Mar 4, 2022 | Featured, Pre-Race Releases

Originally published on Drag Illustrated

For the fifth consecutive year, Matt Sackman will be behind the wheel of the Randy Meyer Racing Team’s second championship-winning Top Alcohol Dragster and will make his 2022 season debuts this weekend, March 3-6, at the sixth annual NHRA Baby Gators Division 2 race at Gainesville Raceway alongside Julie Nataas. (Click here to watch for FREE from NHRA.tv!)

Matt, 28, will race with primary sponsorship from Hangsterfer’s Laboratories, a New Jersey-based metalworking lubricants manufacturer. He will also continue to share driving duties of the family’s Sackman Boyz Racing Top Dragster with his brother, Zach Sackman, 26.

“I’m excited to get back into the seat of one of Randy Meyer’s cars,” Matt said. “I’ll be driving the car I won the Joliet regional in a few years ago. It’s a proven winner with a lot of history. Between the great conditions at Gainesville and Randy’s tuning, I’m sure we’ll run fast. I’m grateful to have Hangsterfer’s on board with us again to help us chase our racing goals while we try to help them expand their business in the motorsports industry on the B2B side.”

Hangsterfer’s Laboratories, a New Jersey-based company specializing in the research, development and manufacturing of metalworking lubricants, first signed on as the primary sponsor of the Sackman Boyz Racing Top Dragster in 2017. The company has been on board for a number of accomplishments for the brothers, including Zach’s handful of wins in Top Dragster, Matt’s pair of regional event wins in Top Alcohol Dragster, and Matt’s NHRA Top Fuel licensing in 2019.

“It’s an honor to represent Hangsterfer’s and the Jones family for our sixth season together,” Matt said. “They’ve helped to make our racing dreams come true, and they’ve treated us like family since day one. Mike Ditzel, Bill Jones, Ann Jones, Ed Jones, and everyone at Hangsterfer’s have been incredible supporters and we’re proud to fly the Hangsterfer’s banner again.”

“The continued support of Hangsterfer’s gives me added confidence going into the season,” Zach added. “It means a lot that they believe in what we’re doing and want to help us accomplish our goals.”

The brothers also thanked their parents, Darren and Marie, as well as team partners like Novak Electric, T&E Auto Haulers, Gemini Farms, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Rolla Competition Engines, Harmonic Designs Inc., and TMS Titanium.

Zach Sackman and the Hangsterfer’s Laboratories Top Dragster will begin qualifying Thursday, March 3, at the NHRA Baby Gators divisional race. Qualifying for Matt Sackman and the Hangsterfer’s Laboratories Top Alcohol Dragster will follow on Friday, March 4. Final eliminations are scheduled for Saturday. (Click here to watch for FREE from NHRA.tv!)

Sent on behalf of JCS Racing

DALLAS, TX. (February, 24 2022) – JCS Racing, in coordination with its partners Mission Foods and Hudson Roofing Carmel IN, proudly announced today another massive lineup of sponsored talent for the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season.

The formidable duo of Brandon Robinson, who finished third in the 2021 Grand National Championship, and Jarod Vanderkooi, who earned five premier-class podiums in ‘21, return to fly the Mission Roof Systems/Hudson Roofing Racing banner in the premier Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S class.

The two will again be supported by Crew Chiefs Ben Evans and Jay Maloney, who have recommitted to the task of perfecting the team’s fleet of Indian Motorcycle FTR750 machines for its 2022 championship contenders.

“It’s great to be back with this team for the third consecutive year,” said Robinson. “We’ve got great chemistry, and everyone here feels like family – I love these guys. I’m looking forward to building upon the success we’ve had over the past two seasons and making 2022 the best one yet!”

JCS Racing and Mission Foods will also continue to support defending Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter and perennial title contender Ben Lowe.

And reconfirming its support of the sport’s rising stars, JCS Racing will once again sponsor Billy “The Kid” Ross in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class. Joining the team’s 450cc effort for ‘22 are sixth-ranked Trent Lowe and his up-and-coming younger brother, Jared Lowe, along with multi-time race winner Kevin Stollings and former Spanish Flat Track National Champion Ferran Cardus.

“I am very proud of the team we’ve put together,” said Jerry Stinchfield, team owner of JCS Racing. “2021 was a great year for our riders as we welcomed Mission Foods as a partner. I cannot thank Juan Gonzalez, CEO of Mission Foods, enough for the support he has given our race team and we could not put a program together like this without Jim Hudson, CEO of Hudson Roofing, and all our associate sponsors. We look forward to continuing these partnerships and as well as our track record of success for the season ahead.”

“We are excited to continue our partnership with JCS Racing,” said Juan Gonzalez, Mission Foods Chief Executive Officer. “Jerry has put together an amazing team of riders that will provide lots of excitement for all Progressive American Flat Track race fans.”

In addition to its nine full-time riders across all three classes, JCS Racing, and Mission Foods have pledged substantial support to additional notable names within the Mission SuperTwins and Parts Unlimited AFT Singles class. Brandon Price, Tyler Scott, Sammy Halbert, Davis Fisher, Larry Pegram, and four-time Daytona 200 Champion Danny Eslick will all don the unmistakable Mission Foods logo throughout the 2022 season.

The JCS Racing program is most grateful for its dedicated family of partners to include Mission Foods, Roof Systems Dallas, TX, Hudson Roofing Carmel IN, Ben Evans Racing, Al Lambs Honda, LIQUI MOLY, Maloney INC, Richard Betchkal Racing, Brad Baker Racing, REKLUSE, G&G Racing, Goon Glass & Rubber, S&S, Full Spectrum, Cometic Gaskets, Evans Coolants, ARC Levers, and D.I.D. Chains.

February 24, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford team are preparing for this weekend’s 400-miler at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif, the two-mile oval where Burton got his first major NASCAR victory in an Xfinity Series race in 2020.

Burton, then a rookie in NASCAR’s No. 2 series, started on the outside pole, led three times for a total of 40 laps, took the lead with 20 laps to go and held on to win the Production Alliance Group 300. 

It was just his 12^th start in that series. Trailing him across the finish line were Riley Herbst and this year’s Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric.

Burton, while familiar with the track that sat idle last year due to the coronavirus, knows that competing at Auto Club Speedway in the elite Cup Series in a new car is a big step up from his previous race there.

“I’m super excited to get to Fontana and race on that old worn-out surface,” Burton said. “It’s an awesome race track full of character and lane choices. That really puts it in the drivers’ hands.

“The last time I was there I won my first Xfinity race. so that naturally makes it one of my favorites.”

He said there will be lots to learn once he hits the track in the DEX Imaging Mustang.

“One of the biggest challenges I expect is learning how this Next Gen car will handle slipping and sliding and which tools can the driver use to help get through those moments,” he said.

Practice for the Wise Power 400 is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. (2 p.m. Eastern Time), and that will be followed by qualifying at 11:35 (2:35 Eastern).

Sunday’s 200-lap race is scheduled to start just after 3:35 p.m. Eastern Time, with TV coverage on FOX.

 

CHEVROLET AT PHOENIX What: NHRA Arizona NationalsWhen: Friday, Feb. 25-Sunday, Feb. 27Where: Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, ArizonaTV: FS1 will telecast taped eliminations at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb.27                                                                       Team Chevy ready to run fast at Wild Horse PassMomentum from Funny Car, Pro Stock wins and Top Fuel runner-up carry over

DETROIT (Feb. 24, 2022) – Inconsistency, acknowledges Robert Hight, was the main culprit preventing the three-time NHRA Funny Car champion and the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS from contending for the 2021 title. “That wasn’t a lot of fun last year,” he said. “Since Jimmy (Prock) came back, we’ve been in the thick of things every year. Won two championships, set records. But the guys stayed focused, worked really hard and looked at what bit us last year.”

After qualifying No. 2 in the season opener at Pomona, California, Hight laid down runs of 3.890, 3.893, 3.861 and 3.861 seconds in winning for the 54th time in his Funny Car career. It was the 147th Funny Car victory for Chevrolet, including 67 with the Camaro model and 20 by Hight, since 1967.  “If you look at our runs in testing and our runs here, I think they’ve found it,” he added. “We have to work race by race, run by run. This is a long road to win this championship. It’s not going to be easy. We’re up for the task. We on a mission, we’re focused and we’re going to do the best we can.” Hight and rest of the Chevrolet contingent turn their attention to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in suburban Phoenix for the NHRA Arizona Nationals. The event was not held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hight’s teammate at John Force Racing, Austin Prock, also found consistency in the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster. Qualifying fourth, Prock was the runner-up in the Winternationals for the second time in three appearances. After racing to the NHRA rookie of the year award in 2019, Prock competed in only three races the past two seasons. His season debut was just about all that he could ask for. “This is my dream to drive this race car, and to be back and doing what I love again, it’s a lot of fun,” he said. Brittany Force, driving the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, claimed the top qualifier honor at Pomona. It was the 11th No. 1 in the past 14 races for Force, who owns both ends of the Wild Horse Pass track records for Top Fuel (3.643 seconds and 337.92 mph, both set in February 2020). Four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders dominated the opening weekend, riding the No. 1 qualifying spot to victory in the Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS.  Coming up short a semifinal matchup with Enders, reigning and five-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson, driving the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, will seek his 100th career victory. She won the 2020 race at Wild Horse Pass. Chevrolet has recorded 348 wins, including 229 with the Camaro model, in 900 Pro Stock races since 1970. FS1 will telecast taped eliminations at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 27. CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITTOP FUELBRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier and semifinalist at opener): “This team is off to a great start. We ran well during qualifying, got the No. 1qualifier, and made a semifinal-round appearance. We have a great team around us with David Grubnic, Mac Savage, and all our guys with two new additions.” AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 4 qualifier and runner-up at opener): “Great start to the year. This team got put together about three to four weeks ago, and I thought we did an excellent job this past weekend. It’s going to be a long, fun year, and I’m really looking forward to it. This is my dream to drive this race car, and to be back and doing what I love again, it’s a lot of fun.” FUNNY CARJOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (has eight wins at the track): “Ron Capps won the championship last year, but I don’t quit because he won the championship. I won’t quit because I lost first round (at Pomona). I drive this PEAK BlueDEF Chevy because I love driving race cars and I will fix it. It will only make me stronger.” ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier and winner at opener): “It’s one of many battles, the first race of the year. To get the job done is a big day. We’re going to have a lot more of those this year.” PRO STOCKERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier and winner in opener): “We opted not to go to Phoenix (for testing in early February) because with all the fuel cars there we would probably only make three runs per day. With seven cars and 45 crew guys, we kind of wanted to make our own cluster at Bakersfield. We were able to do really well. We knew when we got our butts whipped here last year at the world finals that we had to go to work, and the guys did just that.” GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 4 qualifier and semifinalist at opener; seeking to become fifth driver with 100 wins): “We did OK, but that’s not good enough. We have to go back to work. It’s obvious that some of the other teams have gained on us. We can run as fast as anybody right now, but we can’t run faster. We want to outrun everybody, like we did last year, so we have to get back to work and figure out how to find more power. The HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro is fast, and that’s great. But we need it to be faster. That’s what we’re going to work on.” DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (semifinalist in opener): “It was nice to get behind the RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro last weekend. I wish we would’ve come back with the win the first race out, but I have to stay realistic with this new, to me, car. We’re getting the kinks out of it one lap at a time, and I think we will have a successful weekend in Phoenix.” KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier in opener): “It was definitely a good start to the season. We’ll go to Phoenix and be ready to take it to the winner’s circle. (Testing two weeks ago at facility) The track is definitely not all there. We’ll continue to work on it, and I think we have enough data from the test session to really come out swinging. I was pleased with how we started out. We qualified out good and every round we got better.” MATT HARTFORD, HARTFORD RACING, TOTAL SEAL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “(Arizona) is our hometown race and we’ll have a lot of friends and family and a lot of the employees come down, so it’s really important that we get to have a race in our hometown. We want to win everywhere, but we really want to win at home. We’re going to try to do better tomorrow than we did today, and we’re going to focus on exceeding our own expectations.” TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Phoenix will be the perfect place to get past (early exit at Pomona because of a loose nut in right rear shock) and turn in a big result. It’s a long season and there will always be races that don’t live up to your expectations. How we react is key. I fully expect us to be back in contention this weekend. We’ll take nothing for granted and do all the work we need to do each round to put ourselves in the best position possible come race day.” CAMRIE CARUSO, CAMRIE CARUSO RACING, POWERBUILT TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (qualified seventh in Pro Stock debut at Pomona): “I think when you look at the whole weekend, this Powerbuilt Tools team did really well. We made some big strides, and we just have to take the positive from this race to Phoenix and beyond. Our biggest takeaway headed to Phoenix is we want to keep making good runs and just get that first win light in Arizona. We tested in Phoenix, but I think the national event will have a different feel. I am looking forward to getting back out there.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG, FL TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE FEBRUARY 23, 2022 STREET FIGHT: Chevy INDYCAR Teams Open 2022 at Familiar Spot11 Chevrolet-powered entries set to take on St. Peterburg Grand PrixDETROIT (February 23, 2022) – For the first time since 2019, Chevrolet and its teams in NTT INDYCAR SERIES will open their season at the series’ traditional starting spot: St. Petersburg, Florida, and the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. A total of eleven Team Chevy drivers and their Indy Cars – each powered by a 2.2-liter, twin turbo-charged Chevrolet V6 – will line up on the grid at St. Petersburg. Due to maneuvering within the IndyCar schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Petersburg featured on the series schedule the last two years: the season finale in 2020 and the second race of 2021.  Nestled along the harbors of Tampa Bay, the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit runs beside the waterfront and along the Albert Whitted Airport runway to create one of the most unique and scenic layouts in American racing. More often than not since 2012, fans at St. Petersburg have witnessed Chevrolet’s Bowtie-badged IndyCars running up front. Since rejoining the series as an engine supplier 10 years ago, Team Chevy has won seven times on the streets of St. Petersburg and claimed pole position on six occasions. Six of Chevrolet’s St. Petersburg victories have come from the Team Penske camp, including two from two-time INDYCAR Series champion Josef Newgarden in 2019 and 2020. His Penske teammate Will Power has been just as strong at the circuit with Chevrolet power adding a victory (2014) and five pole positions dating back to 2012. “It’s great to go back to St. Petersburg as the season-opening race for the NTT INDYCAR Series,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet Program Manager for the NTT INDYCAR Series. “It just feels normal and right to hold a three-day festival of speed in St. Pete to get everything going for a new year. This is an important season for Chevrolet in INDYCAR. It’s the final year of the current engine package with our 2.2L, twin-turbo V6 motor. Obviously we all want to go out on top with the goals of winning another Manufacturer Championship along with the Driver Championship and Indianapolis 500. I’m confident we can with our lineup of Chevrolet teams. “St. Petersburg is always a challenge from an engineering perspective,” Buckner added. “There are limited passing opportunities but yet some fast sections for a street circuit. Getting a car to work on multiple tarmac surfaces is always a big challenge. Like most street circuits, tire and power management from our Chevrolet engines will be keys to success. We have enjoyed a lot of great moments at St. Petersburg, and there’s no reason to expect anything different this year.” Chevrolet is coming off a season in which it won six times and claimed eight pole positions. Five separate Chevy-powered entrants – Team Penske, AJ Foyt Racing, Arrow McLaren Racing SP, Ed Carpenter Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing – will look to better that mark in the 17-round championship and help the Bowtie Brand to its seventh Manufacturer Championship in a decade. Chevrolet and the NTT INDYCAR Series begin the 2022 season at noon ET on Sunday, Feb. 27 from the St. Petersburg Street Circuit. The race will air live on NBC, the Peacock streaming service and SiriusXM IndyCar Nation (Channel 160). Live timing and scoring will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com. TEAM CHEVY QUOTESJOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: “I’m 10 years into this journey now, and when I look at myself and have to think about my perspective and experience that I’m bringing to the table with a new engineer, I think about confidence more than anything. That’s a big deal in racing. Trying to project the confidence you need to show up with on a weekend and the confidence you should or shouldn’t have in certain situations as you progress through a weekend. It’s really important. When you have a new engineer, it definitely shifts that confidence to my side in needing to be really clear and concise. That goes both ways. I need to be really clear on when we should be confident or when we shouldn’t. It’s OK to have not to have some confidence in something. If I’m not sure where we’re going or I don’t feel like it’s the right direction, I’m going to say that I don’t feel good in this. But if I see something that is clearly that the right way to do something or this is to me the path we need to be going down, I going to display to confidence and I need to hold true on that.” SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 PPG CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: “We’ve always been very quick in practice and right there or there about, the top-eight, top-six. You sort of hit qualifying and it sort of just goes down a hole a little bit. We feel like we got a few ideas why that was. Potentially going the wrong way with some setup. What was very interesting, I went through the whole year with some engineers. I felt like we worked out – there was a common trend going on. I felt like we were being a bit too aggressive on a few things that made the car really hard to drive when I needed to hit it at peak speed in qualifying. It was nice to go through all that and certainly have a focus area. I feel like we’re in a good understanding of where we need to be come practice to qualifying, especially at St. Pete this year.” DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING: “I love street circuits and St. Pete is a classic venue. It has everything you would want from a racetrack: good flow, technical sections, some good passing zones, and great fans! It is always an exciting start to the season, and I can’t wait to get on track. I’m feeling good about our street course package and would like to continue from where I felt we left off at the end of 2021. Looking at that year overall, I think qualifying was the Achilles heel, so there’s focus on improving there. That will in-turn help us in the races and it’s all about consistent, fast stints in the race.” PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 McLAREN VUSE CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN RACING SP: “It’s been a long offseason but the entire Arrow McLaren SP team has put in so much work to be ready for the first race of the season. I left St. Petersburg last year with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, but I’ve always really enjoyed racing there so I’m looking forward to turning it around. I’m excited to see where we are and make the first race one to remember.” FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 McLAREN VUSE CHEVROLET,ARROW McLAREN RACING SP: “The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is the first race of the year and one of my absolute favorite tracks and cities that we go to. It is a really special event every year. St. Petersburg has everything that you want and it’s a perfect way to start off the year. I’ve had very good races here but last year wasn’t the strongest result for us. I think we’re really motivated to come back stronger this year and start off the season in a good way. That way, we can travel to the next race with some points in the bag.” TATIANA CALDERON, NO. 11 ROKIT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING: “We need to get as many laps as possible to get all the info and experience, so for me I would like to just get a feel for where we are at in the first race and go from there to put some realistic goals in place. Of course, as a racing driver you always want to win. It’s the closest race we have and a lot of Latino presence so for sure I’m looking forward to the extra support and energy that they bring! My family will be there as it’s a great new experience to be in the INDYCAR field. I’ll be missing my brother, but he will for sure be awake in Europe following the race. Having my family on site and more support around me can only be positive. I feel more relaxed because I have everything I need around me.” WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: “I’m very focused on the beginning of the season. I feel like I’m fitter than I was last year. The team has done some development and Chevy has found some good stuff as well on the drivability side. There’s been a race (at St. Petersburg) in many different styles of cars as IndyCars have evolved and changed over the years. The setups have been quite different. It’s a technical track, but it’s like any other in that you have to get all the little bits right and all the sectors right. Obviously you have to get the setup right. Then it’s up to you to put the lap together. I’ve had more poles there than at any other track. It might be just that it flows well for me there. That does happen at some tracks.” KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO. 14 ROKIT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING: “The first thing I noticed when I jumped behind the wheel of the No. 14 car was power. The power delivery from Chevrolet is incredible. The car as a whole compared to what I have driven in the past isn’t massively different to other open-wheel cars, but if I were to take all the best attributes of every open-wheel car I’ve driven, it would come out to be the Indy car. I personally love the city of St. Petersburg. It’s a short drive from home for me so this allows a lot of friends and family to come out to my INDYCAR debut. I grew up near the water fishing, diving, surfing etc. in Florida with my family and given the fact that the track runs right along the Tampa bay, I feel right at home. Execution is key. Making sure we maximize our practice runs and come into qualifying with a good balance will be super important. As many know, these street course weekends are very dependent on how you roll off the trailer. I feel confident that we will be towards the front, but expectations will be made as the weekend progresses.” CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING:“St. Petersburg marks the start of an incredible new partnership and a new adventure with our friends at BitNile. Having had a nice test at Sebring last week, I feel very, very excited about it. St. Pete is one of the best possible places to start off the season! I know Ed Carpenter Racing has been working hard over the offseason to show up competitive. I can’t wait!” RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING:“I am very excited to go to St. Petersburg again and begin my third season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES! I am just so happy to start driving again, get back in the rhythm and show how much Ed Carpenter Racing has improved over the offseason. We had a great Sebring test, we have made some really good changes for this year.” CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 DYNAMIC EDGE CHEVROLET, JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING: “I am ready to get in the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevy and kick off the season this week. It will be nice to be out in the sun and to be down in Florida in St. Petersburg. It will be a new track for me, but I think it’s one you can get to grips with hopefully quickly. I am excited to see how competitive we are as a new team and look forward to a great event!” BY THE NUMBERS: CHEVROLET IN INDYCAR· 2: Wins by Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden in the last three years at St. Petersburg· 5: Number of drivers to win at St. Petersburg with Chevrolet power· 5: Different Chevrolet drivers to win races dating back to the start of 2012· 6: Number of Manufacturer Championships in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012· 6: Number of Team Chevy Driver/Entrant championships since 2012· 6: Pole positions for Team Penske’s Will Power at St. Petersburg dating back to 2012· 7: Wins for Chevrolet drivers since 2012 on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit in St. Petersburg· 9: Wins from pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver· 13: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including past 10 with Chevrolet· 19: Podium finishes (out of 30) by Team Chevy drivers at St. Petersburg since 2012· 25: Wins by Will Power since 2012. All have come with Chevrolet, giving him the most of any driver with same manufacturer· 39: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver· 95: Chevrolet victories in NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012· 107: Earned poles by Chevrolet since 2012· 165: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR 

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 23) — A loose nut inside of the right rear shock was determined to be the culprit in a forgettable start to the 2022 season for Pro Stock driver Troy Coughlin Jr. Fortunately, the problem has been quickly corrected, leaving the third-generation pro anxious to prove himself at this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals. “It was a fluke thing, something that rarely happens, but it’s been fixed by our good friend Adam Lambert at Precision Racing Suspension and we are all very determined to rebound with a big weekend at Wild Horse Motorsports Park,” Coughlin said. “Once the guys started analyzing the data it became apparent something was hurting us early in each pass. It was a simple process of elimination from there and they discovered that loose nut in the right rear shock that had backed-off, which was throwing off the balance of the car. “Phoenix will be the perfect place to get past this and turn in a big result. It’s a long season and there will always be races that don’t live up to your expectations. How we react is key.”

Sun Devil Auto, a local group of service centers in the Phoenix area, will ride prominently on the rear quarter panels of the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in Phoenix. The Elite team also will host a group of Sun Devil Auto employees on race day to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication to the company. “Great to have Sun Devil Auto on board,” Coughlin said. “We all share a love of drag racing, automobiles and the inner workings of engines and such and it’ll be fun to show them the extreme edge of mechanics we have in our Pro Stock car. It always blows people away, especially those with knowledge of engines, to see the pieces of these massive 500-inch Pro Stock motors. I’m happy to have them come visit. “Mark Ingersoll and the rest of the crew, Kyle Bates, Ricky Calloway, and Kelly Murphy, are the best the business and I fully expect us to be back in contention this weekend. We’ll take nothing for granted and do all the work we need to do each round to put ourselves in the best position possible come race day.”

World of Outlaws CASE Late Models to run at The Rev, March 11-12

MONROE, LA – Feb. 23, 2022 – With traveling teams and fans in mind, heavy persistent rainstorms throughout the week creating oversaturated grounds at Magnolia Motor Speedway and The Rev have forced World of Outlaws and track officials to cancel this weekend’s events.

Both events will not be made up. However, fans can look forward to the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models doubleheader at The Rev, March 11-12.

Those who purchased a ticket in advance to Friday’s event at Magnolia Motor Speedway and Saturday’s event at The Rev will receive a face-value credit to their MyDirtTickets.com account to be used towards any World of Outlaws event available at WorldofOutlaws.com/tix. That credit can be used toward the upcoming World of Outlaws CASE Late Model event at The Rev.

If a credit to your account does not work for you, then you have until March 23 to request a refund. For more details email tickets@dirtcar.com if you have further questions. Click here for refund request.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series 2022 season resumes at Cotton Bowl Speedway, in Paige, TX, for the Texas Two-Step on March 4-5. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 27, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team earned their second consecutive victory Sunday at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. John Force moved the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy Camaro SS to seventh in points with a semifinal finish while Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team had a quarterfinal appearance and Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster had a first round exit. For the first time in his career, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Chevy team have started the season with back-to-back victories as they worked their way to the 55th win of Hight’s career, his second at the Arizona Nationals. The three-time championship team started the day in the No.2 qualifying position racing Paul Lee. Hight would handle his Chevrolet to a 3.864-second pass at 329.42 mph while Lee would smoke the tires for a 9.484 setting Hight up to run against long-time rival Bob Tasca III. The Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham led Auto Club team would rally to 3.855-second pass at 330.55 mph to send Tasca’s 3.922 at 332.84 packing. With the win, Hight would have a semifinals battle against boss and 16-time champion John Force. Hight would keep it consistent, taking his Auto Club Funny Car to a 3.847-second pass at 326.63 mph while Force would struggle keeping traction to run 7.231 at 86.59. In the finals it would be John Force Racing versus Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) as Hight lined up with Matt Hagan. Hight would deliver another on par run at 3.837-seconds and 330.39 mph to deny TSR their first team win. Hagan would have a 4.045-second pass at 267.00 mph after shutting off near the 600-foot mark. “This is amazing. You have no idea what it’s like to win one race. I still feel that the Funny Car class is the toughest class out here. From top to bottom, it’s stacked and any given weekend, anyone could step up and win. So, to go and win two in a row in this day and age, that is amazing,” Hight said. “And if you look back to this strong string of runs that we’re on: five in a row at Auto Club Raceway in the .80s, come her and have seven runs in the .80s, that’s pretty impressive what Jimmy and Chris and the whole Auto Club team came up with over the winter. Even yesterday when the track was 107° and we went up there and ran .84, you don’t surprise Jimmy very often, and that run surprised him, and it surprised me too. I’m very fortunate to drive this thing right now. It’s what you dream about and it’s not going to get any easier from here on out. You’ve got big battles – last weekend with Capps, this weekend with Hagan, and you’re going to see a lot of these battles all year long. We just hope we’re up for it.” The turnaround continued for John Force and the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy as they pedaled their way to a 4.250-second pass at 211.93 mph to better Jeff Arend’s 5.950 at 116.09. In the second round, Force would catch reigning world champion Ron Capps on the starting line. Force’s 3.902 at 329.42 with a .052 reaction time would better Capps’ 3.869 at 327.74 and a .121 reaction time.  The win pitted Force against teammate and president of John Force Racing Robert Hight in the semifinals. Force would run into tire smoke for only a 7.231-second run at 86.59 in the PEAK Chevy while Hight would run 3.847 at 326.63. “Not a bad weekend for this PEAK Chevy. Qualified decent you know, right there at No. 3,” Force said. “We went some rounds and if I have to lose, well then, I’d rather it be to Robert and that Auto Club car. They’re really something right now, and Brittany and Austin, they’re right in it too. We’ll keep on building, keep working. Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi, they really pour themselves into this car. So, I’m looking forward to getting to Gainesville and going after it again.” Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac team picked things up from qualifying to lay down an impressive 3.694-second pass at 321.96 mph in their first round of eliminations to end the day for Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team and their 4.105 at 248.02. The victory would line Force up with rival and four-time reigning champion Steve Torrence in the quarterfinals. Despite having solid reaction times throughout the start of the NHRA Camping World season, Force would come up short on a hole shot loss to Torrence. Force would handle the Flav-R-Pac dragster to a 3.709-second run at 330.31 mph with a .132 reaction time but be bettered by Torrence’s 3.710 at 325.92 with a .075 light. “Tough day for this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team out here in a Phoenix. We qualified sixth and lined up with Austin Prock first round. We got past him but got beat in the second round. It was driver error. It’s tough – I got beat on a holeshot. We’ll pack up and head to the next one, put this one behind us and move forward.” Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team have their race day cut short after their woes from qualifying follow them into first round. Qualified No. 11 and matched with teammate Brittany Force in the first round, Prock would pedal to a 4.105-second pass at 248.02 mph but it wouldn’t be enough for Force’s 3.671 at 333.49. “Not the weekend we wanted but it was a weekend of growth. We learned a lot and had a tough first round match-up with Brittany. We had to go out there with our guns loaded and try to run a 3.65. We left hard and had the best sixty-foot on anyone all weekend, but the tires just came loose,” Prock said. “It was a good opportunity for me to learn and I got it to recover and got it down there. I learned a little bit on my end and the crew chiefs learned. We’re going to go to Gainesville and try to go to the finals again.” The 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season continues March 11-13 with the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 26, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team were consistent throughout qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park to secure the No. 2 position on Saturday evening. John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy are just behind Hight sitting No. 3. In Top Fuel, Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster improved to No. 6 while Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team are No. 11. Hight and the Auto Club team continued to perform at a high-caliber Saturday going 3.848-seconds at 330.47 mph to be quickest of the session and gain three bonus qualifying points. In the final session, just after being bumped into the No. 2 spot, Hight would maintain his consistency to take the Auto Club Chevy to an impressive 3.839 pass at 333.00 mph that would come up second quickest for an additional two points. They’ll enter race day No. 2 off their Friday night 3.838-second run.  “I said I didn’t think that 3.838 from Friday was going to hold, but I’m proud of how this Auto Club Chevy is running,” said Hight who will face Paul Lee first round. “It’s all about being consistent. That’s how you win races and how you win championships. Right now, after these two weekends so far, we have the best of both worlds, quick and consistent. It’s a dream come true to drive a car like this. It’s been a while.” John Force and the BlueDEF PLATINUM team are qualified No. 3 thanks to their 3.851-second run at 332.02 mph from Friday night. Saturday, the PEAK team had a couple of bouts with tire smoke first going 8.530-seconds at 74.66 mph and then 9.074-seconds at 78.11 mph. “We’ll get it figured out. This PEAK team with Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi. We’ll be okay. We’re in the show, might not have been pretty but we made it,” said Force who will line up with Jeff Arend first round. “We’re all in. Just going to keep fighting our way through. Robert looks good over there with Auto Club and Brittany with Flav-R-Pac and Austin with Montana Brand, the have Frank Tiegs here getting to see his cars run. We’ll put on a show tomorrow for all these fans that came out here.” Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac dragster team improved Saturday going 3.694-seconds at 321.96 mph to start the day as the quickest of the pack and pick up three-bonus points. They would move themselves into the No. 3 position before putting a holeout to run 3.799 at 300.20 in the third session and being bumped to No. 6. “Wrapping up qualifying and ended up number six so, unfortunately, we face our teammate Austin Prock,” Force said. “Overall looking at the weekend, yes, we did struggle, but we also qualified No. 2 for the Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Top Fuel Callout that’s happening in Gainesville in a couple weeks so that’s good news. Even though we struggled, anything can happen. I’ve got a solid team with David Grubnic and Mac Savage. We have some things to work out, and I’m hoping we can do that tomorrow first round and have a long race day.” Coming into the day sitting No. 13, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team kept things interesting by going 4.915-seconds at 145.52 mph and being bumped out of the top-16 in their first run of the day. In their last effort, Prock handled the Montana Brand / RMT dragster to a 3.739 pass at 324.83 with an engine explosion to jump into the No. 11 spot. “This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team struggled the first two runs this weekend,” Prock said. “We made a decent last one, but we destroyed pretty much every component on the race car, so we’re pretty frustrated with that. But we’ll be here late tonight and be ready to go in the morning.” Eliminations at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage of eliminations will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 25, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team found themselves in the low qualifier position once again Friday night at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy picked things up to land in the No. 2 spot. In Top Fuel, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster team are currently No. 4 while Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team are sitting No. 13. Coming off a win and No. 2 qualifying position at the season-opening Winternationals, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Chevy team didn’t skip a beat rocketing to a 3.838-second pass at 332.18 mph, mimicking their efforts from one week prior when they ended Friday night in the No. 1 spot. “It’s a good feeling to have this Auto Club team come out here and run like this. Just about every run we’ve made down the track this whole year has been in the 3.80s, so that’s pretty impressive, but we’re under really good conditions. You know when you come to Phoenix and the temperatures are like this, you better hold on,” Hight said. “Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham did a really good job and hit it just right. We had a really good run to come off of, the final round we ran 3.861 in Pomona, and we had just been here two weeks ago testing and we ran 3.86. We knew we were going to have to step it up but we also had the luxury, when you’re in the back of the pack, to be able to watch what the other cars are doing and plan ahead, and we did that.” Looking to make a complete turnaround from their season opener results, John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF Chevy laid down a stout 3.851-second pass at 332.02 mph as the second pair down the racetrack. Their pass would put a target on their back as the rest of the 16-car field took their try. It would take teammate Robert Hight as the last pair to bump the 16-time champion into the No. 2 spot. “I’m alive. It was a good day. That’s better,” Force said. “Unless something crazy happens, we’re in the show. That’s all that matters. Let’s you breathe easier knowing you have two passes tomorrow that you can use to get ready for race day. This PEAK Chevrolet, it ran good, consistent, here at testing too so I’m feeling good.” After finishing runner-up a week prior, Austin Prock and his Montana Brand / RMT dragster team ran into tire smoke but they weren’t alone. Their 5.886-second pass at 107.56 mph was still enough for the No. 4 position. “Not the ideal start, especially coming off of last weekend, but we got thrown some really tough track conditions. It was getting cool, and the track was getting really tight really fast with the sun coming down,” Prock said. “We made it through the trouble areas where everyone else was throwing up, tried to send a bomb at it and the track wouldn’t take it. For not going down the track, this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team is pretty happy because we know why. Tomorrow we’re going to go up there and do what we did in Pomona.” Most of the 15-car Top Fuel field had issues with the cooling racetrack. That included track record holder Brittany Force and her Flav-R-Pac dragster team. It would be almost immediate smoke as they coasted to an 8.667-second pass a 78.28 mph to sit No. 13. “Coming out of Pomona, we found some problems with this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster that we think we’ve fixed coming into Arizona,” Force said. “Unfortunately, we struggled on that first run, a lot of people did. It was a great track, but we didn’t get the car down there. We get two more tomorrow and we’ll push and get it moved up.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb 24, 2022) – Now in his 47th career NHRA season, John Force and his PEAK / BlueDEF Platinum Chevrolet Camaro SS team enter this weekend’s Arizona Nationals optimistic as they head to a track at which Force has unprecedented success. Coming off a disappointing performance in the season-opening Winternationals where hequalified 16th and had a first-round exit, Force and his PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy team will try to get back on track at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, a track on which he was quickest in pre-season testing just two weeks ago. “Pomona, home track, that was difficult. Not the showing we wanted but as a team owner, it was a good weekend, Brittany with Flav-R-Pac and Monster No. 1, Robert and Auto Club with the win and Austin getting Montana Brand into the finals,” Force said. “This PEAK BlueDEF team, we know we’ll be okay. Something just didn’t quite add up in Pomona, but I know Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they have this Chevrolet dialed in. We showed what we could do at testing. So, I’m not worried. I’m excited.” Force not only dominated testing, but he has won more races at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park than anyone else. His eight wins (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005) are three more than anyone else in any category. From 1994 through 2002, he missed the final round only once in 1998. In addition to his eight wins, he has been runner-up six times, most recently in 2016. He has started the Arizona Nationals from the No. 1 qualifying position eight times (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2010 and 2014). In 2020, his most recent appearance at Phoenix, he reached the semifinals. “A lot of good racing at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park,” Force said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the fans, we haven’t had the chance to put on a show for them in two years. It’ll be good to be back. We’ll put on a show and hopefully get this PEAK Chevy in the winner’s circle. It’s the plan, it’s always the plan, just gotta go out there one run at a time and get it done.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park begins Friday with the first session at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 24, 2022) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster team are mixing things up in the NHRA Top Fuel category. Heading to the NHRA Arizona Nationals, the second race on the Camping World Drag Racing Series tour, sitting No. 2 in points, Prock and his team are proving they more than deserve to be amongst the Top Fuel elite. After nearly two years out of the seat, Prock raised eyebrows on the final day of pre-season testing when his Montana Brand / RMT dragster team made two promising passes, including a 3.685-second pass at 333.66 mph that would be the best of the Top Fuel class. The testing performance was only a prerequisite to what the team would accomplish at the season-opening Winternationals. Prock would qualify No. 4 before taking the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster to the runner-up finish, only narrowly dropping the final to Justin Ashley in a battle between the 2019 and 2020 winners of the Auto Club’s Road to the Future Award.  “It’s been a great start to the year. This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team was pulled together quickly but we’ve put in the work and I thought we did an excellent job in Pomona,” Prock said. “I’m really happy with how this year has started. It’s going to be a long, fun year and I’m really looking forward to it. We have some good momentum coming from the last two weekends.” This will only be Prock’s third competitive appearance at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, however, Prock made his first pass in a Top Fuel dragster at the facility. Prock earned his Top Fuel license in a frenzy ahead of his rookie 2019 season on the final day of testing in Arizona. In his first competitive try at Wild Horse Pass, Prock would qualifying sixth before making a quarterfinal appearance. In 2020 Prock would have a first-round exit. “I’m looking forward to Phoenix. It’s a special spot for me, it’s where I got my Top Fuel license in 2019,” Prock said. “Now I’m back, living my dream again and I’m pumped. We’re coming off two really good weekends including testing here. It’s going to be a good weekend. I think this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team has a lot of really good weekends in its future.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park begins Friday with the first session at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 24, 2022) – Brittany Force will change things up at this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals running her Flav-R-Pac Frozen Fruits and Vegetables livery for the first time in the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Heading to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park sitting No. 3 in the points standings, the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team will be looking to capitalize on their season-opening success. Seeming to pick up right where they left off, Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac team are coming off a strong season-opening performance at the Winternationals. The David Grubnic and Mac Savage led team entered race day from No. 1 for the 33rd time in Force’s career and the 19th time in her last 30 starts. “I’m glad to have the first race of the season under my belt. This Flav-R-Pac team had a good weekend at our season opener in Pomona with a No. 1 qualifier and semi-final round appearance,” Force said. “We have a great team around us with David Grubnic, Mac Savage and all our guys. We’re working well together and I’m very proud of what we accomplished at the Winternationals.” Force will be trying to earn John Force Racing’s first win at the Arizona Nationals outside of the Funny Car class. Although she has not yet won the event, she did reach the final round in 2014, 2016 and 2017. In her most recent appearance, she set both ends of the track record (3.643 seconds at 337.92 mph on Feb. 23, 2020) before a quarterfinal exit. “Our Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team just came from testing at Wild Horse Pass and David Grubnic and Mac Savage liked our numbers. So, we all feel confident returning to that track,” Force said. “I’m looking for a strong weekend and our first win of the season.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park begins Friday with the first session at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 24, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team are on top of their game as they head to the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park Feb. 25-27. The Auto Club team enter the second of 22 events on the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season riding the momentum of a win at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. It was a statement 54th career victory for Hight and the Auto Club team at the NHRA season-opening Winternationals after finishing 2021 unsatisfied in the No. 8 position. Now the points leader, Hight, with Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham at the helm of his Chevrolet, has already extended to 17 the number of seasons in which he has won at least one tour event. The three-time championship team heads to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park just two weeks after a successful pre-season test session at the facility that led to their victory last weekend. “That wasn’t a lot of fun last year. Since Jimmy Prock came back, we’ve been in the thick of things every year. Won two championships, set records,” Hight said. “These Auto Club guys stayed focused, worked really hard in the off season and looked at what bit us last year. If you look at our runs in testing and what we did in Pomona, I think they’ve found it and they’ve fixed it. I’m happy. We definitely have more consistency than we had last year. I can only see it getting better.” Hight has won at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports once in an all-JFR showdown with then teammate Mike Neff in 2012. He was the runner-up at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in 2007, 2008 and 2014 and was the No. 1 qualifier in 2007 and 2019. He earned the No. 1 spot in 2007 with a time of 4.636 seconds that remains the quickest ever at the quarter mile distance at which races were contested until June of 2008. In his most recent Arizona appearance in 2020, he qualified No. 3 before being upset in the first round. “I feel really good about going to Arizona this weekend. It’s hard not to. We had a great test session here just a couple weeks ago and last weekend with the win,” Hight said. “We know it’s not going to be easy, going after wins and ultimately a championship. We have to work race by race, run by run. This Auto Club Chevy team is up to the task though. We’re on a mission, we’re focused and we’re going to do the best we can.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park begins Friday with the first session at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Feb 22, 2022 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results

Randy Meyer Racing’s Julie Nataas started her 2022 NHRA season with a quarterfinal finish this weekend at 62nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals after defeating Trevor Larkin in the first round.

Nataas started out qualifying with two tire-smoking efforts, but Randy Meyer dug deep for the final session and tuned her dragster to a 5.289-second pass at 277.20 mph.

Going into raceday in the No. 5 qualifying spot, Julie faced up against No. 12 qualifier Trevor Larkin. Julie crossed the finish line, going low the round, with a stout 5.214, 276.92 to defeat Larkin’s 5.539, 248.02. That run would give her lane choice over her second-round competitor Madison Payne. 

Second round, Julie unfortunately turned on the red light against Payne. Although she went red, Julie still laid down an exceptional 5.294, 241.41 to Payne’s 5.619, 221.38.

“I always love starting the season at my favorite track, but we didn’t have the weekend we wanted,” said Julie. “We struggled a little getting down the track in qualifying. Randy turned it around for our last qualifier and we were able to qualify in the top part of the field. Unfortunately, we had an early exit with a red light DQ. It was not the way I wanted to start the season. At least we know we have a really good car going into Belle Rose, LA this weekend.I have put the red light behind me and ready to put the OTG/Right Trailers/Lucas Oil dragster in the winners circle for the first time in 2022.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG, FL TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 22, 2022 WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, was the guest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES ZOOM conference with motorsports media. Full transcript: THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Great to see everyone here today. As you know, it’s race week for the NTT INDYCAR Series. Sunday the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete presented by RP Funding.
Our guest today know a thing or two about winning at St. Pete. Joining us, Will Power, who will be in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet. Power won at St. Pete back in 2014, but also a remarkable nine-time pole winner on the street layout, and it is great to have Will with us.
THE MODERATOR: Will, the wait is over. How much do you look forward to going back to St. Pete for the opener?WILL POWER: Yeah, very much looking forward to it. I’ve been training very hard in the off-season. I reckon the team has found some pretty good stuff, so has Chevy, so it’s a track I love.I didn’t have a very good qualifying there last year, so looking to make it to that Firestone Fast Six and more so looking to contend for the win.
THE MODERATOR: I’m assuming that is a treasured item behind you; is that the St. Pete surfboard you’ve got there?WILL POWER: Yes, it is. It’s right there. I want to get another one. Helio has got three of them, if you can believe it. And he’s got four 500s. Just between them, three of them and four 500s.  He’s still going, still going. It’s unbelievable, man.
Q.Obviously you’ve been in this a long time, still competing, eyeing records, Will the all-time pole record in the NTT INDYCAR Series, do you ever get nostalgic about the way your career has gone and continued to go?WILL POWER: Yeah, I look back on my career and I just feel so blessed and lucky to have had a career in INDYCAR and have been successful. And to be with the team, with Penske for this long, yeah, I look back and feel like, man, it’s just very, very fortunate.And also to have raced and been teammates with guys like Helio who will be regarded as one of the all-time greats, four Indy 500 wins, and he taught me a lot. I always say it, when he left Penske, he was the quickest I had ever seen him.When I first came there I was very fast, and Helio kept getting quicker and quicker and quicker and I couldn’t match him when he was at his best. Yep, cool for him to be back full time. I think it’s great at his age. I think that is just so awesome that he’s still performing at this level.
THE MODERATOR: Man, I just heard the phrase “at his age” about Helio. Just sayin’.WILL POWER: I think it’s great for anyone in their 40s. If Helio is still as fast as he is, I have zero, he, no excuses, no excuses.
Q.To be able to start the season the week after the Daytona 500, it kind of adds a little momentum for the INDYCAR start because the two big races in the same state separated a week apart. What do you think of having it like that from here on out?WILL POWER: Yeah, I didn’t even — yeah, okay. Yeah, usually we’re a week or two later than this.
Q.Sometimes even later.WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s good. I think now that NASCAR and INDYCAR has collaborated a little bit with the INDYCAR road course race, there’s a little bit of crossover there with the fans.Hopefully that brings more viewers and more spectators to the track. Yeah, it’s good for motorsport as a whole. The more popular motorsport becomes, the better it is for all of us, not matter the series.Yep, hoping to see a full crowd there, full capacity. It’s been a couple years. I think it’ll be a great weekend.
Q.Will, obviously you’ve been extremely successful at St. Pete. What do you put that down to?WILL POWER: Yeah, you can never put it down to just one thing. I’d say there’s been — I’ve raced there in many different styles of cars, as INDYCAR has evolved and changed over the years. The setups have been quite different. It’s a technical track, but you know, it’s like any other track. You’ve got to get all the little bits right, all the sectors right, and obviously the setup right. Then it’s up to you to put the lap together.Yeah, I think that track I’ve had more poles there than any other track, so there might be something to just — flows well for me there that those happen. Like Indianapolis for Helio, just seems to flow well for him. But, yeah, I can’t really say there’s one particular thing that makes me quick there.
WILL POWER: I was going to say to you I can’t believe — Helio has been up on me and he’s about to get the pole, and I get him always in Turn 10. I don’t know what it is. I did that to Newgarden, as well, got him by 100th. Last year I didn’t see the exit wall and I bent the toe link and I crashed over the finish line. I tried to get it flat and it was all wobbly and I it spun, so it finally got me.
Q.I know you think very highly of INDYCAR and you believe it’s one of the strongest series in the world. It’s at this weird place right now where it’s growing and it’s bigger and European drivers want to come to INDYCAR. But at the same time, Herta and O’Ward want to go to F1. What is INDYCAR right now to you guys? When you look at the series, where do you think it stacks up?WILL POWER: Yeah, you know, obviously Formula 1 is the pinnacle when you look at the level of money and television coverage around the world that it has. So if you’re a young driver, it’s somewhere you would love to go and have experienced that series.But as far as competing and competition and parity, there’s no other open wheel series in the world like INDYCAR. It is more competitive than Formula 1, not because the drivers are better but simply because the cars are all exactly the same. You’ve got so many drivers and teams that have been around for so long in these same cars that it is really, really tough.You don’t even have to take my word for that. Just look at the practice sheets and the qualifying times. You can mathematically work that out yourself, that INDYCAR is more competitive than Formula 1.Formula 1 you compete possibly just against one person, which is your teammate, but maybe this year they have more parity. The drivers are not — I’m not saying that INDYCAR drivers are better. That’s not true. I’m just saying that the formula is more competitive, and I think the formula is better for fans, honestly. You never know who’s going to win.However, because of the different styles of tracks, with ovals, with short ovals, with street courses, you definitely blend so many different talents, and you can still have, as we have today, drivers just not going for one style of racing.You create more competition, create more buzz, and yes, that’s why INDYCAR has continued going on the right direction.Now, with Penske Corp taking care of the series, hopefully now with the pandemic just passed over, I do believe INDYCAR can concentrate to becoming what it used to be 30 years ago, 30, 40 years ago.
Q.Will, it seems like over the last few years you’ve really come on strong the middle to the end of the season, and you’ve always felt that if you had a strong start to the season you’d be more of a championship contender. Is that your mindset going into this weekend, is you have to fire off on the season really, really well?WILL POWER: Yeah, I was like that last year, as well. Yes, very focused on the beginning of the season. I have to say I feel like I’m fitter than I was last year. I feel — like I said before, I think the team has done some good development.I think Chevy has found some good stuff, as well, on the drivability side. We’ll see. I’m maximum effort. Every race counts for the same amount of points. But that is true, for whatever reason we have struggled early in the season.Not last year. I guess we had a couple of good results early on and then it wasn’t that special. But, yeah, can’t really — we’ve looked at every reason why that is. I feel like I’ve got a very good crew. I’ve got all the stuff, all the tools available to start really strong, and, yeah, be a contender from the beginning.
Q.Why do you feel like you’re more fit than you’ve ever been? Did you change something up over the off-season? Are you doing a different workout routine?WILL POWER: Yeah, well, slightly different, yes. You know, obviously the science is changing all the time and there’s new ways, better ways, more efficient ways to work out.Definitely stronger and fitter than I have been. I wouldn’t say ever. I’ve been pretty high at some times, but right there. I’m stronger for sure and just as fit.
Q.The last three years, the winner of the season opener has gone on to win the championship. Do you feel like — one, why is that, and do you think that that can be the same case again this year, that our winner this weekend could eventually be the champion?WILL POWER: Yeah, I reckon what happens is that you don’t — for one, you’re way more focused because you’re leading the championship and you’re focused on not making a mistake instead of focused on trying to win.I think that’s some of the psychology behind it, is that you’re not trying to claw back. You set a pretty good base, boom, you’ve got big points and you adjust, nicely maintaining those points instead of desperately trying to claw back to get back in the game.I reckon that’s some of the reason that that happens.
Q.The new marketing campaign target fans not just in the Midwest, but seems to challenge fans outside of that market from where I am in New York to Texas. And if you had to let’s say have 15 to 30 seconds to pitch the series to someone that doesn’t know about INDYCAR, what would you say and what can fans expect to see in 2022?WILL POWER: Yeah, you’re not going to find a more competitive racing series in the world. You know, it’s open wheel racing, so they’re purpose-built race cars. We go to tracks like Indianapolis where in qualifying we’re doing 240 miles an hour and 300,000 people will be watching on race day.We need to get it out there as much as possible because the product is so good and you race on so many different disciplines. You have road courses, street courses, superspeedways, and Bullring short ovals.You never know who’s going to win, you never know who’s going to be on pole, and you really don’t know who’s going to win the championship until the last race and sometimes the last lap.It’s a great product, and it has been growing over the last decade. It’s like significantly grown since I started in INDYCAR, and the teams and the drivers are the highest standard that I’ve ever seen.It’s a great series. It really is. It’s a great series, and I hope that we continue to push to get it out to the public.
Q.Will, what do you think about the situation that befell you’re your compatriot Oscar Piastri? Year after year this guy became the F2 and F3 champion and still didn’t get to Formula 1. Wouldn’t it be better for Europeans if Oscar was in an INDYCAR this season?WILL POWER: Yeah, I think I understand your question. Yeah, Oscar Piastri certainly deserved to be in Formula 1 this year having won back-to-back titles in Formula 3, then F2 first year out as a rookie.And then not to be in Formula 1, to me the system is sort of broken. Why? Why do they spend all this money to run something like F2 and you win the championship the first year, and I’m going to say the budget for that has got to be 2 million Euros or something like this, and not get a Formula 1 seat?I think he deserves to be in Formula 1. He should be in Formula 1. I can understand why he wouldn’t want to come over to INDYCAR, because he’s worked his whole career. I’d have to say I was kind of disappointed that he didn’t get a ride.So we’ll see what happens. It’s a total travesty if he doesn’t end up in Formula 1 next year because then he’ll probably won’t ever end up in Formula 1, which is just such a shame.
Q.What have you and Team Penske learned from the race in Detroit last year?WILL POWER: I heard Detroit, so it must have had something to do with the car not starting. Yeah, that was massively disappointing. I so badly wanted to win that. It was such a hot day, too, so I would have got to go dive in that fountain.It would have been perfect. I don’t want to win on a cold day where you’ve got to get in the fountain. I want to win on a hot, hot day like that. Had I won, man, five to go, I mean, Ah, how bad is that?
Q.We have a Chevy driver here. How do you think the engine competition is going to play out this season? Do you feel it in general depends on the type of tracks? Have you in the Chevy camp found something?WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s definitely — I would say it’s very close. Very, very close. Yes, we have definitely improved our engine on the drivability side, there’s no question. We certainly have more tools at our disposal in that respect.Very close. Very, very close. I mean, we’ve seen Honda be a bit better at some of the tighter street courses, but obviously in qualifying at Indy, a Honda has been better recently. But it’s very close. No one has a big advantage. It’s pretty good.It’s going to be interesting. It’s going to be definitely a big battle again this year, Chevy against Honda. That’s why it’s become so competitive, the series, because even the best scenario, INDYCAR makes sure that everybody is running really, really close and it comes up to the teams, it comes up to the drivers in the end, and that’s why it’s competitive.
Q.Will, your reflection on Penske culture?WILL POWER: Yeah, it starts from the top down. You see the way Roger runs his corporation, the business, any business that he’s in, and like he always says, it’s human capital. It’s the people that you invest in. He always has a very good team at the top, and that filters all the way down through the whole organization to really anyone doing anything within the shop.Great people preparing the cars. You’ve got great people doing development behind the scenes, and you’re expected to win. Roger expects the team to win. That’s why last year was so disappointing on the INDYCAR side, because we did win but we didn’t win enough, and we weren’t competitive enough at Indianapolis.Certainly went into this last off-season really, really digging deep, and the whole team looked at everything and has done some great development.Hopefully that translates on to the track. It’s a super competitive series and environment right now, so you can never know. But Roger expects all of us on the INDYCAR side to be contending for a championship.
Q.It was March 13, 2020, when this race got shut down because of COVID. At that time I think there was like five cases in Hillsboro County and there was a lot of panic back then. At that particular time only the die-hards knew who Alex Palou was and Jimmie Johnson was a NASCAR driver. Here we are two years later, Jimmie Johnson is an INDYCAR driver, Alex Palou is an INDYCAR champion. Talk about how different the world is today in INDYCAR than it was at this point two years ago before the shutdown.WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, it’s not really — I would say it’s only got more competitive. I mean, yeah, obviously Palou is a champion. No one knew who he was in 2020, and Jimmie Johnson is running full-time in INDYCAR, even doing the ovals. Yeah, things changed very quickly.But as far as the competition and the teams, it’s pretty similar. Everyone has had this car for quite a while, and they’ve developed it to the nth degree. That’s why you’re seeing these ridiculously close qualifying sessions and a different winner every week and different pole sitter every week. Yeah, it’s making a very interesting series.
Q.Are you amazed in spite of the pandemic that INDYCAR flourished both on track and financially?WILL POWER: I reckon you couldn’t really name — well, you could name more than 10 drivers almost. You could almost name 10 guys that you would say would be a contender for the championship, so it’s anyone’s guess really.You know Newgarden will be up there. You know that Palou coming in for his third year will be up there. Herta, Rossi, the two McLaren drivers, the Rahal drivers, the Shank drivers. There’s so many good guys now, it’s really, really, really hard to pick.
THE MODERATOR: One of the best in St. Pete. Hopefully that continues this weekend. Thank you so much for your time.

The Greatest Show on Dirt Returns to Two Early-Season Favorites

COLUMBUS, MS – February 22, 2022 – One weekend on the sidelines was more than enough; It’s time to get the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series back on track.

A Dirty South doubleheader awaits The Greatest Show on Dirt this weekend with a pair of second-ever appearances coming in Mississippi and Louisiana. It’s the first of 36 consecutive weeks of racing as the Series’ 90-race grind gets underway.

Magnolia Motor Speedway has first honors with a Friday night under the lights in Columbus, MS. A four-hour ride to the west takes teams to The Rev in Monroe, LA for a Saturday night showdown.

MAGNOLIA TICKETS (Friday)
THE REV TICKETS (Saturday)

Before DIRTVision brings you all the coverage, let’s look at some of the top storylines entering this weekend.

WHO’S NEXT: For the 27th time in 45 seasons and third consecutive year, the World of Outlaws has opened a season with at least three different winners to get the ball rolling. Fresh off the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, fans saw a trio of triumphs split by Donny Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild, David Gravel.

Plenty of other stout options remains viable to keep the streak alive with names like Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo, Logan Schuchart, James McFadden, Kasey Kahne, Spencer Bayston, Kraig Kinser, Jacob Allen, Brock Zearfoss, Jason Sides, Bill Rose, Noah Gass, and others still chasing their first checkered flag of 2022 this weekend.

The all-time record remains eight different winners to start the 2015 season – Pittman, Schatz, Sweet, Stewart, McCarl, Brown, Kaeding, Abreu.

MAG-NIFICENT: For being known as a Late Model track, The Mag sure brings the Sprint Car faithful out in droves when the World of Outlaws comes to town. Last year’s Series debut at the Mississippi gumbo 1/3-mile was met with plenty of fanfare as Logan Schuchart and Shark Racing saw their perfect night stopped by Sheldon Haudenschild thanks to a late-race slidejob in lap traffic aboard the NOS Energy Drink #17.

REV-VED UP: Transitioning from asphalt to dirt, The Rev enjoyed a national coming-out party last year when David Gravel & Brad Sweet fought tooth and nail in a race of the year contender which featured 13 lead changes. Both fans and racers alike have high hopes for this return to country-music star Dylan Scott’s promotion on Saturday night.

STARTING STRONG: Only four drivers escaped Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals with a top-10 finish in every Feature, and more specifically, only one man left with a top-five finish from every night. That momentum will be crucial in carrying these teams through the early portion of the 90-race schedule.

• David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports unloaded out of the box with immense speed, scoring a fourth, a second with a broken shock, and a dominating win to start the year with the Big Gator Championship. Now the Watertown, CT native returns to the site of one of his most impressive 2021 victories with a chance to keep the streak alive.
• Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing backed up their second-half performance of 2021 by starting the new year with a season-opening win at Volusia. The 10-time Series champion is at full strength aboard the Advance Auto Parts, Carquest Auto Parts, Ford Performance #15 with wins and consistency the only thing on his mind.
• Sheldon Haudenschild and Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing had no luck at Volusia in 2021 but pulled a 180 to leave Florida with finishes of 10th, first & fourth this year. The NOS Energy Drink #17 now returns to The Mag as the defending winner with a chance to become the first repeat winner of the new season.
• James McFadden and Roth Motorsports immediately clicked with their new partnership beginning with runs of ninth, sixth, and third at Volusia. After missing the opening six races of last year, the Australian is bound and determined to fully capitalize on a complete World of Outlaws campaign in 2022.

REDEMPTION: For Kasey Kahne, this weekend allows an opportunity to redeem himself from last year’s trip to these tracks and his last run at Volusia. He suffered a violent crash into the fence during the Last Chance Showdown on Saturday, February 12, but has taken his extra time off to recover and make sure he’ll be at 100% for round four of 90+ in his first full-time attempt with the World of Outlaws.

When it comes to The Mag & The Rev, these southern venues saw two of Kahne’s most brilliant moments in 2021 when he subbed for James McFadden aboard the Karavan Trailers #9. The Enumclaw, WA native drove all the way from 23rd to fifth at The Mag and earned the pole position at The Rev before finishing sixth. This year, it’s about finishing the job and securing his first-career Series win.

‘TIL YOU CAN’T: The Dirty South Swing brings Noah Gass of Mounds, OK back to the site of his first-ever World of Outlaws appearance at The Mag and his first-ever World of Outlaws Feature start at The Rev. The only difference in that 365-day span is this time the ambitious 18 year old is returning as a full-time competitor with the Series.

Along with crew chief Cody Cordell & Robby McQuinn, Gass’ decision to dive headfirst into the pool of Outlaws can be as simple as looking at Cody Johnson’s hit single ‘Til You Can’t. They’ve got a chance and they’ve taken it.

REBOUND RATE: For half of last year’s top-10 championship finishers, it wasn’t exactly the start to 2022 they had dreamed of at DIRTcar Nationals. This weekend’s stop at Magnolia and The Rev is their next chance to rebound and build their momentum with a long season ahead.

• Fresh off a championship podium in 2021, Carson Macedo and Jason Johnson Racing struggled to get the new year going with the only highlight of Volusia being a fourth-place finish on Friday. The Albaugh #41 boys look for new at The Mag and The Rev, where a DNF & seventh-place run plagued them in 2021.
• A DNF in Friday’s Feature at Volusia stole Logan Schuchart’s chance at scoring three top-10 finishes to start the year. The good news for the Shark Racing, DuraMax #1S is that this team was dominant at Magnolia last year, nearly sweeping the night before ending up second to Haudenschild.
• Kraig Kinser’s results of 22nd, 19th & 23rd are not indicative of the speed in the Mesilla Valley Transportation #11K. The Bloomington, IN native was running second on the final night at Volusia and tracking down leader David Gravel before a lost tire sent him careening into the wall.
• Brock Zearfoss of Jonestown, PA consistently improved at Volusia, upping his game from 17th to 14th to 11th by the final night. The #3Z driver ended 2021 with a stellar runner-up result at Charlotte and looks to relocate that speed and build his momentum sooner rather than later in 2022.
• Jacob Allen battled an up-and-down week between DNFs and top-five finishes at Volusia. The Mag and The Rev offer a chance at consistent stability for the Hanover, PA native as he continues to run the Bobby Allen #1A tribute design in 2022.

NEW CHALLENGE: Of 15 full-time Outlaws, Spencer Bayston of Lebanon, IN, Bill Rose of Plainfield, IN, and James McFadden of Alice Springs, NT are the only three that will face The Mag and The Rev for the first time this weekend. That number was drastically different last year when the Series debuted at both tracks, but now the majority have turned laps and built a notebook at these southern circles.

For Bayston, the leading Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender can at least lean on his CJB Motorsports #5 crew chief Barry Jackson, who raced at both tracks last year with Brent Marks at the wheel. For Rose, who is returning to full-time status after a 2021 season spent recovering from surgery, he’ll head into this weekend looking to regain some momentum. For McFadden, he missed last year’s race while traveling from Australia, but has the advantage of building off strong runs by Kahne in the #9.

OUTSIDERS VS. OUTLAWS: Along with the standard cast of characters of full-time Outlaws, a group of invaders will join the swing through the Dirty South this weekend at Magnolia and The Rev.

Among the expected are headliners like Rico Abreu, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Brent Marks, Brian Brown, Giovanni Scelzi, Aaron Reutzel, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Ayrton Gennetten, Derek Hagar, Carson Short, Carson McCarl, Brian Bell, and more.

This Week at a Glance – When and Where

Friday, February 25 at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS
Saturday, February 26 at The Rev in Monroe, LAB

On the Internet
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (3 Drivers):
1 win – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
1 win – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17
1 win – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2

FEATURE LAPS LED (4 Drivers):
52 laps – David Gravel
25 laps – Donny Schatz
7 laps – Brad Sweet
1 lap – Sheldon Haudenschild

SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (3 Drivers):
1 QuickTime – David Gravel, Aaron Reutzel, Cory Eliason

HEAT RACE WINNERS (11 Drivers):
2 Heat Wins – Aaron Reutzel
1 Heat Win – Jacob Allen, Carson Macedo, David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, Brad Sweet, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Brock Zearfoss, James McFadden, Kraig Kinser

PODIUM FINISHES (8 Drivers):
2 Podiums – David Gravel
1 Podium – Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet, James McFadden, Sheldon Haudenschild, Kyle Larson, Aaron Reutzel, Brent Marks

2022 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Schedule & Winners
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thur, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1)
2. Fri, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
3. Sat, Feb. 12 / Volusia Spe

Bailes, Ferguson and Watkins separated by 13 points

LAVONIA, GA – Feb. 22, 2022 – Break’s over. The Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series is back in action this weekend with a doubleheader at Lavonia Speedway.

The stars of the Southeast Super Late Model racing scene will converge on the familiar red dirt surface for two separate 40-lap, $5,000-to-win shows this Fri-Sat, Feb. 25-26, for the fourth and fifth races of the 2021-22 campaign.

Lavonia has been a stop on the Xtreme circuit in each of its first two seasons, spawning two different winners – Zack Mitchell won in 2019 and Michael Brown took the checkers in 2020. If completed, this will be the first two-day stretch of action at the same track in Series history. This will add a unique element not yet seen on the tour, giving teams the opportunity to improve on their performance from the first night on the same track.

Stock 8s and 602 Chargers join the Super Late Model program on Friday, while Modified Streets and 602 Late Models will support on Saturday. Tickets will be on sale at the gate each day; gates open at 4pm Friday and 3pm Saturday. If you can’t make it out to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch for and the storylines to follow this weekend…

TOP DOG – Current Series points leader Ross Bailes takes an eight-point lead into the weekend, aiming for his second career regional Super Late Model championship and first with the Xtreme Series.

He’s been strong at Lavonia over the past 12 months, winning two of his last three starts at the three-eighths mile. He conquered former Xtreme Series winner Michael Brown in a 40-lap, Carolina Clash-sanctioned event at the track last April, then came back in July and scored another win against several of the same Southeast Super Late Model regulars he’ll face again this weekend.

BACK IN THE SADDLE – Super Late Model rookie Carson Ferguson continues his chase for the championship after a couple of weeks out of the driver’s seat.

Ferguson took a Derek Dent-owned, Crate-engine Late Model to Victory Lane at Golden Isles Speedway in late January to kick off his Georgia-Florida Speedweeks run, followed by an appearance at All-Tech Raceway in the Paylor Motorsports #93 Super Late Model the following weekend. He again showed strength against a national-level field, qualifying for two of three Features he attempted that weekend.

FLASHBACK – Sitting 13 points out of first place, Ben Watkins has a big opportunity to make up ground in the standings this weekend at a track he’s had prior big-stage success at.

The 33-year-old racer from Lancaster, SC, scored the biggest win of his career last September at Lavonia, defeating the big guns of the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series in a 40-lap shootout for $10,000. He led every lap and held off Rookie of the Year Tyler Bruening and defending Outlaws champion Brandon Sheppard to do it.

Though he’s never competed with the Xtreme Series at Lavonia, finishes of second, sixth and fourth in the first three races thus far have poised him to be up front once again.

GOIN’ DOWNTOWN – The last time the Xtreme stars visited Lavonia, Michael Brown went to Victory Lane and claimed his first career win with the Series. He’s projected to defend the trophy this weekend against many of the same names he beat that day.

His first outing of 2022 did not go as expected – dropping out after two laps of the Winter Freeze event at Screven Motor Speedway – but the McLeod Racing #2,4-D team does have two top-five finishes in two Xtreme starts thus far and is poised to back them up at Lavonia.

WHITE/BLUE DEBUT – Cody Overton is expected to make his Xtreme Series debut this weekend behind the wheel of the Jeff Mathews Motorsports Rocket Chassis #97.

The 25-year-old from Evans, GA, is taking on his first full-time year of Super Late Model racing after several years in the Crate-engine ranks. He’s looking to build off a Georgia-Florida Speedweeks campaign that saw him make multiple Features against a slew of national-touring stars. It’s back to the red dirt, Southeastern facilities he’s more used to racing on this weekend, which should put him right in the hunt for a Super Late Model win.

Taking to the sands of Oman once again, Baggsy and the SB Motorsport crew spend 2 full weekends in the Persian Gulf sultanate to contest the final two rounds of the Oman International Drift Championship, facing competition from across Europe, the Middle East and even Central America!

OIDC Round 2!

In between workshop sessions building up the amazing Navara-R, Baggsy and the SB Motorsport crew took another trip to the Sultanate of Oman to take part in Rounds 2 and 3 of the Oman International Drift Championship, doing 2 rounds in one trip! Easily qualifying in the Top 32, Baggsy blitzed past Alwaleed Zaki Mahmoud in his own PS13, then in the Top 16 faced down the challenge from Sebastian Fontijn in his BMW E36 2JZ.

In the Top 8, Baggsy forced a crucial mistake from Ukrainian racer Tymer Lypskyi and his BMW to ride into the Top Four, where he faced Ahmad Daham in his S14. After a super tough couple of runs, Daham was successful and Baggsy headed to the head-to-head battle for the final spot on the podium!

To take third place, Baggsy would have to see off Kuwaiti racer Ali Mustafa Makhseed and his GT86. In the lead position for the first run, Makhseed pulled no punches but Baggsy held him off with style! Starting in the chase position for the second run, Baggsy gave as good as he got, with a strong, aggressive run that kept Makhseed busy looking in his mirrors!

As strong as Baggsy drove, the judges decided it was too close to call – so it went to another pair of races with a One More Timecall! Baggsy started in the lead position again, and the race saw the cars so close it was hard to tell them apart – until Makseed had to shut down in the middle of the run! Taking a 5 Minute Rule to dive into the pits, Makhseed’s crew couldn’t get the car back on the track in time, giving Baggsy the win and his second podium of 2022!

Catch up with Round 2 of the OIDC here!

OIDC Round 3!

The following weekend, Baggsy and the SB Motorsport teamwere back in action! The quick turnaround time meant the teams could stick around between the events and enjoy the sights – in between wrenching sessions on the V8 PS13, of course!

Easily qualifying well into the Top 32, Baggsy faced Samer Sabeh and his BMW from Lebanon for his first battle. Taking a sweet victory meant that the Top 16 battle would see Baggsy take the PS13 against Nassar Al Harbali from El Salvador in his 350Z. Two big mistakes from his opponent gave Baggsy the easy win, putting him straight into the Top 8!

Taking on Clint van Oort from The Netherlands and his S14 saw Baggsy in the lead position, with Clint charging hard and contacting the SB Motorsport PS13, forcing a competition time out due to a bent steering arm. With 10 minutes available to work, it was all hands to the pump to get Baggsy back out on the track to get him into the Top 4. Running a hyper aggressive line on the chase run, Baggsy absolutely cranked up the volume to 11, running straight at Clint’s back bumper, knocking on his door and wowing the judges to take the win and progress to the Final Four!

Baggsy was determined to own the podium this time, and even with Ukraine’s Rostyslav Rarahovskyi and his GT86 in the way, there would be no stopping the SB Motorsport PS13! With Baggsy in the lead position for the first run, Rostyslav made a slight error in the first turn but more than made up for it in the rest of the run, slamming his car right on Baggsy’s door and racing him across the finish. In the chase position for the second run, the judges couldn’t make a decision and called for a One More Time! In the second battle, Rarahovskyi sliced into the tyres, giving Baggsy the win!

In the Final run to decide the winner and 2nd place, Baggsy would once again face off against Ahmad Daham from Jordan – the same racer who knocked him out just a week before! Leading out for the first race, Baggsy smoked out Daham a couple of times, forcing small errors from the S14 driver. In the second race, with Baggsy chasing, Daham made a minor mistake in the first turn leading Baggsy off-track, and with a quick decision from the judges it was a WIN FOR BAGGSY and the SB Motorsport PS13!

Hitting the podium in all three rounds, as well as winning the last round meant that Baggsy took the overall win in the 2022 Oman International Drift Championship!

Watch the full THIRD round of OIDC competition right here!

And that’s it from the Oman International Drift Championship!Thank you to the Oman Automobile Association for the great organisation and being wonderful hosts!

Baggsy – “I am so proud of the SB Motorsports team, they are such pros, being out here for two weeks and prepping the PS13 perfectly for every run. I took these rounds one battle at a time, focused and just had fun with it. It’s been a wonderful trip to Oman and we can’t wait to come back next year! Now we’re looking forward to the next competition and the rest of 2022 – bring it on! “Be sure to check out the new episode of the epic Navara-R buildfeaturing the amazing SB Motorsports team!”

The Dresden, OH driver beat Chris Madden by one point to earn his second “Big Gator” trophy. BARBERVILLE, FL – February 22, 2022– Actor Jeremy Irons once said, “We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams.”For 27-year-old driver Devin Moran, and his brother Wylie, those dreams are memories made together. But when Devin returns to World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Models Equipment in April, his Tye Twarog Racing team will have a different look.   The conclusion of DIRTcar Nationals signified the end of Wylie’s time as Devin’s full-time crew chief to focus on his car detailing business. Despite taking on a new journey, the younger Moran is adamant he’ll still be at his brother’s side.  “It’s not the end,” Wylie Moran said. “We’ll always be together, and I’ll always be at the races quite a bit. I just won’t be at the shop every day, won’t be at every single race, but I’ll still be around making sure things are flowing alright.” While the end of their time together is bittersweet, the bond between the two is stronger than ever. Devin couldn’t be more excited about Wylie’s new venture.  “Don’t get me wrong, he’ll still be going to a lot of races,” Devin Moran said. “I’ll be dragging his ass all over the country. “He’s got a new journey he wants to venture off to, and we’re as high as we can get in this sport. I mean, we can win bigger and better races, obviously. But we’re to the point where we’re running really good, so I’m glad for him, and I’m excited for him to start his new deal, too.” The brotherly tandem ended on a high note, grasping another “Big Gator” trophy together on the Volusia Speedway Park Stage. Devin Moran’s second DIRTcar Nationals triumph also finished one of the best stretches in the Dresden, OH driver’s career–scoring three wins, 15 top fives, and 18 top 10’s in 20 races.  Devin’s excitement for his return to “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile” began before DIRTcar Nationals started, oozing with confidence from his 2021 triumph. Despite ending the week with a 12th-place finish, he’s taking his second “Big Gator” in stride.  “I was really excited to get here because of how fun it was to race here last year,” Devin Moran said. “To come out of here with a second big gator, we can’t complain.” “The Mailman” built his run toward a second DIRTcar Nationals title on consistency. While he didn’t find Victory Lane, he opened the week with four straight podium finishes—a third and three straight seconds. Moran stated it was a testament to his team and how dialed-in his Longhorn Chassis was throughout the week.  “I felt like we were really good all week,” Moran said. “We were good Friday and just had to start in the back, and I messed up in my Heat Race, and it was hard to pass [Saturday].  “I felt like we were really good [Saturday]. We just couldn’t do anything. But it’s the way it is; we take our wins and go home and be excited for the rest of the season.” The bond between Devin and his brother Wylie is one of the reasons the Tye Twarog Racing team consistently earns strong results. It’s also one of the reasons Moran had a top-performing car in Florida.  Wylie and the rest of Moran’s crew put their blood, sweat, and tears into the entire month.  The younger of the two brothers reflected on their accomplishments, speaking with a hint of exhaustion. It’s been phenomenal down here,” Wylie Moran said. “We’ve slaved away, we’re exhausted, worn down, but you just have to keep plugging away every day. We’ve had late nights, early mornings, long days; we haven’t had a day off in weeks.  “[Saturday] is the 36th day we’ve been in Florida, and it’s just a grind and to be able to win all of Lucas Oil Speedweeks, all of [DIRTcar Nationals], it’s just, it’s phenomenal.” The sons of the “Million Dollar Man” Donnie Moran have already put together a career many people dream about. When Devin and Wylie look back into their time machines, they’ll be filled with memories about how they accomplished their dreams together.  Moran returns to World of Outlaws CASE Late Models competition when the Series travels to Atomic Speedway in Waverly, OH April 22-23.  The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to action on March 11-12 for their first appearance at The Rev in Monroe, LA. For Tickets: CLICK HERE. If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App.

The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: CASE Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Fox Factory (Hard Charger Award), MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), Swift Springs, and Wrisco–Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including Dirt Car Lift, Capital Race Cars, FIREBULL, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, Rocket Chassis, and Sea Foam.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.