PLAINVIEW, NY (September 20, 2022) — Justin Ashley will be returning to the track where his professional career started this weekend for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. The second-generation driver has made huge strides in his young career and he will enter this weekend’s race as the Top Fuel points leader and most recent Countdown race finalist. Driving the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy for the eighteenth time this season Ashley brings momentum and confidence to zMax Dragway just outside of Charlotte.

“Charlotte is one of the most beautiful facilities on the NHRA Tour” said Ashley, a two-time Top Fuel winner in 2022. “It is the Bellagio of drag strips for good reason and the perfect track for a playoff race. I raced to the semifinals at this event during my debut in 2019 and to be returning a few years later with the points lead during the Countdown speaks volumes of our team and partners.”

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

Throughout his history at the fall NHRA national event Ashley has consistently performed well reaching the semifinals in 2019 and 2021. This season before his runner-up finish last weekend at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Ashley had raced to five semifinals in the previous six races. That high level of performance had him sitting in third place when the playoffs started and he moved to the top of the category last Sunday with wins over Jeff Chatterson, Doug Kalitta and Mike Salinas before losing a close final to Austin Prock. 

“Our Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster has been running great all season. Dustin Davis, Mike Green, and Tommy DeLago have assembled an outstanding team with a winning culture. Crew chiefs Mike and Tommy have invaluable experience and make the perfect tandem no matter the circumstances or conditions surrounding each race. We have been qualifying very well and stacking those important round wins on race day.”

Ashley won the Bristol national event as the No. 14 qualifier but since that race he has never started a Sunday lower than No. 7 and on six occasions he has been the No. 3 or No. 2 qualifier. The quick runs on Friday and Saturday have added weight thanks to the qualifying bonus points and the recalibrated Top Fuel points. Ashley and his Phillips Connect Vita C Energy team added three bonus points at the Pep Boys Nationals which combined with his seven points as No. 2 qualifier was a solid ten point cushion going into race day.

“The qualifying bonus points add up quickly and they could be the difference in winning the Top Fuel championship or falling just shy of the ultimate goal,” said Ashley. “Every run is significant and we would like to collect as many points as we can. There are 20 rounds of racing left in the season. Charlotte will be an opportunity for us to hold onto the points lead and hopefully add some distance on the field.”

The Phillips Connect Toyota opened the season with a win at the Winternationals positioning Ashley in the points lead after the first race. A rare first round loss at the Arizona National moved the team into second and throughout the season Ashley has never been lower than fourth place shuffling positions with Brittany Force, Salinas and four-time champions Steve Torrence. Last Sunday both Force and Torrence exited the race in the second round with Salinas bowing out in the semis. Ashley’s hold on first place is close but the four-time Top Fuel national event winner and nine-time finalist doesn’t feel any added pressure.

“I always put a healthy amount of pressure on myself at every race,” said Ashley. “This is my second time to be in the Countdown and I continue to learn the importance of managing the highs and lows. It’s critical to stay linear throughout the process. It is easier said than done but we have a great team that has championship winning experience. This weekend will be another exciting race and I can’t wait to get back on the track.”

Friday night will feature one round of Top Fuel qualifying along with the rest of the Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors under the lights. Two rounds of professional qualifying will take over Saturday with the quickest 16 race cars battling for the win on Sunday starting at noon ET.

NHRA^® Team Report

Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals – Concord, NC

Pre-Race Report

Cruz Pedregon and team are headed to Charlotte after a quarter-finals finish at Maple Grove and a very special tour of the Pentagon Monday, Cruz’s birthday. After the visit, the team made time to address clutch issues on the Snap-on^® Dodge^® SRT^® Hellcat^® before hitting the road to zMAX Dragway.

“The clutch wear caused the car to be a little too aggressive, so we’ve logged that into our system and made the needed adjustments,” Cruz says. “The Countdown is our playoffs, so anything can happen. It took us a while this season, but we’ve put down some solid runs and are finally coming into our own. We’re feeling good about what the Snap-on Dodge will do this weekend.” 

The Snap-on Nitro franchisee on the side of Cruz’s car this week is a tribute to the late Bob Davis. Bob was with Snap-on 51 years…so long that it became a family business. His son Wayne, who will be with us at the track this weekend, has been with Snap-on 29 years. Wayne’s brother and son have also been a part of the Snap-on team. Wayne has another longtime commitment outside his franchise and that is to the Army Reserves where he will have served 27 years when he retires from its ranks. 

Cruz’s primary sponsor, Snap-on, appreciates those who are dedicated to these roles of keeping us safe at home and on the road. If you’re one of the Makers and Fixers among us here at the track or online, Snap-on hopes you’ll share your story at makersandfixers.com.

Dennis Erb Jr. leads Tanner English by 104 points in championship standings 

RINGGOLD, GA – September 20, 2022 – A battle of epic proportions looms for the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series as they prepare to wage war on the Tennessee-Georgia border.

For the first time, The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet head to Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA, for the inaugural Stateline Showdown on Sept. 23-24.

The weekend kicks off on Friday, Sept. 23, with a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win Feature. Then, on Saturday, Sept. 24, the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to fight for $20,000 in a 50-lap finale.

One driver could leave the Peach State with $30,000 if they sweep the weekend.

TICKETS: bit.ly/3Bgfnxl

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

Here are some of the storylines to watch this weekend:  

The Final 10: When drivers arrive at Boyd’s Speedway for the Stateline Showdown, only 10 races remain in the 2022 season.

Dennis Erb Jr. has held the points lead since March and enters the weekend with a 104-point advantage over second-place Tanner English.

Both drivers bring momentum into Boyd’s as they each come off a top-10 finish at Fairbury Speedway last week.

While neither driver has a victory on a 3/8-mile track this season, both have found success. Erb has nine top fives, while English has three on tracks that size.

Max is Heating Up: Despite his Pennsylvania roots, Max Blair has succeeded in the Southeast so far in 2022.

The Centerville, PA driver found Victory Lane the last time $20,000 was on the line on a 3/8-mile red clay surface (Cherokee).

Like his championship rivals, Blair also has momentum entering the weekend. He scored a win and a runner-up finish at Eriez Speedway last weekend. He also finished third the last time the Series was in action at Smoky Mountain Speedway.

Blair hopes to make up ground on English in the Rookie of the Year battle. He trails the Benton, KY driver by 76 points with 10 races left.

Reaping the Benefits: Erb, English, and Blair aren’t the only drivers bringing momentum into the Stateline Showdown.

Shane Clanton, from Zebulon, GA, and Ryan Gustin, from Marshalltown, IA, have found Victory Lane in the past few weeks at iconic racetracks.

“The Reaper” won a “Chasing the Dream” Feature at Eldora—his first triumph at the Ohio venue. Clanton, meanwhile, found Victory Lane twice winning at Knoxville and Kokomo.

Gustin’s lone Series win in 2022 came on a 3/8-mile track—a $20,000 victory at Sharon Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.

Smoke on the Water: Chris Madden hasn’t entered World of Outlaws CASE Late Models competition often in 2022, but he’s been successful when he does.

In 10 starts with the Series this season, the Gray Court, SC driver has one win, seven top fives, and nine top 10s.

“Smokey” finished second in his last World of Outlaws appearance at USA Nationals—a track similar in size to Boyd’s.

A victory this weekend would be his 34th career Series triumph, breaking a tie with Tim McCreadie for eighth all-time.

Look Out for the Mac Daddy: A trip to the Peach State means Georgia driver Dale McDowell will pay the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models a weekend visit.

The veteran driver from Chickamauga, GA, has two Series victories this season—both at Volusia Speedway Park.

McDowell has experience at Boyd’s, despite not entering an event at the track in 2022. However, he found success in 2021, finishing second and third in two Southern All-Star events.

WHEN AND WHERE

Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA TICKETS: bit.ly/3Bgfnxl

ABOUT THE TRACK

Boyd’s Speedway is a 3/8-mile-high banked clay oval

ONLINE 
Boyd’s Speedway is a http://www.boydsspeedway.com 

TRACK RECORDS

Boyd’s Speedway: 
12.890 by Austin Dillon on July 28, 2015  

On the Internet
World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series
Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month

Around the Turn: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet continue their tour of the Southeast with a return to Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC on Friday, Sept. 30 for the Mike Duvall Memorial. Then, the Series heads South to Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA to finish the weekend on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Feature Winners: (19 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-4
   Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-4
2. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-3
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-3
3. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA- 2
   Max Blair, Centerville, PA-2
   Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-2
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-2
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-2
4. Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-1
   Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1
   Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1
   Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB-1
   Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-1
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1
   Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1
   Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (51 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-12
2. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-10
3. Brandon Sheppard- New Berlin, IL-9
4. Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-8
   Chris Madden-Gray Court, SC-8
5. Max Blair, Centerville, PA-7
   Devin Moran-Dresden, OH-7
6. Dale McDowell-Chickamauga, GA-6
   Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-6
7. Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-5
   Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-5
8. Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-4
9. Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-3
   Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-3
   Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-3
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-3
10. Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2
    Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-2
    Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-2
    Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-2
    Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-2
    Rick Eckert, York, PA-2
    Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-2
    Garrett Smith, Eatonton, GA-2
    Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-2
    Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-2
11. Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE-1
    Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1
    Frank Heckenast, Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
    Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1
    Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1
    Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1
    Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1
    Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
    Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1
    Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA-1
    Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-1
    Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1
    Jeff Rine, Danville, PA-1
    Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1
    Rick Eckert, York, PA-1
    Josh Richards, Houston, OH-1
    Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1
    Ryan Unzicker, El Paso, IL-1
    Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville, AR-1
    Daryn Klein, Trenton, IL-1
    Logan Martin, West Plains, MO-1
    Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1
    Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1
    Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1
    Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
    Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1
    Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, WI-1
    Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-1
    Kent Robinson, Bloomington, IN-1
    Chris Ferguson, Mt. Holly, NC-1

Last Chance Showdown Winners (45 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Max Blair, Centerville, PA-4
2. Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-3
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-3
3. Cade Dillard-Robeline, LA-2
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
   Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-2
   Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-2
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-2
   Jake Timm, Winona, MN-2
   Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-2
   Trevor Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-2
4. Hudson O’Neal- Martinsville, IN-1
   Logan Martin, Plains, MO-1
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1
   Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA-1
   Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1
   Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
   Chase Osterhoff, Kankakee, IL-1
   Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1
   Anthony Sanders, Spartanburg, SC-1
   Banjo Duke, Sumter, SC-1
   Steve Casebolt, Richmond, IN-1
   Austyn Mills, Cincinnati, OH-1
   Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
   Andy Bond, Coolville, OH-1
   Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM-1
   Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
   Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Shaun Jones, Shermansdale, PA-1
   Ryan Montgomery, Fairmont, WV-1
   Chad Myers, Hempstead, MD-1
   Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, PA-1
   John Garvin, Sarver, PA-1
   Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1
   Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1
   Brad Seng, Grand Forks, ND-1
   Chad Mahder, Bloomer, WI-1
   Chris Ferguson, Mt. Holly, NC-1
   Mckay Wenger, Fairbury, IL-1
   Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-1
   Garrett Smith, Eatonton, GA-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Kyle Hardy, Stephens City, VA-1
   Andy Boozel, Clymer, NY-1
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1
   Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1
   Chad Finley, St. Johns, MI-1
   Sam Seawright, Fort Payne, AL-1

PODIUM FINISHES (33 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums

1. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-10
2. Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-8
3. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-7
   Max Blair, Centerville, PA-7
4. Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-6
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-6
5. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-5
   Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-5
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-5
6. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-4
   Josh Richards, Houston, OH-4
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-4
   Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-4
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-4
7. Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-3
8. Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2
   Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-2
   Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-2
   Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-2
9. Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
   Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
   Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-1
   Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1
   Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1
   Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1
   Stormy Scott-Las Cruces, NM-1
   Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-1
   Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1
   Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville, AR-1
   Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
   Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1
   Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1
   Chris Ferguson, Mt. Holly, NC-1

FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER (20 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.

1. Tanner English, Benton, KY-7
2. Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-4
3. Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2
4. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
   Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1
   Carson Ferguson, Concord, NC-1
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1
   Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1
   Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1
   Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM-1
   Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
   Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1
   Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-1
   Jordan Bauer, St. Jacob, IL-1
   Ryan Unzicker, El Paso, IL-1
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-1
   Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, WI-1
   Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA-1
   Eddie Carrier Jr., Fairmont, WV-1
   Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1

QUICK TIMES (17 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs

1. Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-4
2. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-3
   Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-3
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3
3. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2
   Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-2
   Max Blair, Centerville, PA-2
4. Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-1
   Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Trent Ivey, Union, SC-1
   Josh Rice, Verona, KY-1
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1
   Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1
   Logan Martin, West Plains, MO-1
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1
   Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
   Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1

CASE Feature Lap Leaders (30 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led

1. Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-169
2. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-161
3. Max Blair, Centerville, PA-123
4. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-119
5. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-112
6. Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-106
7. Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-99
8. Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-80
9. Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-78
10. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-65
11. Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-60
12. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-56
13. Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB-54
14. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-47
15. Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-40
16. Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-34
17. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-31
18. Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville, AR-28
19. Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-27
    Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-27
20. Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-25
21. Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-24
22. Michael Brown, Lancaster, SC-22
23. Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-20
    Rick Eckert, York, PA-20
24. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-15
25. Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-14
26. Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-10
27. Tanner English, Benton, KY-9
28. Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1

2022 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & Winners

No./ Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thursday, Jan. 20 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Dale McDowell (1)
2. Friday, Jan. 21/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Ashton Winger (1)
3. Wednesday, Feb. 16/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Brandon Overton (1)
4. Thursday, Feb. 17/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Dale McDowell (2)
5. Friday, Feb. 18/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Dennis Erb Jr. (1)
6. Saturday, Feb. 19/Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL/Chris Madden (1)
7. Friday, March 25/Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, SC/Michael Brown (1)
8. Saturday, March 26/Cherokee Speedway, Gaffney, SC/Max Blair (1)
9. Friday, April 22/Atomic Speedway, Waverly, OH/Tyler Erb (1)
10. x, April 23/Atomic Speedway, Waverly, OH/ Brandon Sheppard (1)
11. Friday, April 29/ Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Jonathan Davenport (1)
12. Saturday, April 30/Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Ricky Weiss (1)
13. Thursday, May 5/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Bobby Pierce (1)
14. Friday, May 6/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Jonathan Davenport (2)
15. Saturday, May 7/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Mike Marlar(1)
16. Thursday, May 19/Bloomsburg Fair Raceway/Bloomsburg, PA/Max Blair (2)
17. Friday, May 20/Marion Center Raceway/Marion Center, PA/Dennis Erb Jr. (2)
18. Saturday, May 21/Port Royal Speedway/Port Royal, PA/Jared Miley (1)
19. Saturday, May 29/Sharon Speedway, Hartford, OH/Ryan Gustin (1)
20. Friday, June 3/Tri-City Speedway, Granite City, IL/Bobby Pierce (2)
21. Friday, June 24/Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Pevely, MO/ Dennis Erb Jr. (3)
22. Saturday, June 25/Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, Pevely, MO/Dennis Erb Jr. (4)
23. Sunday, June 26/Jacksonville Speedway, Jacksonville, IL/Brandon Sheppard (2)
24. Friday, July 15/River Cities Speedway/ Grand Forks, ND/ Shane Clanton (1)
25. Sunday, July 16/Red Cedar Speedway/ Menomonie, WI/Mike Marlar(2)
26. Monday, July 25/Boone Speedway/Boone, IA/Jonathan Davenport(3)
27. Saturday, July 30/Fairbury Speedway/Fairbury, IL/Brandon Sheppard(3)
28. Thursday, Aug. 4/Cedar Lake Speedway/ New Richmond, WI/ Mike Marlar (3)
29. Saturday, Aug. 6/Cedar Lake Speedway/Blairsville, GA/Jonathan Davenport (4)
30. Friday, Aug. 19/Williams Grove Speedway/ Mechanicsburg, PA/Shane Clanton (2)
31. Saturday, Aug. 20/Sharon Speedway/Hartford, OH/Devin Moran (1)
32. Thursday, Aug. 25/Davenport Speedway/Davenport, IA/Jason Feger (1)
33. Friday Aug. 26/Davenport Speedway/Davenport, IA/Tanner English (1)
34. Saturday, Aug. 27/Davenport Speedway/Davenport, IA/Tanner English (2)
35. Friday, Sept. 2/Smoky Mountain Speedway/Maryville, TN/Jimmy Owens (1)

Experience, continuity mark roster for two Cadillac V-LMDh cars in new prototype class

Alexander Sims (left) will join Pipo Derani in an Action Express Racing-prepared Cadillac V-LMDh for the 2023 season.Sebastien Bourdais (left) and Renger van der Zande will co-drive a Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared Cadillac V-LMDh.

DETROIT (Sept. 20, 2022) – Four drivers with a passion for victory will seek to continue Cadillac’s rich heritage of winning on the racetrack in an exciting new era of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype racing. Competing in the nine-race Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) schedule for 2023 in the all-new Cadillac V-LMDh race car:

Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais, who have co-driven the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R to three victories this season in the top level of IMSA competition, will continue as teammates in a Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared Cadillac V-LMDh..Reigning IMSA DPi Driver Champion Pipo Derani will be paired with multi-faceted British driver Alexander Sims in the sister Cadillac V-LMDh prepared by Action Express Racing. Additional drivers for the two Cadillac Racing GTP entries for long-distance races on the 2023 IMSA schedule, which begins with the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29, will be announced later. Cadillac will also compete in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2023 as the sole U.S.-based manufacturer. Drivers of the Cadillac V-LMDh entry will be announced later for the schedule that includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  The WEC season begins March 17 with the 1,000 Miles of Sebring in Florida. “The new GTP class is set to create some of the most exciting competition in decades,” said Rory Harvey, Vice President Global Cadillac. “We look forward to seeing our world-class driver lineup in the Cadillac V-LMDh and we welcome Alexander Sims to Cadillac.”

For the media IMSA will host a Zoom conference call with Derani and Sims at 3 p.m. ET today. 2023: IMSA GTP driver bios        IMSA GTP driver photos2022: Cadillac DPi-V.R results at Michelin Raceway Road AtlantaFor 2023: Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing honors tracks

Codeveloped by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis manufacturer Dallara, the Cadillac V-LMDh race car features an all-new Cadillac 5.5-liter DOHC V-8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan, which is mated to the LMDh spec energy recovery system to serve as Cadillac’s first hybrid prototype. Sims, 34, from London, will make his IMSA prototype racing debut at Daytona International Speedway in the Cadillac V-LMDh but already is a member of the GM family. Sims was the third driver in a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R entry in 2021 for the Rolex 24 At Daytona — finishing second in the GTLM class to the sister Corvette — the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the season-ending Petit Le Mans. He recorded the fastest race laps in class at Le Mans and the Petit Le Mans. He rejoined the No. 64 Corvette team in June at Le Mans, where the entry earned the pole in the GTE Pro class. Sims recorded five victories and nine podium finishes in 25 IMSA GTLM races in 2017-18. “I’m excited to be racing back in IMSA full time and to be driving the Cadillac V-LMDh. It’s an impressive piece of kit. I had a good couple of years with Corvette doing some GT racing, which brought me back to the IMSA paddock,” said Sims, who competed against Derani in Formula 3. “It’s racing that I absolutely adore. The format of the racing, the competitiveness, the tracks that we go to are brilliant. “To be stepping across within the GM family to Cadillac in the top tier of racing with Action Express, which is a championship-winning team, is exciting for me.” Derani, who clinched the 2021 driver title on the final laps of the Petit Le Mans, has posted six wins in the Cadillac DPi-V.R since joining Action Express Racing for the 2019 season. Overall, Derani has made 59 starts in IMSA prototype competition since 2016. “As a driver, it’s a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a program of the future of endurance racing. To join Cadillac as a factory driver is a dream come true,” Derani said.Sims and Derani recently participated in development sessions of the Cadillac V-LMDh at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen International. Van der Zande has registered eight IMSA victories in a Cadillac DPi-V.R since 2018 and is completing his first season sharing the seat with Bourdais. Bourdais, the four-time INDYCAR champion, has four wins in a Cadillac DPi-V.R, including the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2021 with JDC-Miller Motorsports. Bourdais has driven to four pole starts this season in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R. “The development has started on the new car and we’re trying to take it to as many places as possible and I’ve been I’ve been a part of that since the beginning,” Bourdais said. “It’s something I very much enjoy, developing a new car, it’s a bit like a new baby. You kind of put your mark on it and give your feedback and dream to develop it in a way where you feel one with the car. We have a very strong base and Cadillac and Dallara have done a great job. It’s a very exciting program and a very exciting new era for endurance racing.” Five Cadillac DPi-V.R entries – including cars driven by Bourdais, van der Zande and Derani — will seek to win the Oct. 1 Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta to conclude the DPi era. The Cadillac DPi-V.R has recorded 27 victories – tops among all manufacturers – in the six seasons covering 58 races heading into the final event of the season.

What they’re saying

Renger van der Zande: “I’m really excited to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac where I’ve been driving since 2018. These are the brands I’ve been with for a long time and it’s where I feel very comfortable because we have the same goals and mentality of how to approach racing and how to win. “I’m thrilled to stay with Seb. We had a full season together and we complement each other very well on and off track in terms of cooperation so that’s something where it’s a very automatic and a pleasure to continue working with him. “It’s a new era coming up with Cadillac’s V-LMDh where we’re taking on big fights against other manufacturers who have been at it for a long time and competing in Le Mans each year. We’re trying to go in there and win it with an all-new car and technologies. It’s an amazing project to be part of from the beginning. Everybody is super motivated to develop the car, work on the systems, work on the team, get the right people in place because it’s a bit of a bigger project than the DPI was and there’s a lot more to it with everything being new. There’s a lot to figure out but it’s really cool to see the energy within the team to move forward and we’re part of history here.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “I’m super happy to be back with Chip Ganassi Racing and the Cadillac racing program. It’s super exciting times for endurance racing in general so I couldn’t be happier to keep the relationship going. The cars are really cool and the competition is going to be really high across multiple championships and series. “I think Renger and I complement each other really well. It’s been a very fruitful relationship and we get along really well. I think our driving styles are somewhat different, but we very easily find the common ground on setups and if one of us doesn’t feel super, super strong, we always feel safe because we know the other one can carry the load. That’s a very, very good thing in a partnership with a teammate like that. Our relationship is only going to build and get stronger and I can’t wait to take it to the next level and win many more races with him. “The LMDh cars have quite a bit more power, a bit less downforce and a bit more weight. Overall, I think it’s going to be very close as far as the times are concerned compared to the DPIs. We’ll have great battles and really close racing, so I can’t wait to get going.”

Pipo Derani: “As a driver, it’s a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a program of the future of endurance racing. To join Cadillac as a factory driver is a dream come true. “I’ve been with Action Express Racing since 2019 and we’ve developed a great relationship in terms of knowing each other really well, working together and understanding from each other what we need to succeed. It’s a big pleasure to be staying on with Action Express and a big pleasure to be representing the Cadillac brand that has given me most of my wins and championships in the DPi era.  “To be moving on to a bigger step and representing the brand as a factory driver starting in 2023 is great and a story that continues to grow into great things. “I hope we can continue to achieve fantastic results and to keep Cadillac on the top step where it belongs. Alexander has lots of experience with electric and hybrid vehicles, which will add a lot to our team. We don’t have the luxury with the development of the new car to go through an adaptation time. We need to hit the ground running and Alexander will allow us to do just that.”

Alexander Sims: “I’m excited to be racing back in IMSA full time and to be driving the Cadillac V-LMDh. Over the last couple of years with Corvette I’ve gotten to know (GM sports car racing program manager) Laura Klauser and others within the GM motorsports family, and they have been brilliant to work with. To be able to continue that relationship while now working day in and day out with Action Express is a great feeling and I’m looking forward to the future.  “My last few years have been in Formula E, so from a technical perspective I hope I can bring some of that experience into this hybrid era of sports car racing. I’ve looked up to Pipo for many years in the level of racing that he’s been able to win in. It’s a lovely opportunity for me to be getting back to the racing that I love and doing alongside him. We raced in F3 together, so we’ve always been battling against each other, and I’ve always had a deep respect for what he does. “Really looking forward to working with him. To be able to have a solid testing program is important from an engineering and technical perspective, but just as important from the human side is to spend some time getting to know each other in less pressure situations.”

BRISTOL, TN – September 19, 2022 – Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher claimed his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory following Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol, closing out the first round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and becoming the 19th different winner this season. This win marks the 138th win with Jack Roush as car owner, and first under newly formed Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing with Brad Keselowski as driver/owner.

“Congratulations to Jack, Brad, Chris, Scott, and everyone at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing on the win at Bristol,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Chris and Scott executed their plan throughout this race, including the last 2-tire stop for a well-deserved checkered flag.”

“We had a really fast Fastenal Mustang. Just so proud of everybody. We knew we had a good race car after practice and didn’t quite get the job done in qualifying, but what a race car. It’s just special. Get RFK in Victory Lane for the first time, and we had great race cars. Brad had really good speed, too,” commented Buescher.

Aric Almirola with Stewart-Haas Racing started Saturday’s 500-lap race from the pole with teammate Chase Briscoe beside him on the front row and 4 other Ford Performance drivers in the top 10: Ryan Blaney with Team Penske in P6, Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing in P7, Austin Cindric with Team Penske in P9, and Brad Keselowski with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in P10. Brad Keselowski won Stage 1 of the race to score his first stage win of the season, leading a total of 109 laps. The race, one of the season’s toughest, saw mechanical issues across the playoff grid and made the cut line for the playoffs a movable target throughout most of the race. Buescher made a 2-tire pit stop on lap 439, moving him from fourth to first and maintained the lead for the final 61 laps of the race. Buescher took the checkered flag with a .458 second lead over second place.

Ford Performance teammates Cole Custer with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P8, Kevin Harvick with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P10, Michael McDowell with Front Row Motorsports finished in P11, Brad Keselowski with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing finished in P13, and Chase Briscoe with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P14. Moving on to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 are Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, and Chase Briscoe.

Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished P5 and Ryan Sieg with Ryan Sieg Racing finished P10 in Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Bristol. Both drivers will move on to the Xfinity playoffs. The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continue next Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway with the first race of the Round of 12 while the Xfinity Series begins its first playoff round on Saturday.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 437 WINS – 395 POLES

HUMBOLDT, KS – September 19, 2022– The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models will make their long-awaited return to two Midwest tracks and their debut at another during a triple header weekend at the end of October.

First, the Series will make two stops in Kansas – at Humboldt Speedway, on Friday, Oct. 21, and the 81 Speedway, on Saturday, Oct. 22 – before venturing to US 36 Raceway in Osborn, MO on Sunday, Oct. 23.

The three races, each paying $10,000 to win, are key points in the 2022 championship battle with drivers looking to secure as many points as they can before the season ending World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Nov. 2-5.

Tickets: CLICK HERE

WORLD OF OUTLAWS @ HUMBOLDT

Track: Humboldt Speedway

Location: Humboldt, KS
To Win: $10,000
Last Winner: No previous races

Notables: The World of Outlaws will make their debut at the 3/8-mile Humboldt Speedway

WORLD OF OUTLAWS @ 81 SPEEDWAY

Track: 81 Speedway

Location: Wichita, KS

To Win: $10,000

Last Winner: Brandon Sheppard (2017)

Notables: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will make their second appearance the track. 

Brandon Sheppard was the inaugural winner in 2017, while current Series regular Shane Clanton finished fifth. 

Ryan Gustin also scored a victory at the track in 2020, in a United States Modified Touring Series event. 

WORLD OF OUTLAWS @ US 36
Track: US 36 Raceway

Location: Osborn, MO
To Win: $10,000

Last Winner: Steve Francis (2009)

Notables: The World of Outlaws will make their first appearance at the track since 2009, when Steve Francis found Victory Lane. 

Four-time Series champion Josh Richards finished second in that race, while Shane Clanton finished eighth. 

MARSTONS MILLS, Massachusetts (September 19, 2022)  Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it’s the courage to continue that counts.” That quote certainly resonates with Jay Blake and the Follow A Dream Team after this past weekend’s Pep Boy’s NHRA Nationals in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.It’s no secret that Maple Grove is Jay’s favorite track, and the reason is simple, its where Jay first dreamed up the crazy idea to start a race team despite becoming totally blind. After over 20+ years at the helm of his Top Alcohol Funny Car team, that is the one Wally that has eluded the Dream Team.“I can’t really put into words what it would mean to me to win there, I’ve been chasing it for so long, and I guess it would feel like finally conquering the mountain.” said Blake of the continued pursuit. The team did briefly taste victory after a few rounds of Qualifiers that didn’t quite go as planned. The first qualifier was a shut down due to an ignition problem that was solved by Q2. The second round of Qualifiers earned a 5.72 at 261 mph. The racecar shook the tires for several feet leaving heavy wheelie bar marks behind it. Tuner Anthony Terenzio and Team Consultant Rich Bozzelli had the kinks worked out by Q3 and the team was satisfied with the 5.51 at 266 mph that the final round of qualifiers yielded.Saturday’s first round of eliminations brought early victory and stoked the team’s enthusiasm as Burkart screamed past Gawlik Sgro in the Permatextraining.com funny car with a winning 5.54 at 264 mph to Brian Gawlik’s 5.63 at 258 mph. Unfortunately, the momentum didn’t continue, and The Dream Team was bested in an incredibly close second round loss by DJ Cox’ s 5.47 at 267 mph to Phil Burkart’s 5.51 at 264 mph.Now its on to Virginia for the teams last race of the year and one more chance to clinch The Eastern Region Championship!Jay Blakes’s speaking program continues to flourish with Blake and some of his crew heading out for a presentation at Reading Muhlenberg Vocational Technical School before the races this past weekend. Blake smiled as the freightliner rolled out of the school heading for the track, “The racing is great, I mean really fantastic, who doesn’t love to win, but it’s the lives that we change that really makes this dream worth dreaming!” Well said, Jay! For more information about Follow A Dream’s speaking program please reach out to Jay at FollowADream.org

Jay Blake motivating hundreds of students at Reading Muhlenberg VocTech

An inspired student hugging Jay

Visible wheelie bar marks after Q2

Team Chevy Continues to Occupy 50 Percent of Playoff Field DETROIT, Mich. (September 19, 2022) – It was a battle all the way down to the last lap of the first elimination race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) playoffs at Bristol Motor Speedway, with six Chevrolet drivers prevailing to advance to the Round of 12 and continue in the championship title hunt. The 500-lap annual night race at “The Last Great Colosseum” provided drama throughout, but the bowtie brigade proved its strength, continuing to occupy 50 percent of the playoff field for the second consecutive round. Chevrolet drivers continuing on include all four Hendrick Motorsports teammates (Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, William Byron and Alex Bowman); as well as Trackhouse Racing teammates and first-time playoff drivers Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez.            It was a playoff opening round for the record books. Three non-playoff drivers took the victories in each of the three races in the Round of 16; a first-time occurrence in series’ history since the NASCAR playoff era began in 2004. Consistency was key for playoff drivers to solidify their spot into the next round. William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team proved to be a contender right out of the gate, with an eighth-place finish at Darlington Raceway that took the 24-year-old North Carolina native to the second spot in the playoff standings. Byron was able to maintain that position on the playoff grid throughout the opening round, scoring top-10 finishes in all three races.            With the playoff grid reseeded in advance of the Round of 12, a familiar face is back in the top position in the standings: 2022 NCS regular-season champion Chase Elliott. The 26-year-old Georgia native now sits 31-points above the cutline, while continuing to lead the series in wins (4), top-fives (11), top-10s (18), laps led (719) and accumulated playoff points (40). Joining Elliott in the top-five of the playoff standings includes Ross Chastain (third; 11-points above the cutline), Kyle Larson (fourth; 10-points above the cutline), and William Byron (fifth; 6-points above the cutline), giving Chevrolet four of the top-five playoff spots heading into race one of the Round of 12 at Texas Motor Speedway. Alex Bowman and Daniel Suarez sit in the 10th and 11th spots in the standings, respectively, but both only six-points below the cutline.

The Round of 12 will be contested on three completely different racetrack configurations, including an intermediate track (1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway); the unpredictability of a superspeedway (Talladega Superspeedway); and a left- and right-hand turns of a road course circuit (Charlotte ROVAL). Two of the three tracks in the round saw a Chevrolet-powered machine in victory lane in 2021, with Kyle Larson taking the wins in both the Texas Motor Speedway playoff and All-Star race, as well as the Charlotte ROVAL.

CHEVROLET RACING: NCS PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 12 FAST FACTS

·       In the 29 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races; Chevrolet continues to lead all manufacturers in race wins (16), top-fives (69), top-10s (127), laps led (3,329) and stage wins (23).  ·    For the second consecutive round, Chevrolet continues to occupy 50 percent of the playoff field with six Chevrolet drivers advancing to the Round of 12. ·    Heading into race one of the Round of 12, Chevrolet drivers take four of the top-five positions in the playoff standings, led by regular-season champion Chase Elliott (1st).

Chevrolet All-Time NASCAR Cup SeriesChampionships:  Manufacturer Championships: 1st Chevy Title: 1958Most Recent Title: 2021Highest Number of Consecutive Titles: 13 (2003-2015) Driver Championships: 1st Chevy title: Buck Baker (1957)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)Highest Number of Consecutive Titles: 7 (2005-2011)

Chevrolet’s 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 Drivers:

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 1st in Playoff Standings (+31 points above cutline)2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular-Season Champion

Victories: 4 (series-leading)Top-Fives: 11 (tied for series-leading); Top-10s: 18 (series-leading);Laps Led: 719 (series-leading); Average Finish: 11.1 (series-leading);Stage Wins: 5 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 (+11 points above cutline)

Victories: 2Top-Fives: 10 Top-10s: 16Laps Led: 584Average Finish: 14.2Stage Wins: 5Of Note: – The 2022 season marks Chastain’s first career appearance in the NCS playoffs. – Chastain has already scored a win at one of the Round of 12 tracks in 2022, with his second-career NCS win coming at Talladega Superspeedway in April. 

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 4th in Playoff Standings (+10 points above cutline)2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion

Victories: 2Top-Fives: 11 (tied for series-leading)Top-10s: 15Laps Led: 341Average Finish: 13.7 (third-best)Stage Wins: 3 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 both the playoff and All-Star races at Texas Motor Speedway; and the annual race at the Charlotte ROVAL.

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 5th in Playoff Standings (+6 points above the cutline)

Victories: 2Top-Fives: 5Top-10s: 8Laps Led: 671Average Finish: 16.8Stage Wins: 4 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.- Byron scored top-10 finishes in all three races of the Round of 16 including an eighth-place at Darlington Raceway; sixth-place at Kansas Speedway; and third-place at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 – 10th in Playoff Standings (-6 points below the cutline)

Victories: 1Top-Fives: 4Top-10s: 12Laps Led: 136Average Finish: 15.7Stage Wins: 2 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.- Two of Bowman’s 12 top-10 finishes of 2022 came in the Round of 16, recording a 10th-place finish at Darlington Raceway and a fourth-place finish at Kansas Speedway.

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 11th in Playoff Standings (-6 points below the cutline)

Victories: 1Top-Fives: 6Top-10s: 11Laps Led: 246Average Finish: 16.4Stage Wins: 2Of 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.

READING, PA (September 18, 2022) — Rookie Top Alcohol Dragster driver Travis Shumake of New York City took a major step forward as an up and coming drag racer racing to the semifinals of the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in just his second career national event start. Racing the Randy Meyer owned and tuned Sheetz Top Alcohol Dragster the second-generation driver qualified No. 12 in a 21 car field loaded with veteran racers.

“I learned so much this weekend,” said Shumake, at the end of the day. “I learned what it’s like to red-light. Sometimes your brain, emotions, and right foot aren’t on the same page. I got really wrapped up in my head going into that semifinal round. As a fan you watch and say, “It so easy to not red light, you just don’t go until the ambers flash” and then you’re in the car and you just…go. Whoops.”

Travis Shumake and Sheetz TAD, photo by SR Driven Media

In the first round contested yesterday afternoon Shumake upset No. 5 qualifier and former World Champion Duane Shields with a hole shot win. Shumake took a .049 to .109 second starting line advantage in the Sheetz branded dragster that pushed him to the next round with a winning time of 5.280 seconds, a career quickest run, and a major improvement from his quickest qualifying time of 5.462 seconds.

As the sun dropped yesterday evening Shumake was once again on the hunt for an upset and the son of Funny Car standout Tripp Shumake delivered with another hole shot win taking out No. 2 qualifier Jackie Fricke. Shumake hit the throttle with a .029 reaction time which propelled him in front of Fricke’s .113 second reaction time. As both dragsters flew down the track Shumake’s time of 5.282 seconds combined with his reaction time advantage was enough to beat Fricke’s quicker 5.259 second run at 275.90 mph.

Today after a night to reflect on his success Shumake faced Jeff Veale, the No. 9 qualifier, in his first semifinal appearance. The run proved to be a pivotal moment for the rookie driver as he jumped the start with a red-light start and handed the win to Veale. For Shumake the entire weekend was a huge learning experience and one that he feels will pay dividends as his career progresses.

“I shut off at about 800 feet because I knew I redlit and I was processing how that all worked,” said Shumake. “Randy joked about wishing I ran it through the lights just to test the tune-up we had. We were ready for a tight race. We packed that same tune-up in the trailer, and I can’t wait to roll it out Friday morning in Charlotte. These Randy Meyer cars are showing some great consistency in the back half of the year and five days from now we get to do it again.”

Shumake was racing the first of two NHRA national events representing Sheetz, a customer-centric destination for more than gas and snacks which is open 24/7/365, in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. In five days Shumake and the Randy Meyers team will be back in action at zMax Dragway outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. The marketing relationship with Sheetz was a hit throughout the weekend in front of a packed Maple Grove Raceway crowd.

Travis Shumake, photo by SR Driven Media

“The Sheetz fans are everywhere,” said Shumake. “I loved meeting the “Sheetz Freakz” as they self-identity out at the track. If I had a dollar for every person who stopped and said ‘No way, I love Sheetz. I didn’t know they had a dragster!’ I would have paid for the weekend. Fellow competitors agree that Sheetz is the kind of sponsor we need more of in the sport. A place where our 30 million fans can instantly show their loyalty and appreciation with a gallon of gas or a milkshake. “

Pep Boys NHRA Nationals results

First Round

Travis Shumake, (0.049) 5.280, 263.87 mph def. Duane Shields, (0.109) 5.278, 276.13 mph

Second Round

Travis Shumake, (0.027) 5.282, 264.23 mph def. Jackie Fricke, (0.113) 5.259, 275.90 mph

Semifinals

Jeff Veale, (0.017) 5.347, 274.44 mph def. Travis Shumake, (-0.089) 5.895, 177.37 mph

Justin Ashley Assumes Points Lead in Top Fuel

MOHNTON, Penn. (September 18, 2022) – Justin Ashley assumed the Top Fuel points lead following his Final Round appearance in Sunday’s NHRA event at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania. Ashley advanced beating top contenders Doug Kalitta and Mike Salinas before facing eventual race-winner Austin Prock in the finals. Ashley would fall to Prock by only three one-hundredths of a second, but take over the points lead with five national events remaining. 

Toyota Post-Race Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

Maple Grove Raceway

Race 17 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finals	W. 3.732 vs. 3.865 (Chatterson)W. 3.841 vs. 5.890 (Kalitta)W. 3.739 vs. 9.497 (Salinas)L. 3.783 vs. 3.755 (Prock)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-Finals	W. 3.851 vs. 10.983 (Hart)W. 3.730 vs. 5.389 (Force)L. 6.565 vs. 5.732 (Prock)
Doug Kalitta	CMR Construction & Roofing Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 2	W. 3.720 vs. 4.458 (Pruett)L. 5.890 vs. 3.841 (Ashley)
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 2	W. 3.740 vs. 5.901 (Langdon)L. 3.767 vs. 3.762 (Prock)
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 1	L. 5.901 vs. 3.740 (Torrence)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 2	W. 3.858 vs. 4.282 (Burkhart)L. 4.420 vs. 3.918 (Wilkerson)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 2	W. 3.914 vs. 3.932 (Green)L. 3.972 vs. 4.000 (Force – Holeshot)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 1	L. 3.924 vs. 3.922 (Wilkerson)

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Final Result: Finals

What does a final round appearance to kickoff the Countdown say about this race team?

“We are peaking at the right time thanks to our team leadership. (Co-owner) Dustin Davis has done a fantastic job of developing a group of people that works so well together. They genuinely care about what they do. (Crew chiefs) Mike Green and Tommy DeLago are very experienced, and it shows. They are always calm, and nothing ever phases them. They are also uber-aggressive and they want to win. That attitude is reflected through the whole team.”

What do you expect the racing to be like throughout the Countdown?

“I would expect races like today the rest of the Countdown. Whether you are racing guys in the Countdown or outside the Countdown it is a dogfight out there. You better bring your ‘A Game’ every round. I expect a lot of close races with a lot of lethal teams and outstanding drivers.”

What can you say about the crowd this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway?

“This weekend was amazing. There were so many people here. It was a joy to be able to race in front of this many people. I have to tip my hat to the Koretsky family. They did a fantastic job with this facility in a very short amount of time. The NHRA fans are what it is all about. To pull up and see the kind of crowd in the stands is amazing.”

Justin Ashley Assumes Points Lead in Top Fuel

MOHNTON, Penn. (September 18, 2022) – Justin Ashley assumed the Top Fuel points lead following his Final Round appearance in Sunday’s NHRA event at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania. Ashley advanced beating top contenders Doug Kalitta and Mike Salinas before facing eventual race-winner Austin Prock in the finals. Ashley would fall to Prock by only three one-hundredths of a second, but take over the points lead with five national events remaining. 

Toyota Post-Race Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

Maple Grove Raceway

Race 17 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finals	W. 3.732 vs. 3.865 (Chatterson)W. 3.841 vs. 5.890 (Kalitta)W. 3.739 vs. 9.497 (Salinas)L. 3.783 vs. 3.755 (Prock)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-Finals	W. 3.851 vs. 10.983 (Hart)W. 3.730 vs. 5.389 (Force)L. 6.565 vs. 5.732 (Prock)
Doug Kalitta	CMR Construction & Roofing Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 2	W. 3.720 vs. 4.458 (Pruett)L. 5.890 vs. 3.841 (Ashley)
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 2	W. 3.740 vs. 5.901 (Langdon)L. 3.767 vs. 3.762 (Prock)
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Round 1	L. 5.901 vs. 3.740 (Torrence)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 2	W. 3.858 vs. 4.282 (Burkhart)L. 4.420 vs. 3.918 (Wilkerson)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 2	W. 3.914 vs. 3.932 (Green)L. 3.972 vs. 4.000 (Force – Holeshot)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Round 1	L. 3.924 vs. 3.922 (Wilkerson)

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Final Result: Finals

What does a final round appearance to kickoff the Countdown say about this race team?

“We are peaking at the right time thanks to our team leadership. (Co-owner) Dustin Davis has done a fantastic job of developing a group of people that works so well together. They genuinely care about what they do. (Crew chiefs) Mike Green and Tommy DeLago are very experienced, and it shows. They are always calm, and nothing ever phases them. They are also uber-aggressive and they want to win. That attitude is reflected through the whole team.”

What do you expect the racing to be like throughout the Countdown?

“I would expect races like today the rest of the Countdown. Whether you are racing guys in the Countdown or outside the Countdown it is a dogfight out there. You better bring your ‘A Game’ every round. I expect a lot of close races with a lot of lethal teams and outstanding drivers.”

What can you say about the crowd this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway?

“This weekend was amazing. There were so many people here. It was a joy to be able to race in front of this many people. I have to tip my hat to the Koretsky family. They did a fantastic job with this facility in a very short amount of time. The NHRA fans are what it is all about. To pull up and see the kind of crowd in the stands is amazing.”

READING, Pa. (Sept. 18, 2022) – Austin Prock in the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster and Robert Hight in the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, crew chiefed by Prock’s father, Jimmy Prock, doubled up for the first time in their careers Sunday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy Camaro SS had a semifinal finish while Brittany Force with the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster had a quarterfinal appearance. The win would be Prock’s first of the season, second of his career and propel him from 12th to sixth in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship points. For Hight, it would be his 60th career victory, a career best seventh of the season and second at Maple Grove Raceway while also further solidifying his hold on the championship points lead. Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team started eliminations in the No. 4 spot picking up the win with a 3.705-second pass at his career best 336.15 mph to Foley’s 6.531 at 93.23 after smoking the tires. In the second round, Prock would take on four-time reigning world champion Steve Torrence. In one of the closest side-by-side races of the day, Prock would have the slight starting line advantage at .067-seconds to Torrence’s .070 and never trail crossing the line at 3.762-seconds and 326.87 mph bettering Torrence’s 3.767 at 324.36 sending Prock to his first semifinal appearance since the New England Nationals in Epping, N.H. in June. Prock would take down Antron Brown in a thrilling pedalfest. Both hot rods would go up in smoke almost immediately forcing the drivers to put their skills to the test. Both would battle to gain back control with Prock prevailing to a 5.732-second pass at 293.47 mph over Brown’s 6.565 at 146.54. The finals would be a rematch of the 2022 Winternationals final round with Prock matched up with Justin Ashley. This time around, it would be Prock who would come out victorious with a 3.755-second pass at 329.67 mph over Ashley’s 3.783 at 326.40. “This is exactly what this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team needed. It’s awesome and we’re right back in the hunt of this thing. We came into the Countdown sitting 12th, and if we wanted to play for the big trophy, we knew we had to win this weekend.,” Prock said. “If you come out and win Reading, you’re right back in the hunt. This is unbelievable and it was just one of those days where everything was going our way, the team did their job, the crew chiefs made good decisions and I did my job. I’m so proud of this team. Everybody kept their heads down and still believed in themselves, and that attitude is how you win a Wally. I was really proud to win four rounds and thank you to John Force and Frank Tiegs for giving me the opportunity.” As the No. 1 qualifiers, Hight and the Auto Club team earned a bye run in the first round. Crew chiefs Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham took advantage of the opportunity running a 3.878-second pass at 333.74 mph to gain lane choice in the second round against Cruz Pedregon. Hight and the Auto Club Chevy would stay consistent going 3.901-seconds at 332.67 mph to Pedregon’s 5.567 at 135.46 after he smoked the tires. It would be two juggernauts in the semifinal with Hight facing second in points Matt Hagan. The Auto Club Camaro would continue to be unwavering going 3.908-seconds at 331.69 mph to Hagan’s 4.123 at 255.34. Veteran Tim Wilkerson would be waiting for Hight in the finals. Hight and the Auto Club team left nothing to chance knowing Wilkerson had run second quickest in two of the rounds. The Camaro would lay down a 3.937-second pass at 328.38 mph but the race was on the starting line after Wilkerson would red-light by -.220-seconds securing victory for Hight. “This is exactly how we scripted it. The only problem is, it’s really easy to script a weekend and a lot harder to get the job done. We needed to qualify well and get bonus points every run, because at the end of the year, those bonus points can be the difference,” Hight said. “This is just hard to believe, what we’re doing. I would have never guessed somebody would win seven Funny Car races. There was a point I’d never thought I’d get a win or a chance to drive. I’m very fortunate and there’s been one common denominator on all those wins and that’s the Auto Club of Southern California. I’v had the same sponsor for 18 years, 60 wins, without them we wouldn’t be here. “It’s dog-eat-dog out there, so this is amazing. This is huge, to start out the Countdown to the Championship like this, but it’s one down and five to go,” Hight continued. “We’re going to have fun today and then go focus in Charlotte and try to get it done next week. If we can do that, we’ll really be in a good position.” John Force and the PEAK Chevy started their race day against Cory Lee after qualifying second for the 16-time champs 800th career race start. Force would go 3.932-seonds at at 287.66 mph after lifting early to defeat lee’s 4.407 at 287.84. In the second round, Todd would square off with J.R. Todd. On a holeshot, Force would pick up the win at 4.000-seconds and 324.59 mph with a .051-second reaction time while Todd would have a 3.972 at 326.95 and a .089 reaction time. Force would run into trouble in the semifinals, coasting to a 9.003-second pass at 82.09 mph after driving into tire smoke against eventual race runner-up Wilkerson who would issues of his own to run 4.621 at 182.62. “Not a bad weekend to start the Countdown. Everyone is in the hunt, Robert may just runaway with Is but this PEAK Chevy, we’re still in the mix, still five races to go. Brittany will be good, still up in the top. That Montana Brand car, we’ve been working hard to get that car back in the mix, and they’ve got a chance,” Force said. “We head right to Charlotte where we’ll have another shot at it. Keep on trying to get the job done.” Entering the day as the No. 1 qualifiers, Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team made waves with their first-round victory over Cameron Ferre. Force would handle the David Grubnic and Mac Savage tuned dragster to a 3.698-second pass at a track speed of 337.66 mph. Ferre’s 4.121 at 291.32 was no match for the second quickest run of the event. Force would then line the Flav-R-Pac dragster up with Antron Brown in the second round. Much like her Saturday evening run, Force would have an engine explosion but this time, she’d end up on the losing end going only 5.389-seconds at 123.14 mph when her rear tires slipped in her oil. The 2017 world champion managed to keep her dragster in her lane but watched Brown drive away to a 3.730 at 323.97. “It’s tough, when you come in here in the points lead. It’s unfortunate to get beat that way and watch a car just completely drive around you and you’re stuck, you can’t do anything you have no power, you have to pull your foot out of it. But we’re a team. We’ll pull together these Flav-R-Pac guys. We go to Charlotte next and we’ll set up there and try again.” The NHRA Countdown to the Championship continues with the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, September 23-25. -30-

AUSTIN PROCK, 27, Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist DragsterQualifying:4th; 3.706-seconds; 332.02 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+2 (2nd quickest Q1)Race Results:Beat Doug Foley, Steve Torrence, Antron Brown, Justin Ashley BRITTANY FORCE, 36, Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy DragsterQualifying:1st; 3.696-seconds; 327.90 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+3 (quickest Q3)Race Results: Beat Cameron Ferre; Lost to Antron BrownJOHN FORCE, 73, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SSQualifying:3rd; 3.890-seconds; 329.99 mphBonus Qualifying Points: +2 (2nd quickest Q1)Race Results: Beat Cory Green, J.R. Todd; Lost to Tim WilkersonROBERT HIGHT, 53, Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SSQualifying:1st; 3.867-seconds; 331.20 mphBonus Qualifying Points:+7 (quickest Q1; 2nd quickest Q2 & 3)Race Results: Bye; Beat Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan, Tim Wilkerson

Photo Credit: Gary Nastase, Auto Imagery

Unofficial NHRA Countdown to the Championship Points Standings TOP FUEL – 1. Justin Ashley, 2170; 2. Brittany Force, Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster, 2161; 3. Mike Salinas, 2160; 4. Antron Brown, 2116; 5. Steve Torrence, 2114; 6. Austin Prock, Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster, 2096; 7. Josh Hart, 2083; 8. Tie, Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett, 2063 each; 10. Shawn Langdon, 2052; 11. Clay Millican, 2046; 12. Tony Schumacher, 2032. FUNNY CAR – 1. Robert Hight, Auto Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro SS, 2225; 2. Matt Hagan, 2144; 3. Ron Capps, 2141; 4. John Force, PEAK/Blue Def Platinum Chevy Camaro SS, 2128; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2119; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2103; 7. J.R. Todd, 2095; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 2073; 9. Alexis DeJoria, 2062; 10. Jim Campbell, 2012; 11. Blake Alexander, 2000.

KNOXVILLE, IA (September 18, 2022) – Jonathan Davenport took the lead with two laps to go from Tyler Bruening and went on to win the 18th running of the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals on Sunday afternoon. The victory was Davenport’s first in the only Late Model event at the famed Knoxville Raceway. Bruening, an Iowa native, led from lap 10 to lap 47 when Davenport dove under him to take the top spot, denying him his first career crown jewel victory in heart-breaking fashion. Bruening took home $25,000 for his second-place finish. Brandon Sheppard was third at the end as he now sits just 100-points behind in the championship chase as leader Tim McCreadie finished 25th after completing just 13 laps. Ricky Thornton Jr. was fourth in the final rundown and Earl Pearson Jr. completed the top five drivers. Davenport took the lead early with Bobby Pierce rolling into the second spot. Pierce trailed Davenport for the first eight laps of the race until he took the lead on lap nine. With nine laps complete a caution for Justin Zeitner slowed the field. During the caution period Pierce headed to the hot pit with issues that ultimately ended his night. On the restart, Bruening vaulted to the lead becoming the third different leader of the race in the first ten laps. It was a tightly contested race between Bruening, Pearson, and Davenport until a pair of cautions on laps 19 and 21 kept the field bunched up.  At the halfway mark it was still Bruening showing the way. With the last 29 laps going caution-free it appeared Bruening was within reach of the biggest win of his career. As the laps wound down, Davenport had broken away from a battle with Pearson that had gone on for several laps between the two veteran drivers. Bruening had a little more than a two-second lead that started to slip away as Davenport to close the gap on the top side. Davenport was within striking distance with 47 laps complete and then heading into turn number one he dove underneath Bruening to take the lead a lap later.   Davenport, who won for the 21st time overall this season, said: “I wish I could have said that I was planning for that. I was just too tight there. I didn’t have the best race car by far. I made a mistake first in lapped traffic I thought I might get rolled on the outside and let Bobby around me so I chose the bottom and let Tyler [Bruening] around me. I was trying to race Earl [Pearson Jr.] as clean as I could there, but I knew I had to get by him. I got a big run on Tyler there one time getting into one. I could have blasted on him, but I knew this could be his first crown jewel, so I didn’t want to take it away from him like that.” In his postrace interview, Bruening elaborated on coming so close to winning the biggest race for Late Models in his home state. “I needed two less laps I guess to hold him off. I don’t know. When you are out front for all those laps it’s pretty tough to move out of your line that’s worked the whole race. I didn’t know how close he was until it was too late there getting off of four. I didn’t know how high I could go if all the way up there would do it. It was fun to run up front. We just go beat by the best in the world right now.” Sheppard, who started 11th, charged through the field to round out the podium. “It feels good to run well in this race. I have had a lot of good runs here, so I expected to run good to a certain extent. We had a good car there. Man, I wish it was more laps now because I think we were getting better there at the end. It was unfortunate for Timmy [McCreadie], but we all have bad luck sometimes, that’s part of the game. He still has a pretty good lead on us, so we still have alot of work to do.” The winner’s Lance and Darla Landers-owned, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Spartan Mowers, ASC Warranty, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Midwest Sheet Metal, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas. Completing the top ten were Ricky Weiss, Shane Clanton, Spencer Hughes, Brandon Overton, and Kyle Strickler. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville NationalsSunday, September 18th, 2022Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 2. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[1]; 4. 15-Justin Duty[5]; 5. 18D-Daulton Wilson[4]; 6. 51-Matt Furman[7]; 7. 53-Andrew Kosiski[9]; 8. 93-Chad Simpson[11]; 9. 6H-Al Humphrey[13]; 10. 14W-Dustin Walker[10]; 11. 10-Junior Coover[12]; 12. 22-Charlie McKenna[6]; 13. (DNS) 42-Johnathan Huston Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Race StatisticsEntrants: 48Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-8); Bobby Pierce (Laps 9-10); Tyler Bruening (Laps 11-47); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 48-50)Wrisco Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 1.116 secondsStop-Tech Cautions: Justin Zeitner (Lap 13); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 10); Ryan Gustin (Lap 19); Chris Simpson (Lap 21)Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Bruening, Brandon Sheppard,Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Bruening, Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Earl Pearson, Jr.Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Daulton Wilson (Advanced 13 Positions)Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Tyler Bruening (37 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadieO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Spencer HughesDirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 3 – 18.020 seconds)DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Hudson O’NealOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham (Jonathan Davenport)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Daulton Wilson (19.940 seconds)Time of Race: 28 minutes 27 seconds

• Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) pilot Matt Hagan drove his No. 5 qualified Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car to the semifinals at the Pep Boys Nationals near Reading, Pennsylvania, in the first of six National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” playoff series events
• Hagan’s semifinal performance at Maple Grove Raceway moves him into second place in the Funny Car playoff standings behind points leader and event winner Robert Hight
• TSR’s Leah Pruett qualified her Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster tenth on the Top Fuel eliminations ladder for the first playoff elimination of the season but saw her race day shortened by loss of traction in the first round
• Pruett leaves Maple Grove Raceway tied with Doug Kalitta in eighth place in the Top Fuel playoff standings
• Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat eighth on the Funny Car eliminations ladder and had a quarterfinals performance to keep him eighth in the playoff standings heading to the Carolina Nationals next weekend 

September 18, 2022, Reading, Pennsylvania – The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” six-event playoff series opened with the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pennsylvania, and three Dodge//SRT supported entries ready to vie for the Camping World Drag Racing Series’ top honors in two nitro categories. 

Following the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Tony Stewart Racing’s Funny Car driver Matt Hagan closed out the regular season with three wins, three runner-up finishes, five No. 1 qualifier awards, and with the points reset for the playoffs, the three-time world champ officially began the Countdown ranked third in the Funny Car standings behind Robert Hight and Ron Capps.

Hagan got things started at Maple Grove Raceway by qualifying his Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat fifth on the eliminations ladder with a solid 3.906-second elapsed time run at 326.32 mph. On race day he drove his way through to the semifinals by recording round wins over No. 12 seed Jim Campbell and No. 4 qualifier Bob Tasca to face No. 1 qualifier Hight. The two semifinal competitors launched and battled closely until a loss of traction slowed Hagan’s progress and dashed any hope of advancing further. 

Hagan’s eliminations performance at Reading put him and his HEMI®-powered Hellcat second in the playoff standings, 81 points behind event winner and category leader Hight with five races remaining to battle for the 2022 Funny Car World Championship.

TSR’s Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett, who earned a Wally trophy in the regular season at the Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals in Denver, got her playoff run started at Reading aboard her Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster from seventh place in the Countdown standings. In qualifying, Pruett improved her ride with each pass, added a valuable bonus point with the third quickest run of the second qualifying session at 3.736 seconds at 328.62 mph, and put herself tenth on the eliminations ladder with a 3.734 second/328.38 mph lap. 

Her opponent for the opening elimination round of the Countdown was No. 7 qualifier Doug Kalitta but while the pair both had good starts, Pruett saw her hopes of challenging for the round win go up in tire smoke. With the results, Pruett finds herself tied with Kalitta for eighth in the Top Fuel championship standings, 107 markers behind playoff points leader Justin Ashley.

Fellow Dodge//SRT driver Cruz Pedregon, a two-time Funny Car world champion, is also in the playoff hunt and started off the weekend at Maple Grove Raceway seeded eighth in the Countdown. He drove his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a best qualifying run of 3.931 seconds at 319.45 mph to put himself in the No. 8 seeded position for Sunday’s competition. 

Pedregon turned on win lights in the opening round against No. 9 seed Paul Lee with a 3.918 second elapsed time run at 326.40 mph to advance to a quarterfinal meeting with No. 1 qualifier Hight. 

The pair had identical reaction times of 0.085-seconds, but the Cruz Pedregon Racing machine began to lose traction early in the run and was unable to continue to challenge. With the quarterfinal performance, Pedregon remains eighth in the playoff standings, 151 points behind the Funny Car points leader.

The NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” continues next weekend with the second of six playoff series events, theBetway NHRA Carolina Nationals, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C., Sept. 23-25. FS1 will air qualifying highlights on Friday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday, Sept 25, at 2 a.m. ET, while race day coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Leah Pruett, Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster  

(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.734 seconds at 328.38 mph)

Round 1: (0.080-second reaction time, 4.458-second elapsed time run at 224.51 mph) loss to No. 7 Doug Kalitta (0.071/3.720/329.58)

“We definitely had a very promising race car and I would consider it one of the most promising cars considering we were the only one to make three clean, full passes in qualifying. Unfortunately, when you have the first round in a matchup with a championship contender close to you in points and qualifying, you’re going to have a close race and that’s what we were prepared for. We moved in a way to improve our short times. It’s something we’ve been working on for a while – to try and get better 60-foot times and our increments to 330, which means we have to push harder. We tried to push a little bit harder and the Rayce Rudeen Foundation dragster didn’t like it and we smoked the tires. The most frustrating part about it is we have been on this plan for three races or so and keep throwing a lot of power to different places on the car. It hasn’t been reacting the way we want and at the most important time so far in the season, the car says ‘oh, I recognize that and it’s a little too much now.’ For us to find that threshold in the first round of eliminations in the first race of the countdown is slightly frustrating. We will be testing between now and Charlotte to further our progress because in order for us to have a better ET (elapsed time), we have to start at the starting line to the 60-foot mark and improve our acceleration gain. We won’t stop and that’s the name of the game. There are five races remaining in the Countdown and anything can happen.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 5 Qualifier – 3.906 seconds at 326.32 mph)

Round 1: (0.076-second reaction time, 3.909 seconds at 334.65 mph) defeats No. 12 Jim Campbell (0.125/4.445/207.53)

Round 2: (0.054/3.935/329.67) defeats No. 4 Bob Tasca (0.086/3.941/330.63)

Round 3: (0.078/4.123/255.34) loss to No. 1 Robert Hight (0.072/3.908/331.69)

“We had a pretty strong weekend. We qualified No. 5, so the biggest thing we have to focus on is qualifying in the No. 1, 2 or 3 spot. It really sets the tone for the weekend to put yourself on the correct side of the ladder that works in your favor. We had to get through some really tough cars this weekend by qualifying fifth. There are no easy rounds out there. All in all, I’m really happy with what my guys are doing. As far as putting the car together, we had two turns today that only lasted 35 minutes breaking the car apart, putting it back together and firing it up. The guys are working so well together and I’m really proud of them. We moved back up to second in the Countdown. Anytime you’re gaining, I think it’s positive. Robert (Hight) and those guys will be tough all season long. They have been tough and will continue to be. I think our clutch combination is what we’re struggling with a little bit right now, but that’s way above my pay grade. We will keep working on it more and I have nothing but faith in Dickie (Venables – crew chief), Mike (Knudsen – co-crew chief) and Alex (Conaway – car chief). We always run strong and are in the hunt, so I’m expecting the next five races we will run well and turn the win lights on.”

Cruz Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 8 Qualifier – 3.931 seconds at 319.45 mph)

Round 1: (0.105-second reaction time, 3.918 second elapsed time run at 326.40 mph) defeats to No. 9 Paul Lee (0.078/3.991/319.45)

Round 2: (0.085/5.567/135.46) loss to No. 1 Robert Hight (0.085/3.901/332.67)

“After qualifying in the top eight with a 3.93 (-second run) at 319 mph, we went up against Paul Lee, a formidable car, and disposed of him with a 3.91, which was our quickest run of the weekend. That was great run at 3.26 and we got the speed up on that run too. In the second round against Robert Hight, obviously one of the top cars in the field, we had a nice even start but the car spun the tires at about 200, 300 feet out, which looking back we determined that the clutch wear was down, which has been a little bit of a problem. Mechanically, when the clutch wear is down, it tends to have a more aggressive clutch application, so there’s something we can do to get that where it doesn’t become too aggressive for us. We’re going to go back and get that logged into our system and get ready for Charlotte. We’re feeling good actually. The Countdown is like the NFL playoffs in that if you get hot at the end, anything could happen and we did have our struggles this year, but I feel like we’re making some good solid runs or we’re starting to come into our own. It took a while, but you know it just takes a while sometimes to get things dialed in.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the Pep Boys Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Robert Hight 2225 (7)

2.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 2144 (3)

3.  Ron Capps: 2141 (3)

4.  John Force: 2128(1)

5.  Bob Tasca III: 2119 (3) 

6.  Tim Wilkerson: 2103

7.  J.R. Todd: 2095

8. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 2073

9.  Alexis DeJoria: 2062

10. JIm Campbell: 2022

11. Blake Alexander: 2000

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Justin Ashley: 2170 (2)

2.  Brittany Force: 2161 (4)

3.  Mike Salinas: 2160 (4) 

4.  Antron Brown 2116 (2)

4.  Steve Torrence: 2114 (1)

5.  Austin Prock: 2096 (1)

7. Josh Hart: 2083 (1) 

8.  Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 2063 (1)

8.  Doug Kalitta: 2063

10. Shawn Langdon: 2052

11. Clay Millican: 2046

12. Tony Schumacher: 2032 (1)

READING, Pa. (September 18, 2022) –David Barton and his Saw Mill Auto Chevrolet COPO Camaro picked up their second consecutive Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown victory Sunday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the seventh of eight events on the 2022 season schedule. 

Barton, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, started the day taking on Lenny Lottig after defeating Jonathon Allegrucci in the first round Saturday. Barton would handle his Saw Mill Auto Chevy to a 7.772-second pass at 173.67 mph to better Lottig’s 7.836 at 173.56 setting Barton up to race 2021 U.S. Nationals champion Jesse Alexandra.

David Barton, winner Pep Boys Nationals, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

In the semifinals, Barton had a 7.744-second pass at 174.73 mph in his COPO Camaro bettering Alexandra’s 7.771 at 177.04 to send him to another final round, this time to face the reigning world champion, Aaron Stanfield. It would be a close race, but one Barton would end up on top handling the Camaro to a 7.752 at 177.44 over Stanfield’s 7.824 at 175.96. 

“We picked up and I finally got Stanfield covered for once. He has been kicking my butt for two years. We are finally ahead of him for a couple of races. To stay ahead of Bill Skillman and Stanfield is just a dream come true. All the right things happened for our team this weekend” said Barton, a Robesonia, Pennsylvania native. “We moved here from Canada 30 years ago and it feels really great to get this win at home. I have been coming here since I was a little kid. It was cool to have all our friends and family here as well as the employees from the shop. They do so much work it was cool for them to see the win at the track. The competition is so fierce in this class. The track was playing games with us all weekend. To get it just right and cut a good light, it means a lot.”

All Barton needs to do now is qualify at the final race of the season, the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals to clinch the 2022 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Championship. 

“The competition is so tough out here. To stay ahead of Bill Skillman and Stanfield is just a dream come true,” Barton said. 

David Barton Pep Boys Nationals winner’s circle, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Barton also built his bounty to $2,000 after two consecutive weekends of victories through the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program. He’ll continue to carry the bounty until he is defeated in an elimination round. 

Hoping for some chance at the championship, Bill Skillman in his Ray Skillman Ford Cobra Jet, had a second-round loss to Daniel Condon on Sunday. Condon crossed the finish line with a 7.845 at 174.46 mph to defeat Skillman’s 7.913 at 175.89. Skillman remains second in points for the championship.

The ongoing battle between Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks will pick up at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, September 14-16.

2022 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Schedule/Results

Gainesville – Lenny Lottig, winner; Anthony Troyer, runner-up

Charlotte1 – Bill Skillman, winner, David Barton, runner-up

Richmond – Bill Skillman, winner, Dan Condon, runner-up

Bristol – David Barton, winner, Stephen Bell, runner-up

Norwalk – Bill Skillman, winner, David Barton, runner-up

Indianapolis – David Barton, winner, Aaron Stanfield, runner-up

Reading – David Barton, winner, Aaron Stanfield, runner-up

Dallas, Fall Nationals, October 14-16

Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Top Ten Points Standings:

1. David Barton           682

2. Bill Skillman             566

3. Aaron Stanfield      468

4. Lenny Lottig             405

5. Mark Pawuk            363

6. Dan Condon                       350

7. David Janac             336

8. David Davies III       331

9. Jesse Alexandra      301

10. Anthony Troyer    300

READING, PA (September 18, 2022) — Justin Ashley drove the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy to a runner-up finish at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals for the second year in a row. Today he moved his team into the Top Fuel points lead with five playoff national events remaining in the 2022 NHRA season. As a third-year driver and team owner the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year is building momentum at the right time following five semifinals in the past six races coming into the Countdown.

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

“We are peaking at the right time thanks to our team leadership,” said Ashley. “(Co-owner) Dustin Davis has done a fantastic job of developing a group of people that works so well together. They genuinely care about what they do. (Crew chiefs) Mike Green and Tommy DeLago are very experienced, and it shows. They are always calm, and nothing ever phases them. They are also uber-aggressive and they want to win. That attitude is reflected through the whole team.”

In the first round Ashley was racing newcomer Jeff Chatterson and he never trailed in the drag race, getting the jump off the starting line and making a smooth run for the win. His winning time of 3.732 seconds was just a tick off his quickest qualifying run and gave him lane choice heading into the quarterfinals.

Justin Ashley, photo by Ron Lewis

In the second round Ashley faced veteran and championship contender Doug Kalitta. The two Toyota backed Top Fuel dragsters pulled up with 20 points on the line. Ashley took another round win when Kalitta jumped the starting line by just .007 seconds. The Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy made a smooth run and once again his run was quick enough to have lane choice over his semifinal opponent.

“I would expect races like today the rest of the Countdown,” said Ashley. “Whether you are racing guys in the Countdown or outside the Countdown it is a dogfight out there. You better bring your ‘A Game’ every round. I expect a lot of close races with a lot of lethal teams and outstanding drivers.”

In the semifinals Ashley faced Mike Salinas with the Top Fuel points lead up for grabs. The winner of this race would move around No. 1 seed and points leader Brittany Force who lost in the previous round. Ashley was first off the line and never trailed in the race posting a strong 3.739 second run at 330.80 mph. The win moved him to the ninth final round of his career and fifth for the 2022 season.

In the finals of the Pep Boys Nationals Ashley was looking to keep his career record perfect against Austin Prock. At the season opening Winternationals the pair met in the final round with Ashley taking the win. Today looking to move to 6-0 in head-to-head races Ashley, recognized as one of the best drivers off the starting line, was able to get the jump on Prock and the Phillips Connect Top Fuel dragster made a smooth quick pass. Unfortunately, Ashley was just slightly behind Prock when the drivers crossed the finish line.

“It was a really good weekend especially when you get to the Countdown you want to get as many points as possible whether they are qualifying points or round wins. We do a good job of stacking round wins when we go to at least the semifinals. We definitely want to come to every race and win. It is a long Countdown and leaving here with the points lead is very gratifying. This team has worked so hard to put ourselves in the position.”

Packed grandstands throughout the weekend gave Ashley an added charge as the Countdown playoffs began. New facility owners Kenny and Kyle Koretsky made major improvements and promoted the event drawing in fans from across the northeast.

“This weekend was amazing. There were so many people here,” said Ashley. “It was a joy to be able to race in front of this many people. I have to tip my hat to the Koretsky family. They did a fantastic job with this facility in a very short amount of time. The NHRA fans are what it is all about. To pull up and see the kind of crowd in the stands is amazing.”

In less than a week Ashley and the Phillips Connect team will be defending their points lead at the Carolina Nationals from zMax Dragway outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Ashley holds a nine point lead over Salinas and a 10 points lead over Force so the championship battle is far from over.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 3.703 sec, 330.55 mph; Qual. 1

Q2: 4.828 sec; 148.58 mph; Qual. 1

Q3: 4.344 sec; 182.13 mph; Qual. 2

Bonus Points: +3 (Quickest of Q1)

Race Results

First Round

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.732, 329.83 mph def. Jeff Catterson, Brantford, ONT, 3FP dragster, 3.865, 321.58 mph

Second Round

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.841, 306.12 mph def. Doug Kalitta, CMR Construction and Roofing dragster, DQ – Red-Light

Second Round

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.841, 306.12 mph def. Doug Kalitta, CMR Construction and Roofing dragster, DQ – Red-Light

Semifinals

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.739, 330.80 mph def. Mike Salinas, San Jose, Calif., Pep Boys dragster, 9.497, 83.15 mph

Finals

Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Montana Brand dragster, 3.755, 329.67 mph def. Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Vita C Energy, 3.783, 326.40 mph

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Top Fuel

1. Justin Ashley          2170

2. Brittany Force         2161

3. Mike Salinas           2160

4. Antron Brown         2116

5. Steve Torrence       2114

6. Austin Prock            2096

7. Josh Hart                 2083

8. Doug Kalitta             2063

8. Leah Pruett             2063

10. Shawn Langdon    2052

11. Clay Millican         2046

12. Tony Schumacher 2032

READING, PA (September 18, 2022) — In his first full season as a Top Fuel driver and team owner Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team are in the thick of one of the toughest battles for the Camping World Drag Racing Series world championship. Hart, who last year won twice and raced to a handful of semifinal finishes in just thirteen races, competing on a partial schedule tackled all sixteen regular season national events of 2022. Today he competed in his first playoff national event with the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. 

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

The driver from Ocala, Florida, qualified No. 9 after two days that included three runs which highlighted steady improvement from the former Top Alcohol Dragster national event winner. Hart’s final two passes of qualifying were strong 3.742 second and 3.733 second passes. His final qualifying pass was the third quickest of the session and earned him a valuable qualifying bonus point.

“We made some good runs to close out qualifying,” said Hart. “We knew we would have a tough first round. This is what the playoffs are all about. There are no easy opponents.”

Traditionally, Hart prefers to be one of the first Top Fuel dragsters in the first round to take advantage of ideal track conditions. Today Hart and his opponent Antron Brown were the final pair of the first round which started over 15 minutes late following an opening ceremony’s fireworks delay. While the delay did not affect track conditions thanks to the superior work from the NHRA Safety Safari, Hart and Brown wrapped up a wild session that saw multiple winners who had to pedal their race cars to victory.

Josh Hart driver of the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

When the R+L Carriers team pulled up Hart hit the throttle and his 11,000-horsepower race car launched off the starting line and immediately overpowered the right lane, smoking the tires. Brown was pulling away in the left lane when his race car lost power, but Hart was in no position to chase down his opponent. 

“That was a tough way to go out in the first round,” said Hart. “It is a pretty helpless feeling to see your opponent pull away from you like that. No one over here is going to hang their heads. We are going to put this race behind us. You can have one slip up and still stay in contention for the championship. Today was our slip up and we know what we need to do to win this championship. I am ready to get to North Carolina. We won that race last year and I want to win it again next weekend.”

The Countdown contending driver will head to the Carolina Nationals, a race he won last year, sitting seventh in points. With five races left in the season Hart is less than 100 points out of the lead. The R+L Carriers team controls their destiny as the playoffs move to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 6.278 sec, 107.00 mph; Qual. 12

Q2: 3.742 sec, 330.63 mph; Qual. 9

Q3: 3.733 sec, 330.47 mph; Qual. 9

Bonus Points: +1 (3^rd quickest of Q3)

Race Results

First Round

Antron Brown, Brownsburg, Ind., Matco dragster, 3.851, 249.76 mph def. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers dragster, 10.983, 73.85 mph

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Top Fuel

1. Justin Ashley                 2170

2. Brittany Force              2161

3. Mike Salinas                  2160

4. Antron Brown              2116

5. Steve Torrence             2114

6. Austin Prock                 2096

7. Josh Hart                       2083

8. Doug Kalitta                  2063

8. Leah Pruett                   2063

10. Shawn Langdon         2052

11. Clay Millican               2046

12. Tony Schumacher      2032

READING, PA (September 18, 2022) —- Racing in the first of six playoff races of the 2022 NHRA Countdown Pro Stock rookie Camrie Caruso qualified well and faced a tough first round opponent. During the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway Caruso, the front-runner for NHRA Rookie of the Year, drove her Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro race car to the No. 11 qualifier position after two days of qualifying. Her best run in qualifying, 6.565 seconds at 206.23 mph, set her up for a first round race against Pro Stock veteran Aaron Stanfield.

In the opening round Caruso, who beat Stanfield two weeks ago at the U.S. Nationals on a hole shot in the first round, was once again first off of the starting line. Her reaction time advantage was .026 to .039 seconds, but it was not enough to hold off a charging Stanfield at the stripe. As both Camaros crossed the finish line stripe it was Stanfield’s 6.580 second run out in front of Caruso’s 5.595 second pass.

Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“We are in the Countdown. We just have to work a little harder to win this championship,” said Caruso, a third generation racer. “That is still the goal. It was not ideal to have Aaron in the first round but that is how you get better. Racing tough opponents. We have beaten him before, but today wasn’t our day. He is a great racer. I am happy with how well my team has pulled together and hopefully we can do some damage over these next five playoff races.”

Throughout the regular season Caruso faced and defeated some of the toughest Pro Stock competitors in recent memory. In her first Countdown Caruso entered the playoffs in eighth place. It was a great start for a rookie and after today’s early exit she slipped to tenth but with five races remaining the driver who lives in Denver, North Carolina, has a shot at winning the Camping World Drag Racing Series world championship. A sellout crowd on Saturday and a near sellout on race day showed Caruso and the Tequila Comisario team the playoffs have a different feel.

Camrie Caruso, driver of the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“I loved the playoff atmosphere at Maple Grove Raceway this weekend. It felt like a really big race,” said Caruso. “The Koretskys did a really great job promoting this race. It was sold out on Saturday and there were a ton of people here today too.”

With the race broadcast nationally on FOX a whole new audience was introduced to the rising star in Pro Stock. In less than a week Caruso will be back on track looking to make a move up the points during the Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 6.573 sec, 206.23 mph; Qual. 9

Q2: 6.565 sec, 206.23 mph; Qual. 11

Q3: 6.570 sec, 207.94 mph; Qual. 11

Bonus Points:  0

Race Results

First Round

Aaron Stanfield, Bossier City, La., Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro, 6.580, 208.52 mph def. Camrie Caruso, Denver, NC, Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, 6.595, 207.98 mph 

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Pro Stock

1. Erica Enders                         2225

2. Greg Anderson                   2144

3. Kyle Koretsky                      2137

4. Troy Coughlin Jr                  2135

5. Aaron Stanfield                  2134

6. Dallas Glenn                       2107

7. Matt Hartford                     2063

8. Mason McGaha                  2061

9. Bo Butner                           2053

10. Camrie Caruso                  2052

11. Fernando Cuadra Jr          2032

12. Deric Kramer                     2011

13. Cristian Cuadra                 2002

14. Chris McGaha                   1992

15. Fernando Cuadra             1981

Enders Takes First Pro Stock Win Of The NHRA Countdown

Elite Motorsports Weekend Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series READING, Pa. (September 18 2022) – The Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team swept the first race of the Countdown to the Championship as they nabbed the low qualifier, runner-up and winner titles this weekend at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.  Erica Enders landed her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro in the winners circle defeating teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. in an all-Elite final round. This marks her seventh win of the season and the first time she’s won at this facility. “I’ve had a race car that most Pro Stock drivers dream about all season long,” said Enders just moments after she exited her car. “That’s thanks to my guys. They work their tails off back at the shop. It’s my job behind the wheel to execute perfectly and make them shine. We did that today, and I could not be more proud. “This year I had a goal to win at the tracks we hadn’t won at before. We started off winning the Winternationals in Pomona, then we won in Sonoma which had evaded us for 18 years. We’ve missed Reading for 18 years as well, but we got it done today.” Former Pro Stock world champion Bo Butner knows how to turn it on when it counts. The skilled driver snagged his first No. 1 qualifier of the season at the first event of the Countdown to the Championship with a blistering pass of 6.523-seconds at 210.08 mph. Coming into the Countdown from the 11th position in points, Butner has been poised for a turnaround and it looks like everything is coming together at the right time for his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro.  Elite Motorsports teammates Coughlin and Cristian Cuadra were the first pair out for eliminations on Sunday, qualified No.8 and No. 9, respectively. Coughlin had the starting line advantage and held onto it for the win.  Aaron Stanfield faced rookie Camrie Caruso in the first round of eliminations. The third-generation driver of the Janac Brothers/JC3 Energy Camaro won it by two-thousandths of a second despite Caruso’s slight starting line advantage. In the quarterfinals, Stanfield was defeated by Kyle Koretsky, who’s family recently purchased Maple Grove Raceway where they’ve made substantial improvements to the facility.  In his Corral Boots Mustang, Fernando Cuadra Jr. lined up against current Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson on Sunday morning. With identical reaction times of .020-seconds at the starting line, Anderson pulled ahead of Cuadra Jr. for the round win.  Butner faced his Elite Motorsports teammate, Fernando Cuadra Sr., who qualified in the No. 16 spot in his new Corral Boots Camaro (formerly driven by Butner). Cuadra Sr. got the starting line advantage but Butner managed to get around him for the win. In the second round of eliminations, Coughlin took out Butner, advancing to the semifinals where he faced Anderson. With a reaction time of .020-seconds, Coughlin took out Anderson as he raced to the finals in his JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Entering eliminations from the No. 2 qualifier position, four-time Pro Stock world champion Enders defeated Alan Prusiensky to wrap up the first round of competition. When she faced Matt Hartford in the quarterfinals, he left a few thousandths too early and Enders powered her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro straight down the track for the win, laying down a fierce pass of 5.569 at 209.39. Facing Koretsky in the semifinals, Enders got the starting line advantage and stayed ahead all the way to the finish line before facing and defeating Coughlin in the finals. The next stop on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will be the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C.  ***

Photos

Bo Butner powered his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro to the No. 1 qualifier position at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Photo credit: Auto ImageryBo Butner proudly wears his No. 1 qualifier hat at Maple Grove Raceway. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Aaron Stanfield in his Janac Brothers/JC3 Energy Camaro at Maple Grove Raceway. Photo credit: Auto ImageryTroy Coughlin Jr. lays down a solid smokey burnout in his JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Fernando Cuadra Jr. makes a crowd-pleasing burnout in his Corral Boots Mustang. Photo credit: Auto ImageryErica Enders kicks off the Countdown to the Championship in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

In front of a sellout crowd at Maple Grove Raceway, Cristian Cuadra launches his Corral Boots Mustang. Photo credit: Auto ImageryFernando Cuadra Sr. debuted a new Corral Boots Camaro at the Pep Boys NHR Nationals. Photo credit: Auto Imagery

Unofficial Pro Stock Points Standings For The Countdown To The Championship 1. Erica Enders 2,2252. Greg Anderson 2,1443. Kyle Koretsky 2,1374. Troy Coughlin Jr. 2,1355. Aaron Stanfield 2,1346. Dallas Glenn 2,1077. Matt Hartford 2,0638. Mason McGaha 2,0619. Bo Butner 2,053 10. Camrie Caruso 2,052 11. Fernando Cuadra Jr. 2,03212. Deric Kramer 2,01113. Cristian Cuadra 2,00214. Chris McGaha 1,99215. Fernando Cuadra Sr. 1,981

September 18, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team persevered through some early adversity to post a 16^th-place finish in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Burton started the 500-lap race from 27^th place then had a flat tire in the early going that put him a lap down.

He worked his way into position to get the free pass at the end of the first 125-lap Stage and rejoined the lead lap for the start of the second Stage. 

Just after the ensuing restart, Burton spun and had another flat tire after being collected due to contact between two other drivers.

He pitted for fresh tires and rejoined the fray.

On Lap 196, the No. 21 Mustang suffered another flat tire but another driver’s spin brought out the caution flag, which allowed Burton to again collect the free pass and get back on the lead lap.

He moved into the top 25 just past the 200-lap mark and continued to move forward, ending the second Stage in 15th place.

In the third and final segment of the race, he started 23^rd but ran in or around the top 15 for the rest of the way, ending the race in 16^th place.

Burton and the No. 21 team now head to Texas Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s Autotrader Echo Park Automotive 500.