PLAINVIEW, NY (October 25, 2022) — With two NHRA Countdown national events left on the schedule Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy are in control of the Top Fuel championship race sitting in the No. 1 spot. The third-year driver and team owner has dominated the first four Countdown races securing two runner-up finishes and a win at the Texas Fall Nationals, where he defended his 2021 title and extended his points lead to 82 points over his closest pursuer. The team knows there is no margin for error heading into this weekend’s NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“We are not taking anything for granted and there is a lot of racing left before someone wins the championship,” said Ashley. “This Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy has been running great thanks to the hard work of Dustin Davis, Mike Green, Tommy DeLago, our team and our partners. I am lucky to be the driver who gets to hit the throttle every race. This is a complete team effort and we are going into the Nevada Nationals focused on making quick qualifying runs and then racing within ourselves on Sunday.” 

Justin Ashley and Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy, photo by Ron Lewis

Ashley started the season with a win at the Winternationals and since then the second generation drag racer has been on a rocket ship of success picking up an additional win in Bristol at the Thunder Valley Nationals on Father’s Day weekend. A string of semifinal finishes to close out the regular season set up Ashley for his run through the Countdown. In Reading and Charlotte starting from the No. 2 and No. 1 qualifying positions respectively, Ashley raced to the final round only to lose close races but two weeks ago in Dallas the 2020 Rookie of the Year broke through for his first 2022 Countdown win taking out Doug Kalitta, Kebin Kinsley, Shawn Langdon and Austin Prock for the win that included four straight runs in the 3.60s from the No. 10 qualifier position.

“We didn’t qualify as well as we would have hoped at Texas Motorplex, but we turned it around on race day which is a testament to the resiliency and mental fortitude of our team,” said Ashley. “We raced three Countdown contending teams on Sunday and got three win lights. We have been racing a lot of Countdown contenders which is what you need to do if you want to win the championship.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has been a track where Ashley has had limited success racing to two semifinal finishes the past two NHRA Nevada Nationals. Last year he raced to the final four as the No. 3 qualifier and in 2020 he made the semis from the No. 12 spot. In each of those races he was ousted by eventual world champion Steve Torrence.

Through 20 national events this season Ashley and the Phillips Connect team have raced to at least the semifinals 13 times and they have started from No. 4 or higher 11 times including two No. 1 qualifiers. The consistency both in qualifying and on race day has Ashley confident but not cocky heading into the penultimate Countdown race.

The Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team, photo by Ron Lewis

“This sport will get your attention really quick if you take anything for granted,” said Ashley. “We are going to just take every qualifying round one at a time and on race day we are going to race the racetrack to the best of our ability. This is an exciting time, but the key is not to get too high or too low. We are going to continue enjoying ourselves but stay focused on the task at hand.” 

Top Fuel will have two qualifying runs on Friday and two qualifying runs on Saturday where teams can earn qualifying bonus points heading into Sunday’s elimination rounds. The final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. with FS1 broadcasting the race nationally.

NASCAR winner Justin Haley and World of Outlaws winner Chris Madden are set to join the field of short track stars

CONCORD, NC (Oct. 25, 2022) – The seventh annual World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Oct. 27-29, is set to be one of the biggest yet.

With a record 10 divisions this year, more than 400 drivers from the across the country are expected to compete in the three-day event – more than half from North Carolina and South Carolina.

It’s a chance for short track stars to win on the biggest stage of their career and for some to compete against superstars of the sport like NASCAR Cup Series winner Justin Haley and World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Series winner Chris Madden.

The divisions competing in the event this year, include:
–FOX Factory Pro (604) Late Models
–Chevrolet Performance 602 Late Models
–Summit Racing Equipment UMP Modifieds
–Hoosier Racing Tire Pro Modifieds
–COMP Cams Monster Mini-Stocks
–DIRTVision Hornets
–VP Racing Fuels Sportsman Modifieds
–SRI Performance Thunder Bombers
–MSD Pro Stocks
–ARP Street Stocks

FULL LIST OF ENTRIES: CLICK HERE

TICKETS: CLICK HERE

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every lap of the World Short Track Championship live on DIRTVision – either at DIRTVision.com or by downloading the DIRTVision App.

Here are the top storylines to follow this weekend:

NASCAR POWER: NASCAR Cup Series winner and current full-time Cup driver for Kaulig Racing, Justin Haley, will make his World Short Track Championship debut this year. He will compete in the Summit Racing Equipment UMP Modified field, looking to claim the $4,000 top prize.

While this will be his first time racing at the 4/10-mile Dirt Track at Charlotte, Haley is no stranger to UMP Modified racing. He won a gator trophy during DIRTcar Nationals in 2019 at Volusia Speedway Park in his own DIRTcar UMP Modified.

Haley will pilot a brand-new Leaf Filter/Elite Chassis No. 99, built by three-time World Short Track Championship UMP Modified champion Nick Hoffman.

MADDEN IN A MOD: For the second time in two years, national dirt Late Model star Chris Madden will get behind the wheel of a UMP Modified and compete for the $4,000 grand prize.

The Grey Court, SC-racer will once again pilot Pennsylvanian Dan Davies’ Lethal Chassis No. 71 this weekend, following a head-turning debut in the event last year where Madden wheeled it to a runner-up finish to three-time national champion Nick Hoffman in the championship Feature and third in the All-Star Feature.

It will be Madden’s second-ever competitive start in the division; one week before he gets back in his Super Late Model and takes on the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series in the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Nov. 2-5.

DOUBLE DUTY DRIVERS: Several pre-entered drivers are doubling-up and increasing their chances of taking home World Short Track Championship gold this year by entering in two divisions. More will likely follow suit as registration continues at the track this weekend.

Ryan Ayers (Newton, NC) – Ayers will pilot both a Summit Racing Equipment UMP Modified and a Hoosier Racing Tire Pro Modified in this year’s event, one year after his fifth-place finish with the UMP Modifieds in 2021.

Austin Holcombe (Elm City, NC) – The reigning Pro Modified World Short Track Champion returns to The Dirt Track this weekend, piloting both a Pro Modified and his more regularly raced UMP Modified. It’s been a career year for Holcombe, one in which he finished 15th in national DIRTcar points with 11 Feature wins in 46 starts.

Brian Carter (Concord, NC) – A World Short Track and Super DIRT Week regular for the past several seasons with his MSD Pro Stock, the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing CEO has his new Chevy Performance 602 crate engine Late Model suited up and ready to go for this year’s event – his first time pulling double duty at the World Short Track Championship.

Steve Greene (Bostic, NC) – Green, a familiar face around the South Carolina/Georgia tracks of Cherokee Speedway, Harris Speedway and Lavonia Speedway, will pilot both an ARP Street Stock and an SRI Performance Thunder Bomber, going for his first event Feature win.

Preston Blalock (Clemmons, NC) – It’s an all-crate assault for Blalock this year, who takes on two divisions for the first time in this event (Pro Modified, 602 Late Model). He’s appeared in every Pro Modified championship Feature in event history, dating back to 2016, with a best finish of fourth in 2019.

NEW ADDITION: A new storm of V8 engine power is brewing over The Dirt Track at Charlotte this weekend as the SRI Performance Mid-East Racing Thunder Bomber division makes its event debut.

These Street Stock/Stock Car-type machines, commonly found racing around the weekly venues of the Southeast, offer a competitive roster of drivers that will be just as eager to get to Victory Lane as any other.

Leading the way with five Feature victories in local competition this year is former World Short Track Champion from Greenville, SC – Rod Tucker. Tucker proved his worth around the 4/10-mile of Charlotte in 2018, winning the COMP Cams Mini Stock Championship Feature for his first event title. He now has a shot to become the first driver in event history to win a Feature in multiple divisions but will have to defend against fellow heavy hitters Benji Knight (3 wins), Mark Towell (2 wins) and Hunter Funderburke (3 wins). 

NORTHEAST COMES SOUTH: A couple weeks after the Northeast’s biggest race, Super DIRT Week, the stars of the DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar Pro Stock series will make their way south for a final shot at winning on a national stage this year.

Last year’s podium finishers in the DIRTcar Sportsman Series – David Rogers, Andrew Buff and Mike Fowler – are set to return and battle for the $4,000 top prize again. Rogers, of LaFargeville, NY, claimed his first World Short Track Championship win last year. And Fowler earned his first podium finish in the event, having finished 13th the two years prior.

The Pro Stock division will also see the return of its reigning champion, along with the return of several Canadian competitors. With the border between the United States and Canada, several drivers from Ontario and Quebec will make their return to North Carolina.

Last year’s Pro Stock winner Sheldon Martin, of Mooresville, NC, will try to claim the $3,000 top prize again. His victory in 2021 was his first ever win on dirt.

HORNET SWARM: Consistently one of the most entertaining classes of the World Short Track Championship, the Hornet division (also known as FWD/Sport Compacts) has currently has more than 50 entries – the highest car count of all divisions.

With the field split into multiple 15-lap Features throughout the week, multiple Hornet drivers will a chance to win the biggest race of their careers – one many of them call their Daytona 500.

Last year saw Dave Laney, Newman Presnell, Chase Hopper and Jonathan Sarratt pick up the victories.

PAST WINNERS
Pro Late Models
2021 – Dillon Brown / Tyler Nicely (All-Star Race)
2020 – John Ruggerio Jr. / Wil Herrington (All-Star Race)
2019 – Michael Brown / Matt Long (All-Star Race)
2018 – Michael Brown / Timbo Mangum (All-Star Race)
2017 – Jonathan Davenport
2016 – Corey Gordon / Dylan Brown (All-Star Race)

602 Late Models
2021 – John Ruggiero
2020 – Bryan Mullis
2019 – Billy Rushton
2018 – Dale Timms

UMP Modifieds
2021 – Nick Hoffman / Nick Hoffman (All-Star Race)
2020 – Kyle Strickler / David Stremme (All-Star Race)
2019 – Nick Hoffman / Kyle Strickler (All-Star Race)
2018 – Nick Hoffman / Nick Hoffman (All-Star Race)
2017 – Kyle Strickler / Taylor Cook (All-Star Race)
2016 – Kyle Strickler / Evan Taylor (All-Star Race)

Pro Modifieds
2021 – Austin Holcombe
2020 – Jeff Parsons
2019 – Jeff Parsons
2018 – Jesse Rockett
2017 – Jeff Parsons
2016 – Slade Parson / Buck Stevens

Sportsman Modifieds
2021 – David Rogers / Zach Payne (All-Star Race)
2019 – Jackon Gill / Kevin Ridley (All-Star Race)
2018 – Jackson Gill / Tyler Thompson (All-Star Race)
2017 – Dave Marcuccilli / Tyler Thompson (All-Star Race)
2016 – Ronnie Davis III / Danny Gagne (All-Star Race)

Pro Stocks
2021 – Sheldon Martin / Sean Corr (All-Star Race)
2019 – Luke Horning / Scott Towslee (All-Star Race)
2018 – Nick Stone / Rick Duzlak (All-Star Race)

Street Stocks
2021 – Ricky Greene
2020 – Calob McLaughlin
2019 – Mitchell Duvall
2018 – Mitchell Duvall
2017 – Mitchell Duvall
2016 – Mitchell Duvall

Mini Stocks
2021 – Johnny Raines
2020 – Brayden Pruitt
2019 – Brayden Pruitt
2018 – Rod Tucker
2017 – Justin Mintz
2016 – Austin Mintz

Hornets
2021 – Dave Laney / Newman Presnell / Chase Hopper / Newman Presnell / Jonathan Sarratt
2020 – John Windham / Walker Windham / Joey Kelly / John Windham / Joey Kelly / Chase Hopper
2019 – Paul Clayton / Eddie McGrew / Chase Webb / Joey Kelly / Payne Pickles
2018 – Jonathan Sarratt / Eddie McGrew / Robert Arch / Jonathan Sarratt
2017 – Eric Boozel / Chris Anderson / Andrew Smith / Adam Reseigh
2016 – Eric Boozel / Andrew Smith

Dennis Erb Jr. mathematically secures 2022 Series Championship, while Rookie of the Year battle tightens

OSBORN, MO – October 23, 2022 – After an up-and-down weekend with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models, Mike Marlar saved his best performance for last Sunday night at US 36 Raceway. 

The Winfield, TN driver stormed past Chase Junghans for the lead on Lap 26 and led the final 14 laps to earn his fourth Series win of 2022.  

Marlar attributed his win to how well the car ran in the race’s later stages— something he said has been the case for most of the year. 

“The longer the race went, the better it got,” Marlar said. “The car, this year, has been doing that quite a bit. So, I was really happy with how the race went for sure.” 

Tyler Bruening led the first seven laps before Junghans, on the charge around the top of the track, made the pass for the lead on Lap 8. 

Junghans, who won on Friday night, quickly pulled away from the field until the race’s only caution came out for Tanner English, who broke the frame on the right front of his Longhorn Chassis, on Lap 18. 

On the restart, Marlar started his ascension toward the front. He passed Dennis Erb Jr. and Bruening to move into the runner up spot. Then, he set his sights on Junghans.  

The “Winfield Warrior” used the low line to gain ground on the Manhattan, KS driver, narrowly colliding with Junghans as the two battled through traffic.  

Marlar needed only one more lap to get to the front, as he powered his Longhorn underneath Junghans in Turn 2 to take a lead on Lap 26 he wouldn’t relinquish. 

From there, Marlar held on to score his 12th career World of Outlaws win. 

“[Traffic] was busy, but you know all of them guys were out there doing their thing, and I was doing my thing,” Marlar said. “They were racing each other hard, and there was not one inch of this racetrack that wasn’t having a heck of a race going on.  

“It was pretty crazy, there was a lot of stuff going on, but I was able to keep it clean up there.” 

Junghans settled for second, his third top five of the weekend. He stated the last thing he needed was the yellow with 23 laps left. 

“I didn’t want to see a caution there, but hats off to [Marlar],” Junghans said. “He was better than me after the restart. It was a hell of a race. I was holding my breath, getting through lap cars.  

“All in all, it was a good weekend. We’ll take this and regroup and hopefully come out strong the next time we race.” 

Bruening, the 2021 Series Rookie of the Year, rounded out the podium. He said he wasn’t eager to try the outside until he saw Junghans and Marlar use the lane to their advantage. 

“I got held up a little bit with lap traffic,” Bruening said. “[Junghans] got by me, and then I started trying to move around a little bit, and it gave Mikey an opportunity to get by me, too. Once I found them guys had a decent line up on the top, I was more confident to go up there and run there a little bit. 

“All in all, a darn good night. Quick Time. We won our (Heat Race). A podium finish, you can’t hang your head about that. When you start getting frustrated with seconds and thirds, you’re doing alright.” 

Dennis Erb Jr. finished fourth, also scoring his third top-five of the weekend. 

The Series points leader stated his goal was to make sure he made it through the night without any issues. 

“We were alright out there, but there was a lot going on,” Erb said. “We really had to make sure that we finished tonight for sure. We didn’t want to have any breaks on a night like tonight. We just kind of had to ride it out and get a good finish.” 

Erb’s finish, along with English’s 25th-place result, helped the Carpentersville, IL driver mathematically secured his first World of Outlaws CASE Late Models championship. He’ll officially claim that title at the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Nov. 2-5.  

Ryan Gustin, from Marshalltown, IA, rounded out the top five. “The Reaper,” said his tire management may have kept him from finishing higher. 

“I felt pretty good before the caution came out,” Gustin said. “I don’t know if I didn’t take care of my tire under yellow or what, but I didn’t feel like we took off quite as good as we were going. But that’s part of it when you have a hard tire. It’s tough to keep them from sealing.” 

Max Blair finished sixth for the second consecutive night, gaining on English in the battle for Rookie of the Year after the Benton, KY driver’s misfortune. English leads Blair by 20 points with three races left.  

UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet head to The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 2-5. 

NASCAR CUP SERIESHOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAYDIXIE VODKA 400TEAM CHEVY PRESS RELEASE

• Kyle Larson recorded his third NASCAR Cup Series win of 2022, driving his No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL1 to a sweep of the stage wins to take the checkered flag in the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  • Larson led Chevrolet to a sweep of the top-four finishing positions of the race, recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams.  • The win is Larson’s 19th all-time win in 293 career NASCAR Cup Series starts; and his first at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  • Larson delivered Chevrolet its seventh all-time NASCAR Cup Series win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  • With 34 NASCAR Cup Series races complete, Chevrolet extended its series-leading NCS win count to 19 this season, now matching the manufacturer’s NCS win count in 2021.  • The winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now has 833 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories. • With Race Two of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 complete, all three of Chevrolet’s playoff contenders sit in the top-four of the playoff points standings.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (October 23, 2022) – For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) career, Kyle Larson hoisted the trophy in victory lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway after piloting his No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL1 to the win in the Dixie Vodka 400. The 30-year-old California native posted a dominating performance in his Hendrick Motorsports’ Chevrolet-powered machine, sweeping the stage wins and leading 199 of the 267-lap race en route to his third win of the 2022 season and his 19th career win in NASCAR’s premier series. Larson’s victory also marked Chevrolet’s series-leading 19th NCS win of 2022, matching the manufacturer’s win count from the 2021 season with still two races remaining.  While the reigning champion is no longer in playoff competition, the victory secures the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team’s eligibility to race for the owner’s championship title in the series’ season finale at Phoenix Raceway. “We had an amazing No. 5 Valvoline Chevy,” said Larson. “I knew that last run was going to be short enough where I was going to be in some sort of trouble there, but thankfully AJ (Allmendinger) and Ross (Chastain) were racing hard behind me.” “Happy for our team, and we get to go race for an owner’s title in Phoenix in a couple weeks,” continued Larson. “We’re still technically not out of it. I can’t win the championship, but it means more to me to win it as a team. We’re going to go to Phoenix and try to get another championship.” Larson’s triumph was celebrated by a strong Chevrolet showing on the final leaderboard at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval, with the Chevrolet drivers sweeping the top-four finishing positions. Florida native, Ross Chastain, drove his No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1 to back-to-back runner up finishes, with Chastain being one of just two playoff drivers to finish in the top-10 of the race. Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger finished third in his No. 16 Ed Morse Automotive Group Camaro ZL1, followed by Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Huk Camaro ZL1 team in fourth. The Team Chevy top-four sweep was performed by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams, showcasing the speed across the Bowtie brigade.  With Race Two of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 in the books, all three of Chevrolet’s playoff contenders will enter the elimination race above the playoff cutline. Ross Chastain maintained the second position in the playoff points standings, with the 29-year-old Trackhouse Racing driver now sitting at a 19-point advantage over the cutline. The 2022 NCS regular-season champion, Chase Elliott, continues to hold onto the third position in the standings and 11-points above the cutline. Entering the race weekend on the outside looking in, William Byron jumped up to the fourth spot in the standings and five-points above the cutline, giving Chevrolet three of the top-four spots in the standings as the Bowtie brand moves one race closer to defending its championship title in NASCAR’s premier series.

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1; and CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 – Press Conference Transcript: THE MODERATOR: We are joined by the crew chief of the race-winning car, which was the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Cliff Daniels. Q. I guess the big question is what was the speech that Kyle referred to and that you gave the team that really seemed to make a difference to them?CLIFF DANIELS: Yeah, it was pretty colorful. If you look at the 5 car throughout the course of the season, we’ve had great cars. So on performance, we have not been down. It’s been execution. It’s execution from me, the guys on pit road, Kyle at times, and we’ve had so many fast cars that I’ve been getting frustrated showing up at the racetrack knowing that we’re going to have another fast car, and even having a sliver of doubt of our execution — because I know that our team when we’re at our full potential, we have a lot of potential. I went through our playoffs and how many mistakes that we’ve made since the start of the playoffs and how many of those things have been in our hands that we have had control over, and we just haven’t — as a team and really it start with me, we haven’t done a great job of grasping. My words today were focus and discipline, and it takes a lot of focus and a lot of discipline to run the fence for all the laps that he did, and it takes a lot of focus and discipline to go through seven or eight pit stops like we did today, and the guys had a phenomenal day on pit road. That was really the moral of it, because he knows we’ve had great race cars, I know we’ve had great race cars, and for whatever reason, somewhere along the way, it’s been a little mistake over here in this department. Then we’d fix that and we’d come back over here and have a little mistake over here, over here, over here, and we just needed a day to get it all right, and finally we did. THE MODERATOR: We’re also joined by the driver of the No. 5, Kyle Larson. This win today puts the No. 5 in the owner’s championship for Phoenix. Q. Cliff, I guess both of you, what does this win mean after the last two weeks, being eliminated at the Roval and obviously what happened last week?CLIFF DANIELS: It means a lot. It means a lot to the team, because like I was just alluding to, we have such a core group and a lot of strength in our group. I told them all today, if we do our job, at our worst we’re going to be really good, and if we do our job, at our best we’re going to be great. So that’s the window, really good to great, if we would just do our job, and we did today. It means a lot to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports who have been giving us fast race cars all year long. I know it means a lot to Mr. H. I don’t think it quite sank into him yet when we were talking about it in Victory Lane that we were locked into the owner’s deal in Phoenix. But yeah, the Roval was disappointing to get knocked out of the driver championship. But to have the reflection on the team be that we’re still in it, we’ve had a very character-building year, and we’ve had to be tough through the adversity and learn from our mistakes to still be in it and have a lot is pretty special. Q. Will you approach next week like you’re racing for a championship?KYLE LARSON: I mean, the championship race isn’t in Martinsville. I don’t know. Go in there and try to win another one, I guess. Try and have a great day, which I haven’t had many of them at Martinsville, but I feel like we had a good test there a couple months back. I don’t know, it’s a difficult place for me. I would love to just honestly not set my goals that high but realistic, and I think a top 5 is realistic. I think our team is obviously capable of it. Our car is capable of it. Just got to put together 500 good laps and a good rhythm. That’s where I struggle is just — it takes me a minute to get into a rhythm, and it’s just a difficult place. Glad that we were able to win today. Like last year, we won the first race this round, and then today we won this race of this round. Haven’t had to quite worry about Martinsville. Yeah, thankful for that, and too, with the bad points day that we had last week, as well, I felt — not that we were in a must-win to make it to the owner’s title part of it, but we needed to have a great day, and we were able to win both stages and didn’t want to screw that up at the end of this race, either.But I knew winning was going to be the most important thing to not have to worry about next week. Q. I meant Phoenix; when you go to Phoenix are you going to be thinking championship?KYLE LARSON: Oh, yeah. Duh. CLIFF DANIELS: Yeah, we’re in. KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I view myself as — if I say we were to win Phoenix, like my name isn’t going to be on the championship, but having our team be the champion I think is honestly better than — like I would hate to be in Ryan Blaney’s position. I think he’s the one that’s only in on driver, not owner. I would hate to be in his position, and say he wins the championship and he is credited with a championship but not his team. If I was to have it one way or the other, I would rather be out on my end and be able to celebrate the team championship. I’m happy that we get to go compete for that again, and honestly that’s the paycheck, too. We’re going to go for that, and we’re fired up about it. Q. Kyle, the incident with Martin on pit road from your perspective, what happened?KYLE LARSON: Yeah, from my perspective, I’m just running my pit road speed. I’m running my lights. I’m trying to stay on those as consistent as I can. I think I had a few feet from my front bumper to his rear bumper. Usually you peel off and you’re still in the gas until you’ve got — the guy has got a lane to go by. He started to peel off and then all of a sudden he like slammed on the brakes. I hit him. I didn’t really have any time to react, I was so close to him. I didn’t know at the time if he was trying to get me to check up and play games or anything, but it sounded like he just misjudged where his pit stall was. This is the hardest pit road to find your pit stall when it gets to that time of day. The sun is about straight in your eyes. You’ve got debris all over your windshield. I’ve missed my pit stall here before because of that. So I assume that’s probably what happened. I haven’t heard his comments or anything, but I hope that’s what happened because — I mean, I’m just running my pit road lights. They’re not counting me into his pit stall, so I’m just trying to maintain what I’m doing, and he got to the brakes really hard. I hate that I spun him because he had a great day going and a great car, but just unfortunate. Q. You wear that Hendrick Motorsports thing proud, but when you talk about competing for the owner’s championship and all that, do you often think about the great drivers that have passed through like Jeff Gordon, and the list goes on, and how you’re trying to keep that continuity and that tradition that that brand holds?KYLE LARSON: Yeah, definitely. What is it, I think Rick is going for his 14th or 15th championship as a team owner? 15th. That’s remarkable. That’s obviously a great feat in itself being where he’s at currently. He’s got four great drivers, four great teams that he can be confident in that can go chase to win a championship. Yeah, I’m happy that we are locked in to try and bring him his 15th. It means a lot, too. He’s got such a successful history in this sport, and when you think of team owners and teams, Hendrick Motorsports is the bar. They are the best team. It’s an honor to race for him and everything that they have built. I hope that I can do my part to bring him his 15th. Q. Kyle, I talked to several drivers post-race and they said when you get up against the wall like you do and get hooked up, you are gone. We saw that kind of today. Ross and AJ, they couldn’t catch you. What is it about this track and the way you drive, because sometimes obviously you get into the wall and it doesn’t work out, but it paid off today.KYLE LARSON: Well, I think today honestly it paid off because I finally have a car strong enough for me. I can get in the wall and it’s not going to flatten your tire or mess up your aerodynamics. I got in the wall probably three or four times today a decent amount to where it would have been, with the old car, probably a pit stop, and I would have killed my race. Thankfully this car, I think, played into my favor a lot because I do push the limits more than others. You can see it in the right side of my car. That’s pretty obvious. But yeah, it’s just a fun track. It honestly reminds me so much of Eldora, both ends of the racetrack. They’re different. You’re running the wall, but they’re exactly the same to Eldora. 1 and 2 and Eldora, you run through — if you run into the wall it runs through a point where it’s really sharp. 3 and 4 is more sweeping. But same thing. The closer you can enter the wall, typically the faster you can go. I would say myself and Reddick and Noah in the Xfinity Series kind of have a feel for it, and it helps, too, when you have a great car. My car was amazing up against the wall. It also has to handle how you want it to. It did everything I wanted it to against the wall. The ride quality was great into 3. It turned where I needed it to turn on entry so I could carry speed. It turned on exit so I could just stay committed to the throttle. It wasn’t too loose on exit or too tight where I had to bail out of the throttle at all. It was a good car to go along with the comfort, I guess, that I have up there. Q. I want to talk about really that last caution that happened with roughly 21 laps to go where you were trying to chase down Martin Truex Jr. to the end. Once that caution came out, were there any adjustments, and if so, what kind of adjustments were those?KYLE LARSON: You should ask Cliff that. Q. Well, behind the wheel at least.KYLE LARSON: Small air pressure, I think, adjustments. It didn’t really feel like it did much for me. I was thankful for the caution because honestly, Ross let me go, and I was very thankful for that. I thought I was going to be able to catch Martin pretty quickly. I was looking at my lap times and running really strong lap times. I was running teens and 20s and a few 30s against the wall, and that was better than I was running all race long. I was like, man, if I keep this pace up, I’ll catch him quick. It seemed like I was probably only catching him a half a tenth or less a lap. I don’t think I would have been able to get to him and pass him. Was happy for the caution, just to give ourselves an opportunity for a restart and things to happen. Good pit stop, coming out the leader, get to pick the lane you want to pick, and yeah, it just worked out. Just grateful for a fast car and the caution when it came out. Q. It’s your first win at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. What does that mean for you, especially at a track that you really do relatively well at?KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, it means a lot. I don’t know what my career laps led is here, but it’s got to be close to 1,000 laps led in the Cup Series, maybe 800 or so. Throw in the Xfinity Series, probably well over 1,000. That’s pretty remarkable I feel like for somebody under 10 years of Cup experience. Yeah, I haven’t gotten the win. Whether it be just — I’ve got a list of excuses of why I’ve never won here, but hey, it doesn’t matter. Got it done today, and I think it makes it feel even more special, too, that I’ve had to wait since — I think I ran my first Homestead Cup Series race here in 2013. Going on close to 10 years, nine years, I guess, since my first time here. Yeah, I love this place. Here and Bristol are by far my favorite tracks. They’re by far my most successful tracks, too, as far as laps led goes. Glad that I can add my name to the winners’ list finally. I wish the boat, though, was still part of the win, but I guess it’s not. Q. Kyle, you talk about this being one of your favorite tracks, but once upon a time, this was a very flat track when I was here a while back. Can you imagine what it would have been like if you had raced on an entirely different track versus what you are on now?KYLE LARSON: I think that was way before my time, so I’m glad I never had to race on that, just because I feel like this track suits my style a lot. I honestly haven’t even probably seen a lap of this track before it was reconfigured to this or any highlights or anything. I’d heard that it was kind of like Indianapolis, which I enjoy Indy. I had always ran good there when I would run the Brickyard 400.But this place just suits my style. I love tracks that have two straightaways, progressive banking and a wall that you can run. I wish there was more of these places on our circuit. It would benefit me. But that’s kind of selfish.But no, I hope they never repave this place, either. It’s perfect. It’s perfect, and it continues to get better.

(10/24/2022) Sacramento, CA… Just a pair of races remain of the 2022 NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car campaign, and the first of the two is slated for this Saturday, October 29th at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park (KCRP) in Bakersfield.

This weekend’s Sprint Car Showdown will be the series’ lone trip to the racy bullring this year and first since Halloween weekend of 2021. The quarter mile’s tight confines routinely produces some of the most intense, wheel-to-wheel action of the season.

Saturday’s Fujitsu Feature will pay $3,500 to the winner, and on top of the standard $500 to start, each team who makes the trip will receive a $100 Amazon gift card (courtesy of Fujitsu General Heating & Air products) as a thanks for their travels.

Championship Chase

Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi is so close to his second straight NARC title, and he can effectively seal the deal this weekend. “The Dominator” currently holds a 54-point advantage over Colfax’s Willie Croft. Assuming Scelzi shows up to the season finale at Stockton on November 5th and earns, at the very least, the 75 show up points, all he needs to do is leave Kern County with a 43-point advantage. At that point, Croft could only tie him at Stockton, and even if Croft wins the final two races, Scelzi would still own the most wins tie breaker.

Behind the top-two, the battle for the final step on the points podium has tightened considerably. Campbell’s Bud Kaeding currently holds the spot, but Hanford’s Mitchell Faccinto trails him by only three markers.

Completing the top-five is Fremont’s Shane Golobic.

Who to Watch

The three current sprint car titans of California, Dominic Scelzi, Shane Golobic, and Justin Sanders have ruled KCRP in recent NARC competition. The trio have combined to win the last five series events at the Bakersfield bullring.

Most recently it was Justin Sanders picking up the win there, topping last year’s lone appearance in October. To nobody’s surprise, the drivers who completed the podium that night were Scelzi and Golobic.

In 2019 it was Scelzi sweeping the pair of Kern races aboard the Roth Motorsports car. The reigning champion hopes to add one in his family’s Scelzi Motorsports No. 41 this weekend. Factoring in his runner-up last year, Scelzi’s average finish in his last three series events in Bakersfield is 1.33.

Golobic claimed the two 2018 events while partnered with Tarlton Motorsports. The Fremont native is fresh off earning his third Trophy Cup title and will look to follow it up with a NARC victory behind the wheel of the Matt Wood Racing No. 17W.

An Oklahoma invader will be one to keep an eye on. After his top-10 points performance at Trophy Cup, Ryan Timms plans to set up shop in the Golden State for a little while longer and compete with California’s best on Saturday. It will mark Timms’ fourth career series appearance and first since competing at the same track last October.

Bud Kaeding will happily welcome the trip to Kern County in his pursuit to maintain a top-three position in points. In the last six NARC races at the facility, the 2017 series champion has finished no worse than ninth and owns top-five results in half of those outings.

Others expected to compete include San Jose’s Tim Kaeding, Hanford’s Mitchell Faccinto, Clovis’ Corey Day, Redding’s Max Mittry, Iowa’s Austin McCarl, Benicia’s Billy Aton, Discovery Bay’s Dylan Bloomfield, and more.

Fan & Competitor Info

The NARC-King of the West Hoosier Tire Format will feature ARP Fast Time Qualifying, 10-lap Heat Races, a six-lap Sunnyvalley Bacon Trophy Dash, and the 30-lap Fujitsu Feature.

Kern County Raceway Park is located at 13500 Raceway Blvd Interstate 5 and S Enos Ln, Bakersfield, CA 93311.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate on the day of the race. For more information visit kernraceway.com or call 661-835-1264.

The Sprint Car Showdown at Kern County Raceway Park can be viewed live on floracing.com along with the entire NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car schedule.

2022 NARC King of the West Fujitsu 410 Sprint Car Series
Championship Points Standings (After 18 events in 20-race series – 10/24/22)

1. Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 1998
2. Willie Croft, Colfax – 1934
3. Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 1898
4. Mitchell Faccinto, Hanford – 1895
5. Shane Golobic, Elk Grove – 1834
6. Justin Sanders, Aromas – 1825
7. Max Mittry, Redding (R) – 1820
8. Billy Aton, Benicia – 1662
9. Joel Myers Jr, Sebastopol – 1490
10. Logan Forler, Boise, ID – 1382
11. Tim Kaeding, San Jose – 1351
12. Corey Day, Salinas – 1293
13. DJ Netto, Hanford – 1269
14. Tanner Holmes, Jacksonville, OR (R) –  904
15. Nick Parker, Tucson, AZ (R) – 878
16. Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 836
17. Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 815
18. Blake Carrick, Lincoln – 813
19. Garen Linder, Central Point, OR – 708
20. Kerry Madsen, Knoxville, IA – 687

NASCAR CUP SERIES HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY DIXIE VODKA 400 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES OCTOBER 23, 2022  KYLE LARSON DOMINATES AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY FOR THIRD WIN OF 2022 Camaro ZL1’s 19th NCS Win of 2022

• Kyle Larson stole the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race win, driving his No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL1 to a sweep of the stage wins to take the checkered flag in the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, his third win of the 2022 season.   • Larson led Chevrolet to a sweep of the top-four finishing positions of the race, recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams.  • The win is Larson’s 19th all-time win in 293 career NASCAR Cup Series starts; and his first at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  • Larson delivered Chevrolet its seventh all-time NASCAR Cup Series win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  • With 34 NASCAR Cup Series races complete, Chevrolet extended its series-leading NCS win count to 19 this season, now matching the manufacturer’s NCS win count in 2021.  • The winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now has 833 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories. TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1st      Kyle Larson, No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL12nd     Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL13rd      AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Ed Morse Automotive Camaro ZL14th      Austin Dillon, No. 3 Huk Camaro ZL110th    Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Princess Cruises Camaro ZL1 TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTSPOS.  DRIVER1st      Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)2nd     Ross Chastain (Chevrolet)3rd      AJ Allmendinger (Chevrolet)4th      Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)5th      Brad Keselowski (Ford) The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 elimination race will get underway next Sunday, October 30, at Martinsville Speedway with the Xfinity 500 at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES: ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1Finished: 2ndWhat a battle for Ross Chastain. Had a shot at the win and then it was a battle for second place. How would you describe the afternoon?“Not the way you would have scripted it. I feel like we had a top three or four car all day, all weekend. We were a little too tight in qualifying, and come behind that with a driver that chose the complete wrong lane in (turns) 3 and 4; against everything I’ve ever trained for and prepared for.We needed to get the car turning better from qualifying into the race. We were too tight. Phil Surgen (crew chief) and his whole Kubota team got it turning better, and pit stops were incredible again.Our guys were rock stars on pit road, and I’m so glad to go to battle with them.At the end of the day, I know we didn’t score a ton of stage points. We put ourselves in position at the end and just keep executing.I almost spun off Turn 2 in front of Daniel, and I had my arms all crossed up and I just took a deep breath down the back, and thought, what can I control here? I can control not spinning out, so let’s go a little slower next time, and had a shot at it.” Speaking of control, you can’t control what happens at Martinsville. I’m wondering how much comfort +19 is to the cut line going into that cutoff race?“I don’t know. What’s it supposed to feel like? I’ve never been here, and for AdventHealth, Worldwide Express, Jockey, Moose Fraternity and Kubota, we’ve never been here. For Trackhouse, we’re learning all this together; we’re experiencing this together.We’ve got a lot of knowledge in our shop and I’ll lean on a lot of teammates, both in the GM camp and inside our shop of how to approach it. But I’m a racer. We’re just going to race. Go practice as well as we can; we’ll go qualify as best we can. And I’m late all the time, so a grandfather clock might do me a little good for the rest of my life.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 HUK CAMARO ZL1Finished 4thIs there anything more you could have done to this race car? “I don’t know. We didn’t spend a lot of time right there in that clean air. If we got up there a little earlier, we might have been able to adjust the car and make some changes that probably could have taken us to be able to pass the next couple of cars. There were only three in front of us and at one point in that little run, I thought we were going to run them down. We gained a couple tenths on them. Our car was pretty tight all day, but we were able to free it up and get better and better. By the end of it, we had a pretty good No. 3 Huk Chevrolet.”  KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 Finished 1stYou led all but 68 laps and for the Miami fans, you finally get a win at one of your best racetracks here at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kyle, I know this was one you wanted bad. This is sort of reminiscent of last year when you guys were so dominant; maybe the best run you’ve had all year long.“Yeah, definitely the best run we’ve had all year long. We’ve been capable of it I feel like many weekends, we just haven’t quite put it all together. Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) gave a great speech this morning and got us all ready to go and focused, and I did my best to keep it out of the wall. I got in the wall a few times, but I could still make speed doing that. Amazing No. 5 Valvoline Chevy. I knew that that last run was going to be short enough where I was going to be in some sort of trouble there, but thankfully AJ (Allmendinger) and Ross (Chastain) were racing hard behind me. Huge thanks to Valvoline, Hendrickcars.com, everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, too. I think it was a good day for Chase (Elliott) and William (Byron). But yeah, happy for our team, and we get to go race for an owner’s title in Phoenix in a couple weeks. We’re still technically not out of it. I can’t win the championship, but it means more to me to win it as a team. We’re going to go to Phoenix and try to get another championship.” I have to ask you about the contact on pit road with Martin Truex Jr. What was your view of what happened?“Yeah, so I was just going behind him. He had a hard left and was hard on the brakes at the same time, and I ran right in the back of him. My team said he was late turning into his stall, but I don’t know. If it was my fault, I’m sorry. I don’t think it was. But it’s hard to see down this pit road. I don’t know if fans and people realize; when you’ve got debris all over your windshield, the sun is shining straight in your face, it’s hard to see your stall. So hate that that happened. He was definitely the one I was going to have to beat. He was really good that last long run, too. What a fun day. I’ve always wanted to race here during the day at Homestead where we could rip the wall. Finally have a car tough enough for me to be able to run the wall and finish the race. A lot of fun today. Hope you fans enjoyed it, and hope we can do it again in a couple of weeks.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 Finished: 14th“We were playing defense all day, but we were doing a pretty good job of it and staying inside the top-five there, so that was great. But that’s what happens when you’re playing defense and you have something like that happen to you.. you just get stuck. The other guys that got buried; they drove right back to the front. That’s just the difference.” You’re around 11 points above the cutline. You were on the pole at Martinsville and won both stages. Do you feel good about being able to repeat that again or get in on points?“Yeah, I think if we execute next weekend, we’ll be fine.” AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ED MORSE AUTOMOTIVE CAMARO ZL1 Finished: 3rdAJ Allmendinger, finishing third yesterday in the Xfinity race, and another podium day today. You were so good here today. Did it feel that good in the car?“The short runs it really did. The Ed Morris Automotive Group Chevy was really hooked up on the short runs. We still kind of have to work on our long run package just in general. That’s something that’s kind of been weak for us at Kaulig Racing. But when we got that caution with 18 to go; I was like, all right, we’ve got a shot at this. We lost a couple spots on pit road but restarted eighth, and Ross (Chastain) and I had a fun battle.I think I needed an 11-lap run to catch Kyle (Larson), but overall just proud of everybody at Kaulig Racing to get the No. 16 Ed Morse Automotive Group Chevy in the top-5 and just have another solid day.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1Finished: 12thYou ended the race above the cutline. Talk about the end of the race, trying to gain spots after the last restart.“We just had one bad run. We restarted second and kind of maintained in second for maybe a couple of laps, and then the car fell off and disappeared. That one run was just really weird, so we lost a lot of track position. And then we had the deal on pit road, but everybody kept focused and tried to get as many spots as we could. 12th is how we netted out after all of that, but I’m proud of the effort of the No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 team. We have some things to work on for short runs to just get the balance right. Later in these races, it seems like that’s what it kind of comes down to more and we just struggled a little bit. Just have to work on that; but overall, really happy with the rebound and we’re in a decent spot, for sure.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 THE MORGAN LAW GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1Finished: 30th“Today just wasn’t our day. I thought we found some things at the test that would help us, but we struggled all race with the handling. We’ve got some work to do for sure before we come back here next year. You’ll have weeks like this, especially as we continue to learn this car. Glad to have this one behind us and move on to next week at Martinsville with our Air Force Chevy.” TY DILLON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKERRESORTS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1Finished: 26th“We didn’t really have the speed we needed all day with our Sunseeker Resorts Camaro. In the first 15 or 20 laps, we just got so far behind and wasn’t really able to recover. It was definitely a struggle all day, and we lost some positions with the spin on the last lap too. Hopefully we will get better for the last two races.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE QUICK NOTESStage One:·       Defending Homestead-Miami Speedway NASCAR Cup Series winner, William Byron, led the field to the green from the pole position in Race Two of the Playoff Round of 8, his first pole win of the 2022 season. ·       Chevrolet drivers led all 80-laps of Stage One, with Kyle Larson piloting his No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL1 to 49 laps led to the stage win. Pole sitter William Byron led 31 laps in his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1. ·       Stage One Team Chevy Top-10: 1st      Kyle Larson, No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL12nd    William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL14th      Tyler Reddick, No. 8 3CHI Camaro ZL15th      Austin Dillon, No. 3 Huk Camaro ZL16th      AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Ed Morse Automotive Group Camaro ZL18th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 Stage Two: ·       In similar fashion, Kyle Larson cruises his No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL1 to the Stage Two win, marking the eighth time that the 30-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver has swept the stage wins in a single race. ·       Larson’s stage sweep brought his 2022 NCS stage win count to six. ·       Larson added to his dominating performance, leading 129 of the 165 laps at the end of Stage Two:·       Stage Two Team Chevy Top-10:1st      Kyle Larson, No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL13rd      William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL16th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL17th      Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Princess Cruises Camaro ZL18th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1

NASCAR CUP SERIES HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY DIXIE VODKA 400 TEAM CHEVY RACE WIN QUOTE & NOTES OCTOBER 23, 2022    KYLE LARSON DOMINATES AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY FOR THIRD WIN OF 2022 Camaro ZL1’s 19th NCS Win of 2022

• Kyle Larson stole the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race win, driving his No. 5 Valvoline Camaro ZL1 to a sweep of the stage wins to take the checkered flag in the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, his third win of the 2022 season.   • Larson led Chevrolet to a sweep of the top-four finishing positions of the race, recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams.  • The win is Larson’s 19th all-time win in 293 career NASCAR Cup Series starts; and his first at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  • Larson delivered Chevrolet its seventh all-time NASCAR Cup Series win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  • With 34 NASCAR Cup Series races complete, Chevrolet extended its series-leading NCS win count to 19 this season, now matching the manufacturer’s NCS win count in 2021.  • The winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now has 833 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories.

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1 – Race Winner Quote You led all but 68 laps and for the Miami fans, you finally get a win at one of your best racetracks here at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kyle, I know this was one you wanted bad. This is sort of reminiscent of last year when you guys were so dominant; maybe the best run you’ve had all year long.“Yeah, definitely the best run we’ve had all year long. We’ve been capable of it I feel like many weekends, we just haven’t quite put it all together. Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) gave a great speech this morning and got us all ready to go and focused, and I did my best to keep it out of the wall. I got in the wall a few times, but I could still make speed doing that. Amazing No. 5 Valvoline Chevy. I knew that that last run was going to be short enough where I was going to be in some sort of trouble there, but thankfully AJ (Allmendinger) and Ross (Chastain) were racing hard behind me. Huge thanks to Valvoline, Hendrickcars.com, everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, too. I think it was a good day for Chase (Elliott) and William (Byron). But yeah, happy for our team, and we get to go race for an owner’s title in Phoenix in a couple weeks. We’re still technically not out of it. I can’t win the championship, but it means more to me to win it as a team. We’re going to go to Phoenix and try to get another championship.” I have to ask you about the contact on pit road with Martin Truex Jr. What was your view of what happened?“Yeah, so I was just going behind him. He had a hard left and was hard on the brakes at the same time, and I ran right in the back of him. My team said he was late turning into his stall, but I don’t know. If it was my fault, I’m sorry. I don’t think it was. But it’s hard to see down this pit road. I don’t know if fans and people realize; when you’ve got debris all over your windshield, the sun is shining straight in your face, it’s hard to see your stall. So hate that that happened. He was definitely the one I was going to have to beat. He was really good that last long run, too. What a fun day. I’ve always wanted to race here during the day at Homestead where we could rip the wall. Finally have a car tough enough for me to be able to run the wall and finish the race. A lot of fun today. Hope you fans enjoyed it, and hope we can do it again in a couple of weeks.”

57-Year-Old is First Driver to Win Williams Grove Crown Jewel Across Four Decades 

MECHANICSBURG, PA – October 22, 2022 – A historic edition of the 60th annual Champion Racing Oil National Open played host to a historic happening on Saturday night.

Going back to the fountain of youth, 57-year-old Lance Dewease held off two of the fastest rising PA Posse stars and a slew of full-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series drivers to win his fifth-career National Open – becoming the second driver in history to reach that feat behind Donny Schatz’s six titles.

Leading from flag-to-flag in the 40-lap, $75,000-to-win finale at Williams Grove Speedway, Dewease made history as the first man to conquer the National Open in four decades, winning the Pennsylvania staple in 1996, 2001-02, 2018, and 2022.

With the Hall of Fame trio of driver Dewease, owner Don Kreitz Jr., and crew chief Davey Brown Sr., the #69K made it clear they’re not going anywhere.

“We’re not stopping now,” Dewease said after his record-extending 111th win at Williams Grove. “I don’t plan on retiring and these guys want to keep racing. Someone has to keep these young guys honest out here. Brent [Marks] and Anthony [Macri] are two of the best and I love racing against them. I’m not done yet.”

“It’s pretty special to break a tie with Steve Kinser for anything,” he added, passing “The King” for second-most National Open titles. “I don’t know how many more of these I’ve got left, but I know [Donny] Schatz is next in our picture. We’re just taking it one race at a time. My son [Cole Dewease] recently started racing Micro Sprint and it’s been a joy.”

Scoring the fifth-highest payday of the season didn’t come easily for Dewease, who was forced to fend off Myerstown, PA’s Brent Marks for the entirety of the race. Marks actually slid by and took the lead on a Lap 28 restart, but the red flag flew and negated his pass before he could cross the finish line to count the lap.

“I caught a lucky break with Brent on that restart,” Dewease noted. “I was having radio problems the whole Feature and worried too much about that. I wasn’t paying attention as well as I should have been and fell asleep on that restart. Brent is so fast here right now that I don’t think we could’ve beat him had he actually passed us. We took advantage of everything we needed, though, and it paid off.”

On the heartbreaking side of Saturday’s loss, Marks finished 0.792-seconds shy of completing his dream season in the Murray-Marks Motorsports #19. He settled for a $25,000 payday and now looks to end his season on a high note with three more chances at World of Outlaws Victory Lane during the World Finals in November.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” Marks said after falling short of his second National Open title. “It just didn’t go our way tonight. We had a fast car, but it was so top-dominant and I needed lap traffic to make a move. I was so close to the flagstand when that red flag came out after taking the lead, that was a big bummer. Proud to be standing on the frontstretch, though.

Finishing third and completing the PA Posse podium sweep was Dillsburg, PA’s Anthony Macri with a ninth-to-third charge fueling his career-best National Open effort. “The Concrete Kid” rallied late in the running and applied pressure to both Marks and Dewease, but ran out of time and track in his charge to the front.

“That was a lot of hard racing for $75,000 tonight,” Macri mentioned after contact nearly sent him over in the final laps. “I gave it my all tonight, but we came up in third place. It sucks, but we’ll take it and move on. Considering that we started ninth and how narrow it was in the early running, I’m impressed with our run. The cookie just didn’t crumble completely our way this time.”

Behind the PA Posse’s lead trio was a pair of full-time Outlaws closing out the top five. Spencer Bayston finished a career-best fourth at Williams Grove in the CJB Motorsports #5, while David Gravel finished fifth in the Big Game Motorsports #2 as he closed on the championship lead for the sixth-straight race.

Rounding out the top-10 of the 60th National Open was Justin Peck in the Buch Motorsports #13, Jacob Allen in the Shark Racing #1A, Danny Dietrich in the Gary Kauffman Racing #48, Carson Macedo in the Jason Johnson Racing #41, and James McFadden in the Roth Motorsports #83.

NOS NOTEBOOK (WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY, 10/22/22)

Dewease is the 32nd driver in World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series history to reach 20 victories – tying him for 31st on the All-Time Win List with fellow PA Posse legend, Greg Hodnett. He concluded the 2022 campaign at Williams Grove Speedway with five consecutive wins (two against the World of Outlaws) to push his all-time record to 111 wins at the Mechanicsburg, PA 1/2-mile.

At 57 years, 16 days, Dewease passes another Posse icon, Fred Rahmer (55 years, 7 months, 2 days), as the oldest winner in National Open history. His fifth win now puts him second all-time in National Open titles – trailing Donny Schatz (6) – and makes him the first to ever win the race in four different decades – 90’s, 00’s, 10’s, 20’s.

Saturday marked the first-ever PA Posse podium sweep at the National Open under World of Outlaws sanction. Of his five titles at the race, the Kreitz Racing #69K is the first car that Dewease has won with on multiple occasions.

Breaking a rear axle on Lap 5, championship leader Brad Sweet suffered his first DNF since July 2020 – snapping a 166-race streak of completing 5,461 consecutive laps. Pairing that with David Gravel’s fifth-place result, the title gap is now only 16-points entering the World Finals in two weeks.

UP NEXT (Nov) – All that remains in 2022 for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is the season-ending World Finals on November 2-5 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, NC. The Greatest Show on Dirt will be joined by the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series and Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds for one huge weekend to conclude the season. Fans can BUY TICKETS HERE, or watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.

NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (40 Laps) – 1. 69K-Lance Dewease [1][$75,000]; 2. 19-Brent Marks [2][$25,000]; 3. 39M-Anthony Macri [9][$10,000]; 4. 5-Spencer Bayston [4][$6,000]; 5. 2-David Gravel [3][$4,000]; 6. 13-Justin Peck [6][$3,500]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [7][$3,200]; 8. 48-Danny Dietrich [19][$3,000]; 9. 41-Carson Macedo [13][$2,700]; 10. 83-James McFadden [5][$2,600]; 11. 15-Donny Schatz [21][$2,500]; 12. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [26][$650]; 13. 9-Kasey Kahne [12][$1,850]; 14. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [8][$1,500]; 15. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [10][$1,400]; 16. 11-TJ Stutts [11][$1,350]; 17. 27-Daryn Pittman [16][$1,300]; 18. 39-Troy Wagaman [28][$]; 19. 44-Dylan Norris [22][$1,300]; 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14][$1,300]; 21. 71-Cory Eliason [24][$1,300]; 22. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [20][$1,300]; 23. 19R-Matt Campbell [23][$1,300]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [27][$]; 25. 1M-Landon Myers [15][$1,300]; 26. 55K-Robbie Kendall [18][$1,300]; 27. 49-Brad Sweet [17][$1,300]; 28. 7S-Robbie Price [25][$]. Lap Leaders: Lance Dewease 1-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 5W-Lucas Wolfe[+14]

NEW Championship Standings (71/74 Races) – 1. Brad Sweet (8,854); 2. David Gravel (-16); 3. Carson Macedo (-106); 4. Donny Schatz (-214); 5. Sheldon Haudenschild (-238); 6. Logan Schuchart (-386); 7. James McFadden (-446); 8. Spencer Bayston (-580); 9. Jacob Allen (-672); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-954).

Dennis Erb Jr. extends points lead for second consecutive night with third place finish

WICHITA, KS – October 22, 2022 – Brandon Sheppard picked up where he left off the last time the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series visited 81 Speedway. 

Like in 2017, the New Berlin, IL driver found Victory Lane on Saturday, earning his fourth Series win of 2022 and 81st of his career. 

Sheppard and three-time Series champion Billy Moyer led the field to the green before Sheppard slid in front of Moyer to take the lead in Turn 2. 

The reigning Series champion pulled away from the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer until he hit traffic on Lap 10, allowing Moyer and a charging Ryan Gustin to close the gap. 

Moyer and Gustin had their best shot at Sheppard on Lap 17 when they battled three wide for the lead in Turns 3 and 4. 

Sheppard stayed on the top while Moyer rolled the middle, nosing ahead in the middle of the corner. All this while Gustin used the bottom to try and get by them both. However, neither “The Reaper” nor “Mr. Smooth” had enough momentum to pass “The Rocket Shepp” as he thundered away from both in Turn 4.

From there, Sheppard cruised for the final 23 laps to grab his second $10,000 triumph of 2022.

Despite his dominance in the CASE Construction Equipment Feature, Sheppard said he was worried about how tricky it would be to run the top. 

“This place has got a shelf all the way around the top of it,” Sheppard said. “The only place it doesn’t have a shelf is like right in the middle of (Turns) 3 and 4. 

“It was kind of a tricky line, and I was kind of overdriving it early in the race, trying to keep my speed up and trying to keep them guys behind me. I was just going and going as hard as I could, and finally, I started to slow down a little bit, and I found a line that was better for me in Turns 1 and 2, and I feel like that helped me just not sheer my speed and kill my momentum.”

Sheppard entered 81 Speedway with many unknowns—not knowing what to expect since the track configuration had changed since his win in 2017

“The biggest thing right now for me is it’s a guessing game for me to figure out your setup right off the bat,” Sheppard said. “Especially at these places because I’ve never had a Late Model at these places before. 

“Obviously, I won in 2017, but the track was different. It didn’t even have a wall around it. It’s just a big difference figuring out where you need to start and the changes you need to make throughout the night.”

Moyer crossed the line second—his best finish with the World of Outlaws this season. He stated he was happy to have a chance at beating Sheppard as he still searches for a victory in 2022. 

“To be able to run that close made me feel good with the dismal year we’ve had,” Moyer said. “[Sheppard] made a couple of bobbles and I just wasn’t there at the right time to pounce on it.

“We got to just get some momentum under us and keep going and build on our program to where I feel more confident.”

Gustin, who battled for the lead with Sheppard and Moyer, finished 19th after breaking a drive shaft while running third on Lap 38. 

Series points leader Dennis Erb Jr. rounded out the podium—his second top-three finish of the weekend. 

The Carpentersville, IL, driver said he had a good car but felt the top was too strong down the stretch.

“We just kept plugging away here tonight,” Erb said. “The track was awful good up around the top, and we tried to male that middle work a little bit. But we were able to maintain a little bit and got to third. That top was just a little bit too dominant for out there tonight. It was a good run for us.”

Erb extended his lead in the battle for the championship for the second consecutive night over Tanner English, who finished seventh. The veteran driver leads by 118 points with four races to go. 

Chase Junghans, who won on Friday at Humboldt Speedway, finished fourth, and Gordy Gundaker rounded out the top five. 

Max Blair finished sixth and narrowly closed the gap on English in the battle for Rookie of the Year. English leads by 56 points as the road to the World of Outlaws World Finals continues.

Brandon Sheppard added another win to his World of Outlaws CASE Late Models resume, remaining the only Series winner at 81 Speedway. He’ll look to keep that momentum rolling as he tries to grab his fifth win of the season on Sunday. 

UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet head to the “Show-Me” State for the final time in 2022 with a trip to US 36 Raceway in Osborn, MO. 

October 22, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang are set to start 21^st in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Burton took that spot with a lap at 165.888 miles per hour in qualifying on Saturday. 

In a practice session held just prior to qualifying Burton was 17^th on the speed chart with a best lap at 165.502 mph. It came on the first of the 24 laps he ran in the session.

Sunday’s 267-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2:30 p.m. with TV coverage on NBC.

Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165.

 

NASCAR CUP SERIES HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY DIXIE VODKA 400 TEAM CHEVY POLE WIN PRESS CONF. OCTOBER 22, 2022    WILLIAM BYRON RECORDS FIRST POLE WIN OF 2022 AT HOMESTEAD Five Camaro ZL1’s to Start in Top-10

·       Defending Homestead-Miami Speedway NASCAR Cup Series winner, William Byron, laid down a lap of 32.454 seconds, at 166.389 mph, in his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 to capture the pole position for tomorrow’s Dixie Vodka 400.·       This marks Byron’s first NASCAR Cup Series pole win of 2022; and his eighth career pole in 178 NASCAR Cup Series starts. ·       Byron’s pole gives Chevrolet its 10th NASCAR Cup Series pole win of 2022; and 733rd all-time in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-20 STARTING LINEUP:  POS.   DRIVER1st      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 3rd      CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL15th      KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL17th      TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL110th    AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ED MORSE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP CAMARO ZL115th    JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL120th    ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP: POS.  DRIVER1st       William Byron (Chevrolet)2nd      Christopher Bell (Toyota)3rd       Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)4th       John Hunter Nemechek (Toyota)5th       Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)  WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 – Pole Winner Press Conference TranscriptHOW DO YOU GO FROM BOTTOMING OUT EVERY LAP ONE WEEK, TO BEING ON THE POLE THE NEXT? “No doubt. I’m glad we’re not hitting the ground this week, for sure. Last week was tough. Didn’t feel like we ever got it figured out throughout the weekend. We tried a lot of different things.  This week has been good. I felt like in practice, I was pretty happy with the car. I felt like I could move around. I got into some traffic and felt like I could do some things there and pass somewhat. It’s going to be a tough race, but our team loves this track. It’s a place that’s of high importance obviously with the Round of 8, so we’ll try to bring our best here.” WITH THE PENALTIES FOR COLE (CUSTER) AFTER CHARLOTTE, TO BUBBA (WALLACE) LAST WEEK; HAS NASCAR SENT A MESSAGE AT ALL TO DRIVERS AND HAVE THOSE PENALTIES CHANGED WHAT YOUR OWN PERSONAL LINE OF WHAT YOU WOULD DO? “Yeah, I think everyone kind of has their own idea of how they race and react to things. I try to keep my emotions in check and just try to stay focused on the task. Tomorrow the task is to run 40 or so laps on tires and that’s going to be difficult. You’re going to be up against the fence and with a chance to hit it and things like that. So, I’m just focused on that and try to block out all of the other stuff. Certainly, I think we know where NASCAR stands and know what they’re willing to do. Just try to race the way that I want to race and try not to get too emotional.” HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS IT TO START FROM THE POLE POSITION HERE AT HOMESTEAD?“I don’t think it means a lot, honestly. Anywhere in that top-10 would be a good place to start. I think we could start first and not get stage points if we’re not careful; if we don’t have the balance right and I don’t do the right thing as a driver. So it’s not like a guaranteed point gain or anything like that. I would say the pit stall is good; I’m happy with that part of it. And just the momentum for the team. We’ve tried to get poles this year. We’ve come close; third, second, kind of all around that area. But it’s nice to kind of just knock that off the list. That’s one of the things you want to do going into a season, is to win a pole. It shows where our team is and hopefully that’s a good sign.” AS A RECIPIENT OF ONE OF NASCAR’S RETALIATION PENALTIES, WE’VE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT A LOT OF PENALTIES SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE PAST AND IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE ANYBODY HAS TECHNICALLY BEEN SUSPENDED. THE SUSPENSION, DO YOU THINK THAT’S A LINE IN THE SAND? DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR LINE IS NOW? “Yeah, every situation is different I think. That’s the biggest thing. But yeah, like I said, we know where they stand. We know what penalties are what and we’ll go forward.” FOR YOU, GETTING OUT OF HERE THIS WEEK AND GOING INTO MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEKEND, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT RACE WILL BE LIKE.. CALM? CHAOTIC?“Chaotic, I think, because you can’t really pass. We had a good car there in the spring and there were probably better cars than me on the long run that couldn’t pass me. So yeah, I think it’s going to be chaotic because you can’t pass. Anywhere that you have a hard time passing, it’s going to create chaotic restarts and people are going to do things that they know they have to do because you can’t get the track position later in the run.” HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE THINGS ARE IN THE POINTS FOR YOU? ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BECAUSE YOU’RE STILL WITHIN REASONABLE REACH OF GETTING IN THERE? ARE YOU WORRIED OR CALM? “I’m just trying to be the same. I think it’s good to be where we are and the position we’re in. I just try not to stress out. Just try to approach it the same. I’m going to drive it as hard as I can regardless of the situation. I’m just going to rely on my team to make me situationally aware of who I’m racing and for what position. The easiest way to do it is to win and that’s what we try to do all of the time, but definitely this time of year, it’s really critical.” SAY YOU MAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4.. IS THIS LIVING YOUR DREAM? WHAT PRESSURE IS IT FOR YOU TO GO OUT THERE AND TRY TO BRING HOME A CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS HAD THE PAST TWO? “I don’t think it’s any pressure. I think that the pressure would be if I was running 20th and my teammate was winning or something. I think just trying to compete within our team and try to be the best that I can be is my ultimate goal. If it happens, it happens. If not, it doesn’t. But if we’re in the mix and we’re where we are, that’s all you can really ask for. You just try to execute the best that you can in those situations. It really just goes back to the studying that you do and the preparation, and hopefully all of those things equate to success. You never know, but you just try to put yourself in those positions is the first goal. I don’t think there’s any pressure once you’re in those positions.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES

HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

DIXIE VODKA 400

TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

OCTOBER 22, 2022

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Press Conference Transcript: 

YOU MAY BE ONE OF THOSE THAT IS OWED ONE. HOW DO YOU APPROACH IT HERE AND AT MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEK?

“Go race. I think that is what is so great about this sport, is that every seven days we pack up and move the circus to another town and we do it all again. I feel like I am in a good spot in the garage. The summer was definitely tough, and I learned a lot from a lot of that and we will continue to learn and evolve throughout this sport and this series. It’s incredible to race against your heroes, but it’s kind of odd and humbling when your heroes get mad at you. So, it’s been a learning experience for sure.”

WITH THIS BEING A LEARNING EXPERIENCE, WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

“Just that there are so many races and so many opportunities to pass, and it’s not always about the here and now. I had to stop living in the moment of each lap and definitely race with a mindset of a broader look across the whole season and see that the entire body of work will get me a lot farther than one pass and not caring about what happens. Just putting a lot at risk for like seventh and why did that really matter, and just looking at the whole body of the season. Especially with the speed that we have had and letting the car do a lot of the work for me, then when we get in those positions to win or to go for that spot late, it becomes a whole lot easier when you have just done it a better way two months before. These guys have incredible memories and as I have evolved and learned, it’s been easier to race and that has been nice.”

REGARDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FANS GIVEN YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHERE YOU CAME FROM. 

“Yes, it is, it’s incredible. We are known in South Florida for farming and agriculture. We are not known for racing. The Chastain family is not a namesake in the sport, so I didn’t come in with a predisposed reputation of my dad. My dad raced locally down here in South Florida, but it wasn’t on this stage. So, we have built up our fanbase kind of at a grassroots level through the Melon Man Brand and through my racing in the last decade in this sport. I probably haven’t done myself a lot of favors with my social media and my online presence to push myself. That’s just not me and I am not one that is just going to willingly and naturally go and just post selfie videos and do YouTube Channels. My group has to push me. But I have surrounded myself with people and we are evolving and learning how to present ourselves on social media. I think that and the speed of the Trackhouse cars has created a lot more cheers at driver intros. And some boos, right? Along the way, I didn’t do myself any favors in those moments in the summer when the spotlight was on us, and I got out and my post-race interviews were not appealing. I look back and I wouldn’t root for that guy. That guy drives one way and he talks another, and he doesn’t know what he wants and he apologizes. So yeah, I get it and that is part of the evolution I think.” 

DO THE BOOS BOTHER YOU AT ALL OR IT IS WHAT IT IS AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT? 

“You know, it’s funny because when I hear them, I almost smile because it’s wild. It’s wild that people care enough about me and my racing career – I think that’s why they’re booing me at least – that they want to boo me. 

A smile has just kind of been my natural reaction. It’s different, right? It’s not something that as a kid, no kid wants to get booed. You don’t want to get booed on the playground at recess and you don’t want to be booed at a NASCAR race. But I’m a big boy now and I’ve learned that it’s going to happen. We get a lot more cheers than boos, I can say that.”

DENNY (HAMLIN) WAS ON DANICA (PATRICK’S) PODCAST THE OTHER DAY AND HE SAID THAT WHEN YOU GUYS WENT TO BREAKFAST, YOU SAID WHEN YOU GREW UP RACING, YOU HAD TO KNOCK SOMEBODY OUT OF THE WAY TO PASS PRETTY MUCH. IF THAT’S ACCURATE, WHEN DID IT OCCUR TO YOU THAT’S NOT THE WAY EVERYBODY GREW UP RACING AND THAT’S NOT THE WAY EVERYBODY RACES? 

“I think people remember things in a better light than they might have actually been. Like we remember the good old days a little better than the old days might have actually been. I grew up with guys at a Saturday night short track over on the west coast of Florida. And yeah, that was Randy Fox; he crashed and fought for seventh in a late model race. He had beverages after and hung out all night in the pits after the race. I don’t think it was this perfect little race track in Virginia that everybody raced so eloquently. I just think the good old days might be being remembered a little better than they actually were. 

Some of the things that I did throughout the summer, looking back, I would do them different. Some of it would just be my stance after the race that I would do different. But a lot of on-track stuff, I could definitely clean up. In the Cup Series, I’ve never driven cars this fast and I wanted to just take full advantage of it because I thought it might go away. Now, as I’ve seen throughout the playoffs, what’s really opened my eyes – Trackhouse’s arrival here is to stay. We’re not just a flash in pan early in the season when the car was fresh and nobody really knew how the springs and shocks were. 

The guys that I raced against growing up – I watched them when I was running the pro trucks and they were in late models. When I got into late models, and the pro trucks as well, it’s just slammed or be slammed. So I think the good old days are being remembered better than they were.”

YOU MENTIONED YOUR FAMILY AND OBVIOUSLY YOU’RE FROM ALVA, OVER BY FORT MYERS. HURRICAN IAN DID A LOT OF DAMAGE OVER THERE. HAVE YOU BEEN BACK? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHERE THINGS ARE?

“I have not been back. I was there about a week or so before it hit and everybody was kind of getting ready. But it’s a hurricane.. they come every so often. When it hit, it was a big deal. The coast took the brunt of it. We’re inland a little bit. Our houses are fine and everybody is living in their homes now. A little roof damage here and there; a little screen porch damage. But the main thing was just the amount of water that came on shore. We have neighbors and friends that their houses flooded. A lot of my family is here for my race and Chad’s (Chastain, brother) race this weekend. They’re just like ‘we’re ready to take a break’. The cleanup and the rebuilding is going to be for years. They just wanted to come enjoy the race and it’ll all be there on Monday when we drive back. But they just keep telling me that I won’t believe it when I do see it, even when I come back after Phoenix at some point. They are like you will not be able to comprehend what it looks like. It just looks like another country; something you would see on the news, on TV or online. 

For the farm, we pretty much survived. There’s some damage and some pull barns are down, but our main facility stayed up and offices are in working orders. We’ll be shipping watermelons just like we always have.”

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE HIGH WATER MARK OF YOUR CAREER, IN TERMS OF COMPETING FOR A MAJOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT – HOW DIFFICULT IS IT – TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON WHAT WE HAVE TO DO HERE TODAY INSTEAD OF LETTING YOURSELF WANDER OFF DOWN THE PATH TO ‘IN TWO WEEKS, WE COULD BE RACING FOR THE CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP’?

“High mark, so far. Luckily, for me, I can compartmentalize. I had a conversation this week and what we were describing, me and this person, we were talking about their life. They felt like their life is one big box and everything was always intermingled and all the wires were connected. I was like I think mine is box, by box, by box. I open one box and all the other boxes automatically shut. That’s just how I’m wired. I think that’s what makes part of my racing ability, for better or worse, what it is. I’m not saying I’m full-blown gold fish, but about every lap, it feels like a new lap. When I come back around, I have a new expectation of what I can do and it doesn’t have a lot of bearing. Yeah, I take each lap and build my notebook throughout the weekend, my race, my career and my life. But I can go lap-by-lap a lot easier than if you ask me to think about something two weeks from now. I’m in Homestead.. I haven’t even put any thought into Martinsville, let alone Phoenix. Those that know me, know it’s not just a sweet answer up here. It’s the truth, for better or worse sometimes. Sometimes it’s not a good thing.”

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU’VE COME TO YOUR HOME TRACK BEING A CUP WINNER AND YOU’RE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS. WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE FOR YOU TO BE HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT? 

“The nerves side is an easy one to talk about. I have less nerves than I did a couple years ago when I came here for a Truck championship with Niece Motorsports in 2019. That was the first time that had ever happened. That was the first time I had ever been in the playoffs; made a run and we were here fighting for a championship. That definitely had a lot more nerves.

This weekend, my brother is running the truck race. Honestly, I get more nervous for that, as odd as that sounds. I’m way more fine with the Cup race and doing everything I need to do with my group. But when I don’t have control when he’s out racing.. I just wish I could have control and I don’t. It’s their deal, it’s his team. I’m just up in the grandstands by myself fidgeting. Those two things take my mind off of how serious what we’re doing with the No. 1 Chevy right now. But it feels good.. it feels really good to see the smiles of my family and friends. Guys that let me drive race cars when I was 14 years old. There were only a few that weren’t my dad and a couple of those guys are here. Just enjoying the weekend living out all of our dreams of racing in the Cup Series. It was their dreams too and they’re living it through me.”

YOU SAID EARLIER IN THE YEAR, PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT TRACKHOUSE RACING WAS A FLASH IN THE PAN AND WOULDN’T MAKE IT TO THIS LEVEL. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT TRACKHOUSE THIS YEAR, BEHIND THE SCENES, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORGANIZATION TO GET YOU AND DANIEL (SUAREZ) TO WHERE YOUR AT?

“It starts with this car. This is an unprecedented move by NASCAR and the France family to roll out this car. Everything that it stands for is why Trackhouse Racing is here in the first place. Justin (Marks) would not have gone on this endeavor of Cup racing.. he’s smart enough to know he was never going to catchup with the old car. So that’s why we got here. 

As we got here, I don’t know enough about race cars to truly know why our cars go as fast as they do. I know the things we do; I know the procedures we have in place. We think we know that we’re doing the right thing, but it’s racing. Somebody can always build a better box. 

For me, throughout the year, just continuing to have that speed is why we’re not just a quick blimp on the Cup Series radar. This is our arrival. I’m not going to sit up here and tell you I know why our cars go fast.. that’s for somebody way smarter than me. I just drive them.”

Dennis Erb Jr. extends Series points lead to 110 points over Tanner English

HUMBOLDT, KS– October 21, 2022– After a five-year wait for the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series to return to Kansas, Chase Junghans defended his home state’s honor.  

The Manhattan, KS driver thundered away from Dennis Erb Jr. on Turn 2 of the race’s opening lap and held off an early challenge to earn his fourth career Series victory Friday night at Humboldt Speedway.  

Junghans and Shane Clanton led the inaugural visit to Humboldt to the green flag, but Erb powered to second off Turn 2 on the initial start.    

The Carpentersville, IL driver stayed within striking distance of Junghans for several circuits before getting his best chance on Lap 12. 

That’s when the current Series points leader pulled his Rocket Chassis even with Junghans through Turns 1 and 2, but Junghans’ carried his speed on the outside to keep the veteran driver at bay.   

From there, the Sunflower State Competitor cruised through traffic to take the $10,000 prize. 

“It’s humbling,” Junghans said. “I thought I had (a win) there at Volusia at the beginning of the year and just ran out of laps. I haven’t gotten to race with (the Series) that much, but I definitely enjoy racing with [the World of Outlaws] and all that. 

“We’ll take it; we just have to do it again the next few nights.” 

Despite going unchallenged for the lead in the final 27 Laps, Junghans still had to work his way through traffic in the caution-free race.  

“It got sketchy there for a while, but it seemed like we got around the bottom and followed each other,” Junghans said. “All in all, a good night. I mean, we won our Heat Race, started on the pole in the Feature, and won. We just missed it by Qualifying.” 

Erb, who crossed the line second, said he needed to be better in traffic to have a chance at spoiling Junghans’ home state triumph. 

“We had a good car,” Erb said. “We were able to get up under him in (Turns) 1 and 2, but he carried his speed in 3 and 4. Then, we just kind of ran like that for a little bit, and then we got into that traffic, and he got past a couple, and I sucked there behind them, and it’s just the way it was.” 

The Series points leader increased his championship lead over Tanner English, of Benton, KY, who finished eighth. He’s 110 points ahead of English with five races to go. 

Max Blair also gained points on English in the battle for Rookie of the Year after rounding out the podium on Friday night. He trails English driver by 58 points, leaving Humboldt. 

The Centerville, PA driver, inched his way through the field from his seventh starting position on the bottom lane and cracked the top three when he passed Clanton on Lap 9.  

Blair stated he was thrilled to finish third at a type of track he’s struggled at in 2022.  

“I think we had a car that was really capable of racing for the win,” Blair said. “I’ll take a third all day long, though. These are the race tracks we’ve kind of struggled on the most this year, so to roll in on the first day of this trip and finish on the podium, you can’t really ask for much more.” 

Mike Marlar, Friday’s Fox Factory Hard Charger, finished fourth after transferring through the Last Chance Showdown and starting 17th.  

Despite not making the Feature through the Heat Race, the Winfield, TN competitor didn’t make any changes to his Longhorn Chassis.  

“Anytime you can get on the track, you learn more and more, so that was helpful,” Marlar said. “We didn’t really change anything, we just had to let the track come around a little bit, and when it did, we had a good car.  

“We could maneuver and race all over, and it was a lot of fun. The track was great.” 

The Decorah, IA driver ran most of the race in fourth before Marlar snuck by him on the final lap. 

“I heard Mikey the last lap there and charged in maybe a little strong and missed the bottom just a little bit,” Bruening said. “All in all, a really good night, a solid finish, a top five. The car was really good all night. We tried something different for a Feature adjustment tonight, and it worked really well, so I’m happy we did that.” 

Chase Junghans defended his home state in his first of two chances at scoring a victory in Kansas with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models in 2022. He’ll have another chance on Saturday as the Series returns to 81 Speedway for the first time since 2017.  

“The car was good, we just have to keep it going the next two nights and keep it truckin’,” Junghans said.  

UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet head to 81 Speedway in Wichita, KS for night two of the three-race weekend. Then, the weekend finishes with a return to the “Show-Me” state for a battle at US 36 Speedway in Osborn, MO on Sunday, Oct. 23. FOR TICKETS: CLICK HERE. 

If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App. 

CASE Construction Equipment Feature (40 Laps): 1. 18-Chase Junghans[1]; 2. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 3. 111V-Max Blair[7]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[17]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 6. 11-Gordy Gundaker[4]; 7. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 8. 81E-Tanner English[14]; 9. 19R-Ryan Gustin[9]; 10. 21JR-Billy Moyer Jr[12]; 11. B5-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 12. B1-Brent Larson[13]; 13. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[19]; 14. 76-Blair Nothdurft[5]; 15. 10-Jacob Magee[10]; 16. 99-Scott Lewis[11]; 17. 99B-Boom Briggs[22]; 18. 60-Kip Hughes[23]; 19. 36-Logan Martin[15]; 20. 1-Josh Richards[21]; 21. 36D-Mark Daye[24]; 22. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[18]; 23. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[16]; 24. 77-Jordan Yaggy[20] Fox Factory Hard Charger: Mike Marlar [+13]

Part-time dirt racer will pilot brand-new Elite Chassis built by three-time WSTC winner Nick Hoffman

CONCORD, NC – Oct. 21, 2022 – At 23 years old, Justin Haley’s already contested his fair share of high-profile motorsports events. In one week, he checks another off his bucket list.

Haley, the NASCAR Cup Series full-timer from Winamac, IN, will join the Summit Racing Equipment UMP Modified roster for the first time and compete in the seventh annual World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte next Thu-Sat, Oct. 27-29, aiming for the $4,000 grand prize in only his fourth Dirt Modified outing this year.

The former dirt racer’s fans have seen him race and win with the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds before, most notably taking home a gator trophy in the 2019 DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. But never has he turned competitive laps around the famed 4/10-mile oval of The Dirt Track, until now.

“I’ve been there the past few years watching, and I wanted to race, but just never could line-up the schedule,” Haley said. “I’m pretty excited to finally do it.”

Haley said the timing was just right this year. In the past, his NASCAR Truck Series and Xfinity Series commitments had taken his availability for the weekend, but 2022 has been different. Now a part of the NASCAR Cup Series full-time roster for Kaulig Racing, it’s freed-up his Fridays and Saturdays a bit, allowing him the time to compete in select dirt events.

Just in time for his event debut, Haley will pilot a brand-new Leaf Filter/Elite Chassis No. 99, built by three-time World Short Track champion of the division, Nick Hoffman.

“The on-track [performance] speaks for itself with how fast his cars are,” Haley said. “Everyone that gets an Elite usually wins and runs better than their previous equipment.”

The two were first introduced by fellow NASCAR regular and Elite racer Justin Allgaier at the 51st DIRTcar Nationals in February and struck a deal for a new car to be made in time for the fall racing calendar.

Though Hoffman will be watching from outside the fence this year as he continues to recover from a traumatic brain injury suffered in September, he will be on-site to help Haley and his other Elite customers with their rides as they take on one of the deepest fields in all 10 divisions.

“It’s cool for me; it’s like a new project,” Haley said. “It’s something that I’m excited to race, and I know that the car has the potential. So now, it’s down to me to find that potential and be as fast as Nick and everyone else that drives Elites are.”

Coming from a dirt background, Haley has continued to hone his dirt skills intermittently since joining the NASCAR ranks. He started as a Micro Sprint racer around his local venues in Indiana, and even made the tow out to the famed Tulsa Shootout event in Oklahoma every year to race amongst hundreds of entries. He then began his path toward a career in NASCAR and dipped his feet into the DIRTcar UMP Modified world soon after.

“I really got into the Modified stuff when I started truck racing again,” Haley said. “They had the [Eldora Dirt Derby], and I was looking for something to freshen-up my skills again.”

Armed with a Lethal Chassis built by family friend and fellow NASCAR pilot David Stremme, Haley began entering events, even winning a Heat Race in the final DIRTcar Fall Nationals held at Eldora Speedway in 2017. Before long, Haley began to bring the car with him to Volusia to take part in seven-straight nights of UMP Modified racing at DIRTcar Nationals.

To this day, he’s still enjoying the thrill of competition, which keeps him coming back and aiming higher each year in the Modified.

“The dirt stuff is so tough,” Haley said. “When we go to Volusia, or any DIRTcar event, just making the show itself is tough for me, especially since I don’t do it too often.

“The dirt racers in the Dirt Modified world are exceptional race car drivers and bring their best every time they’re on track. It just presents a new challenge to me, and it’s fun.”

Haley said he sees value in having skills on both asphalt and dirt, which helps drive him to stay sharp on both each year. And so do his car owners.

“Fortunately for me, I have Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice, Team President at Kaulig Racing, they love when I dirt race,” Haley said. “They love when I do it because I enjoy it.

“It’s awesome to have team owners that care about you and what you’re doing and want to see you succeed.”

Haley will take on a star-studded field of UMP Modified drivers next weekend, including Stremme, national Dirt Late Model star Chris Madden, and regional UMP Modified champion Austin Holcombe, as he debuts at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Three days of racing with 300-plus cars in 10 different divisions – it’s the one place to race to cap the dirt racing season.

Tickets for the seventh annual World Short Track championship are on sale now; click here t

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 21, 2022) – AMA Pro Racing announced today an 18-round provisional schedule for the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season boasting venues historic and new and featuring an impressive balance in terms of its blend of disciplines, geography and pacing. “We’ve consolidated the 2023 Progressive AFT schedule into motorcycle riding season and worked hard to bring events back to major metropolitan markets and motorcycle rallies,” said Gene Crouch, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. “The venues and dates on the 2023 schedule have been carefully selected to minimize the potential for weather and deliver great racing for fans from coast-to-coast.” Immediately noticeable is a more compact time frame over which the title fights will be waged, fitting all 18 rounds in between the return to Daytona International Speedway for a doubleheader during Daytona Bike Week in early March and an epic Labor Day Weekenddoubleheader season finale at the series’ crown jewel, the Springfield Mile, in early September. The overall result is a significantly more consistent slate and superior momentum, with no more than three weeks between any two rounds, a gap which occurs just twice all season long. Featuring five Miles, five Half-Miles, four Short Tracks, three TTs, (and one event still to be announced), the ‘23 schedule is also intriguing in the cadence of events. The ordering of track types presents increased opportunity for dynamic championship battles, encouraging win streaks and comebacks alike. All four STs take place in the opening six races, while the three TTs will take place in a span of 13 days near the conclusion of the season, with the Half-Miles and Miles nicely divided up throughout the campaign. That balance extends to its geographic reach. Hitting locations on both coasts and numerous points in between, the diversity of locales supports both the sport’s growth and continued strength all across the nation. So too does its mix of historic races, long-time mainstays, returning favorites, and a healthy dose of all-new stops, including Senoia, Ga., Ventura, Calif., and Bridgeport, N.J. The 2023 Progressive AFT schedule will again celebrate the country’s motorcycle rallies and national holidays, holding events as part of Daytona Bike Week, Arizona Bike Week, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, along with races to be held during Mother’s Day weekend, Father’s Day weekend (alongside the Mission Food AMA Flat Track Grand Championship amateur nationals no less), Memorial Day weekend and the aforementioned Labor Day weekend finale. The provisional 2023 Progressive American Flat Track schedule follows: March 9, 2023 – DAYTONA Flat Track I, Daytona Beach, FLMarch 10, 2023 – DAYTONA Flat Track II, Daytona Beach, FLMarch 25, 2023 – Senoia Short Track, Senoia, GAApril 1, 2023 – Arizona Bike Week (Venue TBA), Phoenix, AZApril 22, 2023 – Devil’s Bowl Half-Mile, Mesquite, TXMay 6, 2023 – Ventura Short Track, Ventura, CAMay 13, 2023 – Sacramento Mile, Sacramento, CAMay 27, 2023 – Red Mile, Lexington, KY                                                                              June 3, 2023 – Virginia Half-Mile (Venue TBA), VAJune 17, 2023 – Du Quoin Mile, Du Quoin, ILJune 24, 2023 – Lima Half-Mile, Lima, OHJuly 8, 2023 – Orange County Half-Mile, Middletown, NYJuly 22, 2023 – Bridgeport Half-Mile, Bridgeport, NJJuly 30, 2023 – Peoria TT, Peoria, ILAugust 6, 2023 – Buffalo Chip TT, Sturgis, SDAugust 12, 2023 – Castle Rock TT, Castle Rock, WASeptember 2, 2023 – Springfield Mile I, Springfield, ILSeptember 3, 2023 – Springfield Mile II, Springfield, IL Confirmation on the venues for the TBA events and ticket sales for all rounds will be available in the weeks ahead at https://www.americanflattrack.com.

OPEN-MINDED: David Gravel staying in championship hunt with National Open, World Finals looming
Gravel traits championship points leader Brad Sweet by 54 points with four races remaining in 2022

MECHANICSBURG, PA (Oct. 20, 2022) – When David Gravel entered the Champion Racing Oil National Open weekend at the beginning of October, he trailed points leader Brad Sweet by 96 points. This weekend, for the event’s rescheduled date, he’s cut that deficit down to 54 points in five races.

While trending in the right direction for Gravel, and his Big Game Motorsports team, to chase their first World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship, they’re down to four more races to accelerate that climb.

After being postponed by rain, the $75,000-to-win 60th Champion Racing Oil National Open at Williams Grove Speedway takes place Saturday, Oct. 22. Then, the Series will have three days of racing at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the World of Outlaws World Finals championship finale, Nov. 2-5 – fans will also get to meet Gravel and the rest of the Series stars during a front stretch Fan Fest on Thursday, Nov. 3 from 2-4pm (ET).

Gravel is currently on a streak of six top-five finishes in a row, including a win at I-80 Speedway, helping him cut into Sweet’s lead. Part of that recent success stems from he and his team throwing everything they have into the final stretch of the season, he said.

“I think just being open minded and trying some stuff,” Gravel said. “Find some stuff that has worked, knowing when to use it and when not to.

“Just confidence with the race car. Just trying things. We’ve been together for about two years. We’ve tried a decent amount of stuff. But I think you always have to strive to be better and keep searching and try to find those things that are going to help you win race. Here, lately, I feel like we’ve done that.”

Gravel’s confidence also comes from having previous success at Williams Grove and The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The Watertown, CT driver has eight Series wins at Williams Grove – two of them National Open victories – and six wins at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, including four in the last three years.

His wins at Charlotte have come with three different teams, too – CJB Motorsports, Jason Johnson Racing and Big Game Motorsports.

While his main focus will be to win the last four races, points will still be in the back of his mind.

“I think about it,” he said. “It’s a shame we were 90-something points back going into Port Royal because if we had it to 50 or 60, where we were, it would have been a big help. We kind of didn’t run really good at Eldora and were kind of OK at those last couple of races in California. Because of those, it put us in a bigger gap. It’s going to be hard to make anything happen.

“All I do is plan on running the best I can every night and hopefully running up front and just keep applying that pressure. You never know what could happen. You’re one mistake away from being right there.”

In his second year with Big Game Motorsports and crew chief Cody Jacobs – the 2021 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Crew Chief of the Year – they’ve managed to collect seven wins, so far. While that’s currently off from the 11 victories they had last year, Gravel said he still feels like they’ve had a better season than last year – judging by money earned and performance at marquee events, such as his second-place finish at the Knoxville Nationals.

That still doesn’t mean they’re satisfied, though. There are still more races to win. Still a shot at their first championship.

“I don’t think you’re ever satisfied,” Gravel said. “Maybe content sometimes, but you always want more. You always want to strive for more. We’re third on the wins list for the Outlaws, which is OK, but you’d rather be number one or number two. It’s a very competitive sport this year and everything is earned. That is for sure. We’re focused on finishing off the year strong.”

For tickets to the 60th Champion Racing Oil National Open, Oct. 22, and World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 2-5, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch both events live on DIRTVision – either at DIRTVision.com or by downloading the DIRTVision App.

Shane Wade hopes to win with Shane Cockrum at the track his grandfather earned the title as an “Original Outlaw” in 1978

MESQUITE, TX (Oct. 20, 2022) – Shane Wade’s days of sleeping in van, traveling from race to race with his grandfather, have led to a potential history making moment for the Sprint Car team owner.

Entering the two-day Texas Non-Wing Nationals championship finale for the inaugural Xtreme Sprint Car Series pres. by Low-E Insulation at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Oct. 28-29, Wade’s Amati Racing team, and driver Shane Cockrum, have a 26-point lead over second-place Alex Bright.

The historic significance of the event is twofold for Wade. The “Outlaws” return to their roots as Devil’s Bowl Speedway hosted the first World of Outlaws event – a Non-Wing Sprint Car race – in 1978 and among the “Original Outlaws” in that race was Wade’s grandfather, Chuck Amati.

It was his grandfather who embedded the love of Sprint Car racing into him, so going into the championship weekend with a shot at the inaugural Xtreme Outlaw title, being an “Original Xtreme Outlaw,” Wade knows it’ll be a special weekend no matter the outcome.

“I think it is incredible to just be in a position to have a shot at it,” Wade said. “It would be a dream come true if we win the inaugural season. That’s why we put this deal together. When we started hearing rumors this was going to happen, Shane (Cockrum) was the first person I called and said let’s win this championship. That’s been our goal. I’m extremely grateful we’re in the position we’re in, no matter what happens. We’ll be proud to have played a role in the first season.

“I am looking forward to closing the season out [at Devil’s Bowl]. Obviously, it’s championship weekend. It’s going to be a special weekend.”

The historic significance also isn’t lost on Cockrum, whose father, Cliff Cockrum, raced against Amati. Along with wanting the championship, Cockrum and Wade had Devil’s Bowl circled on their calendar the day it was announced.

“It’ll be a cool reunion of shorts,” Cockrum said about the historic significance of the weekend. “It’s one we’ve pinned on the map since the beginning of the year. We’ve been preparing for this one all year. We’re just pumped we’re in a position to capitalize and win the championship.

“Certainly, all championships are awesome, but to win the first one would definitely be the highlight of my career. For a multitude of reasons. One, it’s just a huge national series and to win anything like that puts you on the map in different places. Secondly, this is a reunion of sorts from the first World of Outlaws race there in the 1970s. To possibly win a championship at a place that… It really does bring myself, my family, Shane Wade and his grandfather, Chuck Amati, essentially the World of Outlaws organization, brings it full circle for all of us.”

Dirt racing is all Wade has ever known. His earlier memories are traveling around the country with his grandfather, going from track to track, living their lives on the road out of their van.

“My grandpa would wake up at daylight. We would sleep in the motel parking lot and my grandpa would wait up at daylight, waiting for people to come out of their hotel and he would talk them into letting us use their hotel room to take showers,” Wade said. “We always had our own towels. They rarely told him no. We’d take showers and go to the racetrack.”

Those days of living out of a van as an original “Outlaw” put Wade on the path to potentially be the original Xtreme Outlaw champion.

For tickets to the Texas Non-Wing Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28-29, call (972) 222-2421.

October 20, 2022

Crew chief Brian Wilson and the rest of the No. 21 DEX Imaging team are hoping two days of hard work last month at Homestead-Miami Speedway will lead to a strong run in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 at the 1.5-mile track in south Florida.

Driver Harrison Burton and the DEX team already have capitalized on the lessons learned at the Homestead test as they competed on similar tracks in recent weeks. 

Wilson said he expects the data gathered in the test will come into play in a bigger way this weekend.  

“At the Homestead test a month ago, the No. 21 team was able to work through two days of a test plan which resulted in competitive speed and valuable data,” he said. “As we go back it also gives us a deeper notebook than we have at most tracks this year.”

Wilson said he, Burton and the team were able to work on several aspects during the test.
 
“Most of the first test day was spent on aero runs,” he said. “This data has been used over the past few weeks to improve on the already fast body of our Ford Mustang.
 
“The second day we focused on mechanical set-up items. We were able to find a set-up that Harrison was happy with which also produced very competitive lap times.”
 
Wilson said he expects to continue to make use of the information gathered last month.
 
“I believe that it was this test that helped us take the lead at Texas and qualify in the top ten at Las Vegas,” he said. “We’ll try to continue our progress this weekend as we return to Homestead.”
  
Cup Series practice at Homestead is set for Saturday at 10:05 a.m. and will be followed by qualifying at 10:50.
 
Sunday’s 267-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2:30 p.m. with TV coverage on NBC.
 
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165.

 

Homestead-Miami SpeedwayHomestead, FloridaOctober 23, 2022 PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 TRIPLEHEADER: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAYFor the first time since the track held its last Championship race for all three NASCAR national series in 2019, Homestead-Miami Speedway will make its return to the post-season schedule to host a playoff tripleheader race weekend. The 1.5-mile South Florida oval will mark Race Two of the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), while holding the position of the Round of 8 elimination race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).CHEVY LOOKING TO GO BACK-TO-BACK AT HOMESTEADTwo opportunities remain for Chevrolet’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers to take a win and a ticket to the Championship 4. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team has an extra boost of confidence heading into Race Two of the NCS Round of 8, with the team returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway as the track’s defending winner.  In the series single appearance at the 1.5-mile Florida oval in 2021, Byron became the youngest winner at Homestead after coming from deep in the field in the 31st starting spot. Byron drove his Chevrolet-powered machine to the Stage Two win, going on to lead 102-laps en route to Chevrolet’s first NCS win of the 2021 season. The victory marked Chevrolet’s sixth in 23 NCS races at the track.  In the opening race of the NCS Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain was just one spot shy of clinching a spot in the Championship 4 in his first career playoff appearance. A strong performance on pit road by the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 pit crew put Chastain in prime track position throughout the race, with an exceptional stop under caution with 71 laps to go giving Chastain a front row starting spot for the restart. Chastain went on to lead a race-high 68 laps before losing the lead with just three laps remaining, resulting in a runner-up finish for the team.  Another strong finish by Chastain moved the 29-year-old Florida native up to second in the NCS points standings, with an 18-point advantage over the playoff cutline. Joining Chastain in the top four of the standings is 2022 NCS regular-season champion, Chase Elliott, who sits third in the standings and 17-points above the playoff cutline. William Byron moved up one position to fifth in the points standings; and while he’s six-points below the cutline, Byron is heading into the final two races of the Round of 8 as the defending winner at both tracks.  A look at where the Team Chevy NCS playoff drivers stand heading into Race Two of the Round of 8, including season numbers and career stats at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Homestead-Miami SpeedwayHomestead, FloridaOctober 23, 2022 PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 TRIPLEHEADER: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAYFor the first time since the track held its last Championship race for all three NASCAR national series in 2019, Homestead-Miami Speedway will make its return to the post-season schedule to host a playoff tripleheader race weekend. The 1.5-mile South Florida oval will mark Race Two of the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), while holding the position of the Round of 8 elimination race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).CHEVY LOOKING TO GO BACK-TO-BACK AT HOMESTEADTwo opportunities remain for Chevrolet’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers to take a win and a ticket to the Championship 4. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team has an extra boost of confidence heading into Race Two of the NCS Round of 8, with the team returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway as the track’s defending winner.  In the series single appearance at the 1.5-mile Florida oval in 2021, Byron became the youngest winner at Homestead after coming from deep in the field in the 31st starting spot. Byron drove his Chevrolet-powered machine to the Stage Two win, going on to lead 102-laps en route to Chevrolet’s first NCS win of the 2021 season. The victory marked Chevrolet’s sixth in 23 NCS races at the track.  In the opening race of the NCS Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain was just one spot shy of clinching a spot in the Championship 4 in his first career playoff appearance. A strong performance on pit road by the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 pit crew put Chastain in prime track position throughout the race, with an exceptional stop under caution with 71 laps to go giving Chastain a front row starting spot for the restart. Chastain went on to lead a race-high 68 laps before losing the lead with just three laps remaining, resulting in a runner-up finish for the team.  Another strong finish by Chastain moved the 29-year-old Florida native up to second in the NCS points standings, with an 18-point advantage over the playoff cutline. Joining Chastain in the top four of the standings is 2022 NCS regular-season champion, Chase Elliott, who sits third in the standings and 17-points above the playoff cutline. William Byron moved up one position to fifth in the points standings; and while he’s six-points below the cutline, Byron is heading into the final two races of the Round of 8 as the defending winner at both tracks.  A look at where the Team Chevy NCS playoff drivers stand heading into Race Two of the Round of 8, including season numbers and career stats at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Homestead-Miami SpeedwayHomestead, FloridaOctober 23, 2022 PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 TRIPLEHEADER: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAYFor the first time since the track held its last Championship race for all three NASCAR national series in 2019, Homestead-Miami Speedway will make its return to the post-season schedule to host a playoff tripleheader race weekend. The 1.5-mile South Florida oval will mark Race Two of the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS), while holding the position of the Round of 8 elimination race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).CHEVY LOOKING TO GO BACK-TO-BACK AT HOMESTEADTwo opportunities remain for Chevrolet’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers to take a win and a ticket to the Championship 4. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team has an extra boost of confidence heading into Race Two of the NCS Round of 8, with the team returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway as the track’s defending winner.  In the series single appearance at the 1.5-mile Florida oval in 2021, Byron became the youngest winner at Homestead after coming from deep in the field in the 31st starting spot. Byron drove his Chevrolet-powered machine to the Stage Two win, going on to lead 102-laps en route to Chevrolet’s first NCS win of the 2021 season. The victory marked Chevrolet’s sixth in 23 NCS races at the track.  In the opening race of the NCS Round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain was just one spot shy of clinching a spot in the Championship 4 in his first career playoff appearance. A strong performance on pit road by the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 pit crew put Chastain in prime track position throughout the race, with an exceptional stop under caution with 71 laps to go giving Chastain a front row starting spot for the restart. Chastain went on to lead a race-high 68 laps before losing the lead with just three laps remaining, resulting in a runner-up finish for the team.  Another strong finish by Chastain moved the 29-year-old Florida native up to second in the NCS points standings, with an 18-point advantage over the playoff cutline. Joining Chastain in the top four of the standings is 2022 NCS regular-season champion, Chase Elliott, who sits third in the standings and 17-points above the playoff cutline. William Byron moved up one position to fifth in the points standings; and while he’s six-points below the cutline, Byron is heading into the final two races of the Round of 8 as the defending winner at both tracks.  A look at where the Team Chevy NCS playoff drivers stand heading into Race Two of the Round of 8, including season numbers and career stats at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 2nd in Playoff Standings (18-points above cutline)Victories: 2Top-Fives: 12; Top-10s: 18; Laps Led: 692Average Finish: 14.2; Stage Wins: 6 At Homestead-Miami Speedway: Average Finish: 28.333Of 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 six of the seven 2022 NCS playoff races thus far, Chastain has finished in the top-13.

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 2nd in Playoff Standings (17-points above cutline)2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season ChampionVictories: 5 (series-leading)Top-Fives: 12; Top-10s: 19; Laps Led: 803Average Finish: 12.0; Stage Wins: 6 At Homestead-Miami Speedway:  Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 3Average Finish: 9.000Of 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.

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 5th in Playoff Standings (6-points below the cutline)Victories: 2Top-Fives: 5; Top-10s: 9; Laps Led: 714Average Finish: 16.2; Stage Wins: 4 At Homestead-Miami Speedway:  Victories: 1Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 2Average Finish: 18.250Of 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 the final two tracks of the NCS Round of 8 (Homestead-Miami Speedway – 2021; Martinsville Speedway – April 2022).

CHEVROLET SCORES MILESTONE WIN, CLINCHES NXS MANUFACTURER’S CHAMPIONSHIPJosh Berry’s trip to victory lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway also marked a monumental day for Chevrolet’s history in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Berry’s victory delivered Chevrolet its 500th all-time victory in the NXS, while also clinching its series-leading 24th NXS Manufacturer’s Championship. This marks the sixth consecutive season that Chevrolet has taken the title in the series.Chevrolet was able to secure the NXS Manufacturer’s Championship title with three races remaining in the 2022 season. The coveted title comes after a dominate season for the Camaro SS, with Berry’s victory marking the 23rd win in 30 NXS races this season. Of those wins, 20 have been recorded in the last 22 races, including the streak of the past nine in a row.

BERRY PUNCHES TICKET TO NXS CHAMPIONSHIP 4In his first full-time season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry and the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro SS team will fight for the championship title. Berry’s third NXS win of the season didn’t come without a fight. Battling with fellow Chevrolet playoff driver AJ Allmendinger on a late race restart, Berry proved the speed of his No. 8 JR Motorsports Camaro SS; making contact with the wall before taking the lead for the final time. Berry’s victory was celebrated alongside his JR Motorsports teammates, with Noah Gragson finishing second and Justin Allgaier finishing third to make it a 1-2-3 sweep for the Chevrolet team.With Berry’s automatic berth into the Championship 4, three spots remain for NXS playoff contenders to win and continue their championship hopes. Gragson’s 18th top-five finish of the season kept the 24-year-old Nevada native at the top of the points standings with a 44-point cushion over the playoff cutline. Justin Allgaier sits in the fourth position and 15-points above the playoff cutline, giving Chevrolet three drivers in the top four of the standings with two races remaining in the NXS Round of 8.

ONE LAST CHANCE TO ADVANCEMajor playoff implications are on the line for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff contenders, with Saturday’s Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway marking the third and final race of the series’ Round of 8.After damage sustained in a late-race crash in the series’ last race at Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet’s playoff contender Grant Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team will enter the Round of 8 elimination race eighth in the playoff points standings. Sitting at 29-points below the playoff cutline, a win is at the top of mind to keep Enfinger’s championship hopes alive. “Knowing the task at hand, I can’t wait to unload our Champion Power Equipment Chevy in Homestead,” said Enfinger. “Jeff (Hensley, crew chief) and I have run well there in the past, and with the low grip and high tire wear, that place has always been one of my favorites. We know what we need to do, so now it’s all about our execution.” Consistency has been key for Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team through the playoff run. Enfinger kicked-off his 2022 NCWTS playoff campaign with a win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and with five races complete in the series’ playoffs, Enfinger has recorded an impressive four top-five finishes. PINK ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER’ CAMARO PACE CAR RETURNS FOR HOMESTEADChevrolet’s partnership with the American Cancer Society and its ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ initiative marks its 12th consecutive year in 2022. To help raise awareness, a specialty-themed pink Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE will serve as the official pace car for three NASCAR Cup Series races during the month of October, including Sunday’s NCS Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For every lap run under caution, Chevrolet will donate $350 to the American Cancer Society to honor ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’. The 267-lap, 400.5-mile NCS playoff race at Homestead will mark the second of three races that are part of the initiative.The first NCS event that is part of the program took place at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this month. The specialty-themed pink Camaro pace car led the NCS for 25 laps under caution at the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway, bringing Chevrolet’s contribution total to $8,750 towards the campaign so far.

BOWTIE BULLETS·       Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway:        William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (2021)  ·       In 23 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded six victories, including the series’ most recent appearance at the 1.5-mile South Florida oval (William Byron – February 2021). ·       Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series playoff contender, William Byron, is the series’ defending winner at both of the remaining tracks in the Round of 8, including Homestead-Miami Speedway (February 2021) and Martinsville Speedway (April 2022). ·       Tyler Reddick leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a 3.000. Reddick captured back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series championship titles after taking the win at Homestead in 2018 and 2019, both accomplished behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered machine.  ·       Chevrolet leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins with 18 in 32 points-paying races. The Bowtie brand also continues to lead its manufacturer competitors in top-fives (76), top-10s (145), laps led (3,853) and stage wins (26). ·       Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 26 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 4 – Bristol, Sonoma, Pocono, Texas ·       JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry delivered Chevrolet its milestone 500th all-time NASCAR Xfinity Series win last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The victory also clinched Berry’s spot in the NXS Championship 4 in his first career playoff appearance.  ·       Following Chevrolet’s 23rd NASCAR Xfinity Series win of 2022 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 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.  ·       Reigning NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Champions, Chevrolet, continues to lead in the manufacturer points standings by 90-points with just three races remaining in the 2022 season.  ·       With its 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 832 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR.

FOR THE FANS·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Homestead-Miami 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 23·       Ross Chastain: 11:05 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. ·       Noah Gragson: 11:25 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. ·       William Byron: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:  Friday, October 21: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, October 22: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, October 23: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.   Tune In: NBC will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 23. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Contender Boats 300 at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 22. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 22. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTESROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1 Are you looking forward to Homestead? “I am really looking forward to Homestead. After this weekend in Vegas and having such a strong car, I can’t wait to get to Florida. I was talking with my engineers earlier last week and they were really pumped about the car we were bringing to Las Vegas and I think we proved how good it really was, so that gives me a ton of confidence for Homestead.”Homestead is another intermediate track. Does that give you confidence? “Absolutely. We tested there a couple of weeks ago and I got several laps in and practiced running the wall, which is great. The team told me they were prepared to fix the car if I got into the wall so I could really go out there and find the limits.”  AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 HUK CAMARO ZL1What excites you most about Homestead-Miami Speedway?” We ran well at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year and finished seventh in 2020. I can’t wait to get there. I think it’s the most driver-friendly track. Actually, it’s not really friendly because you can get into the wall pretty easily, but it’s so much fun to run right up against the fence. You have to be disciplined in how you drive that track and save your tires. It’s an epic race. It’s always intense. My teammate, Tyler Reddick, is solid there and I think that’s pushed our program to another level when it comes to running at Homestead-Miami Speedway. I feel like we’ve learned off of each other the last couple of years.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 Larson on running the wall at Homestead-Miami Speedway: “I think this car is just a little different at Homestead-Miami (Speedway). Nothing crazy. I think running the wall is a little bit easier but maybe not way faster than it used to be compared to the other lanes. I still think it is just a lot easier to run the wall than before. You may see more people up there and it may be a little bit harder to pass than in the past.” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Daniels on how a test helps the team get ready for Homestead-Miami: “The Next Gen car is definitely a different beast at Homestead-Miami (Speedway) than the car of the past. We had a good test there a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure the track will still be a little bit different when we get there and get all the cars out there and get some rubber on the track. With Kyle Larson’s history of always running really well there, I have a lot of confidence in him. Hopefully, we can take what we learned at the test and put a good car on track for Sunday.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1How was your recent test at Homestead-Miami Speedway? “I never touched the wall but I ran up against it just about as much as anybody else. I loved that we got to test there. Everyone figured out after about three or four laps the top was the place to be. I was watching 10 or 12 drivers that were running and everyone was getting better at running the fence. The drivers who tested there will be really good at running up top when we go back and I’m going to have my work cut out for me, that’s for sure. This Next Gen car is wider than the old car so I felt like I couldn’t get those last couple of inches to the wall so I learned about that a little bit. I never tagged the wall. We were getting ready to have our last long run of the day. We were going to run about 40 laps and we had rain wash out the remainder of our day. I got to learn a lot about the car and what it drove like. We got some decent long run speed but a lot of those other drivers and teams have done their homework well. It’s going to be a tough race this weekend.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 Elliott on how to approach Homestead-Miami after a rough week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: “The good news is I feel like we have a really smart and talented group of guys that are going to work on it. We’ve been talking a lot this week and if this weekend goes bad, I can assure you it will not be for a lack of effort. Great opportunity here for us right now and we’re still very much alive in this deal. We just need to go down there and just try to have a solid weekend. Do we have to go win the race? No, I don’t think you have to go win the race, but I think you put yourself in position, getting some solid stage points, being up front and being in the mix. Those are things that are going to hedge your bet of being happy after Martinsville (Speedway).” ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Gustafson on rebounding from Las Vegas: “The opening races in each round of these playoffs have not been good to our team. Unfortunately, that continued for us last week at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway). We were able to make it to the end, but we didn’t get the stage points or finish we needed to maintain our cushion. We know we have some work to do this week to make sure we’re prepared for Homestead-Miami (Speedway). Our goal is to get maximum points and just have a really solid race this weekend. That will help us going into Martinsville (Speedway).” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 Byron on what he expects at Homestead-Miami: “I’m excited to get back to Homestead-Miami (Speedway) this weekend. Obviously, the last time we raced there we got the win, but a lot has changed since then. We did test there about a month ago with the Next Gen car and it went really well. I think we have a lot of notes that we’re going to be able to apply and have a good starting point for the weekend. We’re only a few points outside the cutline, so we don’t need to do anything drastic during the race either. We just need to show up, execute everything we can control and maximize all the points we can.” RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1Fugle on what he expects Sunday at Homestead-Miami: “I’m ready to get to Homestead-Miami (Speedway) this weekend. It’s a track I’ve always really liked racing at in any series. Just like most races this year with the Next Gen car, there’s still some unknowns. I think we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the test there recently as well as other intermediate track notes. Track position and pit stops are going to probably make the biggest difference on Sunday but with high tire falloff, varying strategies in the stages is also going to shuffle the running order. Like past races there, I think running the wall is probably going to be the fastest way around as the tires fall off. You just have to weigh the risk verse reward of doing that and possibly hitting the wall and breaking a suspension part.” TY DILLON, NO. 42 SUNSEEKERRESORTS.COM CAMARO ZL1 “Homestead is one of those places that every driver likes to run at. It’s so unique, and having the ability to maneuver around using all types of different lines really makes it a fun challenge. I’m interested to see how our Sunseeker Camaro will drive here since this will be the first race at the track with the NextGen car, but at other low grip places this year we have shown some speed. Managing our tires is going to be one of our highest priorities, so if we can do that throughout the race and stay in contention, I think we will have a solid showing.” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 THE MORGAN LAW GROUP CAMARO ZL1 “Homestead is a track that can be pretty fun. We went down there and tested a few weeks ago and felt like we learned a good chunk of things that affect balance and what we can do with our car down there. It’s a tough race. You’re up against the fence trying to make a lot of speed and not make a mistake. I think we have a shot to run really well there as long as we can keep it out of the wall and keep ourselves up front. I think we can have a good day.” GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 Ives on heading to Homestead-Miami this Sunday: “Homestead-Miami Speedway is unique from the mile-and-a-half tracks we visit. Thankfully, we learned a lot when we tested there last month. Our pit crew has been hitting their stride and we know that pit stops are going to be so important with the tire fall off. Noah (Gragson) likes running the wall and loves going to Homestead, so that confidence makes a huge difference. If we continue to maximize our opportunities and stay clean on pit road, I think we can put the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in victory lane.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 PRINCESS CRUISES CAMARO ZL1 What are your thoughts on Homestead-Miami Speedway?“We had a really good test down there last month and I am really confident we will have a good car. I liked the car on the first day of the test and Ross had the same feelings on the second day.” What are your thoughts with three races remaining in the 2022 season?“We are doing a good job bringing fast cars to the track each week. If we keep doing that we have a chance to win Sunday and at the remaining races.” GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RSTEnfinger’s thoughts on what it takes to tackle Homestead: “Knowing the task at hand, I can’t wait to unload our Champion Power Equipment Chevy in Homestead. Jeff and I have ran well there in the past, and with the low grip and high tire wear, that place has always been one of my favorites. You’ll see guys painting the line, running the middle, and eventually running up on the fence, and it’s going to make for a great show. We know what we need to do, so now it’s all about our execution. I’m excited!” JACK WOOD, NO. 24 LOGITECH G SILVERADO RSTWood’s thoughts on making his first-career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway:“I’m looking forward to going to Homestead; I’ve never been there before, but I have been studying a lot of film and preparing for this race pretty thoroughly. The trucks haven’t raced there in two years, so I think we will have a good opportunity by preparing harder this week. The track layout looks really cool where we will be able to move around and experience some tire fall off, which will be fun for all of the drivers. We’re getting really close to the end of the season, so I’m mainly excited to get back to the racetrack with my Logitech G Chevy after having a few weeks off.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 40First 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 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: 18Poles: 9Laps Led: 3,853Top-five finishes: 76Top-10 finishes: 145Stage wins: 26Tyler 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) CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 832 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 732Laps led to date: 245,189Top-five finishes to date: 4,214Top-10 finishes to date: 8,700                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,166           Chevrolet: 832           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

Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway … In 68 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has 10 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes. The Welcome, N.C., based team has five second-place finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway: Kevin Harvick (2003 and 2008), Jeff Burton (2009), Ryan Newman (2014) and Tyler Reddick (2021).  Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway … RCR owns three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway, highlighted by Tyler Reddick’s championship-clinching victory in 2019. Myatt Snider grabbed his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the track in 2021.  Jeff Burton rallied from a 30th-place starting position to score the victory in 2007, leading the final 26 laps. Kevin Harvick scored a dominating win in 2003, leading 108 of 203 laps. 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 Homestead 300 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, October 22, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on USA. The race will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  Follow Sunday’s Action at Homestead-Miami Speedway … The NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, October 23, beginning at 2:30 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 Huk Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway… Austin Dillon’s best NASCAR Cup Series finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway is a seventh-place result he earned in the 2020 Fall race. Most recently, he finished 12th at the track in February of 2021. Dillon has four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, acquiring three top-five finishes, including a best finish of second in 2015 after leading 16 laps. In three NASCAR Truck Series starts, Dillon won the pole in 2010 and earned a best finish of 10th in 2011. Dillon clinched the 2011 NASCAR Truck Series Championship and the 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Racing For The Florida Relief Fund … Huk is teaming up with Richard Childress Racing and Austin Dillon at the Dixie Vodka 400 this Sunday to help support the many Floridians who were recently affected by Hurricane Ian. In an effort to help build back, Huk is donating 10 percent of all online sales through Sunday, October 23 to the Florida Relief Fund, and RCR will also donate 10 percent of the No. 3 Chevrolet’s race winnings. Huk and RCR are debuting a special “Miami Nights” paint scheme this weekend, which pays tribute to the state of Florida. Welcome, Huk … Huk is the fastest-growing performance clothing brand with an authentic passion for its products. Based in Charleston, S.C., at the confluence of three major rivers and a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean, Huk’s product developers enjoy a dizzying array of waterside opportunities that help shape and mold its purpose-built fishing gear. Huk clothing represents a fresh take and a unique understanding of the waterside lifestyle, offering functional products with wide reaching appeal that resonates with RCR’s fan base. Austin Dillon enjoys wearing Huk clothing during his everyday life. Some of his favorite products include the Icon X Polo, Waypoint Pant and Vented Pursuit Hoodie. For more information, visit www.hukgear.com.  AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:What excites you most about Homestead-Miami Speedway?” We ran well at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year and finished seventh in 2020. It was fun; we had a fast car, so I can’t wait to get there. I think it’s the most driver-friendly track. Actually, it’s not really friendly because you can get into the wall pretty easily, but it’s so much fun to run right up against the fence. You have to be disciplined in how you drive that track and save your tires. It’s an epic race. It’s always intense. My teammate, Tyler Reddick, is solid there and I think that’s pushed our program to another level when it comes to running at Homestead-Miami Speedway. I feel like we’ve learned off of each other the last couple of years.”

This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway …Tyler Reddick will be making his third NASCAR Cup Series start at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. The driver of the 3CHI Chevrolet has two top-five finishes in two previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track, including a second-place effort in 2021 (average finish is 3.0). Reddick clinched the 2018 and 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series championships with victories at Homestead and finished sixth or better in three NASCAR Truck Series races at the 1.5-mile south Florida speedway.  Las Vegas Rewind … Reddick’s sixth-place finish last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was his 15th top-10 of the 2022 season. Reddick won the pole position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his first in six starts at the 1.5-mile Nevada speedway, third of the 2022 season, and fourth of his career. He is 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 13 points outside of the top-10.  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:How was your recent test at Homestead-Miami Speedway? “I never touched the wall but I ran up against it just about as much as anybody else. I loved that we got to test there. Everyone figured out after about three or four laps the top was the place to be. I was watching 10 or 12 drivers that were running and everyone was getting better at running the fence. The drivers who tested there will be really good at running up top when we go back and I’m going to have my work cut out for me, that’s for sure. This Next Gen car is wider than the old car so I felt like I couldn’t get those last couple of inches to the wall so I learned about that a little bit. I never tagged the wall. We were getting ready to have our last long run of the day. We were going to run about 40 laps and we had rain wash out the remainder of our day. I got to learn a lot about the car and what it drove like. We got some decent long run speed but a lot of those other drivers and teams have done their homework well. It’s going to be a tough race this weekend.”

This Week’s Whelen Aerospace Technologies Chevrolet Camaro SS at Homestead-Miami Speedway … Sheldon Creed will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Creed has three NASCAR Truck Series starts at the 1.5-mile south Florida speedway. He scored two top-10 finishes, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in 2019. The driver of the Whelen Aerospace Technologies Chevrolet enters Homestead 14th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings with three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.     Whelen Aerospace Technologies … Whelen Aerospace Technologies is the global leader in high-end lighting products for the aerospace industry. Our experienced staff designs, engineers, and manufactures high-quality products that provide safety, visibility, and recognition for aircraft across all platforms. Our design engineers work closely with OEM and service provider networks to design high-performance products that enhance the pilot experience, as well as provide safety of flight. As an FAA-approved production holder, Whelen Aerospace Technologies owns hundreds of STCs for aircraft landing, taxi, anti-collision and position lights. Our in-house composite shop produces a wide variety of STC and PMA approved speed modifications for a number of general aviation aircraft. Our expansive product line is sure to provide a solution for pilots and owners alike, based on their individual needs. 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:What are your thoughts on Homestead-Miami Speedway?“Homestead is definitely a place that I like. I haven’t been there since 2020 in the Truck so that might hurt me a little bit early in practice, just not seeing it in over a year. I think it’s a lot like Darlington for me where it wears out tires fast and you have to take care of them. You can run all over the track but mainly you can run right against the fence, which I like to do. I think Homestead will be a good track for us. We’ve been working on some SIM stuff and I felt like we were pretty good in there. Hopefully it will be like Darlington for us and we can run well this weekend.”  How important is to run well in these three remaining races in the season? “I think it’s extremely important. If we can run in the top three in these last three races and have a chance at winning one of them it will set the tone for the offseason. I think that will be a great confidence boost for myself and the team.”

This Week’s United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro SS at Homestead-Miami Speedway … Austin Hill is making his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hill has one win at Homestead in the NASCAR Truck Series (2019) along with two top-10 finishes. He scored a dominating victory in 2019, leading the most laps (56 of 134) with an average running position of 2.81.  Las Vegas Rewind … Hill scored a sixth-place finish last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his 18th top-10 of the season. The driver of the United Rentals Chevrolet enters Homestead-Miami Speedway with 11 top-10 finishes in 15 superspeedway races this season. He is fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers standings, four points below the fourth-place cutline.       About United Rentals … United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in the world. The company has an integrated network of 1,278 rental locations in North America, 11 in Europe, 28 in Australia and 18 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 states and every Canadian province. The company’s approximately 20,100 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and others. The company offers approximately 4,300 classes of equipment for rent with a total original cost of $15.72 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the Barron’s 400 Index and the Russell 3000 Index® and is headquartered in Stamford, Conn. Additional information about United Rentals is available at www.unitedrentals.com. AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:How different do you think it will be to run in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway compared to the NASCAR Truck Series?“The biggest difference that I’m going to notice from the NASCAR Truck Series to the NASCAR Xfinity Series is I actually ran the bottom quite a bit in the trucks. We were really fast and able to wrap the bottom really well and I never ran close to the wall. I think with the Xfinity car you’re going to see a lot more right up against the wall, which will be opposite of how I drove a Truck there. I’m going to have to trust myself to run against the fence.”  Is tire wear becoming a bigger factor in the races at Homestead-Miami Speedway? “Every year that you race at Homestead it seems that way. If your tires were bad after 10 laps last year, this year they’ll probably be bad after five laps. You’re not going to get much use out of them and after 20 laps or so you’re going to be screaming on the radio wanting some more tires. It’s something you’re definitely going to have to manage. You’re going to have to figure out how hard to drive on the front end of a run to be good on the back end of a run. But you don’t want to lose ground to the leaders. It’s a tough balance to figure out where you need to be and how far you can push the limit.”