| NORWALK, OH. (June 29, 2025) — Some race weekends are about more than just wins. For standout rookie Spencer Hyde, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals was all about honoring Jack Hyde, the family member who got him into drag racing as a child. His special Jack and the Green Stock livery was a replica of the stock car that Jack, now 83 years old, drove in the 60s and 70s. The entire weekend, Hyde was surrounded by friends and family at Summit Equipment Motorsports Park, the facility he considers his American home track. “I have to thank Jim [Head] for letting us race the Jack and the Green Stock Funny Car,” said Hyde. “It was cool to have so many friends and family members at the track, especially Jack. Seeing the car on the track was so cool. This will be a memory I don’t think I will ever forget.” Spencer Hyde wowed the Norwalk crowd with his Jack and the Green Stock Funny Car, photo credit Mark Rebilas PhotographyFor the second weekend in a row, teams dealt with extremely high temperatures that made track conditions and general comfort difficult. Despite this, Hyde made a solid run right out of the gate during Q1 on Friday, a 4.005 second, 314.97 mph pass, the third quickest of the round, earning him one bonus point. That run stuck as his best pass of qualifying, earning him the No. 9 qualifying position and a round one matchup against Daniel Wilkerson. Wilkerson was first off the starting line, and Hyde was not able to catch up. “This was a great weekend even if we didn’t get the win,” said Hyde. “This was a tough weekend for every team with the track conditions. We had some solid runs but just missed it a little today. Props to Wilkerson and his team for having the better car this time. I know we have many future matchups in our future.”Spencer Hyde and the Jack and the Green Stock were the hit of the weekend at Summit Motorsports Park, photo credit Mark Rebilas Photography Leading up to race day, Hyde had a full schedule that included a media tour in Toledo, Ohio where he had two morning show interviews and two taped interviews for local TV. Then on Friday, he made a strong effort to take down reigning Norwalk ice cream eating contest champion Jianna Evaristo, but she remained unstoppable. He went straight from ice cream eating to the Pro/Am hot saw competition, where he was knocked out in the semifinals when his professional partner got DQ’d. He then squeezed in an interview with Brian Lohnes on the NHRA Insider podcast, before going back to the Head Racing pits to officially unveil the Jack and the Green Stock car. “I had a busy week for sure with the media on Thursday, then the ice cream eating contest, hot saw competition and car unveiling on Friday,” said Hyde. “I don’t know if I could have added anything else to my schedule. Staying busy like that helps me stay focused because you don’t have a lot of down time. The highlight for sure was Jack seeing the car for the first time. I could tell he was doing his best not to get too emotional in public, but it meant a lot to the both of us.” After Norwalk, Hyde is now looking out west. The time off ahead of the Seattle race will allow the Canadian business owner to refocus and recharge before getting back to the final races of the regular Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. “This was a good race for me since it was the second of back-to-back races and I felt really comfortable in the car,” said Hyde. “I am taking all the positive experiences and getting better every race. We have some time off before Seattle and I’ll be ready to head west. I can’t believe we are already halfway through my rookie season, and four races away from the Countdown. Everyone told me this year would go by quickly, and they were right.” Hyde and the Head Racing team will be back in competition at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals on July 18-20 at Pacific Raceways. There will be one qualifying session on Friday, July 18 and three qualifying sessions on Saturday, July 19. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Northwest Nationals visit nhra.com. Qualifying Results Q1: 4.005 sec, 314.97 mph; Qual. 3 Q2: 7.145 sec, 88.95 mph; Qual. 9 Q3: 4.637 sec, 182.87 mph; Qual. 9 Q4: 6.882 sec, 90.80 mph; Qual. 9 Bonus Points: +1 (third quickest of Q1) Race Results First Round Daniel Wilkerson, Springfield, Ill., Scag Power Equipment Ford Shelby Mustang, (.063), 3.967 sec, 324.20 mph def. Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Jack and The Green Stock Funny Car, (.098), 7.546 sec, 80.34 mph |
BUDDY HULL ROLLS OUT OF NORWALK WITH CONSISTENCY
NORWALK, OH. (June 29, 2025) — The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals marked the second race that Buddy Hull and Jim Dunn Racing put their new nitro Funny Car to the test. It was another scorcher of a weekend, where 21 Funny Cars were competing for 16 spots on Sunday. After four solid qualifying runs made on Friday and Saturday, Hull made it safely into the field in the No. 16 spot.
“We have a brand-new Funny Car and we are making great strides with it,” said Hull. “This Jim Dunn Racing crew is working incredibly hard on and off the track. I think we will be in a great spot heading into the rest of the summer and the Countdown. I am continuing to get comfortable in this new car.”
Buddy Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car had a strong showing at Summit Motorsports Park,
photo credit Innovative Creative Experts
Every single run that Hull made over the course of the weekend was in the 4-second range that the Jim Dunn Racing team is familiar with. Hull’s best pass came during the Q2 night run on Friday, when the track was at its coolest. He made a 4.127 second, 275.67 mph pass that secured the team in the show. While other cars competing were experiencing wide swings in ET due to the heat, Hull’s Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car was one of the most consistent cars all weekend.
“This heat continues to be a killer, but at the very least it’s a bit of a great equalizer in the sense that we are all having to deal with it,” said Hull. “As an athlete, I made sure I was ready to go every run by staying hydrated all weekend. I always want to make sure I’m performing at my best for the guys and doing my job.”
In the first round, Hull was up against No. 1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon. Hull has beaten the No. 1 qualifier twice this season, proving that as long as you’re able to qualify in the Top 16, it can be anyone’s game. This was the first time Hull had faced Pedregon in eliminations. Unfortunately, in their first matchup, Pedregon was able to get around Hull.
“That right lane was just tough for all the Funny Cars,” said Hull. “I think everyone smoked the tires at about the same spot. Jim and Jon [Dunn] had a great tune up that I think would have been a 4.09 or 4.10 second run. Cruz made a good run but we could have been right there with him.”
Even though he had an early exit on Sunday, Hull is thankful for the experience of his third Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals because it gave him the opportunity to try new things like competing in a Pro/Am Hot Saw competition.
“This race was amazing because of the Bader family and how much they care about putting on a great show for the fans. It’s a testament to their work that we still had so many people at the track even with the heat,” said Hull. “We had the Hot Saw competition and so many other fan-centric events. This was a great event for the fans, and I am so glad we got to see so many of them. We had people at our ropes all weekend.”
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be back in competition at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals on July 18-20 at Pacific Raceways. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, July 18 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, July 19. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Northwest Nationals visit nhra.com.
Qualifying Results
Q1: 4.291 sec, 276.75 mph; Qual. 15
Q2: 4.127 sec, 275.67 mph; Qual. 14
Q3: 4.869 sec; 167.51 mph; Qual. 16
Q4: 4.462 sec; 216.97 mph; Qual. 16
Bonus Points: 0
Race Results
First Round
Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind., Snap-on Tools Dodge SRT Hellcat, (.115), 4.057 sec, 319.37 mph def. Buddy Hull, Dallas, Tex., Blaze Exhaust Probes Dodge Charger, (.124), 4.917 sec, 165.90 mph
JOSH HART TAKES ON HOT NORWALK AND RACES TO QUARTERFINALS
NORWALK, OH (June 29, 2025) — The temperatures soared at Summit Motorsports Park but Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team kept their cool through two days of qualifying and into race day today at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Hart, who was hosting hundreds of guests in a massive hospitality tent, racing his Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Challenger in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class and battling the toughest Top Fuel field in recent memory, qualified No. 9 in Top Fuel and raced to the quarterfinals holding firmly to his spot in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel top ten in points.
Through two days of qualifying where track temperatures exceeded 130 degrees, Hart was able to come off the R+L Carriers Top Fuel hauler and post two runs in the 3.80s setting him up for success heading into the final day of qualifying. On Saturday the Ron Douglas and Jason McCulloch 12,000-horsepowered Top Fuel land rocket tried to be as aggressive as possible to give the team as much data as possible for a long race day.
Josh Hart took the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team to another quarterfinal finish at Summit Motorsports Park,
photo credit Krista Zivcic Photography
“We made solid runs on Friday and then on Saturday we were trying to see how hard we could push this R+L Carriers dragster,” said Hart, a multi-time national event winner. “We knew race day would be another scorcher so we tried to get as much data as possible. I feel really good in the dragster so I was ready for race day.”
In the opening round Hart was racing Spencer Massey in an evenly matched No. 8 versus No. 9 match-up. Hart’s performance on Friday combined with the info his team learned on Saturday propelled him to victory with a 3.907 second win over Massey’s tire smoking 6.803 second run. Hart grabbed the lead as the dragsters passed the Christmas Tree and never trailed as he powered down the track on a smooth pass.
“We were extremely safe on the starting line tune-up,” said Hart, from his pit at the end of the day. “I think the team is getting more confident in hot track conditions. My confidence is growing and I am starting to get back to my normal lights.”
In the quarterfinals racing for another spot in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Hart drew Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment dragster. Both drivers are recognized as premier wheelmen on the starting line with regards to quick reaction times. When the tree flashed both dragsters launched almost simultaneously and powered towards the finish line. As the end of the track closed in Hart’s R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster hazed the tires just slightly and Ashley pulled ahead for the victory. Ashley eventually won the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals outrunning Clay Millican in the final.
Josh Hart takes time to sign for a young NHRA fan during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals,
photo credit Krista Zivcic Photography
The R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will be back in action at the Muckleshoot Casino Northwest Nationals, July 18-20, at Pacific raceways outside of Seattle, Washington.
Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.879 sec, 325.37 mph; Qual. 7
Q2: 3.818 sec, 325.06 mph; Qual. 8
Q3: 6.134 sec, 103.08 mph; Qual. 9
Q4: 4.107 sec, 266.69 mph; Qual. 9
Bonus points: 0
Race Results
First Round
Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, (.074), 3.907 sec, 323.50 mph def. Spencer Massey, Ft. Worth, Tex., BPK Environmental dragster, (.042), 6.803 sec, 99.81 mph
Second Round
Justin Ashley, Plainview, NY, SCAG Power Equipment dragster, (.061), 3.902 sec, 318.47 mph def. Josh Hart, Ocala, Fla., R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, (.080), 3.976 sec, 320.28 mph
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Point Standings – Top Fuel
1. Tony Stewart 848
2. Shawn Langdon 796
3. Justin Ashley 771
4. Doug Kalitta 661
5. Antron Brown 630
6. Brittany Force 592
7. Steve Torrence 569
8. Clay Millican 537
9. Josh Hart 451
10. Shawn Reed 398
ASHLEY CAPTURES VICTORY AT NORWALK FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WALLY TROPHY
Converts No. 1 qualifier into 17th career win
NORWALK, Ohio (June 29, 2025) – Justin Ashley drove his SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster to the winner’s circle at Summit Motorsports Parkon Sunday, capturing his second straight victory of the 2025 season and the 17th of his career. Ashley started Sunday as the No. 1 seed and methodically won four rounds to claim victory, including a holeshot win in the finals where he had a 0.027 second reaction time. Ashley’s win is also the third straight Top Fuel win for Toyota after his victory in Richmond and Steve Torrence’s triumph in Bristol.
Ashley’s road to victory included defeating Toyota teammate, Shawn Langdon, who made the semifinals for the seventh time this season. Torrence and Doug Kalitta also advanced out of round one on Sunday.
In Funny Car, Ron Capps made it to the semifinals on Sunday for the fourth time this season, and second in the last three races, after earning the No. 3 qualifying seed earlier in the weekend. J.R. Todd was eliminated in round one.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action next at Pacific Raceways outside of Seattle from July 18-20.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Summit Motorsports Park
NHRA Nationals
Race 10 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Justin Ashley | SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Winner | W (3.880) v. S. Farley (4.872) W (3.902) v. J. Hart (3.967) W (3.935) v. S. Langdon (4.008) W (3.931 – holeshot) v. C. Millican (3.922) |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Semi-finals | W (3.872) v. D. Foley (4.721) W (3.906) v. B. Force (3.953) L (4.008) v. J. Ashley (3.935) |
| Doug Kalitta | Applied Innovations Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.816) v. A. Brown (3.903) L (3.900) v. C. Millican (3.912 – holeshot) |
| Steve Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.939) v. S. Reed (4.000) L (5.113) v. T. Stewart (3.908) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L (3.903) v. D. Kalitta (3.816) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Semi-finals | W (4.004) v. P. Lee (8.350) W (4.005) v. D. Richards (7.904) L (4.089) v. A. Prock (4.091 – holeshot) |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L (8.289) v. M. Hagan (3.976) |
*= Non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing
TF Final Result: Winner
What do you have to say after this win today?
“Wow is what I have to say! Absolutely spectacular. My father won here (Summit Motorsports Park) in Funny Car in 2007, and I’ve always dreamed of winning here in Norwalk. This is so incredibly special to me. I have to thank our entire team, they do such an amazing job. They make my job so easy, I’m just along for the ride. Mike Green (co-crew chief), Tommy DeLago (co-crew chief), are amazing individuals. They’re amazing at what they do. Thank you to Randy (Gloede, CEO, SCAG Power Equipment) and Maria (Oldenburg, President of SCAG Power Equipment), the team from SCAG Power Equipment, Toyota GAZOO Racing. RCA Capital, Mac Tools, Mobil 1. We love you guys, we thank you guys!”
RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports
FC Final Result: Semi-finals
How would you describe this weekend for you and the team?
“It’s weekends like this we sort of, always discuss which races are really going to catapult you into the end of the regular season and (to) get ready for the Countdown. This was one of those gut check weekends. It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s tricky. Everybody’s got to work together so well. It’s one of the tougher races we’ve had on Sundays, that I’ve been in, in a longtime. Just to, in the semifinals, to go down the track and not beat yourself or smoke the tires. You know, you lost and everybody should be upset, but you went down the track says volumes about where our NAPA Auto Care team is right now. (I) really wanted to get a win for our Toyota guys. Believe it or not, the conditions here, was almost 150 degrees track temperature and they’re the first ones at the track in the morning and the last ones to leave. The data we get from them is immense. Another good points weekend, I know I hate saying that, but it really was. We made a good run in the first round. Paul Lee was ahead of us in points, so that was nice to do that. We’ll have more of these good weekends. This one stings a little bit, but we’ll get there.”
Jason Feger Scores Second Consecutive Summer Nationals Feature Win of Week 3 at Highland
| HIGHLAND, IL — June 28, 2025 — Jason Feger wants his second DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models title to come in 2025.The Bloomington, IL native began the 2025 campaign with two wins and the Week 1 title, but a string of mishaps through Week 2 and the start of Week 3 cost Feger the points lead, leaving Springfield Raceway.Feger needed a spark of momentum to reset his title chase, and he got his mojo back with the win at Farmer City Raceway on Friday night to help him retake the points lead.Feger’s spirits continued to climb as he scored the fourth victory of his 2025 Hell Tour in a flawless drive around the “World Famous” Highland Speedway on Saturday night.Feger began the night with the win in Heat 4, then drew the Pole Position for the night’s 40-lap Feature, and he quickly took command by diving to the bottom to get clear of outside front row starter Rodney Melvin, then hit the cushion off of Turn 2 to claim the spot.Feger’s in-state competitor, Shannon Babb, placed his No. 18 Longhorn Chassis in contention for the win by beating Melvin to the cushion of Turns 1-2, then completed the pass with a run off of Turn 4.Babb had a two-second difference to eat away to run down Feger, and the factor of lap traffic helped the Moweaqua, IL driver reach Feger’s spoiler by the start of the Feature’s second half.While Babb found speed by running the bottom lane, Feger kept running the high side until he cut down to the bottom.Feger managed to squirm by the pack of traffic while Babb was unable to pass one lapped car, solidifying the 34th Summer Nationals win for the “High Side Hustler” in Highland.“This place has been really good to me over the years,” Feger said. “We’ve won a lot of races here, and awesome fans here, as always. It’s a fun little bullring. I love these bullrings. I gotta thank my crew for busting their butts (and) all my sponsors.”Feature (40 Laps): 1. 25F-Jason Feger[1]; 2. 18-Shannon Babb[4]; 3. B5-Brandon Sheppard[7]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 5. 1-Tyler Erb[17]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 7. 27M-Rodney Melvin[2]; 8. 10K-Daryn Klein[3]; 9. 4G-Bob Gardner[11]; 10. 75-Dillon McCowan[13]; 11. 14JR-Trey Mills[19]; 12. 5-Mark Whitener[10]; 13. 31M-Tyler Millwood[9]; 14. 4-Jordan Suhre[18]; 15. 388-Jackson Hise[22]; 16. 17SS-Brenden Smith[14]; 17. 29-Christian Hanger[12]; 18. 15-Clay Stuckey[20]; 19. 28B-Carson Brown[15]; 20. 35-Claude Walker[21]; 21. 78-Chad Zobrist[8]; 22. 6K-Michael Kloos[16]Tyler Nicely Leaves Highland Victorious for First Summit Modifieds Win of 2025Tyler Nicely is back to full form.The Owensboro, KY driver returned to DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Victory Lane for the first time in over a year in a limited schedule aboard a DIRTcar UMP Modified.Nicely began the 25-lap dash from the pole and took immediate command over Daniel Adam entering the first set of corners. Tour points leader Trevor Neville swung by Adam for second place on the bottom lane of Turns 1-2.The pilot of the No. 5 Elite Chassis established his place at the front while withholding a one-second advantage over the Mackinaw, IL driver of Neville while racing around the 1/4-mile bullring by using the bottom lane. At the same time, Neville attempted to run the middle and top side to try and close the gap on Nicely.When Nicely had to maneuver around lapped traffic in the late stages of the Feature, he was able to place cars between himself and Neville, while the No. 777 Lethal Chassis had to face the challenge of Mike Harrison riding the cushion for second place.With Neville and Harrison racing against each other for the podium position, it made them the first drivers to witness Nicely earning his 12th career Summit Modifieds win to tie Michael Long for fifth on the all-time tour wins list.“It feels real good,” Nicely said. “We’ve only raced a handful of times with this thing, and it’s been really good. To knock the first Summer Nationals win off with a couple of good buddies with me that’s helping. Charlie Mefford, he took off not racing to come out here and do this deal with me, and it feels really good.”Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals head southeast to Tennessee’s Clarksville Speedway for the Week 3 finale on Sunday, June 29.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[1]; 2. 777-Trevor Neville[3]; 3. 24H-Mike Harrison[7]; 4. 95S-Rick Salter[12]; 5. 52JR-Cole Knebel[5]; 6. 45H-Chase Holland[4]; 7. 77-Ray Bollinger[6]; 8. 787-Cody Zobrist[15]; 9. 87Z-Zeb Moake[10]; 10. 21T-Talen Beard[8]; 11. 5S-Owen Steinkoenig[9]; 12. 81-Kevin Cole[13]; 13. 75-Daniel Adam[2]; 14. 19-Jimmy Cummins[19]; 15. 88L-Christian Lee[21]; 16. 1A-Steve Meyer Jr[18]; 17. 35S-Zach Fair[16]; 18. 29H-Cale Hartnagel[24]; 19. 63V-Cody Ventimiglia[20]; 20. 16E-Todd Eyman[22]; 21. 6-Jeremy Pate[25]; 22. 69-Noah Sugg[11]; 23. 27E-Tory Ernst[17]; 24. 28-Tom Smallwood[14]; 25. (DNS) E55-Chad SellersARTICLE:https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/recap/jason-feger-scores-second-consecutive-summer-nationals-feature-win-of-week-3-at-highland/, https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/recap/tyler-nicely-leaves-highland-victorious-for-first-summit-modifieds-win-of-2025/ EVENT INFO:https://dirtcarsummernationals.com/schedule/event-info/?event=4547865 TRACK INFO:https://highlandspeedway.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. |
CONQUERING THE LAKE: Carson Macedo Capitalizes for First Cedar Lake Victory
The Jason Johnson Racing driver breaks through at the Wisconsin tack after Giovanni Scelzi’s misfortune
NEW RICHMOND, WI (June 28, 2025) – Carson Macedo said he felt like he was driving with steam coming from his ears on Friday night at Cedar Lake Speedway, and he carried that fire into Saturday.
A penalty for jumping the start at the Independence Spectacular opener fueled Macedo with a hunger. A hunger for redemption. A hunger to make it up to his Jason Johnson Racing team. A hunger to finally capture an elusive victory at Cedar Lake.
Consider that hunger satisfied.
Saturday’s story looked like it was going to be a domination by Giovanni Scelzi. He started fourth and ripped the KCP Racing No. 18 into the lead only three laps in. Scelzi set sail, but a yellow flag with 12 laps to go shook things up. Scelzi slid ahead of Macedo on the restart but plugged the wall in Turn 2. That allowed Macedo to slip by down the back straightaway, and he never looked back. The Lemoore, CA native cruised to his first win at the New Richmond, WI dirt track and forgot all about Friday’s disappointment.
“I’ve lost a couple races here literally doing exactly what just happened there on the start of that race, just not really knowing where to be,” Macedo said. “I felt like I was fully in the grip, and Gio ripped around me. I never really heard him. I heard him one time off of (Turn) 2, and then I went into Turn 3 and thought, ‘Okay, I’ll get up in (Turns) 1 and 2’” and then he ripped around me in (Turns) 3 and 4. So, hats off to Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman. Philip gave me a great car all night. We laid down a really nice lap and just put this Albaugh, JJR 41 right where it needed to be to be in position to get in the Dash, where you got to capitalize to win races.”
Macedo’s fifth win of 2025 is the 52nd of his career with the World of Outlaws, which breaks a tie with Jeff Swindell to give him sole possession of 17th most all-time. He finally broke through at Cedar Lake after a trio of runner-ups, becoming the 24th different driver to top a race with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the 3/8 mile.
David Gravel and the Big Game Motorsports team took the runner-up spot to cap a strong weekend. A win on Friday and Saturday’s second place finish pushed Gravel to 22 podiums on the season, and his point lead is up to 184 markers with roughly half of the campaign complete. The Watertown, CT native felt a slight stumble on a late restart ended his bid at sweeping both main events of the weekend.
“His (Macedo) pace was pretty slow, and it caught me off guard,” Gravel explained of the final restart. “When I hit the throttle, it just didn’t go, so I took the long way around to get a good run down the frontstretch and get into (Turn) 1 with a lot of speed. That was our only shot to try to make it happen. It just seems like whoever was in the lead was much faster.”
The final step of the podium belonged to Michael “Buddy” Kofoid as the same three drivers claimed the top three spots both nights. The Penngrove, CA native started eighth and marched the Roth Motorsports No. 83 to his 15th podium of the season and seventh in a row.
“I feel like during the long green flag run we had a really good car,” Kofoid said. “I got to fourth pretty quick and was catching David and passed him a few times but couldn’t get enough speed on exit to not get crossed back under. Then I got back in line, and I felt like during the long run they were coming back to us. That’s probably when my car felt the best. I didn’t want that red (flag).”
Sheldon Haudenschild and Bill Balog completed the top five.
Cole Macedo took the TwoC Racing No. 2C from 19th to 12th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.
Garet Williamson earned his second Simpson Quick Time of the Year in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.
Heat Races belonged to Chris Windom (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Carson Macedo (Real American Beer Heat Two), and David Gravel (WIX Filters Heat Three).
The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Carson Macedo for the second straight night.
Macedo also topped the Toyota Dash.
The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Giovanni Scelzi.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars take Fourth of July weekend off before returning to action on Thursday, July 10 at Spring Valley, MN’s Deer Creek Speedway. For tickets, CLICK HERE. Then it’s over to Wisconsin’s Wilmot Raceway on July 11-12 for the Larry Hillerud Memorial Badger 40. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the race, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[3]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[8]; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[5]; 5. 17B-Bill Balog[6]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz[12]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[10]; 8. 23-Garet Williamson[13]; 9. 7S-Chris Windom[2]; 10. 99-Skylar Gee[9]; 11. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[11]; 12. 2C-Cole Macedo[19]; 13. 24T-Christopher Thram[15]; 14. 6-Zach Hampton[7]; 15. 74N-Luke Nellis[17]; 16. 87A-Austin Hartmann[16]; 17. 14-Brooke Tatnell[18]; 18. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[4]; 19. 1K-Kelby Watt[20]; 20. 91-Reed Allex[21]; 21. 28M-Conner Morrell[14]; 22. 55A-Brandon Allen[22]
Hoffman Goes Back-to-Back in Dominant Fashion at Norman County
ADA, MN (June 28, 2025) – There’s something about Norman County Raceway that just suits Nick Hoffman.
In his first time racing at the Ada, MN facility in 2024, he left with the trophy. One year later, “The Thrill From Mooresville” is still the only driver to have won a World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision race at the track.
And unlike last year when he inherited the lead late in the race due to some misfortune for the cars in front of him, Hoffman was the man to beat all night, leading all 50 circuits on the way to the checkered flag.
“It’s the best I’ve ever felt in a Late Model,” Hoffman said following his second World of Outlaws win in as many nights. “Coming off the Dream, we were kind of riding a high there and then kept carrying it over the last two nights. It’s going really good, and everything’s kind of firing on all eight cylinders.”
Hoffman’s second-straight Bilstein Pole Award put him in clean air to start the Feature. After falling back to third on the start at River Cities Speedway on Friday night, Hoffman made sure he wouldn’t have to come from behind again. The gap to second grew as large as three seconds on the 37-lap green flag run that opened the race.
By the time Ashton Winger slowed down the backstretch with 13 to go to bring out the first caution, Ethan Dotson had gotten around Tyler Bruening and into second to put himself in position to challenge Hoffman on the restart. Hoffman denied that opportunity though, as he pulled away while Dotson, Bruening and Dennis Erb Jr. raced three-wide for second.
Three more cautions late in the going kept Hoffman on his toes in the closing laps, but just as he did on Friday, the No. 9 stayed on top and cruised to the ninth win of his World of Outlaws career.
“I kind of felt stale with about 20 to go, I was kind of floating around and very vulnerable if somebody could get another lane rolling,” Hoffman said. “I just couldn’t feel like I could get off four very well and I started running that slider line in one and two. When I was in lap traffic there, I was catching some pretty fast cars and was trying to judge off of them of where they were running. Obviously I ain’t going to pass them if they were running the bottom, so I’ve got to change lanes. All in all, it worked out really well.”
Dotson’s runner-up result was his first World of Outlaws podium since winning his first race at Farmer City Raceway, putting him two points behind Cody Overton in the battle for seventh in the standings.
“Put a soft tire on and it helped me early get by some cars, but later on it hurt me,” Dotson said. “Running the top the last five, I really wanted to get up there and try to get by them, but as bad as I’ve been running lately, I just needed to settle down and take what we can get.”
Erb hadn’t finished in the top five with the World of Outlaws all season before the weekend, but his third-place run at Norman County put him on the podium for the second-straight night to keep his newfound hot streak rolling.
“We’ll just keep plugging away here, our car’s working real good,” Erb said. “The caution came out at the wrong time or I think we would’ve had a pretty good shot there at the end. To be back up here and have two good nights in a row, it just shows you how good we’ve been here, and we’ll just keep it rolling.”
Overton finished fourth for his best night since DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals in January, while Jake Timm earned the first top five of his MD3 Rookie of the Year campaign in the fifth spot.
RACE NOTES:
Tanner English set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.
Tyler Bruening won the Simpson Quick Time Award.
Tyler Bruening won Real American Beer Heat 1.
Bobby Pierce won STAKT Products Heat 2.
Nick Hoffman won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.
Drake Troutman won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.
Brian Shirley won the Landa Pressure Washers Last Chance Showdown.
Nick Hoffman won the Bilstein Pole Award.
Brent Larson won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.
Ethan Dotson was the MD3 Rookie of the Race.
Ethan Dotson won the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher Award.
Cody Overton was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.
Jake Timm was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.
Ryan Gustin 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.
Tim McCreadie was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.
Drake Troutman was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will wrap up the weekend in Minot, ND at Nodak Speedway on Sunday, June 29. 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. 9-Nick Hoffman[1]; 2. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[11]; 4. 2-Cody Overton[5]; 5. 49-Jake Timm[13]; 6. 19R-Ryan Gustin[10]; 7. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 8. 96-Tanner English[12]; 9. B1-Brent Larson[18]; 10. 9M-Tim McCreadie[8]; 11. 19-Dustin Sorensen[14]; 12. 22*-Drake Troutman[2]; 13. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[16]; 14. 12-Ashton Winger[21]; 15. 8-Matthew Larson[24]; 16. 15-Laela Eisenschenk[23]; 17. 1-Amelia Eisenschenk[15]; 18. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 19. 09-Michael Leach[9]; 20. 76-Blair Nothdurft[6]; 21. 3S-Brian Shirley[17]; 22. 1TPO-Tyler Peterson[22]; 23. 28M-Sam Mars[20]; 24. 42S-Don Shaw[19]6
Elliott Grabs First Win of the Season at EchoPark Speedway
| NASCAR CUP SERIES ECHOPARK SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT JUNE 28, 2025 |
| MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
| In front of a hometown crowd, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team earned their first trip to victory lane of the season in NASCAR’s top division – taking the checkered flag in the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. The victory is Elliott’s 20th victory in 340 career starts, with the triumph marking his second at the 1.54-mile Georgia venue. With 18 points-paying races complete, Chevrolet has earned highest number of early playoff berths thus far with Elliott becoming the manufacturer’s fifth different winner this season. Chevrolet’s fifth win on the reconfigured EchoPark Speedway surface continues the Bowtie brand’s stellar record on drafting-style tracks in the Next Gen era, with Elliott’s trip to victory lane marking the manufacturer’s 13th win in 22 races on the configuration. Taking the green flag for the 18th race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, a brigade of Team Chevy drivers began the march up towards the front. Led by the reigning DAYTONA 500 Champion, William Byron, six drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations found themselves in the top-13 of the running order before looming precipitation forced the race under red flag conditions. Following a brief delay, the race resumed with 12 laps remaining in the opening stage. With a majority of the lead pack electing track position for the race to the end of the stage, Byron was leading a strong contingency of Team Chevy drivers in the top-10 when Christopher Bell loss control of his car, ultimately bringing out the caution to end the stage. The two-time winner at the 1.54-mile Georgia venue earned fourth-place stage points and led the manufacturer to half of the top-10 of the running order to end Stage One. Showing early speed in their Chevrolet-powered machines, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon were among the handful of cars that were en route to a strong points run in the opening stage, but were collected in Bell’s incident to force an uphill battle for the remainder of the race. Chaos ensured on the opening lap of Stage Two when a wreck at the front of the field ended in a stack-up of nearly half the field. Among those involved included Team Chevy’s William Byron, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, who sustained too much damage to return to the race. Following a front-row position to start Stage Two, Georgia native, Chase Elliott, kept his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet near the front of the pack before closing out the stage in a side-by-side battle with Tyler Reddick – ultimately taking the green-white checkered flag for second-place stage points by a mere .001 second margin. Despite damage from the Stage Two wreck, Blake Harris and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team continued to go to work on their Chevrolet to give Alex Bowman a steady climb up through the field, with the team earning a hard fought fourth-place points in Stage Two. Remaining steady in the top-10 through much of the final stage, the 32-year- old Tucson, Arizona, native went on to collect his fourth top-five finish of the season. Making just his third career start in NASCAR’s top division, Trackhouse Racing’s Connor Zilisch navigated his No. 87 Chevrolet through a calamity-filled race to take the checkered flag with an 11th-place finish. |
| TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS: POS. DRIVER1st – Chase Elliott3rd – Alex Bowman6th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 8th – Ty Dillon10th – Carson Hocevar Wins: 7Poles: 8Top-Fives: 37Top 10s: 76Stage Wins: 16 |
| UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at the Chicago Street Course with the Grant Park 165 on Sunday, July 6, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on TNT, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. |
| Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident on the opening lap of Stage Two. Finished: 33rd “It’s just unfortunate being that early in the race. I couldn’t really see what happened. All of a sudden, they were crashing and our No. 1 Wendy’s Chevrolet got caught up in it. Our Chevy was a four out of 10 to start the race, and then we got it to a seven out of 10 on the first pit stop. We were halfway to where we needed to be. We still had some work to do, but we set ourselves up well there restarting 12th and full of fuel for the start of Stage Two.” Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 20th“We had a fast No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet tonight in Atlanta. We qualified decent and raced in the top-10 for most of Stage 1. Unfortunately, at the end of the stage the No. 20 car got loose and collected us. We had major body damage and that ruined our night. We made up two laps with a damaged car and finish in 20th. Proud of the effort and we have something to work with for our next speedway race.” Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 21st“Challenging night for the SENIX Tools Chevrolet team in Atlanta. We got caught up in two wrecks before the halfway point of the race. Our Chevy took a hard hit to the nose. Heavy damage to the splitter and the right-front caused us to lose a significant amount of speed. From that point on we were just doing what we could. We did everything we could to try and get some speed back in it. Good effort. Just not enough.” Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 1st“Unbelievable… unbelievable. How about that? Are you kidding me? I’ve never in my life… This is unbelievable. Thank you guys so much. What a special car and just a huge thanks to NAPA Auto Parts and everything they do for me and to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Rhealynn Mills designed to fast NAPA Chevrolet tonight, so this was a lot of fun. This right here is something I’ll never forget. Thank you guys so much.” (What made this win so improbable?) “Well I just think that, honestly, all the cards fell on the right places there those last couple laps. What a crazy race, man. I don’t know if y’all had fun, but it was wild from my seat. I’m so glad we got to run that thing out there to the end. And yeah just again, thank you so much for everybody that has made this possible. This is the ninth year of Desi9n to Drive. What an incredible way to celebrate that. Some great partners… Chevrolet, say hey to Mr. Hendrick at home. Thanks for sticking with me, pal, and yeah, just again, thanks to all you guys because this right here is… you can’t dream of this.” AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletFinished: 12th“Honestly, not sure how to take the day. We had a really fast LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy. The car was really good that first stage and I thought we had a real shot at the end of that stage, with the right couple of moves, to get up there and score some points. We got caught up in that wreck but our guys did a good job to fix it and the car still pretty good. I was never really overly comfortable to make some big moves there at the end of the race. I was trying to get myself in position, but just never did a good job of that. Proud of the guys and their effort; definitely improvement from the first race. I would love to have seen what we could have done without the damage, but that’s the way this racing goes. It’s all part of it, and we were able to get a decent finish at the end of that day.” William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in the opening lap of Stage Two. Finished: 37th Chaos ensued on the opening lap of Stage Two. What did you see from your perspective?“There wasn’t really a whole lot I could see. I was kind of catching the No. 22 (Joey Logano) with a little bit of a run. All the guys at the front had pitted during the stage break and cycled to the mid-20s. We were just running a great race in the top-five. They all stacked up and at that point, I went right a little bit; the wreck was already happening and I just kind of got shoved into it. It’s just a bummer that early in the race. I don’t really know what was going on. We were getting up to speed and everyone was throwing a lot of blocks or something, I don’t know. It was fun out there, honestly. The first stage was fun. Handling really mattered. I thought my No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet was good. I thought our team was calling a great race and we were doing everything we could do.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 6th“We had a shot at it. Obviously taking the lead that late in the race, you have a shot at it. Our No. 47 Hungry Jack Chevrolet was handling really well in the draft. It just didn’t lead very well. That goes back to our qualifying effort. We just have to find some more speed in our race car to be able to get to the lead and not have to throw massive blocks. When we slipped back to third there, I thought maybe if I could just stay there, we would have a shot at it coming to the end, but we just didn’t have enough speed to make another run at it.” Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 3rdWhat more did you need there at the end? “I needed to not be in the lead as early as I was. I felt like whoever was leading was kind of a sitting duck there at the end with how good everyone’s cars were driving. I just got shuffled back. We were coming back through the field and got back to third. We had a really good No. 48 Ally Chevrolet tonight. Happy for the No. 9 team. It’s a big win for them. Proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and we’ll keep on digging.” Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 11th “It was great. It was a kind of battle of attrition a little more than anything. To be running up there that close to the front was awesome. I learned a lot. There’s a lot of things to learn when you’re up there against the guys who are out there winning races. I wish I could have gotten that top-10. We were so close. But I’m looking forward to Watkins Glen. That’s going to be a really good one for us.” Zilisch on racing on a Superspeedway in a Cup car: “These cars are so much different (than an Xfinity car). The runs were a lot bigger. Air made a difference here. We were almost never wide-open. It definitely was challenging but at the same time I enjoyed it a lot and got better throughout the race.” Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 24th “It was definitely a great run there at the start, getting points in both stages. It was fun being competitive. We made some good moves. Stephen and the guys did a great job making changes and got our No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet better and better. We just got unlucky getting taken out, and then we had damage. But it was really promising to run up front.” Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident on the opening lap of Stage Two.Finished: 34th “The sad part for me was that our No. 99 Quaker State Chevrolet was very good. I was being patient, and I felt like we were coming through the field pretty well during Stage One. I felt like our Chevy had potential. It was the start of Stage Two and we didn’t get to race. It’s a shame. Our team did a very good job with the car and we just got caught up in the mess.” |
Bauman Strikes Back in Lima Half-Mile Rematch
| Mission AFT SuperTwins rider Briar Bauman (3) leads Dallas Daniels (32) and the rest of the field at the Lima Half-Mile. [Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2025) – Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) immediately stole the initiative back from Mission AFT SuperTwins title rival Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) in the tense rematch that was Saturday evening’s Lima Half-Mile II, Round 7 of the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. While the opening lap featured a four-wide charge down the Allen County Fairgrounds backstretch, it wasn’t long before Bauman blasted away at the front. Meanwhile, Daniels was headed in the opposite direction, falling back to third and looking incapable of matching the torrid pace required to fight for victory. As the two-time Grand National Champion Bauman steadily built up a two-second-plus advantage in first, Daniels eventually found his groove and worked his way around Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) to take control of second. Daniels continued his charge forward, picking up a tenth here and there on the leader, gradually reducing that gap until it was back under a second with a minute remaining on the clock. Despite the Estenson Racing star further ratcheting up the pressure and closing in nearly to within striking distance on the final lap, Bauman stayed steady and streaked past the checkered flag 0.383 seconds before his rival. Besides taking the momentum back from Daniels, the victory also saw Bauman complete the remarkable feat of securing four Lima Half-Mile wins on four different makes of equipment (Kawasaki, Indian, KTM, and Harley-Davidson). After scoring his 30th premier-class victory, Bauman said, “That was a battle. Well, it wasn’t a battle. I got clean air, and I didn’t really want to do that tonight. I think it was harder to lead than it was to follow in the second half of the race because you could see what the guy in front of you was doing and maybe inch up a little bit. Dallas did that quick. If he would have had a few more laps, he probably would have had me, but he didn’t. “Man, I was going to win last night – I know I was – but the clutch went out. I was pretty bitter. I wanted to win tonight really bad, and the Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus/Latus Motors team did such a good job with this thing.” What figured to be a lonely ride to third proved anything but for Robinson. Late in the race, he was hounded by the Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha MT-07), who earlier escaped a battle with James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07) and Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke) to give Robinson fits for the final spot on the podium. Bender momentarily fought past into third on more than one occasion but couldn’t quite make the pass stick, having to accept (a still highly impressive) fourth in what was a memorable debut weekend with On the Box Racing. Ott carried on to fifth while VDK was dropped to seventh by Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp). Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S), Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), and Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke) completed the top ten. Bauman now leads Daniels 149-139 in what’s shaping up to be a spectacular duel. Robinson is once again up third at 102, following a difficult weekend for Fisher, who has dropped back to fourth at 93. AFT Singles presented by KICKER With two victories in two days, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) has at last unlocked the form so many expected from him in 2025. That’s a scary prospect indeed for the opposition, considering the ‘locked’ version was already leading the AFT Singles presented by KICKER title chase. On Friday, Drane built upon the impressive 2024 Lima performance that saw him defeat Kody Kopp here a year ago, running strong all day and claiming two of the three Mission Triple Challenge Main Events to secure the overall victory. He elevated his game to yet another level on Saturday. Before the race, chief rival Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R) said he had to get the holeshot to have a shot. He accomplished that goal but could still do nothing but watch as Drane shot through in the race’s third corner. The Estenson Racing pilot then proceeded to ride off into the distance to the tune of a 5.419-second margin of victory. Afterward, Drane said, “That was a really good race. I just put my head down from the very start. I knew I had the pace to do it. I just had to get a break and get away as fast as I could. I didn’t want to get into any battles. I wanted to get out front, have my clear air, and pull away.” Saathoff was forced to turn his attention behind instead of ahead just to hold down second. That proved a stout challenge in itself with heralded rookie Walker Porter (No. 100 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) scrapping for second in the early going while clocking the fastest lap of the race. Porter’s more experienced teammate, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), then took the baton and pressured Saathoff to the flag, finishing just 0.184 seconds behind in third. Porter found himself caught up in a spirited three-way fight for fourth with fellow rookie sensation Kage Tadman (No. 288 Roof Systems/Old Oak Ranch KTM 450 SX-F) and the rolling Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F). Two-time winner Tadman ultimately claimed the spot, while Porter worked back past RoosEvans to collect a debut weekend top five. Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) fought his way from the LCQ to seventh while Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F) and couple more rookies in Ryder Reese (No. 244 Mission Foods/Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) and Skylar Sentell (No. 249 Hoffer Performance/Stauffer Motors KTM 450 SX-F) provided even more evidence that the future of the sport is bright indeed by finishing eighth through tenth, respectively. As a result of his huge weekend, Drane now leads Saathoff by 16 points (130-114). Brunner remains third at 98. Next Up: Progressive American Flat Track will do battle at a high-speed Mile for the first time this season with the Memphis Shades DuQuoin Mile, at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Illinois, next Saturday, July 5. Visit https://www.americanflattrack.com/events/2025/view/du-quoin-mile-2025 to secure your tickets today. For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://flosports.link/aft. FOX Sports coverage of the Lima Half-Mile I, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere onFS1 on Saturday, July 5, at 9:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. PT), with the Lima Half-Mile II scheduled to air one week later, on Saturday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT). |
CHEVY RACING–POST RACE–ECHO PARK POST RACE
NASCAR CUP SERIES ECHOPARK SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES JUNE 28, 2025 |
| MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in the opening lap of Stage Two. Chaos ensued on the opening lap of Stage Two. What did you see from your perspective?“There wasn’t really a whole lot I could see. I was kind of catching the No. 22 (Joey Logano) with a little bit of a run. All the guys at the front had pitted during the stage break and cycled to the mid-20s. We were just running a great race in the top-five. They all stacked up and at that point, I went right a little bit; the wreck was already happening and I just kind of got shoved into it. It’s just a bummer that early in the race. I don’t really know what was going on. We were getting up to speed and everyone was throwing a lot of blocks or something, I don’t know. It was fun out there, honestly. The first stage was fun. Handling really mattered. I thought my No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet was good. I thought our team was calling a great race and we were doing everything we could do.” Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on the opening lap of Stage Two. “It’s just unfortunate being that early in the race. I couldn’t really see what happened. All of a sudden, they were crashing and our No. 1 Wendy’s Chevrolet got caught up in it. Our Chevy was a four out of 10 to start the race, and then we got it to a seven out of 10 on the first pit stop. We were halfway to where we needed to be. We still had some work to do, but we set ourselves up well there restarting 12th and full of fuel for the start of Stage Two.” Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on the opening lap of Stage Two.“The sad part for me was that our No. 99 Quaker State Chevrolet was very good. I was being patient, and I felt like we were coming through the field pretty well during Stage One. I felt like our Chevy had potential. It was the start of Stage Two and we didn’t get to race. It’s a shame. Our team did a very good job with the car and we just got caught up in the mess.” |
JOHN FORCE RACING–SATURDAY RECAP–NORWALK
SATURDAY RECAP – NorwalkRace 10 of 20 |
![]() | ![]() |
| Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase |
| JFR DRIVERS ALL TOP 4 IN NORWALK QUALIFYINGBrittany Makes Quickest Run of the Day in Chevrolet Accessories Dragster |
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 28, 2025) – On a hot, challenging racing surface at Summit Motorsports Park, two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force made the quickest run of the day Saturday and locked herself into the No. 4 qualifying position from which she will start her Chevrolet Accessories dragster in Sunday’s 18th NHRA Norwalk Nationals. On a day when only a handful of drivers in the fuel categories reached the 1,000-foot finish line under power, the second youngest of John Force’s drag racing daughters stopped the timers in 3.788 seconds while posting the event’s fastest speed at 334.65 miles per hour. Her Saturday time was just a click off the 3.784 she posted on Friday and was the only sub-3.80 performance on the final day of qualifying. “We laid down two consistent runs in the heat,” the 18-time tour winner said of her qualifying effort, “so that gives us a lot of confidence going into race day. We race Lex Joon first round. We’re going to go out there, race hard and hopefully turn on four-win lights and land in that winner’s circle.” It was a frustrating day for Brittany’s Funny Car teammates, Austin Prock and Jack Beckman, neither of whom reached the finish line under power. Nevertheless, both will start Sunday from the advantageous positions they secured on Friday, Prock from No. 2 against No. 15 qualifier Dale Creasy Jr. and Beckman from No. 4 against No. 13 Chad Green. Prock was the quickest of the two on Saturday at 4.130 seconds in the Cornwell Tools Chevy SS, but his finish line speed of 244.83 mph was almost 100 mph off the NHRA national record he set last November at Pomona, Calif. “We had a great Friday (and) gathered five qualifying bonus points,” Prock said, “but we stumbled a little bit today. We had some misfortunes in Q3 this morning blowing the burst panels out and the parachutes deploying (prematurely), but we did turn on a win light in the (first round of the) Mission 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge. “The next run, conditions got really tricky,” said the reigning series champion and current point leader. “We ended up spinning the tires just past the 330-foot mark in the Mission Challenge final, but we gathered some good data going into tomorrow. We just have to back this ‘Prock Rocket’ off and hopefully we can do some damage on race day.” Beckman’s Saturday best was 4.355 seconds in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy SS, and it followed a 4.500 effort that took him out of the Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge against eventual winner Daniel Wilkerson, whose final round 4.151 covered Prock’s 5.015. “Our PEAK Chevy SS ended up fourth,” said a disappointed Beckman. “We had a great Friday; two solid laps down the track (but) today was hot, muggy and the sun was out. It was really tough out there. I do believe we learned a lot about the racetrack that ought to help us on Sunday. Looking forward to four round wins tomorrow.” |
JASON DIETSCH RUNS TO FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK NO. 1 AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NATIONALS
NORWALK, OH (June 28, 2025) —- The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown points leader, Jason Dietsch, showed no signs of slowing down grabbing the No. 1 qualifier today at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. The two-time 2025 national event winner posted a 7.856 second, 174.91 mph run right off the trailer in the first qualifying session on Friday to grab his second No. 1 qualifier of the season. The strength of that run held the top spot through two more qualifying sessions and Dietsch will face No. 16 qualifier Josh Hart in the opening round of eliminations.
“This would be a good weekend to get the yellow hat and hopefully get the black hat (presented to the race winner),” said Dietsch, who won the Gatornationals and Route 66 Nationals earlier this season. “The weather has been really challenging with track conditions and everything else. We put a soft launch on our first run, and we got down the track with a good time. On the second run, we went out with the same exact set-up and we spun the tires.”
Jason Dietsch ran to his second Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown No.1 qualifier of the season today at Summit Motorsports Park, photo credit Auto Imagery
JASON DIETSCH RUNS TO FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK NO. 1 AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NATIONALS
NORWALK, OH (June 28, 2025) —- The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown No. 2 driver in points, Jason Dietsch, showed no signs of slowing down grabbing the No. 1 qualifier today at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. The two-time 2025 national event winner posted a 7.856 second, 174.91 mph run right off the trailer in the first qualifying session on Friday to grab his second No. 1 qualifier of the season. The strength of that run held the top spot through two more qualifying sessions and Dietsch will face No. 16 qualifier Josh Hart in the opening round of eliminations.
“This would be a good weekend to get the yellow hat and hopefully get the black hat (presented to the race winner),” said Dietsch, who won the Gatornationals and Route 66 Nationals earlier this season. “The weather has been really challenging with track conditions and everything else. We put a soft launch on our first run, and we got down the track with a good time. On the second run, we went out with the same exact set-up and we spun the tires.”
Jason Dietsch ran to his second Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown No.1 qualifier of the season today at Summit Motorsports Park, photo credit Auto Imagery
After two qualifying sessions Dietsch was sitting No. 1 with his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet followed by Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals winner Jason Allegrucci, 7.894 seconds, also in a Cobra Jet and Scott Libersher wheeled his COPO Camaro to a 7.895 second run. Raymond Nash had the highest qualified Dodge after two sessions, sitting No. 4 with a time of 7.919 seconds.
In the second qualifying session Josh Hart stepped up in the Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Challenger with an 8.061 second run to move into the top 16 and Kim Shirley and his COPO Camaro also improved from his first run posting a run of 8.125 seconds to land in the No. 15 qualifier position.
Drama built heading into the final qualifying session with 2024 reigning Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world champion Mark Pawuk sitting No. 19 on the outside of the quick 16. He was joined by championship contender Lee Hartman and Pete Gasko Jr.
Pawuk opened the session with a strong 3.873 second, 174.89 mph pass to jump to the No. 2 qualifier position. Hartman also made a strong run to move into the quick 16 in the No. 6 position with a chance to race for the iconic Wally trophy and the one-of-a-kind custom ice cream scoop presented by track owner Bill Bader to each class winner on Sunday. Dietsch took the opportunity in the final session to gather some data for race day when he saw that track conditions were not improving.
“In the final qualifier we went out and backed it down a little bit,” said Dietsch. “We made it past the 60-foot timer and then it broke loose down track. I saw the cars in front of me all spin their tires and by the time we got to run the track was pretty much used up.”
The $1,000 Flexjet Factory Stock bounty will be riding with Bristol winner Mark Pawuk, In the first round David Davies II and his Mission 22 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak will be the first competitor to try and trailer Pawuk’s Empaco Dodge Challenger. Championship contending drivers Scott Libersher and David Janac will face off in a No. 5 versus No. 12 match-up in a classic Chevrolet versus Ford race. Dietsch’s teammate at Kimco Shared Resources (KSR) and son Taylor, will race Anthony Berge in the first round. The success of Kimco Shared Resources team has Dietsch excited about the opportunities for success.
“This season has been great for whole KSR team. We’ve really come out banging. We work hard together, and everybody has the same stuff, which means it’s anyone’s race at any time. I think we’re No. 1 qualifier, Taylor’s three, Jonathan’s four, and Jim Betz is right up there too. That’s pretty awesome.”
Final eliminations for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will feature the quickest 16 Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Mustang Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks. No matter fans’ personal car preferences, this is a class that continues to provide someone to root for on race day.
First Round Match-ups
No. 1 Jason Dietsch vs. No. 16 Josh Hart
No. 2 Mark Pawuk vs. No. 15 David Davies II
No. 3 Taylor Dietsch vs. No. 14 Anthony Berge
No. 4 Jonathan Allegrucci vs. No. 13 Tony Scott Jr.
No. 5 Scott Libersher vs. No. 12 David Janac
No. 6 Lee Hartman vs. No. 11 Doug Hamp
No. 7 Kevin Skinner vs. No. 10 Rouven Dawson
No. 8 Raymond Nash vs. No. 9 Jim Betz
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.
ASHLEY CLAIMS FIRST NO. 1 QUALIFIER OF 2025; KALITTA WINS #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE
Toyota keeps incredible #2Fast2Tasty Challenge streak alive
NORWALK, Ohio (June 28, 2025) – In Friday night’s qualifying session at Summit Motorsports Park, Justin Ashley laid down a 3.752 elapsed time to claim the No. 1 qualifier for tomorrow’s eliminations. The qualifying result is the first top spot of the season for Ashley and the seventh of his career, as he begins Sunday in prime position to go for his second Wally Trophy of the 2025 season.
Antron Brown is right behind Ashley, holding the No. 2 seed for tomorrow, with Shawn Langdon in fifth and Steve Torrence in sixth to join inside the top half of Top Fuel.
Doug Kalitta needed a 3.953 elapsed time in the final qualifying session to make the field on Sunday but also used that run to capture the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win. The challenge victory is Kalitta’s fourth of the season, and the eighth in Top Fuel for Toyota who has a win in either Top Fuel or Funny Car in all nine challenge events this season.
In Funny Car, Ron Capps was the lead Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, posting a 3.908 time in the Friday night session to earn the No. 3 seed. J.R. Todd will begin tomorrow as the No. 12 seed.
Eliminations of the NHRA Nationals from Summit Motorsports Park begin tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST with live TV coverage beginning at 2 p.m. EST on FOX.
Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Summit Motorsports Park
NHRA Nationals
Race 10 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Qualifying Position | First Round Opponent |
| Justin Ashley | SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 1st | S. Farley |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 2nd | D. Kalitta |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 5th | D. Foley |
| Steve Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 6th | S. Reed |
| Doug Kalitta | Applied Innovations Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 15th | A. Brown |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Qualifying Position | First Round Opponent |
| Cruz Pedregon* | Snap On Funny Car* | 1st* | B. Hull |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 3rd | P. Lee |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 12th | M. Hagan |
| Julie Nataas | Airmine DC Motorsports Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | DNQ | N/A |
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing
TF Qualifying Result: 1st
Have the recent results turned things around for you and your team?
“Yeah, I think so. It feels really good to qualify No. 1. We all know tomorrow is a brand-new day and anything can happen. For tonight, these (No. 1 qualifiers) are really hard to come by, so it’s important that we enjoy it. Really, it’s a testament to Mike Green (co-crew chief), Tommy DeLago (co-crew chief) and the whole SCAG Power Equipment Toyota team. They’ve been doing a great job all year and (have done a) really outstanding job this weekend. Really important that we take what we learned Friday and Saturday and apply it (to) tomorrow. It’s a brand-new day. It’ll be a fun day, an exciting day. We need to do everything we can to carry this momentum forward. Hats off to everyone on our team. We’re going to enjoy this one tonight and be back to get after it tomorrow.”
DOUG KALITTA, Applied Innovations Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Qualifying Result: 15th
What were your thoughts going down the track on that run to win the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge?
“Yeah, (I) got to about half track and it was still (running) well, and I’m like, ‘this is going good.’ Hazed a little at the end, but really proud of Alan (Johnson, crew chief), this whole Applied Innovations Toyota Top Fuel Dragster team. Yeah, Mission (Foods) chips for everyone tonight! It’s great, got the win here with this and we’re in the show for tomorrow. Really excited.”
RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports
FC Qualifying Result: 3rd
How were these two days for you and what do you expect tomorrow?
“Well in the past, we’ve struggled a little bit (in) opening qualifying rounds, and it sort of sets you back as a team. Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) was adamant coming in (to Norwalk) and not being as aggressive the first lap. It’s just about when a plan comes together, and that’s what we did. We went after it a little bit more last night, got into the top three and then we could focus on the heat today and what it’ll be like tomorrow. No matter what the conditions are, I always feel comfortable with our NAPA Auto Care team. Right now, it pays to have the GR Supra body. So much more stable. The drag and downforce, it’s a really fun car to drive in conditions like this. Guido was really throwing down in Q3. It was on a good run, but (we) put a cylinder out down there, but I think he got a feel for the track. We’ll see what tomorrow brings!”
Jason Feger Completes Farmer City Raceway Sweep in 33rd Summer Nationals Victory
FARMER CITY, IL — June 27, 2025 — Known as the “High Side Hustler” in the dirt Late Model world, Jason Feger reminded everyone why he earned the nickname on Friday night at Farmer City Raceway.
In a quest for his second DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models championship, the Bloomington, IL driver had to drive a flawless night around his home track for his 33rd Hell Tour win.
In every category that the Late Models touched the 0.25-mile surface, Feger was at the top of the board in every event. He was the fastest in Hot Laps, set the Qualifying Quick Time, and won his Heat race for a front row starting spot.
Feger and 2024 event winner Garrett Alberson led the field to the green flag, with Feger taking the lead on the opening lap by driving his No. 25 to the top side of the track.
Behind Feger, Tyler Erb passed around Alberson on Lap 6 by following Feger on the cushion as the two championship-chasing drivers sat in first and second place.
While the two drivers followed each other around the track, they grew the distance on the field to over four seconds by the halfway point, while Blaze Burwell and Brandon Sheppard fought for third place.
The 2013 Summer Nationals champ got by Burwell by riding the high line, then slicing down the track to cut Burwell’s opportunity to respond on Lap 26.
“Rocket Shepp” began to cut time on the two leaders as lapped traffic interrupted their rhythm in the closing laps of the Feature. Feger cut through the middle to pass cars on the cushion while “Terbo” grew impatient and used any passing opportunity available to stay within grasp of the lead.
Despite the two drivers putting in full effort to chase Feger in the final laps, they could not stop the local driver from crossing the twin checkered flags for his 33rd career tour win, and retaking the overall points lead by three points over Erb.
“The car was great all night,” Feger said. “I think we were fast in Hot Laps, Qualifying, won the Heat, and won the Feature, so you can’t complain. The car was just on rails all night long. I had to run some weird lines, but it was really good in those lines, and I was honestly wanting lap traffic because I felt like I was good anywhere.”
Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals enter the penultimate race of Week 3 at the “World Famous” Highland Speedway on Saturday night, June 28.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every DIRTcar Summer Nationals race live on DIRTVision.
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 25F-Jason Feger[2]; 2. 1-Tyler Erb[4]; 3. B5-Brandon Sheppard[8]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 5. 44-Blaze Burwell[3]; 6. 4G-Bob Gardner[7]; 7. 18D-Daulton Wilson[14]; 8. 89-Mike Spatola[5]; 9. 24-Ryan Unzicker[20]; 10. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 11. 50K-Kayden Clatt[13]; 12. 38T-Dylan Thornton[18]; 13. 75-Dillon McCowan[19]; 14. 15-Clay Stuckey[22]; 15. 5-Mark Whitener[15]; 16. 17SS-Brenden Smith[11]; 17. 17SR-Brody Smith[12]; 18. (DNF) 31M-Tyler Millwood[16]; 19. (DNF) 14JR-Trey Mills[10]; 20. (DNF) 18-Shannon Babb[17]; 21. (DNF) 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[9]; 22. (DNF) 1W-Donny Walden[21]
Michael Ledford Goes Back-to-Back in Summit Modified Nationals Victory at Farmer City
Michael Ledford had to wait since 2023 for his second career DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals win on Thursday.
It only took 24 hours for him to return to Victory Lane at Farmer City Raceway on Friday night for his third career triumph with the tour.
Ledford began the night on the pole position and quickly claimed the lead on the opening lap through the bottom lane of Turns 1-2, then drifted to the cushion of Turns 3-4 to gain momentum around the 1/4-mile racetrack.
Ledford’s line helped him grow the lead to four seconds over second-place Ray Bollinger as the Modifieds crossed the halfway flags of the 25-lap Feature.
On that same lap, the final caution of the Feature waved and offered the field of UMP Modifieds a second chance at taking the lead.
Though the Pontiac, IL driver was unable to shake off the challenge of Bollinger on the restart, he was able to maintain a one-second interval over the No. 77 machine as he drove towards a second consecutive win with the Summit Modifieds.
“(The confidence) is really huge,” Ledford said. “Anytime you get to win these big races with the best of the best, it really means a lot. I’ve finished second and third in many of these Summer Nationals races, so it’s finally nice to get one.”
Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals enter the penultimate race of Week 3 at the “World Famous” Highland Speedway on Saturday night, June 28.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every DIRTcar Summer Nationals race live on DIRTVision.
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 09-Michael Ledford[1]; 2. 77-Ray Bollinger[2]; 3. 5-Steven Brooks[3]; 4. 96M-Mike McKinney[4]; 5. 24-Zeke McKenzie[6]; 6. 45H-Chase Holland[14]; 7. 2-Brayden Doyle[8]; 8. 11-Zane Oedewaldt[13]; 9. 75-Daniel Adam[9]; 10. 3-Carson Friedman[11]; 11. Z1-Zac Oedewaldt[15]; 12. 18L-Michael Long[7]; 13. 21L-Derek Losh[5]; 14. 10M-Chris Morefield[10]; 15. (DNS) 99-Hunt Gossum; 16. (DNS) 88S-Alan Stipp; 17. (DNS) 7-Tyler Nicely; 18. (DNS) 777-Trevor Neville; 19. (DNS) 45-Kyle Hammer; 20. (DNS) 74-Donnie Boyer
DOUBLE DIGITS: David Gravel Dominates Cedar Lake for 10th Victory of 2025
The defending World of Outlaws champion hangs on for another win with a damaged nose wing
NEW RICHMOND, WI (June 27, 2025) – David Gravel appeared to be cruising toward victory on Friday at Cedar Lake Speedway, but then an issue put the win in jeopardy.
The nose wing on the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 was knocked askew as the laps wound down. A hungry Carson Macedo was behind him, and trailing Macedo was the hottest driver on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series tour, Michael “Buddy” Kofoid.
Could Gravel hold on with two of the best looking to chase him down with the disadvantage of a damaged race car? He’s David Gravel, of course he could.
The defending champion with The Greatest Show on Dirt kept Macedo and Kofoid comfortably behind him as the final laps clicked away. Lapped traffic allowed them to trim the gap marginally at times, but ultimately Gravel maintained enough speed to drive to a victory in the Independence Spectacular opener.
“It sure as hell didn’t help,” Gravel said of the nose wing damage. “Luckily, we got the job done here tonight. Cody (Jacobs) gave me a great race car. We worked on this car all night long. I’m glad we got the gremlins out and somehow got a win tonight.
“Man, that was interesting. Some of those lapped cars were so slow, and I didn’t know where to go. There at the end with the wing like that, I couldn’t slow down to run the bottom. I kind of had to keep my speed up. I was trying to do that to the best of my ability and looked at the screen a little bit. Luckily, I was able to piece some decent laps together at the end.”
Gravel’s triumph made it three consecutive seasons of reaching double digit World of Outlaws victories. It’s the sixth time overall he’s hit at least 10 wins in a year, equaling him with Doug Wolfgang for the fifth most all-time. It’s the second time the Watertown, CT native has stood in Cedar Lake Victory Lane, making him the 11th Series competitor with multiple scores at the New Richmond, WI track.
Carson Macedo brought home the runner-up spot aboard the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41. The Lemoore, CA native started on the pole with a strong chance at a win, but an early start coming to the green flag sent him back a row and altered the course of his Feature. Macedo wound up slipping as far as fifth before rallying to the second position.
“Ultimately, I’m not going to stand here and make excuses and blame anyone other than myself for losing the race tonight,” Macedo said. “The guys did a good job. They obviously gave me a car capable of winning. I was closing back on the 2 late in the race. It’s just tough. When the track is that fast, a little bit of track position goes a long way. It is what it is.”
The final podium position went to Buddy Kofoid and the Roth Motorsports team. The 23-year-old had a little misfortune a couple times during the main event that slightly hurt his track position and kept him from potentially competing for the win. Even with those issues, the Penngrove, CA driver still earned his sixth consecutive World of Outlaws podium.
“It was kind of chaotic honestly” Kofoid said. “I felt like we had a pretty good car. You hear everyone say they feel better when the fuel load comes off, but I think today was kind of the opposite for me. The longer the run I felt my car was better early in the race because that heavy fuel load kept the car down and left. I got a little tighter as the race went on. I still feel like we had at least a second place car but restarts never really went my way. I got to second and had to give it back. I got to third, and then a lapper pulls off and I almost crashed into the back of him. Overall, a good night. Happy to be on the podium.”
Logan Schuchart and Giovanni Scelzi completed the top five.
Bill Balog had an eventful night that resulted in earning the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger. Mechanical issues forced him to miss his Heat Race. So, he started 23rd in the main event and marched to 13th before a flat right rear tire sent him to the Federated Car Care Work Zone and to the tail. He then got back up on the wheel and drove all the way to seventh.
Giovanni Scelzi claimed Simpson Quick Time honors in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.
Heat Races belonged to Giovanni Scelzi (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), David Gravel (Real American Beer Heat Two), and Logan Schuchart (WIX Filters Heat Three).
Carson Macedo got the SPA Technique #1 Redraw and topped the Toyota Dash.
The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Sheldon Haudenschild.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars close out the Independence Spectacular at New Richmond, WI’s Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday, June 28. Tickets will be available at the track.
If you can’t make it to the race, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[3]; 2. 41-Carson Macedo[1]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[5]; 5. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 6. 2C-Cole Macedo[9]; 7. 17B-Bill Balog[23]; 8. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[7]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]; 10. 23-Garet Williamson[8]; 11. 6-Zach Hampton[10]; 12. 15-Donny Schatz[16]; 13. 7S-Chris Windom[12]; 14. 1K-Kelby Watt[18]; 15. 28M-Conner Morrell[19]; 16. 74N-Luke Nellis[14]; 17. 55A-Brandon Allen[15]; 18. 99-Skylar Gee[13]; 19. 87A-Austin Hartmann[21]; 20. 91-Reed Allex[22]; 21. 14-Brooke Tatnell[20]; 22. 24T-Christopher Thram[17]; 23. 25-Jy Corbet[11]
Hoffman Wins Barnburner in Grand Forks for First River Cities Victory
GRAND FORKS, ND (June 27, 2025) – In his first two trips to River Cities Speedway, Nick Hoffman hadn’t finished better than 12th.
He wasn’t going to let that be an excuse for another lackluster showing on Friday night.
With 13 laps to go in the Grand Forks Showdown, Hoffman stormed into the lead and never looked back for his second win of the year with the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.
“That’s about as elbows-up as I’m going to get,” Hoffman said. “That was really fun. Hell, for a guy who’s never finished in the top 10 here, it wasn’t too shabby.”
Hoffman drew the Bilstein Pole Award to put himself in prime position for the Feature, but it was anything but smooth sailing to victory. The No. 9 lost the lead on the start to second-starting Ashton Winger, who used a great run around the top to pull away to the early lead. Five laps later, a slip-up exiting Turn 2 allowed Brian Shirley to get by for second.
Winger’s lead was up to nearly a second by that point, but Shirley didn’t waste any time shrinking the gap. Sixteen laps into the 40-lap contest, Shirley was looking to the inside of Winger down the backstretch when the two made contact, folding in the body around the left-rear corner of the No. 12 car.
The run-ins didn’t end there, as Winger got into the back of his fellow Georgia driver Cody Overton to damage his nose just past halfway. Nevertheless, Winger held onto the lead.
That was until Sam Mars slowed down the backstretch to bring out the caution with 13 to go. Hoffman had climbed back up to second prior to the yellow, putting him right behind Winger with the trophy within reach. Despite the damage on Winger’s car, Hoffman knew getting by him wouldn’t be an easy task.
“I don’t know what all kind of damage he had, but he was still able to make speed even with the damage before we had that caution,” Hoffman said. “Obviously you’re worried about it blowing a tire or something in front of you, you just don’t know. If we were on a bigger racetrack, yeah, I might say there was a big difference. But here, you probably could have knocked the spoiler off of it and been able to keep up and been fine. Either way, you’re still like a shark out there trying to get its prey.”
With clean air on what was left of Winger’s nose, Hoffman wasn’t going to let him stay comfortable for long. “The Thrill From Mooresville” lived up to his nickname, as he sent it to Winger’s inside entering Turn 3 from a car length back and made the slide job stick exiting the corner to take over the lead.
Once Hoffman got back to the front, there was no stopping him. His gap to the field was up to three seconds six laps after taking the lead, and while a pair of late yellows erased that margin, they didn’t keep Hoffman out of Victory Lane.
“I said I’d feel like a real dummy if I drove backwards from the pole here,” Hoffman said. “A lot of things played into this Feature here tonight. Different strategies on tires, what they were going to do with the racetrack. It was obviously a lot faster in the Feature than what we Heat Raced with. Wasn’t really sure what to do with the race car, what tires to choose, it just kind of played out there.”
Coming home in the second spot was Dennis Erb Jr., who quietly made his way up from sixth to second for his best World of Outlaws result of the season.
“It’s just a lot of hard work, things are just turning around for us,” Erb said. “We always enjoy coming up here and racing up here at River Cities, it’s a good track for us. Just got to keep plugging away and keep working hard, that’s what we’re doing here.”
Despite having a left side that looked to have been hit by a monster truck, Winger held onto the third spot for his third World of Outlaws podium of the year.
“Just can’t seem to win one of these things to save my life right now,” Winger said. “My guys probably deserved a little better than that, I probably could have done some things different. Hopefully we can get one soon.”
Drake Troutman drove from 12th up to fourth for the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award while Shirley completed the top five.
RACE NOTES:
Brent Larson set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.
Brian Shirley won the Simpson Quick Time Award.
Brian Shirley won Real American Beer Heat 1.
Jake Timm won STAKT Products Heat 2.
Ashton Winger won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.
Nick Hoffman won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.
Ethan Dotson won the Landa Pressure Washers Last Chance Showdown.
Nick Hoffman won the Bilstein Pole Award.
Drake Troutman won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.
Drake Troutman was the MD3 Rookie of the Race.
Dennis Erb Jr. won the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher Award.
Drake Troutman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.
Brian Shirley was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.
Bobby Pierce was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.
Tyler Bruening was the VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.
Ethan Dotson was the Lifeline USA Ninth-Place Finisher.
Jake Timm was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.
Tanner English was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision makes the one-hour tow south to Norman County Raceway in Ada, MN for the Norman County Showdown on Saturday, June 28. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.
If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 9-Nick Hoffman[1]; 2. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[6]; 3. 12-Ashton Winger[2]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[12]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 6. 32-Bobby Pierce[9]; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin[11]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 9. 74X-Ethan Dotson[17]; 10. 49-Jake Timm[4]; 11. B1-Brent Larson[19]; 12. 96-Tanner English[15]; 13. 9M-Tim McCreadie[14]; 14. 09-Michael Leach[18]; 15. 42S-Don Shaw[8]; 16. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[10]; 17. 2-Cody Overton[22]; 18. 1TPO-Tyler Peterson[16]; 19. 19-Dustin Sorensen[23]; 20. 71-Dustin Strand[21]; 21. 76-Blair Nothdurft[7]; 22. 28M-Sam Mars[13]; 23. 44*-Cole Schill[20]; 24. 5E-Shane Edginton[24]
JOHN FORCE RACING–FRIDAY RECAP – NorwalkRace 10 of 20
|
![]() | ![]() |
| Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase |
| PROCK NO. 2 IN PROVISIONAL QUALIFYING ORDERBeckman, Brittany Are No. 4 After First Day at 18th Norwalk Nationals |
| NORWALK, Ohio (June 27, 2025) – Two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force showed off crew chief David Grubnic’s hot weather tune-up with a best-of-the-session 3.784 second, 331.77 mile per hour performance in the afternoon heat Friday at Summit Motorsports Park but couldn’t improve in cooler conditions Friday evening and will move to Day 2 of the 18th NHRA Norwalk Nationals in the provisional No. 4 position. Her Funny Car teammates at John Force Racing, Austin Prock and Jack Beckman, were second and fourth in the provisional order, Prock at 3.900 seconds, 331.28 mph in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS and Beckman at 3.913 seconds, 321.35 mph in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy SS. Qualifying continues Saturday with two final sessions in which Prock and Beckman also will be racing for points and bonus money in the Mission Foods 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge series in which both have won already this year. “The second session, we just pushed a little too hard and unfortunately, we didn’t get down there,” Brittany said of a disappointing 6.346 second run in her Chevrolet Accessories dragster. “So, we’re looking forward to two more runs tomorrow, most likely in the heat, before we head into race day on Sunday.” After opening with a jaw-dropping 3.936 at 327.74 mph run in the afternoon heat that made him the only driver to break 4.00 seconds, Prock drove the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS through the timers in a solid, if not spectacular 3.900 at 331.28 mph Friday night. “Good day here in Norwalk,” said the reigning series champion, current point leader and track record holder. “We were low of the first session by a pretty big chunk, which definitely felt good. We made a decent pass in the second session to put us No. 2 at the end of the day but we gathered up five qualifying bonus points, which is nice, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow and the 2Fast/2Tasty Challenge. “Hopefully, we can make two more clean runs and walk away with some more points, cash and some hardware,” he said. Like Prock, Beckman made two strong runs on Friday, negotiating the 1,000-foot course in 4.012 seconds on his first attempt and in 3.913 seconds at 321.35 mph on the second. “We are chasing some rough weather conditions here,” said the three-time Norwalk winner. “It’s a good track (but) it’s hot and we’re adjusting our power level to get it back to what this car needs to be able to push hard to run near the top of the pack. “The good news is we missed it a little bit in both Friday sessions, and we still were fourth best in each of them,” he said. “Our car still runs near the top of the sheet. The better news is that with the data we have, we’re fairly certain we know how to address it for tomorrow and Sunday.” |
Daniels, Drane Deliver Double Delight for Yamaha in Mission Triple Challenge Debut
| Mission AFT SuperTwins riders during the Mission Triple Challenge at the Lima Half-Mile; Dallas Daniels (32), Brandon Robinson (44), Dan Bromley (62), Briar Bauman (3) [Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 27, 2025) – Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) claimed top honors on what proved to be a huge night for Estenson Racing in a historic Lima Half-Mile I, Round 6 of the 2025Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. Daniels was in serious need of a victory at the Allen County Fairgrounds. Nearly four months removed from his last victory and having witnessed Mission AFT SuperTwins title rival Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) win the last three races in succession, the preseason Grand National Championship favorite came into Lima, Ohio, desperate to shift the momentum back in his favor. The debut of Mission Triple Challenge basically guaranteed an evening of drama and excitement as the two squared off for supremacy. It was the first time the entire field would face an all-new format that featured three successive Main Events – the first a 10-lap sprint, the second a 15-lapper that paid double points, and a decisive 20-lap Main to round out the evening with triple the points – the results of which combined to determine the evening’s overall winner. Promising on paper, the concept delivered in practice. Main Event 1 The Mission AFT SuperTwins evening opened in barn-burning fashion, with Bauman, Daniels, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S) running four wide whenever they weren’t intersecting lines. However, that demonstration of controlled chaos was brought to an abrupt halt due to an early fall by Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) that brought out the red flag. Daniels took full advantage of the race reset, sprinting away to collect a quick 23 points toward his evening’s combined tally. He was followed home by Bauman, who snuck past Robinson on the last lap. Bromley picked up fourth ahead of Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650). Main Event 2 Lessons learned, Main Event 2 was a contest of shifting lines and shifting strategies. While Daniels and Bauman tangled for the lead in the opening stages, Robinson simultaneously shot past both and looked to make a break. At that point, Main Event 1 winner Daniels appeared to be best positioned to prevent that eventuality, while Bauman seemed to be doing everything in his power just to cling on in third. But in actuality, he was simply doing his homework. When Bauman finally unleashed the line he worked out while out of the sight of Robinson and Daniels, he gobbled up the gap and ran around the outside of both of his opponents, grabbing the lead for good with six laps remaining. Daniels took notes and dropped Robinson back to third by the time they reached the checkered flag. Bromley and Whale backed up their earlier fourths and fifths with identical results in Main Event 2. Main Event 3 A lightning quick start for Daniels meant precious little when both Bauman and Robinson stormed past in one fell swoop. While the three broke free from the pack almost from the jump, Bauman continued that charge forward, turning the contest into a one-man show for a time. However, after Bauman teased a potential fourth consecutive premier-class victory by edging that advantage up near a second, Daniels reeled him back in. Just when the Estenson Racing ace closed in for the strike with just five of 20 laps remaining, Bauman’s machine seemed to suffer from a slipping clutch. That allowed Daniels to effortlessly blast past and power his way to a third overall victory in 2025. With nearly five seconds padding on Robinson, Bauman was nearly able to nurse that advantage to the flag but instead found himself tracked down and overhauled in the race’s final corner. Still, Bauman’s earlier 2-1 results were strong enough to fend off Robinson in the overall tally, holding onto second in the combined order despite his final-lap disappointment in Main Event 3. Fourth-place in the race went to Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha MT-07), who closed out a stirring debut with On the Box Racing by running down the on-form Bromley late in Main Event 3. However, like Bauman, Bromley was rewarded for his consistent performances with a fourth-place overall finish. By contrast, Bender’s overall result of eighth didn’t reflect the strong impression he made in Main Event 3, as his combined tally still put behind fifth-placed Whale, sixth-placed Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp), and seventh-placed Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke). Daniels said, “The second and third Mains were just super tricky for us. The track was like nothing I’ve ever seen at Lima before – super brushed off and you kind of had to go in and bump the cushion. “I was matching Briar there for a little bit. I’m not sure if he had a problem or something, but I had a really good line in Turns 3 and 4. I had to kind of go slower to go faster, which has just never been the case here before. So it took a little bit to adapt and, you know, Briar has been on it all season. He’s won the last three races. He’s been kicking our butt. So it’s good to stop the bleeding. “It’s going to be a hell of a season battling with him and the rest of these guys.” AFT Singles presented by KICKER Meanwhile, Daniels’ teammate, AFT Singles presented by KICKER title favorite and defending Lima Half-Mile winner Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), earned his first victory of the 2025 Progressive AFT season. But despite boasting blistering speed right from the opening practice, Drane was forced to battle for it over the course of three epic Main Events. Main Event 1 The evening’s first 10-lap sprint was a two-rider affair from the start, with Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) scoring the holeshot and Drane immediately putting him in his sights. The two jostled for position for several laps before the Australian ultimately seized control and broke free at the front. The battle for third was even more heated. Initially led by Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), he later gave way to the freight train that was Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R), Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R), and Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450). Saathoff, who started eighth and finished third, and Renshaw, who started 12th and finished fifth, not only scored strong points hauls toward their combined tally but improved their chances by earning better starting positions for Main Event 2. Main Event 2 Saathoff’s improved starting slot did indeed put him in the mix in the early going of Main Event 2. But once again, the race gradually took shape as a Drane vs. Brunner rematch. This time around, however, the Turner Racing pilot had something for his Estenson Racing Yamaha-mounted rival. Once in front, Brunner put up a fierce defense of the position, changing lines and refusing to close the throttle when Drane slid up alongside and pushed him up near the fence. Saathoff stayed close enough in third to watch the fight in front of him, while Santero scooped up a second fourth on the evening, with rookie sensation Kage Tadman (No. 288 Roof Systems/Old Oak Ranch KTM 450 SX-F) rounding out Main Event 2’s top five. Main Event 3 Even a less-than-ideal start wasn’t enough to prevent Drane from getting his revenge, both in the third and final Main and the round’s overall result. The Aussie fell back to fifth at the start while Brunner and Saathoff locked horns for first. A quick red flag resulted in a staggered restart, at which point Drane immediately pounced on Saathoff and then quickly dispatched Brunner as well. Drane refused to relent, opening up an advantage of more than five seconds en route to the checkered flag. All of Brunner’s hard work was derailed when his Honda expired with less than five laps to go. Despite a 2-1 run in the Main Events 1 & 2, the triple points paid out for Main Event 3 cost him dearly as he was ultimately shuffled all the way down to sixth in the night’s combined results. Santero took full advantage of Brunner’s misfortune, outdueling Saathoff to leap up to second in the Main and overall. Meanwhile, Saathoff turned three thirds into a combined third. Next in Main Event 3 and the overall order were rising stars Renshaw and Tadman, placing fourth and fifth, respectively. Meanwhile, another highly touted rookie, Walker Porter (No. 100 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), showed well in his pro debut. Porter regularly pushed up near the top five and tallied finishes of 8-9-8 to finish seventh in his first attempt at the Progressive AFT level. Afterward, race winner Drane said, “It was really good. We were fast all day. I knew what I had to do, and once I got past Trevor, I just had to put my head down and keep going. It’s unfortunate that he broke. “Back home, we do something similar. We’ve got five heat races. So for me, it was no problem. I just had to chip away at it, and then ride that last one like it was the Main because of the points. “Thank you to my whole Estenson Racing Monster Energy Yamaha team. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here winning tonight. And I’m so thankful for them.” Next Up: The stars of Progressive American Flat Track will be back in action tomorrow night for the Lima Half-Mile II. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/2-day-lima-2025-125126 to secure your tickets today. Gates will open for fans at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT). For more information, ticket purchases, and updates, visit www.limahalf-mile.com or call 419-991-1491 For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://flosports.link/aft. FOX Sports coverage of the Lima Half-Mile I, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere onFS1 on Saturday, July 5, at 9:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. PT), with the Lima Half-Mile II scheduled to air one week later, on Saturday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT). |
The Battle for Mees’ Throne Continues at Historic Lima Half-Mile Doubleheader
| In 2024, Brandon Robinson (44) and Jared Mees (1) battle it out at the Lima Half-Mile with Briar Bauman (3) close on their heels [Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 23, 2025) – The stars of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, are gearing up for this weekend’s hugely anticipated Lima Half-Mile I & II at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, on Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28. In the Presence of Royalty Even in retirement, the presence of Jared Mees was destined to loom large over this year’s Mission AFT SuperTwins title fight. Mees not only left on his own terms last year, he did so in the most spectacular way possible, winning his final race in a season that culminated with an unprecedented tenth Grand National Championship. Quite naturally, the defining story of the 2025 season was always going to be the battle to assume Mees’ throne, and thus, even in absence, he gets mentioned on a near-weekly basis. However, that’ll ramp up considerably this weekend with Mees in attendance, presiding over the festivities as the event’s co-promotor alongside his wife and former GNC competitor Nichole Mees. Challenge Accepted Mees’ continued influence on the sport extends beyond the attempts of his former rivals to fill his void or by way of his race promotion. He’s helped to usher in yet more history by playing a key role in devising the Mission Triple Challenge format set to debut this Friday night. As a brief refresher, here’s a reminder of how the Mission Triple Challenge will work: Race 1: A fast and furious 10-lap sprint where riders race for points (23 for 1st, 19 for 2nd, and so on). The results? Not just bragging rights—they also set the stage (aka the starting grid) for Race 2. Race 2: Fifteen laps of adrenaline-packed action where the stakes are doubled. Riders earn twice as many points as in Race 1 (46 for 1st, 38 for 2nd, and so on). With twice the reward and grid positions for the final race on the line, the tension is sky-high. Race 3: The grand finale! Twenty laps of high-octane action with triple the points of Race 1 up for grabs (69 for 1st, 57 for 2nd, and so on). The stakes couldn’t be higher as riders battle for ultimate glory. At the end of Race 3, all points are tallied to crown the night’s overall top three in each class. And if there’s a tie? It all boils down to who came in clutch and delivered the best finishing position in Race 3. But even broken down and laid out, we still don’t know exactly how it’ll play out in practice. For example, will strategies vary alongside race length – i.e. could we be in for a non-stop, all-out brawl in Race 1 with a more tactical affair to round out the evening in Race 3? Seems reasonable enough, but we just don’t know. Better yet, neither do the racers. As much as overall race strategies are unknown, each racer is likely to have their individual take on how things should work, which will then be tested by how it actually does. Over time, as the Mission Triple Challenge rounds stack and the data accumulates, some consensus regarding best practices may eventually take shape. But as for this Friday night? Buckle up. Clash of the Pea-Gravel Titans Lima is an ideal venue to host the inaugural Triple Challenge. It’s both physically and strategically demanding and widely viewed as among the most coveted wins a Mission SuperTwins pilot can attain. History also shows it’s a place where the best and brightest outshine the rest, with the legendary trio of Scott Parker(seven wins), Mees (five wins), and Chris Carr (four wins) ranking 1-2-3 in career Lima Half-Mile triumphs. It’s only fitting then that this year’s races will feature a trio of modern-era Lima masters in Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). Bauman comes in with the points lead on the strength of a three-race win streak. He also happens to own three previous Lima wins, all coming on different makes of equipment (Kawasaki, Indian, and KTM). This weekend presents an opportunity to make it four as he rolls in on the Harley-Davidson XG750R. Should Bauman continue his tear and sweep this weekend’s doubleheader, he’ll boast the second longest win streak in Grand National Championship history, trailing only Ricky Graham, who took six Main Events in succession during his epic 1993 title season. Neither four nor five will come easily, however. This year’s Short Track-centric schedule was a significant factor in RWR electing to field the H-D. That has proven to be a wise decision to date, however, Half-Miles in general and Lima in particular are different tests entirely. Plus, he’ll need to overcome both Robinson and Daniels, among others, to do so. Robinson himself is a two-time winner at Lima, claiming top honors in 2016 on a Harley-Davidson XR750 and again in 2022 on an Indian FTR750. He’s consistently strong at the circuit, claiming finishes of first, second, third, and fourth in his most recent four attempts. And while Daniels has just the one Lima Half-Mile win, it came one year ago in devastating fashion. Despite calling off the dogs late, he still won by nearly six-and-a-half seconds. Now riding an 18-race podium streak, the Estenson Racing ace figures to be good everywhere – and that’s why he remains the title favorite in the eyes of many. The shift away from Short Tracks to a pair of Half-Miles and a Mile may present a golden opportunity for Daniels to reset and take a second shot at asserting the sort of dominance so many expected from him before the ‘25 campaign got underway. The Big Four Any discussion regarding the season’s evolving Grand National Championship fight would be incomplete if it failed to include Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke). In fact, Fisher ranks just behind Bauman and Daniels and ahead of Robinson in the points, leapfrogging the Mission Roof System pilot with an impressive second-place effort last time out. Fisher’s ‘25 finishes of fourth-third-fourth-seventh-and-second mark the best five-race run of his career, and he only expects to get better as he gets more seat time on the KTM 790 Duke. While Lima has not typically proven overly kind to Fisher, he has managed to finish fourth here twice in the past, including last year when he ran down Bauman to steal the position. Upset Alert The uncertainty of the Triple Challenge may up the odds of an upset this weekend. If so, who is most likely to deliver it? Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke) is an easy answer. He’s rapidly rounding into form, having earned three straight top fives (including a podium) in his last three outings. And while the odds are admittedly longer, don’t discount the likes of James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp) and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S), all of whom have demonstrated front-running form at times early this season. You Ask, The Riders Answer Lima’s fanbase has a reputation for being among the most knowledgeable to be found anywhere in the nation. And they’ll have an opportunity to add to that knowledge base via the Rider Q&A session that will be included in each day’s Fan Party, which will run for approximately an hour directly preceding Opening Ceremonies. That won’t be the only attraction keeping spectators entertained between action on track. There will be music, a bouncy house for kids, numerous vendors, and plenty of food and beverage options, along with extensive motorcycle parking. And fans who come out a day early can watch some of the future stars of the sport perform for free with a day of amateur racing scheduled for Thursday, June 26. Get Your Tickets Today and Save Some Cash Fans can save $10 by purchasing their tickets in advance with prices slated to return to their standard rate starting on Wednesday, June 25. If you act fast, General Admission Bleacher tickets are still $35 each night (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult GA ticket) with Reserved Grandstand tickets $40 and Premier Reserved Grandstand $45. Meanwhile, fans who purchase the two-day ticket save an additional $5 (two-day General Admission: $65/two-day Reserved: $75/two-day Premier Reserved: $85). Those who purchase either a Reserved ticket or a Premier Reserved ticket will have the option to add the VIP Experience upgrade for a combined $150. New for 2025, the Lima VIP Experience includes a trackside meet-and-great with dirt track legend Jared Mees, infield access for the Opening Ceremonies and heat races, all-day pit access, a climate-controlled VIP lounge, and free VIP parking. Camping is also available at the Allen County Fairgrounds on a first-come, first-served basis. Tent Camping is free while RV/Trailer Camping, including water and electric hook-ups, is $50 per night (cash only). To purchase Lima Half-Mile I tickets, click HERE. To purchase Lima Half-Mile II tickets, click HERE. And to save $5 by purchasing Friday and Saturday tickets together for the Lima Half-Mile I & II, click HERE. Gates will open for fans at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) on both days. For more information, ticket purchases, and updates, visit www.limahalf-mile.com or call 419-991-1491 |
CD RACING SWEEPS MID-OHIO TRANS AM; BRABHAM 1ST & DYSON 2ND.
| PURSLEY SCORES USAC SILVER CROWN WIN FOR CD RACING OPEN-WHEEL TEAM |
| POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (June 23, 2025) – The only thing hotter than the weather Saturday afternoon at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was the pair of Chris Dyson Racing GYM Weed Ford Mustangs. Matty Brabham started on the pole with his #21 GYM WEED Mustang and led every lap of the 100-mile Trans Am by Pirelli sprint, followed closely by Chris Dyson who ran a close second from flag to flag. “The track was hot and slick, but my car was great all day,” Brabham said after pulling into the aptly-titled GYM WEED Winners Circle. “Chris’s car had some handling issues, but he still kept the pressure on me all afternoon. Neither of us is in the hunt for the championship this year so we were both just going for the win. There were no team orders, except not to take each other out.” After missing Thursday’s practice sessions and then qualifying fourth on Friday, Dyson grabbed second position in the #16 at the drop of the green flag. For most of the race the GYM WEED duo steadily pulled away from the rest of the field. And while coping with fairly chronic low speed understeer in his #16 mount, Dyson still managed to narrow the gap to Brabham at several points in the race. Then, after a late race caution closed up the field Dyson astutely held off a charging Paul Menard to secure the second spot on the podium. “It was about the best possible result we could have hoped for and that’s a 1-2 on my Dad (Rob)’s birthday!” Dyson said. “Matty did a fantastic job and I have to thank the team for giving us the cars to beat here. The track conditions were challenging and our cars transcended that. The guys worked very hard to rebound from a tough Lime Rock and boy, was this a great comeback story here today. Putting both cars in GYM WEED Winners Circle is really tremendous result. Team effort.” Mid-Ohio was Brabham’s second win of the season. Standing in for Dyson, who was injured in the season-opener at Sebring, Brabham won at Road Atlanta in the second race on the calendar. He is expected to drive the #21 car in select races during the remainder of the Trans Am season. Concord American Flagpoles & CD Racing Score Big USAC Silver Crown Win Guest driver Daison Pursley’s first qualifying lap at Pennsylvania’s half-mile dirt Port Royal Speedway was good enough for a front-row start for the 50-lap USAC Silver Crown National Championship race. On his second qualifying lap the 20-year-old rising star put the #9 Concord American Flagpoles car into the fence. It took an all-hands-on-deck effort by the CD Racing team, led by Sean Michael, to repair the car in time for start. “We’ve got a terrific team,” Michael said. “Everybody knows their job. We just put our heads down and focused on putting the car back together.” That hard work was well rewarded. Pursley, whose first Silver Crown win came at Port Royal last year, grabbed the lead on the third lap and never looked back. “This thing was phenomenal!” Pursley said after climbing out of the car. I pushed the issue a little bit too hard (in qualifying). I just needed the track to widen out and I knew we would come to life (in the race). Sure enough, that’s what happened.” Despite a pair of yellow flags that bunched up the field no one could challenge Pursley, who took the checkered flag 3.5 seconds ahead of his closest rival, pole winner and series point leader Justin Grant. Road America Up Next For Trans Am The Trans Am series goes straight from Ohio to Wisconsin’s Road America circuit this weekend. Dyson has a pair of Trans Am wins at Road America, in 2020 and 2021. He’s also scored multiple IMSA wins coupled with a Pirelli World Challenge triumph at the famed Wisconsin road course. “Road America is a great track – for spectators as well as drivers – and I love racing there,” Dyson said. “I expect we’ll have the car better balanced next weekend. The competition will be tough but I will be going for the win.” For more on Chris Dyson Racing.Road America Schedule Qualifying takes place Friday, June 27, 3:50 – 4:05 PM CT (4:50 – 5:05 ET) The 100-mile race takes the green flag Saturday, June 28, at 12:35 PM CT (1:35 PM ET) |



