CONCORD, NC (Oct. 31, 2022) – The inaugural season for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation has officially ended with no suitable reschedule date for the season finale available.

Points leader Shane Cockrum, and the Amati Racing team, have been deemed the 2022 champions, claiming the inaugural $20,000 title check.

“This is obviously not how we wanted to end the inaugural season for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars,” said Xtreme Outlaw Series Director Casey Shuman. “I want to thank all the drivers and teams that supported the Series this year and congratulate Shane Cockrum and Shane Wade on winning the inaugural championship. I look forward to bigger and better things for the Series in the future.”

The season finale at Devil’s Bowl Speedway was canceled due to rain. Series officials searched for a suitable replacement but with none available were forced to conclude the season at its current standings.

That left Cockrum, of Benton, IL, as the historic first Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series champion with Alex Bright, in second, and Jake Swanson, in third, rounding out the podium.

FULL POINTS: CLICK HERE

In eight races this year, the Series saw five different winners. CJ Leary won the inaugural race at Volusia Speedway Park in February, followed by Thomas Meseraull picking up the win on the second night in Florida. Leary then became the Series’ first multi-time winner with his victory at Lake Ozark Speedway

Brady Bacon picked up the win during the Series’ second visit to Lake Ozark. Then, Alex Bright and Jake Swanson also became first-time winners with the Series during the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.

Swanson went on to make history winning the next two events and becoming the Series’ first three-time winner.

The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation is scheduled to commence its 2023 season during DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 13-14. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

CONCORD, NC – Oct. 27, 2022 – Stephen Pedulla will never forget The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

After a year of frustration, the Kannapolis, NC driver finally had everything go his way, leading all 20 laps to win the Fox Factory Pro Late Model Championship Feature Thursday night at the seventh annual World Short Track Championship.

Pedulla grabbed the lead from the pole position while trying to pull away from challengers Ricky Greene and Jeremy Steele.

Greene hounded Pedulla for the first 14 laps until a yellow flag flew on Lap 15 for Timmie Harrelson, who slowed in Turns 3 and 4.

From there, Pedulla held off a final stand from Steele on the restart to earn the 20-lap triumph—the first Late Model win of his career.

“Man, I’ll tell you what, we’ve struggled so much this year, and to get it up here, I can’t say enough,” Pedulla said. “I’m thankful to my parents. Fox shocks, they support me, DEI, they support me, everyone that supports me. I can’t say enough.

“To get this up here is just phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. The best of the best are up here. We were junk the other day, and we threw the kitchen sink at it, and here we stand.”

Despite leading the entire race, Pedulla knew a challenge was coming on the restart. However, he scouted his opponents well and stated he knew what to do to keep the field behind him.

“Jeremy Steele’s been tough all year,” Pedulla said. “I saw Jeremy go to the high side, and Jeremy is usually really good on the high side. So, I knew I had to go up high since we got a Dover, Delaware, start. I knew I had to get up high and block his start because I was scared he was going to get around me on the top side.

“But they told me he wasn’t as good as I was anyway, so I knew if I beat Jeremy, I had it won.”

Steele settled for second, while Greene finished third. Cody Cubbage crossed the line fourth, and Dillon Brown rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The Fox Factory Pro Late Models return to action on Friday, Oct. 28, for day two of the World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

RESULTS: Championship Feature- 20 Laps- 1. 31G-Stephen Pedulla[1]; 2. 22-Jeremy Steele[4]; 3. 18-Ricky Greene[3]; 4. 12C-Cody Cubbage[5]; 5. 6-Dillon Brown[12]; 6. 114-Jordan Koehler[7]; 7. 55H-Benji Hicks[13]; 8. 00-Kendal Tucker[2]; 9. G4-Trent Ivey[20]; 10. 615-Colton Trouille[9]; 11. 27H-Justin Hudspeth[6]; 12. 66-Jody Knowles[18]; 13. 74-Mike Franklin[10]; 14. 5Q-Colby Quick[11]; 15. 08-Layton Sullivan[14]; 16. 20G-Chub Gunter[15]; 17. 29-Dale Moore[17]; 18. 89-Timmie Harrelson[8]; 19. 55-Matt Long[16]; 20. 215-Jamison McBride[19]

David Rogers clinches Sportsman win on opening night of World Short Track Championship
Rogers picked up where he left off at the World Short Track Championship last year, winning another VP Racing Fuels DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Feature

David Rogers kicked off the seventh annual World Short Track Championship with another VP Racing Fuels DIRTcar Sportsman Modified victory Thursday night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

The southern trip for the New York native still saw him face off against several of his DIRTcar Northeast Series regulars, such as Andrew Buff and Mike Fowler, for the victory.

Rogers started eighth on the grid but quickly made his way through the field, finding his way to fourth in the opening lap.

Andrew Buff held the lead until Rogers passed him on Lap 9. He battled to stay within striking distance of Rogers, but it was the LaFargeville, NY native’s night to shine, steadily pulling away from the pack.

“The car was good,” Rogers said. “We were a little bit tight. Every restart and on the initial start it felt tight, but once I got some heat in the tires I was really good. The car freed up and I could turn. Man, this thing was incredible.”

Rogers is no stranger to the event, winning the second Sportsman Modified Feature last year.

“I won the big one last year,” Rogers said. “So, to come back and do this, it’s incredible. We just gotta take the next one.”

Waterloo, NY driver Kevin Ridley wanted a piece of the action as well, steadily charging forward from a 10th place starting position. With a consistent pace, he made his way to fifth by the halfway point of the race and eventually worked his by by Ayden Cipriano on Lap 18 to secure a podium finish.

Cipriano finished fourth and Dylan Madsen finished fifth.

UP NEXT: The DIRTcar Northeast Sportsman Modifieds will return Friday night for eight-lap Heat Races and 10-lap Last Chance Showdowns before Saturday’s 30-lap Feature.

RESULTS: Championship Feature – 20 laps
1. 44-David Rogers[8]; 2. 92-Andrew Buff[2]; 3. 20X-Kevin Ridley[10]; 4. 5C-Ayden Cipriano[5]; 5. 89-Dylan Madsen[7]; 6. 01-Zachary Buff[16]; 7. 26-Derrick McGrew[18]; 8. 410-Mike Fowler[19]; 9. 78-Michael Wright[12]; 10. 52-Jessica Power[4]; 11. 99-Jordan Millard[15]; 12. 18-Blayden Arquette[3]; 13. 7X-Chuck Miller[17]; 14. 1R-Ricky Thompson[21]; 15. 49-Chris Jakubiak[13]; 16. 29-Tanner Forbes[9]; 17. 44C-Dave Conant[11]; 18. 73G-Gordon Hermanson Jr[6]; 19. 23-Cole Perry[20]; 20. 23C-Tommy D’Angelo[14]; 21. 47-Walter Cook[1]

CALIFORNIA KID: Dotson Wins UMP Modified All-Star Invitational at Charlotte

Thirty-five division entrants checked-in for seventh annual World Short Track Championship

In a stacked field of 35 Summit Racing Equipment DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, Ethan Dotson was first to strike on the weekend, dominating the All-Star Invitational Feature Thursday night and claiming the division’s first race win of the seventh annual World Short Track Championship.

Dotson, the 23-year-old UMP Modified breakout star from Bakersfield, CA, led all 20 trips around The Dirt Track at Charlotte, picking up a $600 preliminary event check and his first career victory at the famed 4/10-mile oval.

“It’s probably the best we’ve been so far,” Dotson said. “We could move anywhere, and it just was really, really good.”

Dotson was introduced to The Dirt Track one year ago in his World Short Track debut, piloting a second Longhorn Chassis entry for team owner/driver Steve Arpin. He turned some heads that weekend, consistently running up front and finishing sixth in the Championship Feature.

He’s back for more again this year with an even bigger bat to swing as the hand-picked driver for Longhorn’s UMP Modified house car program. So far, he’s rarely been flat, scoring multiple high-profile wins at various tracks since the start of the season. Now, he’s focused his attention on The Dirt Track, and has already shown his prowess with the nearly uncontested victory to kick off the weekend.

“I got to come here last year, and I really like this place,” Dotson said. “The track kinda fits my driving style. It’s a lot of fun.

“I’m loving the UMP stuff. The big motor and the better tires – it’s just a lot of fun to be able to do that. I come from Crate racing, so it’s really cool to be able to do this stuff.”

After timing fastest in his Qualifying group, Dotson redrew second-best of all 21 Feature starters, setting him outside the front row for the drop of the green. He jumped out to the lead immediately and hit the jets, blasting around the high side and stretching his lead out to over four seconds at one point before cruising to the checkers.

Dotson gave kudos to top Longhorn engineer Kevin Rumley for his assistance in the team’s recent testing sessions at the track. He said the team’s urge to win the division Championship Feature on Saturday is huge with the company’s headquarters being only a short drive away from The Dirt Track in China Grove, NC.

“We got to spend a lot of time with Kevin Rumley this week; he really helped us out,” Dotson said. “We played with stuff, and he spent a whole day going through this thing and really helped us get a lot of speed.”

He and the Longhorn team will face the deep field of competitors again in Friday’s Heat Races and Saturday’s lower mains and Championship Feature as they shoot for the $4,000 grand prize and their fourth title in event history.

Don’t miss a moment of the action as the seventh annual World Short Track Championship continues Friday and Saturday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Buy a ticket at the gate, or stream every lap from all 10 divisions live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS: All-Star Feature 20 Laps – 1. 00-Ethan Dotson[2]; 2. 7-Evan Taylor[3]; 3. 8-Austin Holcombe[6]; 4. 8S-Kyle Strickler[9]; 5. 5-Jonathan Taylor[8]; 6. 99W-Chris Arnold[4]; 7. -Kenny Shaw; 8. 21S-Kenny Shaw[1]; 9. 25-Jason Altiers[12]; 10. 77-George Dixon[21]; 11. 79D-John DeMoss[13]; 12. 21-Taylor Cook[19]; 13. 52-Colin Green[16]; 14. 95J-Justin Cullum[7]; 15. 71D-Chris Madden[5]; 16. 35-David Stremme[20]; 17. 55-Alyssa Rowe[11]; 18. 96M-Mike McKinney[18]; 19. 99H-Justin Haley[17]; 20. 6-Ryan Ayers[15]; 21. 72-Todd Neiheiser[10]; 22. T2-Greg Hauger[14]

Pete Stefanski wins first World Short Track Championship Pro Stock Feature
Wheatfield, NY’s Pete Stefanski won Thursday’s MSD DIRTcar Pro Stock Championship Feature at The Dirt Track at Charlotte

When Pete Stefanski took the green flag in Thursday night’s World Short Track Championship MSD DIRTcar Pro Stock Feature, it commenced only his fifth race in 2022 with his new car.

However, in the opening stage of the 20-lap race, it looked as though he had a full season with it under his belt. Stefanski went from fifth to third in the opening lap. Third to second by Lap 4, and then took the lead on Lap 9.

From there, he ran away with the victory – his first at the World Short Track Championship in his fifth Feature start.

While he was confident in his car, he didn’t expect to move forward at that rate.

“I thought if I was patient enough, we would be able to get there and run with those guys,” Stefanski said. “I kept getting my nose underneath [Shawn Perez Sr.] there and I didn’t think I was going to clear him and he just kind of bobbled the corner and I said, ‘I just have to drive it in all the way and do a little bit of a slide job on him.’ And it worked through (Turns) three and four.”

Shawn Perez Sr. started on the pole for the Feature, after the entire field drew for their starting positions. From there, he jumped ahead of the field on the initial start, leaving a three-way battle for second behind him.

Johnny Rivers Jr. found himself under attack from Stefanski and Denis Gauvreau in the opening laps and eventually lost the battle to both drivers by Lap 7, falling to fourth – and eventually fading further until he landed in eighth at the end of the race.

Once Stefanski and Gauvreau found their way into the top-three, it became a three-way battle for the lead. Running low, Stefanski worked his way under Perez, creating a side-by-side race for the lead, which allowed Gauvreau join the duel.

When Perez bobbled through Turns 3 and 4, Stefanski had a clean run around the bottom and launched to the lead down the front stretch. Gauvreau also worked his way by Perez for second.

“It was nice to be three-wide, no contact, because the track is just great top to bottom,” Stefanski said. “That’s what made the racing so good.”

The race looked to be in Stefanski’s control until a caution on Lap 14 for a car stopped in Turn 2. When the race resumed, Gauvreau kept the pressure on the New Yorker, staying close enough for Stefanski to hear he was within striking distance.

However, that wasn’t enough to rattle the four-time DIRTcar Pro Stock champion. Stefanski maintained a car-length lead and capped off the opening night of the seventh annual World Short Track Championship with his first event win – which now locks him into Saturday’s main show.

“It’s huge for me,” Stefanski said. “I’ve only been in the car five times this year with the new setup and coils and everything. So, to be as close as we’ve been in the four races we’ve been in and to come here and win against the guys that we ran against here, I’m pretty proud of myself.”

Gauvreau settled for second and along with Stefanski’s impressive drive, Marc Lalonde had the best climb of the race, charging from 20th to finish third.

UP NEXT: The MSD DIRTcar Pro Stocks will run their Heat Races and Last Chance Showdowns Friday (Oct. 28) at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the second night of the seventh annual World Short Track Championship before Saturday’s main event.

RESULTS: Championship Feature – 20 laps
1. 2-Pete Stefanski[5]; 2. 72G-Denis Gauvreau[10]; 3. 8-Marc Lalonde[20]; 4. 09-Shawn Perez Sr[1]; 5. 00X-Josh Coonradt[16]; 6. 11-Stéphane Larivière[2]; 7. 8C-Sean Corr[12]; 8. 14J-Johnny Rivers Jr[3]; 9. 32-Jonathan Levesque[15]; 10. 35-Jonathan Lemay[4]; 11. 33-Bruno Cyr[9]; 12. 17-Nick Hilt[11]; 13. 92-Sheldon Martin[8]; 14. 9S-Luke Horning[17]; 15. 6-Stephane Lebrun[7]; 16. 09J-Shawn Perez Jr[14]; 17. 4M-Jordan Modiano[19]; 18. 9-Eric Jean Louis[21]; 19. 38JR-Justin Chaput[13]; 20. 6C-Brian Carter[6]; 21. 63-Ryan Crellin[22]; 22. 58-Roxanne Roy[18]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 28, 2022) – Don’t miss the televised premiere of Round 18 of the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season. The Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale II presented by Daytona Dodge and Zo CBD at Volusia Speedway Park will air Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT) only on FS1. For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

Rodden’s pairing with Austin Dillon Highlights Strength of Chevy Racing Program: Justin Alexander Named RCR’s Director of Vehicle Performance  WELCOME, North Carolina (October 28, 2022) — Keith Rodden will join Richard Childress Racing as crew chief of the No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon in 2023. Rodden, an experienced crew chief and race engineer, most recently worked on the Motorsports Competition NASCAR strategy group at General Motors. In that role, Rodden focused on working with Chevy race teams on how to best approach track tests, practice sessions, and race events to optimize race results. He also worked as the General Motors WFT project lead, serving as test team crew chief.  A North Carolina State University grad and Denver, North Carolina native, Rodden began his professional motorsports career in 2003 with owner Andy Petree. He worked as either a crew chief or engineer with top-tier NASCAR teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Evernham Motorsports, Richard Petty Motorsports, Team Red Bull, and Chip Ganassi Racing. Notably, Rodden worked for over a decade with Kasey Kahne, including as crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports. “The addition of Keith Rodden to the Richard Childress Racing team highlights the ‘One Team’ approach to our race program and the commitment that our manufacturer partner has made to elevating all of the Chevy NASCAR teams with a shared approach to data gathering and technical development,” said Andy Petree, vice president of competition for Richard Childress Racing. “I’ve known and worked with Keith Rodden since the beginning of his NASCAR career, and I can confidently say that he will be a great match for Austin Dillon and our team at Richard Childress Racing. We’d like to thank Justin Alexander for his contributions to the No. 3 team and know that he will do a great job continuing to support RCR in his new role.” Rodden assumes crew chief duties from Justin Alexander, who has been named the director of vehicle performance for Richard Childress Racing. Alexander guided Dillon to all four of his NASCAR Cup Series wins as crew chief of the No. 3 Chevrolet.  “In working with Richard Childress Racing, and in particular the No. 3 team, over the years, I’ve been really impressed with their competitive nature, dedication to hard work and emphasis on partner relationships,” said Rodden. “I’m looking forward to getting back into a team crew chief role and doing so with one of the strongest teams in the Team Chevy family. “

Austin, TEXAS – October 28, 2022 – Former XGT Champion and Franklin Road Apparel Showtime Motorsports Team Principal Ken Thwaits can surely be satisfied as the 2022 draws to a close with the annual finale at Circuit of The Americas. Ken himself has been on the podium four times in TA Class events – at Sebring, Road Atlanta, Sonoma and Lime Rock Park. He goes into the final weekend of the season with 208 points in the TA Class Drivers Championship. That puts him in P4 overall, just five points behind Amy Ruman and 11 behind Tomy Drissi and in range with a shot at championship podium places. 2022 also saw the team score their first wins in the TA Class with Paul Menard triumphant at Charlotte and Justin Marks taking the checkered flag at Watkins Glen. To those stellar results we can add podium finishes for Paul Menard who finished in P2 at Road America and Keith Grant filling the same position at Virginia International Raceway, giving the Franklin Road Apparel team a hugely impressive total of 353 points in the TA Class alone. Meanwhile over in TA2, former Champion Cameron Lawrence has made the podium at Road Atlanta and Lime Rock Park. Cameron currently sits in P9 overall with 153 championship points, while others to have contributed include Carl Rydquist, Ken himself and the exciting young talent Dylan Archer, whose partnership with Food Processing Equipment Company takes him through 2023. Cameron and Dylan are flying the flag for Showtime Motorsports at COTA having both finished in the top ten at VIR in the previous round. Ken meanwhile will be looking to outscore Tomy Drissi and Amy Ruman, both former champions, and see where he finishes up in the TA Driver Championship on the season. We spoke to Ken ahead of the near 900-mile trip southwest from his Tennessee base to Austin and the Formula One Circuit which saw Max Verstappen claim the honors in the United States Grand Prix just a few days ago. “It’s been a great year,” said Ken as he prepared the team for the final weekend of the season. “As a team, we’ve won a couple of races and had numerous podium finishes in both classes. We’ve established ourselves as major players and there isn’t anyone in Trans Am who doesn’t know the Franklin Road name now.” “The thing with success is, you always want more. So, the goal is to build on what we’ve done this season and look to do as well – if not better – next year. We’re still relatively new to Trans Am and we’re learning all the time. The cars require so much work and effort and that’s thanks to the whole team that we grow and succeed.” Circuit of The Americas (COTA) is a grade 1 FIA-specification 3.427-mile motor racing track and the current home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix. Billed as The Mission Foods Austin SpeedTour, the spectator experience at an SVRA event is like no other motorsport. The paddock area is always open to spectators, offering an up-close level of access to cars and drivers. Attendees can check out the garages and see real vintage race cars getting prepped for the track. Racegoers will see why the vintage racing community is one of the most friendly and knowledgeable groups of people in the car world. Additionally, vendors on site offer everything from classic car memorabilia to auto detailing products. Fans can get a bite to eat and enjoy the historic racing backdrop to what always ends up being a fantastic weekend of motorsports. Qualifying for both TA races this weekend is from 4:45pm on Saturday with the TA Class race bright and early at 9:30am on Sunday morning and the TA2 race at 11:45 am. Both races are over 34 laps of the track. The racing broadcast will be on CBS Sports Network in the coming weeks. Check local listings for details.

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway … In 182 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, RCR has seven victories, including five by Dale Earnhardt (1985-fall, 1987-spring, 1988-spring, 1991-spring, and 1995-fall). Ricky Rudd won the fall race at Martinsville in 1983, which was RCR’s first Cup Series win on an oval. Kevin Harvick won the 2011 spring race at Martinsville, his first victory at the .526-mile paved speedway. The team owns 31 top-five and 65 top-10 finishes entering Sunday afternoon’s race. Team owner Richard Childress made his first start at Martinsville Speedway on April 10, 1972, and reeled off four top-10 finishes sprinkled across the 1976-1978 seasons.   Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Martinsville Speedway … RCR has one NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Martinsville Speedway. Kevin Harvick captured the 2006 event in dominating fashion, leading 149 of 250 laps. Clint Bowyer, Harvick’s teammate, finished a close second, crossing the finish line .271 seconds behind. Harvick and Bowyer combined to lead 207 of the event’s 250 laps enroute to a 1-2 finish. In seven NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Martinsville, the Welcome, N.C., based team has one win, one pole and three top-five finishes.  Introducing the Carolina Cowboys … Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the PBR Team Series, an elite new league featuring the world’s top bull riders in games that began in July 2022. The team is operated by Richard Childress Racing with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon serving as General Manager.  Catch the Action … The NASCAR Xfinity Series Dead On Tools 250 at the Martinsville Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, October 29, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  Follow Sunday’s Action at Martinsville … The NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at the Martinsville Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, October 30, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Dow Camaro ZL1 at Martinsville Speedway … In 17 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Dillon earned his best finish of third in April 2022 at the half-mile short track after starting from the 23rd spot. He also has a fifth-place finish at the track (April 2017). He has made five appearances at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Truck Series, earning his best finish of third in October 2011. Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team … Austin Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After eight years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sports and follow us on Twitter @DowSports & @DowNewsroom. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:How do you feel about short tracks like Martinsville Speedway?“Martinsville Speedway is a place where you get in there and can really race hard, so I’m really excited to get there this weekend. It’s a short little paper clip, with hard-braking corners. We’ve had some solid runs there, including a third-place finish in the Spring race. I think that we can go back and do it again. We have Dow back on the car, and we’ll be pumped when we get there with all of their customers from DAP. I haven’t gotten that Martinsville clock yet, but we’ve had good runs on all of the short tracks this year..”

This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Martinsville Speedway …Tyler Reddick will be making his sixth NASCAR Cup Series start at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. The driver of the 3CHI Chevrolet has a best finish of eighth in the 2021 spring event and has been running at the finish in all five events he has competed in. Reddick has an identical average starting and finishing position at the .526-mile Virginia speedway (16.80). He enters this weekend’s race at Martinsville 12th in the Cup Series drivers standings.   3CHI Blazed the Trail for Another Industry First … 3CHI and Richard Childress Racing created another first with their partnership for the 2022 NASCAR season. 3CHI began with roots as a CBD producer and quickly became a pioneer in science-based hemp and cannabis innovation. The company was the first to commercially develop and market Delta 8 THC, and today, 3CHI is an industry leader with unsurpassed product quality and purity as verified by top independent labs and benchmark organizations. 3CHI products are sold in a majority of the United States, and the company produces and markets a variety of gummies, tinctures, lotions, edibles and vape products. All 3CHI products meet federal requirements for full legal compliance, with a commitment to promoting responsible adult use. See 3CHI.com for more information.  TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:A lot of things have changed with the Next Gen car since the first Martinsville race earlier this season. “The teams are a lot closer after our first race at Martinsville. Looking at this weekend for us, finishing solid at Homestead-Miami Speedway would have been very important because it gets us toward the end of either Group A. In the spring we were like the third car on the racetrack for qualifying and track still had a bunch of rubber on it from practice and the track just doesn’t have the speed. We’ve seen that at Richmond and a number of tracks so you want to go out toward the end of your group. Unfortunately for us our DNF is going to put us at the front of Group A. Hopefully our 3CHI Chevrolet has good race balance when we get there and we’re able to get a decent pit stall, but more than likely we’ll have to claw our way to the front. I know I don’t sound very optimistic but that’s just the reality of how qualifying has been with this car. I’ve got two more chances to finish this year on a high note. From here on out I want to get a couple more spots in the points if I can but it got a lot harder after Homestead.”

This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Martinsville Speedway…Sheldon Creed will make his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Creed qualified fifth and led six laps in his first Martinsville start in April before mechanical problems derailed his solid run. He led 34 laps in the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series short track event in Bristol, Tenn., before he was involved in an accident. Creed has two top-10 finishes in five Truck Series starts at Martinsville with a best finish of eighth-place in 2020. The driver of the Whelen Engineering Chevrolet enters Martinsville 14th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings.      About Whelen … Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce. SHELDON CREED QUOTES:You ran well at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season so you must be looking forward to going back there this weekend …“I was able to qualify inside the top-five and ran top-five a lot of the day at Martinsville Speedway in the the Spring, plus we led some laps. I feel good going back. We have some short tracks under our belts and we’ve learned some more and have gotten better. Hopefully we can go back and run up front again.”  How big of a factor are brakes at Martinsville Speedway? “I don’t think it will be as big of a factor when we go back. You do have to take care of the brakes and honestly the balance of the car can play a big role in how much brake we’re using. If you’re really tight or really loose you might use more brake just to keep it turning or keep the rear tires underneath you. I don’t see brakes being an issue. Hopefully we can have speed in general.”

This Week’s Global Industrial Chevrolet Camaro SS at Martinsville Speedway … Austin Hill enters this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings, two points below the fourth-place cutline and a spot in the Championship 4. Hill grabbed a fourth-place finish in his first Martinsville Speedway start in the Xfinity Series earlier this season, one of 11 top-fives he has racked up. Hill made 11 NASCAR Truck Series starts at the paperclip shaped oval, scoring three top-10 finishes including a second-place finish in 2021.  About Global Industrial Company … Global Industrial Company (NYSE:GIC), through its operating subsidiaries, is a value-added industrial distributor. For more than 70 years, Global Industrial has gone the extra mile for its customers and offers more than a million industrial and MRO products, including its own Global Industrial exclusive brands. With extensive product knowledge and a solutions-based approach, Global Industrial helps customers solve problems and be more successful. At Global Industrial, “We can supply that®.” AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:How much did you learn at the spring race at Martinsville Speedway that will help you this weekend? “I think the biggest thing over the season, racing on all different types of racetracks, is just being a little more vocal on what I need in the Global Industrial Chevrolet. I felt like our car was tight and we needed to be better at Martinsville. I don’t think I was vocal enough of voicing my opinion on wanting the car freed up as much as I needed it. I’ve learned that over the season, to be able to trust my instincts and what I need to be better if I am really tight and to make the car better on pit stops so we’re not always one adjustment behind. I think we’ve done a really good job at that throughout the year and that’s one reason you see us run a lot better even if we aren’t that great at the start of the run. We get a lot better at the end of the run because I’m a lot more aggressive on my calls on what I need in the racecar. At Martinsville you have to be aggressive. You have to stay up front all day, try to get stage points, and stay inside the top-10 and if the melee happens you’re out of the way.” If you lose track position at Martinsville, can you make it back up? “If you lose it early in the race and your car is very, very good, I think you can make it up. If you get past halfway your car has to be really, really fast to even have a chance. It’s so tough in this series especially at a place like Martinsville because everybody is so close on lap times. When you go out to qualify, half a tenth can put you qualifying fifth or back to 15th. It’s so close and if you have to go to the back I just don’t see you recovering. You can’t get caught up in someone else’s mess but still be aggressive at the same time. You have to keep that track position. Restarts are crucial. You don’t want to lose two or three spots because it’s hard to get those spots back especially when you’re running inside the top-10.”

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 27, 2022) – John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS team are 137 points shy of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series lead as they enter the second-to-last event, the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. There are still plenty of points left on the table for the 16-time champion to land a historic 17th title.  Force and the PEAK Camaro come into the weekend from the No. 4 spot after three final round appearances that included a victory at the Charlotte Four-Wide event marking the 34th season in which he has won at least one tour event. The PEAK Chevy has also made nine semifinal appearances, including the recent streak of four-in-a-row, and had two No. 1 qualifiers (both at zMAX Dragway). “I love racing in Vegas, another Bruton Smith track. It’s a real show. People love the excitement and this championship battle this year, it’s exciting. We’re still in it, this PEAK Chevrolet, but we’re all chasing Robert Hight and that Auto Club car,” Force said. “We do well this weekend and points and a half at the Auto Club Final in Pomona, we could have a shot at it. I know my guys will give me a good hot rod, I just need to do my job and keep up with all these young guys and we’ll see what happens.” Force shares with Ron Capps the record for victories in the Nevada Nationals with four (2002, 2010, 2013, 2016). Last season, he qualified his PEAK Chevy Camaro SS second, but had an upset exit in the first round. Force has started No. 1 at the fall event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway just once in 2013. Competition at the NHRA Nevada Nationals, the second to last event on the NRHA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, begins with qualifying Friday at 1:00 and 4:15 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 4:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) on Sunday beginning with qualifying at 2:00 p.m. ET and eliminations at 4 p.m. ET.

ALL DIRT ROADS: Brad Sweet prepared for ‘extremely intense battle’ with David Gravel at World Finals
Sweet, the three-time and defending champion, leads Gravel, looking for his first title, by 16 points entering the championship weekend

CONCORD, NC (Oct. 27, 2022) – You may see a 16-point difference between Brad Sweet and David Gravel in the 2022 championship battle, but to Sweet they’re “essentially tied.”

With that mindset, Sweet’s focus for the World of Outlaws World Finals (Nov. 2-5) season finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte has changed. Rather than “milking” a healthy points gap, he’s now taking a more aggressive approach for the three nights of racing.

“If you’re going in there looking for a top five, you’re going to lose,” Sweet said. “You have to go in there, putting all the cards on the table and try to win each night. If you have a (large) point lead, I think, you don’t take the risks, or roll the dice. But when someone, basically, essentially, we’re pretty much tied going into a three-race weekend. We know [Gravel and his Big Game Motorsports team are] going to be hungry. They’re going to be good. They have been. Especially for the last eight to 10 races they’ve been on a good stretch. That’s what’s put them in this position.”

For Sweet, of Grass Valley, CA, and his NAPA Auto Parts Kasey Kahne Racing team, a fourth consecutive World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series title is on the line. For Gravel and his Big Game Motorsports team, it would be their first.

The two have battled all year, mirroring their season stats. While Sweet has been more consistent throughout the year, Gravel has been on a hot streak recently. The Watertown, CT driver has scored seven top-five finishes in the last seven races, including at win at I-80 Speedway, versus Sweet’s three top fives – one being a win at Sharon Speedway – and five top 10s in the last seven.

That’s helped Gravel close the points gap and take advantage of Sweet’s rare DNF at Williams Grove Speedway – where he suffered a broken rear end. Before then, Sweet and his KKR team were on a streak of 5,481 laps completed and 166 straight races without a DNF.

To ease the heartbreak of the situation, Sweet said he’s put all his focus on winning at Charlotte.

“Everybody probably handles emotion differently,” Sweet said. “For me, obviously, with doing this for so long, when something happens my mind just moves to the next thing… But I don’t want to dwell on any negativity or what could have been or what should have been. When you go down that path and spend time on the negative stuff, you’re not putting the time where it needs to be. Right now, that’s in preparation and studying where the car needs to be. What I need to do as a driver to get the job done and that’s the task in front of us.

“Williams Grove is done and dusted. Charlotte is ahead of us. It is what it is. I always tell the guys, ‘It could always be worse.’ We’re still ahead in points. We worked hard to get to this point. It’s going to be a great battle. It’s great for the Series. Great for the sport. Now there is going to be a lot of eyes on us. I’m just happy that I’m involved in that conversation.”

While Sweet is focused on the tasks ahead, he also admitted the intensity of the week is still high. He’s averaged a fifth-place finish at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in the last six races there – since winning his first title in 2019. But Charlotte is one of Gravel’s best tracks, averaging a 1.8 finish in the last six races – sweeping the doubleheader in 2019 and picking up a win there the last two years.

“The intensity level is more like when we went there only a couple of points ahead of (10-time Series champion) Donny (Schatz) in 2019, chasing our first championship,” Sweet said. “I guess the difference is we have three more (championships) than we did the situation before. I don’t know that I feel the same pressure. Getting that first one is always the most difficult.

“Pretty comfortable with our accomplishments as a team, where we’re at as a team. Obviously, you can’t help part failures. Things happen. I think at this point I’m looking at it one race at a time. Going in trying to win each race. If you do that, the points are going to fall into your favor. It just comes down to being as prepared as possible. Trying to execute the best that you possibly can.”

The biggest difference this time, he said, is he has a better control of his nerves.

“When you’ve been in the situation, you know the feeling that you get,” Sweet said. “I think that helps for me. It calms me down a little. I don’t think… that year (in 2019), there were just a lot of emotions. It was really hard to control but it was really intense with the team. We worked extremely hard to be as prepared as we possibly could. We have that knowledge and we’ve been in that situation. We’re not treating it any different.”

If Sweet can hold on for his fourth consecutive title, he’ll join Steve Kinser and Schatz as the only three drivers in Series history to have won four straight World of Outlaws championships, and four titles in general. If Gravel finds his way to the top, he’ll become the 11th different World of Outlaws champion.

“All I do is plan on running the best I can every night and hopefully running up front and just keep applying that pressure,” Gravel said. “You never know what could happen.”

With Sweet’s view on the championship battle situation entering World Finals, his only goal is to win.

“I think we need to win a race [at World Finals],” Sweet said. “I think it is important for us to finish strong and for the points, as well. If you’re winning, no one can win points on you.”

Fans can meet Sweet and Gravel, along with the rest of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series stars on Thursday, Nov. 3, during the World Finals Fan Fest, from 2-4pm, along the front stretch – open to all ticketed fans. The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Features will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 2, Friday, Nov. 4, and Saturday, Nov. 5.

For tickets to the World of Outlaws World Finals, CLICK HERE.

What: NHRA Nevada NationalsWhen: Friday, Oct. 28-Sunday, Oct. 30Where: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayTV: FS1 will telecast eliminations at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 30 Chevrolet drivers roll into Vegas aiming for big pointsEnders placing her bet on red Camaro SS to lock up fifth Pro Stock championship

DETROIT (Oct. 27, 2022) – Erica Enders is betting on red — her red Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS — in the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Enders takes a whopping 165-point advantage over Elite Motorsports teammate Aaron Stanfield into the weekend – the penultimate NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series event of the season — and has the opportunity to wrap up her fifth NHRA Pro Stock world championship. With three wins in four NHRA Countdown to the Championship races and a history of success at the racetrack, the odds are in her favor.

“We have had a ton of success at The Strip and we are looking forward to what could potentially be an amazing weekend,” said Enders, who won the four-wide race in April to extend her streak with a victory at the track to four years. “This has been a tremendous season for us and we are going to do our best to finish strong. “With just two races remaining, we have no plans on letting up on our competition. We will keep our eyes on the prize and let the others worry about the rest.” A personal-best 10th victory of the season and sweeping the spring and fall races at The Strip for the third time are additional motivation. Enders earned her first victory with Elite Motorsports in 2014 at Las Vegas. “A personal goal coming into the year was the most wins we’ve ever had in one season. There’s still room to accomplish that goal,” said Enders, whose 42 career victories is second to Angelle Sampey on the all-time list among females in all categories.

Enders’ drive for fiveErica Enders will move into a tie for third with five NHRA Pro Stock championships. She has won in 2014, ’15, 2019 and ’20: 10: Bob Glidden (1974-75, ’78-80, ’85-89)6: Warren Johnson (1992-93, ’95, ’98-99, ’01)5: Greg Anderson (2003-05, ’10, ’21)5: Jeg Coughlin Jr. (2000, ’02, ’07-08, ’13)

She enters the race with the momentum of back-to-back Countdown victories, most recently defeating reigning and five-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson in the final at Dallas. Enders was runner-up to Dallas Glenn’s Camaro SS in the 2021 fall race at Las Vegas. Brittany Force, who won the four-wide Top Fuel race at The Strip in spring, is also in a title hunt. The driver of the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, who owns both ends of the track Top Fuel records, is second in the standings. She was the No. 1 qualifier for the 2021 fall race at the track. “We need four solid passes during qualifying and need to land back in the winner’s circle. We won this event in the spring and are confident we can do it again,” the 2017 Top Fuel champion said. John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight, who has won a class-high eight races this season, sits atop the Funny Car standings. The driver of the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS is a five-time winner at The Strip. John Force remains in contention for his record-extending 17th NHRA Funny Car championship. The driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Camaro SS is fourth in points. FOX Sports 1 will telecast eliminations at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 30.

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITTOP FUELBRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC/MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (four-time winner this season; second in points): “Two races left in the season and our Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy team heads to Sin City this weekend. We are currently sitting in second position and still have a shot at getting back the points lead. We need four solid passes during qualifying and need to land back in the winner’s circle. We won this event in the spring and are confident we can do it again.” AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (won at Reading, runner-up at Dallas): “This car has been running really well and we have been moving up in the points. I just hope we can keep it going these last two and try to sneak into the two three or top five in the points. I’ve put my heart and soul into this and I know how hard everybody else works.” FUNNY CARROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (eight-time winner this season; points leader):  “We knew this championship hunt was going to come down to the end. We still have the lead but this Auto Club team needs to keep up their hard work, keep their focus and go and get every point we can. We don’t need to change anything, we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing, it’s what got us here, now is not the time to switch things up. I have all the confidence in this Auto Club Chevy team. Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham and every crew member, they are truly the best group of guys I could have in my corner. We’re looking forward to getting to Vegas and putting on a good show. This competition really is exciting.” JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Charlotte four-wide winner in spring; fourth in points): “I’m going to head into Vegas to win. I never give up. This PEAK Chevy team doesn’t give up. We just don’t have a mindset like that. We never give up and it’s not over until we say it’s over.” PRO STOCKERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (nine-time winner this season; points leader): “I want to go to Vegas and I want to lock it up there. I don’t think there’s a (point) cushion. I don’t want to have that mentality because I don’t want to let off the pedal. I want to go to battle like we’re coming from behind. I enjoyed being a driver that needed to come from the back. I’m not really sure what it about Las Vegas. The guys have a really great tune-up. Everything changes out here. It is a little bit of altitude, and it is definitely dry and crazy air, so you have to have your tune-up right. You don’t want to be too lean, or you will burn your motor up. I have to give a lot of the credit to my crew chiefs because they have a ton of data her and they do a great job.” AARON STANFIELD, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JANAC BROTHERS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time winner and seven-time finalist this season; second in points): “I love racing in Vegas, it’s a great racetrack and we would love to get a win. I’m feeling confident about my hot rod. The guys have been working hard to make sure we finish the season strong, I just need to focus and do the job. As the season is coming to a close I think as a whole, the Elite team has been very strong and I am thankful to be part of it.” GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning Pro Stock champion; third in standings): “No. 1 is probably out of reach. That’s what we were competing for, and it looks like we didn’t get it done this year. But we go to the next two races to win. I put just as much weight on race wins as I do a championship – that’s what I go for, to win races, and there are still two great days to be had this year. By the time we get to Vegas, hopefully we have a chance to win.” TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; fourth in standings): “The fall Vegas race is always one of the coolest races for me. I won my first national event in Super Comp at this race when I was 19 in 2009. The boys have been hard at it on the dyno pretty much seven days a week, so I have all the confidence in the world. I’m as proud as ever to wear the Elite Motorsports and JEGS colors and we’re ready to finish strong.” KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (fifth in standings): “The last few races haven’t played out in our favor, but the KB Racing group keeps giving me a fast hot rod. I’m looking forward to returning to Vegas for the second time this season and get in the winner’s circle.” DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Gainesville winner; runner-up at Indianapolis and St. Louis; 2021 fall race winner at track): “We’re coming into Vegas as the defending event champion and that’s just the boost we need right now. We’re not in contention for the championship this year but we’ve still got a great car that can win these last two races.” CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, POWERBUILT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first season in Pro Stock; No. 1 qualifier and runner-up at Houston; rookie of the year award candidate): “I love Las Vegas and I am glad we are coming back to a track like this for the Countdown. The four-wide nationals was a new experience so I am looking forward to traditional side-by-side racing this weekend. My crew chief Jim Yates has been working his tail off on our tune-up and I think we have a car that can go rounds. I have been trying to be super aggressive on the starting line. We just need a few things to go our way and we could have a long day on Sunday. This is Las Vegas so anything can happen.”

LAS VEGAS (October 27, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team have the Funny Car points lead heading into the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but they’ll need a strong showing at the second-to-last event of the season to give them a boost in confidence as the title chase reaches the finish line. Hight has won a total of five times at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, two of those wins coming in the fall of 2009, when he won his first championship and 2015. Just last year, Hight qualified his Auto Club Chevy Camaro SS fifth and advanced to the semifinals before losing to Ron Capps, his closest pursuer for the 2022 championship.  “We knew this championship hunt was going to come down to the end. We still have the lead but this Auto Club team needs to keep up their hard work, keep their focus and go and get every point we can,” Hight said. “We don’t need to change anything, we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing, it’s what got us here, now is not the time to switch things up. I have all the confidence in this Auto Club Chevy team. Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham and every crew member, they are truly the best group of guys I could have in my corner. We’re looking forward to getting to Vegas and putting on a good show. This competition really is exciting.” Hight has won eight times this season, a career best, but his lead over Ron Capps in second is only 10 points. Hight has history on his side as he continues his bid to become just the fourth driver in NHRA Funny Car history (after John Force, Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme) to win as many as four series championships. He already is one of only three Funny Car drivers to have won as many as eight races in a single season and his 14 career Countdown races are the most in the Funny Car division and fourth most overall. Hight and Auto Club will look to add to those numbers this weekend. Competition at the NHRA Nevada Nationals, the second to last event on the NRHA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, begins with qualifying Friday at 1:00 and 4:15 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 4:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) on Sunday beginning with qualifying at 2:00 p.m. ET and eliminations at 4 p.m. ET

ROUND OF 8 ELIMINATION: MARTINSVILLEOne final opportunity lies ahead for the remaining NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) playoff hopefuls to secure a berth into the Championship 4. For the third consecutive season, Martinsville Speedway will host the penultimate race of the playoffs for both series.   The .526-mile Virginia venue took over the post-season position as the Round of 8 elimination race in 2020. Entering the 2020 event below the cutline, Chase Elliott powered his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to victory lane, taking the prestigious grandfather clock and a ticket to the Championship 4 that ultimately led him to his first career championship title in NASCAR’s premier series.  Chevrolet has amassed a series-leading 59 NCS victories at Martinsville, most recently by Chevrolet playoff contender William Byron (April 2022), who lead a race-high 212 laps en route to the triumph to become the series’ first repeat winner of the season. The 24-year-old North Carolina native visited victory lane twice that weekend, also capturing the win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Silverado RST. Byron is heading into the playoff elimination race weekend looking to not only make it back-to-back trips to victory lane at Martinsville, but to grab a bid to the Championship 4 for the first time in his NCS career.  Heading into the final race of the Round of 8, all three of Chevrolet’s playoff drivers sit above the playoff cutline. After back-to-back runner-up finishes, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain maintained the second position in the standings, now with a 19-point advantage over the cutline. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron collected top-10 finishes in both stages at Homestead, earning valuable stage points to help put them above the cutline in the third- and fourth-positions, respectively, in the standings.  A look at where the Team Chevy NCS playoff drivers stand heading into the Round of 8 elimination race, including season numbers and career stats at Martinsville Speedway:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 2nd in Playoff Standings (19-points above cutline)Victories: 2Top-Fives: 13 (series-leading)Top-10s: 19 (series-leading)Laps Led: 692Stage Wins: 6Average Finish: 13.8 At Martinsville Speedway:  Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 1Average Finish: 24.286Of Note: – The 2022 season marks Chastain’s first career appearance in the NCS playoffs. – Chastain posted top-five finishes earlier this season at two tracks in the Round of Eight, including Martinsville Speedway (5th). – In seven of the eight 2022 NCS playoff races thus far, Chastain has finished in the top-13, including back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Round of 8.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 3rd in Playoff Standings (11-points above cutline)2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season ChampionVictories: 5 (series-leading)Top-Fives: 12; Top-10s: 19; (series-leading)Laps Led: 803Stage Wins: 6Average Finish: 12.1 At Martinsville Speedway:   Victories: 1Pole Wins: 1Top-Fives: 5; Top-10s: 8Average Finish: 13.429Of Note: – The 2022 season marks Elliott’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs. – Elliott has advanced to the Championship 4 the past two seasons, winning his first career NCS Driver Championship in 2020. – Elliott is one of just two former NCS champions that makeup the 2022 NCS Playoffs Round of 8. – Elliott’s one career NCS victory at Martinsville Speedway came in the series’ Round of 8 elimination race in 2020; a victory that led to his first career NCS championship title.

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 4th in Playoff Standings (5-points above the cutline)Victories: 2Top-Fives: 5Top-10s: 9Laps Led: 746Stage Wins: 4Average Finish: 16.1 At Martinsville Speedway:   Victories: 1Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 5Average Finish: 15.111Of Note: – The 2022 season marks Byron’s fourth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs. – Bryon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs came in 2021, finishing the season 10th in the final points standings. – Byron is the series’ most recent winner at Martinsville Speedway (April 2022), while also having collected three consecutive top-five finishes at the Virginia short track.

LARSON SET TO RACE FOR OWNER’S CHAMPIONSHIPWhile he may not be contending for a back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championship, Kyle Larson piloted his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 to the victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway, ultimately locking-in the team’s spot to compete for the owner’s championship title. Team owner, Rick Hendrick, has collected 14 owner’s championship titles in NASCAR’s premier series, all of which have been recorded behind the wheel of a Chevrolet. Larson’s third win of the 2022 season came after a dominating performance at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval; sweeping the stage wins and leading a race-high 199 of 267 laps on his way to the victory. His triumph extended Chevrolet’s series-leading win record to 19 wins in 34 NCS races, matching the manufacturer’s win count from the previous season with still two races remaining.Larson led a string of Chevrolet drivers to the checkered flag at Homestead, with Ross Chastain (2nd), AJ Allmendinger (3rd) and Austin Dillon (4th) giving the Bowtie brand a sweep of the top-four finishing positions.. a feat that was performed from drivers from four different Chevrolet teams. This accomplishment marks Chevrolet’s third time sweeping the top-four finishing positions this season (Auto Club Speedway, Road America and Homestead-Miami Speedway); and the manufacturer’s 10th time placing four drivers in the top-five in a single race in 2022.

GRAGSON ONTO NXS CHAMPIONSHIP 4JR Motorsports’ Noah Gragson added onto an already career-season, collecting his series-leading eighth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of 2022 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In dominating fashion, the 24-year-old driver powered his No. 9 Camaro SS to a sweep of the stage wins and led a race-high 127 of 200 laps en route to an automatic berth into the series’ Championship 4 for the second consecutive season. Gragson’s victory marked Chevrolet’s 24th win in 31 NCS races, while also extending the manufacturer’s current win streak to 10 in a row.   Gragson is the second Chevrolet driver to lock-in a spot in the Championship 4. Gragson’s JR Motorsports teammate, Josh Berry, already punched his ticket into the Championship 4 after driving his No. 8 Camaro SS to the victory in the series’ opening race of the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Berry’s victory – Chevrolet’s 500th all-time NXS win – also clinched Chevrolet’s series-leading 24th NXS Manufacturer’s Championship. 

ONE RACE, TWO SPOTS REMAINSaturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Dead On Tools 250 will determine the final two drivers that will join Noah Gragson and Josh Berry in the battle for the 2022 NXS Driver’s Championship. Entering the playoff elimination race weekend at Martinsville, the series’ regular-season champion, AJ Allmendinger, is ranked fourth in the standings and five-points above the cutline. Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill and Sam Mayer sit in the fifth- through seventh-positions in the standings, respectively, but still within reach of the opportunity to either point or win their way into a spot in the Championship 4. Chevrolet’s most recent NXS victory at the .526-mile Virginia venue came in last season’s Round of 8 elimination race. Entering the race weekend in a “must-win” scenario, Gragson was able to power his No. 9 Camaro SS team to a walk-off win in an overtime finish to clinch a spot in the Championship 4.  

CHEVROLET CONTINUES ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ AT MARTINSVILLEChevrolet’s partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” initiative marks its 12th consecutive year in 2022. Proudly carrying the ACS logo, for every lap the specialty-themed pink Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE pace car leads NASCAR’s premier series under caution during three select races in October, Chevrolet will donate $350 to the American Cancer Society to honor “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.” The second of three NASCAR Cup Series events that are part of the initiative took place at Homestead-Miami Speedway this past weekend. With the pink Camaro pace car leading the NCS for 30 laps under caution during Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400, Chevrolet will contribute $10,500 towards the campaign, bringing the total to $19,250 with one race remaining in the campaign.  The pink Camaro pace car will return to the track this weekend, serving as the pace car for the 500-lap/263-mile NCS playoff race at Martinsville Speedway as the third and final race of this year’s campaign.  

BOWTIE BULLETS·       Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway:     William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (2022)    Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (2021)    Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (2020) ·       In 147 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 59 victories, including the series’ most recent appearance at the .526-mile Virginia short track in April 2022, recorded by Chevrolet playoff contender William Byron. ·       Chase Elliott recorded the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 elimination race win at Martinsville Speedway in 2020.. a victory that led to his first career championship title. ·       Ross Chastain has recorded runner-up finishes in both of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 races. Chastain will enter the elimination race weekend second in points, 19-points above the cutline, in his first career NCS playoff appearance. ·       Kyle Larson’s victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway delivered Chevrolet its 19th NASCAR Cup Series win in 34 points-paying races this season, more than its manufacturer competitors combined. The Bowtie brand also continues to lead its manufacturer competitors in top-fives (80), top-10s (150), laps led (4,084) and stage wins (28).  ·       Chevrolet drivers swept the top-four finishing positions in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway; a feat recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams. This marks the third time the Bowtie brand has swept the top-four finishing positions this season; and the 10th time Chevrolet has placed four drivers in the top-five in a single race in 2022.  ·       Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 28 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:     Tyler Reddick 2 – Fontana x2    Alex Bowman 1 – Las Vegas, Kansas    Ross Chastain 6 – Las Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono, Richmond, ROVAL    William Byron 4 – Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington    Daniel Suarez 2 – COTA, Charlotte    Chase Elliott 6 – Martinsville x2, Charlotte, Atlanta x2, Talladega     Kyle Larson 6 – Bristol, Sonoma, Pocono, Texas, Homesteadx2 ·       JR Motorsports has gone two-for-two in race wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Round of 8, with Noah Gragson recording his series-leading eighth NXS win of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Gragson joins teammate, Josh Berry, as the second Chevrolet driver to already clinch a spot in the Championship 4.  ·       Following Josh Berry’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Chevrolet’s 500th all-time NXS victory – Chevrolet clinched its series-leading 24th NXS Manufacturer’s Championship. This marks the eighth title for the Camaro SS since becoming Chevrolet’s flagship vehicle in the series in 2013, including the past six consecutive years.

FOR THE FANS·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Martinsville Speedway. ·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Tahoe Z71, Silverado 2500HD LTZ Diesel, Silverado Crew ZR2, Blazer RS, Corvette Z51, Camaro ZL1, Pink Silverado 1500 Crew High Country Diesel. ·       At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Camaro ZL1 show car. Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display: Sunday, October 30·       Erik Jones: 10:25 a.m. ·       William Byron: 11:00 a.m. ·       Daniel Suarez: 11:15 a.m.·       Noah Gragson : 11:50 a.m.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:  Friday, October 28: 12 pm – 5:30pmSaturday, October 29: 9 am – 3:30pmSunday, October 30: 9 am – 2:30pm Tune In: NBC will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 30. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  NBC will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Dead On Tools 250 at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 29. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTESROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1What are your thoughts on Martinsville being the final race before the Championship race?“When NASCAR decided on the schedule, it was no accident that Martinsville was going to be the race to get into the Championship 4. We’ve seen year over year, it produces some crazy races. I don’t expect anything different. It’s another place that I am looking for a little bit of speed at. It was challenging to pass in the spring, but we were a car that went from around 27th and drove to fifth, but it took me all race to get there. It’s been high on my list to be better there. We tested there and I am still looking for more speed.” What do you think about Martinsville this weekend?“I want to qualify better there this weekend than I did last time. I had us starting pretty deep in the field and it takes a long time to get towards the front of the field there.” It seems you’re getting everything you can out of the racecar right now and really maximizing its potential.“Yeah, I’m so proud of the effort of this team and the execution of pit stops. The guys are doing a great job on pit road. We’re checking the boxes and doing what you need to do to run in the Cup Series and put ourselves in contention for wins. The points will stack as up they do.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Larson on the team’s test at Martinsville Speedway in August: “It’s always good when you can get track time and can work on your car. Martinsville (Speedway) is my worst race track – I just don’t have a good feel for it. Anytime I can get more laps it helps me get into a better rhythm. For me and the type of racing I did growing up, the speed in the middle of the corner at Martinsville is so slow. I am used to trying to roll a corner as fast as possible in a sprint car or a midget or even now a dirt late model. That’s not the case at Martinsville. Usually, the driver going the slowest in the corner is turning the quick laps.” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Daniels on the August test and what he expects this weekend: “Martinsville (Speedway) is certainly its own beast and a unique track. I grew up a couple hours away from it and I love the track. I’ve raced there (as a driver) in a late model and I’ve always enjoyed going there with a Cup (Series) car. We had a good test (in August). Kyle says he doesn’t have a lot of confidence in himself at Martinsville, but we’ve run really well with him and I have seen a lot of good things from him there. I’m cautiously optimistic about this weekend. It should be fun and exciting.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Elliott on racing at Martinsville this weekend: “The Martinsville (Speedway) race in the spring was different than any Martinsville race I’ve ever really been a part of in the past. It was the craziest thing. You couldn’t pass. It was wild to be going that slow and to have a track position race like that. I’m sure it’s going to be more of that (this weekend), and look, that’s fine. It is what it is, right? As competitors, you have to figure out how to be successful in whatever environment is thrown at you, and I think that’s what we’re going to have there. I think a good qualifying effort is going to be really important in how your day’s going to unfold and how much opportunity you’re going to have. Hopefully we can just get it right all weekend because you’re going to have to be on from the beginning. There’s going to be no catching up.” ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Gustafson on heading into the final race of the Round of 8: “The strategy, ultimately, is no different than any other week. You try to score as many points as you can and you try to win the race, but obviously the sense of urgency is going to be much higher because you need to advance through this race. That means it’s all or nothing. So yeah, the strategy won’t be any different, but the sense of urgency will be really elevated and it will be the same for everybody besides Joey (Logano). No one else is in a really safe spot, so I think that is really going to generate some interesting situations.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 Byron on how he will approach Sunday’s race at Martinsville: “I think there’s a little we can apply this weekend from our win there in April. We had a good test at Martinsville (Speedway) a couple months ago that helped us be able to refine some things since we’ve raced there last. This weekend is going to be a bigger challenge, though, than usual given it’s the final playoff cutoff race. Everyone will be bringing their ‘A game’ and everything they’ve got. We just need to approach it how we have been so far. You can’t go in thinking about points because that (the points situation) changes every lap. You have to go in with the mindset of needing to win, and that’s what we will do this weekend to hopefully ensure our spot in the final four.” RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1Fugle on preparing for Martinsville: “A lot has changed since the last time we raced at Martinsville (Speedway) but having the test a few months ago is really going to help us prepare for this weekend. We’re using a new tire than we did in the April race. We tested with it, so at least we have some idea of what falloff will look like, but there’s still some unknowns until you’re running 80 to 90 laps at a time in race conditions. This race is longer than the spring was as well, so that changes your strategy some. We saw in April that track position was a major key, and I think that will be the same this time. We need to have a good Saturday to really set us up well for Sunday and to hopefully maximize points and contend for the win.” TY DILLON, NO. 42 U.S. SPACE FORCE CAMARO ZL1“Every driver loves coming up to Martinsville! Growing up about an hour away from there, I have plenty of vivid memories going to the races with my family as a kid. We had a great run with our No. 42 team at Richmond, and I feel like our short track program continues to improve every time we hit the track. This weekend will be so cool for us to represent all the cadets in the US Space Force on our Camaro, I love the design and am very thankful for the opportunity. Hopefully we can avoid the typical short track carnage and come away with a solid finishing result that our guys deserve!” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 U.S. AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1“Martinsville is another place that we tested a month or two ago and I felt like we learned a ton at that test that got ourselves and our car a lot better there than we were for the Spring race. I’m excited, Martinsville is always a place I’m trying to improve on. It’s definitely been, I’d say as far as tracks we go to in the Cup Series or any NASCAR Series, it’s probably been my toughest track. Just trying to continue to get better there as a driver and continuing to try to learn. I think overall what we learned at the test will pay off. Hopefully we have made the right changes and can go into it with a good race car and can have a good run. We ran top 10 last fall, which was really strong for us, so hopefully we can have a similar, if not a little better, run.” GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1Ives on heading to Martinsville as the defending the race winners: “Martinsville Speedway is a place where we have had success in the past. We won the fall race last year, and this season we are in a very different position but with the same goal – go maximize our race and compete for a win. Noah (Gragson) is still in the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Sunday’s race, and we will support him this weekend like we have since he stepped up to fill in for Alex (Bowman). We just have to stay focused on what’s in front of us and right now, and that’s Martinsville.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1How would you rank the success this year and did you see this coming last year?“I think that the season has been good. It’s tough, because as a race car driver, I am very greedy. If I don’t win the championship, I wouldn’t say that it is a perfect season. With that being said, I feel that it was a huge step from the first year of Trackhouse to the second year of Trackhouse. Right now, I feel like we are working hard to build up our house, and we have done that. I feel like the 99 team has a lot of things still to prove. And for me, with how we are running, I know that there is potential for more, and that is very exciting.I am very happy with where I am, I am very happy with Trackhouse, and the 99 team. I have an amazing team and we are going to continue to fight. I wish I was still in the playoffs and fighting for a championship, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us. But we have the speed and honestly everything to give these guys a fight. We are going to continue to do that and close this season as strong as possible so we can start building momentum for next year.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2022): 41First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2022 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 19Poles: 10Laps Led: 4,084Top-five finishes: 80Top-10 finishes: 150Stage wins: 28Tyler Reddick (Fontanax2)Alex Bowman (Las Vegas), (Kansas)Ross Chastain (Las Vegas), (Darlington), (Charlotte), (Pocono), (Richmond), (Charlotte ROVAL)William Byron (Phoenix), (Atlanta), (Talladega), (Darlington)Daniel Suarez (COTA), (Charlotte)Chase Elliott (Martinsvillex2), (Charlotte), (Atlantax2), (Talladega)Kyle Larson (Bristol Dirt), (Sonoma), (Pocono), (Texas), (Homesteadx2) CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 833 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 733Laps led to date: 245,420Top-five finishes to date: 4,218Top-10 finishes to date: 8,705                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,167           Chevrolet: 833           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 819                                                                      Ford: 719           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 169

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 27, 2022) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster head to the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the second-to-last event on the NHRA Camping World schedule, looking to put an exclamation point at the end of their 2022 season. After struggling in mid-season, Prock, the 2019 NHRA Rookie of the Year, has turned his season around in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, driving his Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist entry to a compelling victory in Reading, Pennsylvania and to a runner-up finish in the most recent tour event in Dallas. “I’m looking forward to Vegas. John Force Racing has had success there in the past so, as a team, we’re looking for more of that all the way around,” Prock said. “This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster is on good pace right now, and this team is hoping that continues into this weekend. We want to keep moving up the points standings.” Prock is making just his fourth overall appearance at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and his second at the NHRA Nevada Nationals. In 2019, Prock was the No. 10 qualifier and came up short to teammate Brittany Force in the second round. Competition at the NHRA Nevada Nationals, the second to last event on the NRHA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, begins with qualifying Friday at 1:00 and 4:15 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 4:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) on Sunday beginning with qualifying at 2:00 p.m. ET and eliminations at 4 p.m. ET

Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (Oct. 27, 2022) – Dominic Scelzi is bound for The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park this Saturday during the second-to-last King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series race of the season.

Scelzi enters the Sprint Car Showdown at the oval in Bakersfield, Calif., with a 64-point lead in the championship standings. He simply needs to make a qualify attempt during each of the final two series races to wrap up his second straight championship.

“It’s been a very consistent season and I’m excited we’ve set ourselves up to just go after wins during the last couple of races,” he said. “We’re one win away from our 10^th of the season and I really want to get to double digits again.”

Scelzi is tied for the series lead with four feature triumphs this season. He also leads the series with 148 feature laps led, five quick times in qualifying, six heat race victories and five dash wins.

“We’d love to have more wins at this point in the season, but I can’t complain about the success we’ve had,” he said. “We’ve done well at this track so I feel confident we will be a contender on Saturday.”

Scelzi placed second at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park last year. He swept a pair of series races there in 2019 and was third during his debut in 2018.

Scelzi is coming off a frustrating outing during the annual Trophy Cup, which features 80 of the top competitors from across the country vying for the coveted top prize. Scelzi capped the three-day event at Thunderbowl Raceway by rallying from 10^th to third place in a B Main to make the main event on Saturday. He finished 22^ndin the feature and 24^th in overall event points.

“It was definitely not the weekend we expected so we’re eager to get back to a race track to get the sour taste out of our mouth,” he said. “Fortunately we have another good track for us coming up this weekend and hopefully we can get back to Victory Lane.”

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 20 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 25; Heat race: 7 (7); B Main: 8 (17).

Oct. 21 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 5 (5); B Main: 6 (4).

Oct. 22 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Heat race: 4 (3); B Main: 3 (10); Feature: 22 (24).

SEASON STATS –

53 races, 9 wins, 27 top fives, 37 top 10s, 44 top 15s, 46 top 20s

UP NEXT – 

Saturday at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, Calif., for the Sprint Car Showdown with the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 27, 2022) – Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster team head into the city that never sleeps sitting second in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. They’ll be looking for a win at the NHRA Nevada Nationals at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to solidify their fight for a second title. Force has won both events at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway including the four-wide race this spring in which she beat Steve Torrence, Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown in the final. She also won the fall race in 2019, ending that season with two victories and a second-place finish in championship. As the No. 1 qualifier at the 2021 Nevada Nationals, Force raced her way to the semifinals and in 2017 finished runner-up at the fall, the year she became just the second woman to win a Top Fuel world championship and the first in 35 years. “Two races left in the season and our Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team heads to Sin City this weekend. We are currently sitting in second position and still have a shot at getting back the points lead,” Force said. “We need four solid passes during qualifying and need to land back in the winners circle. We won this event in the spring and are confident we can do it again.” Owner of the 10 fastest speeds in Top Fuel history, Force is trying to win five races for the first time in her career. Just 82-points off the lead and sitting second, she is well positioned to become the fourth woman in NHRA pro drag racing history to win multiple championships (after Shirley Muldowney, Enders and Angelle Sampey). Competition at the NHRA Nevada Nationals, the second to last event on the NRHA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, begins with qualifying Friday at 1:00 and 4:15 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 4:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) on Sunday beginning with qualifying at 2:00 p.m. ET and eliminations at 4 p.m. ET

October 27, 2022

For Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team there’s no place to race quite like the team’s home track, Martinsville Speedway. The Wood Brothers, from nearby Stuart, Va., will be making their 123^rd start at the venerable half-mile oval, a string of starts that began when team founder Glenn Wood made his Cup Series debut in a 100-miler there in 1953.

“Any time the Wood Brothers team races at Martinsville, we treat it as a home race,” crew chief Brian Wilson said. “Many of our team members will stop by the shop in Stuart this weekend to see the Sweepstakes replica in person.”

The replica was built by Leonard Wood, who was the team’s crew chief back in the day and continues to crank out mechanical marvels at the age of 88.

Wilson said he and his fellow members of the current No. 21 team are proud to be carrying on the Wood family’s racing legacy.
 
“There’s a lot of pride in being a part of this team and knowing the history behind it,” he said.
 
Wilson said the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team and their rookie driver will be taking their biggest notebook yet to Martinsville, and are hoping to put that data to use in Sunday’s Xfinity 500.
 
“Similar to last weekend in Homestead, we tested at Martinsville earlier this year,” he said. “This was an extremely successful test for us. 
 
“We were able to make multiple long runs. Over the two-day test we ran a total of 636 laps. By the second day we were able to post some very competitive lap times.
 
“When you look at the notebook from the test, as well as what we learned in the spring race, we have the most information and seat time heading into this weekend of any event this year. 
 
“Everyone on the Motorcraft Ford is looking to capitalize on that information this Sunday.”
 
Practice for the Xfinity 500 is set for noon on Saturday, with qualifying at 12:45 p.m.
 
Sunday’s 500-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2 p.m. with TV coverage on NBC.
 
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 130 and 260.

 

FAN FAVORITE ELITE MOTORSPORTS PRO STOCK TEAM READY TO OUTPACE THE COMPETITION IN LAS VEGASPoints Leader Erica Enders Has Chance To Clinch Championship At Penultimate Event

Elite Motorsports Pre-Race Preview

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series LAS VEGAS (October 26, 2022) – With a 165-point lead in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship, Pro Stock standout Erica Enders is experiencing the best season of her illustrious career that includes four Pro Stock world championships to date. As the talented driver seeks her fifth championship, she knows that she enters the penultimate event of the 2022 season with a target on her back as many of her fellow competitors including several of her Elite Motorsports teammates will seek to overtake her lead this weekend at the 22nd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Las Vegas has been good to Enders in the past, including earlier this year when she walked away victorious at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas earlier this year, making her the winningest professional driver in the track’s history. Enders has picked up nine wins this year, tying her career-best for a single season, with two races remaining. “I’m really excited to head to Las Vegas,” Enders stated enthusiastically. “We have had a ton of success at The Strip and we are looking forward to what could potentially be an amazing weekend. I feel really great about my Melling Performance Chevy Camaro and the guys I have in my corner. This has been a tremendous season for us and we are going to do our best to finish strong. With just two races remaining, we have no plans on letting up on our competition. We will put our heads down and go to work like we always do! We will keep our eyes on the prize and let the others worry about the rest.” Enders’ Elite Motorsports teammates Aaron Stanfield (currently in second) and Troy Coughlin Jr. (currently in fourth) are prepared to make moves in the points standings this weekend in what will be an exciting and action-packed weekend of drag racing competition. In order to clinch the world championship this weekend, Enders will need to advance one more round than Stanfield.  “I love racing in Vegas, it’s a great racetrack and we would love to get a win,” said Stanfield. “I’m feeling confident about my hot rod. The guys have been working hard to make sure we finish the season strong, I just need to focus and do the job. As the season is coming to a close I think as a whole, the Elite team has been very strong and I am thankful to be part of it.” Coughlin is also feeling positive as he prepares to compete in his JEGS.com Camaro. The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a favorite for the young racer.  “The fall Vegas race is always one of the coolest races for me,” said Coughlin. “I won my first national event in Super Comp at this race when I was 19 in 2009. The boys have been hard at it on the dyno pretty much seven days a week so I have all the confidence in the world! I’m as proud as ever to wear the Elite Motorsports and JEGS colors and we’re ready to finish strong.” Additional members of the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock drag racing team, the largest professional race team in the NHRA, include Bo Butner and the Cuadra Boys – Fernando Sr. and his sons Fernando Jr. and Cristian. Bo Butner is currently just a few points away from the No. 8 spot in the Countdown to the Championship and as a former world champion, this highly-skilled competitor will certainly be one to watch this weekend in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro. He’s been a strong presence throughout the Countdown and he tends to shine in times of intense pressure.  The Cuadra Boys continue to compete amongst each other to determine who will be the first to bring a national event Pro Stock victory to their home in Leon, Mexico.   NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competition kicks off this Friday, October 28 with the first session of qualifying at 12:30 p.m. local time. ***

Elite Motorsports Stats And Facts For Countdown Contention

The Elite Motorsports team will field seven Pro Stock entries during this week’s NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Elite team is the largest in professional drag racing and features Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Troy Coughlin Jr., Bo Butner, Fernando Cuadra and his two sons, Fernando Jr. and Cristian. This week’s event in Las Vegas marks the fifth round of the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoff to determine season champions. Four-time world champion Enders is the leader followed by Stanfield (2), Coughlin Jr. (4), Butner (9), Cuadra Jr. (12), C. Cuadra (13), Cuadra Sr. (15). Two weeks ago in Dallas, Erica Enders won her ninth event of the season by beating Greg Anderson in the final round. As a result, Enders has a 165-point lead over teammate Aaron Stanfield in the battle for the championship. Enders can wrap up her fifth NHRA Pro Stock title by advancing one more round than Stanfield this weekend. Enders has won nine of the 17 events contested so far this season and has appeared in 11 of 17 possible final rounds. Out of the 17 Pro Stock events so far this season, Team Elite has won 14 of them. Enders has nine victories while Stanfield has three and Coughlin has two. Elite cars have also appeared in final rounds 24 times, as more than once, the final round has come down to two Elite-powered machines.

Erica EndersFour-time world champion Enders is experiencing the best season of her career with a record of 48-8 during eliminations, Enders has the highest winning percentage (.857) of any NHRA pro this season. Enders has enjoyed tremendous success in Las Vegas with eight victories including the Four-Wide event held earlier this season. She won the Fall events in 2014-15 and again in 2019-20. She was also a runner-up in 2013, 2018 and 2021. During her professional career, Enders has competed in 332 races and has 42 victories in 72 final rounds. Her overall win-loss record is 432-239. Enders currently holds both the elapsed time and speed record for the NHRA Pro Stock class with best of 6.450-seconds and 215.55 mph.

Aaron StanfieldStanfield, the driver of the Janac Bros/J3 Energy Camaro, finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed behind Enders thanks largely to victories in Phoenix and Bristol and four runner-up finishes in Pomona, Epping, Norwalk, and Denver. Stanfield is currently No. 2 in the Pro Stock class, 165 points out of first place following his most recent win in Charlotte and a semifinal finish in Dallas. Stanfield has a record of 35-14 this season and six of those losses have come against teammate Enders. Stanfield won back-to-back titles in the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown in 2020-21 in Las Vegas. Stanfield has won seven Pro Stock events in 13 career final rounds. He is also a two-time world champion in the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. All told, Stanfield has 20 career wins in Pro Stock, Factory Stock, Super Stock, and Top Dragster. Stanfield’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.457-seconds and 213.47 mph, both set this year in Gainesville.

Troy Coughlin Jr.Troy Coughlin Jr., the driver of the JEGS.comCamaro, finished the regular season as the No. 6 ranked Pro Stock driver but is currently fourth after his runner-up finish in Reading and semifinal finishes in Charlotte and Dallas. Earlier this year, Coughlin scored his first professional wins with back-to-back victories in Seattle and Topeka. In addition to his two Pro Stock victories this year, the multi-faceted Coughlin has additional wins in Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp, and Super Gas. Coughlin’s father, Troy Sr., is a 15-time national event winner in Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Super Gas. Including his uncles, John, Mike, and Jeg Jr., the Coughlin family has combined to win 130 national event titles. Coughlin’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.521-seconds and 211.93 mph, set this year in Sonoma and Gainesville, respectively.

Bo ButnerBo Butner is a two-time NHRA world champion in Pro Stock (2017) and Comp Eliminator (2006). He joined the Elite team this season driving the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro. So far in 2022, Butner has an 8-17 round win record in Pro Stock competition. He is currently the No. 9 ranked driver in the class but is just eight points out of eighth place. Butner has 29 career national event victories including 11 in Pro Stock. He also has multiple wins in Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Gas, and Super Street to his name. Recently, Butner won back-to-back events in Indianapolis and Reading in the Super Gas class. Butner has also enjoyed tremendous success in Las Vegas with six victories including Pro Stock titles in 2018 and 2019. In 2012, Butner joined the short list of drivers who have doubled at a national event when he won Stock and Comp on the same day. Butner’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.475-seconds and 214.28 mph, set in Dallas (2015) and Gainesville (2017), respectively.

The Cuadra BoysThe Cuadra family including Fernando Sr., and his sons Fernando Jr. and Cristian, joined Elite Motorsports this season with their three-car Corral Boots/Cuadra team. Fernando Sr. is a two-time national event runner-up with final round appearances at 2019 races in Reading and Pomona. Cristian Cuadra was the runner-up to Enders at the 2022 Four-Wide event in Las Vegas. All three Cuadra entries will contend for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock title during the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The Cuadra family has career-best elapsed times of 6.515 (Fernando Jr.), 6.524 (Fernando Sr.), and 6.528 (Cristian) – all of them recorded at the 2022 Gainesville event. Their career-best speeds are 212.13 (Fernando Sr.), 211.43 (Cristian), and 210.73 (Fernando Jr.).

Collectively, the seven Team Elite drivers have combined to win 103 NHRA national event titles across all classes including 62 in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category.

For the first time, fans will get to celebrate each driver’s year-long accomplishments and then keep the party going with a concert by Country Music Artist Rick Monroe and The Hitmen

CONCORD, NC (Oct. 26, 2022) – When the fireworks fade and the champions lower their trophies Saturday night at the World of Outlaws World Finals, the year-end celebrations kick off with the special World of Outlaws Champions Celebration at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. And everyone is invited.

Taking place directly after Saturday night’s (Nov. 5) championship Victory Lane celebrations, the World of Outlaws Champions Celebration will be held at the NOS Energy Concert Stage in the lower pit area, featuring a concert, a parade of cars and the honoring of this year’s championship contenders.

“For the first time, fans will be able to celebrate each driver’s season-long accomplishments with them as they are honored on the NOS Energy Concert Stage Saturday night,” said World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter. “Add in an electric concert and The Greatest Show on Dirt will go from on track to off track at the end of the night.”

The full field of championship contenders for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series will be honored on stage – given their trophy and check. World of Outlaws teams will also parade their cars to the stage.

There will also be a concert by Country Music Artist, Rick Monroe and The Hitmen, brought to you by NOS Energy. And it’s all free for fans to attend.

The World of Outlaws Championship Celebration will be a unique bookend to the epic four-day World of Outlaws World Finals, which will commence with the PRN at the Track Kick-off Party – in the zMax Pavilion – Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6pm (ET). Then, racing will begin Wednesday, Nov. 2 with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and World of Outlaws Late Models.

And while the Super DIRTcar Series may not have on track action, its drivers will line the front stretch for a two-hour Fan Fest (2 to 4pm ET) before racing action, allowing fans to get up close to their favorite drivers and cars. World of Outlaws fans will have the same opportunity the next two days with a Fan Fest (from 2 to 4pm ET each night) for the Sprint Car drivers on Thursday and one for the Late Model drivers on Friday.

Thursday, Nov. 3, will see Feature action for the World of Outlaws Late Models and Super DIRTcar Series, while Friday, Nov. 5, will host Features for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Super DIRTcar Series.

Then, three champions will be crowned on Saturday, Nov. 5, with a massive night of action. Points accumulated from the previous nights will determine the Heat Race lineups for each Series. After competing for $15,000-to-win races during the weekday races, both World of Outlaws series will battle for $25,000-to-win in Saturday’s Feature. The Super DIRTcar Series will compete for $10,000 paydays during the week and $15,000 in the finale.

Before the Features, the famed 3X4 Wide Salute – placing the fields for the World of Outlaws and Super DIRTcar Series on track at the same time – will grace the speedway for the most iconic photo opportunity in motorsports.

The Lake Elmo, MN driver enters the World of Outlaws World Finals fifth in the Series standings

CONCORD, NC – October 26, 2022– Basketball legend Michael Jordan once said, “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” 

While Brent Larson has faced multiple obstacles since joining the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series tour in 2018, he’s never turned around. Never given up. And continues to fight. 

Further proof of that will be on display during the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, where the Lake Elmo, MN will officially clinch his fifth-place finish in championship points – the best finish of his World of Outlaws career. 

He’s also improved his average finish by more than four positions from 2021. 

Larson’s growth is something he said comes from the experience of battling some of the best dirt Late Model drivers in the country on a nightly basis.  

“I think I continue to learn and grow, get more familiar with the tracks, get more familiar with the different tires,” Larson said. “And we just continue to grow as a person and as a team. I think our growth has been fairly steady over the past two or three years.  

“Last year, we got the most improved driver [award], and this year we’re a little better yet. I think it’s just a pattern of continual growth.” 

Any driver who runs a national touring schedule will likely face adversity throughout the season. 

This year was no different for Larson, and he dealt with new crew members and his wife Melanie’s shoulder injury, who’s also his tire specialist. 

“Even when [Melanie] wasn’t physically at the track or was out with her shoulder injury, we still worked together a lot,” Larson said. “I think a lot of my program, in general, has just been overcoming adversity and struggles and challenges.” 

Those new challenges came on top of old obstacles like travel. Larson’s home, just outside St. Paul, MN, is further north than any other full-time Series driver. However, it’s only part of how far his team has come in the past few years and how they face that adversity. 

“Just being located where I am physically presents a challenge as far as adversity and lack of experience across the different parts of the country,” Larson said. “But I think we’ve learned to overcome adversity largely over the last two or three years, that when we face adversity now, it’s not that big of a deal.” 

For the second consecutive season, Larson came close to scoring his first career World of Outlaws CASE Late Models victory—a second to Mike Marlar at Cedar Lake Speedway in August.  

Larson said he enjoyed that experience but is frustrated that he couldn’t grab the checkered flag. 

“It’s both rewarding and exciting to be that close, but it’s also frustrating being that close and not being able to close the deal,” Larson said. “It’s one of those things I look back on a lot and think what I could have done different to win that race. I guess you just hope that thought and that experience allows you to close the deal off the next time you get into that situation.” 

The final stop in Larson’s fifth year on tour is The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the World of Outlaws World Finals—a place where Larson has struggled at times.  

Despite those results, he said he believes he’s capable of winning on one of the biggest stages in dirt racing.  

“I haven’t been real great at Charlotte overall,” Larson said. “I’ve showed some speed at times, but I haven’t really put together a great night altogether there. I think I’m capable of it. It’d be a shocker to a lot of people, including me, to pull off my first win there. 

“But I look forward to being closer to the front and maybe having a chance. Charlotte’s kind of a crapshoot for everybody. Every year you see someone run well there you don’t expect to, and I’m doing everything I can to be one of those guys this year.” 

No matter the World of Outlaws World Finals result, Larson will cap off a successful year with the best showing of his career. It shows that no matter the obstacle he faces, the driver from the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” has shown how to climb, work around, or go through any wall he runs into. 

The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models finish an epic 2022 season with the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, NC, on November 2-5. And fans will get to meet Larson, along the rest of the World of Outlaws stars during the World Finals Fan Fest on Friday, Nov. 4, from 2-4 p.m. Drivers will be signing autographs and playing games with the fans. 

OCALA, FL (October 25, 2022) — Las Vegas is known as the city where fortunes can change in an instant and second year Top Fuel driver and team owner Josh Hart is hoping Lady Luck smiles on his R+L Carriers Top Fuel team this weekend at the NHRA Nevada Nationals. The accomplished driver who last year raced a partial schedule, took a huge step forward with his program this season, racing all 20 NHRA national events to date. He is in the thick of the battle for the Top Fuel world championship and with two races left Hart is sitting in sixth place just 147 points out of first in one of the most competitive Top Fuel battles in recent history. The NHRA Nevada Nationals will be an opportunity for Hart and the R+L Carriers team to close the gap with round wins on Sunday.

“We know what we need to do and our focus is on getting qualifying bonus points and going rounds on Sunday,” said Hart, a two-time Top Fuel national event winner. “In Dallas I let the team down but I put that behind me and now the only thing everyone on this team is thinking about is getting the most out of the Nevada Nationals.”

Josh Hart and R+L Carrier Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Two weeks ago, Hart suffered his first red-light start of his career in the first round against Leah Pruett losing out on the chance to advance to the quarterfinals with a strong first round pass. The silver lining for Hart was he was able to maintain his position in the points and not fall out of championship contention. The final race of the season will award points and a half (30 total) for every round win so Hart knows if he can cut into the lead this weekend, he will control his own destiny for the championship.

This season has been a learning process for the former weekend racer from Ocala, Florida who started his racing career in a Ford Lightning pick-up truck. After moving up through the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and a very successful stint behind the wheel of a Top Alcohol Dragster Hart made the jump to Top Fuel to race against the quickest and fastest drivers on the planet. As an independent team racing for the first time on a full-time schedule Hart has seen new parts of the country and battled some significant growing pains along the way.

Josh Hart, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“I really didn’t know what to expect this season with a brand-new race car and a young team,” said Hart. “We have a great leader in my crew chief Ron Douglas and our sponsors R+L Carriers and TechNet have been amazing. Our goal is bigger than wins on the race track. We are promoting career opportunities across the country with R+L Carriers, a family-owned business that has been successful for over 50 years. At every race I am talking with fans and guests about job opportunities that can change their lives.”

Hart has shown flashes of brilliance this season racing to the final round at the Norwalk Nationals and consistently holding off challengers throughout the season to secure his spot in the NHRA Countdown. Once the Countdown began Hart raced to a final round at the Midwest Nationals in St Louis and he has only suffered two first round losses in the past 11 races. That is the kind of consistency that has Hart knocking on the door of the Top Fuel championship.

“There are two races left in the season and I feel very confident in this R+L Carriers team,” said Hart. “We just raced in our 33^rd career Top Fuel race and we are competing with teams and drivers that have four or five times as many races under their belts. This level of competition is the best in the world and I want to show everyone that we belong at this level.”

Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will have two qualifying runs on Friday followed by two more runs on Saturday to grab as many qualifying bonus points as possible and secure one of the 16 spots in the qualified field for race day. Final eliminations will begin at 1

DENVER, NC (October 25, 2022) — Rookie Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso has raced her way through some of the toughest competition during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and NHRA Countdown. The 24-year-old who resides in Denver, North Carolina, will bring a new look to the NHRA Nevada Nationals with the Powerbuilt Chevrolet Camaro powered by Titan Racing Engines looking to close out the season with a signature win at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Last season in Vegas rookie Dallas Glenn took the Pro Stock win and went on to Rookie of the Year honors. Caruso, one of two finalists for the 2022 top rookie award, would like nothing better than to duplicate Glenn’s feat this weekend.

Camrie Caruso and Powerbuilt Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“It is great to be a finalist for Rookie of the Year and winning that award was one of my pre-season goals,” said Caruso. “We have qualified for every race and I feel like the team is getting better but this is a marathon not a sprint. The homestretch is coming up with Las Vegas and Pomona and we want to finish strong.”

This will be a return engagement for Caruso at the Las Vegas track located 20 minutes from downtown. The rookie driver competed in her first NHRA Four-Wide Nationals here earlier this season. The familiarity will be a welcome element to the driver who has been competing on brand new track week in and week out throughout the season.

“I love Las Vegas and I am glad we are coming back to a track like this for the Countdown,” said Caruso. “The four-wide nationals was a new experience so I am looking forward to traditional side-by-side racing this weekend. My crew chief Jim Yates has been working his tail off on our tune-up and I think we have a car that can go rounds. I have been trying to be super aggressive on the starting line. We just need a few things to go our way and we could have a long day on Sunday. This is Las Vegas so anything can happen.”

Camrie Caruso, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Caruso has qualified for every event this season which is an impressive feat in the hyper-competitive Pro Stock category but even more impressive is the fact she and her Powerbuilt Chevrolet Camaro team have been going rounds in her rookie season. Historically, drivers and teams have significant hurdles, but Caruso and her Jim Yates tuned Chevrolet Camaro have established themselves as consistent performers grabbing a round win in just their second start and a No. 1 qualifier at the Houston SpringNationals. Caruso advanced to the final round of the Houston national event in just her fifth professional start.

“We have achieved some of my goals for this season, but there are a few we are still chasing,” said Caruso. “We have all the pieces to get into the winner’s circle, we just need to put them all together on race day. The Nevada Nationals would be a great race to get our first win and then roll into the Auto Club Finals in Pomona with some momentum. I have learned a lot this season and I am excited for these last two races.”

Prior to the Nevada Nationals Caruso will be joining several NHRA drivers at the Fremont Street Fan Experience on Thursday night signing free autographs from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. and following the race she will be attending the SEMA show spending time in a number of marketing partners’ booths promoting their products and signing autographs. The Pro Stock rookie knows the off the track events can be just as impactful as win lights on Sunday.

“I enjoy spending time with our marketing partners away from the track and I especially like the fan fest events,” said Caruso. “Events like those are where you can make a connection with the fans and really talk about how great NHRA is or how one of our marketing partners can benefit their business or personal life. We have a lot of great partners that have supported us this season and we are looking forward to SEMA for sure.”

Pro Stock qualifying for the NHRA Nevada Nationals will begin Friday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. with Saturday’s sessions running at noon and 3:30 p.m. On Sunday final eliminations will begin at 11:00 a.m. with Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The race will be broadcast nationally on FS1.