NASCAR CUP SERIES TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES APRIL 25, 2026

Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  Talk a little bit about your team, where you guys are at this point in the season and what you’re looking forward to for Sunday’s race…“Yeah, we were really hoping to qualify. Talladega is just one of those racetracks where if it was going to rain out, this is an okay one to rain out, just because at first stage, you’re going to be saving fuel and you’ll have an opportunity to work your way towards the front or towards the middle. I don’t know the stats, but I think we got the last five out of six poles here, so we were kind of looking forward to trying to go out there and see what kind of speed we have, but we can’t control the weather.  Just looking forward to Sunday. We’ve had a tough few weeks, so looking to try to get some momentum back on our side and get some points back up on the scoreboard because we definitely struggled the last few weeks. It’s a good weekend to get things turned around.”   What do you think the state of the 71 team is right now? You say you haven’t had necessarily the speed you’re looking for… where do you think you guys are missing it? Do you have any idea?“Yeah, I think it’s just more execution and some setup things. Our teammates have had speed, so I don’t think it’s in our processes or our potential of the race car. We just haven’t maximized it. I think for us, probably more than anything, we sort of had a pretty good rhythm from last year. With the updated Chevy Camaro body, I feel like we just haven’t hit it quite as good, especially with the mile-and-a-halves. The good news is we have good data points. Every weekend, one of us has been quick, so I feel like we have the speed in our cars. We just haven’t hit it as a 71 group. We also have compounded our problems the last few weeks with pit road penalties and things like that, you know, when you take a not a great day and you make it a bad day. We just have to clean all those things up.”    How much do you look at points after each race at this time of the season?“Well, they always matter. I think that where you’re at now is going to be that window of where you’re going to be, so you have to keep scoring points. I feel like even two or three races ago, I would have told you that we’re going to be right on that cutline, and it’ll probably be three of us racing for that cutline or close to it. We sort of knew that going into it. The points haven’t really shaken up much from what we thought they would be. We’re going to be close, and we can’t have weekends like we had last weekend.”    NASCAR just announced that they made the news official that Jim France is stepping down as CEO. Your reaction to that news and when you heard it yesterday?“We had a little pre-meeting before they made the announcement with all the drivers. I think that it’s great for him. Obviously, he’s been dedicated to the sport for a long time, so for him to be able to not necessarily step away, but just step aside to allow Steve O’Donnell and Ben Kennedy to start to fill those roles and bring in the new management, I feel like it was what was going to happen at some point, right? You don’t do it forever. Honestly, I don’t think it changes a whole lot because we were sort of already there a little bit. I feel like it’s just kind of new titles.  But I feel comfortable with where the sport’s at and where we’re going.”   Were you a little surprised when you heard it, or like you said, you kind of saw this coming and that kind of thing?“Well, you guys have seen the last three or four years, Jim has been very active at NASCAR races, where three or four years prior to that, we probably didn’t see him quite as much. So I didn’t think that pace would stay up forever. He’s been not just NASCAR, but IMSA, motorcycle racing and everything for a long time, so it’s hard to keep that pace up, being at the racetrack every single week into your 70s and 80s has got to be tough.”    How does NASCAR’s changes to the stage lengths for this weekend affect your team’s ability to try and execute the kind of strategy that you guys nearly pulled off at the end of the Daytona 500?“Yeah, there’s still a lot of strategy in play. I mean, we don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like. You know, you come up with theories and ideas, but a lot of it is based off of your competitors, too. Obviously, they’re not telling us what they’re going to do, so you kind of have plan A, plan B and plan C, depending on what everybody else does. But it’s definitely changed the flow of this race. You just kind of flip-flopped it to where that first stage is going to be where you do a lot of your fuel mileage saving and you kind of work your strategy. But there will still be opportunities for strategy in that second and third stage, as well. But yeah, I think everybody’s excited because there are some opportunities to do things, and we’ll see who takes those opportunities.”   Even if they hadn’t changed the length of the final stage, would you guys still be able to try and execute the kind of fuel strategy you did at the end of the DAYTONA 500, just because you put it out there, everyone saw it, and now everyone knows that, oh, we might be able to try and stretch it to the end on fuel the way you guys looked like you could before that last caution came out?“I don’t know if anybody else could do it. I think we just executed it really well. We had the perfect scenario where we had a car behind us. We had Connor Zilisch behind us that was three or four laps down. And he didn’t know it, but he was pushing us along while we were saving fuel. It was just a perfect scenario. We were in the right spot at the right time, and once we realized we were getting the numbers that we were getting, it kind of opened that opportunity. But yeah, there won’t be an opportunity like that at the end of this race. But like I said, there are still some opportunities in the beginning.”    Drivers have talked quite a bit that they like that this change has happened with the length of the stages. What’s your take on that, and how will fans see a slight difference for a better show this weekend?“Yeah, I’m optimistic, just like everybody else, that it’ll be a positive change. There’ll still be people that complain. That’s part of what we do, and I feel like that’s inevitable. There’s a lot of voices out there. I think the drivers probably like it because you know once you get into those final stages that, for the most part, you’re going to be hammer down. But I think that, just like the rules packages with the lower downforce and all those things, we just have to be cautious of how optimistic we get because there’s going to be guys that still short-fill in that final stage to get track position, and they’re still going to save fuel. There’s going to be people that flip the stages so that they have track position and they’ll have to save fuel, so it’s not a no-brainer where it’s like, I’ll throw a strategy out. There’s still going to be a lot of strategy playing out. There’s still going to be a lot of fuel saving happening.’    Just wanted to get your take on Talladega Superspeedway, not just the pure adrenaline rush, but something about this racetrack that excites you and piques your interest?“Yeah, it is exciting. It’s a fun race. When you make it to that final lap and you’re in those first few rows, it’s intense. There’s no doubt about it. The start-finish line is so far down here, it’s just hard to get to the finish line, right? You take the white and there’s still an eternity left of racing. I find it really fun. I’ve been pretty close here; had some good runs, but never gotten the checkered flag. Every time I come here, I look at the opportunity that’s in front of me that this could be a weekend that we could go win. I enjoy it. You don’t think about the risk while you’re out there or even right now. When you get home on Sunday evening, you’re like, okay, whether it was good or bad, you’re like, I survived Talladega and you move on to the next week.  I enjoy this racetrack. I like the intensity. It’s produced some of the best finishes that we’ve seen in our sport. It’s also produced some of the scariest crashes we’ve seen in our sport. I feel like it’s just an iconic, historic NASCAR racetrack that we come to. Not everybody loves it, but I definitely love being here and like the opportunity that we have in front of us.”    Thinking back to the first time you came here, what were your thoughts when you were going at full speed into turn one? What was your first thoughts there?“I remember in particular, I thought this was the dumbest racing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You have to remember that I came from sportscars and IndyCar racing, and we barely are two-wide in those, for the most part. You just out-brake somebody, make the pass, it’s over. When I was three or four wide stuck in the middle of the pack, I was just like, this is like a suicide mission… what are we doing out here? It took me a while to embrace this style of racing because it’s so unique. When you come from other forms of motorsports and you come to Talladega or Daytona, it’s just so different than anything you’ve ever done. It took me a while to really learn to enjoy it because when you’re wedged up in the middle there, you just feel hopeless. You feel like, oh, there’s nothing I can do. If somebody makes a mistake in front of me, I’m just going to be in it. You’re thinking about all the wrong things. Now moving forward, I don’t ever feel that way. I’m like, oh, there’s an opportunity… I’m going to snake my way through here. I’m going to make a hole here.  The first time coming here, I remember thinking, man, this is really, really dumb… what are we doing? But I’ve grown to love it and enjoy it, for sure.”   Both of your teammates are in a position in their careers where a win would be very, very big for them. So if you’re in that situation where you’re ahead of one or both of them coming to the line, are you viewing them as more of a wingman or someone you’re going to have to really try hard to defend?“I think we had this scenario at Daytona (laughs). Yeah, I think that it’s a tough question to ask because every scenario is different. But the plan is for the Spire cars to work together to the best of our ability. But then there’s things at the end that happen that, I wouldn’t even say that it’s a matter of trying to win the race for your individual self or team, it’s more of trying to protect the win.  So yeah, I don’t think about that. I also feel like I have something to prove, and it’s an opportunity for me, too. But I’m definitely going to help my teammates in any way that I can. And when it comes to the end of the races, everyone talks about it like, well, you plan for all these scenarios and they don’t always work out. Well, the scenario we planned for at Daytona worked out; we were in that position, but we didn’t execute. So I feel like that’s a learning experience for all of us, and we’ve got to make sure that we get to the finish line and not crash coming to the white.”   Everyone always lumps Daytona and Talladega together. How similar are they actually, or how dissimilar are they?“The style of racing is similar, but the track itself, the way that the runs happen, the way that you’ve got to block and the way that you’ve got to protect the lanes is completely different. They’re the same style.  It’s like going to a road course, right? Road course racing is kind of the same style, but they’re very different racetracks. The way that you get to the end of Daytona and the way that you get to the end of Talladega is different. But the mindset of taking your runs and all those things are somewhat similar, but the track does race very different than Daytona.”   You mentioned the Chevrolet bodies earlier. I was just curious, has there been a noticeable difference in how they can take pushes or handle pushes in the draft?“You know, this is something that I didn’t have a problem with the old one. I think it was a lot more setup related than body related. It was a big fear of mine coming into the Chevy camp last year of, man, I’ve been so used to being able to push whoever I want, whenever I want, and take a push. I was scared that first Daytona of like, oh, what’s going to happen? But I didn’t have any issues with the old body or with the new body. I feel like that was a not a real thing. It was a thing that maybe everyone got in their heads, but it wasn’t a real thing. You know, the cars have to drive well; they have to take a push and there’s a lot of setup things that allow you to do that. I think it was more of that related than it actually was the body or manufacturer related.”

NASCAR CUP SERIESTALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESAPRIL 25, 2026

Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  Talk a little bit about your team, where you guys are at this point in the season and what you’re looking forward to for Sunday’s race…“Yeah, we were really hoping to qualify. Talladega is just one of those racetracks where if it was going to rain out, this is an okay one to rain out, just because at first stage, you’re going to be saving fuel and you’ll have an opportunity to work your way towards the front or towards the middle. I don’t know the stats, but I think we got the last five out of six poles here, so we were kind of looking forward to trying to go out there and see what kind of speed we have, but we can’t control the weather.  Just looking forward to Sunday. We’ve had a tough few weeks, so looking to try to get some momentum back on our side and get some points back up on the scoreboard because we definitely struggled the last few weeks. It’s a good weekend to get things turned around.”   What do you think the state of the 71 team is right now? You say you haven’t had necessarily the speed you’re looking for… where do you think you guys are missing it? Do you have any idea?“Yeah, I think it’s just more execution and some setup things. Our teammates have had speed, so I don’t think it’s in our processes or our potential of the race car. We just haven’t maximized it. I think for us, probably more than anything, we sort of had a pretty good rhythm from last year. With the updated Chevy Camaro body, I feel like we just haven’t hit it quite as good, especially with the mile-and-a-halves. The good news is we have good data points. Every weekend, one of us has been quick, so I feel like we have the speed in our cars. We just haven’t hit it as a 71 group. We also have compounded our problems the last few weeks with pit road penalties and things like that, you know, when you take a not a great day and you make it a bad day. We just have to clean all those things up.”    How much do you look at points after each race at this time of the season?“Well, they always matter. I think that where you’re at now is going to be that window of where you’re going to be, so you have to keep scoring points. I feel like even two or three races ago, I would have told you that we’re going to be right on that cutline, and it’ll probably be three of us racing for that cutline or close to it. We sort of knew that going into it. The points haven’t really shaken up much from what we thought they would be. We’re going to be close, and we can’t have weekends like we had last weekend.”    NASCAR just announced that they made the news official that Jim France is stepping down as CEO. Your reaction to that news and when you heard it yesterday?“We had a little pre-meeting before they made the announcement with all the drivers. I think that it’s great for him. Obviously, he’s been dedicated to the sport for a long time, so for him to be able to not necessarily step away, but just step aside to allow Steve O’Donnell and Ben Kennedy to start to fill those roles and bring in the new management, I feel like it was what was going to happen at some point, right? You don’t do it forever. Honestly, I don’t think it changes a whole lot because we were sort of already there a little bit. I feel like it’s just kind of new titles.  But I feel comfortable with where the sport’s at and where we’re going.”   Were you a little surprised when you heard it, or like you said, you kind of saw this coming and that kind of thing?“Well, you guys have seen the last three or four years, Jim has been very active at NASCAR races, where three or four years prior to that, we probably didn’t see him quite as much. So I didn’t think that pace would stay up forever. He’s been not just NASCAR, but IMSA, motorcycle racing and everything for a long time, so it’s hard to keep that pace up, being at the racetrack every single week into your 70s and 80s has got to be tough.”    How does NASCAR’s changes to the stage lengths for this weekend affect your team’s ability to try and execute the kind of strategy that you guys nearly pulled off at the end of the Daytona 500?“Yeah, there’s still a lot of strategy in play. I mean, we don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like. You know, you come up with theories and ideas, but a lot of it is based off of your competitors, too. Obviously, they’re not telling us what they’re going to do, so you kind of have plan A, plan B and plan C, depending on what everybody else does. But it’s definitely changed the flow of this race. You just kind of flip-flopped it to where that first stage is going to be where you do a lot of your fuel mileage saving and you kind of work your strategy. But there will still be opportunities for strategy in that second and third stage, as well. But yeah, I think everybody’s excited because there are some opportunities to do things, and we’ll see who takes those opportunities.”   Even if they hadn’t changed the length of the final stage, would you guys still be able to try and execute the kind of fuel strategy you did at the end of the DAYTONA 500, just because you put it out there, everyone saw it, and now everyone knows that, oh, we might be able to try and stretch it to the end on fuel the way you guys looked like you could before that last caution came out?“I don’t know if anybody else could do it. I think we just executed it really well. We had the perfect scenario where we had a car behind us. We had Connor Zilisch behind us that was three or four laps down. And he didn’t know it, but he was pushing us along while we were saving fuel. It was just a perfect scenario. We were in the right spot at the right time, and once we realized we were getting the numbers that we were getting, it kind of opened that opportunity. But yeah, there won’t be an opportunity like that at the end of this race. But like I said, there are still some opportunities in the beginning.”    Drivers have talked quite a bit that they like that this change has happened with the length of the stages. What’s your take on that, and how will fans see a slight difference for a better show this weekend?“Yeah, I’m optimistic, just like everybody else, that it’ll be a positive change. There’ll still be people that complain. That’s part of what we do, and I feel like that’s inevitable. There’s a lot of voices out there. I think the drivers probably like it because you know once you get into those final stages that, for the most part, you’re going to be hammer down. But I think that, just like the rules packages with the lower downforce and all those things, we just have to be cautious of how optimistic we get because there’s going to be guys that still short-fill in that final stage to get track position, and they’re still going to save fuel. There’s going to be people that flip the stages so that they have track position and they’ll have to save fuel, so it’s not a no-brainer where it’s like, I’ll throw a strategy out. There’s still going to be a lot of strategy playing out. There’s still going to be a lot of fuel saving happening.’    Just wanted to get your take on Talladega Superspeedway, not just the pure adrenaline rush, but something about this racetrack that excites you and piques your interest?“Yeah, it is exciting. It’s a fun race. When you make it to that final lap and you’re in those first few rows, it’s intense. There’s no doubt about it. The start-finish line is so far down here, it’s just hard to get to the finish line, right? You take the white and there’s still an eternity left of racing. I find it really fun. I’ve been pretty close here; had some good runs, but never gotten the checkered flag. Every time I come here, I look at the opportunity that’s in front of me that this could be a weekend that we could go win. I enjoy it. You don’t think about the risk while you’re out there or even right now. When you get home on Sunday evening, you’re like, okay, whether it was good or bad, you’re like, I survived Talladega and you move on to the next week.  I enjoy this racetrack. I like the intensity. It’s produced some of the best finishes that we’ve seen in our sport. It’s also produced some of the scariest crashes we’ve seen in our sport. I feel like it’s just an iconic, historic NASCAR racetrack that we come to. Not everybody loves it, but I definitely love being here and like the opportunity that we have in front of us.”    Thinking back to the first time you came here, what were your thoughts when you were going at full speed into turn one? What was your first thoughts there?“I remember in particular, I thought this was the dumbest racing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You have to remember that I came from sportscars and IndyCar racing, and we barely are two-wide in those, for the most part. You just out-brake somebody, make the pass, it’s over. When I was three or four wide stuck in the middle of the pack, I was just like, this is like a suicide mission… what are we doing out here? It took me a while to embrace this style of racing because it’s so unique. When you come from other forms of motorsports and you come to Talladega or Daytona, it’s just so different than anything you’ve ever done. It took me a while to really learn to enjoy it because when you’re wedged up in the middle there, you just feel hopeless. You feel like, oh, there’s nothing I can do. If somebody makes a mistake in front of me, I’m just going to be in it. You’re thinking about all the wrong things. Now moving forward, I don’t ever feel that way. I’m like, oh, there’s an opportunity… I’m going to snake my way through here. I’m going to make a hole here.  The first time coming here, I remember thinking, man, this is really, really dumb… what are we doing? But I’ve grown to love it and enjoy it, for sure.”   Both of your teammates are in a position in their careers where a win would be very, very big for them. So if you’re in that situation where you’re ahead of one or both of them coming to the line, are you viewing them as more of a wingman or someone you’re going to have to really try hard to defend?“I think we had this scenario at Daytona (laughs). Yeah, I think that it’s a tough question to ask because every scenario is different. But the plan is for the Spire cars to work together to the best of our ability. But then there’s things at the end that happen that, I wouldn’t even say that it’s a matter of trying to win the race for your individual self or team, it’s more of trying to protect the win.  So yeah, I don’t think about that. I also feel like I have something to prove, and it’s an opportunity for me, too. But I’m definitely going to help my teammates in any way that I can. And when it comes to the end of the races, everyone talks about it like, well, you plan for all these scenarios and they don’t always work out. Well, the scenario we planned for at Daytona worked out; we were in that position, but we didn’t execute. So I feel like that’s a learning experience for all of us, and we’ve got to make sure that we get to the finish line and not crash coming to the white.”   Everyone always lumps Daytona and Talladega together. How similar are they actually, or how dissimilar are they?“The style of racing is similar, but the track itself, the way that the runs happen, the way that you’ve got to block and the way that you’ve got to protect the lanes is completely different. They’re the same style.  It’s like going to a road course, right? Road course racing is kind of the same style, but they’re very different racetracks. The way that you get to the end of Daytona and the way that you get to the end of Talladega is different. But the mindset of taking your runs and all those things are somewhat similar, but the track does race very different than Daytona.”   You mentioned the Chevrolet bodies earlier. I was just curious, has there been a noticeable difference in how they can take pushes or handle pushes in the draft?“You know, this is something that I didn’t have a problem with the old one. I think it was a lot more setup related than body related. It was a big fear of mine coming into the Chevy camp last year of, man, I’ve been so used to being able to push whoever I want, whenever I want, and take a push. I was scared that first Daytona of like, oh, what’s going to happen? But I didn’t have any issues with the old body or with the new body. I feel like that was a not a real thing. It was a thing that maybe everyone got in their heads, but it wasn’t a real thing. You know, the cars have to drive well; they have to take a push and there’s a lot of setup things that allow you to do that. I think it was more of that related than it actually was the body or manufacturer related.”

Moran Goes Back-to-Back in Melvin L. Joseph Memorial at Georgetown

GEORGETOWN, DE (April 24, 2026) – Devin Moran captured the Melvin L. Joseph Memorial for the second consecutive year Friday night at Georgetown Speedway, taking home the $21,049 top prize in the feature event honoring the track’s founder. The defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion started fifth and charged to the lead on lap seven, passing Hudson O’Neal before pacing the remainder of the 49-lap event for his fifth Series win of the 2026 season. O’Neal finished second, while ninth-starting Max Blair rounded out the Big River Steel podium in third. Brandon Sheppard finished fourth, and Josh Rice impressed in his Georgetown debut, advancing from 16th to complete the top five. O’Neal grabbed the early lead with Ricky Thornton Jr. in pursuit. After leading the first six laps, O’Neal was overtaken by Moran, who made a decisive move to the front on lap seven. Thornton’s night came to an abrupt end shortly after when a broken driveshaft forced him to retire to the infield. Following the restart, Moran steadily extended his advantage over O’Neal and Blair. He ultimately crossed the finish line 0.570 seconds ahead of O’Neal, extending his championship points lead to 35 as the Series heads to Hagerstown Speedway on Sunday after Saturday’s event at BAPS Motor Speedway was canceled due to weather. Moran’s victory marked the 29th of his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series career, capping off a challenging night filled with adversity. “Today was pretty much what racing is like sometimes—we went from low to high, then back to low again,” said the Dresden, Ohio native. “We couldn’t hot lap, had to pull out a backup car, set fast time, and even had an oil line come off that caused a fire under the hood. To come back from all that and win is pretty special.” “I want to thank Garrett Alberson—he offered us one of his cars if we needed it—and the Rocket 1 team for helping us throughout the night. It was a tough one, but we kept fighting.” “I wasn’t sure how good the top would be. This is a brand-new car and motor, but we overcame a lot tonight. I was excited to go to BAPS tomorrow, but unfortunately that’s canceled. We’ll be ready for Hagerstown.” O’Neal, who entered the race as the nation’s winningest dirt late model driver with 11 victories, came up just short of his fourth Series win of the year. “He showed us a different part of the racetrack,” O’Neal said of Moran. “I thought the top would dominate early, but by the time I realized he was making the bottom work, he was already by me. He did a great job, and his car was really good. We just need to be a little better to start the race.” Blair’s third-place finish moved him up to fourth in the championship standings. “I thought I had a shot—I had just passed Garrett (Alberson), but we didn’t get that lap in,” Blair said. “I wish we had one more lap so I could’ve lined up in the second row, but it all worked out. We weren’t great in the heat race, but we improved for the feature.” Moran’s winning Double Down Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and backed by Big River Steel, Millwood Plumbing, C&W Trucking, Phillips CPA, BOMAG, Haulin’ Haskell’s, CarSourceAuto.com, Anthony’s Pizza, Hazen Services, Northeastern Fabrication, McHugh Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Elliott Farms, and Pee Wee’s Wrecker Service. Completing the top ten were Carson Ferguson, Daniel Hilsabeck, Garrett Alberson, Clay Harris, and Dillon McCowan. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary The Melvin L. Joseph MemorialFriday, April 24, 2026Georgetown Speedway | Georgetown, DE Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Devin Moran | 17.566 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Hudson O’Neal | 17.657 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 111-Max Blair[3]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 5. 55L-Donald Lingo Jr[6]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[5]; 7. (DNS) 01-Matt Glanden Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 3. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[5]; 5. 4S-Danny Snyder[6]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 7. (DNS) 22*-Drake Troutman Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[3]; 5. 00-Willie Milliken[5]; 6. 11AC-Trevor Collins[7]; 7. C4-Freddie Carpenter[6]; 8. 121-Tristin Neiderer[8] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 3. 24-Rick Eckert[5]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[3]; 5. 19M-Brenden Smith[4]; 6. 15K-Kyle Lee[6]; 7. KB-Kerry King[7] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 55L-Donald Lingo Jr[1]; 2. 4S-Danny Snyder[3]; 3. 19M-Brenden Smith[4]; 4. 00-Willie Milliken[2]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 6. 11AC-Trevor Collins[6]; 7. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[5]; 9. 121-Tristin Neiderer[11]; 10. 15K-Kyle Lee[8]; 11. KB-Kerry King[10]; 12. (DNS) 01-Matt Glanden; 13. (DNS) 22*-Drake Troutman The Melvin L. Joseph Memorial Feature Finish (49 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 5 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $22,4492 – 2 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $8,3003 – 9 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $5,9004 – 4 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $4,9005 – 16 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $4,0006 – 7 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $3,4007 – 13 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $2,4008 – 3 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $3,2009 – 14 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $3,10010 – 8 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $3,00011 – 10 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $2,90012 – 21 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,70013 – 20 – 0 – Willie Milliken – Roanoke Rapids, NC – $1,60014 – 22 – 11AC – Trevor Collins – Seaford, DE – $1,50015 – 6 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $2,30016 – 24 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $1,30017 – 11 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,10018 – 23 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $1,10019 – 19 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $1,90020 – 17 – 55L – Donald Lingo Jr – Millsboro, DE – $1,00021 – 18 – 4S – Danny Snyder – Green Lane, PA – $1,00022 – 15 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $1,00023 – 12 – 24 – Rick Eckert – York, PA – $1,00024 – 1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $2,400 Race Statistics  Entrants: 29Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton, Jr.MD3 Lap Leaders: Hudson O’Neal (Laps 1-6); Devin Moran (Laps 7-49)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Devin MoranWieland Feature Winner: Devin MoranMargin of Victory: 0.570 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 7); Donald Lingo, Jr., Ross Robinson (Lap 8); Brenden Smith (Lap 12); Dan Ebert (Lap 19); Ross Robinson (Lap 22)MyRacePass Series Provisional: Cory Lawler; Freddie CarpenterFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal, Max BlairPenske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal, Max Blair, Brandon Sheppard, Josh RiceBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal, Max BlairPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Josh RiceWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Daniel HilsabeckWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Brian ShirleyVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Willie MillikenXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Josh Rice (Advanced 11 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (43 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’NealMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Josh RicePro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Devin Moran | Lap 7 | 18.646 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Victory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Chuck KimbleARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal | 17.521 secondsTime of Race: 30 minutes 35 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1885 – $129,9492 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1850 – $93,6003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1685 – $43,0504 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1670 – $40,7005 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1650 – $53,7006 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1650 – $52,7507 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1560 – $38,2008 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1540 – $33,0009 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 1465 – $25,22510 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1465 – $23,07511 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 1435 – $25,85012 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1420 – $24,50013 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 1350 – $23,97514 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 1225 – $14,37515 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 1215 – $17,00016 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 1200 – $16,62517 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 1030 – $10,42518 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 1000 – $4,900

The five-time World of Outlaws champion flexes his muscle with Silva Motorsports to continue a historic streak

KNOXVILLE, IA (April 24, 2026) – Brad Sweet may be semi-retired from being behind the wheel, but he’s not slowing down.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series brought a huge field to Knoxville Raceway Friday, and the “Big Cat” looked like he was in his prime. More than 60 entries signed in, and Sweet delivered a masterclass aboard the Silva Motorsports No. 94.

The five-time Series champion started on the pole and never looked back. Sweet ripped through traffic as the laps clicked away. David Gravel surged into second early on in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 and looked like he may give Sweet a challenge. But the Grass Valley, CA native made all the right moves on the way to Victory Lane.

“It felt difficult, but the bottom lane was just definitely a little faster,” Sweet said. “Lapped cars were hard. I was nervous coming here because Paul (Silva) and Trevor (Canales), they work so hard, and Kyle (Larson) has had so much success here I didn’t want to be the weak link. Just really happy to get them a win.”

Sweet extended a historic streak with his victory. He’s now won a World of Outlaws Feature in 15 straight seasons. That’s tied for the fourth longest such run. Sweet is up to 93 career victories with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’s now come out on top three times in eight 410 Sprint Car starts this year. All of them have been with Paul Silva on the wrenches, though the first two were in Kevin Kozlowski’s No. W on the west coast with the Northern Auto Racing Club.

David Gravel came home runner-up to collect his 10th podium of the season and extend his lead atop the standings.

The reigning NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s champion, Ryan Timms, rounded out the podium in the Liebig Motorsports No. 10.

Brent Marks and J.J. Hickle completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Buddy Kofoid collected his third Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night in 2026.

J.J. Hickle earned his first career Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Brent Marks (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Aaron Reutzel (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), David Gravel (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Emerson Axsom (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to J.J. Hickle.

Brad Sweet topped the Toyota Dash.

Garet Williamson won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Justin Henderson was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Sheldon Haudenschild took the KCP Racing No. 18 from 25th to 18th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Emerson Axsom’s top 10 earned him the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Brad Sweet clocked the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Cole Macedo.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the finale of Knoxville Raceway’s Premier Chevy Dealers Clash on Saturday, April 25. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 94-Brad Sweet[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[6]; 3. 10-Ryan Timms[4]; 4. 19-Brent Marks[7]; 5. 2M-JJ Hickle[3]; 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel[8]; 7. 11-Justin Henderson[2]; 8. 83-Michael Kofoid[9]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[12]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[5]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart[10]; 12. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 13. 28-Jace Park[13]; 14. 24A-Rico Abreu[17]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[18]; 16. 26-Justin Peck[14]; 17. 88-Austin McCarl[23]; 18. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[25]; 19. 23-Garet Williamson[21]; 20. 2C-Cole Macedo[15]; 21. 21-Brian Brown[20]; 22. 88T-Tanner Thorson[22]; 23. 13-Tanner Holmes[19]; 24. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[24]; 25. (DNF) 5-Brenham Crouch[16]

BIG CAT BEATDOWN: Brad Sweet Leads Every Lap to Top Knoxville Opener

The five-time World of Outlaws champion flexes his muscle with Silva Motorsports to continue a historic streak

KNOXVILLE, IA (April 24, 2026) – Brad Sweet may be semi-retired from being behind the wheel, but he’s not slowing down.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series brought a huge field to Knoxville Raceway Friday, and the “Big Cat” looked like he was in his prime. More than 60 entries signed in, and Sweet delivered a masterclass aboard the Silva Motorsports No. 94.

The five-time Series champion started on the pole and never looked back. Sweet ripped through traffic as the laps clicked away. David Gravel surged into second early on in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 and looked like he may give Sweet a challenge. But the Grass Valley, CA native made all the right moves on the way to Victory Lane.

“It felt difficult, but the bottom lane was just definitely a little faster,” Sweet said. “Lapped cars were hard. I was nervous coming here because Paul (Silva) and Trevor (Canales), they work so hard, and Kyle (Larson) has had so much success here I didn’t want to be the weak link. Just really happy to get them a win.”

Sweet extended a historic streak with his victory. He’s now won a World of Outlaws Feature in 15 straight seasons. That’s tied for the fourth longest such run. Sweet is up to 93 career victories with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’s now come out on top three times in eight 410 Sprint Car starts this year. All of them have been with Paul Silva on the wrenches, though the first two were in Kevin Kozlowski’s No. W on the west coast with the Northern Auto Racing Club.

David Gravel came home runner-up to collect his 10th podium of the season and extend his lead atop the standings.

The reigning NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s champion, Ryan Timms, rounded out the podium in the Liebig Motorsports No. 10.

Brent Marks and J.J. Hickle completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Buddy Kofoid collected his third Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night in 2026.

J.J. Hickle earned his first career Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Brent Marks (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Aaron Reutzel (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), David Gravel (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Emerson Axsom (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to J.J. Hickle.

Brad Sweet topped the Toyota Dash.

Garet Williamson won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Justin Henderson was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Sheldon Haudenschild took the KCP Racing No. 18 from 25th to 18th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Emerson Axsom’s top 10 earned him the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Brad Sweet clocked the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Cole Macedo.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take on the finale of Knoxville Raceway’s Premier Chevy Dealers Clash on Saturday, April 25. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 94-Brad Sweet[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[6]; 3. 10-Ryan Timms[4]; 4. 19-Brent Marks[7]; 5. 2M-JJ Hickle[3]; 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel[8]; 7. 11-Justin Henderson[2]; 8. 83-Michael Kofoid[9]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[12]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[5]; 11. 1S-Logan Schuchart[10]; 12. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 13. 28-Jace Park[13]; 14. 24A-Rico Abreu[17]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[18]; 16. 26-Justin Peck[14]; 17. 88-Austin McCarl[23]; 18. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[25]; 19. 23-Garet Williamson[21]; 20. 2C-Cole Macedo[15]; 21. 21-Brian Brown[20]; 22. 88T-Tanner Thorson[22]; 23. 13-Tanner Holmes[19]; 24. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[24]; 25. (DNF) 5-Brenham Crouch[16]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

FRIDAY RECAP – CHARLOTTE Race 4 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

VANDERGRIFF LEADS JFR IN FRIDAY QUALIFYING Vandergriff 2nd, Hart 4th, DeJoria 5th, Beckman 6th at Charlotte

FRIDAY RECAP – CHARLOTTERace 4 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

VANDERGRIFF LEADS JFR IN FRIDAY QUALIFYING Vandergriff 2nd, Hart 4th, DeJoria 5th, Beckman 6th at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (April 24, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team led John Force Racing’s first-day qualifying efforts for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway but all four teams’ solid runs Friday night positioned them for success in Saturday’s final two qualifying sessions and Sunday’s first round of eliminations. Vandergriff ran 3.899 seconds at 328.70 mph for the second-quickest Funny Car run of the day. Alexis DeJoria and the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team sit fifth with their run of 3.932 seconds at 331.20 mph while Jack Beckman and the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet SS Funny Car team are sixth with their run of 3.933 seconds at 314.97 mph. Josh Hart and the HendrickCars.com Top Fuel team established the fourth-quickest run of their class with a Friday evening run of 3.733 seconds at 324.59 mph. Saturday’s qualifying sessions are scheduled for 12:30 and 3 p.m. ET. Sunday eliminations are slated for 12 p.m. ET. Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“This was my first night session run in a Funny Car and it’s a lot different. The header flames make it a lot brighter, which kind of narrows your vision but it’s really cool driving these things at night. It’s been a great weekend so far for the Cornwell Tools team here in Charlotte.” Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“That was a great run. I’m going to sleep a lot better tonight knowing that we were that good … nice and straight. That’s what teammates are for. I’m happy to be a part of this John Force Racing team and really stoked for Bandero.” Quote from Josh Hart, HendrickCars.com Top Fuel Dragster:“We wanted a little bit more but I can’t put into words how proud I am to be flying the HendrickCars.com flag this weekend. I got to meet Rick Hendrick for the first time and Kyle Larson was hanging out with us, too, so lots of cool first-time experiences. The car looks amazing. The fans here are awesome so It’s always great to be in Charlotte.” Quote from Jack Beckman, HendrickCars.com Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “We’re tearing down the engine to figure out why the PEAK Chevy slowed right at the end of the run and I’m sure we’ll find whatever the smoking gun was. There was a mechanical issue where the car shut off about 150 feet before the finish line because it was going to run a little bit quicker than that. The good news is, even with that issue, we’re still a top-half-of-the-ladder car and we still collected good data. Saturday would normally be a ‘get race day data” day but we have the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and we’d really like to win as soon as possible … and Saturday sounds good.”

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Event at BAPS Rained Out; Hagerstown Speedway Event Still On

YORK HAVEN, PA (April 24, 2026) – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing officials, in conjunction with BAPS Motor Speedway, have announced that the event scheduled for Saturday, April 25 has been canceled due to the unfavorable weather forecast. The event will not be rescheduled during the 2026 season. Fans and teams can look ahead, however, as the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is set to return to BAPS Motor Speedway in 2027. “Based on the current forecast and the high likelihood of continued rain throughout the day, we felt it was in the best interest of teams and fans to make this decision early,” said track officials. “We look forward to hosting the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2027.” Tickets that have been purchased online through MyRacePass will be refunded. Anyone that has purchased a suite will have the option to request a refund or hold it for 2027 season. The series will continue its weekend schedule, with the event at Hagerstown Speedway on Sunday proceeding as planned. The pit gate will open at 3:00 PM with the general admission gate opening at 4:00 PM. Hot laps will begin at 6:00 PM to kick off the on-track action. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit LucasDirt.com.

CONCORD, NC (April 24, 2026) — Tempting their fate with time, Chris Martin and his team pulled into Salina Highbanks Speedway on April 11 with minutes to spare before Hot Laps for the American Sprint Car Series. 

It was a last-minute decision to make the haul from Iowa to Oklahoma to compete at a track the 28-year-old had never seen before. 

But he’d already had several good weeks behind the wheel of a 360 Sprint Car – a top-10 with ASCS at Volusia Speedway Park and a win with the United Sprint Car Series. Why stop now?  

Martin came out of the box strong, setting the fastest lap in Hot Laps and his Qualifying group. Then, in the Feature, he passed Sean McClelland for the lead on Lap 4 and never looked back to score his second career victory with the national tour and first since 2018. 

“We were doing some planning around the weekend of Salina,” Martin recalled. “We were kind of looking at going to Pevely (I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park), looking at Burlington (34 Raceway), and Salina was like our Plan B. It looked like rain in Pevely. They canceled Burlington at 11 a.m. So, when we went to Salina, that was real last minute. We didn’t get there until 5:30 p.m., and it was mine and my brother’s first time there. 

“To be Quick Time in our group was super cool, and Cam won the Heat race, so that put us both in the Dash. I knew we were in a position to be able to win. Salina is really slick, and my brother and I’s cars and driving styles with the speed and banking did us pretty good with that. It’s been a huge momentum-builder for our team.” 

The proof came only eight days later. Martin picked up another ASCS victory, but this time with the Midwest Region at Iowa’s 1/4-mile Stuart Speedway during the Series’ season opener. 

“I think it goes back to having the confidence when you unload,” Martin said. “We’re prepared and have a fast race car that will make every turn, and that it makes the nervousness and mental part a whole lot easier on myself as a driver. So, when you go to the track, you know that you have a prepared hot rod, and your boys have the rest of the parts and components prepared to go.  

“No matter what the scenario happens, you got a crew chief that’s on your side that wants to work with you and address what you need to win. Adjusting to these different tracks, they’ve all been super fun for me, they all come in different shapes and sizes, and when we’ve got confidence heading in there, it’s huge.” 

Another contribution to Chris and his brother Cameron’s growth in Sprint Car racing is having a World of Outlaws champion in their corner – “The Dude” Danny Lasoski. Through the last three years, Lasoski has brought invaluable insight to the program, helping the Martin brothers step up their Sprint Car efforts through advising their preparations and race-day adjustments. 

“Honestly, Danny came in and put a new light and aspect on all of our program,” Martin admitted. “So, this is the start of our third season together. From where it started to now, I would say he’s boosted our program a lot. From different cars, getting better components on the cars, helping our engines running better, being a driving coach, and getting me in a better racing state. 

“Not only has he helped us with the lifestyle coaching, he’s brought a full team morale. He’s definitely one of the boys, and he’s a cheerleader for both my brother and I. Even though we have our own crew chiefs, I can’t thank him enough. He’s helped me in life, in driving, organizing things, and getting us faster. He’s never got a lack of words, and you know he always has a good idea cooking.” 

The Martin brothers are committed to building up their 360 Sprint Car and 410 Sprint Car program by racing with ASCS and the World of Outlaws, respectively, along with chasing a title at nearby Knoxville Raceway and its crown jewels: the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank and the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s. 

“Me and my brother are both going to run Knoxville full-time, with it only being an hour down the road,” Martin said. “We’ve got quite a few 360 races on our agenda while trying to hit up more Outlaw races than ever this year, so we’re pretty stoked about that. 

“The biggest thing I think that’s helped the start of the year is that we’re just having more fun with it. We’re laughing and joking, and I feel more focused when it’s not like a business. That’s really the biggest change that I can think of. I don’t think a single part or component is what’s made a difference, but we’ve just improved on the little things for myself to drive it a little better. I tell my brother, ‘We’re gonna give it 110%, wherever that ends up. We’re gonna walk away with a smile on our face because we know that we gave it our all, no matter what.’” 

While Chris and Cameron Martin will join the World of Outlaws at Knoxville for the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash on Friday-Saturday, April 24-25, the American Sprint Car Series will get back to racing in May with a doubleheader weekend – Benton Speedway on Friday, May 8, and Paducah International Raceway on Saturday, May 9. 

BENTON INFO

PADUCAH INFO

Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.

Chris Martin Enjoying Early 2026 Success With ASCS, Receiving Help From Danny Lasoski  CONCORD, NC (April 24, 2026) — Tempting their fate with time, Chris Martin and his team pulled into Salina Highbanks Speedway on April 11 with minutes to spare before Hot Laps for the American Sprint Car Series. 

It was a last-minute decision to make the haul from Iowa to Oklahoma to compete at a track the 28-year-old had never seen before. 

But he’d already had several good weeks behind the wheel of a 360 Sprint Car – a top-10 with ASCS at Volusia Speedway Park and a win with the United Sprint Car Series. Why stop now?  

Martin came out of the box strong, setting the fastest lap in Hot Laps and his Qualifying group. Then, in the Feature, he passed Sean McClelland for the lead on Lap 4 and never looked back to score his second career victory with the national tour and first since 2018. 

“We were doing some planning around the weekend of Salina,” Martin recalled. “We were kind of looking at going to Pevely (I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park), looking at Burlington (34 Raceway), and Salina was like our Plan B. It looked like rain in Pevely. They canceled Burlington at 11 a.m. So, when we went to Salina, that was real last minute. We didn’t get there until 5:30 p.m., and it was mine and my brother’s first time there. 

“To be Quick Time in our group was super cool, and Cam won the Heat race, so that put us both in the Dash. I knew we were in a position to be able to win. Salina is really slick, and my brother and I’s cars and driving styles with the speed and banking did us pretty good with that. It’s been a huge momentum-builder for our team.” 

The proof came only eight days later. Martin picked up another ASCS victory, but this time with the Midwest Region at Iowa’s 1/4-mile Stuart Speedway during the Series’ season opener. 

“I think it goes back to having the confidence when you unload,” Martin said. “We’re prepared and have a fast race car that will make every turn, and that it makes the nervousness and mental part a whole lot easier on myself as a driver. So, when you go to the track, you know that you have a prepared hot rod, and your boys have the rest of the parts and components prepared to go.  

“No matter what the scenario happens, you got a crew chief that’s on your side that wants to work with you and address what you need to win. Adjusting to these different tracks, they’ve all been super fun for me, they all come in different shapes and sizes, and when we’ve got confidence heading in there, it’s huge.” 

Another contribution to Chris and his brother Cameron’s growth in Sprint Car racing is having a World of Outlaws champion in their corner – “The Dude” Danny Lasoski. Through the last three years, Lasoski has brought invaluable insight to the program, helping the Martin brothers step up their Sprint Car efforts through advising their preparations and race-day adjustments. 

“Honestly, Danny came in and put a new light and aspect on all of our program,” Martin admitted. “So, this is the start of our third season together. From where it started to now, I would say he’s boosted our program a lot. From different cars, getting better components on the cars, helping our engines running better, being a driving coach, and getting me in a better racing state. 

“Not only has he helped us with the lifestyle coaching, he’s brought a full team morale. He’s definitely one of the boys, and he’s a cheerleader for both my brother and I. Even though we have our own crew chiefs, I can’t thank him enough. He’s helped me in life, in driving, organizing things, and getting us faster. He’s never got a lack of words, and you know he always has a good idea cooking.” 

The Martin brothers are committed to building up their 360 Sprint Car and 410 Sprint Car program by racing with ASCS and the World of Outlaws, respectively, along with chasing a title at nearby Knoxville Raceway and its crown jewels: the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank and the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s. 

“Me and my brother are both going to run Knoxville full-time, with it only being an hour down the road,” Martin said. “We’ve got quite a few 360 races on our agenda while trying to hit up more Outlaw races than ever this year, so we’re pretty stoked about that. 

“The biggest thing I think that’s helped the start of the year is that we’re just having more fun with it. We’re laughing and joking, and I feel more focused when it’s not like a business. That’s really the biggest change that I can think of. I don’t think a single part or component is what’s made a difference, but we’ve just improved on the little things for myself to drive it a little better. I tell my brother, ‘We’re gonna give it 110%, wherever that ends up. We’re gonna walk away with a smile on our face because we know that we gave it our all, no matter what.’” 

While Chris and Cameron Martin will join the World of Outlaws at Knoxville for the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash on Friday-Saturday, April 24-25, the American Sprint Car Series will get back to racing in May with a doubleheader weekend – Benton Speedway on Friday, May 8, and Paducah International Raceway on Saturday, May 9. 

BENTON INFO

PADUCAH INFO

Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE:https://ascsracing.com/news/chris-martin-enjoying-early-2026-success-with-ascs-receiving-help-from-danny-lasoski/

Sunoco Race Fuels “Road to Wheatland” Continues with Mid-Atlantic Swing

BATAVIA, Ohio (April 24 2026) – Sunoco Race Fuels, the Official Fuel of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, will continue to reward drivers who maintain perfect attendance at all events leading up to the Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway on May 23. The Sunoco Race Fuels “Road to Wheatland” program resumes this week as the Series heads to the Mid-Atlantic for a three-race swing at Georgetown Speedway, BAPS Motor Speedway, and Hagerstown Speedway. The long-standing incentive program awards cash bonuses to the top 15 drivers in the Series point standings at the Show-Me 100 during Memorial Day weekend. The Series points leader will receive a $2,500 bonus, while drivers finishing second through 15th will share in a total of $16,000 in bonus money provided by Sunoco Race Fuels. Devin Moran currently holds a slim lead over Hudson O’Neal in the tightly contested championship standings. Rounding out the top five are Brandon Overton, Ricky Thornton Jr., and Max Blair. “We are incredibly proud to have Sunoco Race Fuels as a longtime partner and the Official Fuel of the Series,” said Wayne Castleberry, Sales and Marketing for FloRacing. “The ‘Road to Wheatland’ program is one of many ways we reward the drivers who commit to following the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series full time.” Sunoco Race Fuels has expanded its global reach, supplying premium racing fuels to a wide range of professional motorsports and performance applications. Products like DXP 116 continue to set the standard for performance, making Sunoco the preferred choice for engine builders, racers, tracks, and sanctioning bodies worldwide. With more than 40 years of proven success, Sunoco remains the largest manufacturer of racing gasoline in the world. To learn more about DXP 116, visit:https://www.sunocoracefuels.com/fuels/fuel/dxp For the latest news, results, and championship standings from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, visit: LucasDirt.com Sunoco Road to Wheatland Bonus: 1. $2,500, 2. $1,500, 3. $1,500, 4. $1,500, 5. $1,500, 6. $1,000, 7. $1,000, 8. $1,000, 9. $1,000, 10. $1,000, 11. $500, 12. $500, 13. $500, 14. $500, 15. $500 = $16,000

KNOXVILLE, IA (April 23, 2026) – A trip home always helps. 

Home gives comfort. Home feels familiar. For drivers and teams facing the grind of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, trips home can be few and far between. The roughly 90-race, coast-to-coast campaign rarely offers a reprieve from the road.

Emerson Axsom took full advantage of one of his opportunities to not only be home but race close to home last Sunday at Haubstadt, IN’s Tri-State Speedway. And the Franklin, IN native made his fans proud.

Axsom had speed all night aboard the Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports (KPM) No. 27. The rookie clocked the second fastest lap in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying, won the second Heat Race, and finalized the evening with a second-place finish after late trouble for Michael “Buddy” Kofoid moved him up a spot on the podium. The result marked his best outing of the year through 14 races.

“I feel like we had a really good race car, just not quite good enough,” Axsom said. “The 7BC (Tyler Courtney) and 83 (Kofoid) were just a little bit better. I couldn’t get down the straightaways quite as good as I wanted to, but I felt like I got through the corner better than I ever have here in a wing car.”

The runner-up was the latest effort in a stretch of positive runs for Axsom and the KPM crew. After a bit of a bumpy start that saw no top 10s through the first six races, the combination has broken into the top 10 in half of the last eight events. The recent results pushed him atop the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies battle by 28 markers over Ashton Torgerson.

“I feel like when our race car unloads right, and we have the right balance, we can be as good as anyone,” Axsom said of their recent success. “It’s just putting all the pieces together and unloading right and not getting behind the eight ball.”

The famed Knoxville Raceway is the next stop for Axsom as he navigates his maiden voyage with The Greatest Show on Dirt. It’s not home for Axsom, but the 21-year-old is plenty familiar with the historic 1/2 mile. He’s made 27 starts in a 410 Sprint Car at Knoxville, highlighted by a 2024 triumph. He was also the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s Rookie of the Year that season. 

“Ever since I got into wing racing, everyone I’ve ever ran for made a conscious effort to be really good there,” Axsom said. “And I feel like every other 1/2 mile I’ve ever ran I’ve only ran three or four times maybe. Eldora, I’ve probably ran a little bit more than that. Knoxville is the only one where we’ve really specifically put emphasis on and really tried to run more than any other racetrack in the country. I think that’s the biggest thing to do with it, just getting laps there.” 

Axsom continues his rookie World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car campaign this weekend at Knoxville Raceway’s Premier Chevy Dealers Clash on April 24-25. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Axsom Enjoys Tri-State Speed Ahead of Knoxville Weekend

KNOXVILLE, IA (April 23, 2026) – A trip home always helps. 

Home gives comfort. Home feels familiar. For drivers and teams facing the grind of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, trips home can be few and far between. The roughly 90-race, coast-to-coast campaign rarely offers a reprieve from the road.

Emerson Axsom took full advantage of one of his opportunities to not only be home but race close to home last Sunday at Haubstadt, IN’s Tri-State Speedway. And the Franklin, IN native made his fans proud.

Axsom had speed all night aboard the Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports (KPM) No. 27. The rookie clocked the second fastest lap in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying, won the second Heat Race, and finalized the evening with a second-place finish after late trouble for Michael “Buddy” Kofoid moved him up a spot on the podium. The result marked his best outing of the year through 14 races.

“I feel like we had a really good race car, just not quite good enough,” Axsom said. “The 7BC (Tyler Courtney) and 83 (Kofoid) were just a little bit better. I couldn’t get down the straightaways quite as good as I wanted to, but I felt like I got through the corner better than I ever have here in a wing car.”

The runner-up was the latest effort in a stretch of positive runs for Axsom and the KPM crew. After a bit of a bumpy start that saw no top 10s through the first six races, the combination has broken into the top 10 in half of the last eight events. The recent results pushed him atop the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies battle by 28 markers over Ashton Torgerson.

“I feel like when our race car unloads right, and we have the right balance, we can be as good as anyone,” Axsom said of their recent success. “It’s just putting all the pieces together and unloading right and not getting behind the eight ball.”

The famed Knoxville Raceway is the next stop for Axsom as he navigates his maiden voyage with The Greatest Show on Dirt. It’s not home for Axsom, but the 21-year-old is plenty familiar with the historic 1/2 mile. He’s made 27 starts in a 410 Sprint Car at Knoxville, highlighted by a 2024 triumph. He was also the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s Rookie of the Year that season. 

“Ever since I got into wing racing, everyone I’ve ever ran for made a conscious effort to be really good there,” Axsom said. “And I feel like every other 1/2 mile I’ve ever ran I’ve only ran three or four times maybe. Eldora, I’ve probably ran a little bit more than that. Knoxville is the only one where we’ve really specifically put emphasis on and really tried to run more than any other racetrack in the country. I think that’s the biggest thing to do with it, just getting laps there.” 

Axsom continues his rookie World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car campaign this weekend at Knoxville Raceway’s Premier Chevy Dealers Clash on April 24-25. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/no-place-like-home-axsom-enjoys-tri-state-speed-ahead-of-knoxville-weekend/

Dallas Daniels (No.1) races Briar Bauman (No. 3) at DAYTONA in 2026. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Tickets On Sale Now for Nashville Short Track; Billy Lane Named Grand Marshal

Dallas Daniels (No.1) races Briar Bauman (No. 3) at DAYTONA in 2026. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 23, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will return to Tennessee on Saturday, June 6, for the Nashville Short Track, with tickets on sale now for Round 8 of the 2026 season at Sons of Speed Nashville Short Track in Hohenwald, Tennessee. Tickets are on sale now with pricing beginning at $40 for General Admission. Reserved Grandstand Seating is available for $50, Premium Reserved Grandstand Seating for $60, and a Pit Pass add-on for $40. Kids 12 and under receive $15 off all ticket types, while the H-D VIP Experience is available for $135, with an additional VIP add-on option priced at $95. The Nashville Short Track will showcase tight, bar-to-bar racing on the venue’s red clay surface, paired with a grassroots atmosphere that continues to resonate with fans across the region. The event will feature renowned custom motorcycle builder, racer, and Sons of Speed founder Billy Lane as Grand Marshal, marking a new chapter for the venue under his ownership. Recently renamed Sons of Speed Nashville Short Track, the facility reflects Lane’s vision and deep-rooted connection to motorcycle culture. “I’ve been hooked on motorcycle flat track racing since I saw Bruce Brown’s film On Any Sunday as a kid,” said Lane. “It’s an honor and a thrill to host past, present, and future AMA Grand National Champions at my home track four decades later. Welcome, AFT, to the Sons of Speed Nashville Short Track.” The Nashville Short Track weekend will feature a full slate of Sons of Speed racing aboard vintage 1000cc V-twins and 750cc American flatheads, bringing the raw power and style of early American motorcycles to the track.Vintage heat races will take place Thursday, followed by Friday’s finals, setting the stage for Saturday’s Progressive AFT main event and a full weekend of racing action. Lane’s impact extends beyond the racetrack through his involvement with Northern Tool + Equipment’s Legends Build™ program, which supports the next generation of skilled tradespeople through hands-on training, mentorship, and access to professional-grade tools. The Nashville Short Track brings together the heritage of the sport, the intensity of modern competition, and a clear focus on the next generation of riders and builders. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/nashville-short-track-186630.

CONCORD, NC (April 23, 2026) — Sheridan Speedway joins the American Sprint Car Series schedule for the first time with the national tour, helping to create a 360 Sprint Car Frontier Speedweek.

The addition of the 3/8-mile Wyoming facility on Sunday, Aug. 30, brings the Series back to the state for the first time since 2018 with a $4,000 top prize on the line. It also gives the Series back-to-back three-race weekends. 

The Frontier Speedweek will kick off with the Harvey Ostermiller Memorial at Montana’s Big Sky Speedway, Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29, before the Series makes its debut at Sheridan. Then, the Series will spend Labor Day Weekend in Montana with stops at Gallatin Speedway, Friday, Sept. 4, and Electric City Speedway for the Montana Roundup, Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 5-6. 

While the “Cowboy State” track is a first for the national tour, it has hosted nine ASCS regional events, including a Frontier Region doubleheader last year. Zach Blurton and Kelly Miller picked up the victories in those events. 

Tickets will be available at the track. To see the full slate of American Sprint Car Series events in 2026, CLICK HERE. 

Sheridan Speedway Joins ASCS National Slate for Frontier Speedweek Swing CONCORD, NC (April 23, 2026) — Sheridan Speedway joins the American Sprint Car Series schedule for the first time with the national tour, helping to create a 360 Sprint Car Frontier Speedweek.

The addition of the 3/8-mile Wyoming facility on Sunday, Aug. 30, brings the Series back to the state for the first time since 2018 with a $4,000 top prize on the line. It also gives the Series back-to-back three-race weekends. 

The Frontier Speedweek will kick off with the Harvey Ostermiller Memorial at Montana’s Big Sky Speedway, Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29, before the Series makes its debut at Sheridan. Then, the Series will spend Labor Day Weekend in Montana with stops at Gallatin Speedway, Friday, Sept. 4, and Electric City Speedway for the Montana Roundup, Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 5-6. 

While the “Cowboy State” track is a first for the national tour, it has hosted nine ASCS regional events, including a Frontier Region doubleheader last year. Zach Blurton and Kelly Miller picked up the victories in those events. 

Tickets will be available at the track. To see the full slate of American Sprint Car Series events in 2026, CLICK HERE. 

Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision

Briar Bauman racing his Harley-Davidson XG750R at Ventura Raceway in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Mission AFT SuperTwins Contenders Take the Grand National Championship Battle to Ventura Raceway

Briar Bauman racing his Harley-Davidson XG750R at Ventura Raceway in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 23, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will descend on Ventura Raceway for the fourth annual Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track presented by 805 Beer this Saturday, April 25. While still a relative newcomer on the Progressive AFT scene, Ventura, California, has quickly established itself a dirt track destination. Combining breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, jam-packed grandstands, and thrilling action, the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track is a singular highlight of the Grand National Championship calendar. Venture ForthReigning Mission AFT SuperTwins champion Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) comes into the weekend having earned the first victory of his title defense last time out. The win was especially meaningful to Daniels, Estenson Racing, and Yamaha, as it represented the first time the brand had taken a premier-class victory at its home track, Senoia Raceway. While that fact made plenty of headlines, somewhat more under the radar was the fact that it simultaneously brought about the conclusion of a remarkable streak scored by rival manufacturer Harley-Davidson. Prior to Daniels’ triumph in Georgia, Harley-Davidson stacked up a full season’s worth of consecutive Short Track victories. The run opened with a 1-2 that marked the XG750R’s maiden Mission SuperTwins win at the ‘25 Yamaha Senoia Short Track and was rounded out with a double victory – courtesy of rookie phenom Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) – at the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II to open the ‘26 season. The ST streak stretched out to nine consecutive Main Event wins before Daniels finally brought it to an end. The run was nearly extended to ten, as Kopp pushed Daniels to the checkered flag at Senoia, threatening to become the first rider to not only win his first premier-class race, and his second, but also his third. As a result of his stunning 1-1-2 career Mission SuperTwins start, Kopp comes to California with the Grand National Championship points lead. The Ventura Short Track – a race he won in KICKER AFT Singles action back in 2023 – provides another opportunity to cement himself a genuine title threat and draw nearer to Brad Andres’ record of five rookie GNC Main Event wins. But don’t expect Daniels and company to simply move aside for the emergent challenger, particularly at a track where the class champ has previously stood atop the podium himself (also in 2023). The Rider to BeatWith all due apologies to Daniels and Kopp, however, the rider most deserving of pre-race favorite honors is two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Jacob Construction/Parts Plus Harley-Davidson XG750R). Six of those nine straight Short Track wins reeled in by the XG750R were secured by Bauman, including the one he picked up here at Ventura Raceway a year ago. Additionally, the California native also obliterated the competition at the venue the prior year, then armed with a KTM 790 Duke. Bauman’s ‘26 title campaign has gotten off to a slower-than-anticipated start as a result of uncharacteristic finishes of seventh and sixth in Daytona. However, he returned to the podium in Georgia and should continue to flex his true force as he and new crew chief Bryan Bigelow get more time to gel. With over a month between rounds to continue to build that bond, expect Bauman prove formidable in Ventura once more. Harley-Davidson Vs. Yamaha (Continued)As the respective reigning champion, points leader, and defending race winner, Daniels, Kopp, and Bauman stand as the headliners. However, they are not alone in defending the honors of Yamaha and Harley-Davidson. 17-time premier-class race winner Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) has finished inside the top five the last two times the series hit the Pacific Coast, including a fourth last season that saw him finish just over a second back of the win. Robinson also has an ace up his sleeve in Ventura native Kayl Kolkman. Besides wrenching Robinson’s bikes, Kolkman proved beyond question he knows the quick way around the track, having clocked the fastest time in practice and qualifying sessions on multiple occasions in past visits to Ventura Raceway.Meanwhile, Mission SuperTwins rookie Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust Advisors Harley-Davidson XG750R) has flashed frontrunning speed himself, furthering Harley-Davidson’s ambition to reclaim the dominant position it enjoyed in the sport for so many decades. Daniels won’t be alone in fighting to prevent that possibility. Along with premier-class podium finishers Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07), Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07), and Chad Cose (No. 49 Parker Racing/Pro Roofing Yamaha MT-07, Mission SuperTwins race winner Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Dick Ford Racing/Mission Foods Yamaha MT-07) will make his first appearance of the season this weekend. Rounding out that strength is Canadian Hunter Bauer (No. 24 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing MT07), who is slated to make his debut with the G&G Racing Yamaha squad this weekend. But Really, It’s Anybody’s GameAs previously mentioned, KTM has enjoyed its fair share of success at Ventura Raceway. In addition to Bauman’s victory two years back, Jarod VanDerKooi guided the Duke to a close third in last year’s showdown. The bike’s preeminent pilot of the present, Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke), has not fared quite so well in Ventura, however. Last year’s seventh was his best finish yet at the venue, a modest record he’ll look to rectify this weekend. Form is on his side. Fisher is off to a fine start in 2026, logging three straight top fives, including a podium in Daytona. Several others stand a real chance to shine as well, especially at a track that hasn’t elevated one particular platform above the rest. As stated above, Yamaha, KTM, and Harley have each taken one win apiece at Ventura Raceway. On top of that, the now-retired Indian FTR750 and present-day challengers Royal Enfield Twins FT and Suzuki GSX-8S have finished inside the top five at the track. That track record of parity bodes well for the likes of Springfield winner Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods Honda CB750 Hornet), 2019 KICKER AFT Singles champ Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Parts Bros/D&D Cycles/Fairway Ford Aprilia Tuareg 660), and premier-class rookie Evan Renshaw (No. 95 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650). A Night to Remember As if the world-class racing and remarkable beachside vibes weren’t enough, there will be plenty more reasons to celebrate at the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track. The day will feature a pair of Thrashed Kids Freestyle Shows headlined by X Games Gold Medalist and Ventura Short Track Grand Marshal Tyler Bereman. The event will also serve to honor the lives of Ventura native and Landspeed legend Chris Raschke (1964-2005) via “Chris Raschke Day,” and Salinas native and flat tracker Jess Garcia (1993-2020) with the Jess Garcia Memorial Challenge featuring the fastest four KICKER AFT Singles racers.Fans can also expect a multitude of vendors, big screen viewing, designated motorcycle parking, and a variety of food and beverage options. Get Your Tickets TodayGeneral Admission tickets are just $50 (kids 12 and under free) all taxes and fees included. Reserved Grandstand tickets are just $15 more (all ages). Students with proof of a valid student ID can purchase a General Admission ticket for just $30 at the door. There’s also a Military/First Responder Discount available, allowing GOVX fans to purchase tickets at reduced rates. The Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience is available for purchase for $135 (all ages) or $95 as an add-on. This premium option includes GA seating, full event pit access, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line with photos opps, and up-close viewing of Opening Ceremonies and a portion of the night’s race action. And don’t miss out on the 805 Pit Party, a premium ticket add-on designed to elevate raceday hospitality. Available for $75, the 805 Pit Party provides guests with access to a dedicated hospitality area featuring a variety of beverage options, along with snacks available throughout the event. Visithttps://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-ventura-short-track-168769 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

CONCORD, NC (April 23, 2026) – May is almost here, and it’s set to take The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet back to the east coast.

Next month’s agenda includes eight races for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision spread across six different tracks. First up is a five-night stay in the Northeast that will take the Series to four tracks in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Two weeks later, a three-night Ohio trip brings the World of Outlaws to a pair of “Buckeye State” favorites for what’s shaping up to be one of the state’s biggest weekends of the year.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Georgetown Speedway | Visit Delaware 51 (May 13): For the first time in eight years, the World of Outlaws are returning to Delaware in 2026.

Georgetown Speedway will look a little different than it did last time the World of Outlaws were in town in 2018. Last winter, the track underwent a half-million-dollar renovation that included reprofiled corners, new lighting, fencing and more upgrades design to enhance the experience for both fans and racers.

The Wednesday night showdown will be the third visit by the Series to the “First State” facility. Devin Moran topped the inaugural race in 2017 before Chris Madden followed him up in 2018. Georgetown has hosted plenty of other national and regional-level Late Model racing over the years as well, with the likes of Ricky Thornton Jr., Rick Eckert and Max Blair earning a spot on the winners list.

Selinsgrove Speedway | Sand Hill Showdown (May 14): One night later, the top Late Model drivers in the nation will head west for a stop in the heart of Central Pennsylvania Sprint Car country.

Selinsgrove Speedway is back on the schedule for the first time since 2019 for the 10th World of Outlaws race in track history. It all started with a Labor Day weekend doubleheader in 2013, when Gregg Satterlee scored his second of four Series wins to date on night one before Darrell Lanigan took the checkers in the finale. That was the first of four Selinsgrove wins for the three-time champion, more than anyone else in World of Outlaws competition.

Other Selinsgrove wins have gone to Tim McCreadie (2014), Billy Moyer Jr. (2016), Jeff Rine (2017) and Chris Madden (2018).

Marion Center Raceway | Connor Bobik Memorial (May 15-16): The Connor Bobik Memorial has been the cornerstone event of the Northeast swing for the past several seasons, and the tradition is set to continue this year.

The race has been contested annually since 2011 at a variety of area tracks, but it has called Marion Center Raceway home since 2022, which was also the year it became a World of Outlaws event for the first time. Dennis Erb Jr. took the checkers that year on the way to his first Series championship, and has since been followed up by Ryan Gustin (2023), Chris Madden (2024) and Bobby Pierce (2025).

This season’s event will take on a slightly different look than in the past. Rather than a standard, full-points show on Friday, fans will get to see a pair of split-field, $6,000-to-win, races that will set the lineups for Saturday’s $30,000-to-win finale.

Bedford Speedway | Billy Winn Classic (May 17): The “Keystone State” festivities will once again wrap up on a Sunday evening at the big, fast Bedford Speedway.

The 5/8-mile oval is celebrating 90 years of racing in 2026, making it one of the oldest continuously operating racetracks in the country. Chub Frank won Bedford’s first World of Outlaws race in 2007 before Steve Francis (2008) and Tim Fuller (2009) followed him up. The track returned to the schedule in 2024 after a 15-year absence and has seen Tim McCreadie (2024) and Bobby Pierce (2025) claim the last two victories.

Wayne County Speedway | Lonewolf 40 (May 28): The opening leg of an Ohio tripleheader to conclude the month takes the World of Outlaws back to Wayne County Speedway for a Thursday night special.

The Orrville, OH facility made its debut on the tour in 2006 with Chub Frank taking the win, while Darrell Lanigan (2012) and Dave Hess Jr. (2013) won the next two visits. Brandon Sheppard and Rocket1 Racing have since won on three-straight occasions in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and they’re planning to return this season to try to make it four in a row.

Race promoter Tye Twarog has ensured that all Late Model teams that attend the Lonewolf 40 will leave with prizes, as all drivers who do not transfer out of a Last Chance Showdown will still earn a minimum of $460 in cash and product certificates.

Mansfield Speedway | 57 Special (May 29-30): Mansfield Speedway is roaring back to life in 2026, and the revived track’s first national-level event will be headlined by the World of Outlaws.

The $57,000-to-win, $5,700-to-start 57 Special features a total Saturday purse of more than $240,000, making it the largest single-night purse of the year for the Series and one of the largest in the sport as a whole. Between the iconic location, massive paydays and its date on the weekend prior to the Dirt Late Model Dream at nearby Eldora Speedway, the event is expected to draw a star-studded entry list of the biggest names in Late Model racing.

Find tickets and more information for every World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision event in 2026 by clicking here.

Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

THE MONTH AHEAD: World of Outlaws Eastbound for Busy May Slate

CONCORD, NC (April 23, 2026) – May is almost here, and it’s set to take The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet back to the east coast.

Next month’s agenda includes eight races for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision spread across six different tracks. First up is a five-night stay in the Northeast that will take the Series to four tracks in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Two weeks later, a three-night Ohio trip brings the World of Outlaws to a pair of “Buckeye State” favorites for what’s shaping up to be one of the state’s biggest weekends of the year.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Georgetown Speedway | Visit Delaware 51 (May 13): For the first time in eight years, the World of Outlaws are returning to Delaware in 2026.

Georgetown Speedway will look a little different than it did last time the World of Outlaws were in town in 2018. Last winter, the track underwent a half-million-dollar renovation that included reprofiled corners, new lighting, fencing and more upgrades design to enhance the experience for both fans and racers.

The Wednesday night showdown will be the third visit by the Series to the “First State” facility. Devin Moran topped the inaugural race in 2017 before Chris Madden followed him up in 2018. Georgetown has hosted plenty of other national and regional-level Late Model racing over the years as well, with the likes of Ricky Thornton Jr., Rick Eckert and Max Blair earning a spot on the winners list.

Selinsgrove Speedway | Sand Hill Showdown (May 14): One night later, the top Late Model drivers in the nation will head west for a stop in the heart of Central Pennsylvania Sprint Car country.

Selinsgrove Speedway is back on the schedule for the first time since 2019 for the 10th World of Outlaws race in track history. It all started with a Labor Day weekend doubleheader in 2013, when Gregg Satterlee scored his second of four Series wins to date on night one before Darrell Lanigan took the checkers in the finale. That was the first of four Selinsgrove wins for the three-time champion, more than anyone else in World of Outlaws competition.

Other Selinsgrove wins have gone to Tim McCreadie (2014), Billy Moyer Jr. (2016), Jeff Rine (2017) and Chris Madden (2018).

Marion Center Raceway | Connor Bobik Memorial (May 15-16): The Connor Bobik Memorial has been the cornerstone event of the Northeast swing for the past several seasons, and the tradition is set to continue this year.

The race has been contested annually since 2011 at a variety of area tracks, but it has called Marion Center Raceway home since 2022, which was also the year it became a World of Outlaws event for the first time. Dennis Erb Jr. took the checkers that year on the way to his first Series championship, and has since been followed up by Ryan Gustin (2023), Chris Madden (2024) and Bobby Pierce (2025).

This season’s event will take on a slightly different look than in the past. Rather than a standard, full-points show on Friday, fans will get to see a pair of split-field, $6,000-to-win, races that will set the lineups for Saturday’s $30,000-to-win finale.

Bedford Speedway | Billy Winn Classic (May 17): The “Keystone State” festivities will once again wrap up on a Sunday evening at the big, fast Bedford Speedway.

The 5/8-mile oval is celebrating 90 years of racing in 2026, making it one of the oldest continuously operating racetracks in the country. Chub Frank won Bedford’s first World of Outlaws race in 2007 before Steve Francis (2008) and Tim Fuller (2009) followed him up. The track returned to the schedule in 2024 after a 15-year absence and has seen Tim McCreadie (2024) and Bobby Pierce (2025) claim the last two victories.

Wayne County Speedway | Lonewolf 40 (May 28): The opening leg of an Ohio tripleheader to conclude the month takes the World of Outlaws back to Wayne County Speedway for a Thursday night special.

The Orrville, OH facility made its debut on the tour in 2006 with Chub Frank taking the win, while Darrell Lanigan (2012) and Dave Hess Jr. (2013) won the next two visits. Brandon Sheppard and Rocket1 Racing have since won on three-straight occasions in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and they’re planning to return this season to try to make it four in a row.

Race promoter Tye Twarog has ensured that all Late Model teams that attend the Lonewolf 40 will leave with prizes, as all drivers who do not transfer out of a Last Chance Showdown will still earn a minimum of $460 in cash and product certificates.

Mansfield Speedway | 57 Special (May 29-30): Mansfield Speedway is roaring back to life in 2026, and the revived track’s first national-level event will be headlined by the World of Outlaws.

The $57,000-to-win, $5,700-to-start 57 Special features a total Saturday purse of more than $240,000, making it the largest single-night purse of the year for the Series and one of the largest in the sport as a whole. Between the iconic location, massive paydays and its date on the weekend prior to the Dirt Late Model Dream at nearby Eldora Speedway, the event is expected to draw a star-studded entry list of the biggest names in Late Model racing.

Find tickets and more information for every World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision event in 2026 by clicking here.

Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/the-month-ahead-world-of-outlaws-eastbound-for-busy-may-slate/

Event: Jack Link’s 500Date/Time: Sunday, April 26, 2026, 3 p.m. ETLocation: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AlabamaLayout: 2.66-Mile OvalTV/Radio: FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR RadioTalladega Superspeedway is known for its unpredictability, and for Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse team, managing that balance between opportunity and risk will be key this weekend. Berry led laps in both races at the 2.66-mile track last season, putting himself in position, but like much of the field, was left trying to avoid the chaos that often defines superspeedway racing.As teams prepare for Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500, NASCAR officials have adjusted the stage lengths in an effort to encourage more aggressive racing and reduce fuel-saving.For Sunday’s race, the longest segment (98 laps) will open the event, followed by two shorter stages of 45 laps each to close out the race.The change is intended to reduce the impact of fuel-saving, which teams have used to shorten pit stops late in races. By conserving fuel, drivers can take on less during green-flag stops, allowing them to gain positions when they cycle back onto the track.Josh Berry, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse, said the adjustment is a positive step, but doesn’t expect it to significantly alter how teams approach the race.“You’re still going to have to save fuel – long story, short,” Berry said. “The first stage is going be longer, so obviously there will still be some fuel saving early in the run to try to shorten your pit stop under green flag, if it goes to green flag.“The question of where it goes from there is if you have two shorter stages – your second stage and your final stage – then as much fuel as you can save in the second stage will significantly shorten your pit stop for your final stage, which is when track position matters the most.“I have a hard time believing that a majority of the field is going to intentionally burn a lot of fuel that second stage just to try to get stage points and then come out last to start the final stage.”Berry added that it can be difficult to maneuver through the pack, especially at Talladega, which could continue to influence strategy regardless of the format change.“I think Daytona is a different story, but at Talladega it seems to get locked down with two lanes and maybe three,” he said. “It will definitely look different. Truthfully, I don’t think it’s going to fix it, but it’ll be interesting to follow. It’ll shake things up a bit and hopefully will make a better race for the fans.”Per NASCAR rules for drafting tracks, there will be no practice prior to qualifying this weekend. Qualifying is set for Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET with coverage on Prime Video.Sunday’s 188-lap, 500-mile race is scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET start time, with coverage on FOX.Saturday, April 25Berry will be participate in a Q&A session at the Ford Racing activation at 12:00 p.m. local time in the Talladega Superspeedway fan zone.Berry will sign autographs at the Team Penske/Wood Brothers merchandise hauler beginning at 12:15 p.m. local time (pending weather) in the Talladega Superspeedway fan zone. 100 wristbands will be distributed on a first come, first-served basis.Josh BerryAge: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)Hometown: Hendersonville, TennesseeCrew Chief: Miles StanleyIG: @joshberry88X: @joshberryAbout Motorcraft® Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com. *See your dealer for limited-warranty details. About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com. *See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

CONCORD, NC (April 22, 2026) – The month of May is a major time in the motorsports world, and the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is no exception.
 
A total of 10 tracks across six states are ready to host The Greatest Show on Dirt in the coming month. Along the way teams will get the chance to take notes for some of the sport’s biggest races coming in the summer, visit fan favorites, and more.
 
Let’s look at where to find the World of Outlaws in May:
 
Attica Raceway Park | Kistler Engines Classic (May 1): The month opens with the first Ohio visit of the season. The Kistler Engines Classic is the first of two Attica stops slated for 2026 as the tour returns on Tuesday, July 14 for the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac Vitamins and Minerals.
 
Attica is the second most visited “Buckeye State” track for The Greatest Show on Dirt with 27 races in the books. Nobody has won more than Donny Schatz’s five triumphs. Last year’s two trips belonged to Logan Schuchart and Carson Macedo.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
Sharon Speedway | Hartford Hustle (May 2): It’s off to northeast Ohio where Sharon Speedway awaits to close out the weekend. Like Attica, Sharon occupies two spaces on the schedule with the second being the final round of Sheldon Haudenschild’s NOS Energy Drink Buckeye Brawl Weekend.
 
Sharon has welcomed the World of Outlaws 15 times in the past. Hartford, OH’s own Dale Blaney electrified the crowd last fall by becoming the oldest winner in Series history at 61 years of age.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
Lincoln Speedway | Gettysburg Clash (May 5): The sport’s fiercest rivalry is renewed as the World of Outlaws head to Abbottstown, PA’s Lincoln Speedway for a midweek battle with the Pennsylvania Posse.
 
The locals bagged bragging rights last year as Anthony Macri (three wins) and Chase Dietz (one win) claimed four of the six collisions between the two sides. But the World of Outlaws prevailed at Lincoln last May with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid coming out on top.
 
In addition to the racing, fans can also head to Hersheypark Stadium on Thursday, May 7 for the Hershey Sprint Car Experience to meet race teams from both the World of Outlaws and PA Posse and celebrate the region’s rich racing history.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
Williams Grove Speedway | HVAC Distributors Morgan Cup (May 8-9): The rivalry moves to the historic Williams Grove Speedway (Mechanicsburg, PA) on the weekend when the World of Outlaws and PA Posse face off for the Morgan Cup.
 
Anthony Macri won last year to keep the Cup on the Posse’s porch for the second year in a row. Williams Grove is the second most visited track in Series history. The Greatest Show on Dirt has raced at the 1/2 mile a whopping 241 times. Sheldon Haudenschild is the most recent Series winner thanks to his National Open title last October.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
Eldora Speedway | #LetsRaceTwo presented by LGMG (May 15-16): The tour goes from the second most visited track to the most frequented as Rossburg, OH’s Eldora Speedway is the destination following “The Grove.” #LetsRaceTwo brings the best of both worlds with the World of Outlaws meeting up with the USAC National Sprint Cars at “The Big E.”
 
The high banks of Eldora have welcomed the World of Outlaws 242 times with Steve Kinser topping an astonishing 41 of them, nearly 17-percent. David Gravel was victorious last May during #LetsRaceTwo.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
Jacksonville Speedway | Hy-Vee Perks 40 (May 19): Mother Nature had other plans on the originally scheduled date in April, but Jacksonville Speedway’s Hy-Vee Perks 40 was rescheduled to become a midweek battle in May.
 
The Illinois bullring never fails to thrill, and fans will get another chance to see the country’s best Sprint Car drivers when the tour invades in mid-May.
 
For more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
Knoxville Raceway | Stars and Stripes Salute (May 23): A new look Memorial Day Weekend starts with a Saturday trip to Knoxville Raceway. Of the World of Outlaws’ more than 200 races at Knoxville, only a dozen has come during the month of May, but that tally will grow with the opening night of the Stars and Stripes Salute paying $20,000 to the winner.
 
World of Outlaws Knoxville races last year belonged to Rico Abreu, David Gravel, Corey Day, and Ryan Timms.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
Huset’s Speedway | Stars and Stripes Salute (May 24): The biggest day in motorsports adds a little Sprint Car flavor in 2026. The Stars and Stripes Salute will close out with the first visit of 2026 to Brandon, SD’s Huset’s Speedway.
 
It’s a chance for teams to build the notebooks ahead of June’s BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals, which offers a pair of six-figure paydays including a $300,000-to-win finale, the largest winner’s share in World of Outlaws history. This Sunday stop at Huset’s hands out $20,000 in Victory Lane.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
River Cities Speedway | 1st Leg of the Northern Tour Don Mack Classic (May 29): The first North Dakota stop of 2026 brings the World of Outlaws to Grand Forks, ND’s River Cities Speedway. The Series will also return on Friday, Aug. 28 for the second and final River Cities invasion of the season.
 
The 1/4 mile has hosted 35 previous World of Outlaws races and is known for producing some of the most thrilling bullring action fans can find. Home state hero, Fargo’s Donny Schatz, has topped 12 of them. Buddy Kofoid swept the 2025 River Cities stops.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.
 
Nodak Speedway | Gerdau Metals Recycling Magic City Showdown (May 31): The busy month closes out with a return to Minot, ND’s Nodak Speedway. The tour last stopped at Nodak in 2018.
 
Nodak is home to 13 prior World of Outlaws races. Just like at River Cities, Schatz has exceled at Nodak. The track in the town where the 10-time champion was born is home to five of his 317 World of Outlaws victories.
 
For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

 

DALLAS, TX (April 22, 2026) — NHRA Funny Car driver and team owner Buddy Hull is finding a quick fix for his need for speed as he rebuilds his NHRA Funny Car to get back into action on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. This Saturday, April 25, the fan-favorite driver will get behind the wheel of a nitrous-fed ’06 Ford Mustang at the Clash of the Titans race at Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, Texas. This will be the second radial event for Hull, who competed in a radial race that was held in conjunction with the 2025 Stampede of Speed at the Texas Motorplex. Dave Vasser, owner of Nitrous Outlet, is promoting this event and is a fellow Texan which also appealed to Hull.
 
“I am going a little crazy not being in a race car as we regroup and rebuild our Nitro Funny Car following our Gatornationals incident,” said Hull. “I was talking about wanting to get back to racing as soon as possible and the opportunity to drive a kickass nitrous-fed Mustang kind of fell into my lap thanks to my relationship with Sam Pack Ford and FS Performance. Dave puts on great events, and you definitely want to support Texas promoters. This is going to be a really cool experience.”

 Buddy Hull is looking forward to wheeling this /06 Ford Mustang this weekend at Xtreme Raceway Park,
photo credit Hull Racing

Hull will be racing the nitrous fed ’06 Ford Mustang that set the Ultra Street world record at the Battle of the Thrones event at Rockingham Dragway in April of 2024. The Mustang tripped the timers with a 4.419 second, 159.86 mph run at that event. The current owner of the car is WS Energy Services and it is being flawlessly maintained by JD Campbell and the Dynamic Racing Solutions team. Hull most likely won’t be looking to lower that record but the chance to get into an ultra-high-performance radial race car was too cool to pass up. This will be the first time Hull is racing at Xtreme Raceway Park which just recently became an NHRA sanctioned facility.
 
“It’s great that Xtreme Raceway Park is part of the NHRA family now so this can all come together,” said Hull. “NHRA facilities have to meet a high standard for racing operations. I am looking forward to mixing it up on Saturday and getting back on a racetrack.”
 
Hull who has been racing professionally in Top Fuel and Funny Car since 2021 will be representing a host of sponsors that back him at the national level. The car will sport the logos from Sam Pack, FS Performance, Gates Belts, Technocraft, Impact, Dynamic Racing Solutions, 360 Wraps, WS and Herricks & Campbell Racing, as well as Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull and Drag Race Bracket Bonanza.

Buddy Hull Takes on New Challenge
with World Record Mustang
 

DALLAS, TX (April 22, 2026) — NHRA Funny Car driver and team owner Buddy Hull is finding a quick fix for his need for speed as he rebuilds his NHRA Funny Car to get back into action on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. This Saturday, April 25, the fan-favorite driver will get behind the wheel of a nitrous-fed ’06 Ford Mustang at the Clash of the Titans race at Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, Texas. This will be the second radial event for Hull, who competed in a radial race that was held in conjunction with the 2025 Stampede of Speed at the Texas Motorplex. Dave Vasser, owner of Nitrous Outlet, is promoting this event and is a fellow Texan which also appealed to Hull.
 
“I am going a little crazy not being in a race car as we regroup and rebuild our Nitro Funny Car following our Gatornationals incident,” said Hull. “I was talking about wanting to get back to racing as soon as possible and the opportunity to drive a kickass nitrous-fed Mustang kind of fell into my lap thanks to my relationship with Sam Pack Ford and FS Performance. Dave puts on great events, and you definitely want to support Texas promoters. This is going to be a really cool experience.”

 Buddy Hull is looking forward to wheeling this /06 Ford Mustang this weekend at Xtreme Raceway Park,
photo credit Hull Racing

Hull will be racing the nitrous fed ’06 Ford Mustang that set the Ultra Street world record at the Battle of the Thrones event at Rockingham Dragway in April of 2024. The Mustang tripped the timers with a 4.419 second, 159.86 mph run at that event. The current owner of the car is WS Energy Services and it is being flawlessly maintained by JD Campbell and the Dynamic Racing Solutions team. Hull most likely won’t be looking to lower that record but the chance to get into an ultra-high-performance radial race car was too cool to pass up. This will be the first time Hull is racing at Xtreme Raceway Park which just recently became an NHRA sanctioned facility.
 
“It’s great that Xtreme Raceway Park is part of the NHRA family now so this can all come together,” said Hull. “NHRA facilities have to meet a high standard for racing operations. I am looking forward to mixing it up on Saturday and getting back on a racetrack.”
 
Hull who has been racing professionally in Top Fuel and Funny Car since 2021 will be representing a host of sponsors that back him at the national level. The car will sport the logos from Sam Pack, FS Performance, Gates Belts, Technocraft, Impact, Dynamic Racing Solutions, 360 Wraps, WS and Herricks & Campbell Racing, as well as Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull and Drag Race Bracket Bonanza.

 
For more information about Buddy Hull’s racing schedule and appearances visit www.hullracing.com and for more information on this weekend’s race visit www.xtremeracewaypark.com.

CHARLOTTE (April 22) – Former Funny Car winner Bob Gilbertson of nearby Gastonia, N.C., has selected veteran nitro driver Phil Burkart Jr. to pilot his Trick Tank/IFAB Funny Car at this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway. “Phil is as reliable as they get when you need someone to jump into your car and immediately give you a chance at success,” Gilbertson said. “This is a big race for us on several fronts so having a first-rate driver is vitally important.  “We’re introducing a new business partner to Trick Tank with IFAB, and their president Alex Ochoa and his father Hugo, who owns Sap USA Truck and Auto Parts, will be attending their first drag race so it will be great to have a strong showing for them. Plus, this is our home track, so all our friends and family members will be here as well.” Gilbertson’s Dodge Charger R/T will be tuned by Scott Gaddy, with technical advice coming from Tommy Delago and Nicky Bonifante. The car was previously driven by multi-time world champion Matt Hagan when he raced for Don Schumacher.

Gilbertson selects Burkart Jr. to pilot Trick Tank/IFAB Funny Car in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE (April 22) – Former Funny Car winner Bob Gilbertson of nearby Gastonia, N.C., has selected veteran nitro driver Phil Burkart Jr. to pilot his Trick Tank/IFAB Funny Car at this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway. “Phil is as reliable as they get when you need someone to jump into your car and immediately give you a chance at success,” Gilbertson said. “This is a big race for us on several fronts so having a first-rate driver is vitally important.  “We’re introducing a new business partner to Trick Tank with IFAB, and their president Alex Ochoa and his father Hugo, who owns Sap USA Truck and Auto Parts, will be attending their first drag race so it will be great to have a strong showing for them. Plus, this is our home track, so all our friends and family members will be here as well.” Gilbertson’s Dodge Charger R/T will be tuned by Scott Gaddy, with technical advice coming from Tommy Delago and Nicky Bonifante. The car was previously driven by multi-time world champion Matt Hagan when he raced for Don Schumacher.

“We have all the parts and pieces we need, and the people we have tuning and helping with the car are all proven winners,” Gilbertson said. “We’re anxious to get on the track and see what we can do. I haven’t raced in NHRA since COVID so I’m excited to see all my old friends.” With a nod to a possible return to the cockpit in the future, Gilbertson and team plan to stay until Monday so Gilbertson himself can renew his Funny Car license by making the requisite passes. Burkart will be on hand to help with the process. “Bob and I have been friends and peers in the Funny Car class for years,” Burkart said. “When he called and asked if I could drive his car this weekend, I couldn’t get the ‘Yes’ out of my mouth fast enough. Bob always has first-class equipment and he races to win. He has that philosophy of only showing up if you can seriously contend for the trophy, and I feel the same way. “Our combined experience and obviously Bob’s local knowledge and connection to this area gives us a nice headstart. Nothing is going to happen that we aren’t prepared for and our years in this class put us in a great position to have a solid weekend.” Burkart has driven a variety of racecars for numerous teams in his illustrious drag racing career, highlighted by a stint filling in for legend John Force when he was sidelined by a major on-track accident in 2007. Aside from his four professional-level Funny Car victories in nine final-round appearances, Burkart has won numerous events in alcohol-powered racecars at both the regional and divisional levels. This weekend’s unique four-wide race, which features four cars racing at once instead of the usual two, consists of four sessions of qualifying at 5 and 7:45 p.m., Friday, and 12:50 and 3:20 p.m., Saturday. Elimination racing in the Funny Car class starts at 12:30 p.m., Sunday.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 22, 2026) – Jack Beckman has had a relatively slow start to the 2026 season but sees the opportunity to run the HendrickCars.com paint scheme on his John Force Racing Chevrolet SS Funny Car as a catalyst for his team to make a solid move up in the point standings at the April 24-26 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway.

The 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion will also run the HendrickCars.com scheme at the Sept. 25-27 NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham (N.C.) Dragway.

Beckman exited after the first round of competition at Gainesville and Phoenix, the season’s first two races, but earned the team’s first round win two weeks ago at the Winternationals. He ran 3.890 seconds at 332.75 mph for the Round 1 win but lost lane choice for Round 2 by a mere one-thousandth-of-a-second to No. 1 Qualifier and 2018 NHRA Funny Car World Champion J.R. Todd. Todd left the starting line by five-thousandths-of-a-second and took the win as Beckman had to pedal the throttle at half-track after spinning the rear tires.

The 37-time NHRA Funny Car event winner sees the positive momentum shifting in his team’s direction as they enter the grind of the regular season.

Beckman and the HendrickCars.com team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their quarterfinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:50 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

The unofficial 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after three of 20 races are: Ron Capps, 251; Matt Hagan, 251; JR Todd, 224; Chad Green, 223; Jordan Vandergriff, 205; Spencer Hyde, 189; Alexis DeJoria, 184; Daniel Wilkerson, 138; Paul Lee, 133; Jack Beckman, 119.

Quotes

What does it mean to you to showcase the HendrickCars.com partnership with John Force Racing in Mr. Hendrick’s back yard?

 “Yeah, I am very proud to consider Rick a friend of mine, to the point where I can call him on the phone and ask him questions. He’s opened up his private car collection to us and made sure we were absolutely taken care of. He’s an unbelievably successful person, and he is so highly regarded that people forget he’s a car nut just like the rest of us. He’s a hot rod guy. He started out drag racing before he got into oval track racing. He loves this stuff. It was so cool to get him out to the track last year and just listen to him and John talk. I introduced him to Don Garlits and it was cool because I was just a fly on the wall enjoying every second of it. So, to carry his name across our car says a lot for our sport, that the most successful team owner in NASCAR history is on the side of our car. Not only does he like our sport, he likes to come out and watch his Funny Car run so, hopefully, we can get him in the winner’s circle.”

What is the experience of racing four wide at zMax Dragway?

“Racing four wide is quite a spectacle. If a normal race is ‘Ready. Set. Go!’, racing four wide is ‘Ready. Okay, check the other track set. Okay, there’s two more cars here than you’re used to. Wait. And then go.’ It takes a little bit of getting used to but I’ve adapted pretty well in that format and gone late rounds a lot. By the time we stage for Q1 on Friday, I’ve gone over it several dozen times in my head so we will be fine.”

Talk about the success you’ve had at zMax Dragway?

“I won the inaugural Charlotte race in 2008 when it was just two-wide, but I think I’ve won two 4-Wide races (2011, 2015) and one of them was a was a slump buster. It was in 2015 and it ended a two-year victory drought. So, that one was well received and long overdue so maybe we’re due for another drought buster.” 

What did it mean to you and the team to finally get that 1st round win under your belt at Pomona? 

“The good news is we get our first round win even though it took us three races. The bad news is that’s all we got. We had the second-quickest elapsed time of first round. We were only outrun by one thousandth (of a second) by the car we had to run in the second round. We just missed the tune up slightly in the second round. We’re shooting at bullseyes here and right now it seems like we’re still adjusting our scope. We had a great preseason test and then we’ve just had a couple curveballs thrown our way. It’s odd going into the fourth race of the year and only have one round win. But we can add the equivalent of four round wins with a win this weekend, which is really odd because you only run three rounds. As soon as we win our first race, it’ll put us right back up in the thick of the points.”

Stats

Charlotte	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2010	2nd round	Def. T. Pedregon & Tasca	Lost to J. Force & R. Capps	3rd	1-1
2011	Winner	Def. T. Pedregon & Arend Def. M. Neff & J. Force Def. B. Tasca, T. Wilkerson & J. Head		5th	4-1
2012	2nd round	Def. C. Force & T. Lesenko	Lost to C. Pedregon & R. Hight	5th	5-2
2013	2nd round	Def. R. Capps & D. Creasy Jr.	Lost to M. Hagan & B. Alexander	3rd	6-3
2014	1st round		Lost to M. Hagan & R. Hight	10th	6-4
2015	Winner	Def. P. Lee & R. Capps Def. J. Force & R. Hight Def. D. Worsham, C. Head & T. Johnson Jr		6th	9-4
2016	1st round		Lost to J. Force & T. Johnson Jr	6th	9-5
2017	Runner-up	Def. T. Johnson Jr. & J. Campbell Def. R. Hight & J. Force	Lost to R. Capps; Def. J. Todd & M. Hagan	10th	11-6
2018	2nd round	Def. B. Tasca & S. Langdon	Lost to J. Force & C. Force	13th	12-7
2019	2nd round	Def. D. Richards & R. Capps	Lost to J. Force & M. Hagan	2nd	13-8
2020	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2021	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2022	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2023	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2024	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2025	1st round		Lost to C. Green & A. DeJoria	5th	13-9

Starts: 11

Wins: 2 (2011 & 2015)

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 13-9

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 25 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 26.

BECKMAN TO RUN HENDRICKCARS.COM SCHEME AT zMAX

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 22, 2026) – Jack Beckman has had a relatively slow start to the 2026 season but sees the opportunity to run the HendrickCars.com paint scheme on his John Force Racing Chevrolet SS Funny Car as a catalyst for his team to make a solid move up in the point standings at the April 24-26 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway.

The 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion will also run the HendrickCars.com scheme at the Sept. 25-27 NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham (N.C.) Dragway.

Beckman exited after the first round of competition at Gainesville and Phoenix, the season’s first two races, but earned the team’s first round win two weeks ago at the Winternationals. He ran 3.890 seconds at 332.75 mph for the Round 1 win but lost lane choice for Round 2 by a mere one-thousandth-of-a-second to No. 1 Qualifier and 2018 NHRA Funny Car World Champion J.R. Todd. Todd left the starting line by five-thousandths-of-a-second and took the win as Beckman had to pedal the throttle at half-track after spinning the rear tires.

The 37-time NHRA Funny Car event winner sees the positive momentum shifting in his team’s direction as they enter the grind of the regular season.

Beckman and the HendrickCars.com team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their quarterfinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:50 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

The unofficial 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after three of 20 races are: Ron Capps, 251; Matt Hagan, 251; JR Todd, 224; Chad Green, 223; Jordan Vandergriff, 205; Spencer Hyde, 189; Alexis DeJoria, 184; Daniel Wilkerson, 138; Paul Lee, 133; Jack Beckman, 119.

Quotes

What does it mean to you to showcase the HendrickCars.com partnership with John Force Racing in Mr. Hendrick’s back yard?

 “Yeah, I am very proud to consider Rick a friend of mine, to the point where I can call him on the phone and ask him questions. He’s opened up his private car collection to us and made sure we were absolutely taken care of. He’s an unbelievably successful person, and he is so highly regarded that people forget he’s a car nut just like the rest of us. He’s a hot rod guy. He started out drag racing before he got into oval track racing. He loves this stuff. It was so cool to get him out to the track last year and just listen to him and John talk. I introduced him to Don Garlits and it was cool because I was just a fly on the wall enjoying every second of it. So, to carry his name across our car says a lot for our sport, that the most successful team owner in NASCAR history is on the side of our car. Not only does he like our sport, he likes to come out and watch his Funny Car run so, hopefully, we can get him in the winner’s circle.”

What is the experience of racing four wide at zMax Dragway?

“Racing four wide is quite a spectacle. If a normal race is ‘Ready. Set. Go!’, racing four wide is ‘Ready. Okay, check the other track set. Okay, there’s two more cars here than you’re used to. Wait. And then go.’ It takes a little bit of getting used to but I’ve adapted pretty well in that format and gone late rounds a lot. By the time we stage for Q1 on Friday, I’ve gone over it several dozen times in my head so we will be fine.”

Talk about the success you’ve had at zMax Dragway?

“I won the inaugural Charlotte race in 2008 when it was just two-wide, but I think I’ve won two 4-Wide races (2011, 2015) and one of them was a was a slump buster. It was in 2015 and it ended a two-year victory drought. So, that one was well received and long overdue so maybe we’re due for another drought buster.” 

What did it mean to you and the team to finally get that 1st round win under your belt at Pomona? 

“The good news is we get our first round win even though it took us three races. The bad news is that’s all we got. We had the second-quickest elapsed time of first round. We were only outrun by one thousandth (of a second) by the car we had to run in the second round. We just missed the tune up slightly in the second round. We’re shooting at bullseyes here and right now it seems like we’re still adjusting our scope. We had a great preseason test and then we’ve just had a couple curveballs thrown our way. It’s odd going into the fourth race of the year and only have one round win. But we can add the equivalent of four round wins with a win this weekend, which is really odd because you only run three rounds. As soon as we win our first race, it’ll put us right back up in the thick of the points.”

Stats

Charlotte	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2010	2nd round	Def. T. Pedregon & Tasca	Lost to J. Force & R. Capps	3rd	1-1
2011	Winner	Def. T. Pedregon & Arend Def. M. Neff & J. Force Def. B. Tasca, T. Wilkerson & J. Head		5th	4-1
2012	2nd round	Def. C. Force & T. Lesenko	Lost to C. Pedregon & R. Hight	5th	5-2
2013	2nd round	Def. R. Capps & D. Creasy Jr.	Lost to M. Hagan & B. Alexander	3rd	6-3
2014	1st round		Lost to M. Hagan & R. Hight	10th	6-4
2015	Winner	Def. P. Lee & R. Capps Def. J. Force & R. Hight Def. D. Worsham, C. Head & T. Johnson Jr		6th	9-4
2016	1st round		Lost to J. Force & T. Johnson Jr	6th	9-5
2017	Runner-up	Def. T. Johnson Jr. & J. Campbell Def. R. Hight & J. Force	Lost to R. Capps; Def. J. Todd & M. Hagan	10th	11-6
2018	2nd round	Def. B. Tasca & S. Langdon	Lost to J. Force & C. Force	13th	12-7
2019	2nd round	Def. D. Richards & R. Capps	Lost to J. Force & M. Hagan	2nd	13-8
2020	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2021	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2022	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2023	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2024	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2025	1st round		Lost to C. Green & A. DeJoria	5th	13-9

Starts: 11

Wins: 2 (2011 & 2015)

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 13-9

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 25 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 26.

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24, and 11 a.m. ET on Sunday with eliminations action at 7 p.m. ET to follow.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 22, 2026) – Alexis DeJoria has already checked the boxes as the No. 1 Qualifier and runner-up finisher in the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals so she and her John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team are poised to accomplish the ultimate goal April 24-26 at zMax Dragway outside Charlotte, N.C.

The six-time NHRA Funny Car event winner earned the top qualifying spot at the 2016 4-Wide Nationals and she finished runner-up in 2023 to three-time NHRA Funny Car Champion Robert Hight (for John Force Racing), finishing ahead of three-time champion Ron Capps and 16-time champion John Force in the final matchup.

Two weeks ago, at Pomona, DeJoria easily captured the first round victory with a run of 3.906 seconds to a tire-smoking Dave Richards. In Round 2, she grabbed the holeshot (.065 to .073) against eventual event runner-up and three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion Ron Capps, but lost traction shortly into the run. She pedaled the throttle but Capps took the win with a run of 3.884 seconds.

DeJoria is currently seventh in the 2026 Funny Car standings after a runner-up finish in the season-opener at Gainesville, first round exit at Phoenix and second-round finish at Pomona.

DeJoria and the Bandero Café team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their quarterfinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:50 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

The unofficial 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after three of 20 races are: Ron Capps, 251; Matt Hagan, 251; JR Todd, 224; Chad Green, 223; Jordan Vandergriff, 205; Spencer Hyde, 189; Alexis DeJoria, 184; Daniel Wilkerson, 138; Paul Lee, 133; Jack Beckman, 119.

Quotes

What would it mean to win the 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway?

“I’ve always been a fan of 4-wide racing so I’m feeling pretty confident heading to Charlotte. The 4-Wide Nationals is a race I’ve always wanted to win and we’ve come close a few times in the final quad, including last year, and especially the runner-up finish in 2023. The Bandero team has what it takes to win and this weekend we could seal the deal.”

Assess your season so far: three races in, seventh in points and basically just one round out of fifth?

“Consistency is the key and it’s something we’re continuing to build on as the season continues. We made the final round at Gainesville, had a setback at Phoenix but came back strong with consistent three-second runs at Pomona. We’re a new team and it’s a long season but we’re right in the thick of the points battle so we’ll just keep grinding.”

Stats

Charlotte	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2011	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2012	1st round		Lost to M. Neff & J. Gray	11th	0-1
2013	1st round		Lost to R. Hight & C. Head	8th	0-2
2014	Final Round	Def. R. Capps & C. Head Def. D. Worsham & B. Alexander	Lost to R. Hight & J. Force	9th	2-3
2015	1st round		Lost to R. Hight & J. Force	15th	2-4
2016	1st round		Lost to T. Wilkerson & J. Diehl	1st	2-5
2017	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2020	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2021	Final Round	Def. R. Hight & B. Alexander Def. M. Hagan & B. Tasca	Lost to J. Force & J. Todd	2nd	4-6
2022	1st round		Lost to B. Tasca & J. Force	9th	4-7
2023	Runner-up	Def. M. Hagan & D. Creasy Jr. Def. C. Green & B. Tasca	Lost to R. Hight; Def. R. Capps & J. Force	5th	6-8
2024	2nd round	Def. B. Hull & R. Capps	Lost to J. Force & J. Todd	4th	7-9
2025	Final Round	Def. J. Beckman & S. Hyde Def. D. Richards & C. Green	Lost to A. Prock & R. Capps	12th	9-10

Starts: 10

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 1 (2016)

Event Round Record: 9-10

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 25 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 26.

DEJORIA LOOKS FOR 3 STRONG SHOTS AT 4-WIDE

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 22, 2026) – Alexis DeJoria has already checked the boxes as the No. 1 Qualifier and runner-up finisher in the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals so she and her John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team are poised to accomplish the ultimate goal April 24-26 at zMax Dragway outside Charlotte, N.C.

The six-time NHRA Funny Car event winner earned the top qualifying spot at the 2016 4-Wide Nationals and she finished runner-up in 2023 to three-time NHRA Funny Car Champion Robert Hight (for John Force Racing), finishing ahead of three-time champion Ron Capps and 16-time champion John Force in the final matchup.

Two weeks ago, at Pomona, DeJoria easily captured the first round victory with a run of 3.906 seconds to a tire-smoking Dave Richards. In Round 2, she grabbed the holeshot (.065 to .073) against eventual event runner-up and three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion Ron Capps, but lost traction shortly into the run. She pedaled the throttle but Capps took the win with a run of 3.884 seconds.

DeJoria is currently seventh in the 2026 Funny Car standings after a runner-up finish in the season-opener at Gainesville, first round exit at Phoenix and second-round finish at Pomona.

DeJoria and the Bandero Café team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their quarterfinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:50 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

The unofficial 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after three of 20 races are: Ron Capps, 251; Matt Hagan, 251; JR Todd, 224; Chad Green, 223; Jordan Vandergriff, 205; Spencer Hyde, 189; Alexis DeJoria, 184; Daniel Wilkerson, 138; Paul Lee, 133; Jack Beckman, 119.

Quotes

What would it mean to win the 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway?

“I’ve always been a fan of 4-wide racing so I’m feeling pretty confident heading to Charlotte. The 4-Wide Nationals is a race I’ve always wanted to win and we’ve come close a few times in the final quad, including last year, and especially the runner-up finish in 2023. The Bandero team has what it takes to win and this weekend we could seal the deal.”

Assess your season so far: three races in, seventh in points and basically just one round out of fifth?

“Consistency is the key and it’s something we’re continuing to build on as the season continues. We made the final round at Gainesville, had a setback at Phoenix but came back strong with consistent three-second runs at Pomona. We’re a new team and it’s a long season but we’re right in the thick of the points battle so we’ll just keep grinding.”

Stats

Charlotte	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2011	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2012	1st round		Lost to M. Neff & J. Gray	11th	0-1
2013	1st round		Lost to R. Hight & C. Head	8th	0-2
2014	Final Round	Def. R. Capps & C. Head Def. D. Worsham & B. Alexander	Lost to R. Hight & J. Force	9th	2-3
2015	1st round		Lost to R. Hight & J. Force	15th	2-4
2016	1st round		Lost to T. Wilkerson & J. Diehl	1st	2-5
2017	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2020	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2021	Final Round	Def. R. Hight & B. Alexander Def. M. Hagan & B. Tasca	Lost to J. Force & J. Todd	2nd	4-6
2022	1st round		Lost to B. Tasca & J. Force	9th	4-7
2023	Runner-up	Def. M. Hagan & D. Creasy Jr. Def. C. Green & B. Tasca	Lost to R. Hight; Def. R. Capps & J. Force	5th	6-8
2024	2nd round	Def. B. Hull & R. Capps	Lost to J. Force & J. Todd	4th	7-9
2025	Final Round	Def. J. Beckman & S. Hyde Def. D. Richards & C. Green	Lost to A. Prock & R. Capps	12th	9-10

Starts: 10

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 1 (2016)

Event Round Record: 9-10

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 25 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 26.

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24, and 11 a.m. ET on Sunday with eliminations action at 7 p.m. ET to follow.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 22, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff has never participated in the four-wide format in the nitro categories at zMax Dragway but that doesn’t diminish the confidence he and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team has rolling into the April 24-26 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

The Atlanta-area resident has powerful reason for the confidence. He established a personal best speed record, 334.57 mph, in Round 1 of eliminations at the Winternationals and ran 330+ mph en route to his second-round victory. In the semifinal matchup against three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion and eventual event runner-up Ron Capps, Vandergriff grabbed the holeshot (.069 to .077) and then made his career-best run 3.889 seconds but Capps took the win with a run of 3.863 seconds.

Vandergriff and his John Force Racing team are currently fifth in the 2026 Funny Car standings after a semifinal finish in the season-opener at Gainesville, a second-round showing at Phoenix and semifinal finish at Pomona.

Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their semifinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:50 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

The unofficial 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after three of 20 races are: Ron Capps, 251; Matt Hagan, 251; JR Todd, 224; Chad Green, 223; Jordan Vandergriff, 205; Spencer Hyde, 189; Alexis DeJoria, 184; Daniel Wilkerson, 138; Paul Lee, 133; Jack Beckman, 119.

Quotes

With this being your first time racing in the 4-wide format, have you talked with anyone about the procedures for racing the four-wide format?

“I raced at Charlotte in an alcohol dragster once, but this will be my first time in the four-wide concept so it’s going to be a new experience for me. I don’t really know what to expect yet but I think I’m going to have a lot of those experiences this year so I’m just going to go for it. I have the benefit of working on NHRA on FOX the last two years. Being at these races and watching the procedures, I’ve been told many things by many different people already, so I think I’m very prepared for it. I know Lanes 2 and 3 are more difficult so I know what I’m looking for already. It’s going to be a different feel but I’ll be ready for it.”

You mentioned Lanes 2 and 3 being more difficult. Is that because you’re looking at people on both, you’ve got people on both sides of you? 

“Lanes 2 and 3 are difficult because you’re looking across the Christmas Tree. In Lane 2, your tree is to your left, and your stage bulb is the 2nd bulb on the left so you’re looking all the way across the tree. In Lane 3, your bulb would be the 3rd bulb on your right all the way to the right. So, it’s kind of a longer view for Lanes 2 and 3. Lanes 1 and 4 are the easier ones because you’re just looking right at your bulb. I think I’m going to take a little more of my time because you never know when other people are going to go in and, with four of us, it’s going to be a little longer anyway, so I might as well take an extra second for myself, too.” 

What are your thoughts on the season so far, sitting fifth in points after three races?

“I feel great about how this year has gone so far. This Cornwell Quality Tools Funny Car has really been running well and that’s thanks to Chris Cunningham, Jason Bunker, and all of my guys. We’re sitting fifth in the points, and I think we’re coming off our strongest race in Pomona. We qualified third, made it to the semis, and only got beat by the quickest ET (elapsed time) of the whole event. So, coming out of Pomona, I think Charlotte, with the four-wide format, gives us a chance to possibly be holding one of those diamond Wally’s at the end of the weekend.” 

Is earning the No. 1 Qualifier on Friday at Pomona something you just put away or is that something you use as motivation? 

“I think it’s a little bit of both. You have to use it as motivation but you also have to put it away and understand that each race is a singular experience. Holding on to the No. 1 Qualifier spot after Q 2 at Pomona was a pretty cool experience and it makes you want it even more. It gives you a little more motivation to go out there and do it, but you also have to understand that each race comes with its own challenges.”

Stats

Charlotte	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2019 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2025 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Starts: 0

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 0

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 25 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 26.

VANDERGRIFF FIT FOR FIRST 4-WIDE FORMAT

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 22, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff has never participated in the four-wide format in the nitro categories at zMax Dragway but that doesn’t diminish the confidence he and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team has rolling into the April 24-26 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

The Atlanta-area resident has powerful reason for the confidence. He established a personal best speed record, 334.57 mph, in Round 1 of eliminations at the Winternationals and ran 330+ mph en route to his second-round victory. In the semifinal matchup against three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion and eventual event runner-up Ron Capps, Vandergriff grabbed the holeshot (.069 to .077) and then made his career-best run 3.889 seconds but Capps took the win with a run of 3.863 seconds.

Vandergriff and his John Force Racing team are currently fifth in the 2026 Funny Car standings after a semifinal finish in the season-opener at Gainesville, a second-round showing at Phoenix and semifinal finish at Pomona.

Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their semifinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:50 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

The unofficial 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after three of 20 races are: Ron Capps, 251; Matt Hagan, 251; JR Todd, 224; Chad Green, 223; Jordan Vandergriff, 205; Spencer Hyde, 189; Alexis DeJoria, 184; Daniel Wilkerson, 138; Paul Lee, 133; Jack Beckman, 119.

Quotes

With this being your first time racing in the 4-wide format, have you talked with anyone about the procedures for racing the four-wide format?

“I raced at Charlotte in an alcohol dragster once, but this will be my first time in the four-wide concept so it’s going to be a new experience for me. I don’t really know what to expect yet but I think I’m going to have a lot of those experiences this year so I’m just going to go for it. I have the benefit of working on NHRA on FOX the last two years. Being at these races and watching the procedures, I’ve been told many things by many different people already, so I think I’m very prepared for it. I know Lanes 2 and 3 are more difficult so I know what I’m looking for already. It’s going to be a different feel but I’ll be ready for it.”

You mentioned Lanes 2 and 3 being more difficult. Is that because you’re looking at people on both, you’ve got people on both sides of you? 

“Lanes 2 and 3 are difficult because you’re looking across the Christmas Tree. In Lane 2, your tree is to your left, and your stage bulb is the 2nd bulb on the left so you’re looking all the way across the tree. In Lane 3, your bulb would be the 3rd bulb on your right all the way to the right. So, it’s kind of a longer view for Lanes 2 and 3. Lanes 1 and 4 are the easier ones because you’re just looking right at your bulb. I think I’m going to take a little more of my time because you never know when other people are going to go in and, with four of us, it’s going to be a little longer anyway, so I might as well take an extra second for myself, too.” 

What are your thoughts on the season so far, sitting fifth in points after three races?

“I feel great about how this year has gone so far. This Cornwell Quality Tools Funny Car has really been running well and that’s thanks to Chris Cunningham, Jason Bunker, and all of my guys. We’re sitting fifth in the points, and I think we’re coming off our strongest race in Pomona. We qualified third, made it to the semis, and only got beat by the quickest ET (elapsed time) of the whole event. So, coming out of Pomona, I think Charlotte, with the four-wide format, gives us a chance to possibly be holding one of those diamond Wally’s at the end of the weekend.” 

Is earning the No. 1 Qualifier on Friday at Pomona something you just put away or is that something you use as motivation? 

“I think it’s a little bit of both. You have to use it as motivation but you also have to put it away and understand that each race is a singular experience. Holding on to the No. 1 Qualifier spot after Q 2 at Pomona was a pretty cool experience and it makes you want it even more. It gives you a little more motivation to go out there and do it, but you also have to understand that each race comes with its own challenges.”

Stats

Charlotte	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2019 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2025 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Starts: 0

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 0

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 25 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 26.

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 24, and 11 a.m. ET on Sunday with eliminations action at 7 p.m. ET to follow.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 22, 2026) – Josh Hart and his John Force Racing team hope to take the sting out of their second-round departure at the Winternationals two weeks ago by pulling the HendrickCars.com Top Fuel Dragster in the winner’s circle at the conclusion of the April 24-26 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway outside Charlotte, N.C.

The HendrickCars.com scheme at the 4-Wide Nationals will be the only event that Hart’s team will run a scheme other than Speedmaster for the balance of the 2026 season.

The 2026 Gatornationals titlist qualified second at Pomona and charged to victory in the first round of eliminations with a run of 3.698 seconds at 336.91 mph. Lined up next to Tony Stewart in Round 2, Hart left the starting line a mere seven-thousandths-of-a-second after Stewart and was running side-by-side at half-track before slowing as he neared the finish line, allowing the eventual event winner to take the win light.

Hart is currently third in the 2026 Top Fuel standings after victory at the season-opener at Gainesville and second-round showings at Phoenix and Pomona.

Hart and the HendrickCars.com team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their quarterfinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The unofficial 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after three of 20 races are: Doug Kalitta, 256; Shawn Langdon, 252; Josh Hart, 235; Tony Stewart, 224; Leah Pruett, 220; Maddi Gordon, 186; Justin Ashley, 157; Antron Brown, 139; Billy Torrence, 133; Clay Milliken, 114.

Quotes

You said after your second-round finish at Pomona that “this one stings” so are you using it as motivation or have you put it behind you?

“We need to, we need to use it to focus, prepare, and execute. It’s definitely fuel for the fire and we will do exactly that: conquer and divide.”

What is what is it like racing four-wide at Charlotte?

“It’s awesome. We, as drivers, just have to pay attention. A lot of people don’t understand when you’re in these cars and you’re turning into a lane, you can’t necessarily differentiate which lane you’re headed towards. So, as long as you know what lane you’re in and you can focus on the bulb that you need to focus on, you should be able to do your job. I think that it’s a pretty cool spectacle for the fans. The difference for me is now I’ve got a dog in the fight that I’m confident with so that we can win this race.”

You have your usual starting line process so do you have to do anything different racing four wide?

“It’s a little bit more time consuming. When you’re sitting on the light, it feels like an eternity. It’s not, but when you’re waiting for three other souls to stage properly, it feels like forever. But nothing changes for me. I usually just try to make sure I am absolutely as shallow as possible to get everything that we can get for the crew chiefs. And then in competition, I do my own thing. The lights are pretty consistent and they’re only going to get better and better from here on out.”

What are your thoughts on representing Mr. Hendrick and HendrickCars.com?

“I cannot put into words how excited I am to be affiliated with such an amazing organization that is the largest name in automotive history in my book. I’ve looked up to them. I’ve followed their racing. It’s absolutely epic as I’m also in cars for my occupation. What a great role model and what a great success story to follow. So, hopefully, we can make them proud. I support the colors and am prouder than I can put into words.”

Stats

Charlotte	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2021	Final Round	Def. B. Torrence & K. Wurtzel Def. D. Kalitta & C. Millican	Loss to S. Torrence & B. Force	4th	2-1
2022	Final Round	Def. S. Torrence & S. Langdon Def. C. Millican & B. Force	Lost to M. Salinas & C. Ferre	6th	4-2
2023	Final Round	Def. T. Schumacher & D. Mercier Def. D. Foley & B. Force	Lost to A. Prock & L. Pruett	5th	6-3
2024	1st round		Lost to C. Millican & B. Torrence	12th	6-4
2025	2nd round	Def. I. Zetterstrom & S. Farley	Lost to S. Langdon & J. Ashley	7th	7-5

Starts: 5

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

HENDRICKCARS.COM SCHEME FOR HART AT 4-WIDE NATS

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 22, 2026) – Josh Hart and his John Force Racing team hope to take the sting out of their second-round departure at the Winternationals two weeks ago by pulling the HendrickCars.com Top Fuel Dragster in the winner’s circle at the conclusion of the April 24-26 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway outside Charlotte, N.C.

The HendrickCars.com scheme at the 4-Wide Nationals will be the only event that Hart’s team will run a scheme other than Speedmaster for the balance of the 2026 season.

The 2026 Gatornationals titlist qualified second at Pomona and charged to victory in the first round of eliminations with a run of 3.698 seconds at 336.91 mph. Lined up next to Tony Stewart in Round 2, Hart left the starting line a mere seven-thousandths-of-a-second after Stewart and was running side-by-side at half-track before slowing as he neared the finish line, allowing the eventual event winner to take the win light.

Hart is currently third in the 2026 Top Fuel standings after victory at the season-opener at Gainesville and second-round showings at Phoenix and Pomona.

Hart and the HendrickCars.com team qualified to compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on the strength of their quarterfinals finish in Pomona. The event will take place as part of Saturday’s qualifying runs scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The unofficial 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after three of 20 races are: Doug Kalitta, 256; Shawn Langdon, 252; Josh Hart, 235; Tony Stewart, 224; Leah Pruett, 220; Maddi Gordon, 186; Justin Ashley, 157; Antron Brown, 139; Billy Torrence, 133; Clay Milliken, 114.

Quotes

You said after your second-round finish at Pomona that “this one stings” so are you using it as motivation or have you put it behind you?

“We need to, we need to use it to focus, prepare, and execute. It’s definitely fuel for the fire and we will do exactly that: conquer and divide.”

What is what is it like racing four-wide at Charlotte?

“It’s awesome. We, as drivers, just have to pay attention. A lot of people don’t understand when you’re in these cars and you’re turning into a lane, you can’t necessarily differentiate which lane you’re headed towards. So, as long as you know what lane you’re in and you can focus on the bulb that you need to focus on, you should be able to do your job. I think that it’s a pretty cool spectacle for the fans. The difference for me is now I’ve got a dog in the fight that I’m confident with so that we can win this race.”

You have your usual starting line process so do you have to do anything different racing four wide?

“It’s a little bit more time consuming. When you’re sitting on the light, it feels like an eternity. It’s not, but when you’re waiting for three other souls to stage properly, it feels like forever. But nothing changes for me. I usually just try to make sure I am absolutely as shallow as possible to get everything that we can get for the crew chiefs. And then in competition, I do my own thing. The lights are pretty consistent and they’re only going to get better and better from here on out.”

What are your thoughts on representing Mr. Hendrick and HendrickCars.com?

“I cannot put into words how excited I am to be affiliated with such an amazing organization that is the largest name in automotive history in my book. I’ve looked up to them. I’ve followed their racing. It’s absolutely epic as I’m also in cars for my occupation. What a great role model and what a great success story to follow. So, hopefully, we can make them proud. I support the colors and am prouder than I can put into words.”

Stats

Charlotte	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2021	Final Round	Def. B. Torrence & K. Wurtzel Def. D. Kalitta & C. Millican	Loss to S. Torrence & B. Force	4th	2-1
2022	Final Round	Def. S. Torrence & S. Langdon Def. C. Millican & B. Force	Lost to M. Salinas & C. Ferre	6th	4-2
2023	Final Round	Def. T. Schumacher & D. Mercier Def. D. Foley & B. Force	Lost to A. Prock & L. Pruett	5th	6-3
2024	1st round		Lost to C. Millican & B. Torrence	12th	6-4
2025	2nd round	Def. I. Zetterstrom & S. Farley	Lost to S. Langdon & J. Ashley	7th	7-5

Starts: 5

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 7-5