Cadillac at Le Mans: Front-row sweep

Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.Rs set the pace at Circuit de la SartheLE MANS, France (June 12, 2025) – For the first time since 1967, an American automaker has earned the pole position for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And for the first time, Cadillac will lead the field to the green flag in the iconic endurance race.
Alex Lynn, driving the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, recorded a career-defining lap of 3 minutes, 23.166 seconds in the 15-minute Hyperpole2 session to claim Cadillac’s second pole position in three FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) seasons.
The celebration in the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA garages grew exponentially seconds later when the Earl Bamber, driving the No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, slotted in second on the time chart with a lap of 3:23.333 on the 13.626-kilometer (8.467-mile) Circuit de la Sarthe to secure the front-row lockout.
“Congratulations to the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R on securing pole position in qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most iconic endurance race,” said John Roth, global vice president of Cadillac. “We are excited to get back on the track and compete for the overall win this weekend.”
Lynn, who qualified second with Cadillac Racing in 2024 and teamed with Bamber and Richard Westbrook to earn a podium in Cadillac’s first race back at Circuit de la Sarthe in 2023 after a 21-year absence, was jubilant and praised “the team effort.”
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“Pole position here at Le Mans and an incredible front row lockout for the team,” he said. “It doesn’t get much better than that. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA for giving me the car to do that. It’s been a lifelong goal of mine to be on the pole at Le Mans, it’s such an honor.”
A Cadillac Racing entry has been either first or second on the time sheet in each of the three free practice sessions, the qualifying practice Wednesday night, Hyperpole1 and Hyperpole2 leading up to the 93rd edition of the race.
All four Cadillac Hypercars qualified for Hyperpole1 – a new qualifying format for 2025 in which 15 cars advanced from the 30-minute qualifying practice. The No. 311 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, with Jack Aitken behind the wheel, topped the lap time chart in the 20-minute session of 15 cars with a blistering lap of 3:22.742 – the lone sub-3:23 lap in either session. By sanctioning body rules, he gave way to Felipe Drugovich for the next round and the Action Express Racing driver qualified eighth with a lap of 3:24.380.
The No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R used Hyperpole1 to run in race trim, testing ride height and other areas, after the crew and Cadillac engineers efficiently changed the 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine out of precaution during the afternoon free practice.Now the attention turns to the race, with Cadillac aiming to be the first American automaker to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1969. Norman Nato and Will Stevens, who drove in Hyperpole1, will share time in the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R. Bamber, Sebastien Bourdais, who drove in Hyperpole1, and Jenson Button drive the No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R. The No. 12 entry finished fifth and the No. 38 car placed sixth in the most recent race at Spa-Francorchamps.The No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R driven by Filipe Albuquerque, Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor, and the No. 311 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Aitken, Drugovich and Frederik Vesti are full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors. The Wayne Taylor Racing team is marking its first 24 Hours of Le Mans, though all three drivers and team owner Wayne Taylor have competed multiple times in the event.
Cadillac Racing Le Mans 2024-2023 start/result in Hypercar era2024: Seventh (No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R ) qualified second/start seventh – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Alex Palou        DNF (No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R) qualified third/start second — Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon        29th overall/15th in class (No. 311 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start 18th– Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Felipe Drugovich2023: Third (No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R) start sixth — Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Richard Westbrook        Fourth (No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R) start eighth — Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon        17th overall/10th in class (No. 311 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start 13th — Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Alexander Sims
What they’re saying
No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.RAlex Lynn: “I think every time you have the opportunity to drive this kind of car around Le Mans with low fuel and new tires, it’s an honor. It’s a pleasure to be here in front of all of you tonight. I’m truly honored to be able to put in a performance like that in front of everyone and deliver the car to Cadillac how they deserve – in the first position. It’s a special feeling. I can’t describe it. It’s such a magical circuit, a wonderful place and a place where I really try to perform my best. We’ll enjoy this tonight, have a good sleep and reset.”Will Stevens: “Honestly, that’s amazing for us as car #12, amazing for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA and amazing for GM. We’ve worked so hard since we got this car and we’ve worked really hard all week. We’ve made some good decisions and I’m so proud of everyone in this program, not only to get pole but to have the 1-2 is something really special. Obviously, the qualifying format here is pretty tricky as you need to prep two drivers, but we knew we could do the job. Alex is our main qualifier so we wanted to make sure that he did Hyperpole2, but this then put the pressure on me to make sure that we got through Hyperpole 1. I had traffic from one of the Ferraris so it was very close but we got it done and what a place to start a 24-hour race from. The hard work really starts now, it’s a long road ahead but after today we’re pretty confident. Let’s keep pushing for the win on Sunday.”
Norman Nato: “Honestly, I’m really pleased with all of the work done by the team. All of the credit goes to them. As a driver, even when you have one of the best packages, it’s never easy to do that kind of lap. Especially in WEC right now with the caliber of drivers that we have, the level is at the top. In the end, as drivers, we have the easy part. We complain about everything until the set-up is exactly the way we want it and that’s why all the credit goes to the whole team, everyone who brought us this package and this opportunity. They have all worked so hard. Of course, we’re going to focus now as much as possible for the race ahead but first we need to take a minute to enjoy this very special moment. A front row lock-out at Le Mans is something to savor.”No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R Earl Bamber: “What a result for Cadillac and also Hertz Team JOTA… a front-row lockout! We were close on pole last year. As a manufacturer to lock out the front row for the biggest race in the world for us is something pretty special. You don’t get that every day. Big congrats to Alex and the 12 car. It’s going to be nice to sit alongside him Saturday and take the start with Cadillac.”
Sebastien Bourdais: “The goal was to get into the top 10, so I was really happy with the first lap. I didn’t overdrive too much. Really happy for the 12 car guys and Earl did a great job in Hyperpole2 to get P2. Looking forward to the race.”No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R
Ricky Taylor: “What an amazing team day. I have never seen a team change an engine during a practice session before. That might be a world record! I am just so proud of Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing, coming to Le Mans for the first time and really proving that the guys mean business and they are to compete and here to win. Because we missed the Practice session today, we treated qualifying a bit as a proving of the car to make sure we had stuff ready for the race. We just have night practice left now and the car needs to be ready to go. I did my best. I think we had the sectors to advance but unfortunately, I made a little mistake on the last lap. Otherwise, I thought we had enough to be into Hyperpole2. That would have been a dream. However, now we can just relax and think about our race. It’s a long one so starting P14 isn’t the end of the world.”No. 311 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R
Jack Aitken: “It was a really fun lap. The Cadillac felt incredible. It was just giving more and more. The second lap, I saw the speed was there and I just started to throw everything at the track, and it ended up being quite a good one. It’s always fun to drive these cars on low fuel, and to do it on the biggest and baddest circuit here is really fun.”
Felipe Drugovich: “It was actually my first proper try on new tires, and I didn’t even do a quali sim before. I would rather be a bit slower than actually making a mistake. So, I just went with a mentality and got a safe lap. Probably too safe. I could have pushed a lot more, but, you know, it’s the first time for me. It’s a very happy day for the team, for the GM family and Cadillac.”

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Third-Row Start for No. 81 Corvette

Eastwood, Andrade team to qualify sixth in Hyperpole for TF Sport
LE MANS, France (June 12, 2025) – TF Sport’s Charlie Eastwood and Rui Andrade teamed to qualify TF Sport’s No. 81 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R on the third row of a stacked LMGT3 field for this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In Thursday’s two-phase Hyperpole session, Eastwood advanced the TF Corvette out of the 12-car field with the second-fastest time of Hyperpole 1 – 3:54.646 (129.929 mph) followed by Andrade’s career-best GT lap at Le Mans in the eight-car Hyperpole 2, a 3:55.740 (129.307 mph) on his final lap to stay on the third row.
It cements the No. 81 Corvette among the lead cars at the start of Saturday’s race, which features a massive field of 24 GT3 cars representing nine manufacturers. Eastwood and Andrade got the chance in Hyperpole after teammate Tom Van Rompuy advanced from Wednesday’s initial qualifying session in fifth place.
With Thursday’s results, all three Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs know their starting positions. AWA’s No. 13 Corvette of Matt Bell, Orey Fidani and Lars Kern will roll off 20th in class for the team’s Le Mans debut after winning the IMSA Bob Akin Award in the 2024 season. TF Sport’s No. 33 Corvette – driven by LMGT3 championship leaders Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Adam and Ben Keating – will start 23rd in class.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. CET on Saturday, June 14. MotorTrend will air the full race live in the U.S., with full live streaming coverage available through the MAX app in the U.S., and the FIA WEC app internationally. Radio Le Mans also will provide live streaming audio coverage of all sessions as well.
CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R HYPERPOLE DRIVER QUOTESCHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – STARTING SIXTH IN LMGT3: “Clearly, the top couple of cars are super-fast, but we haven’t been the sixth-fastest cars since we’ve been here all week. So again, I think all three of us did a really good job… Tom yesterday to get us in and continue on and then Rui had a really good last lap there. In the mix for sure. We’re not the fastest but definitely not the slowest. We can definitely fight from there. The Corvette and the team have been super-faultless. We’ve been tuning the car more and more to a really good place. As we have in the last couple of races, we have executed really well up to now. We just need to make sure we continue to execute this weekend as well.”
RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – STARTING SIXTH IN LMGT3: “I’m really happy with how things went. Obviously, Charlie’s lap was incredible in H1. So that was our main objective for that session to get to Hyperpole 2. The starting position doesn’t determine your race, but it’s always nice to start up ahead, avoiding a little bit of the mess at the start. It’s a long race and you want to have a nice, easy start to just flow into it. “For me, the lap felt pretty good at the end there. I missed the peak a little bit in the beginning, but in the last lap it felt really good. I’m happy with it. I think that was the most I could have done. The third row is not so bad. I think the whole team has done a really good job so far. There are no issues with the car and everything’s running fine. So I’m happy with it. Now it’s time to relax a bit and then enjoy the race.”

MASTERING THE MECCA: World of Outlaws Drivers on the Challenges of Knoxville Raceway

The half mile presents a unique puzzle to solve, even for the sport’s bestKNOXVILLE, IA (June 12, 2025) – Few dirt tracks are as difficult to master as Knoxville Raceway.The legendary 1/2-mile dirt track has presented challenges to Sprint Car drivers for decades. It’s home to the sport’s most prestigious race, the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s, so it’s only fitting that Knoxville doesn’t often allow newcomers to conquer. The toughest race to win should be hosted by one of the sport’s toughest tracks.Knoxville is the next destination for The Greatest Show on Dirt. The Premier Chevy Dealers Clash is bringing the country’s best Sprint Car drivers to the Iowa town for two nights of racing (June 13-14). It’s a key opportunity for teams to get important laps and gauge where they stand against the best ahead of the Knoxville Nationals (Aug. 6-9). Any driver will tell you that you can never get enough laps at Knoxville.David Gravel is one of the best, currently, when it comes to competing at Knoxville. The defending Series champion has topped a dozen races on the Marion County Fairground, including the 2019 Knoxville Nationals. Even though his résumé boasts plenty of success, he’s still found it to be a difficult track to get ahold of, especially learning the bottom groove.“You just can’t go around that track and lock your elbows and make laps and win races there,” Gravel said. “Nine times out of ten, it gets technical, and the cushion gets really big and too high up the track, and the bottom comes into play. It’s the most technical track we race at, and it provides the biggest loss in time with mistakes. You make a mistake there, and you lose more time than anywhere else.“Running the bottom to perfection lap after lap is something that’s really hard to do at Knoxville, especially when the track gets really slick and it’s just one-tire width wide on the bottom. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of concentration, and a good race car to do it.”Bill Balog has been making trips to Knoxville for the past two decades. Despite his countless accomplishments up north, including 10 Interstate Racing Association (IRA) titles, the “North Pole Nightmare” has struggled to grapple with the black zook clay. Balog did display improvement last year, finishing fifth on his Knoxville Nationals prelim night to qualify for his first finale.Balog shares similar feelings to Gravel on attacking the lower groove at Knoxville. It’s a challenge shared by many drivers. A major piece of Danny Lasoski’s legacy was running it better than anyone, a trait that helped lift him to four Knoxville Nationalschampionships.“When the bottom is good, you have to be down there, and it’s harder than it looks to keep your speed up down there,” Balog said. “I wish I had all the answers. We’ve had decent nights there, and we’ve had a lot of bad nights. It’s definitely a hard racetrack to get a handle on. If your car’s not good, you’re just not going to be any good. There’s no way around it.”Knoxville has become a home track of sorts for Fresno, CA’s Giovanni Scelzi. After joining forces with the Iowa-based KCP Racing, he relocated to the “Hawkeye State.” Knoxville is now one of Scelzi’s best tracks. He’s won there eight times, most recently claiming a 2024 Knoxville Nationals prelim.“Hot Sauce” views the mental element as another obstacle. Drivers are competing at a facility unlike any other. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum looms outside Turn 2. It’s flanked by both the Bryan Clauson and Dennis Albaugh Suite Towers. Massive grandstands sit along both straightaways. The history is palpable. You know you’re at the mecca of Sprint Car racing when you make a lap at Knoxville.“I think that, obviously, the stakes are higher there,” Scelzi said. “Even for a local Knoxville race, it’s super intense having a facility with the Hall of Fame and just everything with when you walk in that racetrack, how it makes you feel, you really want to be successful at it.”And just like the others, Scelzi notes the racing surface is tricky for a variety of reasons.“The shape of the racetrack is obviously unique,” Scelzi said. “I feel like it’s probably the best half mile we go to surface-wise. There’re always two lanes, sometimes three lanes. With the corners, it feels like they’re longer than the straightaways are. You’re almost turning more than you’re going straight, so exit there is very important to make sure you get going down the straightaways.”Gravel, Balog, Scelzi, the remainder of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car stars, and many more are set to invade Knoxville this weekend (June 13-14) for the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/mastering-the-mecca-world-of-outlaws-drivers-on-the-challenges-of-knoxville-raceway/EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=4547562
TRACK INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/tracks/?track=Knoxville%2BRaceway
FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

Progressive AFT to Unleash the Mission Triple Challenge During Day One of the Lima Half-Mile Doubleheader

 Brandon Robinson (44) at the Lima Half-Mile during the 2024 Progressive AFT season  [Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 12, 2025) – Progressive American Flat Track announced pre-season that the brand-new Mission Triple Challenge will make its highly-anticipated debut when the series rolls into the Allen County Fairgrounds for the Lima Half-Mile on Friday, June 27, and now it’s time. The innovative three-race format now headlines Round Six at the Lima Half-Mile I event.  Three Races, One Night, Infinite Drama  The Mission Triple Challenge compresses a night’s worth of heart-pounding battles into a rapid-fire triple-header that ratchets up the distance—and the stakes—each time the lights go green. Mission Foods will award escalating bonuses to the winners of the opening two races in the SuperTwins class. The winner of Race 1 will receive $2,500, and the winner of Race 2 will take home $5,000, bumping the total bonus up to $7500 compared to the already impressive $5000 awarded to the winners of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge “dash-for-cash” utilized at the non-Triple Challenge rounds. 
*Top-17 points scale shown. Overall event standings are determined by combined points; ties break according to Race 3 finish. Championship points are awarded based on the event’s final classification.  Why Fans Shouldn’t Blink  Non-stop action: Three independent launches, three chances to recover or run the table. Strategy on the fly: Crew chiefs and riders must balance sprint aggression with long-haul stamina as race lengths climb 50 percent, then 100 percent. Meaningful every lap: Points in all three races count, multiplying the value of early momentum and late-race heroics. Flat track racing is all about laying everything on the line, and the Mission Triple Challenge amps that mentality up to eleven. Lima’s famed pea-gravel cushion is the ultimate playground for a format that rewards creativity, courage, and sheer speed—packing a full season’s worth of drama into one electric Friday night. Lima Half-Mile Schedule Highlights – Friday, June 27 (All Times ET) 2:00 p.m. – Gates open to ticketed fans 6:30 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies 6:50 & 7:05 p.m. – Mission Triple Challenge Race 1 (Singles & SuperTwins) 7:40 & 8:00 p.m. – Race 2 9:00 & 9:35 p.m. – Race 3  Catch every second live on FloRacing, with a one-hour highlight show to air on FOX Sports the following week. 

Acura & Katherine Legge Return to Pikes Peak with Hopes of a Record-Setting Run; HRC Prototype Integra to Pace the 103rd Hill Climb Running

June 12, 2025 — TORRANCE, CA.

  • Following her rookie debut in 2024, Katherine Legge returns with goal of setting a new front-wheel-drive record
  • U.S. Olympic speed skater Rusty Smith will pilot the official pace vehicle – an Integra Type S HRC Prototype
  • Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) developed performance parts featured on both vehicles, leveraging the technical knowledge and expertise of HRC race engineers worldwide

Acura and Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) today announced a return to “America’s Mountain” for the 103rd running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, on June 22. Acura and HRC US will enter the highly competitive Time Attack 1 (TA1) division with the Integra Type S DE5 race car. Driving the #93 Integra is INDYCAR and IMSA veteran Katherine Legge who also returns to the ”Race to the Clouds” following a top-five finish in the TA1 category in 2024. Her rookie outing resulted in a time of 10:51.359, just a few seconds shy of the current front-wheel-drive record of 10:48.094 – set by Acura engineer and Pikes Peak veteran Nick Robinson with a 500-horsepower TLX in 2018.

“It was an honor to compete in Pikes Peak for the first time in 2024, as I had always dreamt of being among the famous drivers who have tackled the mountain,” said Katherine Legge, driver of the #93 Acura Integra Type S DE5. “At Pikes Peak, you’re always competing against yourself, the mountain and the other drivers. It’s my goal to leave my own legacy, setting the front-wheel drive record in the Integra Type S DE5.”

Additionally, Acura will supply the official pace car for the 103rd running of America’s longest running hill climb. The custom-wrapped Indy Yellow Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype will pace the field on the challenging 156-turn, 12.42-mile mountain course, demonstrating a new line of HRC Performance Parts being developed by championship-winning HRC race engineers. Behind the wheel will be U.S. Olympic bronze-medalist speed skater, Rusty Smith.

Rusty Smith has made Team USA three times, competing in short track at the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002, and Turin 2006. On the podium, Smith captured a 500-meter bronze medal in 2002 and a relay bronze medal alongside his teammates in 2006. Smith also shares a passion for high-performance Honda and Acura vehicles; he owns several enthusiast models from each brand, including a rare first-generation Acura NSX-T finished in Spa Yellow with a Vivid Yellow interior.

Smith’s stint in the Integra Type S HRC Prototype follows Honda’s announcement as a Founding Partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Honda will also serve as the Official Automotive Partner of Team USA, supporting the United States Olympic and Paralympic Teams during the LA28 Games and upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. LA28 plans for Honda and Acura vehicles to act as the official pace vehicles for all LA28 endurance events.

Motorsports, including the premium performance brand’s Pikes Peak efforts, is a critical component of Acura Precision Crafted Performance. This is the 15th consecutive year Acura is competing at Pikes Peak, with the Acura team amassing an impressive 12 first place in-division finishes, over 30 podiums and multiple course records.

Known as the Race to the Clouds, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado is one of America’s longest running motorsports competitions. Since 1916, drivers from all over the world race against the clock, in a wide variety of vehicles and from multiple motorsports disciplines, as they take on the grueling mountain course, starting at 9,390 feet and climbing to the 14,115-foot summit.

HRC Performance Parts
Based on strong interest generated by the Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype, which was revealed at Monterey Car Week in August 2024, HRC announced that it will create a new business to produce authentic performance parts for customer use for street, track and off-road applications at the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Southern California-based HRC US has been winning races and championships on and off-road for three decades and is applying this extensive know-how to a new line of authentic performance parts focused on enhancing all elements of the driving experience—
engine, suspension and braking performance—along with significant weight savings. As a successful racing brand for decades, HRC US is uniquely positioned to offer parts to retail customers in North America to enhance the performance of their own Honda and Acura vehicles.

Acura Integra Type S DE5
Eligible for competition in multiple racing series and sold directly to racers, HRC’s Integra Type S DE5 is designed, developed, and assembled inside Honda’s state-of-the-art North American facilities employing groundbreaking technologies in weld, body construction, painting, final assembly and quality confirmation to ensure the highest levels of precision and craftsmanship.

HRC developed the DE5 from the production Acura Integra Type S premium sports compact, and it is the latest in a line of highly successful, championship-winning, HRC-developed touring cars, including versions of the 10th generation Honda Civic Si and Type R and the 11th generation Civic Si FE1.

The competition version of the Integra Type S, which participates in the top class of SRO TC America racing where it won six races in its debut season, is powered by a modified version of the factory 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder K20C8 engine. The racing version of the engine, co-developed by HRC US and HRC Japan, produces in excess of 360hp. That power is then directed to the wheels via a 6-speed sequential, paddle-shift transmission to HRC US developed suspension and brakes.

The purpose-built body shell removes all unneeded street vehicle components – such as soundproofing, underbody coating and seam sealers – and is fitted with a safety roll cage, aerodynamic components and cooling upgrades.

About Acura
Acura is a leading premium auto brand committed to delivering expressive styling, innovative engineering and engaging dynamics, all built on the brand’s Precision Crafted Performance DNA. The Acura lineup consists of two sport sedans, the Integra and TLX, and four sport-utility vehicles, the first-ever ADX, RDX, MDX and all-electric ZDX. High-performance Type S variants further demonstrate the virtues of Acura Precision Crafted Performance.

J-MAC NAILS DOWN FASTEST FIVE DAYS NARC VICTORY AT SOUTHERN OREGON

(6/11/25 – Andrew Kunas) … White City, Oregon – New team? New Track? No problem at all! That was the story for Australian star James McFadden on Wednesday night when he took NARC’s opening feature of the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports at Southern Oregon Speedway.

McFadden ran second early in the 30-lap feature and on Lap 14 muscled past early leader Landon Brooks, running the bottom of turns one and two as Brooks got into the cushion at the top of the racetrack. McFadden took off and never looked back from there to take the win in his first race in the American Rock & Rent-sponsored Tarlton Motorsports No. 21 Kistler-powered Maxim.

After taking the checkered flag, McFadden parked his car on the front stretch and gave the fans his signature “Shoey” celebration, pouring a beer into his shoe and drinking from it atop his car.

McFadden said that early on he felt he couldn’t match Brooks running the top side and worked to make the bottom of the racetrack work and developed a rhythm to eventually get by the leader. McFadden praised his car and the Tarlton Motorsports team, expressing his excitement at winning the first night out with a new team at a track he had never been on.

Brooks, with damage to his car following contact with other cars, had to surrender the second position and go to the work area during a red flag with 18 laps completed. That gave the second spot to Dominic Scelzi, who had been racing with Justin Sanders for third just a few laps earlier. Though he was unable to challenge McFadden for the lead in the closing laps, the former series champion still earned his best NARC finish of the season with a runner-up aboard the Red Rose Transportation-sponsored Scelzi Enterprises No. 41 Kistler-powered Maxim.

Sanders finished third aboard the Yuba Sutter Aviation-sponsored Mittry Motorsports No. 2x Fisher-powered KPC.

A pair of red flags, the first coming with just one lap completed, halted the action along the way and both took out cars that were running in the top. The lap two crash eliminated Robbie Price, who was running second, as well as Tanner Holmes who was in sixth place.

Former series champion D.J. Netto brought out the red flag with 18 laps down when he found himself upside down after running fifth. Luckily, no drivers were injured.

Billy Aton was one of the drivers in the Top 10 who stayed out of trouble throughout the race and finished fourth in the Legacy Glass-sponsored Billy Aton Racing No. 26 Kistler-powered Triple X. Washington visitor Jesse Schlotfeldt, in his first visit to Southern Oregon Speedway, came from ninth to finish fifth in the Grinder’s Automotive & Marine-sponsored JRS Motorsports No. 21s Shark-powered Triple X.

Behind the sixth finishing Dominic Gorden, Gauge Garcia earned the Williams Roofing Hard Charger Award by moving up 11 positions from 18th to finish seventh. Sean Becker, Bud Kaeding and Max Mittry rounded out the Top 10.

Brooks won the Beacon Wealth Strategies – Raymond James Trophy Dash to secure the pole position for the main event. Heat races earlier in the evening were won by Scelzi, Sanders, and McFadden. Robbie Price paced the 24-car field in Automotive Racing Products qualifying with a lap of 11.306 seconds around the large 1/4-mile clay oval.

Hoosier Racing Tires Feature (30 laps): 1. 21 James McFadden (3), 2. 41 Dominic Scelzi (4), 3. 2x Justin Sanders (5), 4. 26 Billy Aton (7), 5. 21s Jesse Schlotfeldt (9), 6. 10 Dominic Gorden (11), 7. 2k Gauge Garcia (18), 8. 7b Sean Becker (12), 9. 29 Bud Kaeding (15), 10. 2xm Max Mittry (8), 11. 121 Caeden Steele (14), 12. 21L Landon Brooks (1), 13. 14 Mariah Ede (21), 14. 35km Tyler Thompson (16), 15. 15 Nick Parker (13), 16. 12j John Clark (17), 17. 551 Angelique Bell (24),  18. 5k Blain Cory (22), 19. 77 Levi Klatt (23), 20. 88n D.J. Netto (10), 21. 22k Jake Wheeler (21), 22. 21p Robbie Price (2), 23. 18t Tanner Holmes (6), DNS – 27c Camden Robustelli.

METTEC Titanium Lap Leaders: 21L Landon Brooks 1-13, 21 James McFadden 14-30

Williams Roofing Hard Charger: 2k Gauge Garcia 18th to 7th (+11)

Automotive Racing Products Quick Qualifier (24 cars): 21p Robbie Price, 11.306 seconds

Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 41 Dominic Scelzi, 2. 26 Billy Aton, 3. 21p Robbie Price, 4. 10 Dominic Gorden, 5. 15p Nick Parker, 6. 35km Tyler Thompson, 7. 22k Jake Wheeler, 8. 77 Levi Klatt.

Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 2x Justin Sanders, 2. 2xm Max Mittry, 3. 21s Jesse Schotfeldt, 4. 21L Landon Brooks, 5. 121 Caeden Steele, 6. 12j John Clark, 7. 27c Camden Robustelli, DNS – 551 Angelique Bell.

WEDG High Performance Karts Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. 21 James McFadden, 2. 18t Tanner Holmes, 3. 88n D.J. Netto, 4. 7b Sean Becker, 5. 29 Bud Kaeding, 6. 2k Gauge Garcia, 7. 14 Mariah Ede, 8. 5k Blaine Cory.

Beacon Wealth Strategies – Raymond James Trophy Dash (6 laps): 1. 21L Landon Brooks, 2. 21p Robbie Price, 3. 21 James McFadden, 4. 41 Dominic Scelzi, 5. 2x Justin Sanders, 6. 18t Tanner Holmes. Finish determined first six starting positions of Feature.

Jason Feger Captures Career Summer Nationals Win No. 31 at Kankakee

KANKAKEE, IL — June 11, 2025 — Jason Feger’s muscle on the high side of dirt tracks remains unmatched.

On his home turf at Kankakee County Speedway, the Bloomington, IL driver put his expertise to use on Wednesday night as he led every lap for his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Model win of 2025.

Feger began his night with a win in his Heat race, then picked up a front row start for the 30-lap Feature around the 1/4-mile bullring.

Using the outside at the drop of the green flag, Feger ran the cushion and got the edge on polesitter Dillon McCowan to take the early claim.

The Longhorn Chassis No. 25 machine took residence on the top while McCowan and third place runner Brian Shirley had to try both the low and middle lanes of the track in their attempt at squandering Feger’s supremacy at the front.

Through the first half of the Feature, the “High Side Hustler” inflated his lead gap to three seconds as Tuesday winner Billy Moyer and Mark Whitener charged into the top five after starting in 12th and 13th, respectively.

While a caution with 10 laps remaining gave the top five a second life in the fight for the win, the 2010 champion proceeded to rip the high line towards a 2.2-second lead away from the field as he captured the 31st Hell Tour triumph of his career.

“Well, it’s been a rough start to the year for us,” Feger said. “I feel like we’ve been working really hard, getting better and better. Feels good to get a win off Hell Tour early. I mean, second night, it takes that pressure off and now we can focus on racing. It ended up being a pretty good race where I could really manuever to the top, middle or bottom.”

Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals head for Peoria Speedway in the halfway mark of the opening week.

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

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 25F-Jason Feger[2]; 2. 75-Dillon McCowan[1]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 4. 5-Mark Whitener[13]; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 6. 21-Billy Moyer Sr[12]; 7. K67-Braiden Keller[10]; 8. 22*-Drake Troutman[9]; 9. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 10. 14JR-Trey Mills[7]; 11. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[18]; 12. 18-Shannon Babb[17]; 13. 10J-Joseph Joiner[15]; 14. 31-Tyler Millwood[4]; 15. 17SS-Brenden Smith[16]; 16. 1-Tyler Erb[11]; 17. 16-Rusty Griffaw[20]; 18. 15-Clay Stuckey[19]; 19. (DNF) 130-Chase Osterhoff[6]; 20. (DNF) C6-Oakley Johns[14]; 21. (DNF) 29-Christian Hanger[22]; 22. (DNF) 10-Paul Parker[21]

Derek Losh Wins Second Career Summit Modified Nationals Feature at Kankakee

Derek Losh wasn’t going to be denied a second DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals win after four years of anticipation.

Early in the Wednesday program at Kankakee County Speedway, Losh went fastest in his Qualifying group, then proceeded to win the Heat race.

That set him up for a redraw that awarded him the outside of the front row for the Modified’s 25-lap Feature.

The Rensselaer, IN driver beat polesitter Steven Brooks to the gas pedal entering the opening start, as the cushion worked to Losh’s favor to take the lead on Lap 1.

While Losh never relinquished the lead for the remainder of the Feature, he had to keep Owensboro, KY driver Cole Falloway after driving up five spots to take second place on Lap 3.

Losh used the high line while Falloway tried to use the middle lane to have a chance at getting to the door of the No. 21L for the top spot.

When Falloway faltered with three laps to go after smacking the outside wall, Losh locked up his second Summit Modifieds win since 2020.

“This place takes a ton of luck and you gotta be good all night,” Losh said. “Our guys worked thier asses off getting us good here, I’m glad I didn’t tear the nose off. These guys got the No. 21 machine rolling, and thank you to everyone that supports us.”

Up Next: The DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals head for Peoria Speedway in the halfway mark of the opening week.

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

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 21L-Derek Losh[2]; 2. 66-Cole Falloway[6]; 3. 21A-Nick Allen[8]; 4. 99-Hunt Gossum[5]; 5. 45-Chase Holland[3]; 6. 777-Trevor Neville[9]; 7. 5-Steven Brooks[1]; 8. 27-Beau DeYoung[10]; 9. 1TS-Tyler Spalding[14]; 10. 96M-Mike McKinney[12]; 11. 5CS-Curt Spalding[16]; 12. 01-Billy Knippenberg[7]; 13. 7-Brad Deyoung[17]; 14. 1H-Ben Harmon[15]; 15. 25S-Jake Straka[13]; 16. 35-Jason Hastings[23]; 17. 73-Mark Rhoades[18]; 18. 2-Brayden Doyle[19]; 19. 28M-Frank Marshall[11]; 20. (DNS) 0-Travis Kohler; 21. (DNS) 17N-Dillon Nusbaum; 22. (DNS) 71J-Justin VanDrunen; 23. (DNS) 14-Dalton Lane

BUDDY HULL AND JIM DUNN RACING THUNDER INTO BRISTOL WITH MOONEYES ON DISPLAY AT FOOD CITY

 LONG BEACH, CA (June 4, 2025) — With confidence, horsepower, and momentum on his side, Funny Car driver Buddy Hull and Jim Dunn Racing are charging into this weekend’s Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, June 6-8, ready to make more noise in the ultra-competitive NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
 
Fresh off a stellar performance at the NHRA New England Nationals, Hull turned heads and proved once again why he’s one of the most exciting drivers to watch in the class. Driving the Mooneyes Nitro Funny Car, Hull powered past No. 1 qualifier Austin Prock in a thrilling first-round upset and advanced to the quarterfinals, putting down competitive passes and showcasing his growing command of the 12,000-horsepower machine.
 
“The car was strong, I felt locked in, and we came out of New England with a lot to be proud of,” said Hull. “Beating the No. 1 qualifier is never easy, but it shows that this team has what it takes to run with the best. We’re not done yet.”
 Buddy Hull and the Mooneyes Funny Car will be looking for more win lights at the Thunder Valley Nationals, photo credit Krista Zivcic Photos
As Hull returns to the iconic Thunder Valley at Bristol Dragway, the Jim Dunn Racing team will roll out their special Mooneyes 75th Anniversary livery for its last appearance before its return at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at the end of this season. The striking yellow-and-black design is a fan favorite and a perfect visual match for Hull’s bold and relentless driving style. Longtime sponsor Compass Facility Services (CFS) will also once again be highlighted on the back wing of the car. This will be fans’ last chance to get Mooneyes merch from their traveling merchandise trailer until the Pomona race.
 
“This Mooneyes car just feels electric,” said Hull. “The fans love it, we love it, and there’s something special about running it here in Bristol. We want to give everyone one more great memory before it takes a break until Pomona. Fans can even have a souvenir from the race, by grabbing one of our custom hero cards for the event.”
 
Hull’s recent performances are a testament to his continued evolution as a top-tier Funny Car driver. With each round, he’s sharpening his instincts, building chemistry with the team, and proving that Jim Dunn Racing is a force to be reckoned with.
 
“Now it’s just about fine tuning my skills in this car. I’m comfortable, I’m keeping it straight, I can pedal it,” said Hull. “In my mind, the runs have gotten really slow. Jim and I, we communicate a lot. I challenge myself with telling him that the car did this at this location on the racetrack, and I’m always spot on or really close. The more runs you make in the car, and the more you pay attention, and the more you get serious about becoming a better race car driver, it makes a difference.”
 
The Thunder Valley Nationals is the second race of the season to be a back-to-back race. Hull loves the energy you can set in motion when there’s no off-weekend.
 
“I wish we raced every weekend. I wish we could do three weeks on and one week off, because it’s a momentum thing,” said Hull. “It may not seem like every other weekend is time off, but it’s all about getting into a groove. We’re excited. We’ll go home for a couple days, rest up, regroup, come back and be ready. That’s for sure.”
 
On the Thursday at 1 p.m. leading up to the race, Hull will be participating in a Speedway Children’s Charity Trap Shooting event. Later in the day, from 3-5 p.m., he will then be signing autographs for fans at a Mission Foods autograph session at Food City (1921 Highway 394, Blountville, TN). The Mooneyes Funny Car will be on display at this event for fans to be able to look at up close and pose for pictures.
 
In addition to Mooneyes and CFS, Hull will also be repping season-long sponsors Lescure Mechanical Services, Blaze Exhaust Probes, KGC Construction, Vertex Roofers and General Contractors, Crow Safety, Koppl Pipeline Services, True Brand, USD and Wiley X.
 
“I’m excited to get out to Bristol and get to experience the sound of Nitro Funny Cars echoing in the mountains,” said Hull. “This is one of the most unique venues we have on tour, and it’s impossible not to love it. We’re chasing high speeds and loud volume this weekend.”
 
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will have two qualifying runs on Friday, June 6 and then two more qualifying runs on June 7 at Bristol Dragway. The 16 Funny Cars with the quickest elapsed times after four rounds of qualifying will advance in competition for a chance to take home a Wally on Sunday, June 8 at 12 p.m. ET with the finals on FSI. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals visit nhra.com.

JOSH HART ON DUAL MISSION HEADED TO BRISTOL DRAGWAY


OCALA, FLA. (June 4, 2025) — Josh Hart is a businessman and team owner that is always in motion. Whether it is overseeing his growing business, Burnyzz Speed Shop, in Ocala, Florida with his wife Brittanie, or running 330 mph in the TechNet R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. This weekend at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Hart will showcase his multi-tasking skills racing Top Fuel and his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class while also promoting Burnyzz Speed Shop with a midway display. Additionally, Hart will be spending time with fans at free autograph appearances before and during the race.


The TechNet/R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster will be back in action this weekend at Bristol Dragway,
photo credit Krista Zivcic Photography

“I don’t know if I could pack more into this weekend,” said Hart, from the Burnyzzz Speed Shop office. “We raced in Epping last weekend and I flew home right after the race. I have been at Burnyzz and we’ll head to Bristol in a couple days. I spent some time with my family, and we’ll be off again before we know it. Sometimes it seems like a lot, but I also know I am blessed to be able to pursue all these passions. There is no way I could do this without the support of my wife, Brittanie, and three great teams; the team at Burnyzz, my Top Fuel team and the guys at DHDR on the Flexjet side.”

Hart will be looking to continue to move up the Top Fuel point standing racing his red, white and blue TechNet Top Fuel dragster at Bristol Dragway. In four of the previous five races Hart raced to the quarterfinals. Last weekend he dropped his first round race but the early exit will not diminish his focus to get back into the Top Fuel winner’s circle.

“We are just past the halfway point of the regular season and there are a group of teams all bunched up in the bottom half of the Top Ten,” said Hart. “A good weekend in Bristol could move us to the top of that group and then we can start reeling in more drivers. There is a regular season championship on the line and then once we get into the Countdown anything can happen.”

Hart’s history at Bristol Dragway has been challenging since he made his first appearance in 2021. In 2023 he raced to the quarterfinals from the No. 12 spot defeating Mike Salinas in the first round before losing in the second round to eventual race winner Justin Ashley. Last year Hart and the TechNet/R+L Carriers team started from the No. 10 qualifying position and lost a close first round race to Billy Torrence. His best qualifying start at the Thunder Valley Nationals was No. 3 in 2022.

“Bristol hasn’t been very kind to our team but every year we get more data,” said Hart. “Ron and Jason will put their heads together and we will be ready when we come off the trailer on Friday. I am glad we are getting four qualifying runs and I’ll also be on track for the Flextjet series so I will be in race mode all the time. I love being busy at the track so this will be a good weekend for us.”

This will be Hart’s fourth Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series race running under the David H Davies Racing banner. Hart’s eye-catching Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Challenger has been making consistent progress since its first race at the Gatornationals. The driving skill required is dramatically different from his 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster but the veteran driver who has won in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Fuel has enjoyed the challenge.


Josh Hart will also be looking to go rounds in the Flextjet Factory Stock Showdown class in the Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Challenger, photo credit Auto Imagery

“Driving the Burnyzz Speed Shop Dodge Challenger has been eye-opening and a lot of fun,” said Hart. “When that car come off the line with a nice wheel stand and starts accelerating down the track it’s pretty cool. The guys at DHDR have been awesome to race with and I am looking for more progress in Bristol. In addition to seeing the Burnyzz Dodge on the track we’ll have a Burnyzz Speed Shop display in the midway.”

Hart will join all the stars of the NHRA on Saturday night for a free driver autograph session in the pits that will start 30 minutes after the final qualifying session. This annual event gives hundreds of fans the chance to meet their favorite drivers and get a photo or autograph.

“The great thing about the NHRA is the fan access and the sponsor support,” said Hart. “I am looking forward to seeing the fans on Saturday night after qualifying and then hopefully they will come by the trailer during the race on Sunday.”

Qualifying for Hart and all the Top Fuel teams will start on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with two more qualifying sessions on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Hart will also be hitting the track for Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown qualifying runs Friday at 2:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. with a Saturday session at 11:15 a.m. Eliminations for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will start Saturday afternoon and the Top Fuel eliminations will commence on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. The race will be broadcast nationally on FS1 starting at 3:00 p.m. ET. For more information fans can check out www.nhra.com.

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: AWA Targets Another 24-Hour Win

No. 13 Corvette set for Le Mans debut after taking IMSA Bob Akin Award, Rolex 24 victory DETROIT (June 4, 2025) – With one victory in a 24-hour endurance classic already in-hand, Corvette Z06 GT3.R team AWA is hoping lightning strikes twice, this time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in its debut at the French classic.
The team, its No. 13 Corvette and driving trio of Matt Bell, Orey Fidani and Lars Kern are part of the 24-car field in the LMGT3 class of the famed French enduro. AWA’s Corvette is one of three Z06 GT3.Rs entered for this year’s Le Mans alongside FIA WEC full-season entrant TF Sport, which is supplying logistical support to the AWA effort.
First up for the team is Sunday’s Test Day, which features a pair of three-hour sessions of running around the famed Le Mans circuit. 
It also provides the first time for the No. 13 Corvette to run in its predominantly red race livery, highlighting the team’s Canadian heritage.
The AWA driving trio are at Le Mans via Fidani’s win in the 2024 Bob Akin Award, which goes to the top-scoring Bronze driver in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
This year’s Le Mans will be the third for Bell – who podiumed in the 2022 LMP2 Pro-Am race – but the first for both Fidani and Kern. Fidani and Kern did, however, race last year at the event in the Road to Le Mans support race in anticipation of a potential invite to this year’s race.
CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFO
Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for both AWA and TF Sport. 
Materials include Corvette Racing event advance and quotes, Corvette Racing stats and figures, Corvette Z06 GT3.R racecar comparisons, Corvette Racing Fast Facts, factory driver biographies and Corvette Racing photography, among other items.
Editors: A pre-event advance regarding TF Sport will be distributed Thursday.
Not only did that invitation come to pass, AWA won this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona in IMSA’s GTD class with its Corvette. In addition, Fidani again is leading the Akin Award standings heading into the next IMSA event at Watkins Glen the weekend following Le Mans.
The AWA team will get its first laps around the 8.47-mile circuit during Sunday’s Test Day. It’s the first time since last year’s final lap that cars will have the chance to run on the full Le Mans layout – a mix of permanent racetrack and public roads. The Test Day is valuable with only a three-hour Free Practice on Wednesday ahead of the first round of qualifying later in the day.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. CET on Saturday, June 14. MotorTrend will air the full race live in the U.S., with full live streaming coverage of all on-track sessions – including qualifying and Hyperpole – will be available through the MAX app in the U.S. Radio Le Mans also will provide live streaming audio coverage of all sessions as well.
AWA PRE-EVENT QUOTESMATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Le Mans is the pinnacle of our sport. It’s the biggest, most prestigious race in the world, there’s just something extra special about it. There are amazing endurance races everywhere, but Le Mans is the crème de la crème. I’ve done it twice and was fortunate to be on the podium my first time. I’ll be looking to replicate that with AWA and Corvette. We’ve got a strong team, and I’m really looking forward to my first GT run with AWA at Le Mans.”(The team’s confidence) “I have huge belief in this team, and everyone on the team does too. We’re a confident group, especially after the Daytona win. We always felt we could compete at that level, and now we’ve proven it. That win definitely raised the bar for us going into Le Mans. I think we’re shooting for a podium, minimum.”
OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We completed a test ahead of heading to Le Mans and it went very well. We’re feeling confident as a team and doing everything we can to be as prepared as possible. I’m incredibly excited to be back on track soon and getting to return to Circuit de la Sarthe for the big show this time. It’s truly amazing what this group has accomplished in the past year, and now we get to show what we’re made of and represent Canada in the biggest endurance race in the world.”
LARS KERN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It still feels a bit like a dream. I’ve always said I wouldn’t believe I was racing at Le Mans until the moment I left pit lane. For years, making it to the Le Mans grid felt out of reach. It’s the pinnacle of sports car racing, and I wasn’t sure I belonged there.“Coming here after a Daytona 24 win, driving a Corvette in LMGT3, still feels surreal. But here we are. I can’t thank everyone enough for the trust they’ve put in me, especially Orey and the entire AWA team. They’re an incredible group, and I wouldn’t want to race with anyone else.“Now let’s put that Maple Leaf Corvette Z06 GT3.R on French tarmac and make Canada proud.” 
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: By the Numbers• 2: Number of victories for TF Sport at Le Mans (2020 and 2022 in GTE Am)• 3: Number of wins for the Corvette C5-R – 2001, 2002, 2004• 4: Number of wins for the Corvette C6.R – 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011• 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Le Mans since 2000 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2021-2023) / Corvette Z06 GT3.R (2024-current)• 11: Number of combined 24 Hours of Le Mans starts for the No. 81 Corvette trio of Charlie Eastwood (five), Rui Andrade (four) and Tom Van Rompuy (two)• 9: Class victories for Corvette Racing at Le Mans – all since 2001• 12: Number of drivers who have won races at Le Mans for Corvette Racing – Olivier Beretta, Nicky Catsburg, Ron Fellows, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Ben Keating, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Johnny O’Connell, Scott Pruett, Jordan Taylor and Nico Varrone• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001• 30: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Chang International Circuit (Thailand), Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 33: Number of drivers to compete for Corvette Racing at Le Mans. That number grows this year with the additions of all three AWA Corvette drivers• 70: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list was Ben Green in GT World Challenge Asia for Johor Motorsports Racing at Mandalika (Indonesia)• 72: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year• 144: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 117 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, four in the FIA WEC, 12 in GT World Challenge America and two GT World Challenge Asia• 115,625.48: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries in 25 previous trips to Le Mans. That represents 13,708 laps… or almost five full trips around the Earth at its equator. Corvette Racing combined to go over the 100,000-mile mark at Le Mans in the 2021 race.• 425,552.38: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (wins in bold)2000 – No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 4th in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS
2001 – No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Scott Pruett – 1st in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2002 – No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2003 – No. 53 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTSNo. 50 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS
2004 – No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GTSNo. 64 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTS 
2005 – No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1
2006 – No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 7th in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1
2007 – No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 14th in GT1
2008 – No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 3rd in GT1
2009 – No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT1No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GT1
2010 – No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 12th in GT2 (DNF)No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Emmanuel Collard – 10th in GT2 (DNF)
2011 – No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Richard Westbrook – 14th in GTE Pro (DNF)
2012 – No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 6th in GTE Pro
2013 – No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 4th in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 7th in GTE Pro
2014 – No. 73 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTE ProNo. 74 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 4th in GTE Pro
2015 – No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – DNS (Qualifying crash)No. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTE Pro
2016 – No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ricky Taylor – 7th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor – 10th in GTE Pro (DNF)
2017 – No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3rd in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM
2018 – No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 15th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2019 – No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 8th in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 16th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2021 – No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 2nd in GTE ProNo. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 6th in GTE Pro
2022 – No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 7th in GTE Pro (DNF)No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 6th in GTE Pro (DNF) 2023 – No. 33 Corvette C8.R: Nicky Catsburg/Ben Keating/Nico Varrone – 1st in GTE Am (Keating pole, Varrone fastest race lap) 2024 – No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 15th in LMGT3No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Daniel Juncadella/Sebastien Baud/Hiroshi Koizumi – 11th in LMGT3

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: ASCS Takes on Arkansas’ Texarkana 67 Speedway

TEXARKANA, AR (June 3, 2025) — On the heels of a highly attended race weekend in Kansas for the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) comes a first visit of the season to Texarkana 67 Speedway in Arkansas this Saturday, June 7.

A $4,000 check is in store for the winner of the 13th Series event in history to be contested at the 1/4-mile oval. The Sprint Cars will be supported by the Mod Lites of Arkansas and the local Sportster division. Pit gates will open at 3 p.m., grandstand gates at 5 p.m. and Hot Laps are set for 7 p.m.

Series appearances at the track began with the debut of the national 360 Sprint Car stars in 1998, when three-time champion Tim Crawley took the checkered flag in the event over Mike Ward and Pete Butler. Crawley went on to win twice more there in Series competition (2005, 2009), tying him with Gary Wright — who three-peated in 2000, 2001 and 2002 — for most wins at the track.

Tickets for the event are on sale in advance at the link below and will also be available for purchase at the track on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

BUY TICKETS

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

CHASING 128 — One week past recording his 80th career American Sprint Car Series Feature win last Saturday at Dodge City Raceway Park, Sam Hafertepe Jr. begins the march toward the top of the all-time wins this weekend.

Hafertepe, the five-time Series champion from Sunnyvale, TX, took sole ownership of the No. 2 rank on the Series’ all-time wins list, breaking the tie between himself and the late Jason Johnson. He now sits 48 wins behind four-time champion Gary Wright, who tops the list with 128 wins.

Historically, Hafertepe has produced mostly top-10 results at Texarkana with four top-10s in six recorded starts with the National Series and in regional competition as well. He’s also the defending National Series winner, topping the field in June of last year.

HOME SWEET HOME — Arkansas native Jordon Mallett will be back in action with the Series this week, now officially a part of the full-time roster.

Mallett, 32, of Greenbrier, AR, has attended each Series event (post-Volusia) thus far and has decided to return to the roster for his fourth chase at a first career national points championship. In four starts on tour so far, he’s recorded three top-10 finishes with a best result of seventh — twice — at Salina Highbanks Speedway and Dodge City.

Despite the track’s location in his home state, Mallett has recorded only two touring event starts at Texarkana with a best result of sixth in the Series’ return last June.

FAMILIAR FACE — Matt Covington has seen success at Texarkana before and will need more this weekend as he continues to hunt Hafertepe for the lead in the points standings.

Covington, 34, of Glenpool, OK, has made nine career starts in ASCS competition, winning once with the former ASCS Lone Star Region in 2012. Last June, Covington drove from ninth on the starting grid to finish third in the national Series event.

He currently trails Hafertepe in the national standings by 61 points and will need a strong finish this weekend after results of seventh and sixth in last weekend’s events.

LOOKING UP — Austyn Gossel recorded his best career finish with the Series on Saturday at Dodge City, crossing the finish line second to Hafertepe to collect his first career national 360 Sprint Car podium.

The 25-year-old from Fort Collins, CO, advanced to ninth in the Series points standings with the finish and now turns his focus to Texarkana, where he recorded his previous best finish in a 17th-to-eighth drive last June.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 

Friday, June 7 at Texarkana 67 Speedway in Texarkana, AR

TRACK FACTS

• Semi-banked, 1/4-mile oval

• Track Record — 13.226 seconds set by Josh McCord on June 11, 2024

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

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (5/41 Races)

  1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (577pts)
  2. Matt Covington 516pts (–61
  3. Blake Hahn 505pts (–72)
  4. Kyler Johnson 479pts (–98)
  5. Seth Bergman 478pts (–99)
  6. Jordon Mallett 460pts (–117)
  7. Zach Blurton 458pts (–119)
  8. Jason Martin 454pts (–123)
  9. Austyn Gossel 450pts (–127)
  10. Harli White 426pts (–151)

FEATURE WINNERS (4 Drivers):

  1. Justin Peck (3 wins)
  2. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2 wins)
  3. Matt Covington, Zach Blurton (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (5 Drivers)

  1. Justin Peck (65 laps)
  2. Matt Covington (30 laps)
  3. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (50 laps)
  4. Zach Blurton (25 laps)
  5. Brian Brown (15 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (5 Drivers)

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

HEAT RACE WINNERS (17 Drivers)

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

DASH APPEARANCES (30 Drivers)

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

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (5 Drivers)

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

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (6 Drivers)

  1. Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Blake Hahn, Landon Britt, Jordon Mallett, Brady Baker, Jason Martin (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (14 Drivers)

  1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5 podiums)
  2. Justin Peck, (3 podiums)
  3. Brian Brown (2 podiums)
  4. Emerson Axsom, Cole Macedo, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman, Sean McClelland, Matt Covington, Jason Martin, Zach Blurton, Blake Hahn, Austyn Gossel, Kyler Johnson (1 podium)

2025 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

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

  1. Thu, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (1)
  2. Fri, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (2)
  3. Sat, Feb. 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (3)
  4. Sat, April 12 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1)
  5. Sat, May 10 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Matt Covington (1)
  6. Fri, May 30 / Salt City Speedway / Hutchinson, KS / Zach Blurton (1)
  7. Sat, May 31 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2)

BIG MONEY PETE: The Journey of Big Game Motorsports’ Longtime Workhorse

Pete Stephens has been a consistent piece of Tod Quiring’s team throughout the years

BRANDON, SD (June 3, 2025) – Throughout Big Game Motorsports’ history, there’s been a quiet, reliable presence working hard to help ensure Tod Quiring’s cars remain some of the fastest in the country. 

While a handful of drivers have come and gone, crew member Pete Stephens has almost always been there. He may have had some stints with other teams, but Big Game has remained a priority for 15 years.

That commitment led to him being tapped as the new car chief for David Gravel and the defending World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champions. He stepped into the role after Stephen Hamm-Reilly vacated the position at the end of the 2024 season.

Stephens’ path to becoming a car chief began in his home state of Washington. He’s from the town of Mount Vernon, which is just a 15-minute drive down I-5 from Skagit Speedway. Attending races with his family evolved into helping a local team to get his foot in the door.

“I started out at Skagit with Chad Hillier when he was young,” Stephens recalled. “He started in the Sportsman class out there. I just knew him through friends and everything and started working with him in the mid to late 90s, probably. I just kind of raced at Skagit with him for a long time.”

Eventually, Hillier got the opportunity to expand his operation nationally, which also allowed Stephens to hit the road for the first time.

“Chad got a chance to go out and run World of Outlaws stuff in 2007,” Stephens said. “I had a business back there at that time, and I always thought working on a World of Outlaws Sprint Car team was one of those things like, ‘Oh man, if I could do anything, that’s what I would do.’ So, he got a break to go run that stuff, and I just kind of called him one time and asked if he knew anybody looking for help because I’d maybe like to go try it, and he said they were. It was basically him and Tyler Swank at the time, so I went out with those guys for a bit and liked it.”

The business Stephens mentioned is part of what instilled his work ethic. He started a hoof trimming operation for cattle, which makes Sprint Car maintenance feel easy by comparison.

“You’re usually up by five-thirty or six in the morning,” Stephens said of a regular day in the hoof trimming business. “You usually got half an hour to an hour drive to your job site. You set up, and you’re usually there for eight to 10 hours, and you’re physically moving non-stop because in the hoof trimming world, if you’re not moving, you’re not making money. You’re physically working most of the day. We did dairy cows, and with the farms getting the size they are, it’s a very labor-intensive job.”

The time on the tour allowed Stephens to make some connections and led to working with one of the sport’s legends in 2009. Sammy Swindell was driving for Tom Rolfe, and Stephens joined the crew. The next domino to fall was heading to Lonnie Parsons’ team with Danny Lasoski in late 2009. Oddly enough, that’s where Stephens first met current Big Game crew chief Cody Jacobs as they both worked with Barry Jackson on the No. 6. The following year, Swindell joined forces with Big Game, and Stephens reunited with “Slammin’ Sammy” in Quiring’s camp for what became a hugely successful stretch.

“That was a lot of fun when Sammy got into that deal,” Stephens said. “We had a good time. We finished 2010 and started 2011 with a pretty light crew. There was only two of us, me and Scott Green was the kid’s name who did tires and stuff like that. That was a lot of fun, 2010, ’11, ’12. We won a lot of races and had a good time.”

Stephens worked for a different team following the run with Swindell but was quickly back in the Big Game shop, this time on Craig Dollansky’s car. But he wasn’t done with Swindell as Stephens returned to the No. 1 team in 2014.

In the late 2010s, Stephens made the decision to head home and focus on business as well as raising his child, but it wasn’t long until involvement with Big Game was back on his calendar. When Cody Jacobs went to the team in 2020, the two talked, and Stephens returned part-time, a period that birthed a nickname.

“Once Cody got here, the joke was kind of that I would only go to the big events,” Stephens said with a laugh. “My one friend Nate, he nicknamed me “Big Money Pete.” So, yeah, I’d go to the larger events and help out and stuff like that.”

Fast forward to the off-season heading into 2025, and Big Game was looking for a full-time car chief. Originally, Stephens had no plans of being on the road this season, but the team’s first candidate backed out. So, Stephens agreed to help get them ready for the season opener and navigate the opening portion of the season. But one thing led to another, and he agreed to come aboard for the entire season of their title defense.

It’s been the right move so far as the No. 2 team has been all but unstoppable in 2025. They’ve already piled up eight wins, 17 podiums, and 23 top fives through 27 races. Their average finish is third, and their worst result is seventh. Gravel owns a healthy 188-point advantage atop the standings.

There’s no doubt Big Game Motorsports is at the height of their powers. The team’s history features many successful chapters, but none quite as impactful as the last four-plus years since Gravel came aboard. Stephens has been around for nearly every step of the way, and he remains a key contributor – a rewarding journey for a Washington kid who wanted more than anything to work with a World of Outlaws team.

“It’s been pretty cool to see it built,” Stephens said. “So many people don’t realize how hard it is. These things are built over time. I don’t care how much money you’ve got; spending money is not going to win a race. It’s people. It’s engines. It’s all the small things that have to come together and work. It’s been really neat to kind of watch Tod and Cody. I mean, I knew Cody when he was in his mid-20s and have watched him grow into this and do what he’s done with Tod. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Stephens, Gravel, and the entire Big Game Motorsports team continue their quest for back-to-back World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car titles this week with four races in five nights. First up is Minnesota’s Jackson Motorplex on Wednesday, June 4, for the FENDT Showdown. Then, the Badger State Triple takes teams to three Wisconsin tracks in three nights with visits to Plymouth Dirt Track (June 6), Beaver Dam Raceway (June 7), and Angell Park Speedway (June 8) on the calendar. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

Cadillac at Detroit: Street work upcoming

Three Cadillac V-Series.R GTP entries seek to make up ground in 100-minute raceDETROIT (May 30, 2025) – Cadillac Racing’s three Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) entries in Saturday’s Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic will have to contend with traffic from the outset to climb to the front of the pack.
And they’ll have to do it efficiently in a 100-minute sprint on a tight and bumpy 1.654-mile, nine-turn temporary street circuit around the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit to contend for the victory in the fifth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Jack Aitken, who topped the practice 1 time sheet among the 11 GTP entries, led the Cadillac Racing contingent with a best lap of 1 minute, 06.835 seconds in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R for seventh on the grid in the 100-minute race.
The No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R driven by Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque qualified eighth. Louis Deletraz, who will share driving duties with Jordan Taylor in the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, qualified ninth.
Both GTP entries lost their quickest qualifying lap because of causing a red flag in practice – the No. 40 in the initial session and the No. 10 in the second — according to IMSA rules. Albuquerque posted a second-best lap of 13 total of 1:06.916. Deletraz’s second-best was 1:07.553.
The No. 93 Acura ARX-06 earned its first pole of the season with a best lap of 1:05.762.
Jordan and Ricky Taylor have combined for nine sports car racing victories on temporary street circuits in Detroit (Belle Isle and downtown). Ricky Taylor and Albuquerque won the race in 2024 with another manufacturer.
A Cadillac DPi won four races and was runner-up in the other at Detroit (Belle Isle) since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017. There was no race in 2020 because of the pandemic and the GTP class did not compete on the downtown street course in 2023.
Peacock will provide flag-to-flag coverage in the U.S. at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday (internationally via IMSA.TV and IMSA Official YouTube channel). IMSA Radio will broadcast the race live at IMSA.com, XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.
Media resourcesOn-track photos for editorial use * Cadillac at Detroit guide. * Cadillac at Detroit results2025 Cadillac IMSA stats. * Cadillac Racing victories. * Cadillac driver photos
What they’re saying
No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R
Filipe Albuquerque: “Great effort from the team. I think we did a good lap that was P4, which was only three-tenths off pole position, and the same position that we started last year. Unfortunately, I made a mistake in FP2 that caused a red flag. So, that lap was deleted. And because I got traffic as well in qualifying, I couldn’t do a second great lap. It’s heartbreaking a little bit. I feel sorry for the team because it’s completely on me that mistake. We are between walls trying to search for the limit and it happens.”
No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R
Jack Aitken: “I think the car was not bad. Just searching for a bit more pace in general. We did make some changes, which would have been nice to preview in FP2, and if we had another stab it I think we could have been even better. We’re going to make the best of it tomorrow and, as they say, anything can happen.”
No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R
Louis Deletraz: “Tough qualifying and not the result we expected. We have some work to do in the race. It’s tough to pass, so we’ll probably do some different strategy and try to work our way to the front. The Cadillacs run well over bumps and it’s very bumpy here, so we can try to attack and make some good overtakes tomorrow for bringing that Cadillac at home at the front.”

Chevy racing–INDYCAR–Detroit Practice Friday

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STREETS OF DETROIT DETROIT, MICHIGAN TEAM CHEVY FRIDAY PRACTICE MAY 30, 2025
Chevrolet-powered drivers Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 TireRack.comTeam Penske Chevrolet, Will Power in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet and Christian Lundgaard in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet held spots in the top five of Friday’s first practice on the tight 1.645-mile, 10-turn, downtown Detroit street circuit, in the shadow of General Motors global headquarters. David Malukas, in No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet (A.J. Foyt Racing), was the quickest driver in the full field session, where the drivers utilized the harder Firestone primary tires (Blacks) with a lap at 62.819 seconds, with McLaughlin and Newgarden were also in the top four. To decrease traffic during the driver’s runs on the softer Firestone alternate tires (Greens), the field was split into two and given 12 minutes to complete a quick lap. Power, Newgarden and Lundgaard were the fastest in the first portion, while the second portion saw McLaughlin and Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet second and third quickest.
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Friday Practice Results:
Tune-In Alert SaturdayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
SundayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (85 laps) – 12:30pm (ET)/11:30am (CT)/10:30am (MT)/9:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
 WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES): A.J. FOYT RACING David Malukas, No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet: “It seems that the momentum from the five hundred and indy, the whole month of may, i think we did a good job building the chemistry with the team, and it seems like we’re carrying that momentum here in detroit. We had a good session, obviously, very tough to get track time and try to put it all together. but overall, i thought we were fast. Kind of hard to tell roughly where we’re at, since I think a lot of guys are struggling to get laps in but that’s just the characteristic of Detroit, so very happy to start off this weekend and we’ll carry it into tomorrow.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Sexton Properties / A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet: “Okay. Honestly, nice to be back in Detroit, you know, we were just very locked down with the Chevy. Other than that, I’m pretty happy with a bunch of other changes we made, I think we know what the big thing is coming into free practice two tomorrow. Should be fun.”  ARROW MCLAREN Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:  “Back in bumpy Detroit, and we need to make the car a little bit better in the window for Qualifying. We’ll see what we can make better overnight.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:  “Practice 1 was a bit hectic. We’re back in the swing of things on the street course. I don’t think our pace is bad. I didn’t really do a lap on the Firestone Alternates, at least not a lap that I was happy with. No concerns for the rest of the weekend. I think we’ll figure it out. There is pace in the car. I just need to put it altogether. It’s my first time in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES here, so I’ll give myself a learning session, and we’ll be back at it tomorrow.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: “At the end of the day, we have a really good package. We’ve had a good package all year. We’ve scored very good points. We’re third in the championship, coming off a career best Indy (500). We’re here to be competitive once again and that’s our main goal. I think my Chevy feels great. We had a good morning session here. I think that’s the first time this year we’ve rolled off relatively competitive, so I think there is a lot of positives to come for the rest of the weekend.”  PREMA Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet: “I have completed the first free practice here in Detroit. The first free practice for me at this track. I had quite a bit of fun. I finally managed to do a full practice session, which was the first achievement. Later on, we tried a few things. Getting used to the bumps, the turns. Overall, we’re not as bad as I would expect. I think we can have some good potential. Obviously, not with the top, top guys, but to battle in the mid (pack), we can have a chance. Overall, it went pretty decent. We need to have a look at the data. Overall the car and engine felt really good. Thanks Chevy for that. The car overall feels quite good, we just need to find the way to tune it a bit better for the bumps. Hopefully, the car will be a bit faster tomorrow.” Callum Ilott, No, 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet: “Overall, a good start to the weekend. The car felt good straightaway and we were able to make quick improvements with the car on the damper side and some other little things. Over the bumps, that is the main thing to get right. I think the team has done a good job and the Chevy engine pulls quite well down the straight. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”  TEAM PENSKE Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 TireRack.com Team Penske Chevrolet:  “Pretty solid day for us in the TireRack.com Chevy. We went through our paces and went through our laps and we’ve got a pretty good car. I really want to do this for Chevy on their home ground.” Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet:  “The Verizon Chevy was very good on the softer tire. Struggled a bit on blacks to get it exactly right. Yeah. Big, big difference. The soft tires are not bad. They lasted three, four laps, like, pushing really hard. So maybe that bodes well for the race. You can actually use them. The first two street courses we’ve done, they’ve degraded a lot, but that didn’t feel terrible. That may be okay. But my car is certainly better on reds. We just have to work out what to do for blacks. There’s always a lot of traffic here, a lot of chaos.” 

David MalukasPress Conference
THE MODERATOR: David Malukas, driver of the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Enterprises. Sunday will mark his third Detroit GP, P1 in that alt car session to lead things off here this weekend. Car acting well, are you happy so far?
DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I’m really happy. We managed to get some laps in the beginning. It’s a bit tough to kind of judge where we are compared to everybody else because I think everybody is struggling to get laps. But we got a good lap in, and the lap time was there at the start.Second time around, we were struggling, but I also kind of flew off the track a couple times and didn’t myself.But I think we’re in a happy spot and very comfortable with the car.
Q.  Can you elaborate on that a little bit more? Seemed like Turn 1 got you twice.DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, so actually it was kind of just driver error. I started losing the rears on the primaries, so ended up having a moment initially there, so I moved the bias more to the rear because I locked the fronts on the primaries, but then we put the alternates on and then i locked the rears because I never put it back.Yeah, learned my lesson. I think I’ve done that too many times now, so that was kind of the issue we won.Overall, yeah, we’re kind of trying to judge the movement going from primaries to alternates. Didn’t really get that right. We were looking at that first group, seemed like people were taking a little bit of time to get it up to temp and get that peak tire, but for us it kind of came in immediately and we weren’t really expecting that, so caught us off guard.
Q.  Is it frustrating when you can only get one lap in during that session? Maybe it’s your fault, maybe it’s other people’s fault, but is it frustrating to only have that one lap on those tires?DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, but it’s kind of just how it’s going to be for qualifying and how it’s kind of been for the street courses.Yeah, it’s frustrating, but it’s kind of been like that so far this season, so…
Q.  They went back to the original tire rules. There was that change for Indy Grand Prix. Does it matter to you?DAVID MALUKAS: I think it’s just I prefer the way it is now because I feel like in Indy GP they were kind of cutting us a little bit from options when it comes to race strategy, forcing those rules.But I think here having the option to choose what we want for the race is preferable.
Q.  In recent years, this track has been known to create some mayhem. Do you see more or less happening this Sunday?DAVID MALUKAS: Well, with this season, it seems like everything has been a lot less when it comes to yellows. But I’ll be surprised if there’s not going to be a yellow for this race. It’s very — with the way it’s set up, Turn 1, it’s very wide on entry and it looks inviting and then all of a sudden it gets very, very tight on the exit, and it happens a lot around this track.It’s going to be — we’ll see. I’m not going to say anything because I’ve been saying and looking at data and the data says 100 percent chance that it’s not going to be a yellow, and we do setups for it and then there isn’t a yellow and then there is a yellow, and then the data has been incorrect with how it’s been this year. So I don’t know what to say.
Q.  Also they’ve changed the start zone. What do you think of that?DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I think it’s better. Kyle reached out to me, and I think all the drivers have got to give some feedback beforehand. I think it’s a good change, and obviously we’ll see how it goes when we get on track.
Q.  Can you just kind of elaborate on that and describe the challenge of this track, how you manage the bumps, obviously the narrowness of it? How hard is this place to drive around, especially coming from Indy to here and the reset that you’ve got to make?DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, it’s very difficult. Thankfully I went on the simulator before coming here and did over 100 laps to kind of prepare for it just because I know that transition is very tough from previous years, going for a whole month on an oval and now coming to I think one of the most technical courses for us.I had a little bit of preparation beforehand but it’s just so tough because the way this track is, all the bumps tend to be mid to out when you’re trying to accelerate, and those bumps throw you what is a wall.It gets very tough, especially entering 8 where the alt start line is. That bump is a big one and it’s very aggressive, so I think it’s catching a lot of people off guard. That’s kind of the one that we’re heavily focused on, but that’s just the general layout of this entire track is all the exits are a little bit more those bumps.But yeah, I enjoy it. The margin for error is very small.
Q.  Obviously a really strong 500, but the season before that maybe hadn’t been where we’d seen the team last year on the Santino side. What are the improvements that maybe had to be made from those first five rounds of the season, and are you confident now, especially with the momentum coming from the 500 that a bit of an upswing can be seen?DAVID MALUKAS: I’ve kind of said throughout the start of the entire season that we really are looking forward to the month of May because we’re with the team for the entire month. We can really build on the car and work on the chemistry of each other and really understand what we want and start building some momentum for the second half of the season.I feel like that’s kind of what’s happened, and it’s something that I’ve experienced on my first year in INDYCAR where really things didn’t turn around for me until the month of May. That’s just kind of being with a new team, how it is. We’ve made really good improvements with the setup and different things that we wanted throughout the month of May, and I think it’s going to be shown for us this week.
Q.  I’m pretty sure you were the car that Power and Kirkwood went past during their little incident?DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, that was really cool.
Q.  What was your view of that?DAVID MALUKAS: I mean, for a second, getting back in the car, for me it just felt like I was back playing iRacing or rFactor. I was like, yeah, I’d totally do that in a video game. It was pretty cool to see him just push Ericsson, and actually in my peripheral vision, because Ericsson went off and Power just blasted through, and I just drove by and I just see Ericsson’s hand like going in the air, like, what the hell is going on.But it was interesting to see. I couldn’t believe it. I was very confused at the start. I thought something was wrong with Ericsson and Power was towing him across like the “Cars” movie. It was interesting at first but then I realized it was not that, so…
Q.  Can you elaborate maybe on the dust issue? Is that kind of the nature of street circuits, or is it maybe the time of day —DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I keep coughing right now because there’s a bunch of dust inside of me. Yeah, it’s always the first session just with the air tube coming in. There’s just a lot of dust and cleaning that we have to do. Unfortunately that dust comes off of that car and goes straight into that tube and straight into my face. That’s the one downside to having the Darth Vader mask, but I only have that issue for the first practice session, and then the rest I just look really cool.
Q.  David, at St. Pete the tires for the alternates were the ones that the drivers said were one-lap wonders, and in terms of getting up to speed and then the speed falling off after one lap in qualifying, what do you think they’re going to be like here? Is it a similar situation?DAVID MALUKAS: I think so. We were thinking it was maybe going to take a little bit longer, but it seemed for us it was coming in pretty fast, so I think it’s going to be something very similar.
Q.  David, to go back to the whole dust thing, is it exacerbated here because you have IMSA and INDY NXT? At St. Pete you have all different Road to Indy series, MX-5 Cup, limited running here from everybody else to help clean up the track beforehand, quote-unquote?DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, I mean, that could probably be it, yeah. But I don’t really know. All I know is there’s a lot of dust going in my face, so…

Cruz Pedregon–New England Nationals Advance

Cruz Pedregon

NHRA – NHRA New England Nationals

Pre-Race Report

Quotes for NHRA – NHRA New England Nationals

Cruz Pedregon, two-time Funny Car World Champion says:

Fresh off a strong semifinal finish in Chicago, our team is fired up to keep the momentum going as we head into Epping. While Epping is still a relatively new addition to the NHRA circuit, the track itself is rich with history, dating back to the 1970s. As a kid following Eastern funny car racing, this place holds a special spot in my heart. We’d love nothing more than to add our name to the list of winners at such a storied venue.

The whole Snap-on team is really starting to gel, and we’re hitting our stride. That performance we showed in Chicago has given us a boost of confidence. We’re optimistic about continuing that solid run in Epping.

My weekend will kick off with a visit to Park’s Performance up in Maine on Thursday. From there, it’s all about getting ready for qualifying runs on Friday and Saturday and then going all in on race day Sunday. Let’s keep this roll going!

We’re bringing back the new Makers and Fixers paint scheme that our primary sponsor Snap-on designed to encourage all of us who make and fix things for a living to share our stories. It’s important to Snap-on and to us as a team to share stories of professionals who keep race cars and the world running.

Name on the side of Cruz’s car – Snap-on Nitro Franchisee Jacob Ashline

● On the side of Cruz’s Snap-on® Dodge® Hellcat® you’ll see the name of this week’s Nitro Franchisee, Jacob Ashline, who was born and raised in the area.

●In Jacob’s early career, he was a Maker and Fixer, like the design on Cruz’s car…he was a subcontractor in the building trades.

●He took on his Snap-on franchise a year ago and says his favorite thing about owning the business is his customers.

●Cruz is getting to interact with several of those customers at a local shop when Jacob hosts a “Meet and Greet” Thursday before the race.

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Detroit Advance

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STREETS OF DETROIT DETROIT, MICHIGAN TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE MAY 29, 2025 DETROIT (May 29, 2025) – The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, the seventh round of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, brings to a close a stretch of five straight weekends of on-track activity with a Motor City street skirmish on deck.  For the 14 Chevrolet powered cars, it is a literal street fight on the tight 1.645-mile, 9-turn, downtown Detroit circuit utilizing the public roads around General Motors Global Headquarters, the iconic Renaissance Center. “Racing on the Streets of Detroit, in the shadow of the Ren Cen with that extra-large Bowtie on the side, makes this a special and important weekend for the Chevrolet-powered teams in the NTT INDYCAR Series,” said Mark Stielow, Director of Motorsports Competition Engineering. “Team Chevy’s home track is a typical downtown street circuit, featuring surface changes, bumps, concrete canyons with ever-present walls, and the longest straightaway of the year, with top speeds approaching 190 mph. Our dedicated engineering group, along with our partners and teams, have been preparing for the unique challenges of the 1.645-mile, 10-turn Detroit street circuit and will be ready for the 100 laps of tough competition.”  Across the three tracks that have brought world-class racing to Detroit – the 2.5-mile downtown street circuit, The Raceway On Belle Isle, and the current 1.645-mile street circuit – Chevrolet-powered drivers have achieved 13 wins, 13 poles, and 35 podiums. Will Power, the driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, leads all drivers with three wins and eight podium finishes in the Motor City. His teammate, Josef Newgarden, behind the wheel of the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, is tied with Michael Andretti for the overall lead, with three poles each in Detroit.  Of note:  ·       Team Penske leads all teams with 35 podiums in Detroit and is the only team that has stood on the podium on all three Detroit circuits. ·       After an NTT INDYCAR SERIES announcement on Monday that infractions in Indianapolis 500 post-race technical inspection moved three cars to the back of the field,  A.J. Foyt Racing’s David Malukas and the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet arrive at the streets of Detroit as the runner-up finisher in the Indy 500, the best finish for the iconic team since Kenny Brack won the “Greatest Spectacle In Racing” in 1999. The No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet, driven by Santino Ferrucci, moved from seventh to fifth, improving the 26-year-old’s average finish in his seven Indianapolis 500 starts to an impressive 6.1. ·       Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet improved his final standing to third, making it three top-three finishes in his last four starts on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.  The Corvette E-Ray, with eAWD capability, is a great choice to pace the field on a tricky street circuit, where having all four wheels working means better drivability. Designed for all-season performance, the E-Ray features the powerful 6.2L LT2 small-block V8 powering the rear axle and an electric drive unit with a 1.9 kWh lithium-ion battery powering the front axle. Overall, the Corvette E-Ray boasts 655 horsepower, contributing to a lightning-fast 0 to 60 mph time of only 2.5 seconds.
The 2024 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear paced by the Corvette E-Ray

Tune-In Alert
FridayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 3:pm (ET)/2pm (CT)/1pm (MT)/noon (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 
SaturdayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
SundayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (85 laps) – 12:30pm (ET)/11:30am (CT)/10:30am (MT)/9:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 What they’re saying before the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear (QUOTES)  A.J. FOYT RACING On the improved drivability of the Chevrolet engine on street circuits this year. David Malukas, No. 4 Clarience Techonologies Chevrolet: “I think Chevy has taken a big step going into this year. Driving the Honda in the second half of last season to the Chevy now, the tools that we have at our disposal and all the adjustments that we can make as a driver, it’s pretty ranged, so it’s been very good. I’ve worked very strong with Derek (Miller, Chevrolet Trackside Engineer) on different ideas and improvements on what things we can do. And it’s going to be big. I think Detroit’s going to be a good, true test to that drivability, all those tools that we have. So that’s going to be one of the main things we focus on going through between the two practice sessions.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing / Sexton Properties Chevrolet: “I think it’ll be easier to put power down, and it should be a lot easier to control the car and the wheel spin. So that’s going to be a good thing for us.”  ARROW MCLAREN Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:  “The Indy 500 is always a big one; while we fell short, there were some positives to take away. There is plenty of racing in front of us, and the focus is now on winning races and fighting for the championship. We’re going to do everything we can to put ourselves in a position to score big starting this weekend in Detroit. We’d love nothing more than to put a Chevrolet on the top step here in their backyard.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 onsemi Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:  “I learned so much throughout the Month of May and being part of my first Indianapolis 500 was an incredible experience. Of course, I’m disappointed with how the final lap ended, but we had a productive race. Now, the focus shifts towards continuing to build from here and putting everything together to fight at the front consistently. The team found some pace here last year, so hopefully that continues and we can contend from the get-go.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: “We’ve been quite consistent this year, and sitting third in the championship shows we’re in a good place. But our goal is to fight for wins, and we’re focused on exactly that at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. There’s plenty of racing ahead, and I’m excited for what it may bring for the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren crew.” ED CARPENTER RACING Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet: “Last weekend at Indy was a tough one. The No. 20 Java House Chevrolet was strong, but things didn’t fall our way. That said, the focus now is on bouncing back strong in Detroit. We’ve shown we have the pace, it’s just about putting together a complete weekend. Detroit can be always a bit unpredictable, but the team’s been firing on all cylinders. We need to minimize mistakes, execute in every session, and if we do that, there’s no reason we can’t be fighting for the podium.”
Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Chevrolet: “Coming off a strong Indy 500, I’m really excited for the rest of the season. The No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet crew has some solid momentum and we’re ready to build on that. Detroit was an awesome event last year, racing through the streets around General Motors headquarters. Even though the race didn’t go our way, we showed great pace and I’m confident we can bring that speed back this weekend!”  JUNCOS HOLLIGER RACING Conor Daly, No. 76 Juncos Holliger Racing Chevrolet: “Heading to Detroit we obviously want to make Chevrolet proud and get them some trophies. That would be really awesome, and you know I’m excited to get there. I love racing in Detroit, obviously my first podium in IndyCar came in Detroit, obviously on Belle Isle, but still enjoy the fans and the event up there. Such a great turnout and yeah we want to make Chevy proud after a good Indy 500 finish for us and we’ve got some great momentum going, so definitely excited to get up there and get back to work.” Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Holliger Racing Chevrolet:
“Detroit’s just different…gritty, raw, and it makes you earn everything. Racing here with Chevy power, where American horsepower got its start, feels like being part of something way bigger than just a race. It’s not just about going fast, it’s about hard work, legacy, and heart.”  PREMA Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet: “After an eventful Indy 500 where we managed to take pole position, we’re heading straight to Detroit, Chevy’s home race. It’ll be my first time in Detroit and my first time racing there, so I’m really excited for this one. From what I’ve seen, the track looks pretty bumpy, and we’re back to turning right again. The goal is to keep building on the progress we’ve made with the car keep learning and continue moving in the right direction, just as we’ve been doing since the start of the season.” Callum Ilott, No, 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet: “I’m really looking forward to heading back to Detroit. Last time I went there in 2023 it didn’t go the way I hoped, I barely got going in the race so I’m hoping to turn things around this year. It’s a tough track with all the different surfaces and bumps, but that’s part of what makes it so unique and exciting. The racing was pretty intense last year from what I saw, so hopefully it’s a bit more controlled this time. Either way, it should be a great weekend for the fans.”  TEAM PENSKE  Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet:  “It’s always great to race here in Detroit. I love seeing the development of the city since I started coming here in 2012. Moving the race to downtown has been a big plus and helped elevate the event in so many ways. We take a lot of pride in coming here to represent all of our partners, Team Penske and Team Chevy and want to do a great job. I’m excited to get on track. We’ve done our homework and can deliver a big result.” Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 TireRack.com Team Penske Chevrolet:  “So happy to be here in Detroit. Obviously, Chevy’s home race around the basically, the capital of Chevy. Team Chevy have been working really hard together to be better and improve every race. We’re just getting better and better. And what a place to get going, here at the home race.”  Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet:  “Looking forward to this weekend. I think every Chevy driver is wanting to get Chevy’s first win for the season. It’s certainly been a rough start, but we’re here at the home of Chevrolet, and the home of Roger Penske. So, we really want to perform well for many reasons.” 
Chevrolet-powered results in Detroit Wins: 13
The Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2002) 2022 – Will Power – Team Penske2021 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren (Race #2)2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #1)2016 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology (Race #1)2015 – Sebastien Bourdais – KV Racing Technology (Race #2)2014 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske (Race #2)2014 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #1)1993 – Danny Sullivan – Galles Racing1992 – Bob Rahal – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Pato O’Ward celebrates a 2021 win in Detroit at The Raceway On Belle Isle
2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991) 1991 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1990 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1989 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Patrick Racing Poles: 13 The Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022) 2022 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2021 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #2)2021 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren (Race #1)2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske (Race #2)2016 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske (Race #1)2015 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske (Race #2)2015 – Will Power – Team Penske (Race #1)2014 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske (Race #1)2013 – EJ Viso – Andretti Global (Race #1)  2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991) 1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1989 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing  Podiums: 35 Driver Podiums 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2024): Will Power (1) and Felix Rosenqvist (1) Driver Podiums Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022): Will Power (7), Josef Newgarden (3), Sebastien Bourdais (2), Pato O’Ward (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Raul Boesel (1), Helio Castroneves (1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1), Stefan Johanson (1), Tony Kanaan (1), Charlie Kimball (1), Juan Montoya (1), Bob Rahal (1), Danny Sullivan (1), and Rinus VeeKay (1)  Driver Podiums 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Emerson Fittipaldi (2), Bob Rahal (2), Mario Andretti (1), Michael Andretti (1), Eddiie Cheever (1) and Arie Luyendyk (1).  Team Podiums 1.645-mile downtown street circuit (2023-2024): Arrow McLaren (1) and Team Penske (1) Team Podiums Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022): Team Penske (14), Arrow McLaren (2), Chip Ganassi Racing (2), KV Racing Technology (2), Andretti Global (1), Bettenhausen Racing (1), Dick Simon Racing (1), Ed Carpenter Racing (1), Galles Racing (1), and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (1) Team Podiums 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991): Galles Racing (2), Newman Haas Racing (2), Doug Shierson Racing (1), Chip Ganassi Racing (1), Patrick Racing (1), and Team Penske (1).  Team Chevy by the numbers 2025: 346: NTT INDYCAR SERIES podiums since the introduction of the current engine formula in 2012 257: laps led during the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season 222: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as an engine supplier since the introduction of the twin-turbo V6 formula in 2012135: NTT INDYCAR SERIES earned poles since the introduction of the current engine formula in 2012 122: NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins since the introduction of the current engine formula in 2012 63.1%: of the possible poles since the introduction of the current engine formula in 201255%: of the possible wins since the introduction of the current engine formula in 2012 35: the number of INDYCAR races across the 2.5-mile downtown street circuit (1989-1991), The Raceway On Belle Isle (1992-2022) and the current 1.645-mile, 10-turn street circuit (2023-2024). 19: All-time driver championships13: Chevrolet-powered wins in the manufacturer’s hometown of Detroit since 1989  13: Chevrolet-powered wins in the manufacturer’s hometown of Detroit since 1989  10: out of a possible 18 podiums during the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season 9: manufacturer’s championships in the 13 seasons of competition with the twin-turbo 2.2L V6 engine formula, including the last three

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Kansas Swing Up Next for American Sprint Car Series

HUTCHINSON, KS (May 28, 2025) — The summer stretch of racing begins this weekend for the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) with a swing through Kansas at Salt City Speedway and Dodge City Speedway.

Salt City Speedway, located at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, KS, has never hosted the stars of the national 360 Sprint Car circuit and will play host to a standard-purse event on Friday, May 30. ASCS will be joined by IMCA Stock Cars and Super Stocks. Grandstand gates open at 5 p.m.; Hot Laps at 6:30 p.m.

The Series then shifts its attention to Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, KS, on Saturday, May 31 for the 15th running of the Steve King Memorial. A $4,000 grand prize will go to the winner of the memorial event, run in remembrance of the life and career of Steve King — a local 360 Sprint Car racer from Jetmore, KS, who was killed in a crash at the 2006 Knoxville Nationals. The IMCA Northern Sport Mods and IMCA Hobby Stocks will support the ASCS program. Grandstand gates open at 5 p.m.; Hot Laps set for 6 p.m.

Read Also — American Sprint Car Series Salutes Local Hero Steve King in Memorial Event at Dodge City

Tickets for the event at Salt City Speedway are on sale in advance at the link below and will also be on sale at the gate on race day. Dodge City tickets will be sold at the gate only.

SALT CITY SPEEDWAY TICKETS

If you can’t be at the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

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

DODGE THIS — Sam Hafertepe Jr. is one of only two drivers in Series history to win in back-to-back fashion at Dodge City and will try for a three-peat this Saturday.

The 39-year-old from Sunnyvale, TX, swept both Series races at the venue last year — first taking the checkers in June after early leader Matt Covington dropped out after a collision with a lapped car. He won again in August, leading all 30 laps of the Steve King Memorial, making him the second driver to win back-to-back races at the track after Jeff Swindell did it in consecutive nights in 2012.

The five-time Series champion has also been competitive in 410 Sprint Car competition at the track in the past, collecting five top-10 finishes in 11 appearances with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, including a best finish of third there in 2009.

WEEKEND WINNER — After a third-place run with the Series at Paducah, Jason Martin continued the swing of good momentum into US 36 Raceway last Friday, where he won with the POWRi 410 Outlaw Sprint League.

Martin, the 2023 Series champion from Liberal, KS, collected his first Feature win of the year at the Missouri oval, topping a field that included Knoxville Raceway champion Austin McCarl, and various Midwest Sprint Car regulars like Kameron Key, Noah Gass and Ayrton Gennetten.

Historically, Martin has been strong at Dodge City, winning nine total Features with various different organizations including with URSS, two with the National Championship Racing Association (NCRA) and one with the American Sprint Car Series in 2023.

HOME STATE HEROES — Kyler Johnson and Zach Blurton are another two Kansas natives racing around home this weekend at two tracks where they’ve turned laps at and won before.

Johnson, 21, of Quinter, KS, has one appearance at Salt City in his career, resulting in a fifth-place finish with the United Rebel Sprint Series (URSS) in 2020. He’s had success in both a Sprint Car and a Midget at Dodge City, topping a URSS race there in 2021 in addition to two wins with the Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association.

Blurton, 30 — also from Quinter — won Salt City’s marquee Hutchinson Grand Nationals in 2022 with URSS and has amassed seven total URSS wins at Dodge City, dating back to his first in 2013. Last year, Blurton posted top-10 finishes in both American Sprint Car Series visits.

HEATING UP — Matt Covington topped the field the last time out, collecting his 20th career Series victory in the return to Paducah International Raceway on May 10. This broke a 21-month-long streak of being shut out of ASCS Victory Lane, dating back to August 2023.

The 34-year-old ASCS regional champion from Glenpool, OK, has had past success at Dodge City with four top-five finishes in five career starts, including a Western Plans Region win last year and a win with the national Series in 2023.

Recently, Covington has been contesting weekly 360 Sprint Car events at Knoxville Raceway, recording a third-place run against the locals on May 3 and a 10th-place finish last Saturday.

305 KING — Rookie of the Year contender Ryder Laplante clinched the inaugural IMCA RaceSaver Speedweek points championship this past weekend, which hosted five consecutive nights of racing at five different tracks across Arkansas and Texas.

The 18-year-old from Calera, OK, posted an average finish of 4.4 over the five-race stretch with the 305 Sprint Car group, including a win Thursday at Rocket Raceway Park.

He returns to ASCS competition this weekend after taking the last Series event at Paducah off — as permitted by the one-race drop stipulation for perfect attendance drivers — and will take on Dodge City on Saturday, where he qualified for the ASCS main event last year.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 

Friday, May 30 at Salt City Speedway in Hutchinson, KS

Saturday, May 31 at Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, KS

TRACK FACTS

• Salt City — semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval

• Dodge City — semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval

• Salt City Track Record — none established

• Dodge City Track Record — 13.444 seconds set by Sam Hafertepe Jr. on June 1, 2024

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

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (4/41 Races)

  1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (292pts)
  2. Matt Covington 275pts (–17)
  3. Blake Hahn 255pts (–37)
  4. Seth Bergman 246pts (–46)
  5. Jordon Mallett 235pts (–57)
  6. Landon Britt 235pts (–57)
  7. Jason Martin 233 (–59)
  8. Harli White 230 (–62)
  9. Austyn Gossel 214 (–78)
  10. Kyler Johnson 214 (–78)

FEATURE WINNERS (3 Drivers):

  1. Justin Peck (3 wins)
  2. Sam Hafertepe Jr., Matt Covington (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (4 Drivers)

  1. Justin Peck (65 laps)
  2. Matt Covington (30 laps)
  3. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (25 laps)
  4. Brian Brown (15 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (3 Drivers)

  1. Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Kyler Johnson, Seth Bergman (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (14 Drivers)

  1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5 wins)
  2. Justin Peck (3 wins)
  3. Scotty Thiel, Matt Covington (2 wins)
  4. Hank Davis, Blake Hahn, Chris Martin, Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman, Sean McClelland, Caleb Saiz, Bradley Fezard (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (23 Drivers)

  1. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5 appearances)
  2. Justin Peck, Blake Hahn (3 appearances)
  3. Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Scotty Thiel, Danny Dietrich, Cole Macedo, Brady Bacon, Daison Pursley, Matt Covington, Seth Bergman (2 appearances)
  4. Hank Davis, Jordan Thomas, Scotty Thiel, Chris Martin, Brian Brown, Whit Gastineau, Sean McClelland, Caleb Saiz, Chance Morton, Kyler Johnson, Bradley Fezard (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (4 Drivers)

  1. Blake Hahn, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Clem, Kyle Clark (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (5 Drivers)

  1. Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Blake Hahn, Landon Britt, Jordon Mallett (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (10 Drivers)

  1. Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3 podiums)
  2. Brian Brown (2 podiums)
  3. Emerson Axsom, Cole Macedo, Austin McCarl, Seth Bergman, Sean McClelland, Matt Covington, Jason Martin (1 podium)

2025 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

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

  1. Thu, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (1)
  2. Fri, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (2)
  3. Sat, Feb. 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Justin Peck (3)
  4. Sat, April 12 / Salina Highbanks Speedway / Salina, OK / Sam Hafertepe Jr. (1)
  5. Sat, May 10 / Paducah International Raceway / Paducah, KY / Matt Covington (1)

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Nashville Superspeedway May 30 – June 1, 2025



Making the trek to the outskirts of Music City, Tennessee, all three NASCAR national touring series will take the stage at Nashville Superspeedway for a trio of races under the lights.
MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom
The tripleheader weekend will mark the sport’s fifth trip to the 1.33-mile Tennessee tri-oval since finding an annual spot on each series’ schedule during the 2021 season. For the Bowtie brigade, Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400 will be a shot at redemption after falling just one spot short of staying undefeated in NASCAR’s top division at the track last season.  Chevrolet at Nashville SuperspeedwaySince NASCAR’s return to Nashville Superspeedway in 2021, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer that’s paid a visit to victory lane at the track in all three divisions. 
When the NASCAR Cup Series hit the track for its first-ever appearance in 2021, it was Chevrolet that made the inaugural trip to victory lane with a dominating performance by Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team – a win that was accompanied by a podium sweep for the Bowtie brand with Ross Chastain (2nd) and William Byron (3rd). The victory kickstarted a Team Chevy three-peat at the Tennessee track, with Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott taking the victory in 2022 and Trackhouse Racing’s Chastain following suit in 2023. Larson and Chastain’s victories are accompanied by series-leading statistics that automatically put them at the forefront of top contenders heading into the weekend. In four Cup Series races held at Nashville Superspeedway, Larson is the only driver to finish within the top-10 in each of his starts. While a late-race incident took him out of contention last season, Chastain powered his Trackhouse Racing-prepared Chevrolet to top-five results in the series’ first three events at the track, including a runner-up finish in the inaugural race and his win in 2023. 
Hitting the Halfway MarkAt the drop of the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series has officially raced its way into the second-half of its regular season schedule. With Chastain’s crown jewel triumph, Chevrolet has collected a series-high five wins this season, with the 32-year-old Alva, Florida, native joining his fellow Team Chevy teammates, William Byron and Kyle Larson, with an early ticket into the 2025 playoffs. Dating back to just the third race of the season at Circuit of The Americas, Byron took over the series’ points lead and has been a fixture among the top-two positions ever since – ultimately regaining the lead from his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Larson, following a strong points day and a runner-up finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chevrolet also holds a commanding lead in a variety of statistical categories including stage wins (14), top-10s (60), laps led (1,976) and pole wins (7). 
On the ReboundWith eight different winners thus far this season, eight opportunities remain to secure a playoff position by virtue of a win. Among those looking for their first trip to victory lane of the season includes a handful of Team Chevy drivers that are hitting a stride as we enter the second-half of the regular season. 
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finds himself in the 13th position in the points standings after falling just short of a top-10 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Consistency has been key for the No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet team, which has positioned the single-car organization in a provisional playoff position heading into the second-half of the regular season. In 13 points-paying races this season, Stenhouse Jr. has completed all but three laps, as well as tallied four top-12 results, including two in the top-six. The Mississippi native is well on his way to a career-best season-long average finish, heading to Nashville Superspeedway with a 16.8 average. 
After a tough set of results, AJ Allmendinger rebounded with his best finish of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway – taking the checkered flag in the fourth position in the sport’s longest race. The finish was accompanied by a 49-point day – the third-highest among the field. There’s no better place to carry that momentum than yet another intermediate oval – a track configuration that has delivered the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team three of their four top-10 finishes of the season. 
Intermediate IconsFresh off the Coca-Cola 600 victory, Chevrolet continues to prove to be a force to be reckoned with on the circuit’s intermediate ovals this season. In seven races on non-drafting intermediate ovals, the Bowtie brand has made three trips to victory lane including Chastain’s Charlotte Motor Speedway win and a pair of victories by Kyle Larson at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Qualifying has been a strong suit for the Chevrolet camp, with five of the manufacturer’s series-leading seven pole wins coming on the configuration – each earned by a different driver. In five of the six intermediate oval races thus far this season, Chevrolet has recorded at least four top-10 results in each, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 
Dialing-In Double-DigitsWilliam Byron’s dream of winning at his home track became reality when he took the checkered flag in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native became the seventh different Chevrolet driver to find victory lane in the Xfinity Series this season – delivering the Bowtie brand its 11th win in just 13 races. Among those triumphs includes five full-time competitors that have also earned an early playoff berth, including both Richard Childress Racing entries, Austin Hill and Jesse Love, as well as three JR Motorsports drivers with reigning champion Justin Allgaier, ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender Connor Zilisch, and Sammy Smith.  Looking ahead to Nashville Superspeedway, the Bowtie brigade heads into the weekend with 10 wins in 25 appearances by the Xfinity Series at the Tennessee track – two of which have come since the track’s revival in 2021 (Justin Allgaier – 2022; AJ Allmendinger – 2023). With his victory in 2022, Allgaier holds the honors as the series’ only past winner that will compete in Saturday’s 250-mile race.  
Honeycutt Hits Career-Best FinishNiece Motorsports’ Kaden Honeycutt turned in his season-best finish of third at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend. The result came after an intense battle with the series’ points leader, Corey Heim, and a pair of Team Chevy Cup Series regulars, Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch. Collecting a strong 50-point day, the 21-year-old Willow Park, Texas, native, made yet another jump up in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ points standings, with the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet team heading to Music City seventh in the rankings with seven races left in the regular season.  Chevrolet will enter the weekend with five all-time Truck Series wins at Nashville Superspeedway, including an active streak of two-in-a-row courtesy of victories by Niece Motorsports (Carson Hocevar – 2023) and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (Christian Eckes – 2024). While all of the full-time competitors are still seeking their first Nashville triumph, there is one entrant that is very familiar with victory lane at the Tennessee track – the series’ winningest driver, Kyle Busch.  The 40-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, native is a two-time winner at Nashville Superspeedway in both the Xfinity and Truck Series. 
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 13 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 5Poles: 7Laps Led: 1,976Top-Fives: 27Top-10s: 60Stage Wins: 14
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 13 NASCAR Xfinity Series races complete:
Wins: 11Poles: 8Laps Led: 1,940Top-Fives: 44Top-10s: 84Stage Wins: 21
Chevrolet’s season statistics with 11 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races complete:
Wins: 5Poles: 2Laps Led: 685Top-Fives: 28Top-10s: 55Stage Wins: 7
BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville Superspeedway:  Kyle Larson – one win (2021)Chase Elliott – one win (2022)Ross Chastain – one win (2023) ·       Chevrolet is the only manufacturer to accomplish a tripleheader sweep across all three NASCAR national divisions this season – earned at Homestead-Miami Speedway courtesy of victories by Kyle Larson (Cup and Truck Series) and Justin Allgaier (Xfinity Series).  ·       Chevrolet has earned at least half of the top-10 finishing results in eight of the 13 points-paying races thus far this season, including a season-high seven top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.  ·       In 121 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 57 victories – a winning percentage of 47.1%. 
·       With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 871 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history. 
TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400Sunday, June 1, at 7 p.m. ET(Amazon Prime, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity SeriesTennessee Lottery 250 Saturday, May 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET(CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesRackley Roofing 200 Friday, May 30, 8 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow much fun is it to go to the Nashville area this weekend?“I love country music and live music, so that’s a fun time. I always stay after the race and go to Tootsies down on Broadway and that’s always a good time. Tootsies has been a longtime supporter of Trackhouse so it fun to go down there and spend time. I get to Nashville a couple of times each year, usually for sponsor things, so I’m very familiar with the area and it’s a lot fun.”
Why have you had so much success at Nashville?“The track is very unique. It feels like it’s a mile-and-a-half but it’s not so it takes me some time to get acclimated. But I’ve had fast cars there to be honest. If my cars aren’t good, I can’t go fast. We’ll look to build off of things we’ve learned more recently about these cars and try to keep moving the needle. I’m running the Xfinity race so that’s exciting and a challenge. I’m running a JRM car with Acceptance Insurance on Saturday night and that will allow me to get some more reps in at the track.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on Nashville Superspeedway?” Nashville is a very awesome town. The racetrack is concrete, which makes it unique from some of the other tracks we race at. It’s become a good race on our schedule. I’ve won a truck race there, so looking forward to trying to win another guitar. The track surface is one of those surfaces that really chews up a little bit of tire, so you definitely have to do a very good job at putting heat in the car.” 
The No. 3 team seems to be figuring things out lately. What has changed over the past several weeks? And what do you still need to improve on?“We’re starting to click as a team. We do a good job adjusting on our Chevy during the race, but if we can hit the setup earlier in the weekend, we can have better track position, which will help a lot during the race. We had a top 10 streak going and I really thought we were going to have another top 10 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but we unexpectedly ran out of fuel at the end of the race. Our finish doesn’t reflect how well we ran. Nashville is another track that has been good to us in the past, and I think with the way this team is performing right now, we should be able to continue our positive momentum.”
What has Kyle Busch been like as a teammate? Specifically, this year as RCR continues to restructure things and move forward. What has he brought to the organization?“I feel like Kyle Busch gives you what you expect, which is that he’s a hard worker. He’s fiery. He wants the best for the cars. He wants to get to victory lane constantly and will push everyone to figure out how to make that happen, even himself, on the track. But as far as being in the meetings with him after practice and on Mondays in our team debriefs, he’s very helpful. He asks good questions at the right time about what your car is doing, and he provides information that you can make your car better off of. From that standpoint, you couldn’t ask for a more helpful teammate when it comes to his knowledge of the game and what he is providing from an informational standpoint.”

Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow do you feel about Garner Trucking coming back to Nashville for Sunday’s race underneath the lights?“Everyone at Spire Motorsports appreciates the support from Sherri and the entire team at Garner Trucking. Our trucks stand tall going up and down the road and when they pull into the race track for the weekend. We’re looking forward to representing Garner for the next two weekends. I feel like our cars keep getting better and Nashville and Michigan should be good tracks for us, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how we stack up.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletHow do you think the racing has evolved at Nashville Superspeedway since we started going in 2021?“I think the racing in Nashville has been really good. I remember years ago, a long time back in the Xfinity days, it was a one-groove racetrack around the bottom of the racetrack. It wasn’t really conducive to a whole lot of side-by-side racing and whatnot. But the last few years it’s really been good there. The track really widens out. There’s guys that are running all the way up at the top groove. So it’s been a good show. So hopefully the fans enjoy it. I hope it’s not too hot next week. Perfect weather here this weekend in Charlotte. So I look forward to Nashville.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Nashville Superspeedway is always a race I look forward to. The atmosphere is incredible, and the fans bring a lot of energy. We’ve been focused on getting the No. 47 NOS Energy Drink Chevrolet dialed in, and the team’s been working hard to get us where we need to be. I’m confident we can put together a strong run this weekend and give everyone something to cheer about.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletTalk about earning your first top-10 of the season last week in the Coca-Cola 600.“We have been really good at 1.5-mile tracks, I’m glad to get that top 10. We have been in position to get those finishes, but haven’t been able to get to the end. It was a long night after missing my pit box and starting Stage Two at the back. It was tough to get back to the front, but we slowly and methodically worked our way forward with some big help from out pit crew. I’m proud of our guys, our ability to execute a sold night, and getting to the end of a long race with a good finish. We have some more to work on, but I am proud of the effort from our Spire Motorsports team. We have some momentum to ride into Nashville this week.”
What are your thoughts as we head into Nashville this weekend?“Nashville is fun. I’ve been able to race there a bunch over the years with both the ARCA Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. When I started in Cup, that was the track where we went and tested at a bunch. It’s a fun race track and it’s a challenge to get around. The race is like a hybrid of a short track and a big track, but in these cars, it’s pretty cool because you’re downshifting, up shifting, there are a lot of opportunities. I think that it’s one of my better tracks, even though we don’t have the Cup results to show for it. Speed wise, it’s been a fun track for us. We just haven’t had the finishes, whether we got tied up in wrecks or we had a transmission explode there last year. I haven’t had great luck but felt like we’ve had good speed.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat is your outlook for Sunday’s race at Nashville?“I think we’ll have a good car and hopefully another shot at a win, without the bad luck this time. We’ve reached a point where it doesn’t matter what type of track we go to, we are consistently up front and running some of the fastest lap times. Eventually everything balances out and we’ll start having the finishes to match those runs. Nashville is a really fast track and I think it plays into my driving style, having to keep up with the track changes and making moves when the opening is there. I feel like we’re going to have another really good race.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletAfter a solid performance at Charlotte, how do you feel your aggression is growing on ovals?“I think we are showing improvement now. It has been difficult results wise, but I do feel like we are getting somewhere, getting better and better. To me, I know I have a lot to learn but I don’t feel like I’m forcing it or driving outside my limits. Every week I’m being methodical about it. I feel good about the way it’s going.”
There are three road course races over the next two months. Are you looking forward to this part of the season?“I’m looking forward to some right handers, that’s for sure (laughs). Got some good tracks coming up, tracks I know, but obviously Mexico City is a fresh one for everyone. But these ovals have been a big learning process the last couple of months, so it will be nice to have a break and turn right.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on Trackhouse Racing’s 300th start this weekend in Nashville?“That’s amazing. It all started as Justin’s (Marks, owner) dream and we’ve grown from a single car team to what we are now. The men and women who work at Trackhouse should be very proud. We are a very young team competing against the Gibbs, Penske, Hendrick and Childress teams of the world who have been successful for so long.”
What are your thoughts on Nashville this weekend?“We want to celebrate Sunday night at Tootsie’s like Ross did in 2023. Maybe we will drive our Tootsie’s Chevrolet from victory lane and park it right on Broadway. Nashville is a special place for us. It’s Tootsie’s hometown, Justin’s hometown, and a really fun town. There would be no better place to win.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet“I’m really excited to go to Nashville for the first time. It’s such a cool city and I’ve raced at the Fairgrounds before, but this will be my first time racing at the NASCAR track in Nashville. I have some laps on the simulator and it’s definitely a technical racetrack and is one of the few concrete tracks that we go to. I’m looking forward to figuring it out quickly and keeping the momentum up from Charlotte. We had a really good day running inside the top three in both stages and finished second. The Blues Hog team is starting to fire on all cylinders and I’m looking forward to putting races together and getting more good finishes through the summer.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2025 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 5Poles: 7Laps Led: 1,976Top-Fives: 27Top-10s: 60Stage Wins: 14 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 871 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 760Laps led to date: 254,687Top-fives to date: 4,396Top-10s to date: 9,067                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,205           Chevrolet: 871           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 843                                                                                        Ford: 743           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 194

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: First North Dakota Weekend of 2025 Brings World of Outlaws to River Cities, Red River Valley

The Series heads to a pair of North Dakota staples to begin a stretch up north

GRAND FORKS, ND (May 28, 2025) – The northern part of the United States hasn’t seen The Greatest Show on Dirt in 2025, but that’s about to change in a big way.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is trucking from southern Ohio after a Memorial Day stop at Atomic Speedway, all the way up to North Dakota for a weekend in the “Peace Garden State.”

First on the agenda is the always exciting River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND on Friday, May 30, for the Gerdau Metals Recycling presents the Don Mack Classic. The tight bullring never fails to deliver thrilling action. There’s a reason it’s atop longtime Series announcer Johnny Gibson’s list of favorite tracks out of the more than 400 he’s visited.

Saturday, May 31, takes the tour an hour south down I-29 where Fargo, ND’s Red River Valley Speedway awaits to host the Ellingson presents the Rumble on the Red. The 3/8-mile dirt track is the most visited North Dakota track for the World of Outlaws, and this weekend will mark 70 trips to Red River Valley. That will give it sole possession of the eighth most visited track overall in the long history of The Greatest Show on Dirt.

The north has been waiting, and now it’s their turn for the country’s best Sprint Car drivers to invade.

BUY RIVER CITIES TICKETS HERE
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TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:

HOME SWEET HOME: A weekend in North Dakota means racing in front of home state fans for Minot native and now Fargo resident Donny Schatz.

Schatz grew up attending World of Outlaws races in his home state with hopes of one day competing himself, and he’s followed those dreams to 10 championships, more than 300 wins, and cementing himself as one of the best to ever get behind the wheel.

Home turf has always been kind to Schatz as he’s assembled his legendary résumé. His River Cities record is nearly impeccable. He’s taken part in all 33 World of Outlaws races at the bullring and bagged a dozen victories, 23 podiums, and 30 top fives. His average River Cities finish is 2.8, and his worst result is eighth. Red River Valley is home to six of Schatz’s checkered flags with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

BREAK OUT THE BROOM: Recent history at River Cities and Red River Valley says a driver just might break out the broom.

The last two weekends at the pair of North Dakota tracks have resulted in sweeps. First, it was Logan Schuchart in 2023, taking both nights, giving him two scores at River Cities and his first at Red River Valley. Then, Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing group swept last season, giving the Lemoore, CA native two checkered flags at both ovals.

The only driver to pull off a weekend sweep so far in 2025 is David Gravel, and the defending Series champion has done so three times already.

WINNERS ON THE RIVER: The three drivers above aren’t the only current full-time World of Outlaws competitors that have enjoyed success in North Dakota.

David Gravel is a two-time River Cities winner. The current point leader came out on top with CJB Motorsports in 2017 and then again in 2023 with his current Big Game Motorsports crew. The Watertown, CT native is yet to win at Red River Valley but has landed on the podium three times, including a pair of runner-ups.

Last year, Giovanni Scelzi went to River Cities Victory Lane in only his third attempt at the 1/4 mile. “Hot Sauce” hasn’t finished worse than eighth in four tries in Grand Forks, ND. Like Gravel, he’s still in search of a win at Red River Valley, peaking at fourth in 2023 with KCP Racing.

ROOKIES ON THE RISE: The last couple weeks have proven to be very productive for many among the stout 2025 class chasing the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year.

Chris Windom is leading the recent charge. After no top fives and five top 10s in the first 21 races of the campaign, the Canton, IL native has reeled off a pair of top fives and four top 10s over the last four races in the Sides Motorsports No. 7S. He’s fresh off a personal best second-place finish at Atomic Speedway. “Big Daddy’s” lead atop the rookie points has grown to 52 markers. He’ll debut at both River Cities and Red River Valley this weekend.

Another former wingless ace, Hunter Schuerenberg, heads to North Dakota with the momentum of his best result of the year. He steered the Vermeer Motorsports No. 55 to fourth on Memorial Day at Atomic. That came after a solid 11th at Attica, completing a weekend that allowed him to pass Cole Macedo for third among the rookies. Schuerenberg grabbed a River Cities top 10 with the World of Outlaws back in 2018, and he came home 11th at Red River Valley the same weekend.

The Bill Rose Racing rookie duo of Zach Hampton and Conner Morrell have also turned heads. Hampton’s last seven nights have led to a trio of top 10s. Morrell was runner-up at Ohsweken two weeks ago and followed that with an Attica top five. Neither driver has been to either track on this weekend’s agenda.

Skylar Gee and Logan Fenton Racing found plenty of speed in Ohio this past weekend. The Leduc, AB, Canada driver came away from Attica with his first World of Outlaws podium. He backed it up with an Atomic top five two nights later.

NOSA NAMES: Expect many local drivers that compete regularly with the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association (NOSA) to face off with the World of Outlaws this week.

Grand Forks, ND’s own Mark Dobmeier is always a name to watch. He’s a three-time World of Outlaws Feature winner but is still looking to capture one at his home track of River Cities, where he’s racked up dozens of local checkered flags. He’s been in the top five on six occasions, including a pair of podiums with The Greatest Show on Dirt at the bullring.

Fellow Grand Forks native Jade Hastings is already a River Cities winner in 2025, topping this past weekend’s NOSA event. He also won there four times a year ago. Hastings’ lone World of Outlaws top 10 came at River Cities in 2018.

From right across the river in East Grand Forks, MN is another recent River Cities winner, Nick Omdahl. He topped a pair of NOSA visits last year and is a frequent competitor with the World of Outlaws when they roll into town. Omdahl made the Toyota Dash last August.

Other local drivers likely to be in attendance this weekend are Brendan Mullen (Grand Forks, ND), Blake Egeland (Climax, MN), Jack Croaker (East Grand Forks, MN), and more.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday, May 30 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND
Saturday, May 31 at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, ND

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CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (25/81 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (3556 PTS)
2. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-182 PTS)
3. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-182 PTS)
4. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-206 PTS)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild – Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No. 17 (-238 PTS)
6. Donny Schatz – Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing No. 15 (-342 PTS)
7. Giovanni Scelzi – KCP Racing No. 18 (-354 PTS)
8. Bill Balog – B2 Motorsports No. 17B (-490 PTS)
9. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-526 PTS)
10. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-578 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (11 Drivers): 
8 Wins – David Gravel
3 Wins – Kyle Larson, Michael Kofoid, Carson Macedo
2 Wins – Logan Schuchart
1 Win – Christopher Bell, Bill Balog, Giovanni Scelzi, Rico Abreu, Sheldon Haudenschild, Anthony Macri

FEATURE LAPS LED (19 Drivers):
180 Laps – David Gravel
100 Laps – Michael Kofoid
91 Laps – Logan Schuchart
76 Laps – Kyle Larson, Carson Macedo
57 Laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
39 Laps – Giovanni Scelzi
29 Laps – Anthony Macri
19 Laps – Bill Balog
17 Laps – Emerson Axsom, Rico Abreu
16 Laps – Cole Macedo
14 Laps – Dylan Westbrook
12 Laps – Conner Morrell
11 Laps – Jordan Thomas
9 Laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
8 Laps – Christopher Bell, Aaron Reutzel
1 Lap – Donny Schatz

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (14 Drivers):
9 Quick Times – David Gravel
2 Quick Times – Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo
1 Quick Time – Emerson Axsom, Kyle Larson, Danny Sams III, Anthony Macri, Aaron Reutzel, Rico Abreu, Michael Kofoid, Chase Dietz, Garet Williamson, Donny Schatz

HEAT RACE WINNERS (30 Drivers): 
13 Heat Wins – David Gravel
11 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
9 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
8 Heat Wins – Bill Balog, Logan Schuchart
5 Heat Wins – Giovanni Scelzi
3 Heat Wins – Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Michael Kofoid
2 Heat Wins – Brian Brown, Jacob Allen, Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom, Anthony Macri, Danny Dietrich, Garet Williamson, Conner Morrell, Skylar Gee, Chris Windom
1 Heat Win – Hunter Schuerenberg, Bryce Lucius, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Donny Schatz, Aaron Reutzel, Tanner Thorson, Rico Abreu, Tyler Courtney, Zach Hampton, Chase Dietz, Justin Whittall

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (48 Drivers):
22 Dashes – David Gravel
17 Dashes – Logan Schuchart
14 Dashes – Carson Macedo
13 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
11 Dashes – Bill Balog, Giovanni Scelzi
10 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
6 Dashes – Emerson Axsom 
5 Dashes – Brian Brown, Garet Williamson
4 Dashes – Kyle Larson, Cole Macedo, Anthony Macri, Donny Schatz, Conner Morrell, Chris Windom, Hunter Schuerenberg, Skylar Gee
3 Dashes – Christopher Bell, Aaron Reutzel, Tyler Courtney, Donny Schatz, Danny Dietrich
2 Dashes – Danny Sams III, Jacob Allen, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Austin McCarl, Rico Abreu, Parker Price-Miller
1 Dash – Justin Peck, Brad Sweet, Ryan Timms, Spencer Bayston, Bryce Lucius, Christopher Thram, Tanner Thorson, Carson McCarl, Brady Bacon, Zach Hampton, Kelby Watt, Ashton Torgerson, Lucas Wolfe, Chase Dietz, Justin Whittall, Jordan Thomas, Jonathan Preston, Dylan Westbrook, Cory Turner, Cole Duncan

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (18 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Giovanni Scelzi, Garet Williamson
2 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz, Christopher Thram, Ryan Timms
1 LCS Win – Chris Martin, Anthony Macri, Bryce Lucius, Conner Morrell, Blake Hahn, J.J. Hickle, Zach Hampton, Emerson Axsom, Matt Campbell, Ashton Torgerson, Joe Trenca, Darin Naida, Bill Balog

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (15 Drivers):
4 Hard Chargers – Logan Schuchart
3 Hard Chargers – Ryan Timms, Chris Windom
2 Hard Chargers – Skylar Gee, Garet Williamson, Donny Schatz
1 Hard Charger – Cole Macedo, Zach Hampton, Bill Balog, Hunter Schuerenberg, Michael Kofoid, Lance Dewease, Dylan Westbrook, Kalib Henry, Cap Henry

PODIUM FINISHES (27 Drivers):
15 Podiums – David Gravel
10 Podiums – Carson Macedo
8 Podiums – Logan Schuchart
6 Podiums – Kyle Larson, Michael Kofoid
4 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild
3 Podiums – Giovanni Scelzi
2 Podiums – Christopher Bell, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Anthony Macri
1 Podium – Aaron Reutzel, Jacob Allen, Bill Balog, Emerson Axsom, Donny Schatz, Rico Abreu, Brady Bacon, Tyler Courtney, Donny Schatz, Cole Macedo, Chase Dietz, Danny Dietrich, Conner Morrell, Dylan Westbrook, Skylar Gee, Chris Windom, Cole Duncan

TOP 10 FINISHES (45 Drivers): 
25 Top 10s – David Gravel
20 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Michael Kofoid
17 Top 10s – Sheldon Haudenschild, Giovanni Scelzi
15 Top 10s – Donny Schatz
10 Top 10s – Bill Balog
9 Top 10s – Chris Windom
7 Top 10s – Emerson Axsom
6 Top 10s – Kyle Larson, Cole Macedo, Hunter Schuerenberg
5 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney, Anthony Macri, Garet Williamson
4 Top 10s – Aaron Reutzel, Brad Sweet, Zach Hampton, Skylar Gee
3 Top 10s – Ryan Timms, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Conner Morrell
2 Top 10s – Christopher Bell, Jacob Allen, Spencer Bayston, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Austin McCarl, Rico Abreu, Brady Bacon, Danny Dietrich
1 Top 10 – Danny Sams III, Tanner Thorson, Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown, Chase Dietz, Freddie Rahmer, Justin Whittall, Troy Wagaman Jr., Jordan Thomas, Dylan Westbrook, Jordan Poirier, Kalib Henry, Cole Duncan

2025 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR WINNERS:
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Wed, Feb 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1)
2. Thurs, Feb 8 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Christopher Bell (1)
3. Fri, Feb 9 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Larson (1)
4. Sat, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Larson (2)
5. Sun, March 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)
6. Mon, March 3 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (2)
7. Fri, March 7 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Bill Balog (1)
8. Sat, March 8 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / David Gravel (3)
9. Fri, March 14 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / Giovanni Scelzi (1)
10. Sat, March 15 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / Michael Kofoid (1)
11. Fri, March 21 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / David Gravel (4)
12. Sat, March 22 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / David Gravel (5)
13. Fri, March 28 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK / Michael Kofoid (2)
14. Fri, April 11 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Carson Macedo (2)
15. Sat, April 12 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO / Logan Schuchart (1)
16. Sat, April 19 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Rico Abreu (1)
17. Fri, April 25 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Kyle Larson (3)
18. Sat, April 26 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
19. Fri, May 2 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / David Gravel (6)
20. Wed, May 7 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Michael Kofoid (3)
21. Sat, May 10 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Anthony Macri (1)
22. Wed, May 14 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON / David Gravel (7)
23. Thurs, May 15 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON / David Gravel (8)
24. Sat, May 24 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Logan Schuchart (2)
25. Mon, May 26 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Carson Macedo (3)

For the complete 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.

Evaluating the World of Outlaws Rookie Class of 2025 Entering the Summer Stretch

CONCORD, NC (May 28, 2025) – This year’s list of newcomers to the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision was billed as one of the best in recent memory.

Sixteen races into the season, the quartet of MD3 Rookie of the Year contenders have been living up to those expectations since the drop of the green flag in January.

Hailing from four different corners of the United States, each of them has been on their own unique path to the pinnacle of dirt Late Model racing, and they’re each on their way to becoming household names with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.

Here’s a look at where each rookie stands four months into the year:

Drake Troutman – 1st in rookie points, 4th in overall points: After joining forces over the winter, Drake Troutman and Team22 Motorsports have both reached new levels of competitiveness in the first portion of 2025.

The pairing burst onto the scene by nearly winning the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals finale at Volusia Speedway Park. Troutman led the first 39 laps of the Feature before coming up one spot short in a fierce battle against one of the all-time greats in Jonathan Davenport.

A pair of top fives at Swainsboro Raceway a month later further cemented Troutman’s status as a regular at the front of the field. At the next stop on tour at Farmer City Raceway, Troutman experienced a bit of déjà vu from Volusia, as he led the first half of the Illini 100 before it was ripped out of his hands late in the going, this time by five-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard.

If Troutman wants to close the gap to the likes of Bobby PierceNick Hoffman and Ryan Gustin in the coming months, the name of the game will need to be consistency. While he’s collected five top fives, Troutman has also finished 13th or worse nine times. That will require plenty of learning on the fly in the coming weeks, as I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park is the only one of the next seven tracks on the schedule Troutman has raced a Late Model at before.

Ethan Dotson – 2nd in rookie points, 8th in overall points: For the first time in two years, a rookie has already gone to World of Outlaws Victory Lane in 2025 thanks to Ethan Dotson’s performance at Farmer City Raceway.

The Californian’s first Series triumph was the culmination of a year’s worth of effort since he teamed up with ASD Motorsports in May of 2024. The No. 74X team won four times at the regional level in the second half of last season to give themselves a head of steam entering their first full World of Outlaws campaign, and they didn’t let off the gas once the calendar turned to 2025. Dotson picked up two top fives at Volusia to put himself atop the rookie table leaving Florida, and while he stumbled a bit with some tough nights in March, his Farmer City score thrusted him right back into the Rookie of the Year conversation.

Three top fives in the seven World of Outlaws races since then may not have been the stat line Dotson was aiming for, but things are trending back in the right direction. A fifth-place run at Marion Center Raceway was Dotson’s best finish since the win, and he followed that up with a runner-up in regional action at East Alabama Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.

Much like Troutman, Dotson is also new to the upcoming tracks on the June schedule. But once he gets through that stretch, July brings some places Dotson knows his way around – he’s a former Modified winner at both Deer Creek Speedway and Fairbury Speedway.

Jake Timm – 3rd in rookie points, 15th in overall pointsJake Timm knew he was in for a challenge taking on the entire World of Outlaws schedule in his first full season in the Late Model ranks, but confidence is growing by the week in the No. 49 camp.

The former United States Modified Touring Series star experienced his fair share of growing pains in the opening weeks of the year at tracks that were all brand new to him, only making the Feature three times in the first 10 races. The Dairyland Showdown at Timm’s home track of Mississippi Thunder Speedway was supposed to be a get-healthy weekend, but a flat tire on Friday and a spin on Saturday knocked him down to 19th and 20th, respectively.

Timm notched his best run of the season when he finished 11th in his first visit to Marion Center, and he’ll be chasing more solid showings during the Midwest swing that features multiple tracks he’s familiar with. Timm has raced at I-94 emr Speedway three times in USMTS competition, and he has two USMTS wins and plenty more local success an hour from home at Deer Creek.

Austin Smith – 4th in rookie points, 17th in overall points: Rounding out the rookie class is Austin Smith, who is chasing the World of Outlaws tour with the support of 2015 Series champion Shane Clanton and the Capital Race Cars team behind him.

After a rough start to the season, the No. 11 team turned a corner during the Ohio-Pennsylvania swing. Smith finished top 20 in back-to-back races for the first time at Raceway 7 and Marion Center before rounding out the weekend in 11th at Bedford Speedway, matching his performance at Weedsport Speedway in 2016 as his career best with the World of Outlaws.

Smith will continue his chase for his first top 10 as the season wears on, and there’s one track in particular he has circled on the calendar – Fairbury. Last season, in his first Prairie Dirt Classic appearance in eight years, Smith finished third in his Showdown Feature on Friday night to lock down a spot in the 100-lapper on Saturday, and he’ll be looking to build on that run in his first PDC as a full-time World of Outlaws driver.

Troutman, Dotson, Timm, and Smith will resume their World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision rookie campaigns at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in the St. Louis Firecracker Faceoff on Friday and Saturday, June 20-21. Click here to get your tickets today.

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

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