahead of Fisher in the combined results with Kopp (5-1-1) finishing first, followed by Daniels (2-4-2) and Fisher (1-3-3). While Robinson passed Lowe late in Main Event 3, Lowe (8-2-5) wound up fourth in the combined order, followed closely by Robinson (6-6-4). Title hopeful Bauman (4-5-7) was credited with sixth overall. As a result, Kopp leads the championship chase following the opening two rounds with a perfect 46 points. Defending champ Daniels ranks second at 38, followed by Fisher with 29. Kopp said, “I knew what I had to do, and I know what I’m capable of – that’s all I’ve got to say. I work my butt off for this, and this is what I want to do for my life. To have this opportunity with George Latus, Bob Lanphere, Dave Zanotti, Michelle Disalvo… this whole team has been unreal to work with.” KICKER AFT Singles The KICKER AFT Singles class delivered an absolute stunner for an encore to Thursday’s opener.  Friday’s wild Main Event saw the emergence of a maiden winner in Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats Yamaha YZ450F). However, deep into the contest it appeared that distinction would actually go to rookie Jordan Beaulac (No. 156 Picotte Motosport/Dofralex GASGAS MC 450F). The race-shattering moments came early and often with Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) adding yet another chapter to their rivalry in the race’s opening stages. While actively disputing the lead, Drane ran up the inside of Saathoff and the two made contact, leaving Saathoff on the ground in a reversal of their clash here in ‘24. Saathoff picked up his bike and continued on at the back of the pack, while Beaulac picked up the pieces of the incident to steal away the lead in the melee. From there the young Canadian ripped open a gap of more than a second, with Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Eisenhard Racing/Pags Powersports KTM 450 SX-F) in second and Drane in third. The race took another massive turn with just under two minutes to go when Saathoff suffered his second fall of the Main, this one bringing out the red flag. Once back underway, Beaulac and Eisenhard jumped back into first and second off the line but made simultaneous mistakes while working the opening lap of the restart, stalling their bikes and splitting the field. Original polesitter Tarren Santero (No. 75 Roof Systems/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R) came out of the chaos with lead, followed closely by Pfanders. Meanwhile, Drane found himself in fifth, trailing Justin Jones (No. 91 Fairway Ford Chevy GMC Yamaha YZ450F 450) and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 KMA Racing/March Equipment Yamaha YZ450F). A five-way fight for first played out for several laps with Pfanders at last securing the lead with just two to go. An undeniable Drane then forced his way up to second, creating an opportunity for Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) to grab the final spot on the box while following in the Aussie’s wake. Santero came home fourth, with 2015 DAYTONA winner Jones fifth. Saathoff somehow made his way up to sixth, while the unfortunate duo of Eisenhard and Beaulac could do no better than 12th and 14th, respectively, after earlier looking like a strong bet to land the top two spots on the box. The win is the first of Pfanders’ KICKER AFT Singles career after previously demonstrating front-running on multiple occasions since making his Progressive AFT debut in 2024. “This is unreal,” Pfanders said. “I never had a real, legitimate podium, and to do it with a win is insane. My whole family is here. I got to give (my) little sister a victory lap that’s been promised for three years. I can’t thank everybody behind me enough. I’m glad I can repay their faith in me.” As a result of his opening week 1-2, reigning champ Drane holds an early advantage in the ‘26 title fight with 42 points. Pfanders is second at 33, followed by Saathoff with 31. AFT AdventureTrackers™ The 2026 AFT AdventureTrackers opener was a test of patience, determination and toughness. The contenders were clearly caught off guard by the changing track conditions at the start of the Main Event, with William Harris (No. 45 OTB Racing/Memphis Shades BMW F 900 GS), Austin Luczak(No. 97 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Sody Concrete BMW F 900 GS), and class champion Dan Bromley (No. 1 Big Momma and Daddy Deep Pockets Suzuki V-Strom 1050) all crashed while still on the race’s opening lap. Bromley’s fall was particularly brutal and prevented him from re-entering the fray in the restart. Incredibly, with all the riders tiptoeing their way around as they searched for grip, the two who pushed the hardest were remounted crashers Harris and Luczak.  Harris worked into to the lead early and held it until nearly the very end, with Luczak fighting his way through with just seconds to go on the clock. While Luczak and Harris completed the BMW 1-2, Matt Beland (No. 278 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Sody Concrete Honda Africa Twin) made a late pass on Michael Hill (No. 47 Weirbach Racing/Berry Bros Triumph Tiger 1200) to complete the podium.  Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Emma Gottsch (No. 5 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars) finished off her DAYTONA double in Friday’s Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Main Event. Gottsch was again the class of the field, breaking away to secure her third career win at the venue after going 1-2 in last year’s opener. She was followed to the flag by Julia Hess (No. 13 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars) and Madicela Rodriguez (No. 113 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars) to complete a repeat of last night’s podium.  Next Up America’s Original Extreme Sport will head north for the Yamaha Atlanta Short Track at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, Georgia, on Saturday, March 21.

FRIDAY RECAP – GAINESVILLE Race 1 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

HART GRABS GATORS PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIERVandergriff has Funny Car baptism, Beckman and DeJoria look forward to better performance Saturday

FRIDAY RECAP – GAINESVILLERace 1 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

HART GRABS GATORS PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIERVandergriff has Funny Car baptism, Beckman and DeJoria look forward to better performance Saturday

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 6, 2025) – Josh Hart and John Force Racing’s Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster Top Fuel team continued their strong performance in testing two weeks ago at Gainesville Raceway by taking the provisional top spot for the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals with a run of 3.658 seconds at a track record 340.30 mph Friday night under the lights. The record-setting run was the Florida transplant’s first official 340-mph pass after multiple similar runs in testing two weeks ago and two days earlier this week. It also backed up their day’s first run of 3.751 seconds at 335.40 mph. Jordan Vandergriff made his first official passes in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS, smoking the tires early in the first session but rebounding in the second session with a lap of 3.990 seconds at 318.47. That run was good enough for the eighth qualifying spot but his Funny Car baptism has just begun. Smoke began billowing from the car as it left a streak of oil on the racing surface but the third-generation driver kept his cool, quickly brought the car to a halt and climbed out without incident. Jack Beckman and Alexis DeJoria lost traction early in each of their runs and were unable to make full qualifying attempts. Beckman and the PEAK Chevrolet SS team used their first session run of 5.644 seconds at 130.49 mph for the 14th spot. DeJoria and the Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS team sit 15th from their first-session run of 6.045 seconds at 112.65 mph. Quote from Josh Hart, Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster:“I’m really not used to this gig, so you have to bear with me. I’m super blessed. John Force and the entire team have welcomed me like a member of the family. There is no better way to do this than at your home track with everyone here. I can’t really put it into words. When I got in this Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster car and we went 340 in testing right off the trailer, all I can say is it was so smooth. You know, my guys have it figured out. It’s a well-oiled machine. (Crew chief) David Grubnic is a former driver, so just talking to him is like a sounding board. I can ask him questions, and he’ll give me a straight answer, which I love.” Quotes from Jack Beckman, PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“The PEAK SQUAD was a little too aggressive in Q1. Another way to put that is the track temperature was not a full indication of the track grip. We had great data from testing. It’s never the same prep in testing and, even if it’s the same prep, the number of cars, and the preponderance of Goodyear-only cars during the test kind of skews the results. We missed it. We were just a little more aggressive than the racetrack was ready for. So, we came out for Q2 for the hero session. We didn’t want to back it off too much. If you look at our data graph, that is one of those runs that you’re looking at. It’s like, ‘why didn’t it make it?’ There are some runs where you say, ‘where did we miss it?’ It was a coin toss run there. If it lands on heads, that car goes down the racetrack. It landed on tails and winds up knocking the tires loose. So, we got great data and I think we get to run a little bit later for Q4 so we still have another shot in potentially good conditions. But right now, we just need to back the car down the racetrack for Q3, get a run to the finish line, take that data, take that clutch wear info and plug it in for Q4.” Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS:“The first day of qualifying at the season-opening Gatornationals is in the books. The Bandero Premium Tequila made two runs but didn’t get down the track. The first run earlier in the day was pretty good but just barely whisped the tires and had to clickh er off. In the second run, we went a little further before losing traction but, I can honestly tell you, not a ton of cars made it down the track. Some did and ran good numbers, but the first round of qualifying, nobody really made it down. So, in the second round, we were trying to go after it but it just went out there and did a fast shake. But we have two more shots tomorrow. We tested a bunch so we’ll figure it out. I have a lot of faith in this Bandero team.” Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“Welcome to Funny Car, huh? That’s what everybody’s been saying. It’s definitely an experience but I’ll tell you what, driving that Cornwell Tools Funny Car is fun. They keep you on your toes, you know. Things like that are going to happen but t’s fun to experience it. It’s not exactly what we wanted but still a quick run that will get us into the field pretty solid. We obviously want to improve but I’m happy to have that first experience of getting smoke in my face. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Track & TV ScheduleThe final rounds of qualifying are Saturday, March. 7 at 12:35 and 3 p.m. ET. The Right Trailers All-Star Top Fuel Callout rounds are at 12:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled on Sunday, March 8, at 10 a.m. ET. Television coverage of the Top Fuel All-Star Callout is Saturday, March 7, from 4-6 p.m. ET on FS1. FS1 coverage Sunday, March 8, includes qualifying action from 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. ET and then eliminations from 12-3 p.m. ET.

NASCAR CUP SERIES PHOENIX RACEWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES MARCH 6, 2026

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of running double-duty in the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Phoenix Raceway.

NASCAR CUP SERIESPHOENIX RACEWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESMARCH 6, 2026

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of running double-duty in the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Phoenix Raceway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  A lot of talk about cool shirts and everything. I’m curious, how many issues, if any, have you had? And is it time for drivers to ask NASCAR to step in, or do you feel like the teams can figure out what to do?“Yeah, I’ve definitely had my share of races that it doesn’t work. And, you know, it’s an interesting phenomenon because really thinking about my career, I’ve been wearing that thing since I’ve been Cup racing. It really was coming on board in 2017. Jimmie (Johnson) and Dale (Earnhardt Jr.), I think, were really adamant that it was a good thing. Definitely when it works, it’s great. But I feel like there’s definitely a handful, if not more times, that it doesn’t work. That shirt is very insulated. I was at a Martinsville test one time and was wearing it and didn’t turn it on for most of the day and just started to feel sick because just the way it insulates your body and kind of has the opposite effect when it’s not on. So, yeah, I think I’m open to other options. We used to just have blowers in the car that would just blow air on your back. So finitely, we’ve talked about looking at other options and seeing what’s out there. It’s effective, but at the same time, if it doesn’t work or it doesn’t work as well, like I said, it’s pretty insulated. It’s like wearing a coat. The Nomex that Alpine Stars gives us is pretty effective when you start to sweat, you know, the technology in it. So we’ll see. We’ll see where it goes.”   With the increased horsepower package this year, are you guys coming with similar setups that we have in the past, say for the fall championship race with the same tire that we’re coming with this week, or are you guys maybe getting a little bit aggressive with the setup for practice to kind of see how the car is going to react?“Yeah, I don’t think there’s anything we can do until we know how it’s going to react on track. I mean, in the sim, you can simulate going faster down the straightaway, a little bit more tire wear, but you just don’t know how it’s going to really act and react. We’ve been down that road before when you get a new aero package; you try to guess, and a lot of times, you guess wrong. So it’s really just about trying to figure out how different it is with tire wear and all those things.  But I really think the biggest place you’ll notice it is Darlington coming up, especially with the aero change there. Going to the short track package at Darlington I think is going to be a big difference, so that’ll be probably the first race we run that’s like kind of that shock moment of what is the car going to feel like and what do we have to do to adjust.”  We all know about your time on iRacing and coming up with eSports and all that. I know you’re a stock car guy, but as a kid, did you ever fool around with any of the INDYCAR races and what’s it like here to share a weekend with INDYCAR? They might be names that you’ve seen on TV or only heard about, but what’s it like to actually be out there? “Yeah, they’re very quiet going around the racetrack, which is pretty nice. So maybe something to be learned for that (laughs).  But yeah, I mean, I haven’t been to an INDYCAR race, so this is probably the first time. I think maybe early in my career, they raced to Texas with us in the Trucks. But I have quite a few friends over there in that garage, so it’s just cool to have that crossover and be able to be in the same space as them this weekend. Very excited to watch the race. You know, I think it’s going to be really exciting to see how they navigate this place. It looks like they put some hash marks down in the corner, so I’m interested to see how that kind of plays into our grip and package. But yeah, I think it’ll be interesting to see how they navigate this place and what kind of lines they run. It looks like they kind of are stuck to running just above the yellow line, so they can’t really use the apron like we do. But we’ll see, and we’ll see kind of how the rubber plays out, too.”  Did you have any favorite drivers coming up that you’d watch in the Indianapolis 500 or anything? What do you think of the difference in speed?“I would say from 12-13 years old, I would watch the Indianapolis 500 and, of course, watch the Coca-Cola 600, as well. I remember Dan Wheldon winning. I remember J.R. Hildebrand running well for a few years. I don’t know, that kind of time period, the National Guard car. I guess that’s what I remember. Like I said, the cars are really quiet, so I’m curious to kind of see the speed difference. I haven’t really seen him go around the racetrack yet, so I’m curious how that’s going to look.”   How much are you looking at points after three races? I mean, obviously, we don’t really know what the meat of the season is going to look like yet, but you’re 13th. You’re probably trying to get a top-three seed, at least, based on what everybody’s talking about. So is that a concern for you? Do you feel okay about where you are?“Yeah, it’s funny. (Christopher) Bell and I were talking about this at driver intros last week. It just feels like the longer we do this, the more it takes a few races to kind of get into the meat of the season and what really makes up our season and the tracks. So, for me, it’s felt super long this year just kind of getting into the rhythm of the season. I don’t want to classify it as a ‘real racetrack’, but these places that really make up the finesse and the speed that it takes to win a championship. So, yeah, I think I’m just kind of eager to get out there this weekend. We’ve done a lot of prep for Phoenix. To answer your question on where we stand, I think what’s frustrating for us is feeling like we’ve given up a few points the last couple weeks. You know, I crashed the week before at Atlanta. We had some damage, and then I crashed, and so that gave away a handful. And then last week, I felt like we gave away a handful at the end there in the last run. I just feel like those sting a little more than they used to probably, but we’ve – like (Kyle) Larson said this week, we’ve always points raced as a top team. Our goal last year was to win the regular season championship, and we got off to a good start and made that a little bit easier. But, yeah, we’ve just been kind of middle of the road right now. We’ve scored 25-26 points on average. We’d like to score, you know, 35 to 40 on average. So definitely below average right now, but I think we’re going to see what we have this weekend, that’s for sure.”  Is it something that you’re concerned with that the two 23XI drivers are so far out there, or do you feel like really you guys need to go to kind of a good sampling of all the different kinds of tracks before you size up?“Yeah, I mean look — they’ve hit a home run on two drafting tracks. To score the points that they did is phenomenal. If you start the year and you say, man, if we could score 40 to 50 points on drafting tracks, that’s going to be a huge advantage. So they’ve accumulated a big advantage in those drafting tracks. And then COTA, I don’t think was any surprise to me that Tyler (Reddick) ran so well. But they executed really well, and that momentum was big. So I think for us on the 24 team, it’s not really about looking at anyone else. It’s looking at ourselves. If we get to race 26 and that gap is still there, then shoot, you know, wish we could have had a couple things back. But there’s so much circumstance in those first couple weeks that you’ve got 26 weeks to figure it out. I think there’s going to be plenty of ebb and flow in the next, I don’t know, 20-22 weeks.”  Is this a place that you wanted to compete in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series? Did specifically you picked it?“Yeah, I think I’ve done this in the past and kind of ran the road courses because you think that that’s going to help you and all of that. Sometimes a Cup car and an O’Reilly car are very different. So now, I feel like the O’Reilly car is fun at certain places. This was a place that before the schedule got changed up, I thought, okay, this is an important place with the championship. And it still is because it’s still in the Chase, so I think that factored into it. But it’s just about having fun and trying to go win. You know, I like to be competitive and I like to win. I’ll try to challenge myself this weekend; pressure on myself to win and hopefully we can do that.”   Anthony Alfredo is getting the opportunity to fill in for Alex Bowman. He’s been an instrumental part of the team on the sim aspect. How much input and significance has he been for you during the time when it used to be the finale here at Phoenix and now getting that opportunity under, obviously, odd circumstances with Alex?“Yeah, I’m happy for Anthony (Alfredo). I feel like he’s worked hard and grinded in the sim. He hasn’t had that many opportunities in NASCAR that are, you know, quality opportunities. I feel like he’s had a lot of races, which is good, but not something in a top car. So I’m looking forward to seeing how he does.  And, yeah, I mean, that work is really tedious on the sim. Those guys go in there at 7 a.m. and they work on tires and they’re staring at a screen for five, six hours at a time. It’s definitely an admirable job that he’s doing there and feel like, even through the iRacing stuff — like he actually helped install my sim at my house a couple years ago (laughs). So, yeah, it’s just fun to see him out here and I hope he does well. I saw him at the shop on Wednesday and he was trying to absorb a lot. He was quizzing me with all types of questions on aero and how these cars handle. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing how he does.”   Given the right opportunity and the right circumstances, would you try racing in INDYCAR one day? “Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, the Indy 500 obviously is always exciting to watch. I just feel like I need to win a NASCAR championship first. That’s first and foremost on my goals, and then I’ll kind of look outside, maybe.  But, yeah, I’ve always been probably a person that could have run a lot of other stuff. Given my background, I could have diversified a lot more. It just didn’t work out that way. So with kind of the nature of my career, I feel like I just stick to what I’m doing and what I’m good at. But at the same time, it’d be cool to expand outside. I just feel like I’ve got to get comfortable and accomplish what I want to here and then maybe look at that.”  You mentioned earlier about Anthony (Alfredo) working on the tires and with the softer tire and the 750 horsepower, how much have you really had to pay attention to the tire degradation and just getting a balance so you don’t use your equipment up until the time is right?“Yeah, I mean, I feel like the tire saving part of things is a little overblown because it really still comes down to setup. There is management in that, but it still comes down to kind of the balance of the two. But, yeah, I think it’s going to play a role, this softer tire. We talked about it this week, hopefully it’s a little bit more durable. The teams have gone to work on camber, air pressure, to figure out that equation for what makes the tire wear out or blow. But, yeah, hopefully it’s a little more predictable this week and we can just try to manage it the best we can.”   Not to compare yourself to Corey Day, but to get into a situation where he’s coming into the second hardest stock car series and acclimating to it, how difficult is that for people on the outside looking in? I mean, how would you explain it to them kind of what he’s experiencing?“Yeah, I mean, he’s done a lot of racing with a car that’s kind of half the size. I feel like probably the dimensions of the car are the toughest part for him. He didn’t do late model racing. Like when (Christopher) Bell came up, he raced against me in late models, so he got the chance to kind of understand where the wall is and where other cars are. I feel like that is probably the toughest part. The speed aspect, I feel like he has a pretty good handle on. But, yeah, just the race craft is probably difficult. I don’t know how much iRacing he’s done or sim stuff he’s done to kind of bridge that gap. So, yeah, I can’t imagine. I don’t come from that background, so I don’t know exactly what the factors are there, but probably the dimensions are difficult.”

Fairfield, Ohio (March 9th, 2026) – Automotive Racing Products (ARP), “The World Leader in High-Performance Automotive Fasteners,” marks its fifteenth season with the IHRA Pro Pulling Series with an expanded partnership in 2026.

“ARP’s enduring commitment to the IHRA Pro Pulling Series and our pullers over the last two decades is a testament to the partnership we’ve mutually cultivated,” Johnathan Mears of the IHRA Pro Pulling League. “They have expanded their presence for 2026, becoming the title sponsor of the Super Stock Diesel Truck class on the Fendt High Stakes Series in addition to continuing title sponsorship of not only the Super Stock Diesel Trucks on the Champions Tour, but also the Lightweight Super Stock Tractor division.”

ARP’s Art Venegas remarked, “We are excited for the 2026 pulling season with the IHRA Pro Pulling Series…being able to be a part of the groundbreaking Fendt High Stakes Series is a tremendous opportunity to connect with our customers and motorsports fans. We’ve also launched a whole new array of specialty fasteners and washers for 2026 to compliment our extensive catalog of fasteners and fastener kits, so that we can better meet the needs of our customers, no matter the application.”

Fairfield, Ohio (March 9th, 2026) – Automotive Racing Products (ARP), “The World Leader in High-Performance Automotive Fasteners,” marks its fifteenth season with the IHRA Pro Pulling Series with an expanded partnership in 2026.

“ARP’s enduring commitment to the IHRA Pro Pulling Series and our pullers over the last two decades is a testament to the partnership we’ve mutually cultivated,” Johnathan Mears of the IHRA Pro Pulling League. “They have expanded their presence for 2026, becoming the title sponsor of the Super Stock Diesel Truck class on the Fendt High Stakes Series in addition to continuing title sponsorship of not only the Super Stock Diesel Trucks on the Champions Tour, but also the Lightweight Super Stock Tractor division.”

ARP’s Art Venegas remarked, “We are excited for the 2026 pulling season with the IHRA Pro Pulling Series…being able to be a part of the groundbreaking Fendt High Stakes Series is a tremendous opportunity to connect with our customers and motorsports fans. We’ve also launched a whole new array of specialty fasteners and washers for 2026 to compliment our extensive catalog of fasteners and fastener kits, so that we can better meet the needs of our customers, no matter the application.”

About ARP:
Automotive Racing Products offers over 5000 fastener kits manufactured to exactingly high standards at facilities across Southern California. Their website, www.ARP-Bolts.com, provides volumes of product and technical information while their catalog is available in print or digital form at www.ARPCatalog.com.

CONCORD, NC (March 6, 2026) — A new face to the American Sprint Car Series has entered the chase for BRODIX Rookie of the Year honors.

Cole Schroeder has made his commitment to following the entire national 360 Sprint Car schedule in 2026 behind the wheel of the Rocking R Bar, Moyle Racing Engines-powered Maxim Chassis No. 3. The 20-year-old native of Bozeman, MT, made his debut with the Series at Volusia Speedway Park in January and is ready to take on the full slate of events with his family-owned operation.

“It’s good competition to get the laps with, experience, and time back on the road,” Schroeder said. “It’s a great series and great people to follow.”

Originally from “Big Sky Country,” Schroeder moved to Arizona in 2018 and began his racing career in the asphalt karting ranks before jumping into Micro Sprints in 2021. It wasn’t long before he became a certified dealer of Hyper Racing chassis in the fall of 2024, assembling the Micro Sprint machines for buyers around the region.

Among his most notable Feature wins in the Micro Sprint ranks came in the 2023 Deuces Wild Shootout at U.S. 24 Speedway, where Schroeder topped a field of 98 Winged A-Class entrants and led every lap of the main event enroute to collect the $12,222.22 grand prize.

During the 2025 season, Schroeder moved to his current home in Fresno, CA, and became a regular of the 360 Sprint Car scene on the West Coast, recording multiple starts at tracks including Watsonville Speedway, Placerville Speedway, Silver Dollar Speedway and Thunderbowl Raceway.

“I like the smaller tracks; I feel like it kinda brings a little more driver into it,” Schroeder said. “They’re a little more evil, and it’s a lot closer racing.”

For 2026, Schroeder will take on a national Sprint Car series schedule for the first time in his career — a venture he knows will be challenging at first but a necessary one in his efforts to make a climb up the open-wheel racing ladder.

“For now, it’s just to run everything we can,” Schroeder said. “Obviously, our 360 program is pretty built up, so we’ll run that. Then, next year, we’ll hopefully move up to 410s and start getting more experience in those.”

The American Sprint Car Series returns to action on Saturday, April 11, at Salina Highbanks Speedway in a clash with the ASCS Sooner Region. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the track on race day.

Cole Schroeder Commits to Rookie Campaign with American Sprint Car Series

CONCORD, NC (March 6, 2026) — A new face to the American Sprint Car Series has entered the chase for BRODIX Rookie of the Year honors.

Cole Schroeder has made his commitment to following the entire national 360 Sprint Car schedule in 2026 behind the wheel of the Rocking R Bar, Moyle Racing Engines-powered Maxim Chassis No. 3. The 20-year-old native of Bozeman, MT, made his debut with the Series at Volusia Speedway Park in January and is ready to take on the full slate of events with his family-owned operation.

“It’s good competition to get the laps with, experience, and time back on the road,” Schroeder said. “It’s a great series and great people to follow.”

Originally from “Big Sky Country,” Schroeder moved to Arizona in 2018 and began his racing career in the asphalt karting ranks before jumping into Micro Sprints in 2021. It wasn’t long before he became a certified dealer of Hyper Racing chassis in the fall of 2024, assembling the Micro Sprint machines for buyers around the region.

Among his most notable Feature wins in the Micro Sprint ranks came in the 2023 Deuces Wild Shootout at U.S. 24 Speedway, where Schroeder topped a field of 98 Winged A-Class entrants and led every lap of the main event enroute to collect the $12,222.22 grand prize.

During the 2025 season, Schroeder moved to his current home in Fresno, CA, and became a regular of the 360 Sprint Car scene on the West Coast, recording multiple starts at tracks including Watsonville Speedway, Placerville Speedway, Silver Dollar Speedway and Thunderbowl Raceway.

“I like the smaller tracks; I feel like it kinda brings a little more driver into it,” Schroeder said. “They’re a little more evil, and it’s a lot closer racing.”

For 2026, Schroeder will take on a national Sprint Car series schedule for the first time in his career — a venture he knows will be challenging at first but a necessary one in his efforts to make a climb up the open-wheel racing ladder.

“For now, it’s just to run everything we can,” Schroeder said. “Obviously, our 360 program is pretty built up, so we’ll run that. Then, next year, we’ll hopefully move up to 410s and start getting more experience in those.”

The American Sprint Car Series returns to action on Saturday, April 11, at Salina Highbanks Speedway in a clash with the ASCS Sooner Region. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the track on race day.

If you can’t be at the track, how can you watch the American Sprint Car Series in 2026? Every event is broadcast live on DIRTVision.

CONCORD, NC (March 6, 2026) – Ryan Unzicker enjoys racing as a family sport, not as a full-time living.

While he works 10 hours a day, five days a week, as the owner of RJR Transportation, Unzicker spends his weekends behind the wheel of his No. 24 Super Late Model while helping his son, Brody, set the foundation for a future career in the sport.

The double life between work and racing is all he has known throughout his 25-year racing career, but he does not want it any other way.

“That’s all I’ve ever done for the last 20 years,” Unzicker said. “I have a lot of friends and family say all the time to me, ‘I couldn’t juggle it all, I have to have me some downtime.’ We’re just grinding, and I feel blessed to be able to do it. I’m approaching 45 pretty quickly this summer, and I didn’t think I would race this long, but we’re still winning races. My wife and son didn’t want me to quit, so I got to keep going.”

Unzicker began racing Street Stocks in 2001, then moved up to dirt Late Models by the 2005 season. Growing up, there was one tour he desired to attempt: the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.

“Growing up, Summer Nationals was what I knew prior to even racing,” Unzicker said. “I was like, ‘How do these guys do it?’ and how they raced 30 nights and 30 days. Then the racer side of me came to play, and it’s like, ‘I got to do that. I want to do that, that sounds fun.’ I think it’s more of a challenge than anything.

“The very first week was extremely hard for me. Because my normal sleep schedule was getting up at 6:30 AM, go to work, work all day, then go to the race shop at night. Well, that changed because you’re pretty much up all night, then sleep through the morning. You get in a rhythm through the weeks, then come the last week, and it was back to hell because you’re tired.”

Unzicker raced in scattered “Hell Tour” events from 2005-2008, then tackled his first full campaign in 2009 for a 12th-place result in the standings. One year later, “The Gremlin” collected his first career tour victory at Spoon River Speedway en route to his first top-five points finish.

In full-time competition from 2010 to 2017, Unzicker collected nine Feature wins and never finished outside of the top five at the end of each season. Despite missing out on winning a Summer Nationals crown, he remembers the hard work that he endured each night.

“It was hard, really,” Unzicker said. “What you thought was gonna happen, nine times out of 10, was not gonna happen like you expect to. When we got done, it was either thinking about the drive to the next track, wake up, and get to work. 

“Well, that always changed because if we got into a wreck, we’d have to fix it that night while people were still around, and things changed so much. I feel like I’ve grown as a team over the last 10 years, I wish I could do Summer Nationals again.”

Unzicker’s most cherished memory in his career came in 2013 with the “Hell Tour” at Fairbury Speedway. With less than $60 in his bank account upon arrival at the track, he drove around Brian Birkhofer and Kevin Weaver to leave the Saturday night Feature with a payday worth $10,000.

“We were penny pinching just to get going,” Unzicker recalled. “Hell, I remember in 2013, my wife and I went to Fairbury with our newborn son, and we literally had $27 or $57 in our checkbook. We couldn’t even write this check to Fairbury for $100 pit passes, and we can’t cash that check until we got some money from tonight. Then, we were gonna have to head home because we couldn’t go any longer, but we ended up winning $10,000.”

Since 2020, Unzicker has been an active racer on the Midwest Auto Racing Series (MARS) Late Model Championship trail. He finished third in points from 2020-2021, then captured his first title in 2022. 

In the last three seasons since clinching the title, Unzicker has played second fiddle to Jason Feger. Though he’s seeking to one-up the “High Side Hustler” in 2026, Unzicker credits the regional Series as one of the reasons why he continues to strap on a helmet.

“I feel blessed to be able to say that I’ve come close to getting Jason for that championship,” Unzicker said. “We were pretty well down to the wire. So, I’m fortunate to be able to do that with my small team. MARS is very close to my back door, and I’ve told many people that if it wasn’t for MARS and a little bit of the winnings and the merchandise sales, I would have quit a long time ago.”

Beyond his Late Model efforts, Unzicker and his wife, Michelle, have been setting the groundwork for Brody Unzicker to race on dirt. After former “Land of Lincoln” racer Nick Lyons offered a seat for the 13-year-old to climb aboard one of his Kid Modifieds at Tri-City Speedway in 2023, the family prepared for Brody to compete in the division for the following season.

“I always said that he wasn’t going to race because I was going to make him do better than that,” Unzicker said. “He had never drove anything. He didn’t even own a helmet, gloves, firesuit, or anything. So we were making some phone calls, and by the time we got to the racetrack, he had everything. I haven’t bought him the best of cars, but I was just trying to get him on the track. It wasn’t about winning to me, it was letting him go have fun and learning the car.”

In 2025, the Unzickers shared an unforgettable night at Peoria Speedway when Brody earned his first career Feature win, and Ryan went on to take the checkered flag in the MARS Late Models.

“This has been a family affair for my wife and I since day one,” Unzicker said. “I think she’s missed maybe four races in my whole racing career. Then Brody, he might have missed two or three races. Wherever I go, they go. Having that family connection is one of the reasons why I still race. But that Peoria moment will outgrow my gravesite on that one.”

Ryan Unzicker Balances Work Life with Late Models, Laying Foundation for Son’s Racing Future

CONCORD, NC (March 6, 2026) – Ryan Unzicker enjoys racing as a family sport, not as a full-time living.

While he works 10 hours a day, five days a week, as the owner of RJR Transportation, Unzicker spends his weekends behind the wheel of his No. 24 Super Late Model while helping his son, Brody, set the foundation for a future career in the sport.

The double life between work and racing is all he has known throughout his 25-year racing career, but he does not want it any other way.

“That’s all I’ve ever done for the last 20 years,” Unzicker said. “I have a lot of friends and family say all the time to me, ‘I couldn’t juggle it all, I have to have me some downtime.’ We’re just grinding, and I feel blessed to be able to do it. I’m approaching 45 pretty quickly this summer, and I didn’t think I would race this long, but we’re still winning races. My wife and son didn’t want me to quit, so I got to keep going.”

Unzicker began racing Street Stocks in 2001, then moved up to dirt Late Models by the 2005 season. Growing up, there was one tour he desired to attempt: the DIRTcar Summer Nationals.

“Growing up, Summer Nationals was what I knew prior to even racing,” Unzicker said. “I was like, ‘How do these guys do it?’ and how they raced 30 nights and 30 days. Then the racer side of me came to play, and it’s like, ‘I got to do that. I want to do that, that sounds fun.’ I think it’s more of a challenge than anything.

“The very first week was extremely hard for me. Because my normal sleep schedule was getting up at 6:30 AM, go to work, work all day, then go to the race shop at night. Well, that changed because you’re pretty much up all night, then sleep through the morning. You get in a rhythm through the weeks, then come the last week, and it was back to hell because you’re tired.”

Unzicker raced in scattered “Hell Tour” events from 2005-2008, then tackled his first full campaign in 2009 for a 12th-place result in the standings. One year later, “The Gremlin” collected his first career tour victory at Spoon River Speedway en route to his first top-five points finish.

In full-time competition from 2010 to 2017, Unzicker collected nine Feature wins and never finished outside of the top five at the end of each season. Despite missing out on winning a Summer Nationals crown, he remembers the hard work that he endured each night.

“It was hard, really,” Unzicker said. “What you thought was gonna happen, nine times out of 10, was not gonna happen like you expect to. When we got done, it was either thinking about the drive to the next track, wake up, and get to work. 

“Well, that always changed because if we got into a wreck, we’d have to fix it that night while people were still around, and things changed so much. I feel like I’ve grown as a team over the last 10 years, I wish I could do Summer Nationals again.”

Unzicker’s most cherished memory in his career came in 2013 with the “Hell Tour” at Fairbury Speedway. With less than $60 in his bank account upon arrival at the track, he drove around Brian Birkhofer and Kevin Weaver to leave the Saturday night Feature with a payday worth $10,000.

“We were penny pinching just to get going,” Unzicker recalled. “Hell, I remember in 2013, my wife and I went to Fairbury with our newborn son, and we literally had $27 or $57 in our checkbook. We couldn’t even write this check to Fairbury for $100 pit passes, and we can’t cash that check until we got some money from tonight. Then, we were gonna have to head home because we couldn’t go any longer, but we ended up winning $10,000.”

Since 2020, Unzicker has been an active racer on the Midwest Auto Racing Series (MARS) Late Model Championship trail. He finished third in points from 2020-2021, then captured his first title in 2022. 

In the last three seasons since clinching the title, Unzicker has played second fiddle to Jason Feger. Though he’s seeking to one-up the “High Side Hustler” in 2026, Unzicker credits the regional Series as one of the reasons why he continues to strap on a helmet.

“I feel blessed to be able to say that I’ve come close to getting Jason for that championship,” Unzicker said. “We were pretty well down to the wire. So, I’m fortunate to be able to do that with my small team. MARS is very close to my back door, and I’ve told many people that if it wasn’t for MARS and a little bit of the winnings and the merchandise sales, I would have quit a long time ago.”

Beyond his Late Model efforts, Unzicker and his wife, Michelle, have been setting the groundwork for Brody Unzicker to race on dirt. After former “Land of Lincoln” racer Nick Lyons offered a seat for the 13-year-old to climb aboard one of his Kid Modifieds at Tri-City Speedway in 2023, the family prepared for Brody to compete in the division for the following season.

“I always said that he wasn’t going to race because I was going to make him do better than that,” Unzicker said. “He had never drove anything. He didn’t even own a helmet, gloves, firesuit, or anything. So we were making some phone calls, and by the time we got to the racetrack, he had everything. I haven’t bought him the best of cars, but I was just trying to get him on the track. It wasn’t about winning to me, it was letting him go have fun and learning the car.”

In 2025, the Unzickers shared an unforgettable night at Peoria Speedway when Brody earned his first career Feature win, and Ryan went on to take the checkered flag in the MARS Late Models.

“This has been a family affair for my wife and I since day one,” Unzicker said. “I think she’s missed maybe four races in my whole racing career. Then Brody, he might have missed two or three races. Wherever I go, they go. Having that family connection is one of the reasons why I still race. But that Peoria moment will outgrow my gravesite on that one.”

ARTICLE: https://dirtcar.com/news/ryan-unzicker-balances-work-life-with-late-models-laying-foundation-for-sons-racing-future/

As we mentioned in our posted video posted earlier this week on social media, FB & IG, if you purchased tickets in 2025 you are automatically entered with double entries.This is passion project for the event, we want to do some good when we have good, passionate people together.$20.00 = 1 Ticket.$100.00 = 6 Tickets.www.matslv.com for tickets, rules & descriptions. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS *Winner need not be present to win the March 29, 2026 Drawing.WELCOME PARTY SPECIAL EVENT T-SHIRT DESIGNWELCOME VEGAS DRIFTMORE INFO @VEGASDRIFT2026 Guests of HonorAutomotive experts and friendly fun talent something for everyoneSPECIAL GUESTJOE ZOLPER Multi talented builder from Garage Squad TV Show. Joe is both an accomplished Builder, Fabricator, Mechanic and Automotive Painter as well as the turner, driver and owner of a Blown 69 Dodge Daytona Bodied HEMI Drag Car. SPECIAL GUESTJOE (DOMINATOR) WOODS One of the favorite builder/fabricators and drivers from the Hit Discovery Tv Show Street Outlaws. SPECIAL GUEST – LOU SANTIAGO TV Host and Automotive Enthusiast Extraordinaire SPECIAL GUEST – PETER BROCK Legendary automotive designer Peter Brock, under the direction of GM Styling Director Bill Mitchell, drew the sketch that became the original 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe. Attention Drag RacersImmediately following MuscleCars At The Strip is the Spring Fling Bracket Race. Stating March 31-April 4th. Also held at the Strip at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  A Racecation for Drag Racers BOUNTY OFFERED!If you win 1st place at MuscleCars At The Strip in Pro or Super Pro on Sunday March 29th, tell us in the winner circle and at our pay out window you are competing in the Spring Fling Friday Big Money Race. If you Win the Big Money Race on Fridays Million, we will double your payout you won at MuscleCars At The Strip in Pro or Super Pro class.   https://www.bracketraces Note, this is for seasoned Bracket Racers!Yes it runs all week long. So if this is your type of action, get signed up for the Spring Fling after you make your reservations at http://www.matslv.com for MuscleCars At The Strip.  AutoCross daily and under the lights both Friday & Saturday Nights under the direction of Racing Byrds. REGISTER HERE Experienced, Knowledgeable, Car Show Judges needed in Las Vegas at the MuscleCars At The Strip Car Show.Looking for Ford, GM-Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Mopar in both Modern & Vintage Categories.This is your chance to contribute to the automotive culture and have a great time experiencing great vehicle and owners.Send your request to Steve_Hinckley @ yahoo.com or @shinckley6*Survival Guide* Restaurant Recommendations from our staff:Chicago Joe’s – downtown 4th st Reservations-702-382-5637 – Phil PainterPizza Rock – 201 N 3rd St. pizzarocklasvegas.com Jill PainterSoul Belly BBQ on Main St. in the Arts District – Jill PainterHiroba Sushi – Carl & Mary – recommendationPollos Culiacan – Jeri TrelenbergPetrol Head – Dustie McPherson Paymon’s Mediterranean Fresh Kitchen on W. Sahara – Sally MartiniHerbs and Rye & 888 Japanese BBQ – Andrew AdamsGordon Ramsey Pub in Caesars – Will & Nikki GoodeTexas Roadhouse Grill – Heather Smith HOTELS WE RECOMMENDED: Room Rate:(Sun-Thursday) $63.00 plus fees.Friday & Saturday: $119.00 plus fees. Mention MuscleCars At The Strip Group code: MATSLVGroup name: MUSCLE AT THE STRIP LV  Reservation Phone  # 702-507-5700.If you booked prior to this announcement and want the posted event rate. If you used a 3rd party booking site, you have to cancel that reservation, then rebook using the phone number above. This special rate expires 3-17-26 so BOOK NOW. The Cannery Resort is located  minutes from LVMS. SPECIAL NOTE: For those who have already booked, they can call the front desk directly at 702-507-5700, and we can add the group rate on to their reservation. However, if they booked with a third party, we will not be able to adjust those rates. They can contact the third party to cancel and rebook under the group if they want.  South Point Hotel & CasinoWeek Day Rate: $79Weekend Rate: $125Resort Fee: $22Group Code: MUS0327 (must give group code to get rate)Phone: 702-797-7111 The South Point is located in the southern part of Las Vegas, approximately 25 miles from LVMS. Here is why it is worth the drive. 1. A local’s favorite, if the locals like it, you will too.2. Consistent World Class Hospitality that made Las Vegas Famous.3. Full of entertainment options. Restaurants, Bowling Alley, Movie Theatre, Live Gaming.4. Friday Night, all you can eat Seafood Buffet.5. One of a few Buffets in operation.6. Free self-parking.7. Clean 8. Privately owned.9. Huge supporters of all forms of racing.10. Original Old School Management Style, Friendly professional staff that want you to have a great time as their guest.WPlaza Hotel & CasinoWeek Day Rate: $75Weekend Rate: $125NO RESORT FEEGroup Code: SMUSCAR (must give group code to get rate)Phone: 1-800-634-6575Reservation Link-Click Here Centrally located in Historic Fremont Street District. 1. Updated Rooms, Optional suites with direct patio access.2. Privately owned.3. Oscars Steak House. (Must Experience)4. HASH HOUSE “Twisted Farm Food”5. PINK BOX Donuts.6. Hogs & Heifers Outpost Saloon.7. Full Food Court8. Clean 9. Guest Free self-parking.10. NEW roof top Pickleball Courts & So Much More.Y

Davenport Wins Second Straight Wieland Winter Nationals Race at Golden Isles

WAYNESVILLE, GA (March 5, 2026) – Jonathan Davenport captured Thursday night’s Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Golden Isles Speedway, earning his second consecutive victory at the event. With the win – the 94th of his career – Davenport ties Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist for the most victories in series history. Hudson O’Neal, the current Midwest Sheet Metal Points Leader, finished second to Davenport for the second straight night. Brandon Overton made a last lap pass on Clay Harris to round out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Harris, who started 13th, finished fourth, while Max Blair advanced from 11th to complete the top five. Davenport, a three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion like Bloomquist, led all 40 laps en route to the $10,000 victory. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, he reflected on tying the late Mooresburg, Tennessee driver for the all-time wins record. “I wish he was here so we could talk about it,” Davenport said. “He taught me a lot. Scott did – and believe it or not, we talked. Not all the time, but we were acquaintances. At one point, we were more than just rivals. I had a tremendous amount of respect for him, and I think I gained his respect over the years.”The Blairsville, Georgia native also reflected on his early success in the series. “I remember my first two Lucas Oil wins with Barry Wright. We went to a new place we had never been before – I think it was Winchester, Virginia – and then the next night I outran Scott at Virginia Motor Speedway for back-to-back wins. It’s just awesome, really. I never would have thought I’d get more than those two wins, but to get 90-some is just crazy.” Davenport had to fend off mid-race challenges from O’Neal, who never officially led a lap but kept the pressure on throughout the event. “I didn’t know where to go on the restarts,” Davenport said. “I thought the top was a little better taking off because it gives you more momentum. This place is so wide – if you give up the bottom, you’re giving up a lot of real estate. I tried a couple of different things. Hudson got to me in lapped traffic and we slid each other two or three times. He gave me plenty of room. One time I pushed off turn two and almost got into him, but I was trying my best not to. I knew he was going to be one of the cars to beat.” O’Neal, who rallied from eighth to finish second on Wednesday night, started fourth and moved into second by lap nine. “There was no way I was going to pass him unless he hit the wall or caught lapped traffic in a bad spot,” O’Neal said. “It was very top-dominant, and it was hard to set up a slide job because there was such a strong run off the corner. We’re back on the podium again, so we can’t complain. We’re putting ourselves in good positions if something happens, and we were able to capitalize earlier in the week.” Overton’s last-lap pass of Harris capped off a hard-fought battle in the closing circuits. “I think our race car is fine – JD’s just out front doing his thing, and we’re all trying to match his time,” Overton said. “You know how this place is – you need some tires at the end of the race. Everybody’s driving as hard as they can. Every time I tried to get into a rhythm, somebody would slide me and bottle things up. I spent half the race battling back around cars in turns one and two. It was a frustrating race for me. Congrats to JD and Hudson.” The winning Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Ace Doran Hauling and Rigging, Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas. Completing the top ten were Ricky Thornton Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Devin Moran, Dillon McCowan, and Mark Whitener. In the 602 Late Model feature, Griffin Smith of Eatonton, Georgia led all 20 laps to secure the victory. Wyatt Coffey challenged Smith multiple times but settled for second. Phil Pittman finished third, followed by Caleb Gay and Ben Lanford. The Crown Vics once again delivered an exciting feature, with the Collins family dominating the top three positions. Jax Raceways Hall of Famer Johnny Collins led his sons, Chase and Brody, for four laps before Chase took over the lead in traffic. Chase Collins went on to capture his second Crown Vic feature win of 2026, finishing ahead of Johnny Collins, Brody Collins, Tommy Roach Sr., and Kevin Hildebrand. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsThursday, March 5, 2026Golden Isles Speedway | Waynesville, GA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.931 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Carson Ferguson | 15.294 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 88-Trent Ivey[2]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 5. 16B-Ross Bailes[6]; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 7. 10-Garrett Smith[7]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 9. 11-Josh Rice[9]; 10. 15K-Cory Hedgecock[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 5-Mark Whitener[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[6]; 4. 16-Cody Overton[5]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[3]; 6. 74X-Ethan Dotson[9]; 7. 19M-Brenden Smith[4]; 8. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 9. 13-Dallon Murty[7]; 10. 555-Brock Pinkerous[10] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[1]; 3. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[4]; 5. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 6. 81F-Jadon Frame[6]; 7. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[10]; 8. 55-Benji Hicks[9]; 9. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[8]; 10. 79-Donald McIntosh[7] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 2. 14-Trey Mills[1]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[3]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 5. 388-Jackson Hise[6]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 8. 77-Preston Luckman[8]; 9. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[10]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[7] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 2. 16B-Ross Bailes[1]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith[5]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[2]; 5. 74X-Ethan Dotson[4]; 6. 19M-Brenden Smith[6]; 7. 13-Dallon Murty[10]; 8. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 9. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[7]; 10. 555-Brock Pinkerous[12]; 11. 11-Josh Rice[9]; 12. (DNS) 15K-Cory Hedgecock UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 4. 388-Jackson Hise[2]; 5. 55-Benji Hicks[7]; 6. 81F-Jadon Frame[3]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 8. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[10]; 9. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[9]; 10. 79-Donald McIntosh[11]; 11. 77-Preston Luckman[8]; 12. C4-Freddie Carpenter[12] Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (40 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $10,0002 – 4 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $5,6003 – 3 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $3,5004 – 13 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $2,7005 – 11 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $2,5006 – 5 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $2,3007 – 22 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $2,2008 – 18 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,1009 – 12 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $2,05010 – 7 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $2,00011 – 14 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,60012 – 28 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $70013 – 2 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,20014 – 8 – 14 – Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – $1,00015 – 10 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $95016 – 17 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $92517 – 27 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $20018 – 20 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $87519 – 21 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $85020 – 24 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $82521 – 23 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $80022 – 6 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $80023 – 15 – 16 – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $80024 – 19 – 16B – Ross Bailes – Clover, SC – $80025 – 25 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $10026 – 9 – 88 – Trent Ivey – Union, SC – $80027 – 16 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $90028 – 26 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $100 Race Statistics  Entrants: 40Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 1.321 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Brian Shirley (Lap 7); Tyler Erb (Lap 7 Restart); Kyle Bronson (Lap 22); Josh Rice, Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 29), Cody Overton, Ross Bailes (Lap 31)MyRacePass Series Provisionals: Daniel Hilsabeck; Cory LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: Josh Rice, Donald McIntosh, Brenden Smith, Ross RobinsonTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon OvertonPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Clay Harris, Max BlairBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Clay HarrisPEM 4th Place Feature: Clay HarrisDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max BlairWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Dennis Erb, Jr.Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Tyler ErbXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Dan EbertHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Ross Robinson (Advanced 16 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (40 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’NealMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O’NealO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O’Neal | Lap 11 | 15.452 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Brian ShirleyVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Brandon OvertonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory FostvedtARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal | 15.5343 secondsTime of Race: 30 minutes 12 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1210 – $72,3002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1135 – $50,4003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1110 – $26,0504 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1005 – $23,6005 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 960 – $15,4506 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 955 – $32,5007 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 920 – $13,5008 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 920 – $11,5759 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 905 – $14,35010 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 865 – $12,87511 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 855 – $12,60012 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 840 – $10,52513 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 835 – $14,60014 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 795 – $8,80015 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 745 – $8,90016 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 715 – $8,37517 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 710 – $5,82518 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 685 – $4,72519 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 655 – $5,45020 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 650 – $3,70021 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 640 – $5,35022 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 630 – $6,82523 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – 610 – $3,12524 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 540 – $900

Kody Kopp (No. 12) battles Dallas Daniels (No. 1) into turn one of the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

History Maker: Kopp Wins DAYTONA in Premier-Class Debut

Kody Kopp (No. 12) battles Dallas Daniels (No. 1) into turn one of the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 5, 2026) – The 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, kicked off in truly unforgettable fashion in Thursday night’s season-opening Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I as Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) became the only rider in Mission AFT SuperTwins history to claim victory in their very first attempt.  While widely expected to contend as a rookie, Kopp’s unprecedented achievement at the DAYTONA Flat Track still served to put the established powers of the Grand National Championship on notice. Perhaps most impressively, Kopp’s triumph didn’t even come as an upset by the time the Main Event rolled around, as the triple KICKER AFT Singles king was in in dominant form much of the night; Kopp posted the fastest time in qualifying, won his heat with relative ease, and then took the checkered flag in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.  Despite that stirring lead-up performance, however, the Main Event itself proved a brutally tense affair.  Reigning class champion Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) entered the opener as the pre-event favorite, having won five of the last six races in Daytona Beach (incidentally, a record mirrored by Kopp in 450cc action). But the Estenson Racing superstar found himself nearly two seconds adrift of Kopp less than halfway into the Main after getting caught up between Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods Honda CB750 Hornet) and Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/OnlyFans/Castrol Yamaha MT-07) as the race took its shape.  Daniels certainly fought back like a champion, however, slowly chipping away at that deficit once he established himself in second. He slashed the gap to 0.500 with a minute-and-a-half to go and then closed right on the Latus Motors Racing pilot’s rear wheel as they stormed past the two-laps-to-go flags while negotiating lapped traffic. Despite coming under immense pressure, Kopp appeared set to hold strong when he took the white flag. Moments later, however, the race was stopped after third-place runner Lowe crashed, and his bike went up in flames. By rule, the race was called complete at that point, locking up Kopp’s place in the record books. Daniels was awarded second, officially 0.150 seconds back, while Henry Wiles (No. 911 J&M Logging/Ray C’s Harley-Davidson Kawasaki Ninja 650) – who finished third in this same race a year ago – was elevated to the final spot on the podium due to Lowe’s misfortune. Wiles put himself in a position to earn that distinction after passing fellow series part-timer and ST ace Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Martin Trucking/OnlyFans/Castrol Yamaha MT-07) with less than a minute on the clock. Afterward, Kopp said, “I’ve dreamed of this since I was five years old, ever since I knew what flat track racing really was and understood it. By no means is this how I wanted to win my first national though – I want to come back tomorrow night and prove it with an actual checkered flag. Dallas kept me honest. It’s no joke racing against him – I haven’t raced against him really since my rookie year. I know the task at hand – or at least, I’m starting to learn it – because he’s a real challenge out there, for sure.” While Kopp gave the Harley-Davidson XG750R its tenth-ever premier-class victory, the bike’s usual standard-bearers endured significantly more difficult outings.  Two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Jacob Construction/Parts Plus Harley-Davidson XG750R) crashed after being run up into the wall moments after the original start, forcing an immediate stoppage. Despite then restarting from the back of the pack, Bauman snaked his way forward to an eventual seventh.  That was one position behind Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), who had to work his way into the Main via the LCQ after encountering mechanical issues in his heat. Like Bauman, Robinson charged up through the field but fell 0.150 seconds short of a top-five result, ending his race just behind fifth-place finisher Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke). Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Lisa Niner Racing Suzuki GSX-8S) came home eighth, while Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Roof Systems KTM 790 Duke) and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Parts Bros/D&D Cycles/Fairway Ford Aprilia Tuareg 660) rounded out the top ten. Kopp won’t just have a chance to get that Main Event checkered flag tomorrow – he’ll have three as Friday’s Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II Mission AFT SuperTwins rematch will be waged under the Mission Triple Challenge format.  KICKER AFT Singles Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) opened his 2026 KICKER AFT Singles title defense in the same victorious fashion by which he closed out the 2025 season to secure his shiny new #1 plate.  The Australian picked up right where he left off, carrying over his season-ending four-race win streak and upping it to five – but the fifth did not come easily.  A chaotic opening several laps saw Drane, archrival Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), an on-form Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Eisenhard Racing/Pags Powersports KTM 450 SX-F), and ‘15 DAYTONA winner Justin Jones (No. 91 Fairway Ford Chevy GMC Yamaha YZ450F) swap positions relentlessly as they jockeyed for position.  And when Drane finally settled into the lead and stretched out nearly a second at the front, all that effort was erased as due to a red flag that flew in response to an incident involving Tarren Santero (No. 75 Roof Systems/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R) and Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). Saathoff made the most of the do-over, immediately jumping on Drane and snatching away the lead with just over two minutes and two laps remaining to determine the winner.  The Aussie then sought long and hard for a way to claw back past and at last found it with only a half-minute to go. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the restart,” Drane admitted. “I got a decent start, but Chase put up a helluva battle. It’s great to get the win. This is a great way to start the season, and I couldn’t have done it without my whole Estenson Racing Monster Energy Yamaha team. They put in an awesome effort in the offseason, and we’re here to do the job.” The ever-present Trevor Brunner (No. 21 KMA Racing/March Equipment Yamaha YZ450F) made his way up the order to grab the final spot on the box. Behind the usual suspects came rookie Jack Brucks(No. 113 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), who made a head-turning class debut in fourth. Eisenhard worked back past Jones with just over one lap remaining to earn the final spot in the top five. Canadian Jordan Beaulac (No. 156 Picotte Motosport/Dofralex GASGAS MC 450F) finished seventh, followed by Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats Yamaha YZ450F), Tadman, and Ryder Reese (No. 41 Fairway Ford/JMC/Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F). AFT ProSport 450 Sam Drane (No. 7 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) joined his older brother in taking a win on the night by claiming the first victory of the AFT ProSport 450 era. Drane overhauled Ryder Bitz-Hay (No. 14 Bitz-Hay Racing KTM 450 SX-F) to earn the Road to AFT Amateur Invitational victory after finishing second to him in Wednesday’s 450 Road to AFT Main at the Mission Foods CTR Showcase Event, a contest which earned the riders their place on Thursday’s entry list. Jed Fyffe (No. 23 Thriller Motorsports/Yamaha Australia YZ450F) and Jett Katarzy (No. 17 1st Impressions Husqvarna FC450) finished just behind Bitz-Hay in third and fourth, respectively, while Brody Hanson (No. 99 Hanson Racing KTM 450 SX-F) completed the top five. Drane said, “I had to work hard for that one. Ryder didn’t make a mistake the whole time until that one time, and I got through. It was a great race and very good fun.” Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Emma Gottsch (No. 5 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars) repeated her season-opening feat of a year ago, once again securing the first win of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) season. Goottsch leapt out into the lead from the start and put her head down en route to a lopsided win. She was followed to the checkered flag by BTR rookie Julia Heess (No. 13 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars), who just managed to keep second-year rider Madicela Rodriguez (No. 113 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars) at bay. The class, which is showcasing the efforts of women in racing for a seventh season in 2026, will be back in action tomorrow night. Next Up The world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series will be back in action tomorrow night for the second half of the season-opening Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA doubleheader. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-daytona-short-track-ii-150638 to secure your tickets today. How to Watch FloRacing For those that can’t catch the live action at the track, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive American Flat Track. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2026. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/AFT2026 or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast. FS1 FOX Sports coverage of the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, March 14, at 8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT), with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II set to air on Saturday, March 21, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT). The full listing of American Flat Track’s television premieres can be found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.

EASTABOGA, AL (March 5, 2026) – Ashton Torgerson stood on the frontstretch of Volusia Speedway Park on Monday night sounding like he’d been there before.

But the reality is, he hadn’t. The 19-year-old had just secured his first career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series podium with an impressive drive from sixth to second. Some of the names he passed to get there? A few of the sport’s best like David Gravel, Carson Macedo, and Sheldon Haudenschild.

Still, the 19-year-old acted as if it was another day on the job, hands stoically clasped behind his back while giving what seems as if it may be the first of many top three interviews.

Eyebrows were raised last April when Shark Racing announced they were bringing Torgerson aboard. Could this relatively unproven teenager hold his own in the Sprint Car hotbed of Pennsylvania? He quickly silenced critics with many impressive results including a win at BAPS Motor Speedway and top 10 in Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal. And now the driver that’s mature beyond his years is already showing he belongs with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

Monday’s result isn’t the only proof. That was just one of the trio of top 10s he collected during the season’s first five races at Volusia. He also set Simpson Quick Time on the first night of the campaign. It’s clear the consistency is there, and the Bike Week Jamboree finale made it clear this kid is going to contend for wins.

“I was pretty good there early on, sat there around fifth or sixth,” Torgerson explained. “Then I really figured out the track, and the car came to me a little bit better. There at the end, I don’t know if I really could’ve done anything different to get the lead but hats off to Macri. He was quick, but I definitely feel like I had something for him.”

This is an opportunity Torgerson doesn’t intend to squander. Bobby and Jacob Allen saw something in him that many didn’t. He doesn’t want to let them down. He’s honoring “Scruffy” every time he hits the track.

The early standings for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies already show Torgerson with a 40-point advantage over his closest competitor, Scotty Thiel. There’s a long way to go, but all those who questioned Torgerson receiving this chance are much quieter these days.

“It’s surreal to have this crew behind me and believe in me,” Torgerson said. “It’s a rookie season with the Outlaws, so it’s going to be a lot of ups and downs. This is definitely one of the ups. I can’t thank my crew enough. They work their tails off for me.”

Torgerson’s rookie season rolls into Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track on Friday, March 6 and Columbus, MS’ Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 7. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Torgerson Proving He Belongs Among the Best with Shark Racing

EASTABOGA, AL (March 5, 2026) – Ashton Torgerson stood on the frontstretch of Volusia Speedway Park on Monday night sounding like he’d been there before.

But the reality is, he hadn’t. The 19-year-old had just secured his first career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series podium with an impressive drive from sixth to second. Some of the names he passed to get there? A few of the sport’s best like David Gravel, Carson Macedo, and Sheldon Haudenschild.

Still, the 19-year-old acted as if it was another day on the job, hands stoically clasped behind his back while giving what seems as if it may be the first of many top three interviews.

Eyebrows were raised last April when Shark Racing announced they were bringing Torgerson aboard. Could this relatively unproven teenager hold his own in the Sprint Car hotbed of Pennsylvania? He quickly silenced critics with many impressive results including a win at BAPS Motor Speedway and top 10 in Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal. And now the driver that’s mature beyond his years is already showing he belongs with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

Monday’s result isn’t the only proof. That was just one of the trio of top 10s he collected during the season’s first five races at Volusia. He also set Simpson Quick Time on the first night of the campaign. It’s clear the consistency is there, and the Bike Week Jamboree finale made it clear this kid is going to contend for wins.

“I was pretty good there early on, sat there around fifth or sixth,” Torgerson explained. “Then I really figured out the track, and the car came to me a little bit better. There at the end, I don’t know if I really could’ve done anything different to get the lead but hats off to Macri. He was quick, but I definitely feel like I had something for him.”

This is an opportunity Torgerson doesn’t intend to squander. Bobby and Jacob Allen saw something in him that many didn’t. He doesn’t want to let them down. He’s honoring “Scruffy” every time he hits the track.

The early standings for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies already show Torgerson with a 40-point advantage over his closest competitor, Scotty Thiel. There’s a long way to go, but all those who questioned Torgerson receiving this chance are much quieter these days.

“It’s surreal to have this crew behind me and believe in me,” Torgerson said. “It’s a rookie season with the Outlaws, so it’s going to be a lot of ups and downs. This is definitely one of the ups. I can’t thank my crew enough. They work their tails off for me.”

Torgerson’s rookie season rolls into Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track on Friday, March 6 and Columbus, MS’ Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 7. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/torgerson-proving-he-belongs-among-the-best-with-shark-racing/

Briar Bauman (No. 3) leads the field at Springfield Mile in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Progressive American Flat Track Announces 2026 Broadcast Schedule

Briar Bauman (No. 3) leads the field at Springfield Mile in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 5, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, unveils the series’ broadcast schedule for the 2026 campaign. Since debuting on FOX Sports platforms in 2022, Progressive AFT has experienced significant growth in national visibility and audience reach. That momentum carries into 2026, with FS1 once again serving as the primary broadcast home for the series, complemented by a special broadcast window on FOX for the Nashville Short Track. The proven model introduced in recent seasons will remain in place, with each Progressive AFT round presented as a one-hour premiere telecast on FS1. In many instances, broadcasts will air the weekend following the event, maintaining premium weekend time slots and frequently aligning with major motorsports programming to maximize exposure. A highlight of the 2026 schedule is the Nashville Short Track, which will receive national network coverage on FOX. The one-hour telecast is set to air Saturday, June 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT), delivering Progressive AFT to a broad over-the-air audience. 2026 Progressive AFT Broadcast Schedule:FS1 – Saturday, March 14 – Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I – 8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, March 21 – Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II – 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, March 29 – Yamaha Atlanta Short Track – 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, May 2 – Ventura Short Track – 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, May 10 – Silver Dollar Short Track – 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, May 24 – Throttlefest – 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, May 31 – Williams Grove Half-Mile – 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)FOX – Saturday, June 13 – Nashville Short Track – 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, July 5 – Lima Half-Mile I – 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, July 12 – Lima Half-Mile II – 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, July 18 – DuQuoin Mile – 9:00 a.m. ET (6:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, August 15 – Jackpine Gypsies Super TT – 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, August 22 – Jackpine Gypsies Short Track – 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, August 30 – Peoria TT – 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, September 13 – Springfield Mile I – 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, September 20 – Springfield Mile II – 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT) The 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season will launch with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. How to Watch FOX Sports and FloRacing are home to Progressive American Flat Track programming. For the 2026 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FloRacing provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at https://flosports.link/aft.

GAINESILLE, FLA. (MARCH 5, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff heads into this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway as a rookie in the already talent-stacked Funny Car ranks but that doesn’t mean the driver of John Force Racing’s Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet doesn’t have a large target on his back at the same time.

The California native and Atlanta-area resident has taken over the reins of the Cornwell Tools program which has won the previous two NHRA Funny Car championships for John Force Racing. That’s a tall order for any driver, let alone one with just 13 Top Fuel starts, but the confidence Vandergriff exudes during his on-the-job Funny Car training leaves little doubt he’ll be up to the task in front of him.

The third-generation drag racer has spent the time since his hiring was announced last December solely focused on being as prepared as possible for the Gatornationals. He attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School at Gainesville Raceway, learning the specifics of driving a Funny Car as opposed to the dragster, and spent six days testing at the central Florida facility getting into a rhythm with his new crew lead by Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker.

Quotes

What are your feelings knowing that all the planning and preparation comes down to Q1 this Friday?

“We are done testing, the next run for me is going to be Q1 and I feel ready. I feel like we tested very well. We had a really strong test session last week, and yesterday we had two runs and one of them was a strong run. I feel prepared and I’ll be ready for Q1 on Friday.”

What has your life been like from the time the announcement was made last December and now?

“A lot of visualization, for sure … mental preparation. For those months that I couldn’t get in the race car yet, I would think about it over and over and over again. And then at the test session last week, hopping in and just trying to bring those visualizations that I had to the racetrack. I think it translated pretty well. We made 11 runs and eight of them full passes. We then came out yesterday and made two runs, one of them a full pass. So, it was a lot of preparation, a lot of getting used to the car and going to Frank Hawley’s school, as well. It really, really prepared me well.

How is the team coming together?

“Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker are my crew chiefs and it’s a great duo. They work well together. They’ve worked together for a lot of years. Chris has been a mentor for Bunker, so that relationship is very strong, and Chris leading us is the right guy. He’s the right guy for this job, and I’m super excited to have him, and he’s doing it the right way. We’ve made very good test runs, all thanks to him and the Cornwell Quality Tools team. We’re all new, but we’re coming together. Our camaraderie is great already, which is good coming into the first race of the year. So, we’re really, really confident in what we’ve got going, and it should be really good.”

Jordan Vandergriff	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2019 (TF)	2nd round	15th	1-1
2025 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A

Number starts: 0

Wins: 0

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 0

Event Round Record: 1-1

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME FOR VANDERGRIFF

GAINESILLE, FLA. (MARCH 5, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff heads into this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway as a rookie in the already talent-stacked Funny Car ranks but that doesn’t mean the driver of John Force Racing’s Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet doesn’t have a large target on his back at the same time.

The California native and Atlanta-area resident has taken over the reins of the Cornwell Tools program which has won the previous two NHRA Funny Car championships for John Force Racing. That’s a tall order for any driver, let alone one with just 13 Top Fuel starts, but the confidence Vandergriff exudes during his on-the-job Funny Car training leaves little doubt he’ll be up to the task in front of him.

The third-generation drag racer has spent the time since his hiring was announced last December solely focused on being as prepared as possible for the Gatornationals. He attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School at Gainesville Raceway, learning the specifics of driving a Funny Car as opposed to the dragster, and spent six days testing at the central Florida facility getting into a rhythm with his new crew lead by Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker.

Quotes

What are your feelings knowing that all the planning and preparation comes down to Q1 this Friday?

“We are done testing, the next run for me is going to be Q1 and I feel ready. I feel like we tested very well. We had a really strong test session last week, and yesterday we had two runs and one of them was a strong run. I feel prepared and I’ll be ready for Q1 on Friday.”

What has your life been like from the time the announcement was made last December and now?

“A lot of visualization, for sure … mental preparation. For those months that I couldn’t get in the race car yet, I would think about it over and over and over again. And then at the test session last week, hopping in and just trying to bring those visualizations that I had to the racetrack. I think it translated pretty well. We made 11 runs and eight of them full passes. We then came out yesterday and made two runs, one of them a full pass. So, it was a lot of preparation, a lot of getting used to the car and going to Frank Hawley’s school, as well. It really, really prepared me well.

How is the team coming together?

“Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker are my crew chiefs and it’s a great duo. They work well together. They’ve worked together for a lot of years. Chris has been a mentor for Bunker, so that relationship is very strong, and Chris leading us is the right guy. He’s the right guy for this job, and I’m super excited to have him, and he’s doing it the right way. We’ve made very good test runs, all thanks to him and the Cornwell Quality Tools team. We’re all new, but we’re coming together. Our camaraderie is great already, which is good coming into the first race of the year. So, we’re really, really confident in what we’ve got going, and it should be really good.”

Jordan Vandergriff	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2019 (TF)	2nd round	15th	1-1
2025 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A

Number starts: 0

Wins: 0

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 0

Event Round Record: 1-1

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

The first round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the semifinals slated for 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will also air at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – Gainesville Raceway holds a very special space in Alexis DeJoria’s nitro Funny Car career which will only expand as she prepares to make her John Force Racing debut in the Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

It was her new car owner, 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, who signed off on her Funny Car license prior to her 2011 rookie season. And it was the same John Force whom she lined up against at the 2012 Gatornationals, beating her hero to the finish to earn her first Funny Car round win.

The six-time Funny Car race winner and six-time No. 1 Qualifier now has the opportunity to compete for her legendary racing hero and she’s made the best of it in pre-season testing, already eclipsing her personal career record speed with a lap of 337.24 mph two weeks ago. DeJoria has every reason to believe her 13^th season of NHRA Funny Car competition will be her best ever and just the beginning of a successful new chapter of her career.

Quotes

You’re now through two full tests at John Force Racing so what are your thoughts on your performance and how the how the team is coming along?

We’ve tested a lot prior to the first race of the season. We made 13 runs the first week, and we’ve made three, four, five runs for this second week of testing. I feel very confident in my abilities and in my team’s abilities. I have the utmost faith in this race car. It’s the best race car I’ve ever driven. We’ve had great runs. We’ve had not so great runs, but we’ve learned and we’ve progressed, and this Bandero team is ready.

Now that you’re part of John Force Racing, how much more does it mean to you to be driving for your hero, John Force?

Honestly, it’s a dream come true. I’ve watched John Force Race since I was 16 years old, sitting in the stands. People like him, and Del Worsham, Funny Car drivers like that, is really what drew me to the sport. John Force signed my Funny Car license, so to be able to say that I’m racing for this man, uh, the legend John Force, to be running the big John Force X on my race car is surreal and I feel very honored.

It’s a new team to but you have some familiar faces in crew chief Mike Neff and others. How does that help the whole process in getting used to working for a different team?

Ideally, you want to keep the same the same crew, the same team … familiarity. Everybody knows each other. Everybody works well together. So that’s really what you want. I did tell everybody, before we made the move over, that the door is open. I would have loved for everyone to come along. About half the guys came and that was fantastic. We got Zippy (Neff) and Phil (Zwart), who’s been with me since day one when I started. We have Jeff (Accacian). We have James (Naumann) and we have Binion (Jones) and a couple new guys and they’ve all gelled right away. I think we’re going to have a great year.

Alexis DeJoria	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2011 (FC)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2012 (FC)	2nd round	10th	1-1
2013 (FC)	2nd round	10th	2-2
2014 (FC)	1st round	14th	2-3
2015 (FC)	2nd round	11th	3-4
2016 (FC)	1st round	11th	3-5
2017 (FC)	1st round	11th	3-6
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2020(FC)	2nd round	5th	4-7
2021 (FC)	2nd round	2nd	5-8
2022 (FC)	1st round	5th	5-9
2023 (FC)	Semi-finals	9th	7-10
2024 (FC)	2nd round	7th	8-11
2025 (FC)	Semi-finals	7th	10-12

Number starts: 12

Wins: 0

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 0

Event Round Record: 10-12

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

DEJORIA READY FOR DREAM COME TRUE

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – Gainesville Raceway holds a very special space in Alexis DeJoria’s nitro Funny Car career which will only expand as she prepares to make her John Force Racing debut in the Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

It was her new car owner, 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, who signed off on her Funny Car license prior to her 2011 rookie season. And it was the same John Force whom she lined up against at the 2012 Gatornationals, beating her hero to the finish to earn her first Funny Car round win.

The six-time Funny Car race winner and six-time No. 1 Qualifier now has the opportunity to compete for her legendary racing hero and she’s made the best of it in pre-season testing, already eclipsing her personal career record speed with a lap of 337.24 mph two weeks ago. DeJoria has every reason to believe her 13^th season of NHRA Funny Car competition will be her best ever and just the beginning of a successful new chapter of her career.

Quotes

You’re now through two full tests at John Force Racing so what are your thoughts on your performance and how the how the team is coming along?

We’ve tested a lot prior to the first race of the season. We made 13 runs the first week, and we’ve made three, four, five runs for this second week of testing. I feel very confident in my abilities and in my team’s abilities. I have the utmost faith in this race car. It’s the best race car I’ve ever driven. We’ve had great runs. We’ve had not so great runs, but we’ve learned and we’ve progressed, and this Bandero team is ready.

Now that you’re part of John Force Racing, how much more does it mean to you to be driving for your hero, John Force?

Honestly, it’s a dream come true. I’ve watched John Force Race since I was 16 years old, sitting in the stands. People like him, and Del Worsham, Funny Car drivers like that, is really what drew me to the sport. John Force signed my Funny Car license, so to be able to say that I’m racing for this man, uh, the legend John Force, to be running the big John Force X on my race car is surreal and I feel very honored.

It’s a new team to but you have some familiar faces in crew chief Mike Neff and others. How does that help the whole process in getting used to working for a different team?

Ideally, you want to keep the same the same crew, the same team … familiarity. Everybody knows each other. Everybody works well together. So that’s really what you want. I did tell everybody, before we made the move over, that the door is open. I would have loved for everyone to come along. About half the guys came and that was fantastic. We got Zippy (Neff) and Phil (Zwart), who’s been with me since day one when I started. We have Jeff (Accacian). We have James (Naumann) and we have Binion (Jones) and a couple new guys and they’ve all gelled right away. I think we’re going to have a great year.

Alexis DeJoria	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2011 (FC)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2012 (FC)	2nd round	10th	1-1
2013 (FC)	2nd round	10th	2-2
2014 (FC)	1st round	14th	2-3
2015 (FC)	2nd round	11th	3-4
2016 (FC)	1st round	11th	3-5
2017 (FC)	1st round	11th	3-6
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2020(FC)	2nd round	5th	4-7
2021 (FC)	2nd round	2nd	5-8
2022 (FC)	1st round	5th	5-9
2023 (FC)	Semi-finals	9th	7-10
2024 (FC)	2nd round	7th	8-11
2025 (FC)	Semi-finals	7th	10-12

Number starts: 12

Wins: 0

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 0

Event Round Record: 10-12

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

The first round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the semifinals slated for 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will also air at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – One year ago, Jack Beckman was looking forward to beginning his first full season as the driver of the PEAK Chevrolet SS but 2026 finds the 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion as John Force Racing’s most tenured driver and just as motivated, if not more so, to earn victory in this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.  

Beckman finished third in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing point standings on the strength of two victories. It was his first full season of competition since taking over for the injured John Force midway through 2024 and not racing at all the previous three seasons.

The California native and drag racing historian knows how to get it done at the Gatornationals, winning the 2018 Funny Car title and earning No. 1 Qualifier spots in 2016, 2018 and last season. But this season’s Funny Car field is as strong as ever, including John Force Racing newcomers Alexis DeJoria and Jordan Vandergriff.

Beckman may have suddenly found himself as the senior representative of John Force Racing’s driver lineup this season, an unexpected but greatly appreciated turnaround from where he was just two years previous, and he and the PEAK SQUAD have every reason in the world to take full advantage of the opportunity.

Quotes

How is knowing you are now the senior member of the John Force Racing driver lineup?

When I came over in 2024, the other drivers didn’t need any driving tips. Jordan Vandergrift’s doing just fine. I’m pitted right next to him and we can certainly bounce things off of each other. With Alexis, I think it’s just making her feel warm and welcome at JFR after coming from a completely different environment. And similar for Josh Hart who is going from being a team owner and calling all the shots to being a hired gun. So, hopefully, I can make that transition smooth for everybody there.

What are your initial thoughts about the season-opener at Gainesville?

I’m still wrapping my head around, Gainesville being the season opener. Ss a West Coast guy, Pomona always was the first race on the tour, and this is my second time leading off the season at Gainesville, which is which is still very odd to me. But there are some great things that go along with coming to Gainesville, including the International Drag Race Hall of Fame inductions this Thursday. I’m getting to be a part of that again as a presenter, where I’ll be inducting legendary announcer Bob Frey who has become a very close friend of mine. He’s an icon of the sport and somebody of I’ve admired for more than 30 years.

As an historian of the sport, what does it mean to you to be able to do such things, to do induct and emcee different events like you’ve told me about?

I was in Long Beach, California, last Sunday emceeing a celebration of life for Ed Iskendarian, who lived to be 104 years old and truly was the last one of the first generation of drag racers. Don Garlitz and Don Prudhomme were speakers on that panel so I got to spend time with the people that were 10 feet tall when I was a kid and have done as much to this sport as anybody that’s ever put a helmet on. And I drive for John Force so I have tons of these ‘pinch me’ moments. I just got invited to participate in the nitro school Friday with Kenny Bernstein so, just when I think I have everything I’ve ever wished for, a bunch more cool things happen, and I’m enjoying the ride thoroughly.

How do you feel about the PEAK SQUAD going into this season kickoff? 
We made between preseason testing, which was a week and a half ago and pre-race testing, which we just elected to do one day and only needed to make two runs. The PEAK SQUAD made 13 test runs at Gainesville in the last month. I am super comfortable because we truly treated it like a test. We checked our backup parts. We checked new parts, we changed some things in the fuel system. We truly tested parts that should make us a better car, and we’ve made eight runs between 3.86 and 3.93 seconds. I am about as confident as somebody can be rolling into the first race of the year. There is no rust. I’ve been able to stand on the throttle 13 times in the last two weeks.

Jack Beckman	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2005	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2006	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2007 (FC)	DNQ	21st	0-0
2008 (FC)	2nd round	6th	1-1
2009 (FC)	1st round	9th	1-2
2010 (FC)	1st round	10th	1-3
2011 (FC)	Semi-finals	2nd	3-4
2012 (FC)	Semi-finals	2nd	5-5
2013 (FC)	Semi-finals	11th	7-6
2014 (FC)	2nd round	3rd	8-7
2015 (FC)	2nd round	5th	9-8
2016 (FC)	Semi-finals	1st	11-9
2017 (FC)	2nd round	8th	12-10
2018 (FC)	Winner	1st	16-10
2019 (FC)	Semi-finals	6th	18-11
2020(FC)	2nd round	9th	19-12
2021	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2022	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2023	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2024	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2025 (FC)	2nd round	1st	20-13

Number starts: 15

Wins: 1 (2018)

No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2016, 2018, 2025)

Final rounds: 1 (2021)

Event Round Record: 20-13

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

FROM SIDELINES TO SENIORITY JUST FINE WITH BECKMAN

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – One year ago, Jack Beckman was looking forward to beginning his first full season as the driver of the PEAK Chevrolet SS but 2026 finds the 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion as John Force Racing’s most tenured driver and just as motivated, if not more so, to earn victory in this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.  

Beckman finished third in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing point standings on the strength of two victories. It was his first full season of competition since taking over for the injured John Force midway through 2024 and not racing at all the previous three seasons.

The California native and drag racing historian knows how to get it done at the Gatornationals, winning the 2018 Funny Car title and earning No. 1 Qualifier spots in 2016, 2018 and last season. But this season’s Funny Car field is as strong as ever, including John Force Racing newcomers Alexis DeJoria and Jordan Vandergriff.

Beckman may have suddenly found himself as the senior representative of John Force Racing’s driver lineup this season, an unexpected but greatly appreciated turnaround from where he was just two years previous, and he and the PEAK SQUAD have every reason in the world to take full advantage of the opportunity.

Quotes

How is knowing you are now the senior member of the John Force Racing driver lineup?

When I came over in 2024, the other drivers didn’t need any driving tips. Jordan Vandergrift’s doing just fine. I’m pitted right next to him and we can certainly bounce things off of each other. With Alexis, I think it’s just making her feel warm and welcome at JFR after coming from a completely different environment. And similar for Josh Hart who is going from being a team owner and calling all the shots to being a hired gun. So, hopefully, I can make that transition smooth for everybody there.

What are your initial thoughts about the season-opener at Gainesville?

I’m still wrapping my head around, Gainesville being the season opener. Ss a West Coast guy, Pomona always was the first race on the tour, and this is my second time leading off the season at Gainesville, which is which is still very odd to me. But there are some great things that go along with coming to Gainesville, including the International Drag Race Hall of Fame inductions this Thursday. I’m getting to be a part of that again as a presenter, where I’ll be inducting legendary announcer Bob Frey who has become a very close friend of mine. He’s an icon of the sport and somebody of I’ve admired for more than 30 years.

As an historian of the sport, what does it mean to you to be able to do such things, to do induct and emcee different events like you’ve told me about?

I was in Long Beach, California, last Sunday emceeing a celebration of life for Ed Iskendarian, who lived to be 104 years old and truly was the last one of the first generation of drag racers. Don Garlitz and Don Prudhomme were speakers on that panel so I got to spend time with the people that were 10 feet tall when I was a kid and have done as much to this sport as anybody that’s ever put a helmet on. And I drive for John Force so I have tons of these ‘pinch me’ moments. I just got invited to participate in the nitro school Friday with Kenny Bernstein so, just when I think I have everything I’ve ever wished for, a bunch more cool things happen, and I’m enjoying the ride thoroughly.

How do you feel about the PEAK SQUAD going into this season kickoff? 
We made between preseason testing, which was a week and a half ago and pre-race testing, which we just elected to do one day and only needed to make two runs. The PEAK SQUAD made 13 test runs at Gainesville in the last month. I am super comfortable because we truly treated it like a test. We checked our backup parts. We checked new parts, we changed some things in the fuel system. We truly tested parts that should make us a better car, and we’ve made eight runs between 3.86 and 3.93 seconds. I am about as confident as somebody can be rolling into the first race of the year. There is no rust. I’ve been able to stand on the throttle 13 times in the last two weeks.

Jack Beckman	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2005	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2006	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2007 (FC)	DNQ	21st	0-0
2008 (FC)	2nd round	6th	1-1
2009 (FC)	1st round	9th	1-2
2010 (FC)	1st round	10th	1-3
2011 (FC)	Semi-finals	2nd	3-4
2012 (FC)	Semi-finals	2nd	5-5
2013 (FC)	Semi-finals	11th	7-6
2014 (FC)	2nd round	3rd	8-7
2015 (FC)	2nd round	5th	9-8
2016 (FC)	Semi-finals	1st	11-9
2017 (FC)	2nd round	8th	12-10
2018 (FC)	Winner	1st	16-10
2019 (FC)	Semi-finals	6th	18-11
2020(FC)	2nd round	9th	19-12
2021	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2022	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2023	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2024	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2025 (FC)	2nd round	1st	20-13

Number starts: 15

Wins: 1 (2018)

No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2016, 2018, 2025)

Final rounds: 1 (2021)

Event Round Record: 20-13

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

The first round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the semifinals slated for 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will also air at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – For a man driven to stay busy and achieve success in every aspect of his life, Josh Hart couldn’t be happier to be just the driver for John Force Racing’s Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster team headed into the season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Hart was an owner-driver the first five seasons of his Top Fuel career but sold his racing operation at the end of last season when the opportunity arose to drive for Force’s 24-time championship organization after two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Brittany Force put her racing career on hold to start a family.

He found success early with his own team, winning the Gatornationals in his class debut in 2021 and once more his rookie season but, with the growth of his Burnyzz Speed Shop and the addition of two children to his family, Hart realized he couldn’t devote enough time and energy as a team owner to make it the success he strove for.

The decision proved to be fruitful on the first test pass two weeks ago at Gainesville Raceway, with Hart eclipsing the 340-mph barrier in the Dave Grubnic/John Collins-tuned dragster for the first time in his career.  The strong performance continued throughout the week of testing as well as the past two days leading into the Gatornationals.

Quotes

What are your overall thoughts on how testing went going into this weekend’s Gatornationals. 

I’m feeling very, very confident. I’m blessed to be a part of JFR. The communication between myself, David Grubnic, John Collins and the team is something that I’ve never been privy to. They tell me what they’re testing and they communicate better than anybody I’ve ever met so I feel very blessed and very excited. To put it into context, my slowest full test run was faster than my career best and I think we made 13 full runs.

What was it like to make that first 340 mph pass two weeks ago?

I mean, it was an absolutely breathtaking ride. It’s something you can’t really explain. It pulls so hard, but it was so smooth that you knew you were just on a mission. And when I got out of the car and they said my first pass ever was 340 mile an hour. I mean, what else could you ask for? That’s a testament to how good this team really is.

You’re obviously a very driven man who wants to succeed in everything you do. What has it been like to let go of the team owner reins and just focus on being a driver when you’re at the racetrack. 

It’s kind of like when you have an elephant standing on your chest. It feels so relieving to know that you don’t have to deal with the day-to-day stuff. Again, it’s a great testament to what John Force has built because it’s hard. It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of struggles. A lot of little things. It’s like death by a thousand razor blades. So, the fact that he is still out there and still willing to put in the time and the effort and all the money that it takes to fund this thing says it all. That man is drag racing. 

You won the Gatornationals in your adopted state in your very first Top Fuel race. What memories come back to you five years later? What are those memories now 5 years later?

It absolutely is coming back. I mean, to see Burnyzz on the side of the car is something I’m excited about it. To me, it was like last year. Let’s get this chapter closed, and now we’re starting the new chapter and I hope it starts just the same. And I hope that it just keeps going up and up together. I think it definitely will as the team continues to gel together. We’re only going to get stronger. 

Josh Hart	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2021 (TF)	Winner	8th	4-0
2022 (FC)	1st round	11th	4-1
2023 (FC)	1st round	7th	4-2
2024 (FC)	2nd round	12th	5-3
2025 (FC)	1st round	9th	5-4

Number starts: 4

Wins: 1 (2021)

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 1 (2021)

Event Round Record: 5-4

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

HART SLOWS DOWN TO SPEED UP NHRA CAREER

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – For a man driven to stay busy and achieve success in every aspect of his life, Josh Hart couldn’t be happier to be just the driver for John Force Racing’s Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster team headed into the season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Hart was an owner-driver the first five seasons of his Top Fuel career but sold his racing operation at the end of last season when the opportunity arose to drive for Force’s 24-time championship organization after two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Brittany Force put her racing career on hold to start a family.

He found success early with his own team, winning the Gatornationals in his class debut in 2021 and once more his rookie season but, with the growth of his Burnyzz Speed Shop and the addition of two children to his family, Hart realized he couldn’t devote enough time and energy as a team owner to make it the success he strove for.

The decision proved to be fruitful on the first test pass two weeks ago at Gainesville Raceway, with Hart eclipsing the 340-mph barrier in the Dave Grubnic/John Collins-tuned dragster for the first time in his career.  The strong performance continued throughout the week of testing as well as the past two days leading into the Gatornationals.

Quotes

What are your overall thoughts on how testing went going into this weekend’s Gatornationals. 

I’m feeling very, very confident. I’m blessed to be a part of JFR. The communication between myself, David Grubnic, John Collins and the team is something that I’ve never been privy to. They tell me what they’re testing and they communicate better than anybody I’ve ever met so I feel very blessed and very excited. To put it into context, my slowest full test run was faster than my career best and I think we made 13 full runs.

What was it like to make that first 340 mph pass two weeks ago?

I mean, it was an absolutely breathtaking ride. It’s something you can’t really explain. It pulls so hard, but it was so smooth that you knew you were just on a mission. And when I got out of the car and they said my first pass ever was 340 mile an hour. I mean, what else could you ask for? That’s a testament to how good this team really is.

You’re obviously a very driven man who wants to succeed in everything you do. What has it been like to let go of the team owner reins and just focus on being a driver when you’re at the racetrack. 

It’s kind of like when you have an elephant standing on your chest. It feels so relieving to know that you don’t have to deal with the day-to-day stuff. Again, it’s a great testament to what John Force has built because it’s hard. It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of struggles. A lot of little things. It’s like death by a thousand razor blades. So, the fact that he is still out there and still willing to put in the time and the effort and all the money that it takes to fund this thing says it all. That man is drag racing. 

You won the Gatornationals in your adopted state in your very first Top Fuel race. What memories come back to you five years later? What are those memories now 5 years later?

It absolutely is coming back. I mean, to see Burnyzz on the side of the car is something I’m excited about it. To me, it was like last year. Let’s get this chapter closed, and now we’re starting the new chapter and I hope it starts just the same. And I hope that it just keeps going up and up together. I think it definitely will as the team continues to gel together. We’re only going to get stronger. 

Josh Hart	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2021 (TF)	Winner	8th	4-0
2022 (FC)	1st round	11th	4-1
2023 (FC)	1st round	7th	4-2
2024 (FC)	2nd round	12th	5-3
2025 (FC)	1st round	9th	5-4

Number starts: 4

Wins: 1 (2021)

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 1 (2021)

Event Round Record: 5-4

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

The first round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the semifinals slated for 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will also air at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.

Davenport Returns to Victory Lane at Golden Isles with Wieland Winter Nationals Triumph

WAYNESVILLE, GA (March 4, 2026) – Jonathan Davenport scored his first win at Golden Isles Speedway since February 6, 2016, on Wednesday night, leading all 30 laps of the Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing. The victory marked Davenport’s fifth career win at Golden Isles. He led a hard-charging Hudson O’Neal across the finish line in a caution-free feature — the third such race of the season for the series. Davenport held more than a three-second lead for much of the second half of the race until O’Neal trimmed the advantage to just over a second in the closing laps. Brandon Sheppard, who was seeking his first career win at Golden Isles, finished third, followed by Devin Moran. Max Blair earned the Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race honors, finishing fifth after starting 12th. The win was the 93rd Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of Davenport’s career. The Blairsville, Georgia native and three-time series champion captured his first Golden Isles win in 10 years and his first victory of the 2026 season. “It was my first lap led of the year,” Davenport said. “It just feels like we could never get any air on the front of this car. I started on the front row in Arizona, but we could never get the start we needed and just didn’t have the car to come back to the front. My guys gave me an awesome car tonight, and this one is definitely for them. We wrecked that car on Thursday at Ocala, and they worked their tails off and drove a lot more miles than they should have to fix it.” “The race car was awesome tonight. They’ve done a great job widening the track back out, especially going into turn one. They took a lot of the cup out of turn two, so we didn’t have to run up there as much and could let the bottom come in a little bit. The biggest difference was tires — Hudson and I were a little different from the other guys up front. I knew I needed to get the lead and get some clean air.” O’Neal, who will enter Thursday night’s action as the Midwest Sheet Metal points leader, charged from eighth to finish second. “More than anything, I was following those guys on the bottom, and I felt like I was better than them running sixth or seventh, wherever I was,” O’Neal said. “So I moved to the top and started passing a few of them. Then I got back down behind (Mark) Whitener and kept trying to peek under him, but I couldn’t quite make it work. I think that was when the top finally cleaned off a little bit, and we started making really good time up there.” “I was able to move around, and I thought the race track turned out awesome. We could race all over it with different tire choices — from the softer tires on the inside to literally rubbing the right-rear tire on the wall.” Sheppard rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “We finished tonight — that’s all I’m going to say,” Sheppard said. “The last few nights at Ocala, we had some unfortunate situations, and we had a really fast car there. The track was awesome tonight, our car was really fast, and we had another consistent night.” The winning Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Ace Doran Hauling and Rigging, Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas. Completing the top 10 were Tyler Erb, Brian Shirley, Mark Whitener, Garrett Alberson, and Brandon Overton. In the companion Crown Vic feature, Brody Collins of Hilliard, Florida, led all 15 laps for the victory. Collins inherited the pole position when his father, Johnny, scratched from the feature due to mechanical issues. Daniel Baldwin finished second, followed by J.O. Nobles, Chase Collins, and Kevin Hildebrand. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsWednesday, March 4, 2026Golden Isles Speedway | Waynesville, GA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 15.189 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 15.380 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 3. 19M-Brenden Smith[2]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 5. 55-Benji Hicks[10]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 7. 11-Josh Rice[7]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[4]; 9. 79-Cory Hedgecock[9]; 10. (DNS) 88-Trent Ivey Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 2. 5-Mark Whitener[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 4. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[7]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[6]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[9]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[8]; 9. 13-Dallon Murty[5]; 10. (DNS) 157-Mike Marlar Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 4. 97-Cody Overton[4]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 7. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 8. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[8]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. (DNS) 93L-Cory Lawler Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[5]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[3]; 5. 16B-Ross Bailes[7]; 6. 388-Jackson Hise[6]; 7. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 8. 555-Brock Pinkerous[9]; 9. 14-Trey Mills[4]; 10. (DNS) 77-Preston Luckman Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 2. 55-Benji Hicks[1]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 4. 13-Dallon Murty[10]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey[11]; 7. 09-Michael Leach[7]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[8]; 9. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 10. 11-Josh Rice[5]; 11. (DNS) 79-Cory Hedgecock; 12. (DNS) 157-Mike Marlar UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[1]; 2. 16B-Ross Bailes[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 5. 81F-Jadon Frame[6]; 6. 388-Jackson Hise[4]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[11]; 8. 14-Trey Mills[10]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. 555-Brock Pinkerous[8]; 11. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[7]; 12. (DNS) 77-Preston Luckman Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (30 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $7,0002 – 8 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,5003 – 4 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,0004 – 3 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $1,5005 – 12 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,4006 – 11 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,3007 – 2 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,2008 – 7 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $1,1009 – 6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,00010 – 5 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $95011 – 10 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $90012 – 14 – 97 – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $85013 – 13 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $80014 – 16 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $75015 – 9 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $72516 – 18 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $70017 – 15 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $70018 – 23 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $70019 – 17 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $65020 – 21 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $62521 – 19 – 55 – Benji Hicks – Mount Airy, NC – $62522 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $60023 – 22 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $60024 – 20 – 16B – Ross Bailes – Clover, SC – $600 Race Statistics  Entrants: 40Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-30)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 1.194 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: n/aMyRacePass Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon SheppardPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Max BlairBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon SheppardPEM 4th Place Feature: Devin MoranDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max BlairWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brian ShirleyWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Clay HarrisVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Brenden SmithHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Cody Overton (Advanced 2 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (30 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’NealMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O’NealO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O’Neal | Lap 6 | 15.964 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Mike MarlarVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Hudson O’NealOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory FostvedtARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal | 15.3089 secondsTime of Race: 8 minutes 18 seconds

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Good Ranchers 2501-mile, Phoenix Raceway short ovalAvondale, Arizona Race AdvanceMarch 6-7, 2026 DETROIT (March 4, 2026) – Chevrolet-powered cars have visited INDYCAR victory lane at Phoenix Raceway ten times, but the sacred place in Chevrolet racing history goes far beyond the wins at the historic one-mile oval.  In 1969, George Follmer drove a Cheetah powered by a Chevrolet Z/28 engine to the brand’s first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory outside the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.  In 1986, Al Unser, while driving for Team Penske, made the first start for a Chevrolet factory-backed INDYCAR engine. The venerable 2.65L turbocharged V8 built by Ilmor would go on to win 86 races over the next eight seasons of Championship Auto Racing Teams competition.  The Detroit brand will add one more piece of lore to the history books in 2026, when Chevrolet is the only brand to compete in all four races at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. A dozen NTT INDYCAR SERIES entries will join 18 NASCAR Cup Series entries, 30 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series entries and 18 ARCA Menards Series entries, for a total of 75 Chevrolet-powered entries across the four races.  “Chevrolet is proud to be the only manufacturer powering the field across all three races this weekend,” said Jim Campbell, Vice President, Performance and Motorsports Commercial Operations, General Motors. “Our heritage has been built on both stock car and open-wheel competition, and Phoenix Raceway is a great example of that legacy. Chevrolet has earned 27 NASCAR Cup Series wins and three championships at Phoenix, along with 10 additional NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories and two more titles. In INDYCAR competition, Chevrolet-powered drivers have added 10 wins at this track. That shared success reflects the strength of our teams, our technology and our commitment to winning across every discipline in which we compete.”

An unlikely winner A year-old chassis with a 320-cubic-inch Chevrolet and 35-year-old sports car veteran Follmer at the wheel didn’t garner much attention against brand-new chassis powered by turbocharged Offenhauser and Ford engines driven by names like Andretti, Foyt and Unser.  Follmer, a star in sports cars, and his one-year-old Cheetah, powered by an Al Bartz, of Traco fame, built engine sourced from a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and costing only $5,500, got their attention after qualifying on the outside of the front row alongside Al Unser.

Folmer’s No. 62 dropped back, but watched Al Unser, A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Roger McCluskey and Gordon Johncock drop out with mechanical issues. That left the Chevrolet-powered car fighting Bobby Unser in a new All-American Racers Eagle powered by a turbocharged Offenhauser. Unser’s engine let go with 30 of the 150-mile event remaining, allowing Follmer to win by an impressive three laps.  “I just wanted to keep Bobby in sight,” explained Follmer to the Arizona Republic in 1969 after the race. “Because I just couldn’t pass him on the straights. He’s got over 700 horsepower, and I’ve got 550. That doesn’t multiply right.  “I was just waiting for my fuel load to go down.”

Factory-backed effort makes debut  On April 6, 1986, the 2.65L turbocharged V8 Chevrolet, which terrified Championship Auto Racing Teams competitors in the late 1980s and early 1990s, made a surprise debut at the season opener at Phoenix Raceway with Al Unser behind the wheel of Team Penske’s No. 11.  The PC-15 had just arrived in the Arizona desert from England a few days earlier, and after fitting the new Chevrolet powerplant, had only completed a three-lap shakedown at nearby Firebird Raceway Park. The initial plan was only to have Unser, who legend has it lost a coin flip with Mears over who would drive the new combination, only in practice before switching to the known quantity, a March powered by a Cosworth.  More on the first factory-backed effort by Chevrolet in INDYCAR as we approach the 40th anniversary of its debut.

Short oval success Over the long haul Wins Between George Follmer’s stunning victory by three laps at Phoenix Raceway in 1969, through NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins by Pato O’Ward (Iowa Speedway), Christian Rasmussen (Milwaukee Mile) and Josef Newgarden (Nashville Superspeedway), Chevrolet has had tremendous success on the short ovals,* driving to victory lane 55 times. Twenty-five drivers have won on short ovals for Team Chevy, but one stands out. Josef Newgarden, the driver of the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, leads the next closest driver, Team Penske legend Rick Mears, by nine. Team Penske has 54.5% (30 of 55) of Chevrolet-powered wins and is one of 17 teams with wins on short ovals. Bowtie adorned engines have won races at nine short ovals, with Iowa Speedway (14), the Milwaukee Mile (12) and Phoenix Raceway (10) all reaching double digits in trips to victory lane.  PolesBetween Jim Hurtubise, at the treacherous Langhorne Speedway in 1963 and Power (World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway), Newgarden (Iowa Speedway) and O’Ward (Nashville Superspeedway) last year, Chevrolet power has won the pole at short ovals 55 times. Will Power and Mears lead the 18 drivers that have won the pole on short ovals with 11 a piece Even more impressive than their win percentage, Team Penske, one of 13 teams to win poles with Chevrolet power, has 74.5% (41 of 55) of those inside front row starts. Bowtie adorned cars have scored poles at a baker’s dozen tracks, with the 13 at Iowa Speedway leading the way.  Even better recently Since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, Chevrolet-powered drivers and teams have dominated on short ovals (Iowa Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile, Nashville Superspeedway, Phoenix Raceway, and World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway) In those 14 seasons Chevrolet power has: Won 31 of 40 racesStarted on 30 of 40 polesStood on 85 of 120 podiumsLed 7973 of 10250 laps

Notable Numbers 6 – the number of different countries represented by Team Chevy drivers – United States (6) – Denmark (2) – Brazil (1) – Mexico (1) – Netherlands (1) – New Zealand (1)9 – the number of wins by current Team Chevy teams, Arrow McLaren and ECR12 – the number of drivers representing Team Chevy in the season-opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES race13 – the number of driver championships won by Chevrolet all-time26.7 – the average age of the dozen Chevrolet-powered drivers in the 2026 season opener – Josef Newgarden is the elder statesman at 3532 – the number of wins by Josef Newgarden, the winningest Team Chevy driver all-time 40 – the number of different drivers that have won INDYCAR races while powered by Chevrolet70.8 – percentage of short oval podiums Team Chevy has stood on since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 201275 – percentage of short oval races where Team Chevy won the pole since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 201277.5 – percentage of short oval races won by Team Chevy since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 201277.8 – percentage of laps led in short oval races since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012124 – the number of Bowtie-backed wins by Team Penske since their first at Pocono Raceway by Rick Mears in 1987127 – the number of wins by Chevrolet since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012142 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012237 – the number of wins by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time246 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time362 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012678 –  the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time3034 -laps led on short ovals by Josef Newgarden while powered by Chevrolet since 2012 5350 – laps led by Team Penske drivers on short ovals since 2012

Pacing the field The sleek and luxurious 2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will pace the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon. Electrified all-wheel-drive technology, 655-hp combined, indulgent leather seating, functional and intuitive technology, including 6.6-, 12.7-, and 14-inch screens, and a full suite of modern safety features combine to create an unrivaled blend of performance, creature comforts, and security. Fan Friendly Fans can visit Team Chevy Display in Fan Zone near Gate 2 and behind the grandstands to check out the INDYCAR and NASCAR show cars, along with a full line-up of new vehicles, including the Colorado Trailboss, Corvette E-Ray, Equinox Active, Equinox EV RS, Tahoe Z71, Traverse Z71, Silverado 1500 RST, and Silverado EV. Hours are 11:30 am – 7 pm on Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm on Saturday, and 8 am – 1 pm on Sunday. NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver appearances Saturday:Rinus VeeKay: 10 am – 10:15 amRyan Hunter-Reay: 10:15 am – 10:30am  NASCAR O’Rielly Auto Parts and Cup series appearances Saturday:Parker Retzlaff: 3:15 pm – 3:30 pmSheldon Creed & Sam Mayer: 3:30 pm – 3:45 pmJeremy Clements: 3:45 pm – 4:00 pm Sunday:Connor Zilisch: 8:30 am – 8:45 amRoss Chastain: 8:45 am – 9:00 amKyle Busch: 9:05 am – 9:20 amMichael McDowell: 9:20 am – 9:30 am Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 9:30 am – 9:45 amKyle Larson: 9:45 am – 10:00 amWilliam Byron: 10:00 am – 10:15 am

What They’re Saying A.J. Foyt RacingCaio Collet, No. 4 COMBITRANS AMAZONA Chevrolet:How did the Phoenix test go and what did you learn from it?”The test at Phoenix Raceway was very productive. It was all about getting comfortable with the rhythm of a short oval and understanding how the car reacts. We focused getting comfortable with the changes and what I need to be confident and quick, also understanding the weight jacker adjustments, and how small balance changes affect tire degradation over a run. It was a valuable step in building confidence on ovals.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet:How did testing go?”It was up and down. I mean, we unrolled pretty good. We made some small changes. We didn’t really run much. We had a couple of issues with the brake pedal. Then we had rain interrupt the session on the second day. We were continuing to build on the oval car, just making it better to drive, more compliant. Just little things, we didn’t really learn anything massive, I don’t think we needed to.” Arrow McLaren Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m excited to head back to Phoenix after testing there a few weeks back. We learned a lot at the test, so I’m confident we can take that forward and be competitive this weekend. It’s nice to get a new oval on the calendar. The track is a nice mix of some other ovals that we’ve raced.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“As a group, we really made some good progress at the open test in February. I feel good about our setup, and I think we’ll be as strong as we have been on other short ovals. We built a foundation and had good pace on primary tires in St. Pete. Now we just need to build on that and convert that speed into more points this weekend.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“We got off to a strong start last weekend with a podium and obviously want to keep the momentum going into Phoenix, but of course, we’re always pushing for more. I’m looking forward to attacking ovals this season, and I think overall we had a good test here recently. With St. Pete, Phoenix and then Arlington, this is an important opening stretch, so let’s keep it going.” ECRAlexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet:“I love this schedule and being back on track this weekend. It allows us to put the past behind us and focus on an exciting weekend where we are returning to Phoenix for the first time in eight years. We had a great team test there and I look forward to doing it for real when we get back!”  Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet:“I am looking forward to getting back to short oval racing at Phoenix! The test there went really well for ECR, and ovals were definitely a strength for the No. 21 last year. We showed a lot of potential at times in St. Pete, even if we didn’t come away with the result we wanted. We’re fully focused on bouncing back at Phoenix for Round 2 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship!”

Tune-In Guide FridayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 10am (ET)/9am (CT)/8am (MT)/7am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 2pm (ET)/1pm (CT)/noon (MT)/11am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Saturday Good Ranchers 250 (250 laps) – 3pm (ET)/2pm (CT)/1pm (MT)/noon (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevrolet history at Phoenix Raceway General Motors Wins – 15 Chevrolet Wins – 10 2018 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2017 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske2016 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing2002 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske1992 – Bob Rahal – Rahal Hogan Racing1991 – Arie Luyendyk – Doug Shierson Racing1990 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1969 – George Follmer – George Follmer Oldsmobile Wins – 5 2001 – Sam Hornish – Panther Racing2000 – Buddy Lazier – Hemelgarn Racing1999 – Scott Goodyear – Panther Racing1998 – Scott Sharp – Kelley Racing1997 – Jim Guthrie – Blueprint Racing General Motors Poles – 13 Chevrolet Poles – 8 2017 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske2016 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske2002 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske1991 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1990 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing Oldsmobile Wins – 5 2001 – Greg Ray – Team Menard2000 – Greg Ray – Team Menard1999 – Greg Ray – Team Menard1998 – Jeff Ward – ISM Racing1997 – Tony Stewart – Team Menard General Motors Podiums – 39 Chevrolet Podiums: 25 Driver Podiums:  Bob Rahal (3), Emerson Fittipaldi (2), Rick Mears (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Will Power (2), Al Unser Jr. (2), Mario Andretti (1), Helio Castroneves (1), Gil de Ferran (1), George Follmer (1), Scott Dixon (1), Roberto Guerrero (1), JR Hildebrand (1), Sam Hornish (1), Arie Luyendyk (1), Josef Newgarden (1), Danny Sullivan (1), Jimmy Vasser (1) Team Podiums: Team Penske (12), Galles Racing (4), Chip Ganassi Racing (1), Doug Shierson Racing (1), ECR (1), George Follmer (1), Granatelli Racing (1), Hayhoe Racing (1), Newman Haas Racing (1), Panther Racing (1), Rahal Hogan Racing (1) Oldsmobile Podiums: 14  Driver Podiums: Scott Goodyear (2), Buddy Lazier (2), Tony Stewart (2), Billy Boat (1), Jim Guthrie (1), Davey Hamilton (1), Donnie Beechler (1), Sam Hornish (1), Eliseo Salazar (1), Scott Sharp (1) Jeff Ward (1) Team Podiums: A.J. Foyt Racing (3), Panther Racing (3), Hemelgarn Racing (2), Team Menard (2), Blueprint Racing (1), Cahill Racing (1), Kelley Racing (1), Pagan Racing (1) General Motors Laps Led: 2977 Chevrolet Laps Led: 1990 Driver Laps Led: Rick Mears (247), Bob Rahal (242), Mario Andretti (198), Helio Castroneves (174), Scott Dixon (155), Paul Tracy (151), Will Power (139), Arie Luyendyk (129), Simon Pagenaud (119), Michael Andretti (88), Sam Hornish (67), Al Unser Jr. (65), Juan Montoya (56), Danny Sullivan (53), Josef Newgarden (32), George Follmer (29), Gil de Ferran (15), Kevin Cogan (13), Emerson Fittipaldi (10), Eliseo Salazar (7), Tomas Scheckter (1) Team Laps Led: Team Penske (996), Newman Haas Racing (286), Rahal Hogan Racing (200), Chip Ganassi Racing (155), Doug Shierson Racing (129), Panther Racing(68), Galles Racing (68), Kelley Racing (39), George Follmer (29), Patrick Racing (13),  A.J. Foyt Racing (7) Oldsmobile Laps Led: 987 Driver Laps Led: Tony Stewart (212), Sam Hornish (140), Scott Goodyear (134), Scott Sharp (94), Jim Guthrie (74), Greg Ray (61), Buddy Lazier (45), Billy Boat (41), Stephan Gregoire (36), Eddie Cheever (28), Jeff Ward (25), Kenny Brack (24), Al Unser Jr. (22), Mark Dismore (14), Affonso Giaffone (13), Robbie McGehee (11),  Robbie Buhl (5), Helio Castroneves (4), Gil de Ferran (3), Donnie Beechler (1) Team Laps Led: Panther Racing (274), Team Menard (273), Kelley Racing (104), Blueprint Racing (74), Galles Racing (46), A.J. Foyt Racing (45), Hemelgarn Racing (45),  Dick Simon Racing (36), Team Cheever (28), ISM Racing (25), Chitwood Motorsports (13), Treadway Racing (11), Team Penske (7), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (5), Cahil Racing (1)

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESGood Ranchers 2501-mile, Phoenix Raceway short ovalAvondale, Arizona Race AdvanceMarch 6-7, 2026 DETROIT (March 4, 2026) – Chevrolet-powered cars have visited INDYCAR victory lane at Phoenix Raceway ten times, but the sacred place in Chevrolet racing history goes far beyond the wins at the historic one-mile oval.  In 1969, George Follmer drove a Cheetah powered by a Chevrolet Z/28 engine to the brand’s first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory outside the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.  In 1986, Al Unser, while driving for Team Penske, made the first start for a Chevrolet factory-backed INDYCAR engine. The venerable 2.65L turbocharged V8 built by Ilmor would go on to win 86 races over the next eight seasons of Championship Auto Racing Teams competition.  The Detroit brand will add one more piece of lore to the history books in 2026, when Chevrolet is the only brand to compete in all four races at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. A dozen NTT INDYCAR SERIES entries will join 18 NASCAR Cup Series entries, 30 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series entries and 18 ARCA Menards Series entries, for a total of 75 Chevrolet-powered entries across the four races.  “Chevrolet is proud to be the only manufacturer powering the field across all three races this weekend,” said Jim Campbell, Vice President, Performance and Motorsports Commercial Operations, General Motors. “Our heritage has been built on both stock car and open-wheel competition, and Phoenix Raceway is a great example of that legacy. Chevrolet has earned 27 NASCAR Cup Series wins and three championships at Phoenix, along with 10 additional NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories and two more titles. In INDYCAR competition, Chevrolet-powered drivers have added 10 wins at this track. That shared success reflects the strength of our teams, our technology and our commitment to winning across every discipline in which we compete.”

An unlikely winner A year-old chassis with a 320-cubic-inch Chevrolet and 35-year-old sports car veteran Follmer at the wheel didn’t garner much attention against brand-new chassis powered by turbocharged Offenhauser and Ford engines driven by names like Andretti, Foyt and Unser.  Follmer, a star in sports cars, and his one-year-old Cheetah, powered by an Al Bartz, of Traco fame, built engine sourced from a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and costing only $5,500, got their attention after qualifying on the outside of the front row alongside Al Unser.

Folmer’s No. 62 dropped back, but watched Al Unser, A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Roger McCluskey and Gordon Johncock drop out with mechanical issues. That left the Chevrolet-powered car fighting Bobby Unser in a new All-American Racers Eagle powered by a turbocharged Offenhauser. Unser’s engine let go with 30 of the 150-mile event remaining, allowing Follmer to win by an impressive three laps.  “I just wanted to keep Bobby in sight,” explained Follmer to the Arizona Republic in 1969 after the race. “Because I just couldn’t pass him on the straights. He’s got over 700 horsepower, and I’ve got 550. That doesn’t multiply right.  “I was just waiting for my fuel load to go down.”

Factory-backed effort makes debut  On April 6, 1986, the 2.65L turbocharged V8 Chevrolet, which terrified Championship Auto Racing Teams competitors in the late 1980s and early 1990s, made a surprise debut at the season opener at Phoenix Raceway with Al Unser behind the wheel of Team Penske’s No. 11.  The PC-15 had just arrived in the Arizona desert from England a few days earlier, and after fitting the new Chevrolet powerplant, had only completed a three-lap shakedown at nearby Firebird Raceway Park. The initial plan was only to have Unser, who legend has it lost a coin flip with Mears over who would drive the new combination, only in practice before switching to the known quantity, a March powered by a Cosworth.  More on the first factory-backed effort by Chevrolet in INDYCAR as we approach the 40th anniversary of its debut.

Short oval success Over the long haul Wins Between George Follmer’s stunning victory by three laps at Phoenix Raceway in 1969, through NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins by Pato O’Ward (Iowa Speedway), Christian Rasmussen (Milwaukee Mile) and Josef Newgarden (Nashville Superspeedway), Chevrolet has had tremendous success on the short ovals,* driving to victory lane 55 times. Twenty-five drivers have won on short ovals for Team Chevy, but one stands out. Josef Newgarden, the driver of the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, leads the next closest driver, Team Penske legend Rick Mears, by nine. Team Penske has 54.5% (30 of 55) of Chevrolet-powered wins and is one of 17 teams with wins on short ovals. Bowtie adorned engines have won races at nine short ovals, with Iowa Speedway (14), the Milwaukee Mile (12) and Phoenix Raceway (10) all reaching double digits in trips to victory lane.  PolesBetween Jim Hurtubise, at the treacherous Langhorne Speedway in 1963 and Power (World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway), Newgarden (Iowa Speedway) and O’Ward (Nashville Superspeedway) last year, Chevrolet power has won the pole at short ovals 55 times. Will Power and Mears lead the 18 drivers that have won the pole on short ovals with 11 a piece Even more impressive than their win percentage, Team Penske, one of 13 teams to win poles with Chevrolet power, has 74.5% (41 of 55) of those inside front row starts. Bowtie adorned cars have scored poles at a baker’s dozen tracks, with the 13 at Iowa Speedway leading the way.  Even better recently Since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, Chevrolet-powered drivers and teams have dominated on short ovals (Iowa Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile, Nashville Superspeedway, Phoenix Raceway, and World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway) In those 14 seasons Chevrolet power has: Won 31 of 40 racesStarted on 30 of 40 polesStood on 85 of 120 podiumsLed 7973 of 10250 laps

Notable Numbers 6 – the number of different countries represented by Team Chevy drivers – United States (6) – Denmark (2) – Brazil (1) – Mexico (1) – Netherlands (1) – New Zealand (1)9 – the number of wins by current Team Chevy teams, Arrow McLaren and ECR12 – the number of drivers representing Team Chevy in the season-opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES race13 – the number of driver championships won by Chevrolet all-time26.7 – the average age of the dozen Chevrolet-powered drivers in the 2026 season opener – Josef Newgarden is the elder statesman at 3532 – the number of wins by Josef Newgarden, the winningest Team Chevy driver all-time 40 – the number of different drivers that have won INDYCAR races while powered by Chevrolet70.8 – percentage of short oval podiums Team Chevy has stood on since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 201275 – percentage of short oval races where Team Chevy won the pole since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 201277.5 – percentage of short oval races won by Team Chevy since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 201277.8 – percentage of laps led in short oval races since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012124 – the number of Bowtie-backed wins by Team Penske since their first at Pocono Raceway by Rick Mears in 1987127 – the number of wins by Chevrolet since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012142 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012237 – the number of wins by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time246 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time362 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012678 –  the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time3034 -laps led on short ovals by Josef Newgarden while powered by Chevrolet since 2012 5350 – laps led by Team Penske drivers on short ovals since 2012

Pacing the field The sleek and luxurious 2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will pace the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon. Electrified all-wheel-drive technology, 655-hp combined, indulgent leather seating, functional and intuitive technology, including 6.6-, 12.7-, and 14-inch screens, and a full suite of modern safety features combine to create an unrivaled blend of performance, creature comforts, and security. Fan Friendly Fans can visit Team Chevy Display in Fan Zone near Gate 2 and behind the grandstands to check out the INDYCAR and NASCAR show cars, along with a full line-up of new vehicles, including the Colorado Trailboss, Corvette E-Ray, Equinox Active, Equinox EV RS, Tahoe Z71, Traverse Z71, Silverado 1500 RST, and Silverado EV. Hours are 11:30 am – 7 pm on Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm on Saturday, and 8 am – 1 pm on Sunday. NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver appearances Saturday:Rinus VeeKay: 10 am – 10:15 amRyan Hunter-Reay: 10:15 am – 10:30am  NASCAR O’Rielly Auto Parts and Cup series appearances Saturday:Parker Retzlaff: 3:15 pm – 3:30 pmSheldon Creed & Sam Mayer: 3:30 pm – 3:45 pmJeremy Clements: 3:45 pm – 4:00 pm Sunday:Connor Zilisch: 8:30 am – 8:45 amRoss Chastain: 8:45 am – 9:00 amKyle Busch: 9:05 am – 9:20 amMichael McDowell: 9:20 am – 9:30 am Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 9:30 am – 9:45 amKyle Larson: 9:45 am – 10:00 amWilliam Byron: 10:00 am – 10:15 am

What They’re Saying A.J. Foyt RacingCaio Collet, No. 4 COMBITRANS AMAZONA Chevrolet:How did the Phoenix test go and what did you learn from it?”The test at Phoenix Raceway was very productive. It was all about getting comfortable with the rhythm of a short oval and understanding how the car reacts. We focused getting comfortable with the changes and what I need to be confident and quick, also understanding the weight jacker adjustments, and how small balance changes affect tire degradation over a run. It was a valuable step in building confidence on ovals.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet:How did testing go?”It was up and down. I mean, we unrolled pretty good. We made some small changes. We didn’t really run much. We had a couple of issues with the brake pedal. Then we had rain interrupt the session on the second day. We were continuing to build on the oval car, just making it better to drive, more compliant. Just little things, we didn’t really learn anything massive, I don’t think we needed to.” Arrow McLaren Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m excited to head back to Phoenix after testing there a few weeks back. We learned a lot at the test, so I’m confident we can take that forward and be competitive this weekend. It’s nice to get a new oval on the calendar. The track is a nice mix of some other ovals that we’ve raced.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“As a group, we really made some good progress at the open test in February. I feel good about our setup, and I think we’ll be as strong as we have been on other short ovals. We built a foundation and had good pace on primary tires in St. Pete. Now we just need to build on that and convert that speed into more points this weekend.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“We got off to a strong start last weekend with a podium and obviously want to keep the momentum going into Phoenix, but of course, we’re always pushing for more. I’m looking forward to attacking ovals this season, and I think overall we had a good test here recently. With St. Pete, Phoenix and then Arlington, this is an important opening stretch, so let’s keep it going.” ECRAlexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet:“I love this schedule and being back on track this weekend. It allows us to put the past behind us and focus on an exciting weekend where we are returning to Phoenix for the first time in eight years. We had a great team test there and I look forward to doing it for real when we get back!”  Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet:“I am looking forward to getting back to short oval racing at Phoenix! The test there went really well for ECR, and ovals were definitely a strength for the No. 21 last year. We showed a lot of potential at times in St. Pete, even if we didn’t come away with the result we wanted. We’re fully focused on bouncing back at Phoenix for Round 2 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship!”

Tune-In Guide FridayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 10am (ET)/9am (CT)/8am (MT)/7am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 2pm (ET)/1pm (CT)/noon (MT)/11am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Saturday Good Ranchers 250 (250 laps) – 3pm (ET)/2pm (CT)/1pm (MT)/noon (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevrolet history at Phoenix Raceway General Motors Wins – 15 Chevrolet Wins – 10 2018 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2017 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske2016 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing2002 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske1992 – Bob Rahal – Rahal Hogan Racing1991 – Arie Luyendyk – Doug Shierson Racing1990 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1969 – George Follmer – George Follmer Oldsmobile Wins – 5 2001 – Sam Hornish – Panther Racing2000 – Buddy Lazier – Hemelgarn Racing1999 – Scott Goodyear – Panther Racing1998 – Scott Sharp – Kelley Racing1997 – Jim Guthrie – Blueprint Racing General Motors Poles – 13 Chevrolet Poles – 8 2017 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske2016 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske2002 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske1991 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1990 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing Oldsmobile Wins – 5 2001 – Greg Ray – Team Menard2000 – Greg Ray – Team Menard1999 – Greg Ray – Team Menard1998 – Jeff Ward – ISM Racing1997 – Tony Stewart – Team Menard General Motors Podiums – 39 Chevrolet Podiums: 25 Driver Podiums:  Bob Rahal (3), Emerson Fittipaldi (2), Rick Mears (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Will Power (2), Al Unser Jr. (2), Mario Andretti (1), Helio Castroneves (1), Gil de Ferran (1), George Follmer (1), Scott Dixon (1), Roberto Guerrero (1), JR Hildebrand (1), Sam Hornish (1), Arie Luyendyk (1), Josef Newgarden (1), Danny Sullivan (1), Jimmy Vasser (1) Team Podiums: Team Penske (12), Galles Racing (4), Chip Ganassi Racing (1), Doug Shierson Racing (1), ECR (1), George Follmer (1), Granatelli Racing (1), Hayhoe Racing (1), Newman Haas Racing (1), Panther Racing (1), Rahal Hogan Racing (1) Oldsmobile Podiums: 14  Driver Podiums: Scott Goodyear (2), Buddy Lazier (2), Tony Stewart (2), Billy Boat (1), Jim Guthrie (1), Davey Hamilton (1), Donnie Beechler (1), Sam Hornish (1), Eliseo Salazar (1), Scott Sharp (1) Jeff Ward (1) Team Podiums: A.J. Foyt Racing (3), Panther Racing (3), Hemelgarn Racing (2), Team Menard (2), Blueprint Racing (1), Cahill Racing (1), Kelley Racing (1), Pagan Racing (1) General Motors Laps Led: 2977 Chevrolet Laps Led: 1990 Driver Laps Led: Rick Mears (247), Bob Rahal (242), Mario Andretti (198), Helio Castroneves (174), Scott Dixon (155), Paul Tracy (151), Will Power (139), Arie Luyendyk (129), Simon Pagenaud (119), Michael Andretti (88), Sam Hornish (67), Al Unser Jr. (65), Juan Montoya (56), Danny Sullivan (53), Josef Newgarden (32), George Follmer (29), Gil de Ferran (15), Kevin Cogan (13), Emerson Fittipaldi (10), Eliseo Salazar (7), Tomas Scheckter (1) Team Laps Led: Team Penske (996), Newman Haas Racing (286), Rahal Hogan Racing (200), Chip Ganassi Racing (155), Doug Shierson Racing (129), Panther Racing(68), Galles Racing (68), Kelley Racing (39), George Follmer (29), Patrick Racing (13),  A.J. Foyt Racing (7) Oldsmobile Laps Led: 987 Driver Laps Led: Tony Stewart (212), Sam Hornish (140), Scott Goodyear (134), Scott Sharp (94), Jim Guthrie (74), Greg Ray (61), Buddy Lazier (45), Billy Boat (41), Stephan Gregoire (36), Eddie Cheever (28), Jeff Ward (25), Kenny Brack (24), Al Unser Jr. (22), Mark Dismore (14), Affonso Giaffone (13), Robbie McGehee (11),  Robbie Buhl (5), Helio Castroneves (4), Gil de Ferran (3), Donnie Beechler (1) Team Laps Led: Panther Racing (274), Team Menard (273), Kelley Racing (104), Blueprint Racing (74), Galles Racing (46), A.J. Foyt Racing (45), Hemelgarn Racing (45),  Dick Simon Racing (36), Team Cheever (28), ISM Racing (25), Chitwood Motorsports (13), Treadway Racing (11), Team Penske (7), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (5), Cahil Racing (1)

Manufacturer History at Phoenix International Raceway Wins 17 – Cosworth (1987, 1986 #2, 1986 #2, 1985, 1984 #2, 1984 #1, 1983, 1982 #2, 1982 #1, 1981 #2, 1981 #1, 1980, 1979 #2, 1979 #1, 1978 #2, 1977 #1, 1976 #2)15 – General Motors (Chevrolet & Oldsmobile)13 – Offenhauser – (1976 #1, 1975 #1, 1974 #2, 1974 #1, 1973, 1972 #2, 1972 #1, 1968 #2, 1968 #1, 1967#1, 1965 #1, 1964 #2, 1964 #1)12 – Ford (1996, 1995, 1993, 1971 #2, 1971 #1, 1970 #2, 1970 #1, 1969 #2, 1967 #2, 1966 #2, 1966 #1, 1965 #2)10 – Chevrolet (2018, 2017, 2016, 2002, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1969 #1)5 – Oldsmobile (2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997)2- DGS (1978 #1, 1977 #2)2 – Honda (2004, 2003)1 – Toyota (2005)1 – Ilmor (1994)1- Foyt (1975 #2) Poles 18 – Cosworth (1986 #2, 1986 #1, 1985, 1984 #2, 1984 #1, 1983, 1982 #2, 1982 #1, 1981 #2, 1981#1, 1980, 1979 #2, 1979 #1, 1978 #2, 1978 #1, 1977 #2, 1977 #1, 1976 #1)14 – Offenhauser (1976 #2, 1975 #1, 1974 #2, 1974 #1, 1973, 1972 #2, 1972 #1, 1971 #2, 1971 #1, 1968 #2, 1968 #2, 1967 #1, 1965 #2, 1964 #1)13 – General Motors (Chevrolet and Oldsmobile)13 – Ford (1996, 1995, 1993, 1992, 1970 #2, 1970 #1, 1969 #2, 1969 #1, 1967 #2, 1966 #2, 1966 #1, 1965 #1, 1964 #2)8 – Chevrolet (2017, 2016, 2002, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987)5 – Oldsmobile (2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997)4 – Honda (2018, 2005, 2004, 2003)1 – DGS (1975 #2)1 – Ilmor (1994) Historical Chevrolet in the INDYCAR SERIES information INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturer Championships (since 1979)Chevrolet-Powered Wins in the Twin-Turbo 2.2L V6 Era (2012-present)Chevrolet-Powered Wins – All-Time