LEWISTOWN, IL — July 2, 2025 — Tyler Erb is back to championship form.

Chasing his second title with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models in 2025, the New Waverly, TX driver closed back in on Jason Feger towards the overall points lead with 11 races remaining with a masterclass around Spoon River Speedway.

Erb rolled off from the front row alongside Rodney Melvin for the Wednesday night Feature, with Melvin taking the lead from the bottom lane.

Erb’s Rocket Chassis worked to find his pace on the cushion through the early stages, which helped him gain enough momentum to make a charge for the lead at the finish line. “Terbo” had enough clearance on Melvin into Turn 1 to slice down to the bottom lane to block Melvin’s move and secure the lead.

The Best Performance Motorsports No. 1 was able to grow the bubble between the car and the field as Bob Gardner and Tyler Millwood battled Melvin for the podium positions.

As the lapped traffic interrupted Erb’s three-second lead, Gardner and Millwood steadily reeled back into the chase for the win.

While Gardner and Millwood got to within one second of the lead, they were unable to reach Erb in time as he took the 20th checkered flag of his Hell Tour career.

“Just be patient,” Erb said. “Obviously, to pull out of line and pass a lap car would have been tough. If they make a mistake, you gotta capitalize and try to get by them. You get a chance to win races like this when you qualify good, and win your Heat race. We did everything correct tonight. It was a really good night for our team, and really fun.”

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 4G-Bob Gardner[3]; 3. 31M-Tyler Millwood[5]; 4. 27M-Rodney Melvin[1]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener[4]; 6. 25F-Jason Feger[7]; 7. 14-Haiden Cowan[6]; 8. 18-Shannon Babb[9]; 9. 29-Christian Hanger[8]; 10. 28B-Carson Brown[10]; 11. 33-Mike Harrison[13]; 12. 89-Mike Spatola[16]; 13. 17SR-Brody Smith[11]; 14. 17SS-Brenden Smith[12]; 15. 14JR-Trey Mills[15]; 16. 15-Clay Stuckey[19]; 17. 55-Eli Johnson[14]; 18. 388-Jackson Hise[22]; 19. 75-Dillon McCowan[18]; 20. 13-Dylan Thornton[17]; 21. (DNF) 44-Blaze Burwell[20]; 22. (DNF) A9-AJ May[21]

Tyler Nicely Ties Ray Bollinger for Fourth in All-Time Summit Modified Nationals Wins at Spoon River

With 12 races remaining in the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals season, Tyler Nicely has a chance at scoring his second career title in 2025.

Through the last five races, the Owensboro, KY veteran has won three, with his most recent triumph coming on Wednesday night at Spoon River Speedway.

Nicely began the night with a Heat race win, which helped him draw the Pole Position for the night’s 25-lap Feature.

Starting alongside fellow Owensboro native Cole Falloway, Nicely took command from the drop of the green flag while Falloway followed behind the No. 25 Elite Chassis.

While Falloway stayed within a one-second gap to Nicely, the two cars extended their lead to over four seconds on third-place Allen Weisser.

Falloway attempted the cushion and the middle lanes of the 3/8-mile racetrack, but held him back as he was the first to witness Nicely capture the twin checkered flags for the third time in 2025.

Nicely’s win also marked the 14th of his career, which ties him with Ray Bollinger for fourth on the all-time wins list for the Summit Modified Nationals.

“I know he’s not gonna go in there and wreck me,” Nicely said. “I knew I just wanted to set the pace. I didn’t want to get into lap traffic where there was no place to go. It just shows we’re out here tonight, and I can’t thank my crew enough.”

Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals return to LaSalle Speedway for the first time since 2021 in the Freedom 40 on Thursday, July 3.

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

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 25-Tyler Nicely[1]; 2. 66-Cole Falloway[2]; 3. 12-Allen Weisser[3]; 4. 292-Josh Allen[4]; 5. 96M-Mike McKinney[5]; 6. 09-Michael Ledford[9]; 7. C40-Mike Chasteen Jr[6]; 8. 77-Ray Bollinger[7]; 9. 05-Dave Wietholder[10]; 10. 3-Mike Brooks[12]; 11. 45H-Chase Holland[15]; 12. 97-Charles Hess[13]; 13. 27G-Jason Garver[19]; 14. 23B-Ethan Boomsma[11]; 15. 21D-John Dimmitt[17]; 16. 49B-Zach Brandt[14]; 17. 69-Riley Roberts[8]; 18. (DNF) 75-Daniel Adam[18]; 19. (DNF) 03B-Mark Burgtorf[16]

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The Big One at Belleville Gives 360 Sprint Cars New Spotlight Event

July 3, 2025 ARP Trish

Two-day event, featuring $10,000-to-win finale, live on DIRTVision this Thursday–Friday

BELLEVILLE, KS (July 2, 2025) — Open-wheel racing has a long history at Belleville High Banks. For over 50 years, the track has presented national-level Midget, Champ Car, and Winged Sprint Car racers with a big stage on which to compete, crowning its most iconic racers with some of the most prestigious trophies in the sport.

This Thursday–Friday, July 3–4, the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) will begin carving a legacy for 360 Sprint Cars at the hallowed, 1/2-mile oval with the inaugural running of The Big One — a bold yet fitting name for an event with the potential to be one of 360 racing’s biggest marquee events.

“Everything in Belleville is bigger,” said track promoter Drew Erkenbrack. “The track is huge, we’re fast… to win here, we’ve always thought it’s a big deal. The winners here — it usually means a lot to guys when they win here. There’s not a lot of races held here in a year. There’s a lot of big names that have won here, and there’s a lot of big names that haven’t won here.”

While the Series’ first-ever venture to the high banks came with a regional event in 2006, the national Series has made only one appearance at the track. Missouri racer Brian Brown took the checkered flag in the national Series debut in May 2015, and since then, ASCS has been absent at the Kansas oval.

When a new promotional group took over management of the facility before the 2021 season, several new goals were established, including bringing national 360 Sprint Car racing back to the track. For that, the choice of partnership was already clear.

“ASCS has kind of restructured and made their national tour more appealing to more guys and has such a great following,” Erkenbrack said. “We saw that there’s a lot of cars on the tour, and in these deals, the name of the game is to have a good car count, which gets you a good crowd.

“With the World Racing Group, it just feels like it was taken to a whole other level — the competition and quality-of-field.”

For 40 years from 1978–2017, the prestigious Belleville Midget Nationals remained the track’s most prestigious event, in addition to USAC Silver Crown events, three World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series appearances, and several other regional Sprint Car specials. The track’s newest tradition — the Belleville 305 Nationals, started in 2018 — has been another success, which further helped to spark the interest in creating another spotlight Sprint Car event.

“We were just at that point where we wanted to create another big, two-day event, and it just felt perfect,” Erkenbrack said. “(We thought) if we can have a big USAC event, a big ASCS National 360 event and our big 305 Nationals… since we’re not a weekly track, we have to bring in a touring series or put on a big, special-paying event because it’s just a different animal here at Belleville.”

A $10,000 grand prize is in store for the winner of Friday night’s main event, marking the second of seven five-figure winner’s shares on the 2025 ASCS schedule. It’s a strong cut of cash for a 360 Sprint Car event, and the track has plans on creating an even larger purse in the future.

“It just seems like there’s room to come in here and become one of the big 360 events of the year, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Erkenbrack said. “I know we’re 10,000-to-win, and that’s not the biggest paying event on the schedule, but we want to work towards that and make this a big deal and have somebody excited to win The Big One here at the High Banks.”

Wolfgang. Hewitt. Darland. Coons Jr. Clauson — all have triumphed on the big stage at Belleville. Soon, another name will do the same, with a wing on the top and a 360 cubic-inch engine under the hood, joining the list of high-profile winners at one of the nation’s oldest, fastest tracks.

“We want it to be a big-time deal when we open the gates,” Erkenbrack said. “That way, our fans know it’s a high-paying event, we’re going to have a good car count, and the guy who wins knows that he did something pretty major to win out here at Belleville against some of the best drivers in the country.”

Tickets for both nights of The Big One are on sale now; click here to purchase. If you can’t be at the track to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

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TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Chicago Street Race July 5-6, 2025

July 3, 2025 ARP Trish

NASCAR will once again open up the month of July in the “Windy City” with the Cup and Xfinity Series hitting the city streets for the third rendition of the Chicago Street Race.

The doubleheader will get underway with the Xfinity Series in Saturday’s The Loop 110, followed by the Cup Series in Sunday’s Grant Park 165. NASCAR’s short history of street racing has seen a commanding performance by the Chevrolet camp with the Bowtie brand entering the weekend as the only triumphant manufacturer in both divisions at the circuit.
UNDEFEATED IN THE “WINDY CITY”

Just two years ago, a history-making weekend turned into a career-defining moment for Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen. Taking the green flag in the NASCAR Cup Series for the very first time, the Auckland, New Zealand, native became the first driver in 60 years to win in his debut start in the sport’s top division. The victory was accompanied by a Team Chevy top-five sweep earned by drivers representing four different Chevrolet organizations. One year ago, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman snapped an 80-race winless streak and put Chevrolet back in victory lane at the Chicago circuit for the second-consecutive season. Success has been shared across the Chevrolet camp at the circuit with five of its full-time organizations earning top-10 results in the two-race stint. Kyle Busch has piloted his Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet to top-10 results in each event, with Kaulig Racing earning a best finish of second in the inaugural event and Hyak Motorsports scoring a sixth-place finish in 2024.

BOWMAN ON BRINK OF FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman is hungrier than ever to get back into victory lane, and the 32-year-old Tucson, Arizona, native is setting himself up for the opportunity to do just that this weekend. Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet team already have the momentum as the series’ defending winners in the Chicago Street Race. But on top of that, the Chevrolet driver is on a hot streak of top-five finishes in two of the past three races, which started on the left- and right-hand turns of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Also earning a ninth-place finish in the first road course race of the season at Circuit of The Americas, Bowman will enter the weekend with six top-10 finishes in the past 10 road races.

BROWN BACK STATESIDEYet another Supercars standout will make the crossover back into the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend. Reigning Australian Supercars Champion, Will Brown, is set to make his second career start in NASCAR’s top division at the Chicago Street Course – this time behind the wheel of a third entry for Kaulig Racing. The 27-year-old Australian native made his Cup Series debut with Richard Childress Racing at Sonoma Raceway last season. The driver quickly found his footing behind the wheel of a Next Gen Camaro ZL1. Brown clocked-in third-fastest overall in practice, but battled an electrical issue throughout the remainder of the weekend. Looking to follow suit of fellow Supercars champion, Shane van Gisbergen, a win in Sunday’s event would make Brown the first-ever Australian-born driver to win in NASCAR’s top division.

TEAM CHEVY LEADS IN PLAYOFF BERTHSAfter being a consistent contender throughout much of the season, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team earned their spot back in victory lane at EchoPark Speedway last weekend. The win – his 20th all-time in his Cup Series career – added onto an already strong first-half of the 2025 season for the 29-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native. Elliott has been a steady fixture in the top-10 of the driver points standings throughout the season, with the Chevrolet driver making his way up into the second position following his win – now sitting just 37-points behind his teammate, William Byron. With 18 points-paying races complete in NASCAR’s top division, Chevrolet sits at a series-best seven wins. As the playoff picture inches closer, the Bowtie brand also leads the series in early playoff berths with Elliott becoming the manufacturer’s fifth different driver to find victory lane this season.

ZILISCH AMONG LEADING ROAD COURSE WARRIORSAmong the sport’s road course warriors includes Team Chevy’s rising star, Connor Zilisch. Already proving to be diverse on each configuration on the circuit, the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender has found early success in his road racing roots. Zilisch found victory lane in his first career start at Watkins Glen International in Sept. 2024, becoming just the seventh driver in Xfinity Series history to win in his debut. Now competing in a full-time campaign in the series, Zilisch has tallied three victories in just 20 career starts behind the wheel of a Camaro SS, with his first of the season coming at Circuit of The Americas in March. On top of the victory, the 18-year old North Carolina native has swept the pole wins in both road course races this season, as well as tallied a top-five finish in Mexico City. Heading into his first start at the Chicago Street Course, Zilisch’s expertise on left- and right-hand turns is accompanied by a string of five-straight top-five finishes, dating back to a pair of runner-up results at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.

BOWTIE BULLETS:· The pace car lineup for the NASCAR doubleheader weekend at the Chicago Street Course will feature all three NASCAR OEM partners, with the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS assisting in pacing the Cup Series in Sunday’s Grant Park 165 and the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray assisting in pacing the Xfinity Series in Saturday’s The Loop 110. · Together with NASCAR, ABB and the sports’ OEM partners, Chevrolet will be participating in an electric vehicle showcase during the NASCAR Chicago Street Race weekend. The showcase on Sunday will feature live exhibition track laps by the Chevy, Ford and ABB electric vehicle prototypes, with the Chevrolet Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype being driven by Rajah Caruth. · Chevrolet heads into the third annual Chicago Street Race undefeated in NASCAR’s top division: July 2023 – Shane van Gisbergen July 2024 – Alex Bowman · Chevrolet drivers swept the top-five finishing positions in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Chicago Street Race – recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations. The feat marked the second time the Bowtie brand swept the top-five finishing results in the Next Gen era – also accomplishing the feat at another road course, Road America, in July 2022. · Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in 10 of the 18 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. · In 126 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 59 victories – a winning percentage of 46.8%.
· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 873 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Challenge Round 2 – Grant Park 165Sunday, June 6, at 2 p.m. ET(TNT, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Xfinity SeriesThe Loop 110Saturday, June 5, at 4:30 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletDo you enjoy road racing?“I’m ready to turn left and right again. I’ve really grown to like road course racing and it is something I’ve spent time improving on. The better I get at it, the more I like it. It’s fun to have Shane and Daniel as teammates because they’re both so good at road racing and I can learn from them and obviously Connor knows his way around road courses too. I need to have a clean race this weekend. Mexico City was going well until the spin, pit road and things like that. I’m really looking forward to Chicago this weekend.” Chicago is a unique event… do you like racing in the city?“Chicago is such a fun weekend. It’s unique in that we can just walk across the street to the track. We don’t have rental cars and can walk or take transportation everywhere. There is something for everyone – museums, parks, excellent food. It feels really familiar now that it’s going to be our third year.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on racing on the streets of Chicago?“The Chicago Street Course is an awesome race to check out. There are tight corners that impact how you enter and exit the corners. You’ve got to be so precise. The walls are very tight, and it’s easy to make a mistake on the Chicago street course. The past couple of years, we’ve had to deal with the rain. Our Richard Childress Racing team will be ready for whatever comes our way.” What’s it like driving the Chicago Street Course compared to a regular track—does it feel different behind the wheel?“The Chicago Street Course is very different from the other courses we race on. We’re racing on the streets of downtown Chicago, and seeing the city skyline and the traffic lights definitely gives the race a different feeling. It’s a pretty cool sight to race around Buckingham Fountain and other historic monuments in the city. It’s going to be a great July Fourth holiday weekend. The fan support is huge, and NASCAR puts on a great race.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Larson on the Chicago Street Race: “It’s a really fun event. I love it. I hope the weather is good, rain has kind of come out of no where the last couple of years. I hope it goes good. The fans deserve to see a good race there. I love being in the city and walking to the race track and good food, it’s fun.”   Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are your thoughts heading to Chicago?“Chicago is one of my favorite races of the year. The atmosphere and crowd are incredible, so it’s always a special weekend. I’ve been looking forward to the Chicago Street Race all season. Our cars were fast at both road races this season, so I’m eager to see how we’ll do on the street course.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletThere’s a whole lot of unique tracks coming up on the schedule, is there anything you can take from that?“Each week we try to continue to focus on that week’s race and making sure that we know what to do to have good results. There’s a few road courses coming up, so honestly, some might say ‘hey, we screwed up road course points at Mexico, so now we’re not going to be very good on all the rest of the road courses.’ I wouldn’t say that’s true. You can either do really well and earn a lot of points at those races by staying out at the end of the stages and playing the strategy game, or you can have what happened to us in Mexico and have an incident where you get zero points. It’s up to our team to do everything we can to maximize the opportunities to earn points.” Anytime you get to any of the road courses, you don’t want to have to deal with those road course ringers, right?“The A.J. Allmendinger’s or the Shane van Gisbergen’s, those guys are really good, and recognized for their road course experience, although, last year Alex Bowman won the race and he does not come from a road course racing background. So, it’s anyone and everyone in the field that can go out there and get it done on at the road course races.” Would you be okay with adding another street race to the schedule? If so, what would be a good location?“Another street circuit would be a pretty good idea. If we’re going to do it, we should go to an area that we’re not currently racing in. I wouldn’t change racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to run on the streets of Las Vegas. Let’s go somewhere different.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletElliott on the performance of the team: “We’ve just been doing this long enough to know it all kind of starts and ends with us. We have to make sure we’re doing our part and I’m doing my part. Just bringing everything I can possibly bring every single week. It’s the honest conversations that we have on Monday mornings that are either going to make us better or make us fail. All of the pieces of the puzzle are there. We’re working on the right things. I think I’m asking for the right things out of the car. I’m really proud of our team for just sticking together. I think there’s been so many times that we could have thrown in the towel and really kind of fractured from the inside. It’s a really important thing for me to have climbed that mountain and stood on top of it with AG (Alan Gustafson) and we’ve kind of fallen off that hill. Getting back to the top with him and with our group and doing it together, I think is a really important thing to do. We have so much respect for one another as a team that we’re going to continue to make each other better as we push forward.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“I love racing on the streets of Chicago, and I always think it’s a fun event overall. Racing on a street course is unique; it’s challenging in so many different ways. The weather has always been a factor there and that throws another kind of obstacle to figure out. The two years we’ve been there have been difficult in the way the race has played out. I need to be better with some of the mistakes I have made on track and we’re working hard to get a better result. Our focus this year is getting out there and having a good practice. That will set the tone for the weekend and that’s probably where we’ve lacked most in the past. I’m doing all my homework to try to be better for practice and moving on to put together a good race. We’ve had opportunities to have really good finishes, and it just hasn’t played out. We’re working to learn from those mistakes and be better this weekend.”

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletByron on the Chicago Street Race: “Honestly, I’m just hoping we have good weather this weekend in Chicago. The last two years it has rained, and it really changed the dynamic of how the race goes and who is a factor. It would just be cool to see how the race plays out when that element isn’t involved. But even if it is, we have two years of experience with it. I just love the vibe the race brings, racing downtown through the city. It’s unlike the other venues we go to, and I think it brings an element that we need.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m excited to light up the streets of Chicago and represent Rate in front of their hometown crowd.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBowman on returning to the Chicago Street Race after winning last season : “Going back to Chicago is pretty special. That win last year was huge for me and this 48 team it was one of those races where everything came together at the right time. The street course is such a unique challenge, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else we see all year. I’m excited to get back there, defend that win, and hopefully keep building momentum for the playoff push.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are your thoughts heading back to a track where you have back-to-back top-10’s and how do you feel about NASCAR’s attempt at street racing?“I am looking forward to Chicago, it is a fun track and hopefully we can get a smooth weekend with no rain. It is a place we have finished in the top five and top 10 a couple of times, and I feel confident going there. Our road course program is getting better each race and I really feel like we are building on something. We still have things to learn, but I feel like going into Chicago and Sonoma back-to-back gives us a couple of good opportunities to win, and get into the playoffs.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow does a street course differ from the traditional road courses the Cup Series typically visits?”The biggest difference, which is also the most obvious, is we’re racing on a surface that sees high traffic on a daily basis compared to a purpose-built track that holds events a few times a year. The City of Chicago and NASCAR do a great job making sure the course is prepared for us and we’ve seen improvement each year the series has gone back to Chicago. Because we’re racing on streets that are built for people to navigate through a city, the corners are usually a bit more narrow and that’s where we’ve seen a lot of incidents in the past. You run out of room quickly when everyone is fighting for the preferred line. Weather has been a factor the last two years so I guess we’ll see what comes of that, but that’s pretty normal for this time of year, anywhere we race. I’m really excited for this weekend’s race. There’s always a lot of action on track and a lot of fun things to do in the city.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletChicago has been really good to you. What does that city and street course mean to you?“Ah, every time I come back, I get the memories of the first-ever race, coming and doing really well here. This city will always hold so many memories. I’m really looking forward to getting back on the streets of Chicago and hopefully getting a third win for the city and a second Chicago win for Trackhouse.” How are you feeling about this weekend?“We should be very strong this weekend. I know everyone is going to be better. Last year was a big step up on competition and I know this year will be, too. We just have to continue to focus on us. We’ve prepped very hard, spent last week’s simulator time on Chicago, so hopefully we get there this weekend and are solid.” What is Chicago a track that fits your driving style so well? You have been very successful there…“It’s just like the tracks I’ve grown up racing on. In Supercars there are a lot of street circuits on the schedule, so I’m comfortable with the walls. It’s similar to a few tracks that I raced in Australia, whereas most of these guys aren’t used to street circuits. Just something I’m comfortable with and have spent many years racing.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on Chicago?“I am very optimistic. We’ve been fast there both years. It was frustrating because we had a really good car and I thought we would be there at the end, but we ended up having too many issues. I know we are good enough to win this race on Sunday.” What is the key to winning?“You have to survive. Stay out of trouble. You do that by qualifying well, making good pit stops, good strategy and having a little bit of luck.” How important is Chicago to NASCAR?“I think Chicago is very important. We need as many new markets as possible, plus, it’s a fun place to visit.” How important is having Jockey on your car this weekend?“Jockey is a huge supporter of Trackhouse Racing and I know they spend a lot of time thinking about the paint schemes they bring to the track. Not only do they make us look good on the track, but we get a lot of Jockey apparel that helps us look good off the track.” On parting ways with Trackhouse at the end of the 2025 season:“I want to thank all the men and women at Trackhouse Racing for your love and support. I’ve had some of the best years of my Cup Series career at Trackhouse. We had great successes as a team and I gained some incredible friends. We took a team nobody had even heard of in 2021 and in just a couple of years we were winning races and running up front on a weekly basis. Just like the seasons in a year, sometimes things change and we have mutually agreed to each go in our own direction. I wish Trackhouse nothing but the best, this No. 99 team will always be special to me. And like I always say, the best is ahead!”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007) 2025 STATISTICS: Wins: 7Poles: 8Laps Led: 2,293Top-Fives: 37Top-10s: 78Stage Wins: 16 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 873 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 761Laps led to date: 255,004Top-fives to date: 4,406Top-10s to date: 9,085 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,207 Chevrolet: 873 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 844 Ford: 744 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 196

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Berry, No. 21 Team Set to Tackle the Streets of Chicago

July 3, 2025 ARP Trish

For the third consecutive year, the NASCAR Cup Series will take to the streets of downtown Chicago for one of the most distinctive events on the schedule, the Grant Park 165. The 2.2-mile, 12-turn street circuit winds through iconic city roads including Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, with the start/finish line and pit road situated in front of the landmark Buckingham Fountain.

As the Cup Series returns to the heart of the city, it also revisits the shadow of Soldier Field, one of America’s most storied sports venues and a place with unique meaning for Wood Brothers Racing. Team founder Glenn Wood captured a NASCAR Convertible Division victory there on June 29, 1957, piloting his No. 22 Ford to the win in a race where only two drivers finished on the lead lap. His share of the purse was just $600.

That triumph was part of a short but notable stretch of NASCAR competition at Soldier Field, which also included a Cup Series race in 1956 and two other convertible events.

This time around, Josh Berry will take on the streets of downtown Chicago in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

“Chicago is a tight and technical course that demands a lot of focus to navigate cleanly,” Berry said. “With heavy braking zones at most corners and everyone fighting for position, keeping the car in one piece is a big priority.

“Passing isn’t easy here, so being patient and methodical is key to making it to the end.”

Track activity begins Saturday with practice and qualifying scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on truTV. Sunday’s 75-lap, 165-mile street race is slated for 2 p.m. ET with broadcast coverage on TNT.

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Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood to run Honda livery at Mid-Ohio

July 2, 2025 ARP Trish

July 2, 2025 — MANSFIELD, OH

Kyle Kirkwood to run special Honda livery for Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport
Kirkwood will be going for his fourth win of the year and Honda’s 10th in a row to start the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season
The collaboration comes as IndyCar celebrates one year of hybrid power

Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood will be debuting a brand-new Honda livery this weekend at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport.

The collaboration comes at a home race for Honda, as the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is just over 60 miles from the Honda Marysville and East Liberty Auto Plants as well as Honda Research & Development, and celebrates all of Honda’s products—from the streets to the sky. More than 400,000 Honda and Acura automobiles are made in Ohio each year, as well as research and design on components for Honda products from lawnmowers to the HondaJet.

The Honda livery also comes on a special weekend of NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing as the series reaches the one-year milestone running hybrid power units. First introduced at Mid-Ohio in 2024, the hybrid power unit is a collaborative effort between Honda Racing Corporation USA, Ilmor and INDYCAR. It provides extra horsepower for the drivers at the press of a button.

Andretti and Honda share more than 20 years of celebrated history, going back to 1997 when the team was known as Team Green. Together, Honda and Andretti Global have earned three NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships—Tony Kanaan (2004), Dan Wheldon (2005) and Dario Franchitti (2007)—as well as five Indianapolis 500 victories—Dan Wheldon (2005), Dario Franchitti (2007), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), and Takuma Sato (2017).

Kyle Kirkwood enters the weekend second in the championship with three race wins—one of only two drivers to win a race this season. He hopes to add a victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to his previous wins this year at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Detroit Grand Prix and World Wide Technology Raceway.

Kirkwood has an impressive history at Mid-Ohio, scoring nine straight victories at the circuit in junior formula between 2017 and 2021. Kirkwood hopes to add a win at Mid-Ohio to his five-career IndyCar victories and bring Honda’s streak to 10 wins in 10 races in 2025.

Quotes

Chuck Schifsky (Manager, Honda & Acura Motorsports): “We are thrilled to have Honda represented on the #27 Andretti Global machine of Kyle Kirkwood this weekend. We’ve had a long partnership with the Andretti organization, and when the chance came up to have Kyle run a Honda-branded car here at the Honda race at Mid-Ohio, we jumped at it. It’s a great opportunity to bring awareness to all parts of the Honda brand—from planes, motorcycles and power products, to road cars and our hybrid-powered Indy cars—especially on this one year anniversary of IndyCar going hybrid. We have thousands of Honda associates from our five Ohio manufacturing plants and the North American R&D center coming to watch the race, and seeing that Kyle is one of only two drivers to win so far this year, and all nine races have been won by Honda, we’re hoping we can continue that streak and put on a great show for them.”

Jill Gregory (President, Andretti Global): “Honda has been a phenomenal partner, and their performance this season speaks for itself. We’re proud to have played a key role in their dominance so far. Mid-Ohio is a big weekend for both of us, and so we’re honored to run a special livery that celebrates everything we’ve accomplished together. We’re looking forward to delivering a result that reflects the strength of this partnership.”

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Too Close to Call… AFT Singles Brace for Another Photo Finish at DuQuoin Mile

July 2, 2025 ARP Trish

AFT Singles presented by KICKER riders Trevor Brunner (21), Chad Cose (49), Kage Tadman (228), and others race during heats at the Lima Half-Mile this past weekend [Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 2, 2025) – Don’t blink. If the past two stops were any indication, this year’s AFT Singles presented by KICKER race at the Memphis Shades DuQuoin Mile will be decided by the smallest of margins when Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, does battle at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Illinois, this Saturday, July 5. All Aboard the Drane Train After his double domination of the Lima Half-Mile, everyone can stop worrying about when Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) will finally get his first victory of the 2025 season and shift their concerns to whether or not anyone will be able to stop him now that’s he’s rolling at full steam. Whatever minor “slump,” Drane might have dealt with to open the season did not knock him off the historic trajectory that has defined the Australian’s early Progressive AFT career. Consider that, in just two-and-a-half seasons, he’s already moved into a tie with former class champions Dallas Daniels and Dalton Gauthier for third all-time in AFT Singles victories at 13. He’s also now tied with Daniels for third most Half-Mile wins at five. If the opposition thought it was going to get any easier this weekend, they might want to reconsider. Even without a stop at a Mile in ‘25, Drane already ranks second all-time in career Mile wins – also at five – with one of those coming at DuQuoin in ‘23. Should he sweep all three Miles this season, he would move into a tie with Shayna Texter-Bauman atop the career order. Daniels, Gauthier, Texter-Bauman… That’s some pretty exclusive company. It’s The FBI Again But don’t crown Drane just yet. In fact, he wasn’t even on the podium at DuQuoin a year ago… despite finishing just 0.088 seconds back of the win. That’s not a typo. In fact, the eight riders who represented first through fourth at the DuQuoin Mile in ‘23 and ‘24 were separated by less than two tenths of a second, combined. Last year’s victory went to home state Fast Boy from Illinois Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R), who beat triple champion Kody Kopp to the stripe at the head of a five-rider pack by 0.001 seconds. The year before, Saathoff was on the other end of things, losing out to Drane at the front of a six-rider pack by 0.011 seconds. Past history suggests it’ll be a major upset if anyone walks away with it this weekend, and if the multi-rider pack doesn’t include title rivals Drane and Saathoff. The potential for several other riders in the mix also creates opportunity for significant movement in the championship chase. For example, should Saathoff repeat and Drane get shuffled back to a close fourth again this year, the margin between the two would get slashed from 16 to just 7. Flying With Wings Who else could join that hypothetical mix? Even accounting for Drane’s recent Mile brilliance, Honda has traditionally been the primary force on the big tracks.  Honda-mounted riders have won more than half (36 of 67) Miles in class history, with an even better record since 2019 (12 of 21). And that’s not a stat propped up due to the overwhelming skills of any one rider; those 12 wins since ‘19 are split up amongst eight different riders. Along with Saathoff, Honda comes into DuQuoin with Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) – winner of three career Miles – in its corner. And don’t forget about Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R), who is no doubt out to make amends after his Saturday second at Lima was spoiled by a blown motor on Sunday. Santero now has a podium finish in a Half-Mile, Short Track, and TT. The Mile is the lone holdout, although he finished a solid sixth here a year ago. You Gotta Wear Shades Progressive AFT fans should pay close attention to the amateurs taking part in the 2025 Roof Systems AMA Flat Track Grand Championship this week in DuQuoin. Because when we say the week will put a spotlight on the future stars of the sport – we’re talking near future. Consider the names to previously shine at the amateur nations. Winners of the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award going back to just 2018 include Daniels, Brunner, Kopp, Saathoff, Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), and Walker Porter (No. 100 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R).  And this year’s crop of pros who were amateurs just one year ago is shaping up to be an all-timer. Just four races into his career, Kage Tadman (No. 288 Roof Systems/Old Oak Ranch KTM 450 SX-F) already boasts two wins and four top fives. Porter made a remarkable top-five pro debut last weekend and is now set to return to DuQuoin where he was named the recipient of the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award one year ago. Meanwhile, fellow rookie Ryder Reese (No. 244 Mission Foods/Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) finished ninth in his Progressive AFT debut weekend at Lima. That saw him join Tadman, Porter, Skylar Sentell (No. 249 Hoffer Performance/Stauffer Motors KTM 450 SX-F) and Ethan Kitchen (No. 105 Lucky Thumb M/C Yamaha YZ450F) in breaking into the top ten as a rookie already this season. And while it may not be easy to dice it up with the more experienced riders on a tactically taxing Mile, recall that Evan Kelleher (No. 31 Schaeffer’s Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) finished just 0.204 seconds off last year’s DuQuoin Mile win as a rookie. Speaking of, Kelleher comes in riding high following the best weekend of his sophomore campaign. It’s Independence Day Weekend. Of Course, We’re Gonna Party This week-long celebration of motorcycle dirt track racing will also offer plenty of activities away from the track. The Rider Q&A will take place during the Fan Party that leads directly into Opening Ceremonies.  There will also be a multitude of vendors, plenty of food and beverage options, extensive motorcycle parking, and an abundance of good vibes. That’s the Ticket General Admission Grandstand tickets for the Memphis Shades DuQuoin Mile are just $35 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult ticket) while Reserved Grandstand tickets are just $45 (all ages). And new for 2025, every ticket includes access to the paddock’s where you can get up close and personal with the planet’s most incredible dirt track riders and machines. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/trackenterprises/events/2025-duquoin-mile-129199 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.

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Tyler Erb Captures Tuesday Thriller at Benton Speedway for Fourth Summer Nationals Win in 2025

July 2, 2025 ARP Trish

BENTON, MO — July 1, 2025 — Benton Speedway brought fireworks both on and off the track for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Week 4 opener.Rocketing to the front in a 30-lap green flag run to the finish at the Missouri racetrack, Tyler Erb scored his 19th career Hell Tour win against his championship rivals in the 2025 campaign.The New Waverly, TX driver had to start against Bloomington, IL’s Jason Feger in the third row while polesitter Billy Moyer Jr. joined the Summer Nationals for the first time since 2023.While Moyer controlled the early pace, Feger jumped Mark Whitener and made his way up to second while Erb began to create momentum on the cushion while the competition ahead of him rode the bottom lane.Feger found his way to the cushion and used the momentum to slide job around Moyer for the lead on Lap 12.Perfecting his line through the first 1/3 of the Feature, “Terbo” found his rhythm to pass by Whitener for third on the same lap, then passed Moyer on the high side on Lap 13 for second place.The pace of Erb was unmatched in the first battle between the two, with Erb throwing a slide job in Turns 3-4 to claim the lead.Feger was not done racing for the lead by following Erb on the top through the halfway point; then, he made his second move for the top spot after the Best Performance Motorsports No. 1 made contact with a lapped car, having slid the car up the track too soon.Erb’s lost speed helped Feger take back the lead while Whitener climbed back from a three-second deficit to race the two drivers for the win.The final battle for the win saw Erb slide across Feger once more through Turns 3-4 on Lap 25, then used the cushion of Turns 1-2 to speed away from the No. 25 Longhorn Chassis. While Erb got clear, Whitener squeezed Feger between a lapped car to overtake for second place.Erb grew the distance from Whitener to 1.7 seconds as he captured the fourth win of the 2025 season and closed back in on Feger for the overall title.“Pure anger, honestly,” Erb said. “I felt like I was single-handedly cleaning the top off at the beginning. I felt like I did everything right to get to the lead, and then I don’t know what was going on. (It was) a lot of creative driving from the lapped cars. I was like ‘I need to slide (Feger),’ and next thing you know, we’re mounted in (Turn) 1, Feger got by me, and I thought I had lost the race. But, hunkered down and thought that ‘I’ll run the cushion harder. And if I wreck, I wreck.’ It was just a really good racecar.” Feature (30 Laps): 1. 1-Tyler Erb[6]; 2. 5-Mark Whitener[3]; 3. 25F-Jason Feger[5]; 4. 14-Haiden Cowan[2]; 5. 15-Clay Stuckey[12]; 6. 29-Christian Hanger[7]; 7. 81F-Jadon Frame[4]; 8. 75-Dillon McCowan[15]; 9. 14JR-Trey Mills[19]; 10. 31M-Tyler Millwood[8]; 11. 40B-Kyle Bronson[10]; 12. 17SS-Brenden Smith[14]; 13. 55-Eli Johnson[9]; 14. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[1]; 15. 28B-Carson Brown[22]; 16. 17SR-Brody Smith[16]; 17. 44-Blaze Burwell[20]; 18. (DNF) 14M-Morgan Bagley[11]; 19. (DNF) 388-Jackson Hise[13]; 20. (DNF) 5S-Kyle Hammer[17]; 21. (DNF) 81-Jason Riggs[18]; 22. (DNF) 16-Rusty Griffaw[21]Chase Holland Wins First Career Summit Modified Nationals Feature at BentonAfter two years of anticipation, Chase Holland’s time in DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Victory Lane has arrived.Holland had to flex his muscles against the top Modified drivers in the country to score his first career win with the tour in his first trip to Missouri’s Benton Speedway on Tuesday night.Holland began the night in fifth place for the 30-lap Feature, but a checkup on the bottom lane dropped him back to eighth by the end of the opening lap.He immediately recovered as he found the cushion of the track to be his most useful line for the 25-lap Feature.The Success, MS native drove back into the top five after passing two cars in one corner from the top to secure his spot after Lap 4, then moved by tour points leader Trevor Neville for fourth place on the following lap.While front row starters Kenny Wallace and Lucas Lee ran the bottom lane, Holland used his momentum on the top to outrun the No. 36 and No. 12 UMP Modifieds along the frontstretch to take over second place.Leader Tyler Nicely felt the challenge of Holland and shifted to the cushion to block Holland’s run at him. Holland responded with a slide job through Turns 3-4 and narrowly cleared Nicely before the No. 25 performed a crossover move to retake the lead.Holland tried to slide job Nicely once more, but the two drivers slammed into each other going into Turn 3, which sent Nicely spinning into the wall and Holland in full possession of the lead.Once Holland got to full speed on the final restart, Holland inflated the interval to 2.6 seconds over Zach Whaley as he crossed the twin checkered flags as a first-time Summit Modified winner.“It means the world to me,” Holland said. “It doesn’t mean as much to me as the people that support this deal and make it possible.“Let me start here. I’ve got a ton of respect for Tyler Nicely. I grew up watching that dude win his fair share of races, so I knew it was gonna be tricky racing against him. I figured that when we started throwing sliders that we’re not gonna block them. There was nothing I could do because I was committed down the backstretch.” Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modifieds visit the birthplace of the Hell Tour at Spoon River Speedway on Wednesday, July 2.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every DIRTcar Summer Nationals race live on DIRTVision. Feature (25 Laps): 1. 45H-Chase Holland[5]; 2. 12-Zach Whaley[12]; 3. 12L-Lucas Lee[4]; 4. 36-Kenny Wallace[2]; 5. 94-Austin Rettig[16]; 6. 75-Daniel Adam[9]; 7. 98-Zac Harris[8]; 8. 2-Peyton Walker[11]; 9. 1A-Steve Meyer Jr[7]; 10. 27G-Jason Garver[6]; 11. 76-Shawn Knuckles[15]; 12. 81-Kevin Cole[14]; 13. 18-Brent Thompson[10]; 14. 66-Chris Hall[17]; 15. 3G-Haleigh Gross[18]; 16. 151-Zach Resinger[23]; 17. 1H-Steve Hughes[21]; 18. 25-Tyler Nicely[3]; 19. 84G-Gary Gross[20]; 20. 777-Trevor Neville[1]; 21. 42-Clint Young[13]; 22. (DNS) 24-Zeke McKenzie; 23. (DNS) 13-Charlie MeffordARTICLE:https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/recap/tyler-erb-captures-tuesday-thriller-at-benton-speedway-for-fourth-summer-nationals-win-in-2025/, https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/recap/chase-holland-wins-first-career-summit-modified-nationals-feature-at-benton/ EVENT INFO:https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/schedule/event-info/?event=4547868
TRACK INFO:https://www.bentonspeedway.com/ FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners. Official partners include,Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel). Also supported by : AMKUS, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, FIREBULL, Fox Factory, Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, Mark Martin Automotive, MD3, MSD, Quarter Master, Swift Springs, WELD Racing, Wieland (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne.

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WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws Celebrating Independence Day Weekend with Gopher 50 at Deer Creek

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

SPRING VALLEY, MN (July 1, 2025) – The World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision wraps up its three-week tour of the Midwest this weekend with three nights of action on Independence Day weekend.

The NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway marks the next crown jewel event on the 2025 calendar, paying out $50,000 to the winner at the end of three nights of racing (Thursday-Saturday, July 3-5). The big money won’t be limited to Saturday though, as drivers will be competing for an event-high $10,000 on both Thursday and Friday night.

If the racing wasn’t enough, fans can also look forward to live music before and after the races all weekend long, a massive fireworks show following Saturday’s Feature, an autograph session with the World of Outlaws field on Saturday afternoon, a fan zone filled with games and activities and much more.

The USRA Northern Lights Modified Series will also be competing on all three nights, bringing together the top Modified talent from across the region to round out the racing program.

Here are the top storylines entering the weekend:

TOP OF HIS GAME: Two and a half years into his career as a full-time Late Model racer, Nick Hoffman added a new line to his resume last week – back-to-back World of Outlaws winner.

With wins at River Cities Speedway and Norman County Raceway and a podium to close out the weekend at Nodak Speedway, Hoffman has never felt better behind the wheel of a Late Model than he does right now. He doesn’t plan on letting that feeling fade this weekend.

The Mooresville, NC driver will go for his first crown jewel trophy at Deer Creek, a place he’s shown speed at in his limited starts. Hoffman finished sixth or better in all three programs at last year’s Gopher 50, including a second in the Thursday Feature.

DRIVING THE WHEELS OFF: Tim McCreadie might be 51 years old, but Sunday’s Feature at Nodak proved that “T-Mac” still knows how to drive with the no-holds-barred attitude of a 21-year-old.

The Feature included several instances of McCreadie diving into the corner and clearing multiple cars like it was nothing, and as quickly as he entered the picture at the front of the field, he was already out front and cruising away to the checkers.

After struggling to find their footing early in the season, the Briggs Transport team has gone from the bottom of the top 10 up to fifth in points, 10 markers shy of Drake Troutman in fourth. While Troutman has been on a hot streak of his own lately, the statistics show McCreadie could have the upper hand in that battle this weekend. The 2006 World of Outlaws champion won the 2010 edition of the Gopher 50 and has finished top five in the main event on four other occasions, while Troutman will make his first laps around Deer Creek in a Late Model this weekend.

KING OF THE CREEK: For the first time since the season-opening events at Volusia Speedway Park, Bobby Pierce has gone four races since his latest World of Outlaws win.

Winning 32 Series races since the start of the 2023 season leads to higher expectations than anyone in the field, and finishes of sixth, seventh and second over the weekend weren’t quite what the “Smooth Operator” had in mind.

Fortunately for Pierce, there’s no better place for him to get back to Victory Lane and rebuild his points lead than Deer Creek. He’s competed in two Gopher 50s (2023 and 2024) and won both of them. He also topped a World of Outlaws show at the track on Labor Day weekend in 2023. The only time Pierce made his way to Spring Valley and didn’t leave with a trophy was the 2018 North Star Nationals – he finished second.

FINDING HIS GROOVE: Since the last time Dennis Erb Jr. won a World of Outlaws race at 81 Speedway in 2023, he and crew chief Heather Lyne have been working around the clock trying to get back on top.

The past two years have been filled with chassis changes, setup overhauls and plenty of late nights in the shop, but last weekend showed that the tide could be turning back in Erb’s favor. Friday night at River Cities, the Carpentersville, IL native earned his first Series podium since August of 2023 at Davenport Speedway. Erb didn’t have to wait almost two years for the next one though, as he backed it up with a third at Norman County the following night.

A 10th-place result at Nodak was Erb’s eighth top 10 of the season, leaving him sixth in the standings headed to Deer Creek. The Minnesota 3/8-mile is one of Erb’s most consistent tracks on tour, as he’s finished top 10 in four of his five World of Outlaws starts there with a best of fourth in 2024.

HEADING HOME: The past two weeks have seen Jake Timm go from a Late Model rookie finding his footing on the national stage to a legitimate contender against the best.

Things got rolling for the No. 49 team at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park where Timm won his first Heat Race of the year, which translated into a front-row starting spot and a season-best ninth-place finish.

Timm proved it wasn’t a fluke in Grand Forks – another Heat Race win, another top 10 in the Feature. He wasn’t as strong early in the night at Norman County, but that didn’t matter come Feature time, as Timm drove from 13th to fifth for his first World of Outlaws top five. Nodak nearly brought another one, as he ran as high as sixth before fading late to 14th.

With confidence on the rise, the Winona, MN driver is set to challenge for the big money this weekend an hour from home. Timm is a former regular in the weekly Modified division at Deer Creek and has two United States Modified Touring Series wins at the track to his name. On the Late Model side, Timm has competed in the Gopher 50 four times with a best finish of 11th in the first preliminary Feature last year.

THE INVADERS: The full-time Outlaws will have plenty of competition for the $50,000 check this weekend, with drivers from across the country planning to descend on Deer Creek.

They’ll be led by the winningest driver in Gopher 50 history, Billy Moyer. “Mr. Smooth” is a five-time event winner, but they all came at the race’s former home at Owatonna Raceway. However, Moyer hasn’t forgotten how to win at 67 years old, as his latest victory came in this year’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals opener at the Brownstown Bullring.

After making his first Gopher 50 start since 2008 last year, Shannon Babb is back in 2025 looking for his first top five in the event. The Moweaqua, IL pilot has one win this season with the MARS Late Model Championship at Highland Speedway, but he’s still looking for a top 10 with the World of Outlaws.

Kyle Bronson has been one to watch in his past few trips to Deer Creek with two top fives in his last four starts at the track. While “Killer” is still searching for his first win of the year, he’s racked up six top fives, including two on the Hell Tour.

Other drivers who have announced their plans to race this weekend include Tyler Bruening, Boom Briggs, Ryan Unzicker, Chad Simpson, Chris Simpson, Blair Nothdurft and many more.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Thursday-Saturday, July 3-5 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, MN

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Bobby Pierce (2994 points)
2. Nick Hoffman (-78)
3. Ryan Gustin (-144)
4. Drake Troutman (-230)
5. Tim McCreadie (-240)
6. Dennis Erb Jr. (-296)
7. Ethan Dotson (-314)
8. Brian Shirley (-326)
9. Cody Overton (-330)
10. Tanner English (-380)

FEATURE WINNERS (11):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 5
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 3
Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 3
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 2
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 2
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (29):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 16
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 9
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 9
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 8
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 6
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 4
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 4
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 4
Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 4
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 3
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 3
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 3
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 3
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 3
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 3
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 2
Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 2
Jake Timm – Winona, MN – 2
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 1
Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 1
Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – 1
Zack Mitchell – Enoree, SC – 1
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 1
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 1
Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 1
Aaron Marrant – Richmond, MO – 1
Mike Harrison – Highland, IL – 1
Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 1

LANDA PRESSURE WASHERS LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (25):
Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 4
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 3
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 3
Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 3
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 3
Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 2
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 2
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 2
Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL – 2
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 2
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 2
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 1
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1
Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 1
Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – 1
Austin Smith – Cedartown, GA – 1
Mckay Wenger – Fairbury, IL – 1
Jake Timm – Winona, MN – 1
Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 1
Gregg Satterlee – Indiana, PA – 1
Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 1
Kayden Clatt – Edina, MO – 1

PODIUM FINISHERS (22):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 12
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 8
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 5
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 5
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 4
Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 4
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 3
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 3
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 2
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 2
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 2
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 2
Dennis Erb Jr. – Carpentersville, IL – 2
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Zack Mitchell – Enoree, SC – 1
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 1
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 1
Mike Harrison – Highland, IL – 1

FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGERS (15):
Dennis Erb Jr. – Carpentersville, IL – 3
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 3
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 2
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 2
Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 1
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 1
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1
Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1
Jake Timm – Winona, MN – 1
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1
Brent Larson – Lake Elmo, MN – 1
Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 1

SIMPSON RACING PRODUCTS QUICK TIMES (12):
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 3
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 3
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 3
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 1
Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 1
Tanner English – Benton, KY – 1
Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – 1
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 1
Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 1
Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 1

BILSTEIN POLE AWARD (15):
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 4
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 2
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 2
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 2
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 1
Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 1
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 1
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 1
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 1
Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 1
Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 1
Mike Harrison – Highland, IL – 1

FEATURE LAP LEADERS (18):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 257
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 113
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 95
Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 81
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 69
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 67
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 50
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 44
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 41
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 30
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 27
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 25
Mike Harrison – Highland, IL – 21
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 18
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 15
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 13
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 11
Brian Shirley – Chatham IL – 1

2025 WORLD OF OUTLAWS REAL AMERICAN BEER LATE MODEL SERIES PRESENTED BY DIRTVISION SCHEDULE & WINNERS
Friday, Jan. 24 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Ryan Gustin (1)
Saturday, Jan. 25 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Garrett Alberson (1)
Thursday, Feb. 13 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Garrett Alberson (2)
Friday, Feb. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Devin Moran (1)
Saturday, Feb. 15 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Jonathan Davenport (1)
Friday, Mar. 14 / Smoky Mountain Speedway / Maryville, TN / Bobby Pierce (1)
Friday, Mar. 21 / Swainsboro Raceway / Swainsboro, GA / Bobby Pierce (2)
Saturday, Mar. 22 / Swainsboro Raceway / Swainsboro, GA / Ryan Gustin (2)
Thursday, Apr. 10 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL (Practice)
Friday, Apr. 11 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Ethan Dotson (1)
Saturday, Apr. 12 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Brandon Sheppard (1)
Saturday, Apr. 26 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Bobby Pierce (3)
Friday, May 2 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI / Tyler Erb (1)
Saturday, May 3 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI / Nick Hoffman (1)
Thursday, May 15 / Raceway 7 / Conneaut, OH / Tim McCreadie (1)
Saturday, May 17 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA / Bobby Pierce (4)
Sunday, May 18 / Bedford Speedway / Bedford, PA / Tim McCreadie (2)
Friday, June 20 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Bobby Pierce (5)
Saturday, June 21 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Drake Troutman (1)
Friday, June 27 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Nick Hoffman (2)
Saturday, June 28 / Norman County Raceway / Ada, MN / Nick Hoffman (3)
Sunday, June 29 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND / Tim McCreadie (3)
Thursday, July 3 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 4 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Saturday, July 5 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 11 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Saturday, July 12 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Friday, July 25 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Saturday, July 26 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Monday, July 28 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Thursday, July 31 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Friday, Aug. 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Saturday, Aug. 2 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Wednesday, Aug. 13 / Highland Speedway / Highland, IL
Thursday, Aug. 14 / Spoon River Speedway / Lewistown, IL
Friday, Aug. 15 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Saturday, Aug. 16 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Friday, Aug. 22 / Arrowhead Speedway / Colcord, OK
Saturday, Aug. 23 / Arrowhead Speedway / Colcord, OK
Friday, Sept. 12 / Needmore Speedway / Norman Park, GA
Saturday, Sept. 13 / Senoia Raceway / Senoia, GA
Friday, Sept. 26 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL
Saturday, Sept. 27 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL
Friday, Oct. 3 / Humboldt Speedway / Humboldt, KS
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 81 Speedway / Wichita, KS
Friday, Oct. 10 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Saturday, Oct. 11 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Wednesday, Nov. 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thursday, Nov. 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Friday, Nov. 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Saturday, Nov. 8 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC

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WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Big One at Belleville Brings Big Payout, High Speeds

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

BELLEVILLE, KS (July 1, 2025) — The dawning of a new marquee event in the 360 Sprint Car world is here. Belleville High Banks hosts the American Sprint Car Series in the inaugural running of The Big One this Thursday–Friday, July 3–4.

Since 2015, the national 360 Sprint Car series has not seen the high speeds of “Big Belleville.” Missouri racer Brian Brown was the first and only driver in Series history to take the checkered flag at the 1/2-mile dirt track in May of that year. Fast forward 10 years to this Thursday–Friday, and the national Sprint Car stars will make their return in this new, two-day event, paying a standard $4,000-to-win purse on Thursday before the $10,000-to-win grand finale on Friday.

Friday’s program is the second of seven five-figure payouts on the 2025 Series schedule, joining marquee events at Volusia Speedway Park ($10,000), Knoxville Raceway ($20,000), Big Sky Speedway ($15,000), Eagle Raceway ($10,222), I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park ($10,000), and the season finale at Creek County Speedway ($10,000).

The local Hobby Stock division will support Thursday’s Sprint Car program, while the local Cruiser division will race adjacent to the Sprint Cars on Friday. Advance-sale tickets are available now; click here to purchase. Admission will also be sold at the track on race day. If you can’t make it to the track to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend:

EXPERIENCED VETERAN — Of all drivers projected to be in the field this weekend, Jason Martin has more laps around Belleville in a Sprint Car than most.

The 2023 Series champion from Liberal, KS, has recorded 17 starts in his career at the track, producing three Feature wins, 13 top-five finishes, and 16 top-10s. Two of those wins came in 2021 with the United Rebel Sprint Series (URSS), and the third came in 2023 with the Malvern Bank 360 Sprints.

Martin is coming off a season-best third-place finish with the American Sprint Car Series at Batesville two weeks ago, vaulting him into fifth place in the current points standings.

FAMILY MATTERS — Belleville has been a track of success for the Blurton family, and second-generation racer Zach Blurton will try and add more of his family’s name into the record books with what would be the biggest win of his career.

Blurton, 30, of Quinter, KS, has made 29 recorded starts in his career at Belleville, amassing 14 top-five finishes, 22 top-10s and one Feature win (URSS, July 2020). His father, John Blurton, made several trips to Victory Lane through the 1990s and into the 2000s, topping four National Championship Racing Association (NCRA) races (1990, twice in 1992, 2000).

Blurton has already been to American Sprint Car Series Victory Lane in Kansas this year, topping the field at Salt City Speedway in Hutchinson in May. He currently sits ninth in the current points standings.

NEBRASKA’S FINEST — Stu Snyder is projected to make his first appearance of the season with the American Sprint Car Series this weekend, ready to take his Belleville experience with him in search of his first career Series victory.

Snyder, 38, of Lincoln, NE, has made 24 recorded starts at the track between Sprint Cars and Midgets, recording seven podium finishes, 10 top-fives, 17 top-10s and one Feature win. That lone victory came last July with the Malvern Bank 360 Sprints, when he beat Jason Martin for his first win at the track.

The two-time and defending Malvern Bank 360 Sprints champion has one Feature win in 2025, which came in May at Offroad Speedway in Norfolk, NE. This weekend, he’ll try for his first career American Sprint Car Series win.

POINTS BATTLE — Sam Hafertepe Jr. continues to lead the chase for the Emmett Hahn Trophy with three Feature wins and a 55-point advantage over Blake Hahn and an 88-point gap over Matt Covington.

Hahn is the most recent Series winner, punching through to Victory Lane for the first time this year two weeks ago at Batesville Motor Speedway in Arkansas. Covington also has one Feature win with the Series this year, which came in May at Paducah International Raceway.

Together, the three drivers combine for only four Feature starts and three top-10 finishes at Belleville, but have been strong as of late and will lead the charge into Kansas as the Series’ leading contenders for their first win at the track.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE

• Thursday–Friday, July 3–4 at Belleville High Banks in Belleville, KS

TRACK FACTS

• High-banked, 1/2-mile oval
• Track Record — 15.472 seconds set by Jason Martin on July 3, 2023

ON THE INTERNET
X — @ASCSRacing
Instagram — @ascs_racing
Facebook — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
YouTube — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
DIRTVision — DIRTVision.com (Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (9/34 Races)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (852pts)
Blake Hahn 797pts (–55)
Matt Covington 764pts (–88)
Seth Bergman 702pts (–150)
Jason Martin 699pts (–153)
Jordon Mallett 686pts (–166)
Kyler Johnson 677pts (–175)
Brady Baker 664pts (–188)
Zach Blurton 652pts (–200)
Austyn Gossel 648pts (–204)

FEATURE WINNERS (5 Drivers):

Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3 wins)
Matt Covington, Zach Blurton, Blake Hahn (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (7 Drivers)

Justin Peck (65 laps)
Sam Hafertepe Jr. (61 laps)
Matt Covington (48 laps)
Zach Blurton (25 laps)
Brian Brown (15 laps)
Blake Hahn, Austyn Gossel (13 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (6 Drivers)

Matt Covington, Seth Bergman (2 awards)
Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Kyler Johnson, Roger Crockett (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (21 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (6 wins)
Matt Covington (4 wins)
Justin Peck, Blake Hahn (3 wins)
Scotty Thiel, Whit Gastineau, Seth Bergman (2 wins)
Hank Davis, Chris Martin, Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Sean McClelland, Caleb Saiz, Bradley Fezard, Garrett Benson, Bryan Gossel, Jake Bubak, Jordon Mallett, Jason Martin, Austyn Gossel (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (32 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (7 appearances)
Blake Hahn, Matt Covington (6 appearances)
Seth Bergman (4 appearances)
Justin Peck, Kyler Johnson, Whit Gastineau (3 appearances)
Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Scotty Thiel, Danny Dietrich, Cole Macedo, Brady Bacon, Daison Pursley, Garrett Benson, Jordon Mallett, Austyn Gossel (2 appearances)
Hank Davis, Jordan Thomas, Scotty Thiel, Chris Martin, Brian Brown, Sean McClelland, Caleb Saiz, Chance Morton, Bradley Fezard, Zach Blurton, Bryan Gossel, Jake Bubak, Roger Crockett, Brady Baker, Jason Martin (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (7 Drivers)

Blake Hahn, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Clem, Kyle Clark, Bryant Wiedeman, Jason Martin, Harli White (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (8 Drivers)

Brady Baker (2 awards)
Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Blake Hahn, Landon Britt, Jordon Mallett, Jason Martin, Brad Bowden (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (15 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr. (6 podiums)
Justin Peck, Blake Hahn (3 podiums)
Brian Brown, Matt Covington, Jason Martin (2 podiums)
Emerson Axsom, Cole Macedo, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman, Sean McClelland, Zach Blurton, Austyn Gossel, Kyler Johnson, Brady Baker (1 podium)

2025 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

Thu, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (1)
Fri, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (2)
Sat, Feb. 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (3)
Sat, April 12 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1)
Sat, May 10 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Matt Covington (1)
Fri, May 30 / Salt City Speedway / Hutchinson, KS / Zach Blurton (1)
Sat, May 31 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2)
Sat, June 7 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3)
Sat, Jun 21 / Batesville Motor Speedway / Locust Grove, AR / Blake Hahn (1)

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Celebrate Independence Day with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in Ohio

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

BATAVIA, Ohio (July 1, 2025) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing will celebrate Independence Day weekend with a Buckeye State doubleheader. The action this weekend will get started on Friday, July 4, with a stop at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, for the Independence 50. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will compete in a complete program of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $25,000 to win main event. The Sport Modifieds are also on the racing card for Friday, July 4, at Atomic Speedway. The pit gate will open at 2:00 PM. The general admission gates will open at 4:00 PM, with on-track action beginning at 6:00 PM. Atomic Speedway is located at 2535 Blain Highway in Waverly, Ohio – just off S.R. 23, six miles south of Chillicothe. For more information about Atomic Speedway, including how to purchase discounted tickets in advance, please visit www.atomicspeedway.net. The following night, July 5, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series returns to Muskingum County Speedway. Another complete program of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 60-lap, $25,000 to win main event is in store during the annual Freedom 60. The pit gate opens at 2:00 PM, with the general admission gates opening at 4:00 PM and on-track action beginning at 6:00 PM. An autograph session with the stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is scheduled from 4:30 PM to 5:15 PM. In addition to the thrilling action of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the 604 Late Models and Modifieds will also compete on Saturday. Muskingum County Speedway will also have the largest display of fireworks the area has to offer following the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series main event. Muskingum County Speedway is located at 7985 Frazeysburg Road in Dresden, Ohio, just north of Zanesville. Tickets to the Freedom 60 can be purchased in advance by visiting https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/2184/tickets/1470984. To learn more about Muskingum County Speedway, visit www.muskingumcountyspeedway.com. Ricky Thornton Jr. leads the latest Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP standings. Jonathan Davenport trails Thornton by just 5 points, followed by Devin Moran, Hudson O’Neal, and Garrett Alberson, completing the top five. Donald McIntosh leads the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year chase by 50 points over Daniel Hilsabeck. Dan Ebert is third. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Atomic Speedway: 1. $25,000, 2. $10,000, 3. $6,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,500, 6. $2,700, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,900, 13. $1,800, 14. $1,700, 15. $1,600, 16. $1,500, 17. $1,500, 18. $1,500, 19. $1,500, 20. $1,500, 21. $1,500, 22. $1,500, 23. $1,500, 24. $1,500 = $82,800 Muskingum County Speedway: 1. $25,000, 2. $10,000, 3. $6,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,500, 6. $2,700, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,900, 13. $1,800, 14. $1,700, 15. $1,600, 16. $1,500, 17. $1,500,18. $1,500, 19. $1,500, 20. $1,500, 21. $1,500, 22. $1,500, 23. $1,500, 24. $1,500 = $82,800 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rule:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT2, (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4

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The Magician’s Apprentices Bring Duel to DuQuoin

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

Mission AFT SuperTwins riders Logan McGrane (14), Cameron Smith (34), Briar Bauman (3), and Max Whale (18) race during heats at the Lima Half-Mile this past weekend [Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2025) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will celebrate Independence Day weekend in explosive fashion with the Memphis Shades DuQuoin Mile at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Illinois, this Saturday, July 5. The season’s first contest of ultimate speed and strategy at a high-speed Mile will actually serve as the culmination of a week-long celebration of one of the most iconic and intrinsically American forms of motorsport. Again this year, Progressive AFT is sharing the spotlight with the Roof Systems AMA Flat Track Grand Championship. In fact, the amateur championship action is already underway, with the nation’s future stars having kicked off their week on Sunday, June 29 and running right up until they hand the venue over to the world’s greatest professional motorcycle dirt trackers on Saturday. Red, White, and Blue By You While the Springfield Mile is often regarded as the crown jewel of the season’s schedule, the DuQuoin Mile – a circuit legendary for its outright speed, non-stop drama, and photo-finishes –  is the perfect host for the year’s first Mile. Known as the “Magic Mile” – and for good reason – the DuQuoin Mile was famously the battleground for the closest ever finish in the seven-decade-plus history of the Grand National Championship; in 2015, Jared Mees beat Bryan Smith by an impossibly close 0.000 seconds to claim the victory. Since returning to the annual slate in 2023, the DuQuoin Mile has seen four riders in with a shot at victory right up to the checkered flag. Last season, Mees edged Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Brandon Price, and Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) by margins of 0.389, 0.444, and 0.686 seconds, respectively. And that was a relative blowout when compared with the showdown in ‘23, where Mees overcame the challenge of Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), Daniels, and Bauman by 0.033, 0.097, and 0.160 seconds, respectively. Masters of the Mile While a combined mastery of all four dirt track disciplines – Mile, Half-Mile, Short Track, and TT – is the ultimate measure of a dirt track racer, the Mile is typically regarded as the sport’s signature form. It generally takes years for a rider to master the finer points of race-long strategy and final-lap tactics. But once it finally does click into place, a rider can prove nearly unbeatable in that arena. Despite their ultra-close nature, the finishing order of a Mile is rarely random. Each generation typically sees the emergence of a Mile maestro who racks up winner’s trophies while leaving the opposition with precious little opportunity for glory. That torch has been passed along in recent decades from Scott Parker to Chris Carr to Bryan Smith to Jared Mees. Led by Parker’s 55 Mile wins, all four boast at least 25 Mile wins, whereas only five other riders have even broken into the double digits dating back to the series’ origins in 1954. Interestingly, while the presence of ten-time Grand National Champion Mees loomed large at Lima – the scene of his maiden premier-class win and where he now serves as co-promoter – he might cast an even longer shadow this weekend in DuQuoin. Early in his career, Mees made himself a champion on the Half-Miles. Late in his career, he made himself a legend on the Miles. He completely dominated the discipline in recent years, a fact that served as the cornerstone for his run to immortality. During the full breadth of the Indian era (2017-2024), Mees won 66% of all Miles (27-41), despite overlapping with the later days of Smith’s Mile mastery. Mees became even more dominant as time went on, claiming 13 of the most recent 17 Miles (76%) since 2021. As a result, his retirement left just a combined eight Miles wins spread out amongst the active field of full-time racers – three apiece for Bauman and Robinson, and two for Daniels. Which of the three is most likely to take the torch and run with it? Daniels and his Yamaha will be strong, there is little doubt of that.  The Harley is more of a question mark, just because it’s an unknown on the Miles in its current guise with its current riders. However, the same was said regarding the XG750R and the cushion Half-Mile of Lima, and looked how that turned out. Open Up, It’s the FBI… New generation Fast Boy from Illinois, Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha MT-07) made a big impression in his return to the scene at Lima. He went into Ohio with relatively modest expectations. How could it be any different, considering he was new to the team and the bike and riding a track that isn’t perfectly suited to his style? And yet he did that. Bender poked his way up into fourth in Friday’s Main Event 3, and then earned the position for real by pushing Robinson to the flag in search of a podium result in Saturday’s rematch. His confidence must be soaring as he looks to defend his home turf on a track where he finished sixth a year ago and where his new mount finished on the box in the hands of Brandon Price. …And I’m Not Alone Bender isn’t the only rider with the potential to make this another DuQuoin Mile where finishing within fractions of a second of the winner is no guarantee of a podium. Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke) both have big-time skills and are motivated for bounce-back performances after battling through relatively tough outings at Lima. That and the KTM mill packs a big punch and is a proven Mile monster. Meanwhile, the foursome of Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S), James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), and Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp), continue to impress week-in and week-out while demonstrating the success of the new all-production bike ruleset. Despite their diversity of machinery, three of the four managed to finish fifth or better at Lima, while the one holdout – Lowe – is knocking at the door, picking up the second and third sixth-place finishes of his season last weekend. It’s Independence Day Weekend. Of Course, We’re Gonna Party This week-long celebration of motorcycle dirt track racing will also offer plenty of activities away from the track. The Rider Q&A will take place during the Fan Party that leads directly into Opening Ceremonies.  There will also be a multitude of vendors, plenty of food and beverage options, extensive motorcycle parking, and an abundance of good vibes. That’s the Ticket General Admission Grandstand tickets for the Memphis Shades DuQuoin Mile are just $35 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult ticket) while Reserved Grandstand tickets are just $45 (all ages). And new for 2025, every ticket includes access to the paddock’s where you can get up close and personal with the planet’s most incredible dirt track riders and machines. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/trackenterprises/events/2025-duquoin-mile-129199 to reserve your seats today. Gates will open for fans at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.

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Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport Honda Message Points

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

July 1, 2025

Mansfield, OH
Sunday, July 6, 2025 1:00 PM ET
Live on Fox

What to Watch for at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Going for a Perfect 10: Honda has a perfect record to start the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, winning in every one of the nine starts so far this year. Nine-consecutive race wins is a record in a single season for a manufacturer since the return of multi-manufacturer competition in 2012. The incredible start to the year has Honda leading rival Chevrolet by 183 points in the manufacturers’ championship, 819-636.
The Dynamic Duo: All nine races so far this season have been won by just two drivers—Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood. Palou has taken victory on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Thermal Club, Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis road course, the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, and last time out at Road America. Meanwhile, Kyle Kirkwood has taken wins at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Detroit Grand Prix and World Wide Technology Raceway. Palou and Kirkwood sit 1-2 in the drivers’ championship fight, with Palou leading by 93 points. Kirkwood has an 18-point advantage over P3 going into the Mid-Ohio weekend.
One year of hybrid power: This weekend’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport marks one year of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES running with hybrid power. Introduced as a joint effort between Honda Racing Corporation USA, Ilmor and INDYCAR, the hybrid provides extra horsepower for the drivers at the press of a button. Honda teams and drivers have won 11 of the 18 races run so far in the hybrid era of IndyCar—nine this season between Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood, and two last season in the hands of Kirkwood’s Andretti teammate Colton Herta.
Journey to the center of Ohio: Honda has a long history in Ohio both as an automaker and in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Honda drivers have won 12 of the 19 IndyCar races run at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course since the series returned under the Honda Indy 200 banner in 2007—with Honda’s most recent win at Mid-Ohio coming in 2023 by Alex Palou. Other Honda victories at Mid-Ohio were scored by Colton Herta in 2020, as the Andretti Global driver headed a Honda sweep of the top five finishing positions. Honda recorded another podium sweep in 2019 as six-time series champion Dixon scored his fifth Mid-Ohio win. Dixon’s other Mid-Ohio wins have come in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012. Central Ohio is also an important location for Honda production vehicles, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is just over 60 miles from the Honda Marysville and East Liberty Auto Plants as well as Honda Research & Development. More than 400,000 Honda and Acura automobiles are produced in Ohio each year, as well as research and design on components for Honda products from lawnmowers to the HondaJet.

2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Honda Lineup

Andretti Global	#26 Colton Herta (W)
	#27 Kyle Kirkwood (W)
	#28 Marcus Ericsson (I) (W)
Chip Ganassi Racing	# 8 Kyffin Simpson
	# 9 Scott Dixon (C) (I) (W)
	#10 Alex Palou (C) (I) (W)
Dale Coyne Racing	#18 Rinus VeeKay (W)
	#51 Jacob Abel (R)
Meyer Shank Racing	#60 Felix Rosenqvist (W)
	#66 Marcus Armstrong
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	#15 Graham Rahal (W)
	#30 Devlin DeFrancesco
	#45 Louis Foster (R)

C—Series Champion I—Indianapolis 500 winner W—Race Winner R—Series Rookie

Where to Watch

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport will air at 1 PM ET on Fox on Sunday July 6th.
Friday’s practice will air on FS2, while Saturday’s practice and qualifications, as well as Sunday’s warmup can be found on FS1.

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Rookie McKenna Bold Earns First NHRA National Event Victory at Norwalk Nationals with Randy Meyer Racing

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

Jun 30, 2025 |

Randy Meyer Racing (RMR) wrapped up an incredible weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, with rookie driver McKenna Bold earning her first NHRA national event win in just her fourth career entry. The team also fielded a strong performance from veteran driver Matt Cummings, who advanced to the quarterfinals in a competitive Top Alcohol Dragster field.

Competing at the Cavalcade of Stars event just one week earlier—where Matt Cummings qualified No. 2 and picked up the opening round win—the Randy Meyer Racing team faced a tight side-by-side battle against Melanie Johnson in second round. Matt posted a strong 5.299-second run at 276 mph in the GUNK / Hedinger’s Equipment dragster, but was narrowly outrun by Johnson’s 5.283 at 275 mph in a true drag race to the stripe. Despite the early exit, the team finished proud of the performance and the consistent effort put in all weekend long.

Coming off their solid performance, the team then rolled straight into the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk with solid data and a fresh shot at redemption. While Matt returned to the driver’s seat of the GUNK / Hedinger’s Equipment A/Fuel Dragster, McKenna was back behind the wheel of her dedicated RMR entry, continuing her impressive rookie season on the national stage, with her last NHRA national appearance at the Charlotte 4-Wide Nationals where she finished in the semi-finals.

McKenna continued to improve with every pass in the purple Bold Racing dragster, entering the national event eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier with a strong 5.180-second run at 273 mph, setting low ET of the entire event. It was her first time qualifying at the top of the field at a national event, continuing to improve on her performance as she gets more comfortable in the nitro-injected dragster.

Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals

Matt Cummings, also driving a Randy Meyer-tuned A/Fuel dragster backed by GUNK and Hedinger’s Equipment, posted his quickest run of the weekend during Q3, a 5.291 at 264 mph, moving him up to the No. 6 spot in the field. The performance gave him lane choice for the opening round and marked the fourth time this season he’s qualified in the top half of the field at a national event in 2025.

On race day, both drivers came out strong with the quickest passes of the first round. McKenna ran a 5.25 to defeat Tom Fox, and Matt followed it up with a consistent 5.29 to take out Angelle Sampay. In the second round, Matt faced off against reigning world champion Shawn Cowie. Despite a strong start, Matt lost traction early and had to lift, ending his day with a loss as Cowie advanced. Still, Cummings’ performance helped solidify the team’s reputation with multiple drivers and solidify his national standings points lead.

However, on the other side of the ladder, McKenna’s story was just beginning. In round two, she made a big statement by running a 5.22 to take out Melanie Johnson—clocking the quickest run of the round by over a tenth of a second. She then faced Jamie Noonan in the semifinals on Sunday morning, and the two drivers left the line with identical .054 reaction times. McKenna powered straight down the groove with a clean 5.284 at 273.61 mph firing on all 8 cylinders to defeat Noonan’s 5.307, and advance to her first final round appearance at a national event.

Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals

In the final, she squared off against Cowie—the same opponent who had eliminated her teammate earlier in the eliminations, and the reigning world Top Alcohol Dragster champion. McKenna grabbed the starting line advantage with a .045 light and never trailed, taking the stripe with a 5.313 at 271.57 mph to Cowie’s 5.321 at 273.39 mph in the heat. This win marks her first NHRA Wally at the national level, and bumps her to the no. 7 spot in the national standings, and proves her ability to compete with the sport’s best.

The Randy Meyer Racing team is proud to represent long-time partner GUNK, known for their powerful automotive cleaning and degreasing products available at major retailers nationwide, and Hedinger’s Equipment, a trusted wrecker dealership based in Indianapolis that supports towing operators across the Midwest. Their partnership played a key role in enabling the team to perform at a high level during this demanding back-to-back race stretch in Norwalk.

This victory continues the legacy of excellence for Randy Meyer Racing, which has developed numerous successful drivers and continues to be a dominant force in the Top Alcohol Dragster category with over 110 NHRA wins. With both dragsters qualifying in the top half of the field and running best-of-the-round times in eliminations, the team once again demonstrated the depth, experience, and power that has made them one of the most respected operations in NHRA drag racing. The team now looks ahead to the second half of the season with renewed confidence and momentum.

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Brandon Sheppard Returns to Summer Nationals Victory Lane in Clarksville Finale, Clinches Week 3 Title

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

CLARKSVILLE, TN — June 29, 2025 — Brandon Sheppard reminded fans what a “Tennessee ass whooping” looks like.Controlling the final DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models appearance at Clarksville Speedway, the 2013 tour champion tied in-state royalty Scott Bloomquist in all-time wins for his first career Week title.Sheppard began the night with a win on the Heat race, then started on the outside of the front row with fellow Illinois driver Jason Feger leading the field to the green flag.While Feger had a slight edge on the bottom lane to lead the opening lap, Sheppard’s high-line advantage overmatched him as the No. B5 rocketed to the lead off the final corner on the second lap.After getting clear of Feger, Sheppard adjusted to the bottom lane to keep a healthy distance between the No. 25 Longhorn Chassis throughout the 30-lap Feature. In lapped traffic, Sheppard was able to pass three cars to challenge Feger while he followed behind Tyler Erb around the 1/4-mile racetrack.Sheppard’s lead over the field was diminished with four laps to go after Josh Putnam’s left rear tire exploded, brought out the only caution of the night, and gave Feger a second chance at scoring his fifth Hell Tour win of 2025.“B-Shepp” stayed precise with his driving on the final restart of the race by keeping his Rocket Chassis to the bottom line as he led the final four laps for his first Summer Nationals win since 2021.The Clarksville Speedway finale marked the 28th win of his career, and completes a week where he appeared on every podium of Week 3.“Man, we’ve had a great car all week long,” Sheppard said. “I just, for some reason, haven’t been able to put a full night together. Tonight, we were able to do that. Our qualifying efforts have been getting better all week. And, the boys have been working very hard, and we appreciate it.”Feature (30 Laps): 1. B5-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 25F-Jason Feger[1]; 3. 75-Dillon McCowan[4]; 4. 27M-Rodney Melvin[3]; 5. 81F-Jadon Frame[7]; 6. 14-Haiden Cowan[5]; 7. 14JR-Trey Mills[8]; 8. 40B-Kyle Bronson[9]; 9. 81-Jason Riggs[10]; 10. 28B-Carson Brown[6]; 11. 5-Mark Whitener[14]; 12. 21-Mario Gresham[12]; 13. 59-Dillard Hatchett[13]; 14. 29-Christian Hanger[19]; 15. 31M-Tyler Millwood[17]; 16. 1-Tyler Erb[18]; 17. 38-Thomas Hunziker[20]; 18. 388-Jackson Hise[22]; 19. (DNF) 212-Josh Putnam[11]; 20. (DNF) 15F-Richard Frost[15]; 21. (DNF) 63-Michael Luna[16]; 22. (DNF) 54JR-Larry Barber Jr[21]Tyler Nicely Sweeps Summit Modified Nationals Weekend, Joins Top Five in All-Time Wins at ClarksvilleIn just three races with the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals, Tyler Nicely is back on his roll after the weekend return.The Owensboro, KY driver dominated the Sunday night finale at Clarksville Speedway en route to his second consecutive Feature win of 2025 while joining a new level of records on the UMP Modified tour.Starting on the outside of the front row, Nicely witnessed polesitter Trent Young securing the lead on the first two starts. However, cautions were thrown after each time, resetting each driver’s strategy. On the third restart, Nicely used the cushion of Turns 1-2 to claim the lead over Young.While Nicely’s No. 25 Elite Chassis paced the field around the quarter-mile bullring, Young struggled to match the speed as the gap grew to 2.6 seconds by the halfway mark.When lapped traffic began to hamper Nicely’s ability to grow the lead, the No. 10Y Diamond Chassis began to reel Nicely back into his sights as the distance cut to 1.4 seconds within the final five laps.Young reached the back bumper of the Nicely when the white flag waved, but he was unable to attempt a pass as Nicely’s 13th Summit Modified Nationals win helped him surpass Michael Long for fifth on the all-time wins list.“(Young) fooled me twice, so shame on me if he fooled me the third time,” Nicely said. “I just made my angle a little bit better down (in Turn 4) to come to the green (flag), and I was just gonna drive it into Turn 1 as hard as I could. I knew it was gonna be crucial to get out there to the lead.”Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals head to Arkansas for the Week 4 opener at Old No. 1 Speedway on Monday night, June 30.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every DIRTcar Summer Nationals race live on DIRTVision.Feature (25 Laps): 1. 25-Tyler Nicely[2]; 2. 10Y-Trent Young[1]; 3. 94-Austin Rettig[4]; 4. 98-Zac Harris[3]; 5. 45H-Chase Holland[16]; 6. 27G-Jason Garver[6]; 7. 75-Daniel Adam[9]; 8. 121-Caleb Slaughter[7]; 9. 06-Cage Ashby[11]; 10. 151-Zach Resinger[8]; 11. 4-Brenden Heizer[10]; 12. C5-Charlie Jackson[13]; 13. 42-Jacob Bryant[15]; 14. 60-Jim Manka[17]; 15. 777-Trevor Neville[12]; 16. (DNF) 182-Ryan Williams[5]; 17. (DNS) 12L-Lucas LeeARTICLE:https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/recap/brandon-sheppard-returns-to-summer-nationals-victory-lane-in-clarksville-finale-clinches-week-3-title/, https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/recap/tyler-nicely-sweeps-summit-modified-nationals-weekend-joins-top-five-in-all-time-wins-at-clarksville/ EVENT INFO:https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/schedule/event-info/?event=4547866
TRACK INFO:https://www.clarksvillespeedway.com/ FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

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McCreadie Charges From 12th to Victory Lane at Nodak

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

MINOT, ND (June 29, 2025) – Sunday night at Nodak Speedway, Tim McCreadie put on the show race fans in Minot, ND have been waiting 36 years for.

The 2006 champion of the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision scored one of the hardest-fought victories of his career, going from the sixth row of the starting lineup to the lead in 50 laps to become the first Series winner at Nodak since Mitch Johnson in 1989.

After starting the weekend with finishes of 13th at River Cities Speedway and 10th at Norman County Raceway, a get-healthy night was the only thing on McCreadie’s mind at the start of the Feature. Then he started moving forward, passing car after car until he found himself at the front of the pack in the closing stages.

“I’ve been married to the same setup for about a month,” McCreadie said. “Ever since we went to Eldora we just weren’t overly good. We threw something at it tonight, hats off to these guys with an awesome racetrack. Once the sun went down, with that little bit of prep it started to get shiny. Hairy, but a lot of fun out there.”

The early portion of the program was dominated by the No. 32 of Bobby Pierce, who took the Simpson Quick Time Award, won his Heat Race and drew the Bilstein Pole Award. He wasn’t able to stay out front on the start though, as second-starting Ethan Dotson ripped around the top of Turns 1 and 2 to take command.

Pierce wasn’t going to go away easily though, as he kept the No. 74X in his sights and briefly challenged Dotson for the lead before Tristan Chamberlain spun in Turn 1 to bring out the first caution.

Dotson powered away on the restart, and his fellow MD3 Rookie of the Year contender Drake Troutman got by Pierce to slide into second 13 laps in. Another quick caution for Aaron Turnbull nullified that pass, but Troutman was able to once again get by Pierce once the race went back green.

Both Troutman and Pierce spent the next 10 laps chasing down Dotson, and by the halfway point, a three-way tussle for the lead was on until Dustin Sorensen put the field under yellow again with a flat right-rear tire. Further back, McCreadie had made his way up to seventh when the caution flew, and a brilliant restart sent the No. 9M up to fourth and onto the radar of the leaders. With 13 to go, McCreadie got to the inside of Nick Hoffman and into third.

When Dotson and Pierce started fighting tooth-and-nail for the win with under 10 to go, McCreadie saw his chance to join the party. Dotson threw the slider on Pierce entering Turn 3 and Pierce crossed him over exiting the corner, all while McCreadie went to the bottom to make it three-wide down the frontstretch for the lead. A solid run through Turns 1 and 2 allowed him to clear Pierce, and from there, McCreadie never looked back on his way to the 36th World of Outlaws victory of his career.

The victory moved McCreadie to within 10 points of Troutman in the race for fourth in the standings and gives him a head of steam entering next weekend’s NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway, a race he’s a past winner of.

“It was pretty bad up until about 20 minutes ago,” McCreadie said of the level of optimism in the Briggs Transport camp. “I think we’ve got a little bit of a handle. I’ve got some trust in some other things that I maybe didn’t have trust in setup-wise before. We had such success with this car the first time we came out with it that we haven’t really had to know how to make it any different or any better.

“I went to Eldora and I struggled. I know we ran good, but I thought we struggled with balance all week. Ever since then we’ve struggled, and then tonight was probably the most balanced I’ve been in a while when I could peel off and run through the middle of one and two and not lose the right front pushing up the track. So if I can get it to do that a lot, I think we’ll be OK.”

Pierce came up one spot short of his sixth World of Outlaws triumph of 2025, but his first podium of the weekend was enough to maintain a 78-point lead after Hoffman spent the past two nights closing the gap. But considering the issues he dealt with early in the Feature, Pierce was happy to merely finish the race.

“The first caution, they called caution and Troutman was right behind me,” Pierce said. “He hit me in the left-rear when they called caution and my brake line’s hanging. I completely had no brakes for like 40 laps. It’s really a miracle I didn’t fly off the racetrack, it’s a miracle I still ran second. The bad thing is I know we had a really good car, I think I would have won by half a track to be honest. It was my kind of racetrack, but you can’t drive these things with no brakes.”

Standing on the podium for the third-straight night was Hoffman, who continued the best stretch of his Late Model career with a third in his Nodak debut.

“McCreadie was quite a bit better than we were and was able to roll by me,” Hoffman said. “I was able to show him the middle first, and then he got that middle lane rolling pretty well and was able to get to the lead. Hats off to him, he did a great job. To win twice and run on the podium still is a really good weekend for us.”

Ryan Gustin moved up 10 spots from 14th to fourth, while Troutman settled for fifth to earn the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

RACE NOTES:

Nick Hoffman set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Bobby Pierce won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Bobby Pierce won Real American Beer Heat 1.

Brian Shirley won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Ethan Dotson won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Bobby Pierce won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Tim McCreadie won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Drake Troutman was the MD3 Rookie of the Race.

Bobby Pierce won the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher Award.

Ryan Gustin was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Tanner English was the VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Brent Larson was the Lifeline USA Ninth-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision heads to Deer Creek Speedway for the NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50, Thursday-Saturday, July 3-5. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Feature (50 Laps): 1. 9M-Tim McCreadie[12]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 3. 9-Nick Hoffman[5]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[14]; 5. 22*-Drake Troutman[4]; 6. 74X-Ethan Dotson[2]; 7. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[9]; 8. 96-Tanner English[11]; 9. B1-Brent Larson[17]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[10]; 11. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 12. 19-Dustin Sorensen[3]; 13. 8-Matthew Larson[16]; 14. 49-Jake Timm[8]; 15. 2-Cody Overton[13]; 16. 11-Aaron Turnbull[15]; 17. 1-Amelia Eisenschenk[18]; 18. 15-Laela Eisenschenk[19]; 19. 09-Michael Leach[7]; 20. 44*-Cole Schill[20]; 21. 9H-Austin Harris[21]; 22. 12-Ashton Winger[22]

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JOHN FORCE RACING–NORWALK RECAP

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK GIVES CORNWELL TOOLS A ‘HOME COURT’ VICTORYJFR Funny Car Drivers Remain 1-2 in Points; Brittany Out in Quarterfinals

NORWALK, Ohio (June 29, 2025) – A gritty Austin Prock used his starting line skills to narrowly defeat three-time World Champion Ron Capps in the semifinals, then relied on his dad’s tuning expertise to secure a final round victory over four-time World Champ Matt Hagan that sent the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS back to the winners’ circle Sunday following the 18th NHRA Norwalk Nationals at Summit Motorsport Park.
It was the second win in as many weeks for the 29-year-old point leader and a crew led by his dad Jimmy, his brother Thomas and Nate Hildahl, and it was an especially rewarding one since it came on the track Cornwell Tools calls home.
“It feels amazing,” Prock said. “To win back-to-back in this category is so tough. I’m just so proud of my family and this whole Cornwell Tools team. All the dealers out there busting their tails to let us come out here and play. I mean this is amazing.
“The ole ‘Prock Rocket,’ it got me out of a hole again,” said the man who developed his car controls skills driving quarter midgets and sprint cars. “It left and it went sideways like a sprint car, and I just had to wrangle her in there and glad to see that win light down there. Another amazing run by this team.”
It was the fourth win of the year for the reigning series champion, the 12th since he first slid into the seat of the Cornwell Chevy to start the 2024 season. But it was no cakewalk. Racing on a 130-degree track, Prock did not have access to the power that propelled the black-and-blue Chevy to an NHRA national record speed of 341.68 miles per hour last November and to a jaw-dropping, best in history 3.791 during testing last February.
At SMP, the best the fourth-generation racer could manage was 3.900 at 331.28 mph and that was in the hero qualifying session on Friday night, the session that almost always offers up the best conditions of the weekend. Sunday, he had to make do with times of 3.980, 4.025, 4.091 and 4.064.
The 4.091 would have been a loser to Capps’ quicker 4.089 if not for Prock’s .040 of a second starting line advantage (.055 to .095). That edge got him to the finish .038 of a second ahead of the Toyota driver.
“Finally, I did something right,” Prock gushed. “I’ve been struggling the last few weekends as a driver. I knew I had to be on my game there. Proud to drive this thing for Cornwell Tools with HendrickCars.com. I love working with all the dealers and all our partners at john Force Racing. They’re amazing.”
In the final, the crew gave the 2019 NHRA Rookie-Of-The-Year just enough to allow him to keep his career record perfect against Hagan, whom he has beaten seven times, twice in final rounds.
In winning for the first time at Norwalk, a track on which he was a Top Fuel semifinalist in 2021 (while subbing for a medically unavailable Clay Millican) and 2023, Prock increased his lead over John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman to 127 points with just four races remaining before the NHRA adjusts the points in advance of the Countdown to the Championship.
Beckman, who celebrated his 59th birthday Saturday, was one of Hagan’s victims on Sunday in a dead-heat race in which one could not have determined the winner with the naked eye. Hagan’s .071 reaction time gave him a .002 of a second cushion and he needed every bit of it at the finish, winning by .0016 of a second with a 4.088 to Beckman’s 4.087 in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy SS.
“Frustrating day for the PEAK Chevy,” Beckman said. “Losing second round, there’s only one thing worse, and that’s losing first round. I just think that we’ve been performing at such a high level that we expect to win races and anything short of that is a disappointment.
“Coming off a runner-up last week in Richmond, I really thought we would punch into the winners’ circle this weekend,” said the 2012 Funny Car World Champion, “but we came up just a thousandth (of a second) short in the second round. We made a decent lap; we just didn’t run strong enough and, as a driver, I needed to step it up a little bit and get more of an advantage on the starting line.
“We’ll take a deep breath, look at the data, I can work on the things I need to work on as a driver and come back out swinging at the next race – and that’s what we’re going to do,” said the 37-time pro tour winner and former Super Comp World Champ. “We’ve already got a car that’s been in the winners’ circle twice and won two of the Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenges this year. We don’t need to regroup; we just need to unload at the next race (the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Seattle, July 19-21).”
Like Beckman, two-time Top Fuel World Champ Brittany Force was stopped in round two. The No. 4 qualifier after raising the track speed record to 334.65 mph, the second youngest of John Force’s drag racing daughters took out veteran Lex Joon in round one before running afoul of Shawn Langdon, whose 3.900 was just good enough to cover her 3.953 in the Chevrolet Accessories dragster.
“Proud of my Chevrolet Accessories team this weekend,” said the only woman to have won as many as 300 elimination rounds in the sport’s premier category. “We didn’t get the win, but we continue to show progress on hot racetracks. First round our car drove into smoke and after a steady pedal, I got it to hook up and drove to the finish line against Lex Joon.
“Unfortunately, in round two, we got outrun by Shawn Langdon in a good side by side drag race,” she said. “This team will pack up, regroup and get ready to get back after it in Seattle in a few weeks.”

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Prock Win in Ohio is second back-to-back win of season; Beats Matt Hagan n Final Notes

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

CHEVROLET IN NHRA2025 SUMMIT RACING PARTS NHRA NATIONALS SUMMIT RACING MOTORSPORTS PARK NORWALK, OHIO TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP | NOTES & QUOTES JUNE 29, 2025 AUSTIN PROCK SCORES FOURTH WIN OF 2025, CONTINUES TO LEAD FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS
:Austin Prock qualified No. 2 in his Cornwell Tools John Force Racing (JFR) Chevrolet, going 3.900 at 331.28. Prock defeated Dale Creasy, Jr. (Rd1 – 3.980 @ 324.75 to 4.675 @ 183.05), Bob Tasca III (Rd 2 – 4.025 @ 315.78 to 8.385 @ 89.94) and Ron Capps (Rd 3 – 4.091 @307.30 to 4.089 @ 309.34) to meet up with Matt Hagan in the finalsProck scored his fourth victory of the season in running a 4.064 at 318.54 versus Hagan’s 4.099 at 309.42It is his second back-to-back of the season and his 12^th career winProck has won 40% of his 30 total Funny Car eventsProck continues to lead the points, 60 over teammate Jack BeckmanBrittany Force qualified No. 4 in her Chevrolet Accessories Top Fuel DragsterShe beat Lex Joon in Round One running a 4.291 at 292.77 against a 4.552 at 203.23 in a pedal festForce fell in Round Two to Shawn Langdon who ran a 3.906 at 312.35 to her 3.923 at 302.41Force remains sixth in pointsJack Beckman behind the wheel of the Peak Performance JFR Chevrolet Funny Car qualified No. 4, and won Round one against Chad Green running a 4.053 at 323.04 versus 4.094 at 317.05Beckman’s day ended in Round Two against Matt Hagan whose holeshot produced a 4.088 at 308.28 to Beckman’s 4.087 at 316.90Pro Stock final between two KB Titan Camaros saw Cory Reed win his first national event defeating Dallas Glenn who spun the tiresGreg Anderson and Glenn remain 1-2 in Pro Stock points
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING: ON BEATING MATT HAGAN:”It feels amazing. To win back to back in this category is so tough. And, I’m just so proud of my family, this whole Cornwall tool team.All the dealers out there busting their tails to let us come out here and play. I mean, this is amazing. So, yeah. The the old Prock Rocket, it got me out of a hole again there, man. It left, and it was sideways like a sprint car. It had the back-end out. And, I had a wrangler in there. Glad to see that wind light down there. Another amazing run by this team. John Force, another 1 for you, baby.
“You know, we win on them (Matt Hagan, Tony Stewart Racing) all the time. But I love racing those guys. Matt’s always very cordial at the top end, and I show a lot of respect to him, and he shows respect to me as well. So, we we enjoy racing those guys.”
ON BEING IN SAME WINNING POSITION AS LAST SEASON:”This just says a lot about my family, this whole Cornwall Tools team. My dad and brother, Nate Hildall, they’re bad to the bone.Plain and simple. They do an excellent job, and, they really study their craft, and they give me a good race car to get behind. And, it really shortened up my learning curve last year because we went so many rounds. I got so many attempts up at the starting line, so many attempts going down the racetrack. And, you know, it really, really benefited me as a driver. I’m proud to drive this Cornwall Tools Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet. Everything’s been just going so great the last year and a half. And, you never want something like that to end. So, glad we’re we got the train rolling again. We’re we’re 1 race ahead of where we were, here last year.Last year, we lost in the semis, and, we only had 3 wins. So, a little bit ahead of ahead of pace. Hopefully, we can keep it up. ON IMPORTANCE OF NORWALK TRACK”The Bader family’s had a long relationship with, John Force and the Force family, and I’ve been licensed here, so it’s got a special place in my heart as well. I’ve never won here before. To get it done, with John here again is amazing. Obviously, we wanted to do it last year and, come up a little short to Tasca in the semifinals. But, we got it done this year with him in the house. And, yeah, it’s I mean, what an amazing day.”
JACK BECKMAN, DRIVER OF THE PEAK PERFORMANCE CHEVY SS FUNNY CAR: “Frustrating day for the PEAK Chevy. Losing 2nd round, there’s only one thing worse than that and that’s losing firstround and technically there’s one thing worse than that and that’s not qualifying. I just think that we’ve been performing at such a level weexpect to win races and anything short of that is a disappointment. Coming off a runner up that last race in Richmond I really thought wewould punch into the winner circle this weekend. We came up just a thousandth short in the second round to Matt Hagan. We made a decentlap we just didn’t run strong enough and as a driver I need to step it up a little bit and get more of an advantage on the starting line. We’ll takea deep breath, look at the data, I can work on the things I need to work on as a driver and comeback out swinging at the next race and that’swhat we’re going to do. We’ve already got a car that’s been in the winner circle twice and won two of the Mission Foods 2Fast/2TastyChallenges this year. We don’t need to regroup; we just need to unload at the next race.” BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF CHEVROLET ACCESSORIES CHEVROLET DRAGSTER: \“Proud of my Chevrolet Accessories team this weekend in Norwalk. We didn’t get the win, but we continue to show progress on these hot racetracks. First round our car drove into smoke and after a steady pedal, I got the car to hook up and drove to thefinish line against Lex Joon. Unfortunately in round 2 we got outran by Shawn Langdon in a good side by side drag race. This team will pack up, regroup and get ready to get back after it in Seattle in a few weeks.”
UP NEXT:The 11th round of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series takes place July 18th to July 20th, 2025 at Pacific Raceway in Kent, Washinton. The Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals can be seen on Sunday, July 20th starting at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX. Coverage airs throughout the weekend with FS2, NHRA on FOX and NHRA.tv (subscription), streaming available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

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JOE MORRISON TAKES POSITIVES FROM BUSY RACE IN NORWALK

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

NORWALK, OH (June 29, 2025) – The results may not have veteran driver Joe Morrison sitting at the top of the qualifying sheet or rolling his Paul Smith-tuned Right2Breathe Funny Car into the winner’s circle but his weekend racing at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals was a huge win for the team. Morrison’s Right2Breathe® Project once again teamed up with the highly acclaimed Cleveland Clinic as well as the Allergy & Asthma Network, BluZone Health and the Kroger Health display, to present the “Put Your Lungs on the Dyno” Lung Health Screening Project. While Morrison was making four qualifying attempts on the track between rounds he was in the pits talking with fans about their lung health and living their best lives.

“I think we did over 100 screenings just on Saturday,” said Morrison, who has also been racing nostalgia Funny Cars and Top Alcohol Dragsters this season. “That is a huge impact. We had two pulmonologists from Cleveland Clinic here so the fans had the opportunity to talk to some of the best professionals in the country, right here at an NHRA race. The Allergy and Asthma Network did a type of testing for asthma called FeNO testing, or fractional exhaled nitric oxide testing. I don’t even have the total numbers so far. We really helped a lot of people and are helping folks live their best lives.”

Joe Morrison makes a solid qualifying attempt at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals,
photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography

“That’s so rewarding,” said Morrison. “We’re all competitive and in order to be at your best, you have to be able to focus on the moment and detach from the outcome. To have Right2Breathe here and to see so much positivity happening, it really takes a lot of the sting out of not qualifying. I have to be honest, drag racing matters a lot to me. I care so deeply about this sport. I love this sport. Seeing the positive things we are doing with Right2Breathe puts it all in perspective.”

This was Morrison’s third career Funny Car start and he had his hands full in every session. On Friday the team rolled off the trailer and made a conservative run to shake the race car down. At the end of last season Morrison qualified No. 14 at the Reading Nationals and he was looking forward to grabbing one of the quick 16 spots from a competitive field of 21 Funny Cars.

Funny Car driver Joe Morrison readies himself for another qualifying run at Summit Motorsports Park,
photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography

“We had a couple of issues that we had to get straightened out,” said Morrison. “The first run was going to be a short run since it was the first time I was back in the car since Reading last year. These cars are absolute beasts. This is my sixth race of the year, but the first in a Nitro Funny Car. On the second run it rattled the tires a little bit. We have a new seat, and I think I was sitting in kind of a weird spot where my helmet got up against the padding. I couldn’t see so I lifted off the throttle. Somehow in my exuberance, my excitement, I got back in it, which I know is a cardinal sin. In qualifying you don’t get back into it. The car shot me over and I took out two cones. I own that one that was on me.”

Coming into Saturday Morrison was optimistic the Funny Car’s performance could improve to get him into the field. The summer heat and tricky track conditions had all the crew chiefs diving deep into their data banks. Veteran Paul Smith and his crew did their best to turn Morrison’s Funny Car around twice and give him his best shot.

“We figured out the seat issue, we went out there for the first run on Saturday, thinking the track is a little tricky, but we have to get after it,” said Morrison. “We need to run and to try to get in. We were a little aggressive. Paul said to me, ‘Be ready. It might smoke.’ It did and I kept control of it. It turned pretty good but I felt like a Funny Car driver keeping it in my lane and getting it back under control.”

In the final session Morrison had a car that could run quick enough to qualifying, but an unfortunate issue on the starting line derailed his final attempt. On the burn out there was an airflow issue that impacted the throttle.

“The last run we go up there and felt good. Knew what we needed to do. The crew did a great job turning the car around, and had high hopes and a lot of optimism,” said Morrison. “I think we lost air pressure in our Co2 bottle. We fired the car and thought everything’s fine. I start rolling forward. I go to step on the throttle, do the burnout. And I knew right away what it was that the disconnect had disconnected the throttle. The crew did all they could do to try to get it reengaged. Unfortunately, I went to stage and I had no throttle. It’s a crushing disappointment, really, because I felt like we had a good shot. I think we had a shot at running, maybe a 4.09 or 4.10 in this heat. I think we had a shot to get in. That’s nitro racing.”

While the on-track results won’t be reflected in the wins and losses column Morrison knows that the impact from Funny Car performance will carry over from Summit Motorsports Park. The veteran driver will be back on track and at NHRA national events later this season.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 5.248 sec, 147.04 mph; Qual. 18
Q2: No Time; Qual. 13
Q3: 6.406 sec, 103.37 mph; Qual. 20
Q4: 13.159 sec, 81.84 mph; Qual. 21
Bonus Points: 0

Uncategorized

MARK PAWUK WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN NATIONAL EVENT WITH NORWALK VICTORY

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

NORWALK, OH (June 29, 2025) – Mark Pawuk checked off a bucket list item that the veteran drag racer has been chasing since the mid-1970s. Today he won at Summit Motorsports Park, his life-long hometown track, capturing the Wally and a one-of-a-kind commemorative ice cream scoop for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Pawuk started the day as the No. 2 qualifier, a position he earned in the final qualifying session and raced to his second consecutive Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown win of the season and fourth of his career.

“This is my home track, I started here in 70s, racing, believe it or not,” said an emotional Pawuk, in front of the packed grandstands. “I loved (track owner) Bill Bader Sr. dearly and I love Bill Jr., and Bobbie. They have the best facility in the country. I have so many friends and family rooting us on. We came into yesterday afternoon, and we weren’t in the show. We got in and wound up winning the race. I’ve wanted this ice cream scoop all my life, since I started racing. It was on my bucket list. I got it done. If you look at the scoreboards here you see Ohio CAT and Summit, two of my original sponsors going back to when I was racing Pro Stock. They are still with me and this is so great.”

Mark Pawuk and the Empaco Dodge Challenger team celebrate in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals winner’s circle, photo credit Auto Imager/Gary Nastase

Through two days of qualifying Pawuk was battling tricky track conditions. On Saturday the schedule was shuffled multiple times with the final session of qualifying moved to the end of the day. Pawuk was first down the track and he jumped from the No. 19 spot to the No. 2 position.

“The final session kept getting delayed all day,” said Pawuk. “We got moved about four times, and the track started going away. I was very concerned I wasn’t going to get in. In Columbus, in 2000 when I was racing Pro Stock, it was a Summit Racing sponsored race and we weren’t going into the last session on Saturday. There was rain all over but we got a chance to run and we qualified ninth and won the race. We kind of did the same thing today.”

In the opening round of race day today Pawuk outran fellow Dodge Challenger driver David Davies II. Pawuk crossed the finish line with a winning time of 7.833 seconds at 175.98 mph. In the second round Pawuk almost duplicated his winning time outrunning Kevin Skinner with a time of 7.848 seconds at 176.30 mph.

The Empaco Dodge Challenger takes off on the way to victory for Mark Pawuk,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Pawuk faced another serious challenge in the semifinals when he faced fellow championship contender Lee Hartman and his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. Pawuk was first off the line and never trailed in the drag race. His winning time was another solid 7.826 second pass that gave him lane choice heading to the final against Scott Libersher and his COPO Camaro.

The final round was Pawuk’s toughest race of the day as Libersher got the jump off the starting line with a .034 second reaction time to Pawuk’s .050 second jump off the line. As the Factory Stock cars charged down their respective lanes Pawuk kept his tires hooked up and Libersher overpowered his lane. He was forced to watch as Pawuk cruised to an easy victory.

“I thought it would be my year this year when we rolled in. Last year I made it to the final and I did a big wheel stand against Stephen Bell and lost the race. I have so many sponsors from this area to thank. I’ve been with Summit Racing, Ohio CAT, Mr. Heater, Red Line Oil, E3 spark plugs, Mickey Thompson tires, Ohio Company and so many more. I am just so lucky.”

With four round wins today Pawuk held off all competitors holding onto the Flexjet bounty. The $1,000 bounty will now double to $2,000 for any driver who can defeat Pawuk at the U.S. Nationals. Pawuk and his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak now have an eight-round win-streak heading into the biggest race of the season.

“It’s an honor for me to represent Dodge,” said Pawuk. “Last year I ran a tribute to Don Schumacher. I rewrapped the car again this year and this is just a special win. I have to thank Ray Barton and David Barton for tuning our car. It’s just awesome that I can represent a brand like Dodge. I won the world championship last year. My wife questioned whether I would come back or not, and I told her I wanted to try to repeat after a slow start in Gainesville. We are doing OK and have some momentum.”

For Pawuk the win in Norwalk was one of the last significant wins of his Hall of Fame career. Only the Cornwell Tools U.S. Nationals remains on his “must win” list. The reigning world champion will have his chance to secure that victory Labor Day weekend when the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series returns to action at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis, August 29 – September 1, 2025.

Flexjet Bounty Program
Gatornationals (Gainesville, Fla.)
$1,000 bounty collected by David Davies II, defeated Mark Pawuk (St. Louis winner)

American Rebel Light Four-Wide Nationals (Concord, N.C.)
No Bounty

Route 66 Nationals (Chicago, Ill.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Alex Anderson, defeated Jonathan Allegrucci (Charlotte winner)

Thunder Valley Nationals (Bristol, Tenn.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Mark Pawuk, defeated Jason Dietsch (Chicago winner)

Summit Racing Equipment Nationals (Norwalk, Ohio)
$1,000 bounty not collected as Mark Pawuk won

2025 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results
Gainesville –Jason Dietsch, winner; Lenny Lottig, runner-up
Charlotte – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Mark Pawuk, runner-up
Chicago – Jason Dietsch, winner; Lee Hartman, runner-up
Bristol – Mark Pawuk, winner; James Betz, runner-up
Norwalk, Mark Pawuk, winner; Scott Libersher, runner-up

Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Point Standings
1. Mark Pawuk                     458
2. Jason Dietsch                  378
3. Lee Hartman                    358
4. Jonathan Allegrucci          332
5. Scott Libersher                292
6. David Janac                     288
7. Doug Hamp                     261
8. James Betz                     243
9. Raymond Nash                240
10. Taylor Dietsch                232

2025 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Schedule

Aug. 27 – Sept. 1    Cornwell Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, Ind.
Sept. 11-14             Reading NHRA Nationals, Reading, Pa.
Sept. 26-29             NHRA Midwest Nationals, St. Louis, Mo.

Uncategorized

CHRIS KING MAXIMIZES OPPORTUNITIES ON AND OFF TRACK AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NATIONALS

July 1, 2025 ARP Trish

NORWALK, OH (June 29, 2025) — Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King took every opportunity to promote his primary sponsors, Howards Cams and Competition Products as well as his skills on and off the track at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Beginning on Tuesday, leading up to the race King was a featured guest on the NHRA Insider podcast with Brian Lohnes. King talked up the wide variety of events he was participating in after a season opening appearance at the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago. King took the data he acquired at that race and made a valiant effort to qualify in a stacked field of over 20 Funny Cars at America’s Racetrack, Summit Motorsports Park. King credits the improvement in his program to crew chief Bob Peck who has brought a wealth of experience and influence to the team.
Chris King and the Howards Cams/Competition Products Funny Car made the most of their weekend in Norwalk, photo credit Innovative Creation Experts“I can’t even begin to start with how amazing Bob Peck has been for bringing this program to where it needs to be, at this level of competition,” said King. “He’s rebuilt the car from the ground up, every nut, every bolt, every washer, every weld, has been inspected, fixed, improved, all for the reason of safety and performance. If you’ve watched our program, over the last couple of years, this car has jumped in performance. We’re running career best numbers almost every lap out. We’re learning. I’m doing a good job driving the car. Bob has just got so many connections and resources, and he’s a smart man when it comes to tuning. It’s very methodical, which is good. We’re not hurting parts. The car is performing. When it comes back to the pits it looks like it never ran.”

On Friday leading up to qualifying King participated in the inaugural Unites States Open Hot Saw Championship Pro/Am. The full-time Chicago firefighter and his Hot Saw professional partner outdueled Matt Hagan, Buddy Hull, Spencer Hyde and Clay Millican to win the team Pro/Am event.

In the two opening rounds of qualifying King experienced the peaks and valleys of drag racing. During the first round after his burnout as he was backing up and beginning the staging process the fire safety system engaged, emptying his fire bottles on the starting line. Following the run the team investigated the issues and the bottle seals failed for an unknown reason. In the second session King made a shakedown run to ensure that all systems were in check for an aggressive qualifying approach on Saturday.
Chris King gets suited up before the final qualifying session at Summit Motorsports Park,
photo credit Innovative Creation Experts“Our issues started with Q1 that diaphragm popping and that really set us back,” admitted King. “If we would have made that run, we would have found the fuel curve issue, we would have found the clutch flow issue, and we would have been set up in the car for more success sooner. We would be in the show today, I know it. Missing that run set us back, and we just had gremlins all weekend, like a little computer glitch here and there.”

Leading up to the final two qualifying sessions King was a featured driver on the NHRA Nitro Stage with Hannah Rickards. He spoke about his efforts at the Chicago race, the energy his team puts in to get to every race and the personal sacrifices he makes to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time Funny Car driver. He also talked about hosting NHL superstar Dakota Joshua, a forward for the Canucks, and Indy Car rookie sensation Nolan Seigel at the races on Saturday. In addition to those two non-drag racing stars King had two-time world champion Jack Beckman hanging out in his pit throughout the weekend. The pair of Funny Car drivers have a long-standing friendship.

“It’s very motivating to have support from a driver and world champion like Jack,” said King. “It makes me feel great knowing that a guy like him, who knows more about this sport than almost anybody out here respects our program. He knows what I’m doing, because he’s been in the sport, and he’s followed it from Super Comp all the way up. Jack’s been on the biggest teams and won world championships, so he knows the struggles from the top. He’s just my biggest cheerleader. He’s down here all the time in between rounds, and anytime my car is on the line Beckman is 10 feet away from my car. He’s giving us support as well as a second set of eyes to make sure that we’re not missing something. I can’t thank him enough.”

In the final two sessions King stepped up his performance posting a solid 4.267 second pass in the first session of the day and in the final session his Howard Cams/Competition Products Funny Car was charging towards a race qualifying time when a mechanical issue robbed him of momentum as the finish line was closing in. King narrowly missed making a highly competitive field, but he took positives from the weekend experience.

“In the final qualifier we had a cylinder out, and we were chugging it down the track and it was going to make it,” said King. “It’s just bad luck. I’m trying to shake those gremlins and come out swinging. The car is plenty capable of qualifying and winning rounds. We just have to catch a break.”

“We’re doing everything we can to show the NHRA, the fans and the sponsors that we belong here,” said King. “We need to be a bigger part of this sport and that’s my goal. I need to find some help to make my program grow so that I can be out here more doing these kinds of things, because the fans love it. They love our story. They love us as a team. Our fellow competitors respect us because we’re not going out and being stupid, we’re running respectably, and we do what we need to do. With all media, appearances, and hard work I’m putting into this, I’m really hoping people around the NHRA notice.”

Fans will be able to continue to cheer King on in 2025 at the Cornwell Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, August 29 – September 1, 2025.

Qualifying Results
Q1: No Run
Q2: 6.759 sec; 100.09 mph; Qual 21
Q3: 4.267 sec; 249.72 mph; Qual. 17
Q4: 8.662 sec; 168.41 mph; Qual. 18

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JOE MORRISON TAKES POSITIVES FROM BUSY RACE IN NORWALK

Joe Morrison makes a solid qualifying attempt at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals,
photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography

Funny Car driver Joe Morrison readies himself for another qualifying run at Summit Motorsports Park,
photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography

MARK PAWUK WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN NATIONAL EVENT WITH NORWALK VICTORY

Mark Pawuk and the Empaco Dodge Challenger team celebrate in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals winner’s circle, photo credit Auto Imager/Gary Nastase

The Empaco Dodge Challenger takes off on the way to victory for Mark Pawuk,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

CHRIS KING MAXIMIZES OPPORTUNITIES ON AND OFF TRACK AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NATIONALS

Racer News and Results

Joe Morrison makes a solid qualifying attempt at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals,photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography

Funny Car driver Joe Morrison readies himself for another qualifying run at Summit Motorsports Park, photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography

Mark Pawuk and the Empaco Dodge Challenger team celebrate in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals winner’s circle, photo credit Auto Imager/Gary Nastase

The Empaco Dodge Challenger takes off on the way to victory for Mark Pawuk,photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Racer News and Results

Joe Morrison makes a solid qualifying attempt at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals,
photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography

Funny Car driver Joe Morrison readies himself for another qualifying run at Summit Motorsports Park,
photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography

The Empaco Dodge Challenger takes off on the way to victory for Mark Pawuk,
photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase