NHRA Four-Wide Nationals the first of two events this season at The Strip

DETROIT (March 31, 2022) – Brittany Force holds both ends of the Top Fuel track records – the latter a monster 338.17 mph run in 2019 that also stands as the national event record – and multiple No. 1 qualifier honors at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster will aim to add a victory this weekend in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals to her impressive list of accomplishments at the racetrack. The four-wide race is the first of two NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events this year at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Force was the No. 1 qualifier in the four-wide event in 2021 (3.732 seconds/320.66 mph) and advanced to the second round. In the penultimate race of the season, she again was the top qualifier (3.668 seconds/331.94 mph) and reached the semifinals. She did not compete in the lone 2020 race at the track, which was rescheduled to be the finale in the shortened season, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was runner-up in the 2019 four-wide event at The Strip and came back to win the fall race. “It’s a place we have had some success at,” said Force, who sits fourth in the Top Fuel standings through three of the scheduled 22 rounds. “We’re looking for our first win of the season, and we would like to do it there. “Little bit of a change of pace with four-wide racing but the entire Monster Energy team and I are excited to get right into the groove during Friday qualifying. Glad to be back to four qualifying runs at the four-wide. It gives us the best opportunity for race day.” Listen: An informative and insightful interview with Top Fuel champion Brittany Force Four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders also own the national elapsed time and speed records for the class. Most recently, the driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS registered a 6.450-second pass at Gainesville Raceway on March 14 to reset the record. Enders has posted a Vegas victory in each of the past three years, with the April 2021 victory her first four-wide win at the track. She already has one win in 2022 and will look to keep rolling against a loaded field that includes teammate and points leader Aaron Stanfield, Gainesville winner Dallas Glenn and five-time world champion Greg Anderson, who is aiming for his 100th career win. Glenn’s fourth career victory earlier this month at Gainesville was the 350th for Chevrolet since the introduction of the Pro Stock class in 1970. Robert Hight, a three-time winner of the four-wide event, has won two of the three Funny Car races this season in the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS and holds the lead in the standings. Teammate and 16-time Funny Car champion John Force, driving the PEAK BlueDEF Platinum Camaro SS, is fifth in points. “I try to keep things simple, and it’s really just watching two other cars stage and hit the gas on time,” said Hight, who has recorded at least one victory and one No. 1 qualifier the past 17 seasons. “If you have a good-running car and you’re driving good, the first two rounds should be pretty easy. Then, the final, you just have to get there first. You win that race and you get four rounds of points, so this is a good one to win.”  The event weekend includes Sportsman competition, with drivers of the Chevrolet COPO Camaro winning all three national event races in the Stock Eliminator class this season. FS1 will telecast eliminations at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, April 3. CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITTOP FUELBRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier and semifinalist at opener; holds both ends of the Top Fuel track records set in 2019): “We’re back on the West Coast and excited to head to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. David Grubnic and Mac Savage and this team have had success together at this track. We’ll be looking to build on that with a strong weekend for this team starting with qualifying Friday and going out on race day and winning this four-wide.” AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (runner-up at opener): “We’re going to try some different things this weekend so It would be great to get a good result to prove this Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist team is heading in the right direction. The Strip has always been one of my favorite tracks so to win there would be unbelievable. It being four-wide would even make it more special.” FUNNY CARJOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (six-time winner at the track): “It’s been a bit of a wild start to the season. But this BlueDEF team with Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they’ve got a handle on this Chevrolet. We’ll fix it. That’s what it’s all about. We’ve got to get these cars making some noise and winning some rounds, and we will. Couldn’t get a better place to go four-wide racing.” ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; five-time winner at the track; No. 1 qualifier at Gainesville; points leader): “It’s been a great start to the season. We’ve been really consistent. Gainesville was tough for everyone and having two weeks off is just brutal. This Auto Club team, we’re feeling good. We took things back to how we were running in 2019 and it’s paying off. Hopefully that continues and we get some win lights in Vegas.” PRO STOCKDALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner at Gainesville): “Winning in Gainesville after such a weird weekend with only one qualifying run and straight into eliminations was a relief. But, in a way, it reminds me of my bracket racing I do on the off weekends; you have one run and you’ve gotta make it count. Vegas will always be a special race for me because I won my first national event here in Super Gas in 2011. Coming off our Gainesville win, I think that’s the perfect momentum to go ahead and win again this weekend.” GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time winner of event; seeking to become second pro driver with 100 wins): “It is without a doubt tougher on the driver; it’s difficult to go through the whole process at the starting line. So many things can happen up there and nobody’s prepared, so you could get caught with your pants down or be that guy that doesn’t get in on time and messes up everybody else. You have to guard against that. I look forward to the challenge. I feel good about the weekend. I’ve been working on my engine the last few weeks I’ve been home, and I think I’ve rectified a couple of things with it. I expect it to run better this week.”  KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier at Phoenix; runner-up at Gainesville): “Definitely have a fast car and definitely four-wide racing is challenging. I’ve done it twice and it takes a lot more from you to stay focused but we’re ready. I’m coming off a good outing at Gainesville, I’ve been practicing the Tree every day and I’m ready to go after the win.” TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up at Phoenix): “This is one awesome machine. This is actually the first Pro Stock car I’ve driven that was built specifically for me so it’s just about as perfect as you can imagine. Everything feels so natural, and the fit is exact. We took the new car to Tulsa a few days ago to shake it down and make sure there would be no surprises this weekend. It’s definitely ready for battle. It appears we’ll be running even better than before so there is a lot of optimism on the team.” CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, PROCAR CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (earned first round win at Phoenix): “I can’t say enough about the team of guys I have behind me from Titan Racing Engines. I have a lot of confidence in this Chevrolet Camaro every time we pull it up to the starting line. As a young driver I am working on my performance every time we make a run. I want to get better as a driver because I know I have a race car that can win rounds if I do my job. That is a testament to Titan Racing Engines and my crew chief Jim Yates.”

Plus, Past Champions race added as activities ramp up for 50th running of ‘Racing’s Biggest Party’

OSWEGO, NY – March 31, 2022 – The historic 50th NAPA Super DIRT Week is set to provide a chance for milestone accomplishments throughout the week, Oct. 3-9, and this year will see several drivers leave with more money in the process.

Combined, more than $30,000 will be added to the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar Pro Stock feature events. In addition to the Feature purse increases, each DIRTcar Sportsman and DIRTcar Pro Stock Heat Race will pay throughout the field with $500 going to each winner. The 358 Heats will pay $1,000-to-win and the Big Block Heats will pay $4,000-to-win with both paying throughout the field, as well.

While all these updates are being debuted at the 50th NAPA Super DIRT Week, the increases will remain for years to follow, too.

Also, unique to the 50th running of NAPA Super DIRT Week, will be a one-time special event — a Big Block Past Champions race — which will feature a more than $9,500 overall purse with invitations being extended to the drivers who have conquered the main event throughout the decades.

“This is an important year for the Northeast and its most iconic dirt racing event, so we want to make sure we reflect that in as many ways possible,” said DIRTcar CEO Brian Carter. “The drivers and teams have been a key part to the success of NAPA Super DIRT Week. We’re excited to be able to give back to them with these purse increases.”

The DIRTcar 358 Modified Salute to the Troops 150 will pay $20,000-to-win and now $500-to-start. Every position from 11th down saw at least a 10% increase with some as high as a 66% increase.

For the DIRTcar Sportsman Chevrolet Performance 75, it will continue to pay $4,000-to-win, but Second increases to $2,500 and Third jumps to $1,500. The bumps continue down through the field with at least a 50% increase throughout and the race now paying $300-to-start.

That theme continues with the DIRTcar Pro Stock 50 where it continues to pay $2,000-to-win, but now Second will jump to $1,300 and Third increases to $1,000. The increases, again, continue down through the field – at least a 33% increase for each – with the Feature paying $200-to-start.

The Past Champions race, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6, and set to feature several Super DIRT Week Super DIRTcar Series champions, is an extra chance for some to leave with more money in their pockets in addition to the marquee $50,000-to-win Billy Whittaker Cars 200, which runs on Sunday, Oct. 9. More details on the event will soon follow.

Money isn’t the only addition to the 50th NAPA Super DIRT Week. A new Kickoff Party on Sunday, Oct. 2, at Lighthouse Lanes next to Oswego Speedway launches the event, with everyone who moves in that day to residents of Oswego welcome to join the festivities. That’s only one of many new activities that will take place during the week, from games to live entertainment, truly making it Racing’s Biggest Party.

RELATED: Massive week of fan activities, racing planned for historic 50th NAPA Super DIRT Week

For tickets and camping to the historic week at Oswego Speedway, CLICK HERE.

Big Block Past Champions Race / (Thursday, Oct. 6)
1.	$2,500
2.	$1,500
3.	$1,000
4.	$750
5.	$600
6.	$500
7.	$400
8.	$300
9.	$250
10.	$200
11.	$200
12.	$200
13.	$200
14.	$200
15.	$200
16.	$200
17.	$200
18.	$200
19.	$200
20.	$200

DIRTcar Sportsman / Chevrolet Performance 75 / (Saturday, Oct. 8)
1.	$4,000
2.	$2,500
3.	$1,500
4.	$1,000
5.	$750
6.	$600
7.	$550
8.	$500
9.	$475
10.	$450
11.	$400
12.	$375
13.	$350
14.	$325
15.	$300
16.	$300
17.	$300
18.	$300
19.	$300
20.	$300
21.	$300
22.	$300
23.	$300
24.	$300
25.	$300
26.	$300
27.	$300
28.	$300
29.	$300
30.	$300
31.	$300
32.	$300
33.	$300
34.	$300
35.	$300
36.	$300

DIRTcar 358 Modifieds / Salute to the Troops 150 / (Saturday, Oct. 8)
1.	$20,000
2.	$10,000
3.	$5,000
4.	$3,000
5.	$2,000
6.	$1,500
7.	$1,200
8.	$1,100
9.	$1,050
10.	$1,000
11.	$900
12.	$800
13.	$700
14.	$600
15.	$550
16.	$525
17.	$500
18.	$500
19.	$500
20.	$500
21.	$500
22.	$500
23.	$500
24.	$500
25.	$500
26.	$500
27.	$500
28.	$500
29.	$500
30.	$500
31.	$500
32.	$500
33.	$500
34.	$500
35.	$500
36.	$500
37.	$500
38.	$500
39.	$500
40.	$500

DIRTcar Pro Stock 50 / (Sunday, Oct. 9)
1.	$2,000
2.	$1,300
3.	$1,000
4.	$750
5.	$500
6.	$400
7.	$350
8.	$325
9.	$300
10.	$275
11.	$250
12.	$225
13.	$200
14.	$200
15.	$200
16.	$200
17.	$200
18.	$200
19.	$200
20.	$200
21.	$200
22.	$200
23.	$200
24.	$200
25.	$200
26.	$200
27.	$200
28.	$200
29.	$200
30.	$200

Super DIRTcar Series / Billy Whittaker Cars 200 / (Sunday, Oct. 9)
1.	$50,000
2.	$25,000
3.	$15,000
4.	$10,000
5.	$6,000
6.	$4,000
7.	$3,600
8.	$3,400
9.	$3,200
10.	$3,000
11.	$2,800
12.	$2,600
13.	$2,400
14.	$2,200
15.	$2,000
16.	$1,900
17.	$1,800
18.	$1,700
19.	$1,700
20.	$1,700
21.	$1,600
22.	$1,600
23.	$1,600
24.	$1,600
25.	$1,600
26.	$1,600
27.	$1,600
28.	$1,600
29.	$1,600
30.	$1,600
31.	$1,500
32.	$1,500
33.	$1,500
34.	$1,500
35.	$1,500
36.	$1,500
37.	$1,500
38.	$1,500
39.	$1,500
40.	$1,500
41.	$1,500

March 31, 2022

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed to Richmond Raceway with the confidence that comes from a strong run in the pre-season Clash at the Coliseum and a good run last Sunday at Circuit of the Americas.

In the Clash, held on a temporary track inside the Los Angeles Coliseum, Burton raced his way into the main event with some strong moves in the 50-lap Last Chance race then drove from 22^nd to 12^th in the 150-lap main event. At COTA, he scored points in both Stages, then moved up to 17^that the finish due to some aggressive driving in the Overtime run to the checkered flag.

“For Richmond we’ll try to build off the competitive run we had at the Clash and our teammates strong notes from Phoenix,” crew chief Brian Wilson said. “I loved the fight and aggressiveness we saw from Harrison in COTA. I think that’s exactly the mindset we’ll need for the next two weeks at Richmond and Martinsville.”
 
Wilson said he believes the three-quarter-mile oval at Richmond, and the paper-clip-shaped half-mile at Martinsville, where Burton won an Xfinity Series race in the fall of 2020, will give the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team a chance to move up in the points standings. 
 
“We had our best points day of the year this past weekend, and we need to have several solid points days in the following months,” Wilson said. “But it definitely feels like things are headed in the right direction after last week.”
 
Wilson added that he and Burton are accumulating data that will help them as the season rolls along.
 
“As we continue to build our notebook it’s great that we’ve now been to all the main track styles now,” he said. “We should be able to build off our notes to continue giving Harrison the car that he needs to continue improving.”
 
Cup Series practice is set for Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time followed by qualifying at 11:15. Sunday’s 400-lap race is scheduled to start just after 3:30 p.m. with TV coverage on FOX. Stage breaks are set for Laps 70 and 230. 
 

LAS VEGAS (March 30, 2022) – Brittany Force and her Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Top Fuel dragster team, currently fourth in the points standings, will be looking to make up some ground at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Just the fourth race in the 2022 Camping World Drag Racing Series season, Force is only 78 points out of the lead heading to a track where she’s made history. Force and the Monster Energy team have started 2022 off strong. At the season-opening Winternationals they secured the No. 1 qualifying position, the 33rd of Force’s career and 23rd in her last 47 starts. At the Arizona Nationals, Force and the Monster Energy team showed some consistency when they were quickest during the warmest run of qualifying. At a rain riddled Gatornationals, Force and her David Grubnic and Mac Savage led team won the first-round of the Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout that also landed them the No. 2 qualifying position and marked the third fastest run in Top Fuel history. At The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Force set the track records, a 3.652-second pass on November 3, 2019 and a 338.17 mph run, which is also the official NHRA national record, on November 1, 2019. In 2021, Force was the No. 1 qualifier at both the Four-Wide spring race and fall event. To this point, she is the only John Force Racing driver to have raced in a final quad at The Strip when she was runner-up to Mike Salinas in 2019. Her lone victory at Vegas came in the fall race in 2019 when she qualified No. 2 and then beat Steve Torrence in the final round. “We’re back on the West Coast and excited to head to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Little bit of a change of pace with four-wide racing but the entire Monster Energy team and I are excited to get right into the groove during Friday qualifying. Glad to be back to four qualifying runs at the four-wide, it gives us the best opportunity for race day,” Force said. “David Grubnic and Mac Savage and this team have had success together at this track. We’ll be looking to build on that with a strong weekend for this team starting with qualifying Friday and going out on race day and winning this four-wide.” Qualifying at the NHRA Four-Wide NHRA Nationals takes place Friday and Saturday with two sessions at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (PT) on each day. Eliminations are slated to begin at noon on Sunday. Racing action will be televised on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and begins with qualifying Friday at 7 p.m. ET and continues Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

LAS VEGAS (March 30, 2022) – Robert Hight and his Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team have waited a long two weeks to get back to the track at this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Just the fourth event out of 22 on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, the Four-Wide Nationals is the first of two events where competitors will line-up four across instead of two. Hight is off to the best start of his career after winning the season opening Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Calif. and the Arizona Nationals at Phoenix. Hight went onto secure the No. 1 qualifying position at the most recent Gatornationals in Gainesville. He enters the Vegas Four-Wide as the Funny Car points leader. With his back-to-back wins, Hight extended to 17 the number of seasons in which he has won at least one tour event for Auto Club. That is every season in which he has contested the championship. Hight also has recorded at least one No. 1 start in those 17 seasons. “It’s been a great start to the season. We’ve been really consistent. Gainesville was tough for everyone and having two weeks off is just brutal,” Hight said. “This Auto Club team, we’re feeling good. We took things back to how we were running in 2019 and it’s paying off. Hopefully that continues and we get some win lights in Vegas.” Hight has won five times previously at The Strip (2007, 2011 and 2012 in the spring; 2009 and 2015 in the fall), but has not yet raced in a final quad since the spring race went to four-wide in 2018. That said, he has won twice in four-wide competition, hoisting the trophy at Charlotte in 2012 and 2014. At Vega, he has started No. 1 eight times overall, five times in the spring race including last year when he and Brittany both were No. 1. His other No. 1s in this race came in 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2013. He was No. 1 at the fall race in 2006, 2007 and 2008. “Four-Wide is really entertaining for the fans. Four cars lined up, the power, the speed. There’s a lot going on but as the driver, I just choose to worry about what I can control. Focus on my tree and run the race,” Hight said. “Sunday, eliminations, you get some help, just have to be top two of the first two rounds and there’s only three rounds. It’s a great weekend to gain some points, build our lead.” Qualifying at the NHRA Four-Wide NHRA Nationals takes place Friday and Saturday with two sessions at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (PT) on each day. Eliminations are slated to begin at noon on Sunday. Racing action will be televised on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and begins with qualifying Friday at 7 p.m. ET and continues Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor, who drives the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with Antonio Garcia, met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Tuesday with other GT Daytona (GTD) PRO drivers to discuss next week’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the team’s recent victory at Sebring and other topics. FULL TAYLOR TRANSCRIPT:
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR AND EXPECT THIS YEAR AT LONG BEACH? “It’s always a fun weekend. Our schedule is a unique one. We usually practice early in the morning on Friday and qualify at the end of the day Friday so the track always has a big evolution. Then we’re only racing Saturday afternoon. The big thing is to lean on the experience from the team to develop the setup throughout the weekend to stay on top of things. Corvette Racing has won there eight times so they know how to keep on top of the ball. It’ll be my first time racing there in a car with ABS, so that will be new in trying to understand how to maximize that in some of the bumpy brake zones and trusting it will be a big part. The GTD PRO class has been fun. GTLM was pretty small last year so it wasn’t huge fights. This year between Sebring and Daytona, it’s been fun to be back in a class full of cars. On starts and restarts, you’re in the middle of packs of guys racing and it’s really competitive. It’s nice to be back to old-school racing, and that’s what we usually get at Long Beach.”
ON THE CHALLENGES OF A STREET COURSE AND LONG BEACH. “When you get to the Fountain section and the Hairpin at the end of a lap, it’s definitely narrow and most of the time just one line. It only really becomes tricky when the prototypes are coming around and putting their noses in funny places. The other thing that is unique about that weekend is that the Drift cars are there and they always race around there Friday. That kind of narrows up the line in certain parts of the track, which makes things tricky. It’s definitely a unique event and circuit. As far as street courses go, it’s definitely one of the more enjoyable ones. It has good passing zones and is very raceable. When you go to other street courses, you can get stuck in line a lot of times. But when you mix in the traffic with the prototypes around a place like Long Beach, you can use them as picks in lot of places and it offers some really good racing. It’s definitely one of my favorite street courses that I’ve run in my career.”
HOW BENEFICIAL WILL THE ABS EXPERIENCE FROM DETROIT LAST YEAR BE FOR LONG BEACH? “The biggest difference also is that the tire is so different than what we ran in Detroit last year. The way the ABS interacts to the S9M tire compared to the confidential tire is much different in how you can attack the brakes. It was good to get a couple of miles under our belts at Detroit last year. We saw at Daytona and Sebring that we still have a lot to learn with that system. Sebring was probably good for us to get some experience on a bumpy track with that tire and ABS. I think we’ll still be figuring things out throughout the weekend at Long Beach. We made some good developments through the Sebring weekend to help the interaction but it will be an interesting weekend to stay on top of it.”
THE INTERACTION WITH GTD CARS SO FAR THIS YEAR AND HOW IT MIGHT PLAY A BIGGER ROLE AT LONG BEACH. “We’ve seen in years past that if one of the Am guys get out early by pitting at the beginning of their window before a yellow comes out and the Pro cycles to the front… especially with ABS now it’s so hard to pass that I think a GTD with an Am could win the race outright in the GTD category. Our focus is on the GTD PRO guys. If we see guys diving in early then maybe we’ll react to that. But if we see the Ams doing it, we’ll focus on our own program. If the yellow falls into their hand with an Am driver, then so be it. Thankfully the points are split in that aspect so we can focus on our own program.”
AT SEBRING, THERE WAS THE ANNOUNCMENT OF THE NEXT-GEN CAMARO BEING IN GARAGE 56 AT LE MANS NEXT YEAR. YOU’VE WORKED IN THE STOCK CAR ARENA A LITTLE BIT, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? “It looks interesting and sounds interesting. They have a lot of smart guys on it. From a European perspective, you look at NASCAR and see stock car racing and it looks pretty basic from the outside – these big metal machines racing around an oval. Being on the inside and seeing the engineering behind what they do and how much research and development they have, you know they are going to have a lot of smart guys working on it and developing it. It’s going to be an interesting project. I don’t know what the plans are to change the Next-Gen Camaro into (for Le Mans) but as soon as I saw the announcement I texted Chad Knaus (Hendrick Motorsports VP of Competition) saying, ‘If you ever need some help or input, I’ll come test it if you want’ or something like that. I think it’s exciting. It will be cool to bring a lot of NASCAR eyes to Le Mans who haven’t seen it before. It might be confusing for the to see a one-off Cup car racing against Hypercars and things like that but it will be good to get some new eyes on the sport.”
ANY OVERTURES ON THE DRIVING FRONT? “No, I reached out to Chad just to say, ‘If you need anything, let me know.’ But I haven’t been contacted by anyone. I’m sure they’ll want some big NASCAR names, which makes sense to take them over there. Racing around Daytona for the Rolex 24 against guys like Kyle Larson, those guys know what they’re doing on road courses these days. I don’t think they’ll need a lot of help… maybe some tips on what to know about Le Mans to help prep the car and understanding what curbs you want to abuse and things like that. From a car durability standpoint, that would be interesting for them to understand. As far as drivers, I’m sure they have a humongous list to go through. My commitments right now are to Corvette and Corvette Racing. I wouldn’t want to take anything away from that.”
DID YOU THINK YOU’D BE ABLE TO MAKE THE JUMP FROM DAYTONA TO WINNING AT SEBRING? “Daytona was definitely a struggle. At Sebring, we did a two-day test between Daytona and the Sebring race. We made some big gains from a setup point of view – understanding the tire and what makes it work. This car was designed around using the confidential tire so we did huge setup swings at that test and found a ton of laptime just in that, plus compliance and durability of the tire and understanding how to make the tire work over a stint and not just a lap. Just little details like that brought us closer to the window.“The race at Sebring was pretty much perfect. No one in the car made any mistakes on track, all the pit stops were perfect and the strategy the last four hours kept us out front. I think our last stop gapped the Lamborghini by a couple of seconds even though they were coming back to us the last couple of laps. It was one of those days were everything went our way.”
IF YOU FEEL YOU’RE ON THE BACK FOOT IN THE RACE AND YOU DON’T HAVE A PODIUM CAR ON PACE, DOES THAT ALLOW YOU TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE ON STRATEGY? “We’ve seen it in Long Beach in years past – guys taking risks early on and it paying off in the end. Historically it has worked, so the risk-reward is decent at a track like Long Beach, especially if you don’t have the fastest car. Like we said before, it’s so difficult to pass sometimes that it’s a good place to take that risk. I’m kind of new to the GT3 world; at Sebring I destroyed my tires in my first stint and felt like I was two seconds off the pace but was able to hold off the Lamborghini. I think ABS helps make that possible. Even if you are a little bit off the pace or struggling with tires, that tool kind of helps you in that situation as well. Maybe that risk is a little better in this class.”
IT’S A SMALLER FIELD BUT A TIGHTER COURSE. ARE THE DYNAMICS OF TRAFFIC AS HECTIC FOR THIS RACE AS THE FIRST TWO? “I think it will be quite a bit better without the LMP3 cars and some of the amateurs in LMP2. They were probably the biggest issue at the first two races. Restarting behind those guys at Daytona and Sebring was always interesting. If you were able to get by an amateur in an LMP3 and keep them between you and someone else, you could create a pretty big gap. Without that, I think the racing in our class will be a bit tighter now since you don’t have that kind of option to split the class up. With only six DPis coming through, it shouldn’t be too big of a deal. I think it will feel like a VIR or Lime Rock race where it’s mostly GTs. I doubt we will be lapping anyone with how close the Am field is with us as well. It’s going to feel like you’re flat-out for pretty much all 100 minutes.”
PREPARATION FOR LONG BEACH VS. NORMAL RACES: “There’s a lot of emphasis on that one pit stop that we’re going to have. I’m sure our guys will be practicing pit stops a lot more to nail that down and limiting mistakes. As far as car prep, the guys will prep the car in the same fashion but a lot more emphasis will be on the execution of the race and the pitstops and strategies. A lot of stuff will be going on behind the scenes with strategy, calculations and stuff that thankfully we don’t have to worry about.”
IF A DPi CAR IS GOING TO DIVE-BOMB YOU IN A CORNER, IS THERE A PREFERRED PLACE? “I think it depends on the guy that’s doing it. Some of them don’t leave a lot of space. Turn One has a little bit of room on the outside to get away with it. You can at least see them coming. There are a few spots where guys will stick their nose in that you’re not going to have time to react – the Three, Four, Five section. Once you get to the end of the lap where the Drift cars go, that’s a bad spot to get stuck off-line. You can be put in a bad position around the track. Understanding where you want to place the car and telling a prototype where not to go and put yourself in a bad situation is a big part of it. You try to control your fate most of the time.”

INDIANAPOLIS (March 30, 2022) – Chevrolet completed a successful three-day test at the Indianapolis Road Course with its new 2.4-liter engine for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES on Wednesday. Despite weather too cold to get a full day of testing on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Monday, March 28, the Team Penske Chevrolet with driver Josef Newgarden was able to get successful laps in during the afternoon. Then, Tuesday morning, after a late start because of cold ambient and track temperatures, teammate Will Power laid down lap after lap to add to the data collected the previous day.

Because of the weather issues, the test was extended to Wednesday, and Team Chevy engineers were able to work with Power to gain a tremendous amount of data to continue the development of the 2.4-liter engine in preparation for the addition of the required INDYCAR component.

ATTENTION EDITORS:High-resolution video from testing of Chevrolet’s 2.4L IndyCar engine is available for broadcast and video use: · Trackside Footage· Pit Lane Footage

The three-day test, during which Chevrolet logged more than 600 miles, was valuable for Chevrolet despite missing the energy recovery system, delayed due to supply chain issues, because the time allowed testing of components of the 2.4-liter engine that are different from those being successfully run in the current 2.2-liter V6 engine. While a lot of work lies ahead for all Chevy INDYCAR teams as the development of the 2.4-liter engine continues, the success of the first test is an important step in building the 2024 package to begin a new era. Since Chevrolet returned to NTT INDYCAR Series competition in 2012, the Bowtie brand has won 97 of 167 races, four Indianapolis 500 races, six driver championships and six coveted manufacturer championships. Chevrolet-powered drivers Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden, both from Team Penske, have won the first two races of the 2022 season. QUOTES FOLLOWING THREE-DAY TESTROB BUCKNER, CHEVROLET ENGINEERING PROGRAM MANAGER FOR INDYCAR: “We’ve had a very successful and productive three days with the new Chevrolet 2.4L IndyCar engine. This was a big milestone as we have progressed from initial concept of the 2.4L design a few years ago and running extensively on the dyno to installing the engine into a car and now the landmark event of turning our first laps at the Indianapolis Road Course.  “We are incredibly appreciative of the all the men and women at Chevrolet Performance and our partners at Ilmor for their commitment to a highly successful on-track debut for the 2.4L engine platform. We could race this engine tomorrow, which is the highest praise possible for a new engine. Special thanks to Team Penske for quickly building a reliable and safe test car along with Josef Newgarden and Will Power for looking after our prototype engine with first-rate feedback. “We now turn our focus back to the Chevrolet 2.2L and a high workload of team testing ahead of the Long Beach Grand Prix next weekend. It is the most challenging time of the year for everyone involved in IndyCar and I’m looking forward to watching the Chevrolet Competition group and our race teams execute. All our goals for 2022 are right in front of us and we are ready.” JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET:  “It was a thrill to get to work with the Team Chevy engineering group and get to drive the new 2024 engine package. It was a great collaborative effort to get the new engine on track to start testing for all the components needed in our Chevy — power, durability and logging miles on the track. I always enjoy getting to work with everyone at Team Chevy and the cohesive unit we develop as partners with the same goals. For us, getting started early really emphasizes the importance of everything we are going to need in the future — durability, power, fuel mileage. These are the things we are always working on and I’m excited to see what the future is going to hold for Chevy in INDYCAR.” WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET: “Today was a great step in getting the 2.4-liter engine package ready to go for the 2024 season. It was clear immediately that Chevy has put a lot of work into this already. It will obviously continue to get better and better. The Verizon 5G Chevy team did 150 laps, and I was impressed with the power of the engine throughout the day. I’m very excited about this addition to the series and can’t wait to continue to help develop it.”

The Clinton, IL driver returns to his home track as a full-time Outlaw

FARMER CITY, IL – March 30, 2022 – Kyle Hammer’s journey into the unknown on his World of Outlaws rookie tour ventures to a land of familiarity this weekend. 

The Clinton, IL driver gets his chance at a “home game” against the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models as the Series returns to Farmer City Raceway for the Illini 100 on April 1-2. 

Hammer is eight races into his Rookie of the Year campaign and has shown promise this season with a top-five at DIRTcar Nationals.

While the two races at Cherokee Speedway didn’t go as hoped, he may have the upper hand at Farmer City. The Prairie State competitor grew up at the track, a facility his dad, Don, operated in the 2000s.  

“Dad actually promoted the racetrack from [2005] to [2010], I think it was,” Hammer said. “That’s when I started racing, so he sold out of it, but yeah, we’ve always since I’ve been alive had a connection with Farmer City.

“Whether we were there every Friday or when we were there seven nights a week when Dad was doing the trackwork, we’ve always been around it.”

Those years that Don Hammer ran the day-to-day operations gave his son experiences he’ll never forget. Now he can show off his knowledge of the 1/4-mile bullring in front of friends and family, which excites the World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year contender.

“The cool part is getting all of the friends there,” Hammer said. “None of them have been able to come to watch me run a Late Model since we really started in Florida and haven’t really been anywhere near home with it.

“For them to come, hang out, and just kind of make it like a family deal, everybody’s going to show up, and I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Hammer stated he likes the bigger, sweeping tracks, but added Farmer City still fits into his wheelhouse due to the way it races.

“It’s a bullring, but it’s not,” Hammer said. “It’s got such big sweeping corners, and it kind of fits my driving style. I don’t know if it’s just the amount of laps I’ve made there that makes me like it so much or just the driving style. 

“Like I said, it’s a bullring, but you drive straight and smooth like you would a big 1/2-mile track, and that’s why it fits me so well.”

While Hammer has run several laps at Farmer City, he’ll be up against drivers who’ve been racing there since his dad’s promotional efforts and in-state rivals like Dennis Erb Jr. and four-time and defending champion Brandon Sheppard. Also, the local heroes that race at the Illinois track on a weekly basis.

“You got all of the guys from Illinois,” Hammer said. “[Jason] Feger, [Kevin] Weaver, [Ryan] Unzicker, [Bobby] Pierce, all those guys. Then you also got [Shannon] Babb, who ran at a national level for a while, but still, he’s the local guy of the area, so you got a lot of them.

“I definitely feel like it’ll be the hardest area for us to go to.”

Hammer and the World of Outlaws make their first stop in the Midwest April 1-2 at Farmer City Raceway for the Illini 100, as he tries to defend home turf for the first time in his career. 

LAS VEGAS (March 30,2022) – Back in the seat after two years away, Austin Prock and his Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Top Fuel team are looking to gain some momentum at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The fourth event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule and the first of two races in the four-wide format, is only the third four-wide event of the young standout’s career. Despite his two years away, Prock took the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster to the final round of the season-opening Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., and comes into this week’s race ninth in points but just 18 points out of fifth place. With two weeks since the NHRA Gatornationals and its heavy rain and cold conditions, Prock and his team have taken advantage of their time in the shop. I’m looking forward to Vegas. It seems like it’s been months since I’ve been in the seat, so I’ve got a lot of excitement built up to get bolted back into this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster,” Prock said. “Although, the two-week break was nice to get caught back up. We’ve got all the parts and pieces to succeed.” The last time Prock raced at Vegas was 2019 when he was ousted in the first round of four-wide racing after qualifying 12th in the spring and when he started 10th at the fall race before losing to teammate and eventual event winner Brittany Force in the second round. “We’re going to try some different things this weekend so It would be great to get a good result to prove this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team is heading in the right direction,” Prock said. “The Strip has always been one of my favorite tracks so to win there would be unbelievable. It being four-wide would even make it more special.” Qualifying at the NHRA Four-Wide NHRA Nationals takes place Friday and Saturday with two sessions at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (PT) on each day. Eliminations are slated to begin at noon on Sunday. Racing action will be televised on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and begins with qualifying Friday at 7 p.m. ET and continues Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

FT. WORTH, TX (March 30,2022) — Over the weekend NHRA Pro Stock rookie Camrie Caruso joined associate sponsor VP Racing at the Keystone BIG Show in Ft. Worth, Texas. The national event featured premier educational events, product training sessions as well as booths from nearly all of Keystone’s suppliers and brands. Caruso had her new look Chevrolet Camaro featuring the branding of Air Flow Research (AFR) SCAT Crankshafts and Procar by SCAT that she will be racing at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 1-3, on display in the VP Racing’s booth. Throughout the day on Saturday Caruso talked with show attendees, signed autographs and talked up the many benefits of VP Racing Lubricants.

“This was a great show and it was cool to be able to represent our sponsor VP Racing,” said Caruso, who has qualified in the top half at every NHRA national event this season. “Doing shows like this really gives you the chance to meet a lot of people and talk about what we do. Tons of people stopped and took pictures of our Chevrolet Camaro that features our Las Vegas primary sponsors Air Flow Research (AFR) SCAT Crankshafts and Procar by SCAT. It was also great to see Joe Amato. He is an NHRA legend.”

Marc Caruso, NHRA legend Joe Amato and Camrie Caruso at Keystone BIG Show

The chance to represent VP Racing on an off weekend was an opportunity that Caruso, who is building her racing program throughout her rookie season, could not pass up. The relationship between Caruso Family Racing and Titan Racing Engines with VP Racing Lubricants is instrumental since they are working on the development of the O weight oil that the team runs in their Titan Racing Engine program.  The team is also running VP Racing Lubricants’ gear oil and they are working to develop a transmission fluid for Pro Stock cars. 

“We were proud to have Camrie in our booth this weekend at the Keystone BIG Show,” said Amanda Alexander, Business Development. “Having her Pro Stock race car drew a lot of attention and having her available to talk with the show attendees added another great element to our display. We have enjoyed growing our relationship with Camrie and Caruso Family Racing through our VP Racing relationship and we are looking forward to seeing more great things from Camrie.”

The 24-year-old driver who is living in Denver, North Carolina, has been one of the most active marketers on the NHRA tour this season representing multiple companies. The young driver knows that the off-track relationships are just as important as win lights.

“I want to thank VP Racing for the opportunity to come to the Keystone Big Show because this is what makes our program successful and meaningful for all our business partners,” added Caruso. “I am loving racing and the competition, but I know how important the business-to-business element is. We are excited to be heading to Las Vegas this weekend for my first four-wide nationals.”

The 2022 NHRA rookie of the year standout will get her first of four qualifying runs on Friday afternoon from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Caruso has back-to-back quarterfinal finishes in the last two races and is currently sitting in 10th place in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series standings.

LAS VEGAS (March 30) — Few things excite car lovers more than getting a brand-new ride, which is exactly why Pro Stock frontrunner Troy Coughlin Jr. is jazzed up for this weekend’s Las Vegas NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Coughlin recently took possession of a 2022 RJ Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro clad in the legendary yellow-and-black colors of JEGS.com. Rick and Rickie Jones, the owners of RJ Race Cars, relied on a lot of input from Coughlin to build the car to his needs. They have been involved with Elite Motorsports as either crew chiefs or consultants through all of their championship-winning seasons. “This is one awesome machine,” Coughlin said. “This is actually the first Pro Stock car I’ve driven that was built specifically for me so it’s just about as perfect as you can imagine. Everything feels so natural and the fit is exact. I’ve got all the space I need in the cockpit. I’ve never felt so comfortable behind the wheel.

“RJ Race Cars are known for their incredible fitment and finish work. They truly build masterpieces. Most importantly, they produce super-fast racecars that win races and championships. I couldn’t be more excited. Huge thanks to (longtime Elite Motorsports sponsor) Mark Stockseth for getting us this car.” Already a finalist this year having raced to a runner-up result at the national event in Phoenix, Coughlin arrives in town with fond memories of The Strip. In 2009, Coughlin captured his first national event trophy during the fall event at this facility, winning the Super Comp class in grand style. He’s hoping the good karma from 13 years ago, along with the team’s steady start to 2022, will produce another memorable weekend in Sin City.

“We took the new car to Tulsa a few days ago to shake it down and make sure there would be no surprises this weekend,” he said. “It’s definitely ready for battle. Mark Ingersoll, Kyle Bates, Ricky Calloway and Kelly Murphy have been working around the clock to get this car from a bare chassis to race-ready and, of course, they took it all in stride. That’s no small feat, believe me. “It appears we’ll be running even better than before so there is a lot of optimism on the team. Of course, we’ll stay with our game plan of taking things one round at a time. We’ll do our best to have four solid qualifying runs and then try to turn on three win lights on Sunday.” The schedule calls for Pro Stock qualifying sessions at 12:30 and 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday. The first round of four-wide eliminations is slated for 12:45 p.m.

LAS VEGAS (March 30, 2022) – Heading into the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the fourth event of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, having broken into the top 10 in the points standings, John Force and his PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS team are ready to make-up more ground at the first of two four-wide events on the 2022 tour.  Force had pre-season success at testing at Wild Horse pass Motorsports Park in Arizona but stumbled at the season opening Winternationals. The PEAK / BlueDEF team turned things around back at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the NHRA Arizona Nationals. They would qualify No. 3 and have a semifinals appearance. At a rain-soaked and abnormally cold NHRA Gatornationals, Force and the BlueDEF team would have a quarterfinal finish that, along with some surprising early exits, would jump them into fifth in the points standings. “It’s been a bit of a wild start to the season. But you, know, this BlueDEF team with Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they’ve got a handle on this Chevrolet. We’ll fix it. That’s what it’s all about,” said Force. “We’ve got to get these cars making some noise and winning some rounds, and we will.” Since the debut of four-wide racing at Charlotte in 2010, no one has won more quads than Force; he has been first to the finish in 12, more than any other Funny Car driver. He also has two overall four-wide race wins. Only Steve Torrence in Top Fuel and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle have more. No one has won more Funny Car races at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, four times in the fall race (2002, 2010, 2013 and 2016) and twice in the spring before it transitioned to four-wide (2010, 2015). Force was also the No. 1 qualifier at the spring race in 2002 and 2011 and at the fall race when he won in 2013.  “Couldn’t get a better place to go four-wide racing. Bruton Smith and his son Marcus, they’ve really created a great show, first at Charlotte and then now at The Strip at Las Vegas,” Force said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the stands packed and getting back into my PEAK Chevy hot rod after these two weeks off. Ready to have some fun and win some rounds for all my sponsors.” Qualifying at the NHRA Four-Wide NHRA Nationals takes place Friday and Saturday with two sessions at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (PT) on each day. Eliminations are slated to begin at noon on Sunday. Racing action will be televised on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and begins with qualifying Friday at 7 p.m. ET and continues Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

LAS VEGAS (March 29, 2022) — Every driver’s rookie year is full of ups and downs. Every track presents challenges and opportunities. This weekend at the NHRA Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals Pro Stock rookie standout driver Camrie Caruso will have her hands full navigating a new racetrack and four-wide racing for the first time. So far in the early stages of her rookie campaign the 24-year-old driver from Denver, North Carolina, has risen to every challenge. She will be driving with new primary sponsors this weekend as her Titan Racing Engine powered Chevrolet Camaro will be adorned with colorful branding representing Air Flow Research (AFR) SCAT Crankshafts and Procar by SCAT.

“We have been talking with the team at Air Flow Research, SCAT Crankshafts and Procar by SCAT about getting involved with our program for a while,” said Caruso, who has qualified at all three NHRA national events in 2022 and advance to the quarterfinals the past two races. “They are the aftermarket go-to seat for Chevrolet Camaros so this relationship was literally a perfect fit. When you add in the backing of Air Flow Research and SCAT Crankshafts with their long history in Pro Stock, I could not be more excited to represent these companies.” 

After three national events Caruso has established herself and her Caruso Family Racing team as quality competitors with strong horsepower under the hood. The performance of her Titan Racing Engine power has qualified the rookie driver in the top half of the field every race. Her elapsed times have dropped at every race and with two weeks off to regroup the team is eager to get to the high-performance racing surface The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway offers.

“I can’t say enough about the team of guys I have behind me from Titan Racing Engines,” said Caruso. “I have a lot of confidence in this Chevrolet Camaro every time we pull it up to the starting line. As a young driver I am working on my performance every time we make a run. I want to get better as a driver because I know I have a race car that can win rounds if I do my job. That is a testament to Titan Racing Engines and my crew chief Jim Yates.”

Two weeks ago at the historic Gatornationals Caruso had to battle the elements like the rest of her professional competitors. With only one qualifying session the pressure was on everyone to make the most of their lone shot at the track. The team came right out of the trailer with a career best run of 6.516 seconds at 210.70 mph. In the opening round of eliminations on Sunday they stepped up even more with both ends of career best marks getting another win light on a run of 6.491 seconds at 213.10 mph. It took the lowest elapsed time of the second round to end Caruso’s day and have her turn her focus to the unique four-wide nationals.

“I am looking forward to the challenges of four-wide racing,” said Caruso, a third generation NHRA driver. “I know there will be a lot going on, but I am just going to stay calm and do my own thing. I like the fact you have a chance to advance even if you are not the first to the finish line. I plan on getting their first, but this style of racing is a little forgiving which makes it unique for us”

Since Caruso came onto the scene this season, she has been one of the busiest drivers and marketers on the NHRA circuit. To bring more awareness to her partners she has rotated several companies as primary sponsor on her Camaro Pro Stock race car. Last weekend she was in Ft. Worth, Texas, at the Keystone “Big” Show displaying the Air Flow Research (AFR) SCAT Crankshafts and Procar by SCAT Camaro and representing her sponsor VP Racing Lubricants.

“It’s so important to promote off track as well as at the track,” said Caruso. “We have so many amazing sponsors any chance I get to talk about their products or their initiatives I want to make sure I am available. The Big Show was a great experience and I was really glad we were able to show off this weekend’s race car as well.”

Qualifying for the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals will begin on Friday and Saturday with two sessions each day at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations will begin on Sunday, April 3, at 12:00 p.m. with three quads of racing action.

About Camrie Caruso/Caruso Family Racing
Camrie Caruso is a third-generation driver with Caruso Family Racing. The 23-year-old Pro Stock rookie is following the career path of her father, former Pro Mod racer Marc Caruso and her grandfather, “Papa Joe” Caruso, who competed in Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Pro Mod. Racing a Chevrolet Camaro with power provided by Titan Racing Engines Caruso will race the full NHRA Camping World Series schedule as she chases Rookie of the Year honors and her first world championship. She first got behind the wheel of a race car when she was eight years old competing in the NHRA Junior Dragster League. She has continued to move up through the NHRA competition classes for over a decade rising to Top Alcohol Dragster as well as Elite Top Dragster and Pro Outlaw 632 in the PDRA. Caruso has a Finance degree as well as a Marketing degree from SUNY Empire State College. In 2018 she was recognized by Drag Illustrated magazine as a 30 Under 30, drag racing personality. When she is not at the track, she is handling the marketing for Titan Racing Engines.

Mar 30, 2022 | Featured, Pre-Race Releases

Hunter Green, the son of NHRA Funny Car and Pro Mod driver Chad Green, will make his NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster debut this weekend at the 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s the first of two planned races driving one of Randy Meyer Racing’s nitro-injected A/Fuel dragsters to get seat time for an eventual move up to Top Fuel. 

Green earned his Top Alcohol Dragster license with Randy Meyer Racing during a preseason test session at Phoenix before upgrading his license in a Tim Wilkerson-tuned Top Fuel dragster. 

“Getting in that A/Fuel car really helped me out a lot and boosted my confidence to get back in the Top Fuel car,” said Green, 27, who made his first Top Fuel runs last fall. “I haven’t had a lot of track time. I went to Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School and I jumped from Frank Hawley’s Top Dragster into the Top Fuel car. That was quite a difference. Making those runs in the A/Fuel car really helped me out a lot.”

Green started working with Meyer at the Phoenix test session after Wilkerson suggested he get some seat time in Meyer’s A/Fuel car. Green was all for it, as he’d previously considered the Top Alcohol Dragster path with Meyer. 

“There’s no one better to work with,” Green said. “He’s easy to work with, they have the fastest cars, and he’s a good teacher too. He taught me a lot about how to be relaxed in the car and how to get it down the track. That all transferred over when I made my runs in the Top Fuel car. He’s been a good coach and teacher, along with Tim. Both those guys have really helped me a lot on this journey.”

While Green doesn’t have any grade points from regional event competition, his Top Fuel license will allow him to make his debut at a national event. 

Green believes his experience in Phoenix has prepared him for his competition debut in Las Vegas. He’ll also have the added challenge of racing four-wide for the first time, but it’s a challenge that intrigues him. 

“My goal is to look like I know what I’m doing out there and to look like I’ve done it before, even though I haven’t,” said Green, who will race with support from the family business, Bond-Coat Inc. “I’m pretty confident. It should be no different from making runs in testing, but we’re not just going to have one car in the other lane, we’re going to have three cars in the other lanes. I know that can throw a lot of people off, but I’ve been around it a lot now with my dad in the Pro Mod and in the Funny Car. I don’t think it will be a problem. It’s going to be fun and exciting.”

Beyond this weekend, Green’s goal is to get enough seat time to be fully prepared when the time comes to move up to Top Fuel competition. After the 4-Wide Nationals, Green plans to run the NHRA SpringNationals, April 22-24 at Houston Raceway Park with RMR.

“Top Fuel is the ultimate goal,” said Green, who works on his father’s Funny Car team full-time, handling anything from marketing and social media to packing the ‘chutes. “I’d eventually like to do some races in Top Fuel, possibly as soon as later this year. But I definitely think it’s smarter to get some seat time in the A/Fuel car with Randy first. We have these two races planned, but I could end up doing more races.”

The Big Cat Earns Milestone 75th Career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Victory

VADO, NM – March 29, 2022 – They say that patience is a virtue, but Brad Sweet was tired of waiting.

While the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series made its long-awaited debut at New Mexico’s Vado Speedway Park on Tuesday night, The Big Cat went ahead and made his long-awaited return to victory lane with the Series.

Sweet led all 30 laps at the Vado 3/8-mile but had to fend off a fury of challenges from Sheldon Haudenschildthroughout lap traffic to win the inaugural race at the state-of-the-art facility.

Amazingly enough, it had been 26 races and seven months since the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49 last won a World of Outlaws race at Skagit (WA) Speedway on September 4, 2021. That streak is now snapped and the Grass Valley, CA native hopes this is the momentum his team needs to really begin the run for a fourth consecutive Series championship.

“Yeah, it has felt like forever,” Sweet said on the length of his victory lane absence. “We just got stuck points racing last year and didn’t take those risks you need to win against these guys. As far as this year though, we’ve been fast all season and knocking on the door of getting this win. I’m happy for my guys. Eric [Prutzman], Joe [Mooney], and Andrew [Bowman] have been working hard, now we’re gonna get them the wins they deserve. This is the time to be getting better.”

The added significance in Tuesday’s triumph is that Sweet reached a milestone 75th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win. He’s now only nine wins away from tying Stevie Smith (84) for a spot inside the coveted top-10 on the All-Time Win List.

After qualifying sixth and finishing second in his Heat, Sweet used a perfect DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash to put the #49 in prime position to capitalize come showtime. From there, he survived some brief hiccups in lap traffic to make Vado Speedway Park the 42nd track he’s won at, while New Mexico became the 21st state he’s won in.

“These are honestly some of the hardest ones to win,” Sweet added. “Track position is just so key and lap traffic is tough when the track gets like this. It was hard to time the runs, and there was one time when Sheldon came across but luckily enough I was ready. I really didn’t want to catch any lappers, I just wanted clean air to control my own mistakes. You have to use your mind as much as you possibly can out there.”

Sheldon Haudenschild briefly led for a split second on Lap 7, but never could control the top spot enough to wrangle it away from Sweet. The Wooster, OH native finished only 0.768-seconds behind with a second-place effort for the Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink #17.

“I definitely felt like we were a little quicker in open track,” Sheldon commented on the battle with Sweet. “I just didn’t have enough speed to clear the slider I needed with how the track was. California was a struggle for us, but [Kyle] Ripper, Stephen [Hamm-Reilly], and Jakob [Weaver] have been working hard to get us back on track. It’s amazing how much something as simple as qualifying good and getting in the Dash can help with that extra track time to figure out the car.”

For the first time since his season-opening win on February 10, Donny Schatz returned to the podium on Tuesday night. The 10-time Series champion finished up third in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Ford Performance, Carquest Auto Parts #15 after taking a few shots at Sheldon for the second spot.

“These short tracks have not been our strong suit, but we’ve changed so many things that we’re getting it figured out,” Schatz mentioned. “I felt better as the race went on and thought we were catching those guys but didn’t get there quick enough to be able to capitalize on their mistakes. It’s a positive result, though, we’ll keep working hard.”

Closing out the top-five at Vado Speedway Park was new track record holder James McFadden in fourth-place aboard the Roth Motorsports #83, and David Gravel with a fifth-place run that brings the Big Game Motorsports #2 back to second in the standings.

Rounding out the top-10 on Tuesday night was Spencer Bayston in the CJB Motorsports #5, Carson Macedo in the Jason Johnson Racing #41, Cory Eliason in the Rudeen Racing #26, Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing #1S, and Giovanni Scelzi in the KCP Racing #18.

NOS NOTEBOOK (Vado Speedway Park, 3/29/22)

Tuesday’s Feature at Vado Speedway Park was only the second of 11 races this season that featured no lead changes.

Brad Sweet’s 75th career World of Outlaws win leaves him only nine away from tying Stevie Smith (84) for 10th on the All-Time Win List. Tuesday’s win snapped a 26-race dry spell for Sweet, his longest over the last four years.

James McFadden established a new track record by circling Vado’s 3/8-mile in 12.215 seconds aboard the Roth Motorsports #83. It’s the fourth career Slick Woodys QuickTime Award for the Alice Springs, NT, AUS native.

NOS Energy Drink Heat Race wins went to James McFadden (24th career), Donny Schatz (492nd career), and Cory Eliason (15th career). Brad Sweet topped the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash to earn his second pole position of the season.

Logan Calderwood (Goodyear, AZ), Lorne Wofford (Alamogordo, NM), Nick Parker (Tucson, AZ), and Brett Becker (Odessa, TX) all qualified for their first World of Outlaws Feature of the season on Tuesday night.

UP NEXT (Fri) – Another 10-hour haul will lead the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series to its only stop in Oklahoma this Friday, April 1 at Lawton Speedway. On Saturday, April 2, Devil’s Bowl Speedway offers a $20,000 payday in the DuraMAX/Drydene Texas Outlaw Nationals.

NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (30 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1][$10,000]; 2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$6,000]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$3,500]; 4. 83-James McFadden [5][$2,800]; 5. 2-David Gravel [7][$2,500]; 6. 5-Spencer Bayston [8][$2,300]; 7. 41-Carson Macedo [9][$2,200]; 8. 26-Cory Eliason [6][$2,100]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14][$2,050]; 10. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [11][$2,000]; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen [4][$1,600]; 12. 11K-Kraig Kinser [10][$1,400]; 13. 19AZ-Tanner Thorson [19][$1,200]; 14. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [20][$1,100]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [13][$1,050]; 16. 6C-Logan Calderwood [17][$1,000]; 17. 20G-Noah Gass [12][$1,000]; 18. 6-Bill Rose [16][$1,000]; 19. 7-Lorne Wofford [18][$1,000]; 20. 115-Nick Parker [15][$1,000]; 21. 2B-Brett Becker [21][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 19AZ-Tanner Thorson[+6]

NEW Championship Standings (After 11/85 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (1,550); 2. David Gravek (-32); 3. Carson Macedo (-34); 4. Sheldon Haudenschild (-50); 5. Donny Schatz (-106); 6. James McFadden (-106); 7. Giovanni Scelzi (-108); 8. Logan Schuchart (-122); 9. Cory Eliason (-122); 10. Spencer Bayston (-160).

NARC NEWSLINE – March 30, 2022 – By Jim Allen … In today’s racing world, the offseason seems to get shorter and shorter.  It goes something like this:  You wave the checkered at the final event, you stage an awards banquet, you wolf down some Turkey, negotiate a schedule, exchange some Christmas presents, set some New Year’s resolutions, buy some flowers for Valentines Day … and BAMM … it’s racing season again.  The turnaround barely allows enough time to dial in the details.  And that applies whether you are a sprint car team, a track promoter, a sponsor, or a racing organization like us.  But like almost every reality show, everybody seems to step up their game when there is a pressing deadline, like aNARC Fujitsu General USA Sprint Car season opener.  With that in mind, here is a hit list of topics you may want to know about as you dial in your travel details:

2022 NARC SCHEDULE:  For those of you perpetually stuck watching TikTok videos, there was a recent announcement regarding the 2022 Louie Vermeil Classic.  There was bad news and good news.  The bad news was that HMC Promotions announced that the awesome two-day event will not be run in 2022.  A Chico-sequel didn’t make financial sense andCalistoga Speedway hasn’t reopened yet.  The good news is that Tommy Hunt & Company are actively working to drive the process to get Calistoga Speedway open again with a full slate of events in 2023.  There is a SAVE CALISTOGA SPEEDWAY campaign that could use your help.  At this point, you race fans only have two choices:  Condos … or … the best half-mile race track in California.  I’ll take Calistoga Speedway for $500 Alex.  Log in to help HERE!

If you do the math the same way as I do, that means the official NARC campaign will consist of 25 racing events in 2022.  We will not be replacing the Labor Day dates with another venue.  When you add it all up, the NARC Sprint Cars will be racing for more than $800,000 in purse money, cash awards and product contingencies.  That’s a huge WIN!

BANG FOR THE BUCK:  The Fastest Four Days in Motorsports just got more interesting.  How interesting?  How about $40,000 interesting in the form of a potential bonus to any driver who can sweep all four of the events.  The Lloyd’s of London insurance policy is betting against the house on this one, figuring a lot that can happen at three different tracks in four consecutive days.  Let’s hope the stars line up for one of our drivers to do the “happy dance” in Grays Harbor Raceway’s victory lane on May 29^th.  There is also a possible step-down bonus.  If a driver picks off three of the four shows, they can pocket an extra $5000 from Mr. Lloyds of London.  (NOTE:  It’s one, or the other, not both.)  For those needing a refresher, the four races are at Southern Oregon Speedway on Thursday, May 26th, followed by a Friday show at Willamette Speedway, and the May 28th and 29th shows at Grays Harbor.   For win-list comparison purposes, the 2019 version of the FFDM produced four different winners.  The 2021 edition produced three.  As of right now, we have 15 California teams committed to this adventure, plus several locals.

Bob Montoya of Swift Metal Finishing has also kicked in an additional $500 to the team that can pass the most cars during those four races.  That is on top of the regularHardcharger Award that he sponsors to the tune of $150 per night.  Throw in travel money for California teams and some healthy purses and it should be a great Memorial Day weekend.

By the way, there will be a race car hauler “Salute to the Red, White & Blue Parade” down main street in Elma, WA between the two-day newly-labeled FFDM Timber Cup shows Grays Harbor.  For those of you who haven’t been there, Elma’s sort of a “one stop light” kind of town (pop, 3300 or so) where the population triples on race day.  The parade is Sunday.  All NARC teams will be herded out of the pits to a high noon staging area at the Elma High School parking lot.  It will dish up a nice dose of small-town Americana.

WHAT IF?: California continues to be the hotbed for great young open wheel talent.  Unfortunately for us, that talent gets recognized on a national level and with a blink of an eye, they are gone.  Just think what California 410 sprint car racing would be today if the likes of Buddy Kofoid, Gio Scelzi, Mitchell Moles, Cole Macedo were weekly warriors.  Can’t fault any of them, because they are “living the dream.”  Congrats to Giovanni on his two CA Outlaw wins.  Keep your eyes on 16-year-old’s Joel Myers Jr. and Max Mittry!

NARC STUFF:  Here is an unusual moment in California sprint car history:  Two of the biggest powerhouses in NARC motorsports … Roth Motorsports & Tarlton Motorsports are entering the 2022 campaign with drivers who have only three career NARC victories between them.  How is that even possible?  Don’t expect that to last very long though, because their drivers and equipment are really good.  To date, Mitchell Faccinto has parked it three times in NARC victory lane and Australian Kerry Madsen is basically making his first foray on the NARC campaign.  That is the same 50-year-old Kerry Madsen who has 28 World of Outlaw wins on his impressive resume’. The Roth cars are powered by Toyota-powerplants. If you are a betting man, take the ”over” at six wins this season for the Roth’s and Tarltons. … It’s going to be nice to see Justyn “Indiana” Cox a few more times this year with NARC.  His team is getting their two 410 motors back in May.  For those of you who might not remember, Indiana finished third in final King of the West standings in 2016 behind Kyle Hirst and Bud Kaeding. … Australian Jessie Attard will be rolling into California in May with his race car team.  He plans to race with us throughout the summer.  Nobody will dispute that he was extremely fast last season.  Just needs a break or two. …  The Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash Pit Crew Competition has been moved to June 10th atOcean Speedway.  $1000 is on the line for three teams; $500 to the winner!  The first entry is the Mike Phulps Motorsports team.

… Hoosier Racing Tires is working their tails off to manufacture tires, but don’t be surprised if there is a bump or two in the road (like everything these days.)  The Hoosier team is very proactive in the process because nobody wants tire availability to become an issue.  … Motors are another issue.  If you wanted to buy a 410 motor right now – or for that matter, a 360 block – it’s slim pickings right now. … Let’s hope that gas prices drop soon for everybody’s sake. … The NARC410.com website has undergone a nice facelift during the off season.  It’s also ADA compliant.  Use it as a resource for news on everything we do!  To day, the site has been accessed by 409,000+ unique users.  Now, if we can just get all of you to the race track! … Stockton Dirt Track promoter Tony Noceti is hard at work repositioning and realigning his track lighting.  He also added 10 new LED lights and has plans to add 10 more in the weeks to come!  On the PR side of things, Noceti also got his racing highlight show going on local Sacramento-Stockton station FOX40.  Its called “Racing with Lovotti,” and features highlights from the Dirt Track and Stockton 99 Speedway.  You can expect to see NARC highlights from our April 2nd show on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m.  Make sure you tune in! …

NARC NOTES:  Dan Belton will be our Director of Competition this season.  Mike Andreetta, who suffered a health scare in September, has been moved into a new Race Coordinator position.  He will be driving safety compliance with competitors, conducting technical inspections and providing driver coaching. … We welcome Darryck Fairbanks to our team as our Pit Manager. … Brian and Alicia Garges will also be on the NARC staff when their schedule doesn’t conflict with other racing events. … Make sure you play in NARC’s fantasy league on MyRacePass.com this season. Log-in and pick your drivers before qualifying. We will be announcing prize packages shortly. … We’ve got a new look and a new logo this season.  Make sure you invest in some NARC apparel from Jim Gardner of Bullet Impressions at the season opener.  You can also shop online at onefasttee.com ... Thank you to all of the 28 sponsors who partnered with the NARC series this season.

BRADWAY MEMORIAL:  The ever-popular Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial race at Placerville Speedway is about seven weekends away – June 12^th to be exact.  As you are aware, the event-promotion torch was passed from Dave and Dianne Durica to Julie Bradway Tuccelli last season.  That transition was seamless so let’s make sure your support of this event is seamless as well.  If you would like to sponsor a lap in the 40-lap feature or B-Main ($100), please contact Julie at kaytee17@comcast.net or by phone: 916-749-0556.  You can also kick in money to the Hardcharger award, heat race winners, the semi-main, or whatever floats your boat, or opens your wallet. … By the way, this will be NARC’s only visit to Knoxville on the Hill this season and it’s a combo event with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour 360’s.  It promises to be a great show.

SEASON PREDICTIONS & STUFF TO GET YOU THINKING: Chase Johnson will win his first NARC race this season at a place not named Petaluma Speedway.  Both of his wins have come at the 3/8 mile oval. … Potential first-time winners on the NARC tour this season?  Definitely Kerry Madsen.  Let’s also add Michael Faccinto, Joel Myers Jr., Logan Forler, Tanner Holmes, and Tanner Carrick to the list. … With three victories, defending champion Dominic Scelzi would pass Tyler Walker for seventh place on the all-time list. …Tim Kaeding needs only 13 victories to tie Brent Kaeding on the same all-time NARC-King of the West win list.  How many years of racing do you think it will take? … Willie Croft is overdue for a NARC victory. The last time he scored a “W” was at the May 5, 2019 Dave Bradway Jr. race in Chico.  Croft plans to run the entire NARC schedule. … Brandon “Bud” Kaeding is also looking to end a NARC victory drought that dates back to August 2019.  When you have a last name of Kaeding, that is an eternity.  Let’s go Brandon! … Idaho’sLogan Forler is also planning to tackle the entire 2022 NARC campaign.  He last competed with the King of the West series in 2014.  He’s got over 30 feature wins to his credit, many with the ASCS. … Defending champ series champ Dominic Scelzi will have his hands full with multiple contenders this season.  Can he make it two championships in a row?  Crew chief Jimmy Carr thinks so! … Who will win their second NARC feature event first?  Sean Watts or Billy Aton? Place your bets! … Do you think that Corey Day can double his win total of last season? Based on his recent runner-up finish with the WoO, it’s an automatic. … Justin Sanders will win four NARC races in at least two different cars. …

So now it’s officially time to get geared up for NARC’s 2022 championship campaign.  We’ve got the Stockton Dirt Track NARC season opener on Saturday, April 2^nd.  There will be a $6000 winners payday on the line for the winner of the Third Annual Asparagus Cup.  We will back that up with a lucrative and always entertaining show in Hanford — the Anthony Simone Classic.  We cap off the month at Silver Dollar Speedway with the Tenth Annual David Tarter Memorial.  Don’t miss a single of them.  Make sure you bring a friend.

Coming to you live from Auburn, CA, see ya!

LAS VEGAS, NV (March 29, 2022) — For Top Fuel racer Josh Hart his second season on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series still has several first-time experiences. Racing on a part-time schedule last year Hart, whose homebase is in Ocala, Florida, won twice and raced to four additional semifinal finishes in just thirteen national events. The rookie driver established himself as one of the best drivers off the starting line and owner of a team that was a high-performance player. One of his semifinals was his first four-wide experience at the Charlotte national event so the return to the unique format will be familiar.

“Last year at our first four-wide race we made it to the final round of four dragsters,” said Hart. “I don’t mind the four-wide format and you just have to pay attention to what you are doing and not worry about anyone else. In that respect it is the same as a traditional drag race. I am looking forward to getting four runs on the track and then seeing what we can do on Sunday.”

R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo by Auto Imagery

At the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals Hart qualified No. 4 and then advanced by outrunning Billy Torrence and Kyle Wurtzel in the first quad and then moving to the final quad along with Brittany Force ahead of Doug Kalitta and Clay MIlican. In the final quad Hart was a semifinalist along with Antron Brown as Steve Torrence and Force were the first two to the finish line stripe.

“The final in Charlotte last year was a close race with all four Top Fuel dragsters making strong runs. Everyone was in the 3.7s and hit the finish line at over 325 mph. That kind of racing action is what the fans love about four-wide racing, I think. We will be looking to have more success in Las Vegas this weekend,” added Hart.

After three national events this season Hart and his R+L Carriers Top Fuel team are beginning to hit their stride with a brand new 11,000 horsepower dragster. A quarterfinal finish at the Winternationals coupled with a semifinal finish at the Arizona Nationals has Hart and his team solidly in the Top Ten in the standings. The learning curve of racing full-time has been something Hart is eager to get adjusted to.

“We have all the parts and equipment to make a strong run for the NHRA championship and things are starting to come together with every run,” said Hart. “I have a lot of confidence in my crew chief and team partner Ron Douglas. The four-wide races coming up will be a good test for us.”

Hart’s R+L Carriers marketing relationship is more than just branding on his 330 mph Top Fuel dragster. The young driver is an active recruiter for the company and takes their tagline of Pride in Our People. Pride in Our Performance, to heart. The company has been owned and operated by the same family for over 55 years, they strive to treat their customers and employees as an extension of the R+L family. You can see that welcoming spirit when fans engage Hart at the races or any appearances. 

“The goal of this program is to show people the awesome opportunities that are available with R+L Carriers. We are utilizing recruiters at trackside meet and greets at nearly all the NHRA events to speak to interested candidates about the career opportunities. How cool would it be for a fan to come enjoy a day at the races and also hear firsthand from employees about the R+L Carriers career advantages,” added Hart.

Qualifying for the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals will begin on Friday and Saturday with two sessions each day at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations will begin on Sunday, April 3, at 12:00 p.m. with three quads of racing action.

Potential $39,000 champion’s check on the line for thirty-two race season

CONCORD, NC – March 29, 2022 – Two seasons in competition with a non-traditional Hell Tour format has brought the DIRTcar Summer Nationals back to the previous format for its 37th consecutive year. Thirty-two races over forty days comes with an increase in payouts and a new bonus program for drivers who choose to follow the tour.

New for 2022 – teams who make the summer-long commitment to compete in every race on the schedule are now eligible for the new tow-money program. Every 500 miles a driver and crew travel earns them a $500 bonus. The 2022 Summer Nationals schedule will have teams trucking over 5,500 miles total, which means teams who enter every event start-to-finish will collect $5,500 in tow money.

The progressive points fund scale introduced last season will again be in effect in 2022, offering a potential $39,000 championship check to the winner of the prestigious Late Model tour. For every event completed after the 25th, an extra $2,000 (up from $1,000 in 2021) will be added to added to the champion’s check which summates to $39,000 if all 32 events on the schedule are completed.

Each of the other spots inside the top-10 will follow suit, with different amounts being added to each position’s check as more races past 25 are completed. At its maximum, the runner-up in final points could take home over $15,000 with over $10,000 going to third-place. For 32 races complete, over $85,000 will be distributed between all 10 points fund check-eligible positions.

Weekly points fund checks will also be distributed at the end of each race week; $2,000 to the driver with the most points accumulated between all races contested in that week. Six-consecutive weeks of racing equates to $12,000 distributed in first-place money. This bonus also reaches every driver in the top-10 in points for that week; $5,000 total across all 10 positions.

The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals sticks to its traditional championship format in 2022, counting each driver’s best 12 races of the 32 scheduled. A $5,000 check will be awarded to the points champion at season’s end, which returns to the familiar site of Fairbury Speedway as part of the 32nd annual Prairie Dirt Classic – July 29-30.

The championship chase begins with the first race at Kankakee County Speedway in Illinois on June 14. Catch all 32 races at the track or live from your home with a FAST PASS subscription to DIRTVision.

2022 DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models Points Fund Chart

Points Position	25 Races	26 Races	27 Races	28 Races	29 Races	30 Races	31 Races	32 Races
1st	$25,000	$27,000	$29,000	$31,000	$33,000	$35,000	$37,000	$39,000
2nd	$10,000	$10,800	$11,600	$12,400	$13,200	$14,000	$14,800	$15,600
3rd	$7,000	$7,460	$7,920	$8,380	$8,840	$9,300	$9,760	$10,220
4th	$5,000	$5,400	$5,800	$6,200	$6,600	$7,000	$7,400	$7,800
5th	$3,000	$3,240	$3,480	$3,720	$3,960	$4,200	$4,440	$4,680
6th	$2,000	$2,160	$2,320	$2,480	$2,640	$2,800	$2,960	$3,120
7th	$1,000	$1,080	$1,160	$1,240	$1,320	$1,400	$1,480	$1,560
8th	$800	$864	$928	$992	$1,056	$1,120	$1,184	$1,248
9th	$700	$756	$812	$868	$924	$980	$1,036	$1,092
10th	$600	$650	$700	$750	$800	$850	$900	$950
Totals	$55,100	$59,410	$63,720	$68,030	$72,340	$76,650	$80,960	$85,270

In advance of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race April 9 on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit in Long Beach, California, Pipo Derani (No.31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) — who co-drove to the 2021 victory to lead a Cadillac sweep of the podium — and Richard Westbrook (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R), co-driver of the DPi championship points-leading team, met with the media March 29 via Zoom conference. Fast facts: Cadillac Racing Long Beach storylines, notes, statistics, driver bios and more2022 media guide: Cadillac Racing history, technology transfer, “why we race” and more Full transcript (by individual):

PIPO DERANI (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R): FOND MEMORIES OF LONG BEACH LAST YEAR. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REPEAT WITH YOUR NEW TEAMMATE TRISTAN NUNEZ?“Long Beach last year was definitely a key moment in our championship. It was a fantastic race because the year before we almost won the race; in the end we wound up losing the wheel after leading the race up to the last pit stop. To capitalize last year and make sure we win that one when it slipped away the year before was great. Long Beach is a great track to drive. The event is a fantastic together with INDYCAR to have a lot of fans around. A street track is always challenging to be so close to the walls. It’s going to be again a very challenging and a very tight field and difficult race to win as usual in IMSA. Our Cadillac DPi runs really well at that track. Looking forward to it with a new teammate Tristan (Nunez). He’s driven there before and hopefully he’ll hit the ground running with the Cadillac. After two races under his belt, he’s getting more used to the Cadillac DPi. I’m looking forward to heading west and having our two races there at Long Beach and then later at Monterrey.” YOU CAME BACK LAST YEAR TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER A ROUGH START. DO YOU HAVE A PHILOSOPHY ABOUT IT OR ARE YOU EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT?“I think last year was a little bit chaotic in the beginning for us. I’d like to think this year has started much smoother than last year. Last year, we had a gearbox problem at Daytona, a horrible Sebring and we made our lives very difficult toward the end of the season to win the championship the way we did. I think we won the championship by 11 points, so it was really tight and difficult to overcome the difficult beginning. This year, not ideal to finish fourth at Daytona, but getting our first podium at Sebring I think we are much closer to the championship leaders than we were last year. Of course, we would like to be further up. There’s no philosophy in starting slow and trying to finish strong. I think a championship is built not only on the second half of the season but trying to make sure you get the points early on as well. The championship is so strong; we had a really strong race at Daytona this year and came up short at the end when it counted. We didn’t quite have the pace in the last 30 minutes and there were three cars that were stronger than us that finished ahead of us. In a championship, we try to maximize points when we can. If we can’t win, then take second or third or even fourth. I think we’re within 30 or 40 points from the lead so better than last year. Hopefully, it’s a good beginning to be stronger toward the rest of the championship.” WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES TO HAVING THREE DIFFERENT SETUPS FOR THE FIRST THREE RACES?“It shows the diversity of the championship. You go from Daytona – very big track – to Sebring – very bumpy track – and then to a street track in California. I think it brings something to the championship and for the teams to adapt quickly to these changes. They are great tracks to drive; each have their own peculiarity. Daytona being the beginning of the season and so many long straights and then going to Sebring, a track that was so strong for Cadillac. You have a brand like Acura that dominated at Daytona and then Cadillac dominating at Sebring. And now going into Long Beach – a track that has been quite even between the two manufacturers over the last few years. We got pole position last year and won the race. It’s great to have such a great combination of tracks where you have to keep yourself and your team on your toes and do the best job possible to stay ahead.” WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALIFYING ON A STREET CIRCUIT WITH A SHORT RACE?“It’s a track that is hard to pass. Also, you can get a little bit lucky because you see others making mistakes, hitting the walls and eventually you can be a little bit lucky with a yellow, but you don’t want to count on that at all. In an hour, 40-minute race, I think you need to maximize your chances and that starts with qualifying. That’s the beauty of the sport; you have to put it together early and hope that the race stays green.” WHAT MAKES THE CADILLAC SUCH A GOOD CAR AT LONG BEACH?“I think Cadillac has shown to be very good when the track is bumpy. Not last year, but the year before Acura qualified on pole with a Penske car and I think they had the pace to win just like we did. Last year, it seemed like we had some advantage over the Wayne Taylor car and the Shank car, but they seemed to have stepped up this year in terms of performance, so I’m expecting a close fight. But the Cadillac is a fantastic car over the bumps. We saw that at Sebring. It’s a car that copes well with a bump track and normally street tracks tend to be a little bit more bumpy than a normal track. I think this is one of the strong points of our Cadillac DPi and hopefully we can use that to our advantage over the race weekend at Long Beach.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SECTION OF THE LONG BEACH TRACK AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GAINING FROM THAT SECTION?“A fun part of Long Beach is the roundabout where it’s quite tight, it’s interesting how you have to go around the roundabout but at the same time try to clip a little bit of the curb. You have nice pictures there; sometimes it looks as if the car is on top of the grass.” IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE IN TUNE WITH YOUR NEW TEAMMATE?“I think it’s been a learning curve after three years with Felipe (Nasr) when you get to learn and understand each other so well. Having Tristan (Nunez) come on board this year has been refreshing. It’s been two races where Tristan has allowed himself to adapt to the team. It’s always good to have Daytona and Sebring as the first two races of the season because you have so much track time and you have time to find all those details you need for a good relationship with your teammate. It’s not easy to just step into DPi with the car that just won the championship to perform at the highest level, but so far he’s doing a fantastic job. I think we’re heading into a different type of race of the championship that is much shorter and I’m sure he’s going to do really well. We’ll continue to develop this relationship and hopefully bring some wins to the team and bring another championship.”

RICHARD WESTBROOK (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R): THE MUSTANG SAMPLING COLORS HAVE WON AT LONG BEACH, BUT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR FIRST WIN THERE. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO BRING IT HOME FOR YOU AND TRISTAN VAUTIER?“It’s going to be incredibly tough, obviously. Going into the third round that starts off at Daytona, a completely different circuit, and then the polar opposite going to Sebring and then completely different yet again going to Long Beach. I feel like every time I’m going to a new track with this car – the track I know but it’s the first time in this car – it’s almost like I’ve never been there before because the car is so different than a GT and the last time I raced in prototype. It’s a massive learning curve, but there’s a lot you can take from Sebring to Long Beach setup-wise and we obviously had a good car there. I’m quietly confident and just really pleased to get the 36 hours of Florida out of the way because that was my target – to get through those two events and get some decent points on the board, learn as much as I can, try to fit into the team as best I can and get myself a platform for the short-race season. That’s what we’ve done. To come out of those two rounds with leading the championship, I sort of have to pinch myself. Obviously, it’s early days and lots of race to go, but we’ve given ourselves a good platform. I’m looking forward to Long Beach, but a completely different challenge.” WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALIFYING ON A STREET CIRCUIT WITH A SHORT RACE?“Street circuit qualifying is nuts. You have to sort of go to places that you don’t really want to go to in practice. You have to step out for sure and take the car past its limit in some way. I prefer to be finishing that race.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SECTION OF THE LONG BEACH TRACK AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GAINING FROM THAT SECTION?“I guess the last two corners because when you have sections of circuits where you can give up a little bit to have a good run through the last corners – where you can sacrifice a bit to gain something somewhere else. That whole last section where you’ve got the right and then the long left and then the final hairpin, you can go quicker in one but you’re going to have to sacrifice in the next. It’s sort of connecting the three and I like that sort of challenge in any circuit. We turn up for the first practice at 9 o’clock in the morning and it’s kind of a meaningless session because you’re just cleaning the circuit and the track just evolves, evolves and it’s a completely different circuit come race day. I remember that race day is normally quicker (lap times) than qualifying because the track just continues to evolve. You have to be ready for that. You sort of have to adapt yourself. You can’t go into each session with the mindset that ‘I need to improve in that corner, maybe I’ll try that.’ The track next session is completely different, so you have to be open-minded in how you set out to work. I’ve never won at Long Beach, so it’s about time I did.” IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE IN TUNE WITH YOUR NEW TEAMMATE?“When you get a new teammate, the first few races you’re sort of working out what does he like to eat, where are we going to have dinner tonight. It’s getting used to all that stuff. The chemistry with Tristan (Vautier) and Loic (Duval) has been really strong. We’re definitely working toward the same goal in terms of setup on the car; we like a similar setup. For me, it’s only going to get stronger. I can’t say enough about Tristan. I’ve been super pleased with how he performs, and his one-lap pace is incredible. Hopefully, he puts that to good use all year.”

Sacramento, CA … The Northern Auto Racing Club released a full list of sponsors committed to support the 2022 NARC Fujitsu General USA 410 Sprint Car campaign.  The busy schedule features 25-event at 13 different dirt tracks in three States and will crown a “King of the West” champion.

Total feature event prize money will exceed $770,000 this season, plus additional cash awards and product contingency certificates worth another $49,000.  Fujitsu General Heating & Air Conditioning and Hoosier Racing Tires are the series title sponsors, with additional marketing support provided by Floracing.com.  In total, 28 companies have lent their support to the NARC sprint cars this season.

While many purses are backfilled in the lower positions to support lower-budget teams ($500 minimum to start A-Main), there are many over-the-top winner shares.  Heading the prestigious list is the $50,000 to win Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in June.  Others include the $10,000 to win Anthony Simone Classic on April 9th, the May 14th $11,000 to win Peter Murphy Classic; the $8300 to win Dennis Roth Classic on October 15th, the $6900 to win Howard Kaeding Classic in July, plus several others.  There is also a $40,000 bonus on the line for any team that can sweep the Fastest Four Days in Motorsports over the Memorial Day weekend.

In addition, the top 10 teams in the final standings will earn shares of a $63,000 year end point fund.  The “King of the West” championship team will pocket $12,500 for their efforts.  The rookie-of-the-year will earn $1500 from Johnstone Supply.  The championship celebration is scheduled for November 6th at the Brookside Country Club in Stockton.

The NARC series sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS), Dirt.Travel, Johnstone Supply, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, Roth Motorsports, Scelzi Enterprises, Starr Property Management, Swift Metal Finishing, and Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats.

The associate sponsors offering product contingency awards are Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS), FK Rod Ends, KSE Racing Products, Kaeding Performance, Maxim Racing, Pyrotect, Safecraft Safety Equipment, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, SCI – Sprint Car Innovation, System 1 Pro Ignition, Ultra-Lite Brakes, Vortex Wings, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Winters Performance.

Bullet Impressions is the official merchandising vendor of the Northern Auto Racing Club and provides numerous promotional benefits.

The 2022 campaign kicks off on Saturday, April 2nd with the Third Annual Asparagus Cup at the Stockton Dirt Track.  The winner of the feature event headliner will pocket a $6,000 payday.

For more information, go to www.NARC410.com