GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 09, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team are having a perfect start to their 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. They’ll head to the East Coast opener, the prestigious Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, sitting No. 1 with a 65-point lead and nothing but motivation to keep it going.  Hight is off to the best start of his career and one of the best starts of all time after winning back-to-back races at the season-opening Winternationals and NHRA Arizona Nationals. Only 15 other drivers have started with back-to-back wins. Hight is just the fifth Funny Car driver to start the season with two wins, joining teammate John Force (1997), Don Prudhomme (1975, 1976), Matt Hagan (2015, 2017) and Ron Capps (2009). The consistency has shown through for Hight and his Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham led Auto Club team, they’ve run in the 3.8-second range 13 out 14 passes. “It’s a great start to the season for this Auto Club team,” Hight said. “We’ve ran well but we haven’t found the edge yet, there’s still more out there. This Auto Club team has to stay focused, we can’t get complacent. We have to continuously work hard, and the results will come. We know the rest of these guys out here are gunning for us and they’re going to be pushing hard. We’ve got to keep doing our job.” Hight has four wins at the NHRA Gatornationals, most recently in 2019 when he was also the No. 1 qualifier alongside teammate Brittany Force in Top Fuel. Hight also has two additional No. 1s at the facility where he set the track records on March 19, 2017 when he ran 3.828-seconds at 334.82 mph. “I am excited about getting to some different conditions in Gainesville. We haven’t raced in any humidity yet and you get that at the Gatornationals,” Hight said. “I’m excited to get back in the Auto Club car, when you’re on a role like this you want to just keep racing, so I tried to enjoy my weekend off but I’m ready to work hard and try and do it again at the Gatornationals.” The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway March 11-13 begins with a single qualifying session on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at noon and 2:45 p.m. Gatornationals eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage begins Saturday with shows at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and eliminations air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 09, 2022) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team have shown that performance will once again be no issue for them in the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. They enter this weekend’s prestigious Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway with confidence after opening the season with two promising performances.  Seeming to pick up right where they left off, Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team started the 2022 off with a strong season-opening Winternationals. The David Grubnic and Mac Savage led tuned team entered race day from No. 1 for the 33rd time in Force’s career and the 23rd time in her last 46 starts. At the Arizona Nationals, Force and the Monster Energy team showed some consistency when they were quickest during the warmest run of qualifying and picked up their performance during eliminations despite a second-round exit.     “This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team has had a good start to the season. We are heading into the Gatornationals sitting fourth in points and we’re only two races in,” Force said. “I’m looking forward to building on what we’ve already done and moving forward.” Force and the Monster Energy team will be building on an already well-established base as they head to Gainesville Raceway. Force set the track elapsed time record at 3.860-seconds in 2019 when she and Robert Hight both were No. 1 qualifiers, one of only 12 times that John Force Racing drivers have occupied the No. 1 positions in both nitro categories at the same event. She also set the track speed record at 331.94 mph in her most recent appearance in 2021. “The Gatornationals is one of the biggest races on our circuit. It will always be a special place for me. I grew up going to that race and I got my first professional win at that track in 2016. I’m excited to be heading there with my Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team this weekend,” Force said. “This weekend also holds a race within a race with the Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout on Saturday. Out of the eight drivers, our team is qualified in the second position. We are all excited to be in the chase for this specialty race and that $80,000 prize. It’s going to be an eventful weekend, I’m excited to be in the mix.  I’m looking forward to being back in Florida and in the mix of such an eventful weekend.” Force is the No. 2 qualifier for the inaugural Pep Boys All Star Callout. She’ll be racing for her first win in a shootout competition. From 2013 to 2017, Force qualified four times for what was then the Traxxas Shootout held at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway March 11-13 begins with a single qualifying session on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying continues Saturday with round one of the Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout serving as round one of Top Fuel at 11:45 a.m. The final session of qualifying will either be second round of the Pep Boys Call out at 1:30 p.m. or regular session at 2:45 p.m. The finals of the Callout will take place between Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 3:15 p.m. Gatornationals eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage of the Pep Boys Top Fuel All-Star Callout airs at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Broadcast Network. Qualifying airs Saturday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and eliminations air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 9, 2022) – The Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown begins its eight race NHRA season at historic Gainesville Raceway for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 11-13. After a lengthy off-season, past rivalries and heated competition will once again be front and center for the class showcasing Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks entries.

“We’ve been at the shop working hard for the start of the season. We’re ready to get it started in Gainesville,” said two-time defending class champion and driver of the Janac Bros. COPO Camaro, Aaron Stanfield who already in 2022 has a win and a semifinal appearance in the NHRA Pro Stock category. 

Aaron Stanfield, defending Gatornationals winner, photo by Auto Imagery

“We’ve been working on some longevity things on the engine, overall, trying to find a little bit more power on the dyno. We know we have targets on our backs. That’s our goal every time we show up, to win. I know everyone else wants to, too, but we’re hoping to make that bounty larger and larger, just come out and get the win every time.”

Stanfield started his 2021 championship campaign with a win at the Gatornationals. He didn’t see the winner’s circle again until back-to-back wins at the final two races of the season secured him the championship and racked up his bounty to $2,000entering the Gatornationals. Introduced in 2021, the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program has increased fan and driver interest in the class. The bounty on Stanfield will increase until another driver defeats him during eliminations.

One driver looking to cash in on that bounty is manufacturer rival, Mark Pawuk, a six-time Pro Stock national event winner who honed his drag racing skills bracket racing in Norwalk in the 1970s and joined the Factory Stock Showdown class in 2018.

“We’ve had some pretty good results in testing this off-season. Obviously, everything resets coming into the Gatornationals. That’s one race I’ve really wanted to do well at over my entire career. It’s one of my favorite events,” said Pawuk, driver of the Empaco Equipment Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak for Don Schumacher Racing. “I’m just really looking forward to going out and being able to build on what we learned this winter when we were doing our testing. We have a new teammate in Warren Welcher and David Davies is back. So, I’m looking forward to us working together and building off each other and hopefully bringing some wins to Don Schumacher Racing this year in the Dodge.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Dodge Drag Pak

Pawuk finished the 2021 season with eighth in points and will be looking to lead a strong contingent of Don Schumacher Racing Dodges into the 2022 season.

Norwalk winner Chuck Watson II will once again be racing his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, and he knows how big a win at the season-opening Gatornationals could be.

“I’m super excited. I just checked the car counts and we’re at or over 30,” said Watson. “That’s phenomenal, and all three major manufacturers, that’s fantastic. It’s a nice spread. It’s what makes our class so exciting. On the outside, minus the stickers, these cars look like production cars, even on the interior. It would mean everything to come out to win the Gatornationals. I’m truly just thankful and excited to be participating in this class. Like I said, it’s extremely competitive, with a lot of experienced drivers, a lot of cars competing. To walk away with a win this weekend would be super exciting.”

Chuck Watson, Norwalk Nationals winner, photo by Auto Imagery

Qualifying for Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway will begin Friday at noon followed by a second session at 3 p.m. Qualifying will continue Saturday at 9:30 a.m. before first round of eliminations at 1:15 p.m. Eliminations will continue Sunday at 12:55 p.m.

Ahead of the 70th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts on March 19, drivers Sebastien Bourdais (No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R) and Tristan Vautier(No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) met with the media March 8 via Zoom conference. They co-drove to the overall victory in the 2021 race. Bourdais also co-drove to the overall win in 2015 in a Corvette DP. For this year’s race, they will be competitors. Full transcript (by driver):

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 1 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R): TELL US HOW IT’S SHAPING UP FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.“Great memories from Sebring. It couldn’t have asked for any better with the result from last year and I’m looking forward to giving it another go. I think it’s a track that I very much enjoy; probably one of the tracks that I enjoy the most out of the whole schedule. We haven’t had exactly the start of the season that we were hoping for, but we were really quick at Daytona in the Cadillac 01 and we can only hope that we turn the tables around and get a little bit better success on track and keep executing and results will follow.” YOU’RE FOCUSING ON A 12-HOUR. WAS THAT YOUR DECISION OR SOMETHING THAT (THE TEAM) WAS SUGGESTING YOU DO INSTEAD OF ALSO UNDERTAKING THE WEC RACE?“It was a Cadillac call, which I totally understand. If the 1,000 miles was after the 12 hours, that would have been a different story. The team was basically not super comfortable with me doing a 1,000-mile race before the 12 hours.” YOU’VE DONE A LOT OF MILES AT SEBRING, AND THE BUMPS ARE WHAT DEFINE THE TRACK. DO YOU THINK THE CADILLAC DOES A BETTER JOB OF HANDLING THE BUMPS THAT SOME OF THE OTHER PROTOTYPES?“There is no arguing that. Now it’s a two-manufacturer battle between Cadillac and Acura, but even when it was Mazda it’s pretty clear that Cadillac with the Dallara chassis has better characteristics for bumpy tracks. It’s a car that is less ride-sensitive than the competitors. We can see that we can run a bit softer, which at a place like Sebring is very beneficial. The drawback of that is the car doesn’t really have a big peak in downforce and therefore and is less sited to tracks where you can run low and stiff. It’s a balance, but obviously it’s won quite a few championships since 2017, so it seems to be working out pretty good.” TALK US THORUGH THE END OF THAT RACE LAST YEAR. WHAT TOOLS DO YOU HAVE IN THE CAR; WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO DO TO HANG ON AND BRING IT HOME?“I didn’t have a whole lot of time to figure out what was going on. Initially, I thought the front bar broke and I stiffened it up all the way and that helped. Full stiff front bar and full soft rear bar and I think 3 percent of full brakes to the front and just hang on. That’s pretty much all there was to do. It was far from ideal, but I was really quick in the straights. As long as I was not getting passed in the corner, it was pretty hard to get past.” HOW MUCH COMPROMISE DO YOU HAVE? DO YOU TYPICALLY SET UP THE RACE CAR FOR THE HEAT OF THE DAY AND COME GOOD FOR THOSE FINAL THREE HOURS?“I think everybody shoots for the end of the race. That’s when it’s go time. Usually you always have a two, three or one hour to the end to the last yellow and that’s when everybody is nose to tail. You obviously want track position, but you need to be in a strong position with the balance of the car. You can’t hope to win the race if you’re really struggling. If you’re going to be struggling, it’s going to be in the middle of the afternoon. You can always play a little bit with tire pressures and this and that, but it’s usually what you’re not shooting for. You’re shooting for the end of the race.” WITH THIS EVOLUTION (HELPING INDYCAR ROOKIE DRVER KYLE KIRKWOOD) HOW DO YOU FEEL THIS HELPS YOU RACING IN PROTOTPES AND HOW WOULD IT HELP YOU IN SEBRING?“I think it’s two separate things. I live in St. Pete (first INDYCAR race of season) and Kyle is a really good kid and was jumping in that 14 car and we were talking after Daytona and I said it you want me to be there I can try to be another set

Batavia, OH (March 8, 2022) – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series officials are delighted to announce the Racing For Heroes organization as the sponsor for the start zone with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2022. The excitement and thrill of every start and restart by the stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will happen at the “Racing For Heroes Start Zone”. Racing For Heroes is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the lives of our Nation’s Veterans through motorsports, health, wellness, and employment opportunities. Racing For Heroes helps Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), and drug addictions because of these neurological damages caused by trauma. Racing For Heroes provides Veterans a place to improve their health and wellness with employment opportunities, all while incorporating engagement in motorsports as real therapy. “We are proud to be partners with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. This partnership highlights our belief that engaging in motorsports provides catharsis and a sense of camaraderie to the Veterans we serve. We are looking forward to 2022 and beyond,” stated Dr. Brett Morash, Executive Director of Racing For Heroes. Racing For Heroes located in Alton, VA relies on contributions and donations from individuals and organizations to help fund their programs and provide Veterans rehabilitation through their services and operations. To learn more about Racing For Heroes visit www.racingforheroes.org. To make a donation to this great organization visit www.racingforheroes.org/donate.  “We are thrilled to be associated with Dr. Brett Morash, everyone at Racing For Heroes, and their organization. Helping Veterans and supporting our military in any way is important to Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. This partnership will help bring more awareness and hopefully more donations to this great organization to help Veterans all across our great country,” stated Wayne Castleberry, Corporate Sales and Marketing for Lucas Oil Motorsports. About Racing For Heroes: Racing for Heroes is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization supporting disabled veterans in the community through Advocacy, Engagement and Racing. Since the Organization’s inception in 2014, RFH has provided Veterans with medical assistance for PTSD, TBI rehabilitation, purchasing and supplying equipment that accommodates disabilities, suicide prevention and recognition to Veterans for their service. We have built a community who continues to care for each other and promotes continued patriotism through giving back to our community. Racing has positively impacted and saved the lives of many of our Veteran friends and patrons. RFH is dedicated to providing access to the thrills of racing and to team camaraderie for all who have served and benefit from a goal oriented, leadership environment. To learn more visit www.racingforheroes.org.

About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2022, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 65 events across 18 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap.  The series receives national exposure through a television package filmed, produced and edited by Lucas Oil Production Studios. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will be streamed live on MAVTV Plus, with broadcasts on MAVTV Motorsports Network.   The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com.

2022 Official Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Marketing Partners

2022 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Partners Include:Advanced Powder Coating, Ag Protect 1, Allstar Performance, Arizona Sport Shirts, Armslist.com, Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Big River Steel, Black Diamond Chassis, Boyd Bilt Fabrication, Brandon Ford, Brodix, Capital Race Cars, Clements Racing Engines, Cornett Racing Engines, DirtCar Lift, Dirt Draft, DirtonDirt.com, Dirty Girl Racewear, Dixie Chopper, eBay Motors, E3 Spark Plugs, Earnhardt Technologies Group, Etchberger Trucking, Fast Shafts,General Tire, Heath Lawson Photography, Holmatro, Hoosier Tire, Hot Rod Processing, Keyser Manufacturing, K&N Engineering, Longhorn Chassis, Lucas Oil Products, MAVTV Motorsports Network, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Midwest S

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 8) — Feeling confident after a superb runner-up finish at the last NHRA tour stop in Phoenix, Pro Stock driver Troy Coughlin Jr. is hoping to extend a promising winning streak the Elite Motorsports team has put together by winning this weekend’s 53rd annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Both of the races contested so far this year have been won by drivers from the Elite camp, with four-time world champion Erica Enders claiming the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., and upstart Aaron Stanfield edging Coughlin himself for the trophy in Arizona. “There’s definitely a lot of momentum in the camp and my crew chief Mark Ingersoll and the boys — Kyle Bates, Ricky Calloway and Kelly Murphy — certainly have the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ready to win,” Coughlin said. “Why not Gainesville?”

There’s no reason to think Coughlin isn’t a top contender in the Sunshine State. Aside from coming a whisker away at the last meet, Gainesville Raceway is the site of the third national event victory of his career, which occurred in 2013 when he dominated the Super Gas class. “It’s a very historic race, the first big one of every season that takes place on the East Coast, and one that all the legends have won,” Coughlin said. “That includes my Uncle Jeg, who won Pro Stock there in 2001 and 2008. I’d love to win it again in the Pro Stock car.  “I know the group back in Oklahoma (where Elite Motorsports is based) have used the little bit of extra time between Phoenix and this coming weekend’s race to totally refresh all the motors, so we will literally be at full strength when we start. The goal is to take them one at a time and make seven strong runs down there.”

As usual with this event and the time of year, weather will likely play a big role in the action on the racetrack. Coughlin knows his group will be ready for whatever conditions they may encounter. “Overall, there are a lot of indications that we will have some very fast racing,” Coughlin said. “We’ll see a lot of 6.50s (second passes) and maybe even a few 6.40s, especially on Saturday and Sunday. The faster the better for me; I love it when conditions are optimal. “I’ve been hitting the practice tree to try and keep the laser focus it takes to win in this category. We’ve already experienced what it takes to turn on green lights this year and as a team, we’ve risen to the challenge. Hopefully, that won’t change this weekend.”

Coughlin currently is fourth in the Camping World Drag Racing Series points, trailing only Enders, Stanfield and rival Greg Anderson.

• Dodge//SRT and Mopar head to the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series’ traditional east coast season opener, the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals, at Florida’s Gainesville Raceway March 10-13
• Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Funny Car driver Matt Hagan seeks his first Gatornationals Wally aboard the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat
• TSR pilot Leah Pruett set to stage her Dodge Power Brokers dragster among eight competing in NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout specialty race during Saturday qualifying 
• Cruz Pedregon Racing looking to make gains with Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car at Gatornationals 
• Seven Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Paks to compete at Gainesville in first of eight Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown events this season and vie for new $10,000-to-win Direct Connection Contingency purse 
• Dodge//SRT and Mopar displays in the NHRA Manufacturers Midway will feature a Direct Connection performance vehicle along with a new look on the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car simulator for fans to experience the thrill of a nitro run
• Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP) will kick off the first of seven activations at national events this season at the Dodge//SRT and Mopar displays 

March 8, 2022, Auburn Hills, Michigan — The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series’ traditional east coast season opener takes place this weekend at the historic Gainesville Raceway with Dodge//SRT and Mopar racers excited to get staged for the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals. Tony Stewart Racing’s Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett will seek a first win for their new team aboard their Dodge Power Brokers machines in their respective nitro categories, while both drivers are also looking to collect their first coveted Gatornationals Wally trophies.

Hagan, a three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion, arrives in Gainesville, Florida, revving to go after powering his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car from the team’s first No. 1 qualifier position to their first final round appearance at the Arizona Nationals. 

“After spending three weeks on the west coast, we compiled a lot of data out there between one week of testing and two races,” said Hagan. “There is a fair amount of altitude in Phoenix, so we’ll have to transition to sea level in Florida. It looks like it may be a bit of a rainy weekend, so it will be fast and cool. I’m looking forward to it. Crew chiefs will have some big changes to make as far as compression and other things they do to make our cars run better at sea level.” 

Hagan’s drive for success at one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit is further amplified by the fact that it remains one of the few venues at which he has not yet turned on four consecutive win lights.

“Gainesville is a track that has always eluded me,” added Hagan. “I would like to be able to check it off. We are able to set track records if the temperatures and conditions are there, so I feel like we’re going into a racetrack where we can really lay down the performance that TSR is making with my Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat.”

Also ready to launch her Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel dragster and the weekend on a positive note is Pruett, who puts an unfortunate pair of first round losses in the rearview mirror. Before setting her sights on going rounds in eliminations on Sunday, she’ll stage her 11,000-horsepower dragster for the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, a thrilling specialty race among eight competitors with a unique format. 

“I am probably more excited about the Callout for various reasons than all of my other competitors,” said Pruett. “I personally have been having trouble on the tree when it comes to Sunday eliminations. Therefore, us having ‘eliminations’ on Saturday will give me the opportunity for redemption I’ve been chewing on for weeks. That will subsequently make for the most extreme competition this team has yet to offer.

“Gainesville Raceway is one of the most historic tracks in the country,” Pruett added. “It’s relatively low sea level and high barometer make for recipes of fast passes but the humidity factor really tries to smother that extra horsepower. Given our unique weather forecast ahead, this weekend is definitely shaping up to be the ultimate horsepower war.”

Pruett is seeded sixth for the first of three shootout rounds set to take place as part of Saturday qualifying. The initial “callouts” will take place prior to the first round of Friday qualifying on March 11 at 5 p.m. Eastern. The quickest first-round winner will have their pick of the remaining semifinal opponents, automatically locking in the other pairing as well. FOX will provide TV coverage of the NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, including live action of the final round, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, March 12. 

In addition to Hagan and Pruett competing in the nitro ranks, aboard the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is two-time Funny Car world champion and 1998 Gatornationals winner Cruz Pedregon. With two drives to the winner’s circle last year, the Cruz Pedregon Racing team is continuing to perform well with two top-five qualifying efforts and five round wins in the first two of 22 NHRA events this season.

The 53rd edition of the legendary Gatornationals event also kicks off the Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) eight-event series season which showcases Detroit’s finest drag-racing ready, factory-built vehicles. The Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Paks competing in FSS this year will have even more incentive to go for a Wally as a new Direct Connection Contingency Program will award them with a $10,000 purse, the largest available contingency award from any manufacturer, for earning a win in the exciting fan-favorite race. There are seven Mopar Drag Paks on the entry list looking to qualify for this weekend’s race.

Fans attending the Gatornationals are invited to visit Dodge//SRT and Mopar’s massive 4,800-square-foot display, one of the largest exhibits in the NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, to check out a selection of performance parts and vehicles and meet their favorite Dodge//SRT drivers for autographs. Enthusiasts even get a chance to test their virtual race skills aboard the dueling pair of Dodge Challenger SRT Demon simulators or take to the driver’s seat in the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car simulator to experience the thrill of a nitro run.  

This weekend the display will also host the Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP), which launches its fourth season of activation at NHRA national events. The program offers immersive service technician courses through 100 certified training institutions, such as universities, colleges, community colleges and technical centers, with a curriculum designed to immediately place students in Stellantis dealerships upon graduation to meet the demand for new service technicians. 

“We’re looking forward to activating with Dodge//SRT and Mopar at the races. It’s a perfect fit for Mopar CAP,” said Keith Yancy, Director of Stellantis Performance Institute, which manages the program. “Students can turn their passion for automotive technology into a lucrative career working on the hottest cars in the industry.”

Mopar CAP information booths at the Dodge//SRT and Mopar display trailers will feature a subject matter expert, program information, games and giveaways. For information on the program and activation is available at Moparcap.com. 

Fans who can’t make it to the race track this weekend can stream all the Gatornationals action on their digital devices via NHRA.TV and tune in to FS1 for qualifying highlights on Saturday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern and broadcast elimination round coverage on Sunday, March 13, beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern.

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 8, 2022) – One of the most anticipated seasons in Progressive American Flat Track history is only days away as the 2022 campaign is set to kick off in an epic Daytona Bike Week doubleheader. The 18-round fight featuring the world’s most elite motorcycle dirt track racers vying for the historic championship will begin this Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11 with the Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II at Volusia Speedway Park in De Leon Springs, Florida.

The upcoming season will provide the latest chapter in what’s already established as one of the all-time great rivalries in a sport that has been defined by them over the decades. Over the past three seasons, former mentor Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and protégé Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) have waged a titanic battle for supremacy that couldn’t possibly be any more evenly matched.

Since 2017, reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Champion Mees has collected 932 points, 20 victories, and one championship. Bauman, for his part, has collected 932 points, 14 victories, and two championships. Already among the most talented, accomplished, and determined riders in recent memory, their rivalry fuels them both to ever greater heights.

That’s not to suggest the emergence of additional championship threats is out of the question. For long stretches of each of the past three seasons, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) has looked every bit the equal of Mees and Bauman, and he has the potential to put an entire season together at that level. Robinson’s Mission Roof Systems teammate, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), meanwhile, has another year of seasoning and experience on the Indian FTR750 under his belt. Last year, Vanderkooi notched up four runner-up results in his quest for a maiden Mission SuperTwins win, and it was a relatively rare occurrence he didn’t finish in the top four.

The Estenson Racing Yamaha effort is expected to be more formidable than ever in 2022. JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) took a big step forward a year ago, starting with his runner-up result in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park and ending with a fifth-placed championship ranking. With a leveled playing field working in his favor, Beach has all the tools necessary to crash the party.

That same reasoning extends to Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) as well. Bauman is only a couple seasons removed from finishing third in the Grand National Championship and will be well motivated to put Harley-Davidson back up front.

And we’d be remiss if we failed to mention the class’ most recent winner, Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), who claimed a maiden premier-class victory in stunning fashion at the ‘21 season finale.

Adding considerable excitement to this year’s Mission SuperTwins class is the addition of two riders who already rank as among the most decorated and popular riders in the sport. Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) – the all-time winningest rider in Parts Unlimited AFT Singles history – and Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) – that same class’ only back-to-back champion – are set to graduate to premier-class duty in equally high-profile fashion this season.

Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

2022 marks the swansong season for the Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines category before it merges with Mission SuperTwins in 2023. That fact only increases its relevance this season, as it’ll serve as a preview for the premier-class production-based ruleset moving forward.

And those rules will be tested on track with the exciting introduction of the Mission Production Twins Challenge, in which the top four finishers in the Mission Production Twins Main Event gain entry into the Mission SuperTwins Main as well.

Even without that tie to the premier class, the ‘22 Mission Production Twins championship offers an abundance of intrigue. Persistent class power and defending champion Cory Texter(No. 1 G&G Racing/Mission Foods Yamaha MT-07) will put the #1 plate on the line as he looks to continue to rack up race wins along the way. Texter is long past his underdog days with the ‘19 and ‘21 championships on his résumé and last year’s season-long domination still fresh in his opponents’ collective memory.

He’ll face a multi-brand challenge right from the start with proven Mission Production Twins race winners representing three makes other than his own, including Chad Cose (No. 49 DPC Racing/Voodoo Ranger Harley-Davidson XG750R), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT), Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Schaeffer’s Motorsports/Rausch Fuel & Oil KTM 890 Duke) and Kolby Carlile (No. 36 KC36 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XG750R).

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

With the aforementioned Daniels and Texter-Bauman having graduated to Mission SuperTwins, this year’s Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER promises to be a wide-open affair.

Two-time championship runner-up Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) will do everything in his power to prevent that from happening; his ‘21 form suggests the Australian could be tough for the competition to deal with if he continues on his current trajectory.

That said, last year’s Rookie of the Year, Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), is on an equally steep trajectory and comes armed with equal equipment.

There were times in 2021 when the American Honda-backed Turner Racing bikes looked to have speed on everyone else in the field. Riding the fleet of fast CRF450Rs in ‘22 is an all-new, ultra-talented trio in ‘19 class champ Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), last year’s third-ranked Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), and heralded rookie Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R).

Fast rising Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) – who won a pair of races for American Honda a year ago – was signed by Estenson Racing to fill the seat of reigning champion Daniels and represent Yamaha in the hotly contested class.

And Brandon Kitchen (No. 80 Vance & Hines/Husqvarna Motorcycles FC450), Trent Lowe(No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R), and Ferran Cardús (No. 377 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bullet Strong Racing Honda CRF450R) are just small sampling of other riders who harbor genuine race-winning aspirations in a class that consistently delivers fireworks.

Buy your tickets in advance for the Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3666. General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 and kids 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Upgraded options include Reserved Grandstand, Premium Reserved Grandstand, and the Turn 1 Paddock Grandstand offering, granting fans all-day access to the pits along with exclusive access to the trackside grandstand located just outside Turn 1.

New for 2022, Paddock Access Upgrades are also available for purchase, providing all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport. Get a double dose of Progressive AFT action and save some cash with the Doubleheader Discount, which knocks $10 off a pair of Thursday and Friday tickets when purchased together.

Gates will open for fans at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on both days with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT ahead the evenings’ Main Event programs. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities free via Facebook up until Opening Ceremonies. Fans can then purchase access to watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations via Facebook Paid Online Eventsfor $3.99 if purchased 24 hours or more in advance, or $4.99 if purchased on the day of the event.

The Mission Volusia Half-Mile I & II will premiere in back-to-back one-hour telecasts on FS1on Sunday, March 20, starting at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT., including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.

How to Watch:

FOX Sports and Facebook are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all 18 races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. Viewers can watch livestream coverage of every round in the Facebook mobile app, Facebook desktop site or on the Facebook Watch mobile app. To watch the livestream on TV, fans can download the Facebook Watch TV app, or cast to a TV from the Facebook mobile app. Facebook Watch is available through Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Xbox One.

Madden, Erb, Sheppard, Dillard, and more Prepare for return to The Pelican State, March 11-12

MONROE, LA– March 7, 2022– For the first time since 2007, the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models make their return to Louisiana for a trip to The Rev. 

The two-night spectacular kicks off Friday, March 11, as The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet battle in a 40-lap Feature, paying $10,000-to-win. Then, on Saturday, March 12, the Series superstars return to wage war in an epic $20,000-to-win, 60-lap finale.

One driver could end their trip to the bayou in style with a $30,000 payday if they sweep the weekend – and be the final driver in history to win a dirt race at the track as it will return to its original asphalt form after the weekend. 

Several local divisions will join the World of Outlaws Late Models throughout the weekend. On Friday the CRUSA Late Models and the USRA Limited Modifieds join the event, while Saturday the 604 Crate Late Models and USRA Factory Stocks are on hand. 

TICKETS: https://bit.ly/3Iti1AM

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 keep an eye on in Louisiana: 

Top Dogs on The Hunt: Through six races, Chris Madden and Dennis Erb Jr. have emerged as early contenders for the 2022 World of Outlaws CASE Late Model championship. 

Each driver scored a Series win at Volusia Speedway Park, and Madden leads the standings entering this weekend—38 points ahead of Erb. 

Both drivers are also rolling into Louisiana with momentum. Madden found Victory Lane at his home track Cherokee Speedway last weekend, while Erb won the preliminary Feature at Clarksville Speedway’s Toilet Bowl Classic. 

Madden has also found success on 3/8-mile tracks in the past, winning at Mississippi Thunder Speedway last May. 

Rocketing to the Rev: For the second straight season, four-time and defending Series champion Brandon Sheppard failed to find Victory Lane at Volusia Speedway Park. 

Despite his drought at The World’s Fastest Half-mile, “The Rocket Shepp” enters the weekend with more wins than any other driver in 2022. 

Sheppard has six victories this season so far, including two at Vado Speedway—a similar 3/8-mile track.

In 2021, four of the New Berlin, IL driver’s eight wins came on tracks that size—adding 12 top-fives and 14 top-10s. 

If Sheppard grabs a victory at The Rev, he’ll make history tying Josh Richards for most World of Outlaws wins all-time (78).

Hometown Thriller: Cade Dillard finally gets his chance to run a national touring series event in front of his home state fans. 

The Robeline, LA driver, has already tasted Victory Lane at The Rev, winning two Mississippi State Championship Series events in 2020.

“The Thriller” is a multi-time World of Outlaws Feature winner, including two wins last season at Outagamie Speedway and Boone Speedway. 

He’s also found success on 3/8-mile tracks in the past, winning an event at Vado Speedway in 2020. Dillard had three top-fives and four top-10s on tracks that size in 2021. 

Rookie Battle: The chase for Rookie of the Year has two contenders fighting tooth and nail after leaving the Sunshine State. 

Both Max Blair and Tanner English have traded the top spot in the first six races. The Centerville, PA driver holds the lead entering the Pelican State—10 points ahead of English and 86 points ahead of Gordy Gundaker.

Despite Blair and English getting the early jump, Kyle Hammer also turned heads at Volusia Speedway Park. 

Hammer scored one top-five finish on the final night of DIRTcar Nationals and led 17 laps in a Feature earlier in the week before running into bad luck. 

The Rev provides a level playing field for the rookie class, as none of the drivers have turned a lap at the Louisiana facility. 

Man of Steel: Jonathan Davenport makes his return to World of Outlaws CASE Late Models competition this weekend at The Rev. If it’s anything like his last appearance, he’ll be the driver everyone is chasing. 

“Superman” ended the 2021 Series campaign by sweeping both World Finals Features at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. 

Davenport won three times with the World of Outlaws in 2021, including a $50,000 triumph at Cedar Lake Speedway’s USA Nationals. A win this weekend would give him 11 Series victories. 

Smooth Return: Bobby Pierce will join Davenport on the list of drivers hoping to take home $30,000 at “The Rev” this weekend. 

The “Smooth Operator” hasn’t been in action since January at the Wild West Shootout but, like Sheppard, had success at Vado Speedway. 

Pierce didn’t finish outside the top-10 during the eight-race event and added three top-fives. 

The Oakwood, IL driver won two World of Outlaws CASE Late Model Features in 2021—scoring a $20,000 win at the Illini 100 (Farmer City Raceway) and a $30,000 victory at the Hawkeye 100 (Boone Speedway). 

WHEN AND WHERE

March 11-12, The Rev in Monroe, LA

ABOUT THE TRACK

The Rev is a 3/8-mile Red Clay Oval
Online – https://www.therevdirt.com

TRACK RECORDS

The Rev- 14.654 set by Jon Mitchell on September 18, 2020

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 return to Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC for the Rock Gault Memorial March 25-26. CLICK HERE for Tickets.

FEATURE WINNERS: (5 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA- 2
2. Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (16 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Dale McDowell-Chickamauga, GA-6
2. Chris Madden-Gray Court, SC-5
3. Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2
   Brandon Sheppard- New Berlin, IL-2
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-2
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2
   Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-2
   Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-2
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-2
4. Devin Moran-Dresden, OH-1
   Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
   Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE-1
   Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-1
   Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1
   Frank Heckenast, Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
   Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (12 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Max Blair, Centerville, PA-3
2. Cade Dillard-Robeline, LA-2
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
3. Hudson O’Neal- Martinsville, IN-1
   Logan Martin, Plains, MO-1
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1
   Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA-1
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1
   Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1
   Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
   Chase Osterhoff, Kankakee, IL-1
   Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1

PODIUM FINISHES (11 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums

1. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-4
2. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2
   Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2
3. Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
   Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
   Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1

FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER (6 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.

1. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
   Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1
   Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1

SLICK WOODY’S QUICK TIME Award (5 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs

1. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2
2. Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-1
   Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1

CASE FEATURE LAP LEADERS (8 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led

1. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-65
2. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-39
   Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-39
3. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-29
4. Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-25
5. Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-17
6. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-15
7. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-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)

The new Midget series will make its debut at Farmer City Raceway, April 1-2CONCORD, NC – March 7, 2022 – The debut of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series this year will be accompanied by one of the most iconic brands in Midget racing and motorsports overall – Toyota.The manufacturer, which has elevated every series it enters, collecting multiple wins and championships across the motorsports landscape and dedicated time to developing drivers – highlighted in Midget racing – has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series. “Toyota has a rich history with Midget racing all across the country,” said Paul Doleshal, group manager of motorsports and assets, Toyota Motor North America. “From developing motors and providing engineering resources to growing and developing the drivers of tomorrow, Toyota’s dedication to grassroots motorsports is significant. The Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series is an exciting opportunity to expand our passion for the division and help continue its growth.” The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets will make their debut with Toyota at Farmer City Raceway, April 1-2, to kick off the new Series’ 12-race 2022 tour. Twelve drivers have already committed to running the full schedule, including teenagers Jade Avedisian (15), Dominic Gorden (16) and Jace Park (15) – all driving for the Toyota-powered CB Industries team – and Toyota driver Cannon McIntosh. At the end of the season, $10,000 will be awarded to the 2022 Xtreme Outlaw Midget champion. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have a partner like Toyota want to be a part of our new Series,” said World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter. “Not only is the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series an exciting addition to the Greatest Shows on Dirt, giving talented drivers a new avenue to expand their career, it’s a Series that will showcase our future stars and with Toyota’s support we’ll be able to take that vision to the next level.” If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every Xtreme Outlaws Midget Series presented by Toyota event live on DIRTVision – either online or with the DIRTVision App. Stay tuned to XtremeOutlawSeries.com or @Xtreme_Outlaw on Twitter for more details as the inaugural season approaches. Full Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota 2022 Schedule:Fri-Sat, April 1-2: Farmer City Raceway (Farmer City, IL) – $4,000/$4,000 Mon-Tues, May 23-24: Millbridge Speedway (Salisbury, NC) – $4,000/$4,000 Sun, June 26: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) – $4,000 Fri-Sat, August 5-6: Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO) – $4,000/$5,000 Fri-Sat, August 26-27: Davenport Speedway (Davenport, IA) – $4,000/$4,000 Thur, October 13: Port City Raceway (Tulsa, OK) – $5,500 Fri-Sat, October 14-15: I-44 Riverside Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK) – $4,000/$5,000

The Xtreme Outlaw Series is brought to fans by important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Low-E Insulation (Presenting sponsor of the non-wing Sprint Car Series), Toyota (Presenting sponsor of the Midgets Series), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier) and SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider). Other partners include:  DRC Chassis, K1 Race Gear, Pace Dyno Services, TJ Forged and Whitz Racing Products.

March 6, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team rode a late-race surge to a 16^th-place finish in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Burton started the race from 19^th place, and spent much of the race just outside the top 20. He had several close calls, which led to damage on the right rear of the No. 21 Mustang and a flat tire at one point.

The Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew rose to the occasion, made the necessary repairs and in the process also improved the handling of the car, even though poor track position often kept him from capitalizing on the improved performance. 

The Pennzoil 400 ended with a green-white-checkered-flag, overtime run to the finish. Crew chief Brian Wilson elected to bring Burton to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel for the final laps.

The rookie driver then used some impressive moves in the final laps to make his way to 16^th, his best running position of the day, at the checkered flag. 

“I felt like we had a real up-and-down day,” Burton told reporters at the track after the race.

“We ended up in the wall trying to miss a crash and then ended up hitting somebody trying to miss a crash.
 
“And every time we would get any track position we seemed to lose it. It’s a track-position race and lots of challenges trying to pass, but overall it was a pretty decent day for us.  

“The finish at least was better than where we had been at times and worse than what we had been quick enough to run at times.
 
“But, at the end of the day we’re building, so this is a step.”
 
He said it was important for him and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team to be running at the checkered flag after being collected in crashes in the first two races of the season – at Daytona and Fontana.
 
“We actually finished the race and got some points,” he said. “We’re just trying to build towards the right direction as a group and trying to make our group better as quick as we can.”

The work continues next week at Phoenix Raceway.
 

NASCAR CUP SERIES LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PENNZOIL 400 MARCH 6, 2022

ALEX BOWMAN CAPTURES FIRST WIN OF 2022 AT LAS VEGAS Camaro ZL1 Takes Four of the Top-Five, Six of the Top-10 LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 6, 2022) – In an exciting overtime finish, Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 team earned their first victory of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season in the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A late-race caution with a two-tire pit strategy call made by Crew Chief, Greg Ives, put Bowman in a front row restart position alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. The two Camaro ZL1’s battled all the way to the checkered flag, with Bowman edging out Larson at the line by 0.178 seconds to capture his first victory of 2022 and his seventh-career victory in NASCAR’s premier series. The feat secures Bowman’s NCS Playoff spot and his chance at the championship title. “I just can’t thank Ally and Chevrolet, everybody from Hendrick Motorsports enough,” said Bowman. “This thing was so fast all day. Never had the track position we needed to show it. Man, what a call by Greg Ives (crew chief) and the guys to take two (tires) there. Obviously it paid off. Racing Kyle (Larson) is always fun. Got to race him for a couple wins. We’ve always raced each other super clean and super respectfully. Just can’t say enough about these guys. It’s been a pretty awful start to the year, so to come out here and get a win on a last restart deal is pretty special.” The 28-year-old driver gave Chevrolet its 10th victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the second of the 2022 season for the Camaro ZL1. Chevrolet, the winningest brand in NASCAR, now sits at 816 all-time wins in NASCAR’s premier division.  For the second week in a row, the Camaro ZL1 captured an impressive four of the top-five in the final running order. The win was celebrated by Bowman’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates, who placed all four of their Camaro ZL1’s in the top-10; Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1, in second; William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1, in fifth; and Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1, in ninth. Ross Chastain had a career day in his No. 1 ACM Awards Camaro ZL1, capturing his first-career NCS stage win and leading a career-best 83 laps en route to a third-place finish, giving Chevrolet a 1-2-3 finish. Tyler Reddick drove his No. 8 BetMGM Camaro ZL1 to a hard fought seventh-place finish, giving Chevrolet six of the top-10 finishers.  The NASCAR Cup Series finishes its three-race west coast swing next weekend at Phoenix Raceway with the Ruoff Mortgage 500 on Sunday, March 13, at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1, RACE WIN PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT: 
THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by the winner of today’s race, Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet.
We’ll go straight to questions for Alex.
Q.Did you expect two tires to work as well as it did?ALEX BOWMAN: No. I was really surprised. On the front row there, you have to run so much throttle. We had been free on the short run, pretty good on the long run. I mean, I kind of feel like I know. Obviously a lot has changed with this race car, but typically two tires tighten you up a ton.
We were on old tires earlier in the day, like cold old tires. When we had the pit road issue, we came back and put old tires on. I was super tight the whole run. I was worried we were going to be super tight.On the front row, you got to drive it like it’s going to stick. Thankfully it stuck.
Q.Hendrick getting two of the first three races of the year, seems like you are the first to really take off with this car.ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, I mean, I think the 18 and the 19 were better than us at the end. Like if the caution doesn’t come out, I think I was going to get the 1, so probably finish third.
Yeah, I mean, I think Hendrick Motorsports, the depth of people and how good each and every person is there, pays off. We’re here with a new race car that has completely changed everything in our industry, from how they work on it, how they build it. Everything I touch is different, the pedals, shifter, the steering.Obviously it’s paying off, how good everybody is at HMS. I think we’re in a pretty good spot.
Q.The caution comes out. You’re on track thinking fourth. What are you hearing from Greg on the radio and how are you feeling at that point?ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, it’s somewhat similar to I guess two years ago here. We were the fastest car by a lot at the end. Ran down Blaney. We were probably going to get him, at least it was going to be a great race. The caution came out with a couple to go. We pitted. A bunch of people stayed out. We didn’t finish well at all.
I was just like, Man, same scenario all over again. But today so many people pitted – everybody pitted. It ended up working out for us. Obviously taking two got us on the front row. That’s why Greg gets paid the big bucks. I left the call up to him and he made the right call.
Q.How much of a weight off your shoulders is a win like this early in the year?ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, especially with how we started the year. Obviously Daytona and Fontana didn’t go well for us.
Happy to be able to get a win this early. The strength of the Hendrick cars this early has been great. There’s so many unknowns this year. There’s a lot going on. Excited to have the rest of the year to keep dialing these things in and be ready for the Playoffs.
Q.How excited were you that you had two teammates that took two tires as well?ALEX BOWMAN: Well, restart on the front row second to arguably the greatest race car driver of our generation. Tall task there. Greg made a great call. I was a bit worried we were going to be way too tight.But racing Kyle is hard. He’s so good. I just felt like when he took the top, I was way more confident. The bottom was where I wanted to be. It was where my car worked the best. I thought that gave me my best shot.
I’m glad it worked out, but I was definitely nervous. I wasn’t really thinking that the three teammates took two tires. I thought the 18 — honestly before the restart I thought the 18 would have won, just having four, being in a good spot like that.
I was able to run way more throttle than I thought I was going to on two tires. I felt like two tires on this race car just ended up being more grip than expected.
Q.Do you feel the talk that Rick Hendrick had with the drivers this week played into at all how y’all raced each other at the end?ALEX BOWMAN: Uhm, I don’t know. I don’t know that there was, like, really something Kyle could have done any differently, or even if he was trying to be dirty about anything. He was super tight on my door, side drafting me as hard as he could. He just ended up getting tight in three and four.I think the talk was a big wake-up call. Obviously when Mr. H calls a meeting like that, it gets your attention, it’s always going to. Anytime Mr. H talks, he’s got your attention, but especially in a situation like that.
I think Kyle and I historically have always raced each other really clean. I think that this was no different.
Q.There’s a lot of parity through three races. A lot of guys that don’t normally run up front are running up front. Is there anybody that surprised you?ALEX BOWMAN: I think last week was a good example of that. Erik I think surprised a lot of us being as fast as he was. I don’t mean that as him not being a capable race car driver or Dave not being a good crew chief. I’ve worked with Dave in the past. I think Dave is a phenomenal crew chief.
That’s a car that, like, historically hasn’t been there. Really cool to see that. I think that’s what this new car is all about. It was cool to see the 43 back up front with all the history behind that car.
So, yeah, to answer your question, I think there have definitely been people that have surprised people. My opinion is that you’ll have that a lot through the first half of the season. Once the bigger teams get time developing things, you’re never going to shut down the giant race teams, right?
I could be totally wrong on that. There’s people way smarter than me making decisions. It will be interesting to see how the course of the year plays out.
Q.I assume you like the car, wouldn’t tell me otherwise since you have a win. What do you like about it so far? Four wildly different tracks.ALEX BOWMAN: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is that it’s getting better, right? From where we started to where we are now, even where we started Fontana to where we are now, I think the cars have gotten better, the teams have gotten better at preparing them.
Yeah, I mean, there are things. We are race car drivers. We don’t want everything that we touch in the entire car to change all of a sudden. The pedals are weird. The steering is way different. The seating position is different. Absolutely everything that I do as a race car driver has completely changed.
Historically I’ve loved loose race cars. Cried like a little girl when I’m tight. I now have to figure out how to drive a tight race car because I can’t make a loose race car work anymore.
Just got to figure out new things, and it is hard. But, yeah, I think the car is doing what it’s supposed to. The races have been great. Fontana historically was always won by like this big margin. Now we have close races each and every week. It’s been really, really good.
THE MODERATOR: Alex, congratulations on the win. Good luck next week in your hometown.
ALEX BOWMAN: Thanks, guys.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team Show Perseverance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

11th

10th

10th

“I’m proud of everyone on this BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team for fighting hard all day long at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The racing was intense today, and even though we fell behind early with an on-track incident we never gave up. We thought strategically to save tires when we got behind, and the team made great calls in the pits today. We were loose in Stage 1 but ended up pretty decent in Stage 2. We were tight by the end of the day and couldn’t keep rotating after a couple of laps. I’m not sure if it was a heat thing, or what, but we really struggled in the air in traffic today. We made the best of the day and finished 11th, so I am incredibly proud of everyone on the team for never giving up. It’s on to Phoenix Raceway to continue this West Coast swing.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet Team Claw Their Way to Top-10 Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

7th

7th

18th

“I’m proud of everyone at RCR for helping us salvage a very decent finish in the No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet after a long day at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We had to start the race from the rear of the field due to some issues in the steering system of our racecar. The track position that we forfeited to make that repair certainly cost us a little bit more than we were anticipating during the race. We still had some good speed in our Chevy, but it was definitely very difficult to manage the dirty air and figure out what adjustments needed to be made, and what direction to go with adjustments to our racecar during the race. We made a big mistake spinning off Turn 4, but thankfully we didn’t make contact with anything. We didn’t lose a lap and got back in the game. From there, we clawed a little bit at a time, picking up one or two spots on pit road, a couple of spots on restarts, just whatever we could to claw our way into better track position. I’m proud of the effort of everybody at RCR for that. We’re going to keep digging.” -Tyler Reddick

NASCAR CUP SERIES LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY PENNZOIL 400 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES MARCH 6, 2022

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1st      ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 2nd     KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL13rd     ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ACM AWARDS CAMARO ZL15th      WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL17th      TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 BETMGM CAMARO ZL19th      CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)2nd    Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)3rd     Ross Chastain (Chevrolet)4th      Kyle Busch (Toyota)5th      William Byron (Chevrolet)
The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Phoenix Raceway with the Ruoff Mortgage 500 on Sunday, March 13, at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 – Race Winner ALEX, YOU HUNG THERE IN THE TOP-10 ALL RACE LONG. THAT CAR WAS COMING ON STRONG THE LAST 50 LAPS. WHAT GOT IT DONE? HOW ABOUT THAT STRATEGY TO TAKE RIGHT SIDES TO FINISH YOUR DAY, UP AGAINST YOUR TEAMMATE KYLE LARSON, BY THE WAY? “I just can’t thank Ally and Chevrolet, everybody from Hendrick Motorsports enough. This thing was so fast all day. Never had the track position we needed to show it.
“Man, what a call by Greg Ives (crew chief) and the guys to take two (tires) there. Obviously it paid off. Racing Kyle (Larson) is always fun. Got to race him for a couple wins. We’ve always raced each other super clean and super respectfully.
“Just can’t say enough about these guys. It’s been a pretty awful start to the year, so to come out here and get a win on a last restart deal is pretty special.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 2ndTWO TIRES WAS THE WAY TO GO. HOW MUCH MORE DID YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF YOUR CAR?“I was happy we made that call. It’s kind of what I wanted to do and when I heard them say we were taking two tires, I was pleased by it. The grip was surprising. I had good grip there on two tires. I just got a little too focused on side-drafting him into (turn) three. Maybe if I could play it back again, I would try and just get a better arc and angle into three because when I got in there next to him, I just got really tight and had to lift out of the throttle. 
“Congrats to Alex (Bowman) and their team. They were really fast all day. We had our moments where we were good and we just fought really hard. I’m happy with the effort from our team and look forward to Phoenix (Raceway).  ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ACM AWARDS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 3rdYOU BATTLED THROUGH, WON A STAGE, LED A BUNCH OF LAPS AND ENDED UP THIRD.“Yeah, it’s dream come true. This is what all the work is for. This is why we train and try to build our whole lives and careers once we realize we can race at this level, is to have race cars like that. I couldn’t be more proud of Trackhouse, and thankful for Justin Marks and Chevrolet.  “To have the ACM’s on the car, be able to go over and hang out now tomorrow night is really cool. It took a lot of patience inside the car. It’s tough for me to not get too aggressive and a lot of neutral thinking. Josh Wise and a book by Trevor Moawad really helped me today. That’s progress.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 5th“Yeah, you know we had a good run. Congrats to Alex (Bowman). You know we needed a good run. We’ve had a rough couple weeks. We’ve had speed everywhere, but just not the finishes. Thanks to Axalta, Chevrolet, Liberty University, everybody on this car. Great to get a top five, obviously we want a win and I felt like there were times in this race that we had potential, but we just have to clean up some of the little things. We’ve got to clean up some of those things on pit road and get a little better and I think we will have a shot to win.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 11th“I’m proud of everyone on this BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team for fighting hard all day long at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The racing was intense today, and even though we fell behind early with a on-track incident we never gave up. We thought strategically to save tires when we got behind, and the team made great calls in the pits today. We were loose in Stage 1 but ended up pretty decent in Stage 2. We were tight by the end of the day and couldn’t keep rotating after a couple of laps. I’m not sure if it was a heat thing, or what, but we really struggled in the air in traffic today. We made the best of the day and finished 11^th, so I am incredibly proud of everyone on the team for never giving up. It’s on to Phoenix Raceway to continue this West Coast swing.” JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 17th“Overall, it was a pretty good day for us. We were able to repair the No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet from California, so to come away with a top 20, I think, is a win for us. We made some great gains, but there’s still some things we have to work on as a team to capitalize on the effort.” DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 16 SOUTH POINT CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 22nd“We fought some adversity again this week with some brake issues and sustaining some damage to the nose of the car. That’s not how we drew it up, but I’m really proud of the effort everyone at Kaulig Racing made today. Sometimes 22nd feels like a win, and that’s what today felt like in this No. 16 South Point Camaro ZL1. “ DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1 – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 92; Finished 37th WHAT DID YOU SEE THERE, DANIEL? “I haven’t seen the replay yet, so I’m not sure what happened. I do know that the No. 14 (Chase Briscoe) clipped me in the right rear. The reason why, I don’t know. 
“I don’t know what to say. He got loose and he clipped me. He didn’t do it intentionally, but it was unfortunate.”

Jason Johnson Racing #41 Spoils Perfect Night for Texan Sam Hafertepe Jr.

PAIGE, TX – March 5, 2022 – Carson Macedo and Cotton Bowl Speedway started off on the wrong foot, there’s no denying that, but that relationship is now in the mending process following an ecstatic victory in Saturday’s Texas Two-Step finale.

It goes back to his debut at the Paige, TX 1/3-mile last year, which began a streak of three races that included one destroyed car, two flips in a single night, and zero top-10 finishes. That wasn’t anything like his experience this time, though, as this one had more of a confetti-filled and picture-taking vibe to the night.

“I remember leaving here last year thinking it was the worst night of my career,” Macedo mentioned on how the redemption felt. “We cleaned out a lot of parts that weekend and I was crushed with the way I ran. To come back this year and pull off a win the way we just did, even after last night, shows the strength of this Jason Johnson Racing team.”

The 25-year-old native of Lemoore, CA started sixth in the 30-lapper and immediately powered forward to prove his Albaugh #41 was a winning contender. A heated battle for second and third consumed much of the middle stages, but the battle really began once Macedo secured second on Lap 21 and set his sights on leader Sam Hafertepe Jr. He caught him and slid by on Lap 27, taking the lead and running away with his 18th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win.

“I don’t think I’ve calmed down yet, my heart rate is still pretty high,” Macedo joked. “I knew I had a good car, but it felt like I was making the wrong decisions early on. We struggled last night pretty bad, but Phil [Dietz] did what he does best and came back to give me a car capable of winning. It was a lot more technical tonight, so the more patient I was, the faster I went.”

More than anything, Macedo’s rewarding Cotton Bowl score comes with perfect timing and loads of momentum. It served as a welcomed first victory of the season and came one week before The Greatest Show on Dirt heads to his home state of California, where plenty of local and favorite tracks are waiting.

“It’s always crucial to knock out that first win as early as you can,” Macedo added. “It’s crazy how much pressure something like this can lift off your shoulders. Such a great confidence booster especially with all of my home tracks coming up next.”

On the other end of the story is home state hero Sam Hafertepe Jr. of Sunnyvale, TX, who nearly pieced together a perfect night to conclude the Texas Two-Step. The driver of the #15H recorded Slick Woody’s QuickTime, won his NOS Energy Drink Heat Race, won the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash and led 26 laps before finishing second in the Feature at Cotton Bowl.

He dropped some knowledge from a Sprint Car legend, noted his team is only getting better, and received a roar of applause from the Paige, TX crowd during his post-race interview.

“Rich Ferkel told me a long time ago that you don’t get very many opportunities to win races, so you have to seize every one you do get,” Haferted said. “I just didn’t do that in lap traffic tonight. We started this year really bad, though, so to be where we are at now is awesome. We’re not an Outlaw team, but we’re trying to be. We’re trying to do everything the right way. Hopefully, we can spend a lot more time on the frontstretch this year.”

Earning a slice of his own redemption was James McFadden, who suffered a flat tire while leading on Friday, and returned to finish third on Saturday. It’s the second podium through an impressive opening stint in his new Roth Motorsports #83 ride.”

“We were in the hunt, but just made a few too many mistakes tonight,” McFadden said. “I’m incredibly happy with this Roth #83, though, it’s been fast out of the box every single night. It’s a privilege to be on the World of Outlaws tour with such a competitive car. I hope we can get Dennis and Theresa a win or two in their home state these next few weeks.”

Logan Schuchart claimed KSE Hard Charger honors with a 12th to fourth charge in the Shark Racing #1S, while championship leader David Gravel turned in another top-five finish for the Big Game Motorsports #2.

Rounding out the top-10 on Saturday night was Brock Zearfoss with a season-best sixth, defending champion Brad Sweet in seventh, Donny Schatz in eighth with Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Giovanni Scelzi in ninth, and Rico Abreu with a season-best 10th.

WORLD OF OUTLAWS NOTEBOOK (Cotton Bowl Speedway – March 5, 2022)

Carson Macedo (Lemoore, CA) is now tied with Brad Doty (Apple Creek, OH) at 18 career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series victories, ranking 31st on the All-Time Win List.

Of Macedo’s 18 victories, Cotton Bowl Speedway is the 13th different track he’s won at and Texas is the 12th different state he’s won in. His four laps are also tied for the least amount he’s ever led in any World of Outlaws win.

Brad Sweet’s five-for-five record of never missing the podium at Cotton Bowl was snapped on Saturday, as the defending Series champion finished seventh in the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49.

2013 World of Outlaws champion Daryn Pittman returned to competition on Saturday, substituting for former boss Kasey Kahne in the same #9 car he won his title with. The new Texas resident and owner of UltraShield Products finished 22nd after transferring from the Last Chance Showdown.

Sam Hafertepe Jr. became the fifth driver in five races to earn the Slick Woody’s QuickTime Award, bringing the driver of the #15H to a total of 15 QuickTimes in his World of Outlaws career. He circled Cotton Bowl in 13.612 seconds.

NOS Energy Drink Heat Race wins went to Sam Hafertepe Jr. (48th career), Kraig Kinser (122nd career), and Jacob Allen (36th career). Sam Hafertepe Jr. kept his perfect night alive with a DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash victory as well.

Ayrton Gennetten (Versailles, MO) completed a weekend sweep of the MicroLite Last Chance Showdown, winning both Friday and Saturday races in his #3.

Tanner Thorson (15th) and Daryn Pittman (22nd) both qualified for their first World of Outlaws Feature of the 2022 season.

UP NEXT (Next Friday) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series now heads west for a three-week trip to California including races at Thunderbowl Raceway (March 11-12), Merced Speedway (March 18), Ocean Speedway (March 19), Bakersfield Speedway (March 25), and Perris Auto Speedway (March 26). Fans can BUY TICKETS HERE or watch every race LIVE on DIRTVision.

NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (30 Laps) – 1. 41-Carson Macedo [6][$10,000]; 2. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [1][$6,000]; 3. 83-James McFadden [7][$3,500]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [12][$2,800]; 5. 2-David Gravel [5][$2,500]; 6. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [8][$2,300]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$2,200]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz [10][$2,100]; 9. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [11][$2,050]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [18][$2,000]; 11. 5-Spencer Bayston [15][$1,600]; 12. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$1,400]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3][$1,200]; 14. 84-Scott Bogucki [16][$1,100]; 15. 19AZ-Tanner Thorson [14][$1,050]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen [4][$1,000]; 17. 24W-Garet Williamson [17][$1,000]; 18. 8-Aaron Reutzel [23][$1,000]; 19. 3-Ayrton Gennetten [19][$1,000]; 20. 21-Brian Brown [21][$1,000]; 21. 20G-Noah Gass [22][$1,000]; 22. 9-Daryn Pittman [24][$1,000]; 23. 2C-Wayne Johnson [20][$1,000]; 24. 26-Cory Eliason [2][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Sam Hafertepe Jr. 1-26, Carson Macedo 27-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+8]

NEW Championship Standings (After 5/90 Races): 1. David Gravel (714); 2. Sheldon Haudenschild (-16); 3. Donny Schatz (-16); 4. Brad Sweet (-32); 5. James McFadden (-32); 6. Carson Macedo (-40); 7. Logan Schuchart (-60); 8. Cory Eliason (-76); 9. Brock Zearfoss (-80); 10. Aaron Reutzel (-84)

The National Farm Machinery Show held at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition center Feb 16-19, 2022 had a great turn out and it was good to get out and see some of our long time customers! We met many new customers and were able to help them with their diesel needs while taking advantage of our show specials. Thank you to the factory representatives that we had with us from, AirDog, AirDog Heavy Duty and ARP its always nice to have that extra knowledge with us! At the National Championship Tractor Pulls our Scheid Diesel Super Stock truck, driven by Kent Crowder, placed 2nd and the Pro Stock truck , driven by Brady Ingram placed 5th. You can see our trucks run on our Facebook page. It was a great show and we are so thankful for all of you, our customers and fans!!

Sent on behalf of KC36 Racing

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (February 25, 2022) – 2017 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Champion Kolby Carilie announced today that he will compete for the 2022 Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Championship under the KC36 banner with title sponsorship from Las Vegas Harley-Davidson.

The 24-year-old Carlile will be armed with a Harley-Davidson XG750R and will have Chase Wright in his corner as chief mechanic. K.C. CYCLE will provide additional support.

Despite his relative youth, Carlile has been a podium contender on the big stage of Progressive American Flat Track for nearly a decade. After claiming five career victories and a national title aboard 450cc single-cylinder machinery, the New York native stepped up to twin-cylinder competition full time in 2019.

Even while battling through injury, Carlile ended ‘19 ranked third in the Mission Production Twins title chase with six podiums and a pair of victories.

In ‘20, he graduated to the premier Mission SuperTwins class where he continued to make big strides forward in his development. Last season, Carlile ranked eighth in the Championship on the strength of three top-five finishes.

Unfortunately, he broke his leg in a crash at the season finale and has only recently been cleared to ride again. Despite his ongoing recovery, Carlile will compete at the season-opening Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader on March 10-11.

“I am really excited for this season to begin as I have so many new things going into this year,” Carlile said. “After breaking my leg, I was almost ready to quit and focus on college. My best friend pretty much talked me into this whole program, and I know that we are going to have a lot of fun, and that brings success.

“I went out and bought my own Harley Davidson XG750R, and we also got support from Las Vegas Harley Davidson as our title sponsor for the year. Las Vegas Harley Davidson is a huge name in the motorcycle industry and getting to represent them is quite an honor.

“My leg – and my fitness more generally – are coming along, but four months off the bike and out of the gym have been tough. Good and bad, I have been through the process of rebuilding my left leg before so I know what it takes to get back to strong. Between building fitness and getting comfortable on the Harley, it should prove to be both a fun and interesting year of development.”

The Festival of PowerSanta Pod RacewayFri.15 – Sun.17 April 2022
Santa Pod Raceway’s Festival of Power will reclaim its traditional Easter date to launch 2022’s UK championship drag racing season, alongside the Festival’s usual array of vibrant family entertainments. 
For the past two years, thanks to Covid, the Easter weekend has been off-limits. In 2021, the event – billed as the Festival of Power Unlocked – took place in June to celebrate the unlocking of national restrictions. 2020’s Festival of Power was cancelled altogether. 
2022’s season will kick off with a bang, and a flash, as the Festival of Power spotlights the spectacular Jet Cars. Five British fire-breathing Jets are booked to light up the track, while a sixth flame-thrower from France warms the crowds in the Live Action Arena. 
The championship racing programme is headed by the unruly Pro Mods contesting the opening round of the Motorsport UK British Drag Racing Championship, with a full supporting cast of cars and motorcycles battling for an early lead in their respective UK title chases. 
There’ll be a 10,000-horsepower Top Fuel Dragster or two limbering up for the FIA European season ahead, while nitro-fuelled Funny Cars add to the ground-shaking clamour. Access to the pits is open and free for a close-up look at these most powerful racing machines on the planet. 
Monster Trucks and stunt driving and riding shows feature alongside the French Jet in the Live Action Arena. Magic, escapology, musical comedy and robotic dancing are among the Variety Marquee’s attractions. Funfair rides, helicopter flights, a circus skills workshop and children’s sideshows all help create a lively family day out over the Easter weekend. 
The Festival of Power takes place at Santa Pod Raceway, near Wellingborough NN29 7XA, from Friday 15^th to Sunday 17^th April. Full event details are available at www.santapod.co.uk/festival-of-power.php. 
Adult ticket prices, booked in advance, begin at £30 per day, with children aged 5 to 15 at £5 each. Tickets can be booked online at www.santapodtickets.com or by telephoning 01234 782828. 

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE WISE POWER 400 AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY FONTANA, CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 27, 2022

NASCAR TAKES ON THE WEST COAST SWINGWith the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season officially underway, the series heads to the west coast to take on three-consecutive race weekends: Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. The first stop on the west coast swing is the much-anticipated return of Auto Club Speedway where NASCAR’s Premier Series will take on the 2-mile California D-shaped oval for the first time since 2020. Auto Club Speedway first hosted a NCS race in 1997, with Career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon capturing the inaugural victory. The Wise Power 400 will mark the 32nd NCS event held at Auto Club Speedway after the track was removed from the schedule for the 2021 season due to state COVID restrictions. 
Joining the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) will head to Auto Club Speedway to make for a doubleheader race weekend. The Production Alliance Group 300 on Saturday, February 26, marks the second race on the series’ schedule. The 2022 season started off strong for the NXS Chevrolet drivers and teams with NXS rookie, Austin Hill, capturing the victory at Daytona International Speedway. With the Camaro SS taking four of the top-five and eight of the top-10 finishing positions at Daytona, momentum is on Team Chevy’s side heading into the three-race west coast swing.  CHEVROLET LEADS IN NCS POLE WINS, RACE WINSTeam Chevy returns to Auto Club Speedway as defending winners after Alex Bowman powered his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to victory lane in the series last appearance at the track in 2020. The bowtie brand is no stranger to victory lane at the 2-mile California venue. In 31 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Auto Club Speedway, Chevrolet has captured the victory 15 times, leading all manufacturers. Career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with six victories at Auto Club Speedway – including back-to-back wins (2009-2010) – making him one of only two drivers in the series’ history to become a consecutive winner. With a victory, Kyle Larson could potentially become just the fifth reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion to win at Auto Club Speedway in the following season, joining the elite list of Tony Stewart (2012), Jeff Gordon (1999), Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010), and Martin Truex Jr. (2018).
A Chevrolet has sat on the pole at Auto Club Speedway 15 times to top all other manufacturers. Chevrolet drivers have earned the pole in four of the past six years at the track. In 2017, California native Kyle Larson won from the pole, making the 29-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver just one of three drivers in NCS history to make his way to Victory Lane from the pole position.  CHEVROLET WINS IN XFINITY AT DAYTONA:Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill claimed the victory last weekend at Daytona International Speedway in his debut start with the team, giving Chevrolet its 478th all-time win in NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) competition. The victory was the first for the 2022 NXS rookie driver in just his 16th-career start in the series. Chevrolet drivers led 114 of 120 laps in the 300-lap event; 95 percent of the total laps completed. Hill led a Team Chevy podium sweep, with AJ Allmendinger in second and Noah Gragson in third. Eight of the top-10 finishers were behind the wheel of a Camaro SS. Daniel Hemric captured the pole win for Kaulig Racing and swept the stages to claim valuable stage points heading into the Fontana race weekend.   BY THE NUMBERS:·       Victories by current NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet drivers at Auto Club Speedway:Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1, has one win (March 2020)Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1, has one win (March 2017)
·       Of the 31 appearances made in NASCAR’s premier series at Auto Club Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 15 wins, 15 poles, 70 top-five’s, 134 top-10’s, and led 3,442 laps. 
·       Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in NASCAR Cup Series wins at Auto Club Speedway with 11: Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999, 2004), Kyle Busch (2005), Jimmie Johnson (2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016), Alex Bowman (2020).
·       Chevrolet has won 40 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships and 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, the most of all manufacturers.
TUNE IN:FOX will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series Wise Power 400 live at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 27. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Production Alliance Group 300 at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 26. Live coverage of both events can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 CASA DEL SOL TEQUILA CAMARO ZL1DESCRIBE AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY.       “Fontana is a little outside of Los Angeles. It’s the coolest two-mile track we go to as a driver. If you’re a fan of racing and enjoy watching guys struggle to drive cars, then Auto Club is the place.”
YOU’VE DRIVEN AN XFINITY CAR AND KNOW WHAT IT CAN DO, AS FAR AS FLEXIBILITY. HOW DO YOU SEE THAT PLAYING OUT FOR THE CUP CARS THIS YEAR? “I think that’s to be determined. This car is evolving. Generally speaking, when we have a fender knocked in, it should hold up a lot better.”
WHAT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN FROM LAST SEASON THAT CAN CARRY OVER TO 2022? “I felt like I took a lot of things on the chin. It wasn’t just the race craft in the Cup Series. I had 70-something starts in the Cup Series going into the 2021 season. I was always just a guy in the pack though. Always a guy racing in the 20s and 30s, and through attrition we would get up in the high 20s. When I was driving the No. 42 car in 2021 it was just different. I had no idea how hard it was. I watched stuff and thought, I’ll make this move or that move and watch film back and SMT, but until you get out there, there’s just no way to know. Especially when it comes to how to race people and make passes. Cup races are long races mentally, you have to be sharper, stay as close to 100 percent as you can, and stay good across 500 miles and not just be good for 200 miles and make a mistake.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW COATINGS CAMARO ZL1DESCRIBE THE RACING AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY. “Tire wear is the biggest part. You’re running all the way against the fence, and all the way against the bottom. There’s a good mixture. You have to have speed at the beginning of a run and then hold it for a long run. If you can’t take off you get beat on the restarts and if you can’t hold on they’re going to lap you at the end of a run. You have to have a good balance between the short and the long run. If you can do that, you’ll be pretty good. We’ve done pretty well in the past there, but it’s been a while since we’ve raced at Auto Club Speedway and there are quite a few unknowns this year heading into the race with the Next Gen for the first time. I love the track, though, and feel pretty good about it. The fans are amazing at Auto Club Speedway. Actually, the fans are amazing at all of the races during this west coast stretch so I’m looking forward to getting out there.” WHERE DOES AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY RANK FOR YOU AMONG THE WEST COAST SWING RACES? “I think my favorites now are between Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway. I like Phoenix Raceway, too, but between Vegas and Fontana it’s a tight race. WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ABOUT THE NEXT GENT CAR? “It’s very futuristic compared to what we’ve been driving. I think it’s going to be a breath of fresh air. We have a lot of kinks and things to work out right now. There are a lot of unknowns, but I think that change is good for the sport. I think a lot of the fans are going to love to see the different things we do with the car. We’ll figure a lot out as we go. We had so much time and effort put into the old cars. We’re still figuring out things to make the old cars faster, which is crazy to think about when you look at how long we’ve had them. With the Next Gen, I think the engineers in our sport are going to be learning at a very fast pace, and we’re going to have to try to keep up with them as drivers.” ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE INVENTORY OF CARS? “I think it goes back to short track racing. When you are coming up through the ranks short track racing you do not have the inventory of cars that we’ve always had in the NASCAR Cup Series. If you wrecked your car, you could be out the next weekend. I don’t know that the inventory situation with the Next Gen car is that serious, but a wreck early in the season definitely could put you behind and put your team in a bind early in the season. Until we get more inventory of these cars, you want to take care of your equipment, but you also want to win and put it all out on the line.”
WHEREVER IT MIGHT BE, IT COULD BE A MARKET, IT COULD BE A TRIP; BUT DOES AUSTIN DILLON HAVE A GO-TO PLACE? WHAT IS IT AND WHY? “When we’re out on the west coast, we like to stay out there for the entire west coast swing. Last year, my wife Whitney and I took my son Ace, and we took our motorhome to a road course that Ron Fellows runs for Chevrolet. We spent a day at road course school out there. Then, we went to Phoenix Raceway early because I love the Phoenix area. Goodyear, Arizona is a cool area. We stay at the Wigwam and it’s nice and relaxing. It has a couple golf courses that we hit up. I like traveling the west coast swing at the beginning of the year because it gets the year going. When we come home, we don’t do a lot of traveling after that. We don’t do many road trips, but the west coast is the one that I stay out since we’re out there for several weekends in a row.”
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1LARSON ON WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: “I don’t know what to expect. Obviously, we will all learn a lot during practice and qualifying on Saturday. We used to run low for a few laps then move up a couple lanes. Then after seven or eight laps you could run all over the place. But I believe they put resin down, so I don’t know how that will affect it.” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1DANIELS ON PREPARING FOR THE WEST COAST SWING: “The West Coast swing is certainly a lot of work for the teams, but we have gotten accustomed to it over the years. There’s a lot of moving parts and pieces to get the cars and teams back and forth across the country. We don’t have an abundance of Next Gen parts right now, and we’re trying to be smart and diligent about the spare parts we do have. Everyone here at Hendrick Motorsports has done a great job of managing it (the West Coast swing) logistically in the past, and I know we will do so again in the coming weeks.”
DANIELS ON AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: “It’s been a couple of years since we have been to Fontana, and I am definitely looking forward to it. Last time we were there (in 2020), we qualified on the front row with Jimmie (Johnson) and had a really strong race but missed an adjustment late that we needed. Now it’s a completely different car, different tire – everything is different. NASCAR is applying resin, which will change the characteristics and dynamics of the track surface. It’s going to be a big ‘guess’ for everyone in the field. And it’s a new weekend format with the short warmup followed by qualifying, but I have a lot of confidence in this HendrickCars.comteam that we will be well prepared.”
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 LENOVO CAMARO ZL1DESCRIBE WHAT YOU THINK THE RACING IS GOING TO BE LIKE THIS WEEKEND AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY. “Heading back to Auto Club Speedway for the first time in two years and with the new Next Gen car will bring a lot of unknowns. I’ve only been to Auto Club in the Cup Series once and it was in 2020. It’s just that type of racetrack, even when you’ve got the best car, it’s easy to make mistakes and step over the line. This car has already proved it’s unforgiving, you’ve got to drive the daylights out of it, but it will fight you if you don’t respect it. Maybe the drivers will play it safe, maybe I’m wrong, but I expect some mistakes. I’m expecting a tire management approach. You’re going to really have to keep the tires underneath you, especially because it hasn’t been run on in so long. All of it is going to play out really quickly in our warmup and leading into qualifying but it’s going to be an exciting start to this format that we have because you’re only going to really get maybe 10 to 12 laps, maybe 15 laps, in a practice session. That’s a good amount of time to kind of get an idea of what your comfort level is but it’s barely enough time to know if you have the right setup underneath you.” WHERE DOES AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY RANK FOR YOU AMONG THE WEST COAST SWING RACES? “Auto Club is my favorite track on the West Coast swing because of the many racing lanes.” EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT WITH THIS NEW CAR. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THING YOU HAD TO ADAPT TO WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR? “For me, the biggest challenge is pit road. All aspects of pit road, but especially entering pit road. Exiting pit road at a speedway is about the same- you just hammer down and get through gears as fast as you can, but entering the box is certainly more challenging. Just as the car is more of a fine line and less forgiving on the racetrack, it’s less forgiving on pit road, too. Once you lock up the tires coming in, you want to lock them up when you get about one pit stall away, but it’s much easier to lock them up three or four pit stalls away and then you’re rolling too fast and you roll through the pit box. I actually had that happen to us on our last yellow flag stop at Daytona International Speedway before we were out of the race. Your marks, everything, are so different. It happened a lot throughout the Duels and throughout the race. Drivers were using their old marks from the old car and they’re not even close anymore. It’s been fun learning and getting up to speed on that, but I think it’s going to play a huge role in how the races play out in the first two months of our season. Whoever can clean up the details on pit road the best will find themselves in Victory Lane.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1ELLIOTT ON RETURNING TO AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: “It doesn’t feel like it’s been two years. If you had told me we went there last year, I probably would have believed you. That’s how fast things have gone by the past couple of years. With these cars and what we’re doing setup-wise, it will be interesting how teams prepare for this track to not tear the underneath off the car and have it travel the way you need it to travel through the corners. I think that’s going to be a pretty steep learning curve for all of us. Somebody’s going to get it right and hopefully it’s us.” ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1GUSTAFSON ON RETURNING TO AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: “This race is one that I’ve been concerned about for a while. Not that I don’t love racing there. My first win was there. It’s a great track and fun to race on. The surface is really worn out. The back straightaway, they ground it down and are trying to rectify it as much as possible. We haven’t been there in two years, and we have a new car. So just a lot of unknowns, and with just 15 minutes of practice, it’s going to be really hard to get it right.” GUSTAFSON ON THE TEAM’S EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WEEKEND: “Our expectation is to be perfect off the truck, but if not, we definitely have the mindset to be able to work through the weekend. For California and these next races coming up, guys are going to work on their cars more through the race and kind of evolve. It’s going to be a very tough race. Nobody’s car is going to drive perfect. Drivers will be able to move around and find some time in different lanes. They’re going to have to manage what they’ve got and get the most out of it. It’s going to be fun, but it’s going to be a challenge.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1BYRON ON WHY HE FEELS OPTIMISTIC RACING AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: “It hasn’t been the best track in Cup for me, but I feel like that will likely change this year. I think I’ll have a better shot to compete there for a good finish if not the win. It’s a dynamic track that you will have to run in every lane to be successful. Honestly it drives a little bit like a short track in the corners. You have to revert back to what that feels like, but it’s also very fast down the straightaways. It’s a tough track that brings the best out of you.” BYRON ON HOW IMPORTANT LANE CHOICE IS AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: “You spend a lot of time listening to your spotter and your team on where other guys are running and what the data says. I think you also can feel a lot and see where other guys are running on track around you. It’s a track where you try to get out of the wake of the guy in front of you and try to find a lane that has clean air. I think that’s what makes it such a good race, you can find different lanes to run and you’re not dependent on the guy in front of you holding you up. It’s fun in that aspect. It really is a race-the-racetrack type of place. You can’t air-block somebody because they’re just going to find a new lane.” RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 FUGLE ON WHY HE LIKES AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: “This used to be one of my favorite tracks and I’m excited to get back there. It’s been a while since I’ve been and I’m sure the track characteristics have changed a lot, but that’s what I love about it. This is a track where it takes everything to have a good run. You need the right car setup, great pit stops, the right strategy with tires being such a big factor, and a driver who knows when to be aggressive. It’s really a track that highlights who has it all clicking. One mistake shows a lot. This will be my first Cup start at Auto Club, but I’m more than ready to get there and see what we have.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1BOWMAN ON DEFENDING HIS 2020 FONTANA WIN: “I’m excited to get back to Fontana. I feel like we had the best car we have had ever when we raced there in 2020. I love the track and how big it is, so going back with a win in my last appearance and a lot of good thoughts gives me a lot of confidence. Obviously, the car is different so we can’t lean too much on our notes from last time, but I know our team will put together a great car for this year’s event.” GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1IVES ON RETURNING TO FONTANA: “When Fontana came off the schedule, I was pretty bummed about it especially with the way we ran in 2020. When I saw we got the chance to go back there, I was obviously pretty excited. We are still expecting to race well even though we have the Next Gen car, which is not the same as the Gen Six car. The racetrack is fun to drive. There is a lot of character to it, and you are able to run the bottom apron all the way to the wall, so it gives us a lot of options. There will be a lot of tire wear and I’m sure pit strategy will come into play. I’m looking forward to bringing a lot of speed with another great No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with this high-horsepower package.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1 ARE YOU READY FOR FONTANA? “It’s been a while since we have been there, but I think it is a fun track. I’m looking forward to the weekend. We have a busy weekend plan and I hope we get to meet some of our fans at the Freeway Insurance store Saturday afternoon. “ WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AFTER DAYTONA? “We were disappointed with the speeding penalty and a loose wheel put us behind and we couldn’t make up the two lost laps. If we can bring that fast of a Chevrolet to the track each weekend we are going to have a great 2022 season.” HOW IS ROSS CHASTAIN DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TEAMMATES THAT YOU HAVE HAD?  “Well, I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been part of some teams that have a lot of teammates and some of them with a lot of experience, some of them with not so much experience, and everyone is different. Every team is different. Something that I mentioned to (Trackhouse founder) Justin (Marks) and to (President) Ty (Norris) since the very beginning about Ross is that I like ‑‑ at the time I just didn’t know Ross to the point where I know him today, but I knew that he was hungry, and for me and for our team, I think that’s extremely important, having somebody that wants to do something, somebody that is hungry. “There is a lot of drivers that are talented out there, and not all of them put actually the work to be better. I feel that it’s always good to have a good teammate because you start pushing each other. You start trying to find out what he’s doing better than me and what am I doing better than him and then trying to push each other and in that way be able to bring Trackhouse to the next level.
“Right now we have a lot of good things coming our way in Trackhouse Racing, but the reality is that the plan is to do all our talking on the track, and that is going to be with trophies. The better the work together, the better that journey is going to be.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series StatisticsManufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 40First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2022 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 0Poles: 1Laps Led: 22Top-five finishes: 0Top-10 finishes: 1Stage wins: 0  CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 814 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 724Laps led to date: 241,358Top-five finishes to date: 4,138Top-10 finishes to date: 8,556                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:           General Motors: 1,148           Chevrolet: 814           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 812                                                                    Ford: 712           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 162

NASCAR CUP SERIES AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY WISE POWER 400 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 24, 2022  ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1, Press Conference Transcript:  ALEX, UNTIL 2020 THIS HADN’T REALLY BEEN A GREAT TRACK FOR YOU, BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU GO OUT WIN THE RACE LAST TIME, LEAD OVER HALF THE RACE, WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO LEARN LAST TIME HERE AND CAN AND OF THAT TRANSLATE TO THE NEW CAR? “Yeah, it’s been, it feels like it has been forever. I’m not quite sure really what particular thing we learned. I feel like our mile and a half program had gotten really good at that point, which I guess you would call it the intermediate program in general which applies to there. So, just feel like we had a really good car, and we were really good the entire weekend from the time we unloaded. Made my job a little bit easier than normal and just really had a good car the entire time we were there. As far as applying that to this year’s car, a couple years down the road. I don’t think you can drive this year’s car as loose as you could with the previous gen car. I was really loose that whole weekend, it was really fast. I think kind of going a little different direction than we were then. This car is so different every way so it’s hard to apply much. So excited to get back to it. It’s a really fun and technical racetrack.” ANY EXPECTATIONS ON HOW THE RESIN IS GOING TO INTERACT WITH OR AFFECT THE WAY YOU DRIVE THE RACETRACK? “Yeah, it’s definitely laid out in a strange manner. The way it is kind of tapered into Turn 1, I feel like it might make passing harder on entry to one just because if you are inside of somebody you are going to be out of the resin, and they are going to be in it. So, it’s going to be a little interesting to see how it all kind of works out. But yeah, I think we haven’t been there in a long time, we need the track to rubber up quickly, kind of limited practice before we are on track. Hopefully it does what they want it to do and hopefully it works out well, but it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how it holds up. That place is super abrasive, super high tire wear and it might change that for sure.” YOU MENTIONED THE LIMITED PRACTICE TIME. I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT KIND OF DISCUSSIONS HAVE YOU HAD WITH GREG (IVES) ABOUT IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AS A DRIVER WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TRY TO FOCUS ON IN THAT TIME TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE COMFORTABLE AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE’S MENTIONED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AND FEEDBACK FROM YOU BECAUSE I AM SURE THAT HE HAS ALREADY SPELLED IT OUT FOR YOU? “Yeah, I mean the biggest thing is you know we really can’t make changes in that amount of time; we might have time make one change. So, kind of just getting a handle on what you have, and you know you can’t go through a normal practice agenda like that. It’s definitely an interesting schedule, really compact when it comes to on-track race time, but the guys are there all weekend anyway so it’s kind of interesting how that played out. Just trying to figure out what we can learn. The racetrack is going to change a lot as it rubbers up, the resin comes in, so kind of seeing the progression of that and seeing how the car drives. Obviously, William (Byron) was there with it a couple of years ago when it was pretty new. It has changed a lot since then, so just trying to get a handle on it at a place it hasn’t been to and a place that is super rough, super slick, got seams all over the place. There’s so many aspects that are really going to test the car and test how the set-up is. Trying to be on the right side of it is going to be key and hopefully we’re guessing at it better than the rest of them.” EVEN MORE SO THAN DAYTONA, PARTICUARLY IN LIGHT OF YOU GUYS HAVEN’T HAD ANY RECENT ON-TRACK, LIKE YOU MENTIONNED TESTING AT A 2-MILE OR PARTIUCLARLY HERE SUCH WILLIAM’S (BYRON) TEST WAY BACK, DO YOU CONSIDER THIS THE FIRST BIG TEST OF THE CAR AS FAR AS DURABILITY GOES AND ON RACETRACK CONDITIONS? “I think the car is super durable. I don’t think anybody’s really worries about the durability side of things. I think this is going to be a big test on how it drives and how we I guess, guess at the best set up and how we stack up to start the year. It drives so different than what we have had in the past and obviously not having been there before and how slick of a race it is we haven’t really been to a place like this with yet so just trying to figure it out quick because it’s going to be tough. As far as durability stuff goes, I think that thing is stout. It should be just fine.” ALEX I WAS TALKING WITH TYLER REDDICK YESTERDAY ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF THE RESIN AND HE SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT DEPENDING ON WHERE IT’S PUT DOWN YOU COULD ACTUALLY CHANGE THE RACING WE SEE AT FONTANA WHERE AS TRADITIONALLY YOU WOULD SEE EVERYONE FAN OUT ALL THE WAY FROM THE INSIDE OF THE RACE TRACK UP TO THE OUTSIDE WALL WHERE AS KNOW YOU CAN THE INSIDE NOW BECOME A DOMINATE GROOVE THERE AND THE OUTSIDE BECOME LESS OF A STRENGTH. I HOPE I AM REPRESENTING THAT RIGHT, BUT DO YOU FORESEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING OR DO YOU THINK THE GROOVE IS GOING TO WIDEN OUT LIKE WE NORMALLY SEE IT DO? “Well, Fontana is really wide, and I think the way the racetrack is laid out it favors itself to widening out. These cars are really aero critical. The dirty air is tough, so I think we will widen it out regardless of the resin. I think you know the way the resin was put down and laid out is interesting. I don’t necessarily know that it’s going to be great right away, but I think as it wears out it’ll make you move around. You know we saw in Nashville kind of like right at the end of practice it really started to come on but then we kind of wore it out in the race and had to move around. It will still be wide like normal. You’ll still use the seam. You’ll still be slipping and sliding all over the place. It just might take a little bit of time to get there, which I mean it’s a green racetrack, so it is going to take time to get there kind of regardless.” ALEX, CHASE (ELLIOTT) WAS ON THE MORNING DRIVE THIS MORNING AND CLEARLY FROM HIS PRESPECTIVE GROWING UP IN THE SPORT HE’S FAMILIAR WITH NASCAR’S BOOM, THE HIGHS, THE LOWS IT HAS GONE THROUGH AND HE SAID HE CAN’T REMEMBER A DAYTONA 500 LIKE WE HAD SINCE THE TIME HE WAS A CHILD. KIND OF WONDERING ABOUT WHEN DID NASCAR FIRST HIT YOUR RADAR AND DO YOU KIND OF SHARE HIS SENTIMENTS FIRST OF ALL? “Um, so yeah I watched NASCAR a lot as a kid. Obviously was not around it in any sort of capacity like he (Chase Elliott) was but watched on TV a lot as a kid, went to a lot of races at Phoenix (Raceway), couple races at Fontana, so was a fan for a long time. Yeah, I think the Daytona 500 was great. There were a ton of people there. I drove since I was down there kind of all month and leaving you knew there was a lot of people. You knew there were a lot of people there kind of all-day but trying to get out there you extra knew there was a lot of people. So, I think it was great, great for the sport, great to see. Happy to be a part of it. It’s definitely refreshing to see that many people at a racetrack, especially after COVID and not having anybody there and then some people allowed back, to see a packed house like that was really cool.” AND SECONDLY HOW DO WE CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM THAT WE STARTED AT THE LA COLISEUM BUILT INTO DAYTONA AND NOW CARRY IT THROUGH THE WEST COAST SWING? “I’m glad there are people way smarter than me trying to figure that one out. I am just trying to figure out how to drive the racecar. Yeah, I mean I think as long as we keep putting on good shows and being exciting that’s the biggest thing. You know keeping fans involved, controversy is always great for the sport, and I am sure there will be some of that this year. I think the perception of everything right now is really good, so props to NASCAR for doing a great job at everything they are doing. It’s been really good.” SO, GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE ABOUT OBVIOUSLY FONTANA IS SUPER ROUGH AND OF COURSE THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT TIRE WEAR WITH THE NEW CAR, DIFFERENT TIRE, SO DO YOU ANTICIPATE MAYBE HAVING TO BE A LITTLE MORE AWARE THAN NORMAL OF YOUR TIRE WEAR AND KIND OF HOW HARD YOU ARE RACING SUNDAY TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS DON’T RUN OUT OF TIRES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? “Well I think that is why they have the resin on the racetrack to get the track to rubber up quicker and to be better on the tires, but yeah, I mean I think you are still going to drive the car hard. The way Cup racing works, I think you could conserve tires man seven or eight years ago but as the racing has progressed people have stopped kind of letting people go and racing each other easy. Everybody runs each other hard all the time now and I think if you save tires you have to run people so hard to get back by them that you just burn the tires up even worse. I’m not sure there’s much that we can really do as drivers anymore, obviously driving the thing sideways and trying to smoke the right rear tire off of it or just putting a ton of wheel in it and killing the right front is bad, but it’s not like we can ride around and save our stuff and come back through the field at the end because passing has gotten so difficult.” I WANTED TO ASK, I’M PRETTY SURE YOU LIKE THE 2-MILE FONTANA OVAL, SO WILL YOU BE DOING ANY LOBBYING GOING FORWARD AS NASCAR STILL TRYS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO DO WITH THIS RECONFIGURATION? “Yeah, you know I think it is an amazing racetrack. Super bumpy, really slick, the seams add a whole other element to it. It’s a track that drivers really like, but at the same time it typically gets won by like 10 seconds. Once a guy gets out there, dirty air is bad in any type of racecar. You can’t unlearn aero stuff and once you take the air off of them tire wear gets even worse, so the leader just gets a big advantage. It’s tough, so I think I totally understand why they want to go to a short-track. I think the Next Gen car is way better suited to the shorter tracks, so I am all good for a short-track. I love the track the way it is, but I think a short-track will be great for everybody as well.” CAN YOU GIVE ME A SENSE OF PRESPECTIVE, THIS CHALLENGE THIS WEEK WITH THE NEW CAR, YOU HAVEN’T RUN AT THIS TRACK IN TWO YEARS, YOU GET 15 MINUTES OF PRACTICE, CAN YOU GIVE ME A PRESPECTIVE OF HOW CHALLENGING THIS IS? IS THIS SOMETHING LIKE MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER CHALLENGE OR IS THIS JUST A NORMAL WEEK AS A DRIVER IN A TOP SERIES OR ONE OF THE TOP SERIES IN AMERICAN AUTO RACING? “It’s a big challenge for sure. Just we’ve never been there with this car. We haven’t been there with a high horsepower, lower downforce package in a couple years, so just trying to know what I need to do to start practice. Lift points, basic stuff is a big question mark right now. Hopefully I adapt to it as quick as anybody and I think it’s difficult from the team side too, right? Like you have your simulation and all that, but until you go do it who really knows? Hopefully our stuff is accurate, and we are good when we get there.” ALEX, YOU ARE KICKING OFF YOUR WEEKEND BY ENTERING THE WALK OF FAME. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO JOIN THAT GROUP THAT ALSO INCLUDES LIKE MARTIN TRUEX, TONY STEWART, AND JIMMIE (JOHNSON)?  “Yeah, it’s really cool. Kinda cool to get to go back somewhere that I have won. We tend to not let me do that. I got to go back to Richmond last year, but other than that I haven’t gone back anywhere as a winner. Cool to be able to do that and excited for that experience.” DO YOU HAVE ANYMORE TATTOO WAGERS THIS YEAR? “No. No and that question has come up a lot this week and I had completely forgot about it. But yeah, we are just going to blame Covid on that one.” WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT AUSTIN CINDRIC’S MOVE AT THE END OF THE DAYTONA 500? WOULD YOU WRECK YOUR TEAMMATE TO WIN THE GREAT AMERICAN RACE? “Yeah, I don’t really think he wrecked his teammate. I think, obviously, he made a block and did what he had to do to win the race. I don’t think he did anything wrong there. I don’t think, he definitely didn’t do anything that Ryan (Blaney) wouldn’t have done. I don’t think you can really say that he wrecked him. He put him in a situation where he could have lifted and he didn’t and ended up crashing, but he still finished well in the 500 and a Penske car still won. I don’t think either one of them did anything wrong. I think that was just racing.” I WAS WONDERING WE HAD THIS BIG RACE WEEKEND, SOME OF THE STATISTICS ARE STILL COMING IN. ONE THING THAT HASN’T BEEN TALKED ABOUT A LOT IS TWO AUSTINS THAT WERE ROOKIES WON THE RACE. I GO BACK TO HENDRICK’S STRATEGY, HOW YOU GUYS WERE LOOKING AT STARTING UP FRONT MAKING EVERYTHING WORK. WAS THERE A STRATEGY THERE ANYWHERE WHERE YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BASICALLY THE SAME THING THAT THE PENSKE GUYS WERE DOING SAFELY? MOST OF THE BUMP DRAFTING I SAW IT WAS REALLY BORDERLINE DANGEROUS. SO, I DIDN’T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAD TALKED ABOUT A SAFER WAY TO HANDLE THE BUMP DRAFTING OR IF IT WAS JUST KIND OF WINGING IT AS YOU GO? “Yeah, I mean anytime that you have two cars pushing each other to go faster it is going to look like that. I mean we tried, obviously at the start trying to work with the five and it didn’t work out. Tried to do our best to make it happen, but it didn’t work out. Obviously two of us crashed out early so our numbers went down from there. The five and the nine were still in it and then the five ended up getting crashed late too. It was definitely a bummer. Not the day that Hendrick Motorsports wanted, but yeah, we definitely tried out best to work together. Just didn’t work out.” YOU GO INTO FONTANA AS THE DEFENDING RACE WINNER, BE IT TWO YEARS AGO, WHAT’S THE SECRET TO GETTING AROUND THERE? “Nothing from 2020 is going to apply to 2022 I don’t think. I wish there was a secret. I think the secret is a fast racecar that works really well. That’s what we had in ’20 and hopefully we have a similar thing in ’22. I think it is going to take a much different balance than it took back then. We are doing our best to make that happen.” HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT A PRACTICE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET THIS WEEK GOING TO BE BEING THAT IT IS THE FIRST RACE AT AN INTERMEDIATE TRACK WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR? “It’s definitely important, but at the same time when it happens you can’t really change much. We’re pretty locked in with what we have when we get there. Hopefully it works out and it’s the right direction because once you get on track you know we don’t have much time to change anything. Looking forward to it. It’s going to be a big challenge and I know I have some of the best in the business working on getting it right.” CHASE (ELLIOTT) JUST RE-SIGNED TO STAY WITH HENDRICK (MOTORSPORTS) FOR FIVE MORE YEARS AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WILLIAM BYRON IS NEXT IN LINE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO HAVE THOSE GUYS STICK AROUND AS YOUR TEAMMATES, RATHER THAN LIKE HAVING NEW TEAMMATES COME IN? “Yeah, I think the four of us work really well together so it’s been fun to be teammates with these guys. We all kind of bring our own unique point of view to the table, so it’s good. I think between the four drivers and the four crew chiefs, the communication is really good. We are all friends. I definitely lean on all of them and I think we can all definitely count on each other.”