10 days of racing and concert action includes total purse in excess of $1 million

ENNIS, Texas (October 7, 2022) — For the second year in a row the historic Texas Motorplex, located between Ennis and Waxahachie on Highway 287, will host the premiere National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event in the state of Texas — the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals as well as a multitude of motorsports and concert events across Ellis County. Millions of fans have experienced 330-mph races and have witnessed historic races between John Force, Cruz Pedregon, Greg Anderson, Steve Torrence and many more as they set records and amazed crowds. This year the Stampede of Speed, October 7-16, 10 days of racing events, plus two major concerts and a full day of professional testing will pump more money into the wallets of race teams from across the country than ever before.

“Last year we made history hosting a multi-day schedule of races and concerts,” said Texas Motorplex Co-Owner Christie Meyer Johnson. “We will be paying over $40,000 in low-qualifier bonuses on Friday night during the Friday Night Live event and on Sunday our race purse for the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals will be over $1 million for all the classes combined, including the largest payout for the Camping World Drag Racing Series.”

The Stampede of Speed schedule will include two days of concerts, Scott Palmer’s Nitro Side Show with Food Drive on Monday, professional testing on Wednesday where many of the NHRA Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle teams will be fine-tuning their race cars and motorcycles. Wednesday night the 2021 Texas Fall Nationals champions will be honored at a gala-style dinner with private concert and Thursday will feature the Pre-Stage Fan Fest with over 50 professional drivers and riders signing free autographs and mingling with fans. 

The Stampede of Speed event calendar can be found at either www.texasmotorplex.com or www.stampedeofspeed.com. Highlights of the Stampede of Speed include:

Friday, October 7 – High Noon Cattle Drive

In a true Texas tradition cowboys will drive over a dozen head of cattle along with special guests through downtown Waxahachie and around the historic courthouse to kick off the Stampede of Speed.

Friday/Saturday, October 7-8 – Funny Car Chaos World Finals and After Party in the Pits

Featuring the fastest and coolest nostalgia Funny Cars from the past four decades, the Funny Car Chaos Series will crown their national champions over this two-day spectacle of speed and racing fury. The race day will conclude with a pit side concert featuring country stars Niko Moon and Kolby Cooper

Sunday, October 9 – Stars Over Texas Music Festival with Bull Riding, Beer Expo and BBQ Contest

BBQ, craft beer and music will be the theme of the day as some of the best pitmasters show off their tasty delicacies paired with some refreshing cold beer from Metroplex area breweries. Before the country stars take the stage fans will be treated to a bull riding exhibition featuring some of the toughest riders and bulls in the area. Multiple musical acts headlined by multi-platinum country music star Brett Young, Wade Bowen, Shane Smith and the Saints, Elvie Shane, and Kylie Frey will entertain the crowd from the afternoon into the evening. A special lantern release will cap off this magical event.

Monday, October 10 – The Stampede of Speed Scott Palmer Nitro Side Show

This ticketed event will feature some of the wildest race cars on the planet as they try and set speed records and breathe fire as they roar down the track. The pits will be open for fans to get up close and personal with some of the most exotic race cars on the planet. The eye-opening, pulse pounding evening of racing will ramp up the excitement level for the week. To also give back to the local communities in Ellis County the event will feature a discounted ticket for every spectator who brings at least one food item to donate to either the Ennis or Waxahachie food bank as part of the Race to Feed the Finish Line.

Tuesday, October 11 – 2^nd annual NHRA Texas Stampede of Speed Shootout

Racing action will be the theme of the day as competitors from across the region race in the Stampede of Speed Shootout featuring Pro Mods, Top Dragster and a host of other high-performance racers. Door-slammers and dragsters will battle it out for bragging rights and the chance to hoist the Shootout trophy. Pro Mods from every association including NHRA will settle their scores on the track with a no rules, anything goes battle to be the quickest at the Stampede. 

Wednesday, October 12 – NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Invitational (10a – 6p)

                                               Texas Fall Nationals Champions’ Dinner (6p – 10p)

See Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycles, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Cars make test laps in advance of the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals. The stars of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will be on-site preparing for the fourth race of the NHRA Countdown. This open schedule test session is a chance for curious motorsports fans to get a taste of the high-speed excitement that will play out Friday-Sunday.

Join the 2021 Texas Fall Nationals champions Justin Ashley, Ron Capps, Greg Anderson and Matt Smith in a high-end dinner and celebration event in the Champions’ Club. The event will include cocktail happy hour, plated dinner the champions selected, photos and autographs, Q&A session, and special surprise for all attendees. 

Thursday, October 13 – Texas Fall Nationals Sportsman Qualifying (9a – 6p)

                                             Fan Fest in downtown Waxahachie (6p – 9p)

Racing action continues at Texas Motorplex as the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals officially begins with sportsman qualifying action.

The wildly popular and free Fan Fest event will begin in downtown Waxahachie highlighting race cars interactive games, live music and family fun. A massive driver autograph session with over 50 drivers and riders will be the highlight of the evening with food trucks and kid’s games entertaining the crowd. 

Friday, October 14 – Friday Night Live at Texas Motorplex

For the third year in a row Friday Night Live will turn the traditional qualifying schedule on its head as music, exhibition runs, circus fire performer Grace Good and a special guest DJ will surround the Friday night NHRA pro qualifiers as they try and run to the top of their respective categories at speeds over 330 mph in under four seconds. Over $40,000 in bonus money will be on the line with a free after-party on the starting line wrapping up the evening.

Saturday, October 15 – Final Qualifying for NHRA Texas Fall Nationals

The last day for teams and drivers from across the country to make the highly competitive sixteen car fields will conclude on Saturday. Teams will only have two chances to make the show or be relegated to spectator status so tension will be high and the competition jumps to a new level as teams vying to be one of the lucky 16. 

Sunday, October 16 – NHRA Texas Fall Nationals Race Day

Following a massive opening ceremony the top drag racers from around the country will be racing to get one step closer to a world championship at the only playoff race in the state of Texas. Hundreds of thousands of dollars will be on the line as well as the chance for racing immortality. The pits as always will be open for fans to mix and mingle with the racers throughout the day. At the conclusion of the event fans are welcome to join the winner’s circle celebration on the starting line.

For information about all the events encompassing the Stampede of Speed click here, for information on the Texas Motorplex click here, and for information about the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals click here.

(10/7/2022 – Alex Nieten) Hanford, CA… Back in early 2005, Jonathan Allard was without a ride when a door opened that would forever change his career.

Up until that year, Allard only knew car owner Morrie Williams personally through some occasional pit area small talk. As sprint car season got underway in California, Williams’ driver at the time, Dennis Moore Jr., suffered an injury. In need of a new wheelman, Williams struck a deal with Allard, leading to him climbing aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0 and marking the beginnings of one of the most dominant pairings in west coast history.

“I got to meet Morrie a few times around the tracks in California,” Allard explained. “I didn’t know him other than a passing hello. I found myself without a ride and was helping my brother (Stephen) at Silver Dollar (Speedway) one night a few races into the season. Morrie’s driver, Dennis Moore, had a car crash into him and broke his arm. They needed a driver, and I was available. We never looked back from there.”

It didn’t take long for Allard to get acquainted with his new team. In his first start with the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Cars (then Golden State Challenge Series), Allard finished second. In 21 series starts that year, Allard and Williams won a trio of races, notched 11 podiums, and logged 15 top-fives. Despite missing the first two events of the season prior to Moore’s injury, Allard led the series in the podium and top-five categories. Also among his accomplishments that year were three top-fives with the World of Outlaws and the first of his now four Dirt Cup victories, all of which would come in Williams’ iconic car. Allard even made the Knoxville Nationals main event twice (2009 & 2012) driving for Morrie.

The very next year they engineered a dominant season as Allard won a whopping seven of the 19 NARC races in 2006 and ultimately claimed his first series championship. They would also go on to earn the 2008 and 2012 titles.

On top of creating a wildly successful driver to car owner dynamic, Allard and Williams formed a strong friendship throughout their time together, one built through Williams’ genuine care for Allard not only as a driver but also as a person.

“Morrie was much more than the typical car owner for me,” Allard said. “He was a friend and a mentor. Morrie was always a steady guide to center us as a team and myself personally. He allowed me the ability to make mistakes inside the car which allowed me to understand myself better.

“Morrie allowed the team to work towards success with guidance and a nudge once in a while when needed,” Allard added. “Morrie never moved us in a direction through force, and that is rare in motorsports.”

Allard became like family to Morrie, his wife, Katie Williams, and the race team as their connection stretched beyond the racetrack.

After nearly a decade of dominance, Allard and the Williams team amicably parted ahead of 2014. Despite going different directions, Allard and Morrie remained close the entire way to the day the racing community sadly lost Morrie in 2019.

The very next year, the Morrie Williams Memorial was born and held at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway. Unfortunately, travel restrictions under the height of the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t allow Allard to attend as he was with his wife in New Zealand, where they share a home.

Now, with those travel troubles erased, Allard is back in the states and set to strap back in the No. 0 this weekend for the third annual Morrie Williams Memorial in a reunion that couldn’t be better scripted in fiction.

While this Saturday will mark Allard’s first NARC start in the Golden State in three years, the Chico native did get his feet wet during a brief stint with the team in June. The four-time Dirt Cup champion flew back and competed at the 50th Annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup in Washington as Peter Murphy and Kevin Rudeen returned 410ci sprint cars to the event. The on-track performance didn’t go as he’d hoped, but Allard came away happy after getting some laps and getting to reunite with the team.

“While it was disappointing for me performance wise, I considered it a success,” Allard commented. “Spending time with Katie and Ashley (Smith, crew chief) and the Williams Motorsports family definitely made me feel like I was finally back home. The Dalton’s racing family put this together with the Williams team, and I find myself in the best spot to enjoy what Morrie build and loved.”

Fortunately for Allard fans, he and the Williams crew plan for this year to be the beginning of another extended run together. During the last few years in New Zealand, Allard has continually proven he still has plenty left in the tank, collecting a healthy tally of checkered flags in the Dalton’s sprint car.

And while Allard hopes for a strong effort in Hanford on Saturday as he continues through the early stages of another tenure with Williams Motorsports, this weekend might be more about enjoying the moment. The evening promises to be full of emotion as Allard gets the opportunity to submerge himself back in the Golden State racing community where he is beloved and primarily recognized for the extensive resumé he constructed in Morrie’s machine. It wasn’t all that long ago that Allard only dreamed of again driving the zero car, and now not only is it a reality, but he also gets to do so at the race that honors his late friend.

“I am so excited for the weekend,” Allard said. “I know we have some work to do to get up to speed again, but I hope that I have a few guys upstairs looking down to help with that. It will be emotional for me. Fortunately, I have the best around me with Katie to get the best out of us as a team. Katie has always contributed so much to this team, and we’re looking forward to what the future holds for the Williams Motorsports 0.”

Richard Childress Racing has nine NASCAR Cup Series starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. Tyler Reddick owns the company’s best finish, a second-place effort in 2021. The first RCR driver to lead laps on the 2.280-mile layout was Daniel Hemric in 2019 (two laps).  Xfinity Series at the ROVAL … RCR has made six starts at the ROVAL in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, highlighted by Tyler Reddick’s second-place finish in 2019. The Welcome, N.C., team has four top-10 finishes dating back to the inaugural event in 2018. The organization’s best qualifying effort in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at the ROVAL is second-place by Reddick (2019) and Daniel Hemric (2018).      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 Drive for the Cure 250 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL will be televised live on Saturday, October 8, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC (simulcast on Peacock). The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  Follow Sunday’s Action at Charlotte … The NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL will be televised live on Sunday, October 9, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL … Charlotte Motor Speedway is Austin Dillon’s home track. Growing up, Dillon watched many races with his family from his grandfather’s condo. In four NASCAR Cup Series starts at the ROVAL, Dillon earned his best finish of 15th in October 2021 after starting 14th. Dillion is a previous winner on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval configuration, sweeping both NASCAR Xfinity races at the track in 2015 and earning his career-first NASCAR Cup Series win in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2017. Delivering Performance on the Track and For the Planet … Dillon will race the Get Bioethanol Chevy in Charlotte, showcasing the performance benefits of racing with earth kind and engine smart bioethanol blended fuel, Sunoco Green E15. Whether it’s delivering cleaner and cooler high octane on the racetrack or a more affordable option for spring break road trips, plant-based bioethanol makes a positive impact on our planet. Learn more about bioethanol at getbioethanol.com.AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:What are your thoughts on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL?“I have confidence leading into the ROVAL this year because we have worked really hard on our road course races. It’s always nice to compete at your hometown track. We almost won the Coca-Cola 600 in May, and I’ve won the Coca-Cola 600 in past years, so it would be cool to add a Charlotte win to my resume on the road course configuration. I don’t know, we’ll see. The goal is to get as many points as possible and to try and win. We’re going to try our hardest.”

This Week’s 3CHI Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL … Tyler Reddick will be making his third NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. The driver of the 3CHI Chevrolet scored a second-place finish in 2021, rallying from a 29th-place starting position. Reddick leads all Cup Series drivers with two road course victories and has led at least one lap in four previous road course events. He has three top-five and four top-10 finishes this season – tied for most among all Cup drivers. Reddick has two wins and two poles in 14 career road course starts. His first career Cup victory (Road America) and pole position (Circuit of the Americas) both came on road course layouts.    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 QUOTES:The Charlotte ROVAL is very different than the other road courses. What are your expectations entering this weekend?“When we tested there last year after the ROVAL race, we were trying things and found some stuff and we were really fast in that test. I was like ‘Man, when we come back here it’s going to be crazy.’ These teams and our competitors are just so smart. Where everyone was with this car when we last tested there and now are just two different places completely. It’s going to be a tough race for sure, but we’ve been doing a really good job this year of making our cars better little by little. I’m very excited about it. We had a really good test and made it faster every time and we had a lot of speed. We’re all pretty close on setups nowadays so it all comes down to who does the best job preparing for the race weekend and who executes properly. It should be an interesting race. This car is going to be going through the infield there faster than ever before and it’s going to be a physical race for sure.” What are some of the key areas at the ROVAL road course? “The racing and passing will evolve from where we were last year, but there are certainly a lot of opportunities to mix it up for track position and positing yourself against your competitors when you try to set up passes or try to defend them into the chicanes. We’re going to be moving through the infield faster than we ever have before so I think some of the techniques will change a bit. Exiting off of Turn 8 onto the big oval will remain the most important corner followed by getting out of the rear chicane. How you approach it, prepare for it and what you want your car to do will be a lot different with this car with the bigger brakes, wider tires and a little bit less power.”

This Week’s Whelen / National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Chevrolet Camaro SS at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL … Sheldon Creed will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (ROVAL) this weekend. There have been five road course races so far this season and Creed has two top-10 finishes and a best finish of eighth at Watkins Glen International.  Momentum on his Side … Creed has had two strong runs in the last two weeks beginning at Texas Motor Speedway, where he started 13th and finished seventh. This past weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, Creed was able to salvage a 12th-place finish in a crazy superspeedway race. All in all, Creed has three top fives and 11 top 10s in 28 races so far this season and is still looking for his first win. The team has made a lot of positive progress throughout Creed’s rookie season and is completely focused on winning. Creed is currently holding on to 14th-place in the driver standings with 630 points. National Fallen Firefighters Foundation … This weekend is extra special for Sheldon Creed and Whelen as they are honoring the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) with a special paint scheme for Saturday’s race. Creed’s No. 2 Chevrolet has the 2022 Roll of Honor names on the decklid and a patriotic look with the NFFF logo on the hood. This weekend is the 41st annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to honor America’s fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the non-profit Foundation has developed and expanded programs that fulfill that mandate. Our mission is to honor and remember America’s fallen fire heroes and to provide resources to assist their families in rebuilding their lives and work within the fire service community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries. Each October, the Foundation sponsors the official national tribute to all firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Thousands attend the weekend activities held at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The weekend features special programs for families and co-workers along with moving public ceremonies. Whelen Celebrates 70 Years … From a small garage workshop in Connecticut in 1952 to a worldwide leader in emergency warning equipment today, Whelen Engineering continues to push the boundaries of innovation. As we mark our 70th anniversary, we’re proud to continue our founder’s mission of making it safer for those who serve and protect. Whelen has been manufacturing in America for 70 years—we never left, and we’re here to stay. 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 QUOTE:This weekend you’re running a special paint scheme for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. What does that mean to you?“I’m really excited to run this paint scheme at the ROVAL. I have always loved showing appreciation to first responders when we can and this one is really special for Whelen, too. The car looks awesome and it’s going to look great on the track. This weekend is National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, and I will have the names of firefighters who died in the line of duty on my car and that’s a really big honor for me. I’d love to get a win for them.” You’re making your debut at the ROVAL. What’s your mindset like?“We had an overall good day last weekend at Talladega, and I hope we can keep that momentum going at the ROVAL. This will be my first start on the road course, so I’ve been focused on doing my homework and working in the simulator to get used to the layout. It’s hard to know what to expect until you get on track. Practice will be really important for my team and I so we can know what kind of car we have right off the bat. Hopefully we qualify well and then we can start in the front and out of trouble. The weather doesn’t look like it will be an issue, so we won’t have to worry about rain tires. My guys have brought me really fast cars and we’ve been in the mix and leading laps so we just need to put it all together and hopefully we can do that this weekend.”

This Week’s Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL … Austin Hill will make his third Xfinity Series start at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (ROVAL) this weekend. Of his two starts, he grabbed a best finish of 18th last season. Hill, the 2022 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, has five road-course starts this season. He started in the top-five in all of those starts and accumulated three top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes. His best road-course finish this season was second at Circuit of the Americas. Hill’s road course numbers have been strong, and he hopes to continue the streak at the ROVAL for the first cut-off race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. Keeping Tabs on the Playoffs … Austin Hill punched his ticket to the post-season in the first race of 2022 with a win at Daytona International Speedway. The Playoffs kicked off two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway where Hill started ninth and finished runner-up. Most recently, Hill swept both stages at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend and led 60 laps. He was shuffled out of the mix at the end of the race and ended up finishing 14th but the team gathered a good number of points heading into the final race of the Round of 12. Currently, Hill is fourth in the Playoff standings, 43 points above the cutline. Obviously, a win would be the best outcome but staying out of trouble and gaining as many points as possible at the ROVAL on Saturday will be the goal.  Sunoco Rookie of the Year … Austin Hill officially clinched NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors after last weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hill joins a long list of prestigious winners including fellow RCR drivers Kevin Harvick (2000) and Austin Dillon (2012).   Wreaths Across America (WAA) … WAA’s mission to REMEMBER, HONOR and TEACH is carried out by coordinating local fundraising efforts and wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 2,158 locations in all 50 states, at sea and abroad. Bennett Family of Companies is passionate about many things. The love they have for our country and armed forces is at the top of this list. In addition, patriotism is one of the core values at Bennett. Bennett took on the cause of Wreaths Across America to provide trucking assistance and fundraising support for a purpose that touches so many of our employees, drivers, and agents. In 2017, Bennett’s first year of being involved with Wreaths Across America, we helped arrange one truck and trailer to pick up wreaths where they are harvested and created in Columbia Falls, Maine. 2022 marks Bennett’s sixth year being involved with WAA. They have hauled over 65,000 wreaths in total since 2017. Here’s the link to the donation page on the National Wreaths Across America website: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/GA0213. About Bennett Family of Companies … McDonough, Ga.-based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 12 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. The company will use race experiences to recruit and retain hundreds of truck drivers for their organization in 2022. For more information, visit www.Drive4Bennett.com. AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:Heartbreaker last weekend at Talladega, but you won your first pole award, swept the stages, and led a lot of laps – does that mean anything heading into the final race of the Round of 12?“It definitely does mean something. We were so close on Saturday, and we just got shuffled out of the mix at the end. I couldn’t get the push that I needed to make it back out front and then we ran out of laps. But we were the dominant car all day long. We had speed, which we also showed on Friday when we won the pole, and we worked really hard on strategy and preparation for the race. The guys at RCR and ECR deserved the win because of everything they do week in and week out. As much as that one was hard to get over, we made a statement. They knew we were there, and they knew that we’re a force to be reckoned with. We’ve had a really strong road course program this season and I’ve put up some really good stats. I’ve been really close to the win a few times this season and I think the ROVAL is where we can get it done. Having a decent number of points heading into the race is nice but the only thing that can make you comfortable is the win. I know my guys will bring another fast car this weekend and we’ll take everything we’ve learned from road courses this season and really execute. I’m looking forward to getting on the track for practice and hopefully we’re on it right when we unload.”

Charlotte Motor Speedway Road CourseConcord, North CarolinaOctober 9, 2022 PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 12 ELIMINATION: CHARLOTTE ROVALHendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott became the first NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) playoff driver to win in the post-season thus far, giving the No. 9 Camaro ZL1 team an automatic berth into the Round of 8. As the only driver with a secured spot into the next round, the seven positions that remain up for grabs in the Round of 8 will be determined in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. The 2.32-mile, 17-turn road course located within “America’s Home for Racing” of Charlotte Motor Speedway was first added to the NCS schedule in 2018; and since then, each of the circuit’s four races have held a spot in the post-season.  Chevrolet recorded its first win at the Charlotte ROVAL in 2019, with road course phenom Chase Elliott taking the checkered flag in the circuit’s second annual NCS race. Since then, it’s been a repeat visit to the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course victory lane for the Bowtie brand. Elliott became a back-to-back winner at the circuit in 2020, with his Hendrick Motorsports’ teammate Kyle Larson becoming the ROVAL’s most recent NCS winner in 2021.  In similar fashion, the Bowtie brand will look to make it four in a row in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. The “King of the Road” AJ Allmendinger recorded his first NXS win at the ROVAL in 2019 and he’s taken each win since; recording the victory in 2020 and later going on to make it a three-peat in 2021. In five NXS road course races this season, Chevrolet has scored the victory in four of those events, three of which were won with Allmendinger behind the wheel of his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS.

NASCAR Cup Series – Defending Winner at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:  Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletOctober 10, 2021NASCAR Xfinity Series – Defending Winner at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:  AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SSOctober 9, 2021

BOWTIE LOOKING FOR 12 IN A ROW ON ROAD COURSESSince Chase Elliott delivered Chevrolet its milestone 800th all-time win in NASCAR’s premier series at Circuit of The Americas in May 2021, it’s been nothing but the Bowtie brand in victory lane on NCS road course circuits. The series’ most recent road course race at Watkins Glen (August 2022) saw Kyle Larson hoist the trophy once again, giving Chevrolet its 11th consecutive NCS road course victory. Within that time frame, a total of six drivers from four different Chevrolet teams added wins to that streak. Four of Chevrolet’s six remaining playoff contenders have at least one NCS road course victory to their name. Joining Elliott and Larson on that list includes Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, who both recorded their first career wins in NASCAR’s premier series on a road course circuit earlier this season. While Elliott has already punched his ticket to the next round with his win at Talladega Superspeedway, a win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course would move the 26-year-old Georgia native up the ranks on the NCS all-time road course wins list. Currently leading all active NCS drivers in career road course wins with seven, a win in Sunday’s race would move Elliott to second on that elite list, tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart with eight. At the top of the NCS all-time road course wins list is Career Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon, who recorded nine career road course victories in NASCAR’s premier series.  A look at where the Team Chevy NCS playoff drivers stand heading into the Round of 12 elimination race, including season numbers and career stats at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 1st in Playoff Standings2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season ChampionVictories: 5 (series-leading)Top-Fives: 12; Top-10s: 19; Laps Led: 773 Average Finish: 11.5; Stage Wins: 6 At Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:  Wins: 2Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 3Average Finish: 5.000 (series-best) Of 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. – Six of his 17 career NCS wins have come in the playoffs.- Elliott has won at two of the three tracks in the Round of 12, including Talladega Superspeedway (2019); and a two-time winner at the Charlotte ROVAL (2019 and 2020).Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 3rd in Playoff Standings (28-points above cutline)Victories: 2Top-Fives: 11; Top-10s: 17; Laps Led: 621Average Finish: 13.8; Stage Wins: 5 At Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course: Top-25: 1; Average Finish: 23.000 Of Note: – The 2022 season marks Chastain’s first career appearance in the NCS playoffs. – Chastain has one career NCS road course win to his name, taking the victory at Circuit of The Americas in March 2022.

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 6th in Playoff Standings (18-points above cutline)2021 NASCAR Cup Series ChampionVictories: 2Top-Fives: 11; Top-10s: 16; Laps Led: 368Average Finish: 13.7; Stage Wins: 4 At Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course: Victories: 1Top-Fives: 1; Top-10s: 1; Average Finish 13.000 Of Note: – The 2022 season marks Larson’s sixth appearance in the NCS playoffs, with 2021 bringing Larson his first trip to the Championship 4. – During the playoff era (2004-present); Larson leads the series in ‘multiple playoff race wins in a single season’ with five in 2021 (Bristol, Charlotte ROVAL, Texas, Kansas, Phoenix).- In 2021, Larson took the wins at two of the three tracks that are in the Round of 12, including the annual race at the Charlotte ROVAL.Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 7th in standings (12-points above cutline)Victories: 1Top-Fives: 6; Top-10s: 12; Laps Led: 249Average Finish: 16.0; Stage Wins: 2 At Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:  Top-15s: 1; Average Finish: 23.250 Of Note: – The 2022 season marks Suarez’s first career appearance in the NCS playoffs. – Suarez has three top-five finishes on road course circuits in 2022 including his first-career NCS win at Sonoma Raceway; and fifth-place finishes at Road America and Watkins Glen.

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 10th in Playoff Standings (11-points below cutline)Victories: 2Top-Fives: 5; Top-10s: 9; Laps Led: 714Average Finish: 16.3; Stage Wins: 4 At Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course: Pole Wins: 1Top-10s: 2; Average Finish: 14.250 Of 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 standings.Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 12th in Playoff Standings (54-points below cutline)Victories: 1Top-Fives: 4; Top-10s: 12; Laps Led: 136Average Finish: 16.1; Stage Wins: 2 At Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:  Top-Fives: 2; Top-10s: 4; Average Finish: 6.00 Of Note: – The 2022 season marks Bowman’s fifth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs. – Bowman has raced his way into the Round of 12 in each of his NCS playoff appearances; making it to the Round of 8 in the 2020 season to score a career-best sixth in the final standings. *Bowman will not be competing at the Charlotte ROVAL. Chevrolet driver Noah Gragson will return to fill the seat of the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1.

PLAYOFF PICTURE UPDATE: CHEVROLET REMAINS ON TOPThe Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course holds the position as the Round of 12 playoffs elimination race for both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, where each of the respective playoff fields will be reduced to just eight drivers remaining in the championship title hunt.  With Chase Elliott’s playoff victory at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, seven spots are up for grabs in the NCS Round of 8. Entering the elimination race, four Chevrolet drivers makeup the top-eight in the playoff driver points standings, with Elliott leading Ross Chastain in third (+28-points), Kyle Larson in sixth (+18) and Daniel Suarez in seventh (+12). Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron continues to sit on the outside looking in, but just 11-points below the cutline. Alex Bowman, who rounds out the top-12 in the playoff driver points standings, will be sidelined once again this weekend with continued concussion symptoms, ultimately eliminating Bowman and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team from the 2022 NCS playoffs.  Chevrolet continues to sit 1-2 in the NXS playoff driver points standings, with AJ Allmendinger (1st) and Noah Gragson (2nd) already sealing their fate into the next round with victories in the Round of 12. Chevrolet drivers currently occupy six of the top-eight in the playoff driver points standings. Joining Allmendinger and Gragson in the top-eight includes NXS rookie Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Camaro SS, in fourth; with JR Motorsports’ teammates Josh Berry, Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer sitting in the fifth through seventh positions, respectively. 

CHEVROLET SWEEPS TALLADEGA TRIPLEHEADERFor the third time this season, Chevrolet took the wins across all three NASCAR national series during a tripleheader race weekend.  The weekend sweep started out with Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Silverado RST team’s win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Chevy Silverado 250. The victory was DiBenedetto’s first in the series; the fifth for the Silverado RST in 2022; and Chevrolet’s 262nd all-time in the NCWTS.  Later that afternoon, AJ Allmendinger edged out fellow Chevrolet driver Sam Mayer at the line by a mere .015-second to record his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series superspeedway victory. The triumph – Allmendinger’s fourth of the season – also gave the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS team a guaranteed spot in the series’ Round of 8. The 40-year-old California native is the second driver to secure his spot into the next round, joining Chevrolet driver Noah Gragson, who accomplished that feat with his win at Texas Motor Speedway. The victory was Chevrolet’s 21st NXS win of 2022, while also extending the manufacturer’s win streak to seven in a row in the series.  Capping off the weekend sweep was Chase Elliott’s victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500. The victory brought Elliott to a series-leading fifth win of 2022, putting him back at the top of the NCS driver points standings as the only playoff driver with a win in the post-season. The victory marked Chevrolet’s series-leading 18th NCS victory this season, with the manufacturer now just one win away from tying its win record from the 2021 NCS season.

CHEVROLET CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR “MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER” WITH PINK CAMARO SS 1LE PACE CARChevrolet’s partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” initiative marks its 12th consecutive year in 2022. A specialty-themed pink Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE made its return to the track at Talladega Superspeedway as the official pace car. Proudly carrying the ACS logo, the pink Chevrolet Camaro pace car will do more than just lead NASCAR’s premier series under caution during the month of October. For every lap run under caution in three select races, Chevrolet will donate $350 to the American Cancer Society to honor “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.”

The first of three NASCAR Cup Series events that are part of the initiative took place at Talladega Superspeedway this past weekend. With the specialty-themed Pink Camaro pace car leading the NCS for 25 laps under caution during Sunday’s YellaWood 500, Chevrolet will contribute $8,750 towards the campaign. The pink “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Camaro will return as the official pace car at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 23 and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on October 30 as part of the contribution.

BOWTIE BULLETS·       Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course:        Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (2021)       Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (2019, 2020) ·       Chevrolet is heading into the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course looking for four in a row in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. Chase Elliott took back-to-back NCS wins at the circuit in 2019 and 2020, with his Hendrick Motorsports’ teammate Kyle Larson taking the win in 2021. Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger recorded wins in the past three NXS ROVAL events.  ·       Chevrolet has recorded wins in 15 of the last 16 NASCAR Cup Series road course races, including a streak of the past 11. In that timespan, six drivers from four different Chevrolet teams have contributed to those wins. ·       Chase Elliott has recorded seven road course victories in his NASCAR Cup Series career; the most of all active NCS drivers. Elliott ranks third on the NCS all-time road course wins list behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine wins) and Tony Stewart (eight wins). Elliott’s victories have been recorded at five different road courses, a record in series’ history. ·       Four of Chevrolet’s six NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers have at least one career road course win in NASCAR’s premier series:        Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 7 (series-leading)       Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 4        Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – 1       Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – 1   ·       Chase Elliott’s win at Talladega Superspeedway – his series-leading fifth of the 2022 season – delivered Chevrolet its manufacturer-leading 18th win in 31 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races. The Bowtie brand also continues to lead its manufacturer competitors in top-fives (73), top-10s (136), laps led (3,626) and stage wins (25). ·       Seven Team Chevy drivers have combined 25 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins:        Tyler Reddick 2 – Fontana x2       Alex Bowman 1 – Las Vegas, Kansas       Ross Chastain 4 – Las Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte, Pocono, Richmond       William Byron 4 – Phoenix, Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington       Daniel Suarez 2 – COTA, Charlotte       Chase Elliott 3 – Martinsville x2, Charlotte, Atlanta x2, Talladega        Kyle Larson 4 – Bristol, Sonoma, Pocono, Texas ·       Reigning NASCAR Cup Series and NASAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer Champions, Chevrolet, continues to lead in the manufacturer points standings in both series. The bowtie brand leads the NCS manufacturer points standings by 97-points, with the manufacturer’s lead in the NXS standings expanding to 141-points. ·       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 Charlotte Motor Speedway.·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Silverado 1500 Crew ZR2, Tahoe Z71, Blazer RS, Corvette Z51, Camaro ZL1, Silverado 2500HD Crew LTZ Diesel, Pink MSABC 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 9·       Erik Jones: 10:45 a.m. ·       Noah Gragson: 11:00 a.m. ·       William Byron: 11:50 a.m. Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:  Saturday, October 8: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.  Sunday, October 9: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.  Tune In: NBC will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series Bank of America ROVAL 400 at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 9. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  NBC will broadcast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 8. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

QUOTABLE QUOTESROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1 How do you feel going into the Charlotte Roval?“I feel ready to win. I’m ready to jump back in the Chevy simulator and brush up on a few things. That’s been the road course that I’ve been focused on the most. I’ve focused a lot on road courses in my career, but I haven’t shown the speed at that course like I have at other ones. So I’m looking for that next step there in speed for overall raw lap times.” Road courses have seen aggressive racing all year. Lots of drivers pushed off and things like that. You don’t really have that option because of the Roval layout. Are you expecting that same kind of aggression?“We’ll just have to be mindful of what is around our No. 1 Chevy. We need to know at all times what is going on. We’ll be aware of the points and not put ourselves in the position to fall out of the race. Aside from the that, we’ll just go and try and make fast laps.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 Larson on if he races differently since he is above the cutoff line: “I don’t think so – well, maybe a little bit. You may look at a situation and think risk versus reward and maybe hold back on a move early in the race. Our road course program has been really good and I hope it carries over to this weekend. I’ve been above the cut line several times before here and have had some crazy races and results.” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Daniels on the uniqueness of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL: “The (Charlotte) ROVAL is substantially different compared to the other road courses on the circuit because you have the addition of the banking. There are a lot of different suspension components that we have to look at differently with this car. There were maybe a lot of similarities to a ROVAL setup last year compared to a Sonoma (Raceway) setup. It’s a much different look now for this weekend – it’s almost not a road course setup. I was joking earlier that it’s almost dune-buggy style – you have the banking, you have big elevation changes. There is a lot more happening with the suspension geometry and the travel of the car that we have not encountered anywhere else this year.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 Elliott on what the win Talladega Superspeedway does for the team heading into the Charlotte ROVAL: “At Talladega (Superspeedway), we really just wanted to have a solid day and try to get as many points as we could. Honestly after that second stage, I was super happy with our day. Regardless of what happened from there, I thought we had done a really good job. We had gained some good stage points and that was going to keep us in a position, we had hedged our bet to have a pretty solid points day regardless of how the finish ended up. To have the win on top of that was just icing on the cake. Now we can try to have a good weekend here at the (Charlotte) ROVAL. Gives us an opportunity to short those stages and not have to go for stage points and hopefully we have enough pace to fight for the win.” ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1Gustafson how the win at Talladega affects how the team approaches the Charlotte ROVAL: “We always try to win. That just goes without saying. For us, it’s just about bonus points. It’s the biggest thing that we can do to put ourselves in a better position going into the next round. Our road course program has not been exactly where we’ve wanted it to be. We’ve been good, we’ve had shots to win and we haven’t been able to win. So focusing on trying to improve that, continuing to learn there, trying to get some bonus points and solidifying our position moving forward.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1Byron on his approach to the playoffs so far: “Rudy (Fugle) and I have been taking it one week at a time in the playoffs. We’re not worrying about races past the one that comes up next. I think it’s been working pretty well so far since we have the second-best average finish in the playoffs right now. I think when you start worrying too far in advance, that’s when mistakes happen. We’ve done a good job of showing up, having speed and executing a good race while minimizing any mistakes. Would we like to be in a better position heading into a cutoff race? Yeah, of course. We can’t worry about the what ifs. We just need to go out and do our jobs the best we can.” RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1Fugle on what he expects at the Charlotte ROVAL: “Even though we tested at the (Charlotte) ROVAL in the Next Gen car, I’m not sure there’s much that’s going to translate from that test since it was so long ago and we’ve made so many changes to the car since then. I think the biggest unknown will be in regard to tires. We’ll be running road course tires for the race. With part of the track being on the oval, we don’t know what to expect from tire fall off and grip levels in that part of the track. Same with our set up, the infield and the oval have such different characteristics and need such different things, you almost have to pick and choose which portion you think is most important. If anything, we can pull notes from the Indianapolis (Motor Speedway) road course race earlier this year, but that’s about the closest we have right now before we get on track Saturday.” GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1Ives on having Noah Gragson as his driver at the Charlotte ROVAL: “The whole team wants to continue our playoff run with Alex (Bowman) behind the wheel, but that will not happen. Despite that, our goal remains the same from an owner’s championship – we will show up to give our all to win. Noah (Gragson) did a great job filling in for Alex last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and we will prepare him to do the same at the (Charlotte) ROVAL.” Ives on Bowman’s recovery: “Our main priority is to make sure Alex is back to 100% before he gets back in the No. 48 Ally Chevy. We are committed to his long-term health and trust the process. There is no doubt he is working hard and doing everything he can to return when the time is right.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1How do you feel about your chances to advance at the ROVAL?“I feel very good about it. My goal today was to at least break even. I haven’t seen the points to know, but I think we did that. Heading to the ROVAL, I feel very confident that we can contend for it.We have a very good road course program at Trackhouse Racing. Both Ross and I have won races and been strong in each race. It’s a great feeling as a driver to know you have a strong chance to win every time you race.” Are you happy with your points position?“Talladega was such a wild card that I said I just wanted to break even and I think we did more than that. We got very lucky. I’m not sure we would be 12 points ahead of the cutoff if that race were a few laps longer. The engine blew up with 15 laps to go and I was barely hanging in there. On that restart, I couldn’t go and the 24 (William Byron) helped me a lot to get going, but the engine was killed. So I guess we had a little bit of luck because it was definitely killed and we were about to not finish that race. We are just going to do our thing this weekend in Charlotte. I feel very confident.”

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: 8Laps Led: 3,626Top-five finishes: 73Top-10 finishes: 136Stage wins: 25Tyler Reddick (Fontanax2)Alex Bowman (Las Vegas), (Kansas)Ross Chastain (Las Vegas), (Darlington), (Charlotte), (Pocono), (Richmond)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: 731Laps led to date: 244,962Top-five finishes to date: 4,211Top-10 finishes to date: 8,691                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,166           Chevrolet: 832           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 818                                                                      Ford: 718           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 168

October 6, 2022

As Harrison Burton and the DEX Imaging team head into this weekend’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, they’re hoping to continue the success they’ve had on other road courses this year. And they’ll be hoping to avoid the pitfalls that come with racing on the infield course at the home track for many of the crew members on the No. 21 Mustang.

Crew chief Brian Wilson said racing in front of the home folks is a nice change of pace.

“Any time that we race in Charlotte, it’s a welcomed weekend that’s easy to be motivated for,” he said. “With so many of the teams and crew members residing in the area, the crowd in that stands and garage is filled with family and friends. 
 
“You always want to race well in front of them.”
 
Wilson said that as he and the No. 21 team head into the sixth and final road course race of the season, their previous races turning left and right give them a sense of optimism.

 “With this being our last road course race of the season, we’re obviously studying our notebook from the other races of this style,” he said. “Over the year we’ve had some great points days as well as our best finish so far this year in Indy.”

But the ROVAL, which incorporates much of the oval track into the 17-turn, 2.28-mile layout, is unique among road courses.

“Historically the ROVAL has provided some chaotic action, not too dissimilar to what we had in Indy this year,” Wilson said. “With this weekend being a cutoff race in the playoffs I believe we’ll see a large mix in strategies with some playoff contenders focused on stage points. 
 
“This mixing of cars and strategies will only amplify the chaos, I believe. As we’ve shown at the previous road courses, the No. 21 Ford team will try to take advantage to have a strong points day and finish on Sunday.”
 
Cup Series practice at Charlotte is set for noon on Saturday to be followed by qualifying at 1 p.m.
 
Sunday’s 109-lap, 253-mile race is scheduled to start just after 2 p.m. with TV coverage on NBC.
 
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 25 and 50. 
 

BREWERTON, NY – Oct. 5, 2022 – In the span of one year, Zach Sobotka went from winning multiple Features at Brewerton Speedway and clinching the track championship, to fighting tooth-and-nail to get to Victory Lane just once. That “once” came Wednesday night, in one of the most prestigious DIRTcar Sportsman Modified races on the Series schedule – The Hurricane Harvey 30.

Sobotka, the defending NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week champion of the division from Parish, NY, had yet to win a Feature at the track after competing in all 16 weekly events this year, but ended the dry spell after climbing from ninth on the starting grid to the lead in 10 laps and holding on for the win.

What was the difference-maker Wednesday night? A little extra tweaking on their new ride.

“We’re definitely starting to get this thing figured out,” Sobotka said. “We put this car together halfway through the year, and I think we’re finally starting to get it – setup-wise – and definitely starting to turn it up toward the end of this year.”

What a time for a big win it was, coming right into the thick of Super DIRT Week, where Sobotka will defend his title against the strongest field of cars he’ll meet all year. Pair that with the checkered flag he captured last Saturday at Fulton Speedway, and he’s got one sizable momentum train rolling into the biggest weekend of the year.

Right from the drop of the green, Sobotka showed an extreme hunger for position, passing each of the eight cars in front of him in less than 10 complete laps around the 1/3-mile oval. He said lane choice was key in making that number of passes so quickly.

“Everyone was trying to go to the middle or the top because they saw all the brown coming out of the corner, but there was nothing really getting into the corner,” Sobotka said. “I pretty much just picked the lane nobody was in.”

Sobotka sealed the deal on a Lap 9 restart, favoring the elevated speed and momentum on the high side to make the move around leader Cedric Gauvreau. From there, it was Sobotka’s race to lose. He held strong on each of the remaining restarts, never allowing any driver to get too close to make a pass.

“When I got behind Cedric – he’s a tough car to pass – he was more to the bottom and going up into the middle,” Sobotka said.  “So I figured the only way I was going to get around him was on top.”

Though Sobotka got him for the lead early, Gauvreau still had work ahead of him in holding off a hungry Ryan Dolbear in the early going. In the final green-flag stretch, it was Cody Manitta breathing down his neck and looking to the inside for a late-race pass, but Gauvreau held strong through the checkers.

“[Sobotka] surprised me coming up on the top,” Gauvreau said. “He did a good job tonight and it was a good comeback for us from last night.

“Two more laps and I think I would’ve had something for him.”

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series is next in action at the 50th Super DIRT Week at Oswego Speedway, starting with their Qualifying and Heat Race night on Friday, Oct. 7. Last Chance Showdowns and the Chevy Performance 75 will complete the program on Sunday, Oct. 9.

Tickets are available online at SuperDIRTWeek.com, or at the gate on race day. If you can’t be there in person, stream all the action live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 38-Zach Sobotka[9]; 2. 22C-Cedric Gauvreau[3]; 3. 6M-Cody Manitta[11]; 4. 33X-Matt Janczuk[8]; 5. 19C-Brandon Carvey[18]; 6. 31B-Ryan Dolbear[1]; 7. 33-Richard Murtaugh[7]; 8. 92-Andrew Buff[10]; 9. 7C-Cody McPherson[13]; 10. 3-Chris Mackey[15]; 11. 64-Tyler Corcoran[16]; 12. 3N-Justin Sharp[21]; 13. 21W-Quinn Wallis[28]; 14. 02-David Boisclair[24]; 15. 77L-Buddy Leathley[2]; 16. 5-Kyle Devendorf[4]; 17. 111-Brett Senek[14]; 18. 33R-Travis Bruno[27]; 19. 33C-Cody Ochs[6]; 20. 01-Zachary Buff[30]; 21. 7-Michael Sabia[22]; 22. 18R-Brad Rouse[20]; 23. 35T-Cameron Tuttle[26]; 24. 28F-Tyler Stevenson[17]; 25. 28-Alan Fink[25]; 26. 52-Jessica Power[29]; 27. 35-Nelson Mason[5]; 28. 1R-Ricky Thompson[31]; 29. 1M-Tyler Murray[23]; 30. 44-David Rogers[12]; 31. 13A-Troy Audet[19]

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 24, 2022) – Off the efforts of his Friday night performance, John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS have secured their second No. 1 of the season, fifth at zMAX Dragway and 165th of Force’s career at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster moved into the No. 2 spot while Robert Hight sits No. 3 with the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro and Austin Prock has the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team in 10th. After a 3.854-second pass at 330.47 mph on Friday night that ensured a No. 1 start, John Force and the PEAK Chevy had trouble getting down track both runs on Saturday. They would open the day smoking the tires early around the 300-foot mark to coast to a 5.343-second pass at 134.58 mph. In the final session, the Chevy moved a bit and Force had to shut off for a 4.158 at 226.35 mph. “Well, we got it yesterday and it’s a good thing. I really thought someone else was going to get it today, we weren’t able to repeat it. Daniel Hood and Tim Fabrisi, these PEAK guys, they are doing a real good job. We’re all learning every week,” Force said. “You asked me yesterday about luck and I’m not superstitious, but the cards seem to be leaning my way this weekend. I know the competition out there is tough, these kids out here are good. I have a lot of work to do to keep up with them.” Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac dragster dropped a hole in their first attempt on Saturday to only go 3.801-seconds at 285.83 mph. David Grubnic and Mac Savage took advantage of their final qualifying try laying down a stout 3.685-second pass at a track record 336.91 mph to match with their track ET record of 3.662-seconds that they set in May 2021. The jump in performance puts them in the No. 2 spot to race against Spencer Massey first round. “That was a good run, a 3.68 is awesome for us. We had been trying to get it down there but there always just seemed to be something. It moved around and got close to the wall last night and I had to pull my foot out of it. Then, earlier today, we put a hole out, so it was great to get it down there tonight.” Force said. “We’re happy with that run and doing it side-by-side with Justin Ashely, that was killer for the fans. I’m ready for race day with this Flav-R-Pac team.” Robert Hight and the Auto Club team had another clean pass in the second qualifying run going 3.946-seconds at 328.22 mph and earning one bonus point for being third quickest of the session. To close out qualifying, Hight and the Auto Club team would have a rare stumble and shut off early for a 5.314 at 136.68. “Not a bad qualifying effort. There was more out there but we stayed fairly consistent. Got another point in that first session today and that’s promising for tomorrow,” Hight said. “We’ve got a great car, these Auto Club Chevy guys are working really hard, not making mistakes and putting in the work. One run at a time, just control what we can and get the job done. Going to be battle tomorrow but we’re ready for it.” Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team had nothing but improvements Saturday. The Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler led team would jump from 12th into eighth with their 3.736-second run at 334.98 mph, which was the track record before teammate Brittany Force improved it in their final qualifying run. In the final qualifying, Prock handled his dragster to a 3.784 at 326.40 and will settle in at 10th to face Antron Brown in the first round of eliminations. “It was a decent day in Charlotte. This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team was third quick in session two and had the track speed record for a bit. Session three we were down on horsepower for some reason,” said Prock who earned a bonus point for being third quickest in the second session. “We are diving into it and will have this hotrod tuned up to go rounds tomorrow. Sitting in the bottom half of the field we will have a tough opponent first round in Antron but to win you have to beat them all anyways.” Eliminations at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, the second of six NHRA Countdown to the Championship races, are slated to begin Sunday at noon. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and continues with a second qualifying show Sunday at 2 p.m. ET with eliminations coverage at 3 p.m. ET. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:10th; 5.887-seconds; 107.70 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+1 (3rd quickest Q2)BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy DragsterQualifying:2nd; 3.712-seconds; 297.29 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+2 (2nd quickest Q3)JOHN FORCE, 73, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:1st; 3.854-seconds; 330.47 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +3 (quickest Q1)ROBERT HIGHT, 53, Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:3rd; 3.864-seconds; 331.45 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+2 (3rd quickest Q1, Q2)

BROWNSTOWN, Ind. (September 24, 2022) – Hudson O’Neal raced to the lead at the start of the 40-lap Night Before the Jackson A-Main and never looked back. The $10,000-to-win race that was postponed from Friday after several hours of light rain at the Brownstown Speedway. Josh Rice tried to track down O’Neal after a caution came out with five laps remaining but came up short as he settled for second. Daulton Wilson finished in third followed by Mike Marlar and Spencer Hughes. Tim McCreadie ran second to O’Neal for the first nine laps of the race until Wilson took over the runner-up position. Wilson held the second spot until Rice, who started sixth, passed him on lap 28.  O’Neal, the winner of the track’s most prestigious race, the Jackson 100, in 2019, climbed from his car to the partisan cheers from the track his family has raced at for over 30 years. “It’s pretty cool to be back in Victory Lane here at Brownstown. I knew coming in we had a pretty good hot rod for today. I knew we had a good shot. I needed to get the lead and get out front because I didn’t know exactly what the track was going to go. It ended up holding some moisture. I know it was top dominant, but it raced pretty good considering we are under the sun. They did a good job with the racetrack. We will go back and get ready for that 20 grand here later tonight.” Rice, who has felt right at home at Brownstown in recent years, came home 1.174 seconds behind the winner at the finish. “I got to him there, he would have had to mess up for me to get by him. He was so darned good. It’s cool to see him run so good here. It was such a thin line up there. He’s got it. I watched him qualify yesterday and told him you’re crazy for running up like he was.” Wilson made a dive-bomb for the lead on O’Neal for the top spot after a restart before falling back to third at the finish. “We got stuck there around the top. I had to mix it up a little and went to the bottom on that one restart. We were either going to win or run third. I hope it was pretty show for the fans. We gambled a little bit on tires, and it worked out.” The winner’s Roger Sellers-owned, Double Down Motorsports, Rocket Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Lazydays RV, O’Neal’s Salvage and Recycling, Lucas Oil Products, Smoky Mountain Speedway, WR1 Sim Chassis, VP Race Fuels, Integra Racing Shocks, Dynamic Drivelines, and New Era Excavation. Completing the top ten were Tim McCreadie, Brandon Sheppard, Earl Pearson Jr., Garrett Alberson, and Tyler Erb. The action at Brownstown Speedway on Saturday night will continue with the regularly schedule 43rd Annual Jackson 100. Another complete show of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains is on tap. Saturday’s 43rd Annual Jackson 100 will be highlighted by a 100-lap, $20,000-to-win finale for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Night Before the JacksonSaturday, September 24th, 2022Brownstown Speedway – Brownstown, IN Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Hudson O’Neal / 13.006 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Ricky Thornton, Jr. / 13.385 seconds Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 3. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 4. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[4]; 5. 22-Skyller Lewis[6]; 6. 93-Zak Blackwood[7]; 7. 11J-Jarod Fleetwood[5]; 8. 14-Quentin White[9]; 9. H22-Brandon Hardgrove[8] Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Spencer Hughes[1]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[3]; 3. 12-Jason Jameson[2]; 4. C9-Steve Casebolt[6]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 6. 17J-Greg Johnson[8]; 7. 71R-Rod Conley[7]; 8. 43R-Robert Tincher[9]; 9. 1G-Devin Gilpin[4] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 11R-Josh Rice[3]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 5. 99-Camaron Marlar[4]; 6. 76-Shelby Miles[7]; 7. 24-Jared Bailey[5]; 8. 25-Mike Benedum[8]; 9. T22-Tegan Evans[9] Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[1]; 2. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[2]; 3. 32-Chad Stapleton[5]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[6]; 5. 18L-Trevor Landrum[7]; 6. 15-James Rice[4]; 7. 7R-Kent Robinson[3]; 8. 38-Derek Fisher[8] Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 17J-Greg Johnson[4]; 2. 22-Skyller Lewis[1]; 3. 71R-Rod Conley[6]; 4. 1G-Devin Gilpin[10]; 5. 43R-Robert Tincher[8]; 6. 11J-Jarod Fleetwood[5]; 7. (DNS) 1T-Tyler Erb; 8. (DNS) 93-Zak Blackwood; 9. (DNS) 14-Quentin White; 10. (DNS) H22-Brandon Hardgrove UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 99-Camaron Marlar[1]; 2. 18L-Trevor Landrum[2]; 3. 15-James Rice[4]; 4. 7R-Kent Robinson[6]; 5. 76-Shelby Miles[3]; 6. 24-Jared Bailey[5]; 7. 38-Derek Fisher[8]; 8. T22-Tegan Evans[9]; 9. (DNS) 25-Mike Benedum Night Before the Jackson Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Race Statistics Entrants: 35Lap Leaders: Hudson O’Neal (Laps 1-40)Wrisco Feature Winner: Hudson O’NealArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/aMargin of Victory: 1.174 secondsStop-Tech Cautions: Jarod Fleetwood (Lap 3); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 5); Chad Stapleton (Lap 9); Debris (Lap 10); Skyller Lewis (Lap 24); Ross Robinson (Lap 35)Series Provisionals: Tyler ErbFast Time Provisional: Devin Gilpin; Jarod FleetwoodSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Josh Rice, Daulton WilsonPenske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O’Neal, Josh Rice, Daulton Wilson, Mike Marlar, Spencer HughesOptima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Tyler Erb (Advanced 13 Positions)Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Hudson O’Neal (40 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadieO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Daulton WilsonDirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O’Neal (Lap 2 – 13.741 seconds)DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Trevor Crittenden (Hudson O’Neal)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Friday- Spencer Hughes (12.722 seconds) Time of Race: 28 minutes 14 seconds Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

Results are unofficial until Close of Business on the Tuesday following Race Day

CONCORD, NC (September 24, 2022) — Justin Ashley drove the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy to the No. 1 qualifier position at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals today at zMax Dragway. It was Ashley’s second career No. 1 qualifier and second consecutive No. 1 at zMax Dragway, after his No. 1 effort at the Circle K Four-Wide Nationals earlier this season. His No. 1 run came during a quick third and final session that saw four drivers run around provisional No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta before Ashley’s 3.668 second run at 335.65 mph secured the top spot. 

“I usually try and stay within myself but that session I was peeking at the SunocoVision trying to see what the teams in front of us ran,” said Ashley in the zMax Dragway media center. “I could tell they ran in the 3.60s and those are some good teams. I knew Mike Green and Tommy DeLago would try and go up there to do the same. I figured Mike and Tommy were going to try and run a little quicker. You can try as much as you want but going out there and doing it successfully really speaks volumes about our team.”

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

The 2020 Rookie of the Year’s success at zMax Dragway has extended to his first career start in 2019 when he raced to a semifinal finish in his professional debut.

“Far and away this is the most beautiful facility on tour,” said Ashley, who raced to a runner-up finish last weekend at the first Countdown event. “I think as soon as you pull in you realize how gorgeous this place is and how clean it is. We have had a lot of success during qualifying here at the first two races in Charlotte this season. We are going to enjoy this one tonight and then put it behind us to focus on the race tomorrow.”

Ashley made the third quickest run Friday to earn one qualifying bonus point and his team picked up another three points with the quickest run of the third session. The ability to grab the little points has the four-time Top Fuel national event winner excited for his championship aspirations.

Phillips Connect Executive Vice President Jim Epler and No. 1 qualifier Justin Ashley, photo by Ron Lewis

“Consistency is critical especially during the Countdown,” said Ashley, who has raced to at least the semifinals in six of the previous seven national events. “If you want to win races you obviously have to go A to B, but you also want to be able to collect those bonus points. All those points add up quickly. We are going down the track every run trying to stay within ourselves. We are not trying to shock the world. It is important to be consistent and to qualify well to put yourself in the best position to win the race on Sunday. The way the Top Fuel field is now no matter where you qualify it is going to be a difficult first round.”

Ashley will face No. 16 qualifier Alex Laughlin who has a 3-1 career head-to-head record against in the first round. Earlier this season Ashley defeated the versatile driver in the first round at the Sonoma Nationals. As the current points leader Ashley knows that there are no easy rounds during the final five races of the Countdown.

“Every race is a dogfight no matter who you are racing,” said Ashley. “I think the other teams would tell you that they are worrying about themselves. We are worried about ourselves. We have made the statement that we are here to play. We have great sponsors with Phillips Connect. We are out here having fun and trying to build something special. To see how far this program has come is a testament to this team and our marketing partners. To Dustin Davis, Mike and Tommy as whole everyone has done a great job putting us in this position.”

Final eliminations will begin tomorrow at zMax Dragway at noon ET with the race being broadcast on FS1 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. ET.

Sheldon Creed Grabs Seventh-Place Finish at Texas, Racks Up 11th Top-10 Finish of 2022 Season

7th

13th

14th

“It’s certainly good to finish and to get another top 10. Everyone on the Whelen team worked hard all day and the pit crew was solid. I was close to being in that one pileup but we made it through. I actually thought I was going to be right in the middle of it but, thankfully I wasn’t. I was wrecking-lose there to start the race and we had to work on it quite a bit throughout the day. Every time I’d get a good restart, something would happen and my line would stop and that would hurt our track position. At the end, I thought we had it driving a lot better. We’ll keep working to find more speed.” -Sheldon Creed

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Finish Runner-Up in First Playoff Race at Texas

2nd

9th

4th

“Man, one spot short. I gave it everything I had out there in my No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet. I was hoping a caution would come out at the end so we could restack and get out front but we stayed green. I’m frustrated because we almost had it but it also feels pretty good to start the Playoffs with a second-place finish. My pit crew was on it all day today, our stops were so fast and I think I may have given up some time entering my box so that’s something I’m going to work on. I felt good all day long, clean air made all the difference for us so when we were up front, we were running some of our fastest laps. My guys brought me a really good car and I’m disappointed we didn’t get the win. I gave it my all. We’re 30 points above the cutline but when you go to Talladega, none of that matters because it can change in an instant. But, my team and all of RCR have been really strong on the superspeedways this season so I expect us to do the same next weekend. We’ll run in the front and hopefully we come out on top with the trophy.”-Austin Hill

GR Supras Take Top-10 Starting Spots for Second Countdown Race

CHARLOTTE (September 24, 2022) – Justin Ashley claimed his second number one qualifier position of the season in Saturday’s qualifying effort at Charlotte’s zMax Dragway. Ashley also earned the top spot at zMax earlier this season. His 3.668 second pass at over 335 mph set a new track speed record and he will face Alex Laughlin in round one on Sunday.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps held the fourth position following Saturday’s qualifying rounds and stood on his Friday night time of 3.866. Capps will face Blake Alexander in round on Sunday. Fellow GR Supra drivers J.R. Todd (sixth) and Alexis DeJoria (ninth) also claimed top-10 qualifying positions with Todd picking up spots in the final qualifying round on Saturday with a pass at 3.873 seconds. Todd and DeJoria will face each other in round one on Sunday.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

zMax Dragway

Race 18 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	1st (3.668)	A. Laughlin
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	5th (3.689)	S. Langdon
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	7th (3.705)	A. Prock
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	8th (3.715)	B. Torrence
Billy Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	9th (3.720)	S. Torrence
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	12th (3.746)	D. Kalitta

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
John Force*	Peak Chevy Camaro FC*	1st (3.854)	Bye
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	4th (3.866)	B. Alexander
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	6th (3.873)	A. DeJoria
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	9th (3.903)	J. Todd

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Davis Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

What is it about you and zMax Dragway that you can pull number one qualifying runs?

“Yeah, there’s something about zMax, but there’s something about this Phillips Connect team too. Mike Green and Tommy DeLago are doing a fantastic job. It’s funny, I was talking to Mike Salinas and Clay Millican and we all agreed that we’re just along for the ride. When it’s running like that, it’s such a blast and our team has been working so hard. We’ve got a long job to do tomorrow. We want to be out here for a long day but it’s going to be difficult. The competition out here is not easy. We have to continue to put our best foot forward for Toyota, Philliips, Vita-C Energy, Lucas Oil and all our sponsors.”

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 6th

The team had a strong pickup in the final qualifying session tonight. How do you feel about the speed in your Supra and your chances in tomorrow’s eliminations?

“It was good. It was what we were striving for last night. Just ran really slow, slower than what we wanted to. We had to kind of play catchup throughout the day, but this is really where we need to be. We’re a couple adjustments away from probably running quicker than that. This is a good confidence booster heading into race day. I feel good about tomorrow and running like that means we can run with the top guys out here. Like I said, it’s a good confidence booster going into race day.”

September 24, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford are set to start Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway from 20^th place.

Burton, driving the No. 21 Mustang that this weekend will honor the late Nancy Wood as a Cancer Hero, took that spot with a lap at 187.169 miles per hour during qualifying on Saturday afternoon. It earned him his second top-20 start in the past three races.

In the practice session earlier in the day, Burton was 12^th fastest with a best lap at 185.931 mph, which he posted on the second of the 16 laps he ran in the session.

Sunday’s 334-lap, 500-mile race is scheduled to start just after 2:30 p.m. (3:30 Eastern) with TV coverage on USA Network. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 105 and 201.

NASCAR CUP SERIES TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AUTOTRADER ECHO PARK AUTOMOTIVE 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-QUALIFYING REPORT SEPTEMBER 24, 2022

WILLIAM BYRON LEADS CHEVROLET TO SIX TOP-10 STARTING SPOTS AT TEXAS

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP:  POS.   DRIVER3rd     William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL14th      Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Lenovo/ThinkEdge Camaro ZL16th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL17th      Austin Dillon, No. 3 True Velocity Camaro ZL19th      Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL110th    Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Aquas Frescas Camaro ZL112th    Ross Chastain, No. 1 Renu Camaro ZL117th    Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL121st    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger/NOS Camaro ZL126th    Noah Gragson, No. 16 Freedom by Ed Morse Camaro ZL127th    Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Camaro ZL129th    Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Shelton Energy Solutions Camaro ZL131st    Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL132nd   Ty Dillon, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Camaro ZL135th    Landon Cassill, No. 77 WearMe Camaro ZL1 TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP:  POS.  DRIVER1st      Brad Keselowski (Ford)2nd     Joey Logano (Ford)3rd     William Byron (Chevrolet)4th     Tyler Reddick (Chevrolet)5th      Michael McDowell (Ford)

·       Following one final lap to determine the starting lineup for tomorrow’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500; William Byron and the No. 24 RaptorTough.comCamaro ZL1 will lead the bowtie brigade to the green, qualifying in the third position with a lap of 28.601 seconds at 188.805 mph. ·    This marks Byron’s 13th top-10 start of the 2022 NCS season.

Post-Practice/Qualifying Notes:  ·       Chevrolet drivers took the top-three spots on the speed chart following the NASCAR Cup Series practice, led by the 2020 Texas Motor Speedway winner Austin Dillon, clocking in the fastest lap of 28.778 seconds, at 187.643 mph, in his No. 3 True Velocity Camaro ZL1. Dillon’s Richard Childress Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Lenovo/ThinkEdge Camaro ZL1 was second; and Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 was third-fastest.  ·       Six Camaro ZL1’s placed in the top-five of the first round in their respective qualifying groups, securing a top-10 starting spots for the first race of the NCS Playoffs Round of 12 at Texas Motor Speedway.  ·       Tyler Reddick topped the leaderboard in Round One of Group A of qualifying. Joining Reddick in the top-five to advance to the final round of qualifying included Kyle Larson, who was second-fastest in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1.  ·       In Round One of Group B qualifying, Chevrolet drivers went 1-2-3-4 in their qualifying runs, led by William Byron and the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 team in the top spot. Also advancing to the final round of qualifying included Austin Dillon (2nd), Chase Elliott (3rd) and Daniel Suarez (4th).  ·       USA Network will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 25. Live coverage can also be found on the NBCSports Gold App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

NASCAR CUP SERIES

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 500

TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT

SEPTEMBER 24, 2022

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

IS IT FAIR TO LOOK AT TEXAS AS A MUST WIN RACE GIVEN WHAT WE HAVE THE REST OF THIS ROUND?

“I don’t think so. I think plenty of people are going to point their way in. It is an uncomfortable round with Talladega being such an unknown and kind of a wild card. A lot of things can happen at the ROVAL and at this place, a lot of things can happen too. So definitely a tough grouping of race tracks as far as being able to control your own destiny or to work on your race car after you unload. I kind of feel like you have what you have here. So, its going to be interesting to see how it plays out, but I think we are in a really good place as a race team and can have a good round here.”

YOU TALKED ABOUT TALLADEGA AND THE ROVAL, BUT HOW DO YOU APPROACH HERE TO MAKE IT THROUGH THOSE TWO?

“I feel like statistically the ROVAL is good for me. That doesn’t make it any easier, but we have had good days there. I feel like we have had good days at Talladega, and we were really strong at Daytona a couple of weeks ago, so that’s good. 

And I feel like at the Texas fall race, as a team, we have always performed really well. So, I think we are in a good spot. I don’t hate this round, it’s just not comfortable. Whereas going to places like Kansas; I feel like we are really good, always run well there and I feel like I was super confident. I feel like this place is not that race track for us, but it’s not a bad race track for us either.”

YOU SAID YOU AREN’T COMFORTABLE IN THIS ROUND, BUT WOULD A WIN OBVIOUSLY CHANGE THAT?

“A win is always going to change that, right? Lock you into the next round. I feel like we are capable of winning at all three of these race tracks. I feel like we are capable of winning at any race track we go to the rest of the year if we perform how we need to. So, yeah, I think a win right now would be great. That is everybody’s goal this weekend and we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. So, we will do our best to make that happen.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE ONE OF THE PLAYOFF DRIVERS WILL FINALLY GET A WIN IN THE PLAYOFFS?

“Hard to say. I feel like track position is so key here. I feel like the playoff cars are probably going to qualify pretty well and will definitely have an emphasis on qualifying. It’s a really long race so yeah, I think we are plenty capable of winning. In my opinion, I feel like a playoff guy will win this race, but I think this is a place that we have seen non-playoff guys win here in the past. I think Kyle Busch was eliminated and won here a few years ago. So, we will have to wait and see how it plays out, but hopefully it’s us in victory lane.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE PLAYOFF DRIVERS WILL TRY AND BALANCE STAGE POINTS GIVEN THE DISASTER THAT COULD BE AT TALLADEGA?  

“Honestly, stage points are the most important thing going right now. I feel like stage points got us through last week when we lost power steering and got caught in that crash. So, I feel like we are all going to be all in on stage points which could create some interesting situations. 

In my opinion in going to Talladega – anytime I have gone there and focused on not crashing, I have crashed. I still tend to crash going for it, but I tend to crash later then. I haven’t figured out how to not crash and hopefully we can get that dialed in. I think you just have to race and be aggressive all day. There has never been a benefit to me to ride because you lose what your car is doing, you lose confidence, and those around you don’t know how your car is going to be. If you are up front racing all day, that is the place you need to be.”

DID YOU KNOW JUSTIN MARKS WELL THAT YEAR YOU GUYS RAN THE GANASSI CAR TOGETHER AND THEN AGAINST HIM LATER?

“A little bit.. not a ton. I had lunch with him and Josh Wise before he started his Cup team a long time ago. Kind of when it was just an idea because he was talking about it. It’s cool to see all the success because he is a really good dude.”

IS THERE ANY SURPRISE TO SEE THAT HE OWNS TWO CARS IN THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR?

“No.. I feel like anything he does, he does successfully. I think that is cool because he is super driven and super smart. The little bit that I have been around him, it doesn’t surprise me about the success that they have had. Obviously, it’s happened very quickly, but I think we are at a time in the sport where things like that can happen with a brand-new race car. He has good race car drivers and good people working on them and it’s cool to see their success.” 

IS THERE A CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITE RIGHT NOW OR ARE YOU SURPRISED ABOUT HOW MUCH EVERYONE IS STILL IN IT AT THIS POINT?

“I don’t feel like there is a favorite right now. There are a couple of guys that have been really consistent through the playoffs, but other than that I don’t think there is. Anyone can make it happen still and hopefully it’s us at the end of the year, but it’s cool. I think this car has created a lot of parity right now. Different teams have different strengths right now, which is pretty cool to see. I feel like our stuff is really fast; really fast on the short run. And some other teams – when it comes to long run stuff like we saw at Kansas – they are really good. So, it’s cool to see the differences and see what you are playing against. I think its really good and there is not a clear favorite.”

BEFORE YOU CAME IN HERE, KYLE LARSON SAID HE WOULD TEAR UP THIS PLACE AND TURN IT INTO A THREE-QUARTER MILE BRISTOL. IF YOU WERE GIVEN THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM OF TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

“I think if you leave it up to the drivers, then you would have what Kyle (Larson) said.. a short track of some sort. If you leave it up to the fans, I have heard that some people want another Atlanta. I don’t think any of the drivers really want another Atlanta, but we are not here for us. We are here for the fans. 

It will be interesting to see if anything does happen. There are a lot of rumors flying around. The race track that we have now has not produced what we want. So, there are a lot of smart people working on it and thinking about how to make it better. Got to do something.”

NASCAR CUP SERIES TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AUTOTRADER ECHO PARK AUTOMOTIVE 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 24, 2022   KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:  COMING INTO TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW YOU GO ABOUT ATTACKING THIS TRACK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT WEEKEND AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY AND THE ROVAL? IT’S A REALLY DIVERSE SECOND ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS. “I think we probably all look at Texas (Motor Speedway) as a good opportunity to hopefully get a win, get locked-in and not have to worry about the next two races. Texas, I feel like it’s a very strategy-driven type of race track. It’s really difficult to pass, so you’ll see some different varying pit strategies going on, whether it be staying out, fuel only, two tires, four tires. So just trying to have a good enough car to play that the right way and keep your track position. Having good pit stops and good restarts I think is important. It seems like all of that has been more important this year with just how difficult it’s been to pass. Hopefully our car is good. I felt good in the All-Star Race. Just blew a right-front tire pretty early on, so I didn’t really get a fair judge of how we were then to how we’ll be now. It’s much warmer conditions this week too, so I think that will change things a little bit. But yeah, hopefully it goes well.” WITH THE C-BELL MICRO MANIA, YOU WERE OUT THERE ON THE TRACK THE OTHER NIGHT GIVING KYLE BUSCH SOME POINTERS ON HOW TO DRIVE. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS AND HOW IT BUILDS FOR THE YOUNGER DRIVERS, OBVIOUSLY OWEN (LARSON), BREXTON (BUSCH) AND OTHERS OUT THERE?“It’s a cool event that they put on our there. There were a lot of cars. The race track is really nice, too. They did a great job with it; the grandstands, the dirt, the banking, the shape of the track is all good. There’s like 140 micros racing just in the main division. There’s a lot of great talent out there.. young talent. Guys that have also been racing micros their whole lives too. A lot of experience out there. It’s cool to see Kyle Busch run out there. He’s doing a really good job of it. I feel like he’s got a little bit of tinkeritus and works on his car too much. I told him just focus on driving instead of working on it, but he’s doing a good job. I think he missed the lock-in spot by one, so he should be on the pole of the B-main I would think tonight.  I had fun last night racing myself and we should have a good shot of winning tonight.” YOU HAD YOUR BATTLE WITH CHRISTOPHER BELL OVER THE YEARS, BUT THIS YEAR IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT HE’S REALLY BEEN A THREAT HERE IN THE CUP SERIES, ESPECIALLY THE LAST FEW MONTHS. WHAT IS HE DOING DIFFERENT?“I don’t know. I’ve always known his talent and abilities. I’ve been surprised that it’s taken him as long as it has to be consistently in the top three to five because, like I said, I’ve raced with him longer than anybody else has in the field and I know the potential that he’s had. It’s neat to see him run up front; another dirt guy contending for a championship. It’ll be fun going to battle with, not only him, but everybody. I always enjoy seeing dirt guys win, especially from my neck of the woods in dirt racing.” THERE’S BEEN SOME RUMBLINGS OF A TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY REPAVE UPCOMING. IF IT WERE TO BE REPAVED, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? “I would like to see them change it from a 1.5-mile track to something shorter. I don’t know if that means bringing the backstretch in or whatever. If I could build a track, it would probably be a three-quarter mile Bristol, basically; pavement, progressive banking, all of that. But I don’t know if that’s even possible here.  I’m not sure what they have in mind, but anything would be better than what they did.” THREE RACES IN NOW AND THREE NON-PLAYOFF DRIVERS HAVE WON THOSE RACES. THE STANDINGS ARE STILL SO TIGHT. HAVE WE ESTABLISHED A CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITE YET AFTER THE FIRST ROUND? WHERE DO YOU SEE THINGS SHAKING OUT? “I don’t think that there’s a championship favorite. Chase (Elliott) getting through the first round, it wasn’t a great first round for his standards, his team’s and what they had for points going in. So I feel like for him, making it through the round and resetting; as long as he can get through this round, I think he’s probably still the favorite. I think (Christopher) Bell has shown so far in the playoffs that he’s really strong. But I don’t think you can pick a favorite until you get through this round because whoever the favorite is right now could easily not make it into the next round just because how wild this round is. I think three weeks from now, you’ll be able to pick a better favorite. But right now, there’s so many unknowns, as far as craziness that’s going to happen.” DO YOU THINK ANY OF THE PLAYOFF DRIVERS WILL NOT EVEN WANT TO RACE HARD AT TALLADEGA UNTIL THE FINAL STAGE, GIVEN ALL OF THE WRECKS WE’VE SEEN AT THE SUPERSPEEDWAYS? “I don’t think so.. just because there’s so many stage points on the line, so I just don’t foresee that. Yes, there might be a couple that do that, but I feel like you typically don’t see that anyways.  I don’t know, we’ll see. I don’t think so. I think there’s so many stage points on the line and if you can get those stage points, then even if you do wreck, you’ll have a decent points day out of it. I foresee everybody racing pretty hard.” IN TERMS OF TALKING ABOUT THE PLAYOFF POINTS, YOU GUYS GOT VERY FEW PLAYOFF POINTS WITH ALL OF THE NON-PLAYOFF WINNERS TAKING ALL THOSE POINTS AWAY. HOW MUCH OF A CONCERN IS IT THAT SO MANY POINTS WERE LEFT OFF THE TABLE AND HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THINGS GOING INTO THIS ROUND? “I don’t know.. I mean I’d rather see them win than somebody else win, honestly. If I can’t win, I’d rather see a non-playoff driver win. So I don’t know, I haven’t really looked at it and thought about it much. But I know for us and our team, we didn’t get hardly any stage points at all in the first round, so I feel like that needs to change. We have to do a better job throughout the first two stages to get some points to benefit us through each race and help us transfer into the next round. Stage points are super important and we’re going to try hard to do a better job in the first two stages to get some points.” ARE YOU STILL GOING TO MEET WITH JOHNNY RUTHERFORD THIS WEEKEND OR DID THAT ALREADY HAPPEN? “I haven’t yet. He called me yesterday while I was getting ready to race over there, so I’ve got to call him back. Thank you for reminding me (laughs).  But yes, I want to. He wanted me to take a picture with him and sign the picture that we had taken together at the Chili Bowl a long time ago. So, yes thank you for the reminder. Definitely going to hit him up here.” WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER FROM THE FIRST TIME YOU MET HIM?“I don’t remember what year it was.. I had to be pretty young. I’m sure my mom set it up. I think they were all sitting around Keith Kunz’s trailer. Like she always is, she probably set the photo up. I’m glad that she did. When he called me, I didn’t have his number at first. This was a few weeks ago. He left me a voicemail and the first thing I did was I copied the voicemail and sent it to my dad and Jon Edwards. It was super cool that Johnny Rutherford had gotten my number and wanted my autograph. So, that was pretty neat and I look forward to meeting up with him here this weekend and getting another photo op.”

Tanner English cuts Dennis Erb Jr.’s points lead to 92 with fourth-place finish

RINGGOLD, GA – September 23, 2022 – Jimmy Owens has hit a stride with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series in September. 

Three weeks after earning his first Series triumph of 2022, the Newport, TN driver backed it up with a wire-to-wire victory Friday night at the Stateline Showdown at Boyd’s Speedway.  

Owens picked up where he left off earlier this month, sprinting away from Dale McDowell in Turn 2 of the Feature’s opening lap. However, while “The O-Show” pulled away, a new challenger emerged behind him—Max Blair. 

The Centerville, PA driver slowly reeled Owens in as he caught lap traffic, finally bringing himself within a car length before Lap 20.

Blair chased Owens through traffic for more than 15 laps, but a caution for Tyler Millwood on Lap 35 allowed Owens to have a clean track ahead of him. 

From there, Owens drove away to score the $10,000 prize and becoming the third driver to grab back-to-back wins this season. 

He praised his team for their performance over the past few months and stated how happy he was to put the winning formula together.

“We had a lot of good cars behind us chasing us all night long, and we were able to hold them off,” Owens said. 

“We’ve been good the last few months; we just haven’t had the chance to let it show,” Owens said. “It just so happens we get to let it show in front of our home crowd and stuff here in Tennessee,” Owens said. 

Blair, the Rookie of the race, crossed the line second—his eighth podium finish of 2022. 

He said he thought he might’ve had another shot at Owens if not for the caution with six laps left. 

“If that yellow don’t come out, I think we could’ve at least made it interesting,” Blair said. “I think I could maneuver pretty good in lap traffic. But I was afraid once he got in clean air, it was kind of game over, and that was about what it was.

“To run second to Jimmy Owens and to beat Dale McDowell at Boyd’s, I’ll take that all day long.”

McDowell finished third after battling with Blair for second on the final restart. Like Blair, the “Mac Daddy” said he would’ve preferred the race to stay green.

“It was pretty decent early, but I wasn’t as good as I needed to be,” McDowell said. “I had to search around there. We made a little bit of a change that kind of went maybe the wrong way. 

“Late, I actually found me a line there where I could gain some speed, so I was kind of wanting to stay in lap traffic because I could move around. It’s a lot easier to run second and third than it is to lead.”

Tanner English crossed the line fourth, gaining points on Dennis Erb Jr. in the race for the championship. 

The Benton, KY driver kept his recent string of consistent runs alive with his 13th straight top-10 finish in points-paying events. 

“The car was pretty good, and I just hung in there,” English said. “I thought I was going to finish about fifth or sixth, but I kind of capitalized on that restart a little bit and thought we might’ve had third, but the cards didn’t play out like they needed to.”

English trails Series points leader Dennis Erb Jr. by 92 points with nine races remaining in the 2022 season. 

Chris Madden from Gray Court, SC, rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on The Planet return to Boyd’s Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 24, for night two of the Stateline Showdown. Drivers will battle in a 50-lap finale paying $20,000-to-win. 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. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 2. 111V-Max Blair[5]; 3. 17M-Dale McDowell[2]; 4. 81E-Tanner English[4]; 5. 44-Chris Madden[9]; 6. 83-Jensen Ford[7]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 8. 18X-Michael Page[13]; 9. 1-Josh Richards[3]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[17]; 11. F1-Payton Freeman[8]; 12. 23-Cory Hedgecock[16]; 13. 99B-Boom Briggs[12]; 14. 25-Shane Clanton[23]; 15. 11-Gordy Gundaker[15]; 16. 16-Sam Seawright[19]; 17. 19R-Ryan Gustin[6]; 18. B1-Brent Larson[24]; 19. 22-Will Roland[20]; 20. 31-Tyler Millwood[10]; 21. 93-Carson Ferguson[21]; 22. 116-Cameron Weaver[22]; 23. 42-Cla Knight[14]; 24. 109-Eli Beets[18] FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER: Shane Clanton [+9]

Abreu Ends 105-Race Drought, Earns First World of Outlaws Win with Ricky Warner

ROSSBURG, OH – September 23, 2022 – Stop the count. The drought is over. Rico Abreu is once again a winner with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

The Rowdy Energy, Lucas Oil Products #24 led the final 24 laps of Friday’s “BeFour The Crowns Showdown” at Eldora Speedway, earning his ninth career win with The Greatest Show on Dirt and snapping a four-year winless streak with the Series in the process.

Bound and determined to overcome the agony of 105 consecutive losses, the St. Helena, CA native fended off a fury of four different challengers including Spencer Bayston, Brad Sweet, Donny Schatz, and James McFadden throughout the 30-lap affair. After sliding by Bayston on Lap 6, the 30-year-old fan favorite never relinquished the lead but could feel the full-time Outlaws breathing down his neck the whole time.

Friday’s win not only brought Rico back to NOS Energy Drink Victory Lane for the first time since September 8, 2018, but it also marked his first World of Outlaws win since the off-season addition of eventual Hall of Fame Crew Chief, Ricky Warner.

“This is a huge confidence booster,” a relieved Rico told a joyous Eldora crowd. “As race car drivers, you become so hard on yourself through these slumps inconsistencies. We built another new team this year and I’m just so thankful to have Ricky Warner in my corner. He makes any driver look outstanding. The chemistry in our team is showing, it’s just awesome to be with such a great group.”

Abreu is now a four-time winner of Eldora’s #4Crown Nationals, adding a World of Outlaws win with an All Stars triumph and pair of USAC National Midget victories. More than anything, it’s momentum ahead of the 40th Kings Royal coming soon in July 2023.

“Standing up here against the World of Outlaws is what it’s all about,” Abreu added. “Everything we do here is learning, practicing, and collecting data for when the Crown Jewel races come back in the summer. I never, ever thought in a million years that I would win a race on the bottom at Eldora Speedway, but that shows how comfortable my car is right now. These guys made some last-minute adjustments before we pushed off, and they nailed it.”

Falling short by 1.051-seconds at the checkered flag, McFadden collected his fourth runner-up result of the year and 10th podium finish since joining Roth Motorsports. Although the Australian is starving for that first win of 2022, he was relatively amped with the chance to beat the boards one more time at one of his favorite tracks on the schedule.

“I was pounding the top so hard right there,” J-Mac said with a big grin. “That’s why I come to Eldora, it’s such a blast. I actually got through to the front on the bottom, but the top was coming in during that last run so I just started hitting it harder and harder. I’m happy with a second-place tonight because I know it’ll come to us if we keep putting ourselves in a position to win.”

Rounding out the podium after briefly challenging for the lead on the final restart was Donny Schatz aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Ford Performance, Carquest Auto Parts #15. The #10-time Series champion is now only six-points behind Sheldon Haudenschild in the battle for fourth-place in the championship.

“We just needed to better at the end, and that’s a recurring problem for us,” Schatz said. “We could kind of hang for three-to-five laps, but then I would just stall out. All I could do at that point was run the win back, keep the tires under it, and hang on. Rico didn’t make any mistakes tonight, so hats off to him. We’ll keep plugging away.”

Rounding out the top-10 on Friday night was Brad Sweet in the Kasey Kahne Racing #49, Carson Macedo in the Jason Johnson Racing #41, Jacob Allen in the Shark Racing #1A, Spencer Bayston in the CJB Motorsports #5, Justin Peck in the Buch Motorsports #13, Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing #1S, and Aaron Reutzel in the RSR #8.

NOS Notebook (Eldora Speedway, 9/24/22)

Rico Abreu’s ninth career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series victory puts him in a tie with Keith Kauffman (Mifflintown, PA), Brent Kaeding (Campbell, CA), and Kenny Jacobs (Holmesville, OH) for 48th on the All-Time Win List.

Abreu’s now-snapped winless streak of both four years, 15 days, and 105 races was the longest of his World of Outlaws career – even longer than the time from his debut in 2011 to his first-career win in 2014.

James McFadden’s runner-up result puts him into a rare category with Jac Haudenschild, Bobby Allen, Tim Shaffer, Mark Kinser, Johnny Herrera, and Daryn Pittman as the seventh man in World of Outlaws history to record 10 podium finishes without any wins during a single season. He’ll have 10 races remaining to try and change that statistic.

After earning his first KSE Hard Charger Award of 2022 last week (22nd-to-2nd at Hanford), Jacob Allen did it again – this time driving from 21st-to-6th at Eldora in the Shark Racing #1A.

Speaking of Shark Racing, the Hanover, PA-based team joined the likes of modern-day powerhouses Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Kasey Kahne Racing, and Roth Motorsports by qualifying three cars (Schuchart, Allen, Myers) in one full-field World of Outlaws Feature.

David Gravel opened the night by topping My Place Hotels Qualifying at 12.625 seconds, nearly topping his own track record of 12.599 seconds – It’s his 96th career World of Outlaws QuickTime Award. Winning NOS Energy Drink Heat Races on Friday was David Gravel (203rd career), Tyler Courtney (10th career), Logan Schuchart (106th career), and Logan Seavey (2nd career).

After a vicious head-on crash to the inside wall down the frontstretch, Brock Zearfoss was checked and released from the infield care center at Eldora Speedway.

UP NEXT (Sat) – Tonight, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will make a four-hour overnight haul from the western border of Ohio to the eastern border of Ohio. A Saturday showcase at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH awaits The Greatest Show on Dirt. Fans can BUY TICKETS HERE, or watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.

NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (30 Laps) – 1. 24-Rico Abreu [3][$10,000]; 2. 83-James McFadden [9][$6,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [12][$3,500]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$2,800]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo [11][$2,500]; 6. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$2,300]; 7. 5-Spencer Bayston [1][$2,200]; 8. 13-Justin Peck [10][$2,100]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5][$2,050]; 10. 8-Aaron Reutzel [18][$2,000]; 11. 2-David Gravel [8][$1,600]; 12. 11X-Buddy Kofoid [16][$1,400]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$1,200]; 14. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [2][$1,100]; 15. 11-Logan Seavey [6][$1,050]; 16. 9-Kasey Kahne [13][$1,000]; 17. 21H-Brady Bacon [17][$1,000]; 18. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [20][$1,000]; 19. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [14][$1,000]; 20. 1M-Landon Myers [24][$1,000]; 21. 7S-Robbie Price [25][$]; 22. 91-Kyle Reinhardt [15][$1,000]; 23. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [7][$1,000]; 24. 26-Zeb Wise [23][$1,000]; 25. 5TX-Travis Philo [22][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Spencer Bayston 1-6, Rico Abreu 7-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 1A-Jacob Allen[+15]

NEW Championship Standings (64/74 Races) – 1. Brad Sweet (7,926); 2. David Gravel (-88); 3. Carson Macedo (-96); 4. Sheldon Haudenschild (-234); 5. Donny Schatz (-240); 6. Logan Schuchart (-308); 7. James McFadden (-456); 8. Spencer Bayston (-526); 9. Jacob Allen (-648); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-862).

JOHN FORCE AND PEAK CHEVY LEAD THE PACK FRIDAY AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2022) – John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS sit in the provisional No. 1 spot Friday at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy currently sit No. 3 while Brittany Force has the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster No. 4 and Austin Prock has the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster sitting No. 12. Sitting fourth in points, John Force handled the PEAK Chevy to a stout 3.854-second pass at 330.47 mph, just three thousandths off the track record elapsed time. The PEAK Camaro will pick up three valuable bonus point for being quickest of the session. Sad to come here without Bruton Smith. I think all the racers feel that way. Have to thank his family for moving forward and keeping us racing at these great race tracks that let us come up here and run those numbers. There’s a stack of drivers behind me who can run that or better, especially if we have similar conditions, everyone will turn up the wick tomorrow,” Force said. “This PEAK Chevy is coming around, got a lot of work to do here in the middle of the Countdown. Danny Hood told me it was going to run mid-3.80s and it really went, moved around a little past half-track but I think I was over steering. Really good job to my crew chiefs, Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi and the whole brain trust over at John Force Racing.” With an 81-point lead in the Funny Car standings, Robert Hight and the Auto Club team picked up another bonus point with their 3.864-second pass at 331.45 mph that was third quickest of the Friday evening session. “I said we had to pick up points every qualifying run and we did just that. Not a bad start to the weekend for the Auto Club Chevy. Tomorrow afternoon will be important for race day, hopefully similar conditions,” Hight said. “We got it down there and have a good starting point. Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham and the whole Auto Club team have done a great job and they’ll keep it going.” Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac dragster had a solid run Friday evening to land in the No. 4 spot with two sessions left. Force would handle the David Grubnic and Mac Savage tuned hot rod to a 3.712-second pass at 297.29 mph. “Qualifying here in Charlotte and zMAX Dragway. In the first session this Flav-R-Pac dragster was on a killer run but it moved around down there, got too close to the wall and I had to pull my foot out of it. It still put 3.71-seconds on the board, which currently puts us No. 4,” Force said. “We know we can get the car down there, we get two more runs tomorrow so our plan is to definitely step it up and get us back to the top.” Coming off his first win of the season, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT dragster would drive into smoke side-by-side with Steve Torrence, shutting off to run only 5.887 at 107.70. “Not the way this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team wanted to start out here but we will come back swinging tomorrow,” Prock said. “I’m confident we will be able to get into the top half and stay. Looking forward to the next shot at it.” Competition at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, the second of six NHRA Countdown to the Championship races, continues with qualifying Saturday at 2:15 and 6:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated for Sunday at noon. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and continues with a second qualifying show Sunday at 2 p.m. ET with eliminations coverage at 3 p.m. ET. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:12th; 5.887-seconds; 107.70 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0 BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy DragsterQualifying:4th; 3.712-seconds; 297.29 mphBonus Qualifying Points:0JOHN FORCE, 73, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:1st; 3.854-seconds; 330.47 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +3 (quickest Q1)ROBERT HIGHT, 53, Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:3rd; 3.864-seconds; 331.45 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+1 (3rd quickest Q1)

CONCORD, NC (September 22, 2022) — Following a semifinal finish at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals last weekend Top Alcohol Dragster racer Travis Shumake will bring his Sheetz backed, Randy Meyer owned and tuned 270 mph dragster to zMax Dragway this weekend. The two race Sheetz marketing program is a first in drag racing for the customer-centric destination that offers more than gas and snacks and is open 24/7/365. Shumake will be flying the Sheetz colors as well as branding from Envision Rise starting Friday in the ultra-competitive Top Alcohol Dragster class.

“We have another packed field of 21 cars this weekend and my goal is to drive this Sheetz-Envision Rise dragster into the top half of the field in qualifying,” said Shumake. “I’m excited to race at Zmax, I know it’s one of the best tracks on the circuit and Randy and the team have had great success here over the years.”

Travis Shumake and Sheetz Top Alcohol Dragster, photo by SR Driven Media

This will be Shumake’s third national event competing in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and last weekend was a breakout event for the second generation drag racer. The 38-year-old New York City resident won the first and second round of racing of his professional career with new sponsor Sheetz at the Pep Boys Nationals. In the semifinals the developing driver jumped the start forcing a redlight disqualification, but his spirits were not dampened because of the mistake. 

“I’m putting that red light behind me and focused on getting back into my routine at the track and in the car,” said Shumake. “We showed the folks in Reading that Pennsylvania is Sheetz country and I hope to go rounds again for both Sheetz and Envision Rise this weekend in Charlotte.”

Shumake is building a racing program with aspirations of advancing into the Camping World Drag Racing Series racing either a Top Fuel dragster or nitro Funny Car. The son of Funny Car driver Tripp Shumake understands that gaining experience and seat time will pay dividends as his career progresses. Working with a world championship caliber team like Randy Meyer Racing has afforded Shumake the confidence to develop as a driver in top-of-the-line equipment.

“Randy and his whole organization have been great to work with,” said Shumake. “I learn so much every time I get in my Sheetz race car and Randy’s insight and direction have helped me make huge strides in a short period of time. I need to continue to work on my skills both on and off the track, but I am on an exciting path to promote this sport.”

Top Alcohol Dragsters will be on track Friday for two qualifying runs at 1:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. On Saturday the class will get one more qualifying pass at 11:30 a.m. before moving into the first round of eliminations at 3:15 p.m. and second round at 7:00 p.m. The race will conclude on Sunday with the semifinals and final round.

The Hanover, PA driver is on a career-best streak of 13 top-10 finishes in a row, including preliminary events

By Nick Graziano

ROSSBURG, OH (Sept. 22, 2022) – A couple of years ago, Jacob Allen told his father he didn’t think he was cut out for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series tour. He couldn’t win.

Now…

“I really do believe I feel like I can win any race that I show up to,” Allen said.

The confidence stems from having not only the best season of his career, but, arguably, a “breakout season.”

Allen’s previous season bests included one win, nine top-five finishes, 20 top 10s and 79 laps led. This year, he’s already surpassed each stat with four wins – including his crown jewel victory at the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway – 15 top fives, 31 top 10s and 134 laps led.

What’s produced the change?

“You know, I don’t… I just keep believing in myself, keep believing in my team and keep focused,” Allen said. “We’re working hard on getting our race car to feel right for the racetrack. You know, with getting the car right for the racetrack it helps a tremendous amount on driving the race car, as well.”

The Hanover, PA driver and his Shark Racing team are currently on their best stretch of finishes since joining the World of Outlaws tour full-time in 2014. Allen hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in his last 13 starts, including his preliminary nights during the Knoxville Nationals, which he won, and Gold Cup, where he finished second. And more than half of those finishes are podiums.

To put his season into another perspective, with 11 races left to go this season, Allen still has more wins than three-time and defending champion Brad Sweet and is tied with 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz.

“To me, it’s like a humbling feeling more than anything,” Allen said about the stat. “Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz are people I look up to and have respect for. I’ve seen Donny win 30 races in a year. Hopefully I can have their respect and hopefully when I want to go talk to guys like that, that they’re open to giving me advice because I’m just a regular guy.

“I have a long way to go to what I think would be to consider myself a great in this sport. Because of those guys, I strive to be like them and be great like them some day.”

Allen and teammate Logan Schuchart have recently swapped the top two spots during the West Coast swing. Allen won at Gold Cup with Schuchart second and then Schuchart won the Tom Tarlton Classic ahead of his uncle.

Being able to add his name to the list of drivers who have won Gold Cup has multiple special meanings to Allen.

“It meant a lot, especially with Logan (Schuchart) winning it the year before,” Allen said. “And with Stevie Smith winning it, there are three guys from the same area that have won a crown jewel race – the biggest race in my opinion on the West Coast. Coming all the way from the East Coast and doing that is pretty special.

“You look at the names that have won the Gold Cup and there are some real gassers on there. So, to be a part of that list is a pretty huge accomplishment for me.”

This weekend, he and the rest of the World of Outlaws tour venture east for two stops in Ohio – Eldora Speedway for the BeFour the Crowns Showdown on Friday, Sept. 23, and Sharon Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 24

Allen has struggled at both tracks recently, finishing no better than 19th at Eldora this year and 23rd at Sharon last year. However, his previous stats at tracks have held little weight this year.

In the 33 different tracks the World of Outlaws has raced at this season, Allen has had a new career-best finish at 23 of those tracks.

A good portion of that stems from his new mentality of, “I feel like I can win any race that I show up to.”

For tickets to the events at Eldora Speedway and Sharon Speedway, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either DIRTVision.com or by downloading the DIRTVision App.