, Street Stocks ReturnFour DIRTcar-branded divisions plus Midgets also included in 10-race slate CONCORD, NC – March 15, 2021 – The ground-pounding, earth-shaking, window-rattling Beasts of the Northeast Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds are back in all of iRacing’svirtual glory as the star attraction of DIRTcar eSports Season 3. The virtual Big Blocks, which reached season-high car counts last season, are back as the focus of a 10-race Tour, every Wednesday from March 24 to May 26, for Season 3 – one that also includes the return of the Chevy Performance Street Stock League for its second season. TOUR REGISTRATIONSTREET STOCK REGISTRATION Beginning with the first race at Weedsport Speedway on March 24, the Big Blocks will contest five races on the Season 3 Tour, alternating each Wednesday night with 360 Sprint Cars, Pro Late Models, UMP Modifieds, 358 Modifieds and the first-ever appearance by dirt Midgets. iRacing’s newest dirt track at Bristol Motor Speedway also has its spot on the docket, setting the stage for a Week 2 showdown with the UMP Modifieds. All 10 races will be $250-to-win and pay back through the Feature field. Commemorative trophies will be awarded to the podium finishers in the final points standings after the Week 10 finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The Chevy Performance Street Stock League will also begin March 24, setting out on a 10-race championship chase of its own. Racing across eight different tracks, competitors will chase a $100 top prize each night as Feature winner. New to the Street Stock campaign in Season 3 is the highly requested addition of a points championship system, mirroring that of the DIRTcar eSports Tour. Trophies will be awarded to the podium finishers in final points after 10 races. Following the precedent set in Season 2, the Street Stock League will once again be held with the more causal sim racer in mind, and thus only be available for competitors with iRatings 4800 and below. Every race will once again be broadcasted on DIRTVision presented by Drydene, free to all account holders. Street Stocks will kick each night off with practice at 6:50pm ET and Qualifying at 7pm. The Tour session will open with practice at 7:50pm ET and follow with Qualifying. Registration for each race tentatively closes the Monday before each event and is now open for all 10 events in each league. Sign up today at DIRTcar.com/eSports. DIRTcar eSports Tour Season 3 ScheduleMarch 24 – Big Block Modifieds at Weedsport Speedway (50 Laps)March 31 – UMP Modifieds at Bristol Motor Speedway (40 Laps)April 7 – Big Block Modifieds at Williams Grove Speedway (50 Laps)April 14 – Pro Late Models at The Dirt Track at Charlotte (40 Laps)April 21 – Big Block Modifieds at Lernerville Speedway (50 Laps)April 28 – Midgets at Lanier National Speedway (30 Laps)May 5 – Big Block Modifieds at Cedar Lake Speedway (50 Laps)May 12 – 360 Sprint Cars at Kokomo Speedway (30 Laps)May 19 – 358 Small Block Modifieds at USA International Speedway (40 Laps)May 26 – Big Block Modifieds at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway (50 Laps) Chevy Performance Street Stock League Season 3 ScheduleMarch 24 – Knoxville Raceway (20 Laps)March 31 – Limaland Motorsports Park (25 Laps)April 7 – Eldora Speedway (20 Laps)April 14 – Fairbury Speedway (25 Laps)April 21 – Cedar Lake Speedway (25 Laps)April 28 – Lernerville Speedway (25 Laps)May 5 – Limaland Motorsports Park (25 Laps)May 12 – Eldora Speedway (20 Laps)May 19 – Williams Grove Speedway (20 Laps)May 26 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway (25 Laps)

DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory (SDS), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum) (SDS); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Beyea Headers, FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics and Velocita USA.

Inside Line Promotions – HANFORD, Calif. (March 15, 2021) – Dominic Scelzi is off to one of the hottest starts of his sprint car career.

Scelzi has captured a feature triumph during each of the last two weekends, producing two triumphs in a nine-day stretch with the Kings of Thunder 360 Sprint Cars.

“I felt like last year we really ended the year on a good note,” he said. “We started off this year the same way. We’re still learning each other and what we can get away with. We’re really coming into ourselves and I feel confident. It’s been a good start to the season. My confidence in Jimmy (Carr) and the team, and what we’re doing when we show up, is high. I feel good and I’m comfortable behind the wheel.”

That has been evident the last two weeks beginning on March 5 at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, Calif., where Scelzi opened the I-5 Classic by qualifying third quickest before he won a heat race, the dash and the main event. It marked his third straight victory at the track.

“We haven’t raced there a lot, but we’ve been competitive every time,” he said. “I feel like I have a good handle on the track itself. We qualified good and were able to win the heat race, which got us into the dash. We drew the No. 2 for the dash and we won the start again just like the heat race. In the feature we took the lead on the start and didn’t look back. We had one restart where I bobbled and got passed. I was running the top in turns one and two. There was a hole and I got into the cushion. Another driver rolled the bottom and slid up, but I got myself collected and passed him back going into turn three and we didn’t look back.”

The event concluded the ensuing night. Scelzi timed in second quickest and placed second in a heat race before ending the feature seventh.

“We qualified really good,” he said. “It put us on the front row of the heat race. On the start another driver beat me into turn three and won the heat. That took us out of a chance in the dash, but we were fast. We lined up seventh in the feature and the track was extremely slick. We tightened up quite a bit and they reworked it as we went out. We were just a bit off. We could have run fifth and could have run ninth. All in all, it was frustrating because we’re better than that, but to come away with a seventh-place finish and to be upset with it is good.”

Scelzi ventured to Keller Auto Speedway last weekend for a doubleheader featuring approximately 50 drivers that began on Friday. He qualified fifth quickest in his group and advanced a position in a heat race to lock into the main event. Scelzi elected to pull off the tricky track early in the feature to save his equipment and avoid a potential crash.

“It’s a track like I haven’t seen in a long time,” he said. “It was extremely wet and we didn’t qualify very well. The track still had grease in it for the heat race. We went green for the feature and didn’t make anything happen. The track was wide open, about 20 feet wide. I wasn’t making anything happen and decided to save our equipment so we pulled off.

“As soon as we rolled through the pit gate on Saturday we knew it’d be a different track. It was in pristine shape. It was slick and wide. We’ve worked really hard on slick tracks and we enjoy racing on it. We qualified good for when we went out. Then in the heat race we won it by three and a half seconds after having a caution halfway through.”

Saturday started on the right foot as Scelzi timed in second quickest before he scored a heat race win. A fourth-place finish in the dash lined him up on the outside of the second row for the Gregg Spanky Matthews Memorial A Main.

“I had a great start, but got racing with a car in front of me and that let someone by,” he said. “A yellow came out at the wrong time and I was fifth. We got up to fourth and then a guy spun and another got a flat tire so that moved us to second. We were right there on Austin McCarl for the lead. With seven laps to go he slid a lapped car into turns one and two. I stayed around the top, caught him and passed the lapped car. I slid (McCarl) into turn three. He slid me back going into turn one and I was able to turn under him.”

Scelzi led the remainder of the race to post his second win of the year to give him multiple victories in the same season for the fifth straight year.

On tap is the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Sprint Car Series season opener this Saturday at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif.

QUICK RESULTS –

March 5 – Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, Calif. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 1 (2); Dash: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (1).

March 6 – Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, Calif. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 2 (1); Feature: 7 (7).

March 12 – Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, Calif. – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 4 (5); Feature: DNF (18).

March 13 – Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, Calif. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 1 (2); Dash: 4 (4); Feature: 1 (4).

SEASON STATS –

8 races, 2 wins, 4 top fives, 7 top 10s, 7 top 15s, 7 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Saturday at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif. , with the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Sprint Car Series

AVONDALE, AZ – March 15, 2021 – Austin Cindric backed up his 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Championship win in Phoenix, scoring his second win at Phoenix Raceway and recording his 10th career win. Cindric took the Ford Mustang to victory lane for the second time in the 2021 season for Team Penske and Ford Performance.

“Congratulations to Austin, Brian, Roger and the No. 22 team,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Austin raced like a champion, smooth and confident throughout the entire race. We are proud to be part of powering Austin to his 10th Xfinity win with Ford Performance.”

Cindric was in a class of his own, winning Stage 1 and leading a race high 119 laps out of the 200 lap Call 811 Before You Dig 200 race, including the last 54 consecutive laps.   In a late race restart with 2-laps remaining, Cindric led the field back to green from the outside lane. The No. 22 Ford Mustang was able to hold off the hard charging field, crossing the finish line .360 seconds in front of Ty Gibbs. Cindric leads the driver points standings with 248 points, 47 points ahead of second place.

“You have to work hard the rest of the year to get here,” said Cindric in post-race interview. “That is where my focus is. I have my name on the wall there and the goal is to be back here with a shot to do it again.”   Stewart-Haas Racing captured a top-5 finish with No. 98, Riley Herbst finishing fourth.

The Ford Mustangs ran strong in the NASCAR Cup Series, on Sunday, leading a manufacturer’s high 197 laps in the 312 lap Instacart 500. Four Ford teammates finished in the top-10 led by Stage 2 winner, Joey Logano in P2, Brad Keselowski in P4, Kevin Harvick in P6, and rounding out the top-10 was Stage 1 winner, Ryan Blaney in P10.

The NASCAR Series is headed to ‘Hotlanta’ to race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series will strap in to run the second race of the season in Sebring, Florida this weekend.  33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 415 WINS – 375 POLES!

March 14, 2021

The climb back from a disappointing start to the 2021 Cup Series season for Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team continued on Sunday with a 14th place finish in the Instacart 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

DiBenedetto’s finish, plus a Stage point earned for a 10th place finish in the first Stage, allowed him to continue his methodical climb in the points standings. He heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway 28th in the standings, a gain of seven spots in the past two races. Now, he’s just 24 points behind 20th place Cole Custer.

DiBenedetto was set to start 20th at Phoenix, but moved up three rows for the green flag after drivers ahead of him were sent to the rear for rules infractions.

He moved to 10th place after just 12 laps and stayed inside the top 10 for most of the first Stage before ending that 80-lap segment in 10th place.

The second Stage saw DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft Mustang fall just outside the top 10, but still finish 12th at the end of that segment.

The team continued to deal with handling issues at the start of the final segment, with DiBenedetto reporting that the car was tight in the centers of the corners, and free on the entry and exit.

Crew chief Greg Erwin and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew were able to adjust the car, correcting some of the issues. After running outside the top 20 in the early laps of the third Stage, DiBenedetto began to regain lost positions. A final pit stop with 25 laps remaining provided one last opportunity for adjustments, and he was able to move from 17th position at the start of that run to 14th at the finish. 

It was his best finish of the five races to date.  

“We just couldn’t get our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang to where we needed it,” DiBenedetto said. “It wasn’t quite as good as it was here last fall. We weren’t bad, but we weren’t great.

“We had one run at the start of the last Stage that kind of set us back, and we couldn’t quite recover from it.
 
“Earlier we’d run between eighth and 11th so if we’d had better track position at the end we probably could have finished a few spots better than 14th.
 
“We’ll take what we got and move on to the next one.”
 
Eddie Wood said he likes seeing his team make progress, even if the finishes aren’t what he believes the team is capable of.
 
“We weren’t blazing fast, but we weren’t terrible either,” he said. “We have some work to do, but if we can keep clicking off top-15 finishes, it’s a good thing.” 
 
The 2021 Cup Series campaign continues with next Sunday’s Folds of Honor/QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
 

Hard-Fought Race for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team at Phoenix Raceway

17th

13th

12th

“We fought all day in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. We struggled with a loose-handling condition in Stage 1, but Justin Alexander and the entire No. 3 team worked hard to adjust and got the car running much better by the end of the race. Early in the race, we knocked a hole in the right-front nose and that set us back a bit. It was just one of those deals where I had nowhere to go. The team did a good job with the car and making the repair, but we had to recover from a speeding penalty on pit road. It felt like we were just trying to get back track position all race and trying to get the car handling better. We’ve got some stuff to clean up for sure, but we’ll figure it out and move onto Atlanta Motor Speedway. We’ll be just fine.”  -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Nate Barnes / Quartz Hill Records Team Fight Through Tough Phoenix Raceway Weekend

29th

23rd

27th

“Today was a tough day for our No. 8 Nate Barnes / Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Phoenix Raceway, but we’ll study and learn from our race. We had decent long run speed throughout the day that allowed me to climb up through the field during the longer green flag runs of the race. I was just too tight in the center of both turns to get through them as good as I would have liked and I needed more to fire off with on the restarts, but we were making some small gains during the end of Stage 3. Unfortunately, I had a miscue on our final stop of the day and that led to speeding on pit road, and then a valve stem broke and I got into the wall. We were able to finish the race though and fought for every spot that we could in the final handful of laps. A frustrating day for our team, but we’ll learn from it and move on to Atlanta.” -Tyler Reddick

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14) — The fledgling Pro Stock career of third-generation drag racer Troy Coughlin Jr. received a boost Sunday when he guided the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to a runner-up finish at the season-opening Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals. It marked the second time in just nine starts Coughlin has reached the trophy round in the category. “This was a good way to start the season and it shows the professionalism of the Elite Motorsports team,” Coughlin said. “We rolled into Florida two weeks ago and right out of the trailer we were strong. We’ve been making great passes almost every round since. “It was very warm today and the track was difficult to deal with. We had a little jump on Greg Anderson in the final and I felt like we could have won the round but we had pretty severe tire shake almost right away. Greg’s car shook a little also but he was able to drive through it and get the win. Aside from that, we had a lot of fun.” Traction seemed to be an issue all day, with Coughlin benefitting from opponents Aaron Stanfield and Mason McGaha tire-shake issues in both Rounds 1 and 3, respectively. He also got a free pass in the second session when Fernando Cuadra Jr. fouled out after getting very loose during the prerace burnout. “Today was a lot about overcoming adversity,” Coughlin said. “As it turned out, we got some luck against our first three opponents when Aaron and Mason shook and Fernando got loose and then red-lighted, but that doesn’t take away from the fact we made great passes against each of them (6.564 at 209.20 mph in Round 1, 6.572 at 208.91 mph in Round 2, and 6.633 at 208.55 mph in Round 3). “Credit Mark Ingersoll, Eric Luzinski, Kelly Murphy, Steven Hurley and Kyle Bates with putting this car together perfectly every time out, both in qualifying and today. This was a decent first race. We’re in second place, and we have 17 more national events to go. There’s so much more for me to learn how to become a better driver. I’m excited.” Coughlin’s uncle Mike Coughlin reached the second round in Top Dragster before breaking-out of his index and losing to Jeff Strickland, who went on to win the entire event.  Also a part of the Team JEGS contingent was multi-time world champion Jeff Taylor, who competed in Super Stock in the JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt. The car, which will be driven by Mike’s son Clay later this year, was named the event’s “Best Engineered Vehicle.”  Fellow world champion Danny Nelson also put some laps down in the JEGS.com Super Comp dragster, which Mike’s other son Jack will take over once school is over.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14) — The fledgling Pro Stock career of third-generation drag racer Troy Coughlin Jr. received a boost Sunday when he guided the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to a runner-up finish at the season-opening Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals. It marked the second time in just nine starts Coughlin has reached the trophy round in the category. “This was a good way to start the season and it shows the professionalism of the Elite Motorsports team,” Coughlin said. “We rolled into Florida two weeks ago and right out of the trailer we were strong. We’ve been making great passes almost every round since. “It was very warm today and the track was difficult to deal with. We had a little jump on Greg Anderson in the final and I felt like we could have won the round but we had pretty severe tire shake almost right away. Greg’s car shook a little also but he was able to drive through it and get the win. Aside from that, we had a lot of fun.”

Traction seemed to be an issue all day, with Coughlin benefitting from opponents Aaron Stanfield and Mason McGaha tire-shake issues in both Rounds 1 and 3, respectively. He also got a free pass in the second session when Fernando Cuadra Jr. fouled out after getting very loose during the prerace burnout. “Today was a lot about overcoming adversity,” Coughlin said. “As it turned out, we got some luck against our first three opponents when Aaron and Mason shook and Fernando got loose and then red-lighted, but that doesn’t take away from the fact we made great passes against each of them (6.564 at 209.20 mph in Round 1, 6.572 at 208.91 mph in Round 2, and 6.633 at 208.55 mph in Round 3). “Credit Mark Ingersoll, Eric Luzinski, Kelly Murphy, Steven Hurley and Kyle Bates with putting this car together perfectly every time out, both in qualifying and today. This was a decent first race. We’re in second place, and we have 17 more national events to go. There’s so much more for me to learn how to become a better driver. I’m excited.”

Coughlin’s uncle Mike Coughlin reached the second round in Top Dragster before breaking-out of his index and losing to Jeff Strickland, who went on to win the entire event.

Also a part of the Team JEGS contingent was multi-time world champion Jeff Taylor, who competed in Super Stock in the JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt. The car, which will be driven by Mike’s son Clay later this year, was named the event’s “Best Engineered Vehicle.”

Fellow world champion Danny Nelson also put some laps down in the JEGS.com Super Comp dragster, which Mike’s other son Jack will take over once school is over.

·        No. 1 qualifier Ron Capps drove his Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to quarterfinal appearance at the 52^nd annual National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway 

·        Defending NHRA Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan raced his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye to his best run of the weekend with 3.922-second pass at 329.67 mph missing the chance to advance past the opening round by just 0.001 seconds

·        DSR Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett took her No. 3 qualified Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye dragster to the quarterfinals

·        Solid debut for the new generation 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak as Pruett posts her career best run in Factory Stock Showdown in a close first-round loss

·        Pawuk takes third generation Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak to Factory Stock Showdown semifinals finish at Gatornats

March 14, 2020, Gainesville, Fla. – Solid runs by the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) contingent of Mopar and Dodge//SRT supported race cars marked the start to the 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series season at the 52nd annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway. 

In Funny Car competition, No. 1 qualifier and three-time NHRA Gatornationals winner Ron Capps took his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for a 3.923-second elapsed time run at 323.74 mph to earn the opening round win over No. 16 qualifier Jim Campbell who went up in tire smoke. For his quarterfinal match-up against Bob Tasca, Capps gave up lane choice which proved to be key, as traction was an issue in his lane, and hampered his progress resulting in an early exit from competition. 

2020 NHRA Funny Car World Champion, Matt Hagan took his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye into race day as the eighth seed and seeking his first coveted win at the Gatornationals, one of the few places left at which he has not yet earned a Wally trophy. The opening round of the new season saw him paired with No. 9 seed Bob Tasca against whom Hagan drove his HEMI-powered Funny Car to his best run of the weekend with a 0.072-second reaction time and 3.922-second pass at 329.67 mph in a very close battle. However, while Hagan had a slim starting line advantage, his opponent’s 0.074-second reaction time and 3.920 second / 330.47 mph pass provided the first upset of the year by the slimmest 0.0001-second margin of victory at the stripe to send the DSR driver home early.

Without a DSR entry advancing to the final round of eliminations for the first time in nearly a year and a half, the team’s NHRA record streak of 14 consecutive Funny Car wins (dating back to October 2019) comes to an end.

In Top Fuel, DSR pilot Leah Pruett was also looking to score her first Gatornationals event win from the No. 3 qualifier position on the eliminations ladder earned aboard her red, black and chrome Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye dragster. Her opening-round run of 3.787 seconds at 314.09 mph gave her the win over rookie Mike Bucher who lost traction early. Pruett had the early advantage in her quarterfinals battle against Shawn Langdon, but saw her opponent make the pass when her nitro-fueled machine dropped a cylinder and some oil to send the team home earlier than they had hoped. 

Despite the early exit, Pruett put in a lot of track time throughout the weekend as she pulled double duty by running in both the Pro and Sportsman categories as she will at seven more events this season. 

In Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) competition, Pruett took her 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak for its first official eliminations drive as a No. 13 qualifier against the No. 4 seed John Cerbone. Pruett drove the new generation drag pak to her quickest career run in FSS competition with a stout 7.806-second pass at 177.44 mph, bettering her previous personal records of 7.852 seconds set at Gainesville in 2019 and best speed of 173.94 mph posted at Charlotte that same year. 

Unfortunately, while her new ride was faster on the track than her opponent’s, Pruett fell just short of turning on the first win-light of the season as her 0.073-second reaction time was overshadowed by her competitor’s 0.002-second start to give him the hole shot victory with a slower 7.808 sec./174.80 mph pass. Pruett’s next chance to take the new HEMI-powered drag pak for a quick drive in FSS competition will be at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals presented by Pennzoil in Houston on May 21-23.

Pruett’s teammate Mark Pawuk came into race day at the Gatornationals as the 11^th seed after steady improvement in his Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak performance through each qualifying session. In the opening round of FSS eliminations, the team’s hard work paid off as Pawuk drove his HEMI-powered drag pak to their quickest run of the weekend with a 7.855 seconds at 174.26 mph pass. He followed that up with an 8.038 sec./ 170.17 mph lap in his round 2 win over No. 3 seed Gardner Stone who left prematurely. 

Pawuk was matched up with No. 2 qualifier Aaron Stanfield for the semifinal round but saw his day shortened by a red-light start. Pawuk now looks forward to taking delivery of one of the new generation Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Paks at an upcoming FSS series race in the next few months.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Matt Hagan, Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car  
(No. 8  Qualifier – 3.975 seconds at 321.35 mph)
Round 1: (0.072-second reaction time, 3.922 seconds at 329.67 mph) lost to No. 9 Bob Tasca (0.074/3.920/330.47) 0.001 margin of victory

“We had a good test session in West Palm Beach to kick off the year and we were on the bad side of a really, really good drag race today to (Bob) Tasca. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tasca goes out and wins it. That’s a good car. It’s tough out there and we were on the tough side of the ladder. We would have had (Ron) Capps, our teammate, in the second round. It was going to be a dog fight all day. I have to say a lot about (my crew chief) Dickie Venables and (assistant crew chief) Mike Knudsen and this Dodge Mopar team and their leadership. The guys worked late working through some gremlins and put a really good race car under me. We’ll be back out here for the next one and will get back after it.”

Ron Capps, NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.895 seconds at 329.02 mph)
Round 1: (0.090-second reaction time, 3.923 seconds at 323.74 mph) defeated No. 16 Jim Campbell (0.125/12.844/76.95)

Round 2: (0.077/4.946/158.91) loss to No. 9 Bob Tasca (0.079/3.958/327.11)

“That’s what I love about this sport – the competition. “We had a great qualifying outing, but with only three laps you only get one run in one of the two lanes. We wanted to win first round and lost lane choice going into the second round. After watching Robert (Hight) and some of the other cars run, we were very confident with that right lane, but it just seemed to chatter a little bit, sort of in the same spot it did on Q3. That’s just the way it is. Funny Car is so tough. It was almost a perfect weekend, but still ended up being a really good weekend overall. 

“I’m really looking forward to working more with these guys led by Guido (Dean Antonelli) and

John Medlen. We’re keeping it fun like we did with (my former crew chief Rahn) Tobler. It’s

great to see so many fans and people being responsible and following protocols to allow us to

race. We love the fans coming from all over to support us this weekend. A great opening weekend with GEARWRENCH on the car, and Pennzoil of course.”

Leah Pruett, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Top Fuel Dragster  
(No. 3 Qualifier – 3.741 seconds at 326.32 mph)

Round 1: (0.060-second reaction time, 3.787 seconds at 314.09 mph) defeats No. 14 Mike Bucher (0.076/7.686/81.27)

Round 2: (0.054/3.887/294.05) loss to No. 6 Shawn Langdon (0.065/3.764/317.79)

“I think there’s an overall consensus that the 2021 Gatornationals was a little unconventional for us as we experienced some issues early in qualifying on the first lap and we quickly adapted from and had a very competitive race car for Sunday. Unfortunately, we started off this season with some mechanical gremlins. Our team, with the addition of a few new members, has done a great job meshing quickly. The tuning calls were great, but some parts failures plagued us this weekend. After that you shake their hands and say good job and know that we have the heart and ability to get round wins and race wins. Overall, we feel good about the weekend. Walking away from eliminations, there’s nothing that we would have done differently. We’ll get to the bottom of it and roll on to the next Camping World NHRA race and be ready to win.”

Leah Pruett, Mopar Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak – Factory Stock Shootout 
(No. 13  Qualifier – 7.892 seconds at 173.49 mph)

Round 1: (0.073-second reaction time, 7.806 seconds at 177.44 mph) loss to No. 8 John Cerbone (0.002/ 7.808 sec./ 174.80 mph) 

“The ‘shake their hands and walk away’ mentality definitely applies to our first round of Factory Stock (Showdown) round one this morning. Just an incredible package and race. John Cerbone had a .002 light and was two thousandths (of-a-second) slower than us at the stripe, and that would have required me to have a .004 reaction time. Right now, for me, those kinds of lights aren’t quite in the cards. I need a bit more seat time getting acquainted with this new Dodge SRT Drag Pak Challenger. Hats off to the entire DSR Factory Stock team, Terry (Snyder), Kevin (Helms), and everyone at Dodge and the SRT engineers for getting this great piece of machinery ready for us to debut this weekend at Gainesville. We were able to get this car into competition-form very quickly and I’m looking forward to some more seat time before our next race at Houston in May. We had a very good showing for the debut of the Drag Pak and we’re looking forward to maximizing all of its capabilities. What we saw today in round one is a testament to the type of competition this team and Dodge brings. Our competitors know that they have to step up to that level in order to try and beat us. We’re going to continue to be on top of our game, and pick away at it some more, and I’m confident we’ll have a very strong season.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak– Factory Stock Shootout
(No. 11 Qualifier – 7.873  seconds at 174.12 mph)
Round 1: (0.095-second reaction time, 7.855 seconds at 174.26 mph) defeats to No. 6 Jim Betz (No Time)

Round 2: (0.129/8.038 sec./ 170.17 mph) defeats No. 3 Gardner Stone (no time)

Round 3: (-0.296/14.875/71.82) loss to No. 2 Aaron Stanfield (0.056/7.890/173.99)

“For the way we started out this weekend, Leah (Pruett)’s car ran really good, ours was a little behind, but the guys worked really hard. We changed a lot of parts and we were able to make good runs. Maybe we got a couple of lucky breaks but hey, to go to the semis at the first race out this weekend in Gainesville, it’s awesome to go some rounds. I’m looking forward to our next race in Houston.”

NHRA Championship Points Standings:
Following the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)
1. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) –
4. J.R. Todd –
5. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) –
6. Bob Tasca III –
7. Tim Wilkerson –
8. Alexis DeJoria –
9. Cruz Pedregon –
10. Paul Lee –

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)
1. Doug Kalitta –
2. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) –
3. Steve Torrance – 
4. Justin Ashley –
5. Billy Torrance –
6. Shawn Langdon –
7. Antron Brown –
8. Terry McMillen –
9. Clay Millican –
10. Doug Foley – 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 14, 2021) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team proved they’re still a threat with a runner-up finish at the NHRA Camping World Series season opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on Sunday, March 14th. John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Camaro began their 17th-championship campaign with a semifinal finish while 2017 Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force and her Monster Energy team had a first-round exit. After qualifying fourth, Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro continued their consistent weekend on Sunday. Rolling out in the first round, Hight handled the Auto Club Camaro to a 3.921-second pass at 327.11 mph to defeat the young Bobby Bode’s 4.025 at 309.91 mph. The win would match the three-time world champion up against team owner and 16-time champion John Force in the quarterfinals. With Force having lane choice, Hight lined up on the right and sailed to a clean 3.931-second pass at 330.39 mph to defeat Force whose Chevy Camaro had tire smoke for only a 4.994-second pass.  In the semifinals it would be a test of seven cylinders as both Hight and his opponent, Bob Tasca III, had a hole out. Hight would prevail with a 4.093-second pass at 306.19 mph to Tasca’s 4.115 at 312.35 mph to reach his 81st career final round, fifth at Gainesville Raceway. The final round was a pedal fest as Hight and fellow finalist J.R. Todd went up in smoke at the hit. Todd was able to hook back up and finish with a 5.184-second pass at 286.38 mph while Hight and the Auto Club Camaro ran 6.591-seconds at 144.41 mph. “It’s a good weekend when you go to the final. When you watch the other guy smoke the tires, though, you look at it as one that got away, we beat ourselves,” said Hight who sits second in the Camping World Series championship points standings. “We’ve got some gremlins; we had a lucky round in the semis dropping a cylinder and winning with a 4.09. We have to do some polishing, but we’ll be back. When we go to the final when we have this Auto Club Chevy running right, look out.” In his 500th race start in a Chevrolet John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro took the first-round victory with a 3.915-second pass at 326.56 mph over Paul Lee’s 3.977 run at 328.94. Lining up against his team president, Robert Hight, in the second round, Force and his Chevy Camaro ran into tire smoke and coasted to a 4.994-second pass at 164.19 mph. Force currently sits eighth in the points standings. “We all made the show after being off a year. It was exciting to be back and be back in the seat of my PEAK BlueDEF / PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro and we went a couple of rounds,” Force said. “We look like a race team again; Robert Hight and Auto Club getting to the final., qualifying well, Brittany with Monster and Flav-R-Pac. We’ll move on to the next race. We’re excited and we’ll see how it goes.” Brittany Force and the Monster Energy Top Fuel team had an early exit on Sunday. Force and her David Grubnic and Mac Savage tuned dragster powered to an impressive 3.727 at 331.94 mph that was second quickest of the round but lost on a hole shot. Justin Ashley laid down a 3.733 at 324.05 but his .034-second reaction time bettered Force’s .072. Despite the first round exit, Force still sits in the top 10 of the points standings in ninth. “A year away and John Force Racing is proud to be back. Our Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team qualified in the top five and we had a consistent race car all weekend long,” Force said. “First round was tough, getting beat on a hole shot is never easy but finding the positives: we ran well and I had a decent light. I’m using today’s upset as motivation going into the next one. Ready to go after another win.” The NHRA Camping World Series season continues with the Lucas Oil Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Pomona Calif., April 9-11 and the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 16-18. The NHRA Camping World Series schedule is still subject to change.

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 14, 2021) — Starting the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season at the 52^nd annual NHRA Gatornationals for the first time did not phase Alexis DeJoria. The veteran driver powered her ROKiT Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Camry to the No. 2 qualifying position and continued her qualifying dominance in the category. The last time DeJoria and her Toyota Camry Funny Car raced at the Gators they qualified No. 5 which began an active streak of six consecutive Top Five qualifying starts including this weekend’s strong performance.

“These crew guys are doing so well to start the season,” said DeJoria, who has five Funny Car national event wins to her credit. “(Co-crew chiefs) Nicky (Boninfante) and Del (Worsham) are tuning this Toyota up and it is making some killer runs. I am excited about going to the next race because we have a great race car. We have been a top five qualifier the past six races going back to last season. We got bonus points this weekend and were the No. 2 qualifier so that is a great start.”

In the opening round DeJoria matched up with John Smith and her ROKiT Funny Car team was not taking the Paul Smith tuned opponent lightly. She blasted off the starting line and lit the scoreboard 3.918 seconds later which was the second quickest run of the day. It was a dominant first round win for the ROKiT team. Following the run DeJoria’s crew chief Del Worsham had high praise for his driver.

“She kept it right in the groove. It was moving around at the top end,” said Worsham. “It is getting slick up there. Paul Smith is a tough customer and we knew we had to run well. For ROKiT, Bandero, Toyota, Fatheadz and all our other sponsors that was a good way to start the race. I am glad we got that round win and we’ll get back to work.”

At the beginning of the event DeJoria announced a new technical partnership alongside TRD (Toyota Racing Development), with ExxonMobil who expanded its current team roster within NHRA. ExxonMobil has enjoyed a partnership with Kalitta Motorsports and will also continue that winning relationship into the 2021 season. Under the expanded agreement, ExxonMobil will supply DeJoria and her team with its Drag Racing motor oil, along with other lubricants, while also providing engineering support throughout the season.

“Having Mobil 1 and TRD onboard is incredible because they bring the science and technology with what they do to help our team,” said DeJoria. “It is very beneficial to us. We also have some new sponsors like Bandero Tequila and Fatheadz, who outfitted our entire team with sunglasses. We have the whole crew from past year which is nice since all these guys work really hard and are a joy to work with. We all gel and this is going to be a good year.”  

In the second round facing two-time world champion Cruz Pedregon DeJoria slowed from her first round elapsed time and she was ousted in the quarterfinals. The team was looking at the performance drop off culprit. It was an unfortunate turn of events during an otherwise successful weekend that will see DeJoria leave Florid No. 6 in the Camping World point standings and with momentum at the beginning of the season.

“We have a really fast hot rod with this ROKiT Toyota Camry Funny Car. In the second round we had a little issue which we are trying to figure out. It just fell off on performance at 200 feet. I am working on my reaction times, too. I am just going to keep working on it. My Toyota Funny Car is so consistent that gives me a lot of confidence. I have been racing long enough to know what to do and we will get everything working together,” added DeJoria.

·        Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Ron Capps drove his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to the No. 1 qualifier position at the 52^nd annual National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway 

·        Matt Hagan begins his defense of the NHRA Funny Car world championship as the eighth-seed aboard his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye

·        DSR Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett wheels Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye dragster to third-seeded position on the elimination ladder

·        Much-anticipated debut of new generation Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak saw Leah Pruett post a solid 7.892 second run at 173.49 mph in qualifying

·        Mopar-powered Drag Paks of Pawuk and Pruett qualify 11^th and 13^th respectively for Sunday’s elimination rounds of Factory Stock Showdown

March 13, 2020, Gainesville, Fla. – The 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing series season got off to a fast start for Mopar and Dodge//SRT performance brands as Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) veteran driver Ron Capps drove his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to the top seeded position for Sunday’s 52nd annual National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway.

After finishing fourth in the closely contested 2020 Funny Car championship that went right down to the wire, Capps kicked off the season-opening weekend the way he ended 2020 at the Dodge NHRA finals in Las Vegas; as No. 1 qualifier going into race day. Coming into the Gatornationals as a three-time and defending Funny Car winner, Capps took his HEMI®-powered DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the top of the timing sheets in Friday qualifying with a 3.895-second run at 329.02 mph to give him the provisional lead position on the eliminations ladder. While Capps also ran the quickest lap in the second qualifying session, neither he nor anyone else was able to better his Q1 time in any of the sessions, giving him his 26th career No. 1 qualifier position. He’ll see No. 16 seed Jim Campbell as his first round opponent on Sunday morning.

2020 NHRA Funny Car World Champion, Matt Hagan will take his “Demon-possessed” DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye into race day as the eighth seed after a best qualifying lap of 3.981 seconds at 324.59 mph in the second session where he posted the third quickest time. He’ll start his world championship defense and work to make his way through eliminations in the hopes of earning his first Gatornationals title win by facing No. 9 seed Bob Tasca as his first elimination round opponent of the year.

Battling in the Top Fuel top-three through most of the 2020 season and closing out the year fourth in the championship has DSR’s Leah Pruett motivated to get this new season off to a flying start and looking to score her first Gatornationals event win. In qualifying, Pruett took her red, black and chrome Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye dragster for a 3.741 sec./ 326.32 mph pass in her final run to move her up in the third-seeded position on the eliminations ladder and grant her lane choice against Mike Bucher in the first round.

In the NHRA Sportsman class, the fourth-generation 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak made its much-anticipated official on track debut in the Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) series on Friday. Leah Pruett wheeled her white and blue new generation drag pak to a solid first qualifying run with a 7.966 second pass at 175.09 mph to post the sixth quickest pass against a 29-car field in provisional qualifying. On Saturday, she improved on that performance with a 7.892 sec./ 173.49 mph run to put her 13th overall and set up an opening round match-up against No. 4 seed John Cerbone.

Teammate Mark Pawuk steadily improved his DSR-prepared Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak through qualifying as well and posted his best time on his final run late Saturday night with a 7.873 sec. / 174.12 mph pass to earn his 11- seed position on the FSS eliminations ladder. He’ll line up next to Jim Betz for the opening round on Sunday morning.

Television coverage of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season-opening event, the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, begins Sunday morning, March 14, with a one-hour FS1 qualifying show at 11 a.m. Eastern, while the three-hour eliminations show, including live coverage of the final round, launches at noon on the national FOX Broadcast Network.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Matt Hagan, Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car  
(No. 8  Qualifier – 3.975 seconds at 321.35 mph)
Qualifying 1: 4.308 sec./ 209.62 mph (10^th)
Qualifying 2: 3.981 sec./ 324.59 mph (1 bonus point for 3^rd quickest of session)

Qualifying 3: 3.974 sec./ 325.30 mph (4^th)

“Race day is everything. Driving this Dodge SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car into race day and hopefully carrying on that championship momentum into tomorrow. At the end of the day, we’ve got Dickie Venables in our corner and that’s all that really matters. I’m confident in the team and confident in the car.”

Ron Capps, NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.895 seconds at 329.02 mph)
Qualifying 1: 3.895 sec./ 329.02 mph  (3 bonus points for quickest run of session)
Qualifying 2: 3.948 sec./ 320.66 mph (3 bonus points for quickest of session)
Qualifying 3: 4.802 sec./ 163.65 mph (12^th)

“We all know how good this car is and with (cew chiefs) Guido (Dean Antonelli) and (John) Medlen and how good a team they’ve made and really all these guys and gals with Jessica (Vejar) on our team. It’s a lot of fun to see this car do well and how happy everybody is in the NAPA camp. I just want to come in and try to blend in and be the best I can and not mess up. I want to help show how good a team this is. We did get after it on that last run. Guido was trying to run a mid-80, so those conditions we won’t see tomorrow. Sunday morning, if you’re a fan, don’t be late at 10 am. First round will be prime conditions. Just a great job for NAPA and Gearwrench and we got the first yellow No. 1 Camping World hat and it matches this NAPA uniform with the yellow and blue and we’re hoping for a blue race win hat tomorrow.”

Leah Pruett, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Top Fuel Dragster  
(No. 3 Qualifier – 3.741 seconds at 326.32 mph)
Qualifying 1: 6.567 sec./ 94.57 mph (17^th)
Qualifying 2: 3.863 sec./ 314.53 mph (9^th)

Qualifying 3: 3.741 sec. / 326.32 mph (1 bonus points for 3^rd quickest of session)

“It’s amazing how one small tire shake situation very much humbles us. We didn’t get the start to the event that we wanted, but we immediately bounced back. We had a strategy in Q2 to lay down a very solid, honest pass so that we could pick away at it in Q3, and that’s exactly what we did. I’m so proud of this team and the authority that they’re taking. The car is reacting well; I’m driving well. Our test before this went great. Qualifying third in our HEMI dragster at this first event is fantastic. As I’ve said before, it doesn’t matter who we line up with, it’s just about taking it one round at a time. So far, things are working in unison, and we look forward to keeping it working that way, just as our Pennzoil oil keeps us running smoothly.”

Leah Pruett, Mopar Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak – Factory Stock Shootout 
(No. 13  Qualifier – 7.892 seconds at 173.49 mph)

Qualifying 1: 7.966 sec./ 175.09 mph  (6^th)  
Qualifying 2: 7.892  sec./ 173.49 mph (8^th) 
Qualifying 3: 9.849 sec./ 129.57 mph 

“I think it’s fair to say that our Dodge DSR team performed to its maximum of capabilities to get the car into competitive form with just a limited number of days with it before entering actual competition. We are definitely in the right direction. With the limited number of runs that we have had with it to really understand and get to know this car, where we’re at has been in the positive progress domain. I wouldn’t call it a conservative run out of the gate. It was more of a run to identify a baseline for this car, which we really didn’t have before, so we’re really tackling multiple things at one time. Qualifying with a 7.89 was fantastic. We thought we’d whip it up for final session but unfortunately, lots of different factors played into the night. Running at 10:00 PM with an untouched starting line in over an hour, really did not work in anyone’s favor. But that doesn’t deter any of our focus and confidence. For tomorrow, we know we’re going to be one of the first classes out. It’s going to be cool (temperatures). We have the power for it. We’re going to take as much knowledge of this car as we know to get it deep into the rounds.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak– Factory Stock Shootout
(No. 11 Qualifier – 7.873  seconds at 174.12 mph)
Qualifying 1: 8.008 sec./ 172.81 mph (8^th)
Qualifying 2: 7.934 sec / 172.65 mph (11^th)

Qualifying 3: 7.873 sec. / 174.12 mph  (11^th)

“I was glad to get my Empaco Equipment, Ohio CAT, Mr. Heater Dodge Drag Pak down the race track. It got real cold and real tough out there. We were supposed to run at 3:00 p.m. and running after 10 at night gave us a little bit different of conditions. Too bad Leah (Pruett) didn’t get down but I think we made great progress with the new 2021 Drag Pak at the first race out. She ran very well, and unfortunately she would’ve been up quite a bit higher if she made it down tonight because the air conditions were so much better than they were the rest of the weekend, but we’re going to hang in there and do the best we can tomorrow, and keep our Dodges moving forward.”

NHRA Championship Points Standings:
Following qualifying at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)
1. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat)–44

2. Alexis DeJoria –40

3. Tim Wilkerson –37

4. John Force –36

5. Robert Hight –35

6. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) –34

6. J.R. Todd –34
8. Cruz Pedregon–33

9. Blake Alexander –32   

9. Chad Green–32

9. Paul Lee –32

9. Bob Tasca III –32

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)
1. Steve Torrance –44

2.  Billy Torrence –42
3. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) –37
4. Brittany Force –35

5. Doug Kalitta –34

5. Shawn Langdon –34

5. Mike Salinas –34

8. Josh Hart –33

9. Justin Ashley –32

9. Antron Brown –32

9. Doug Foley –32

9. Clay Millican –32

Myatt Snider And The TaxSlayer Chevrolet Team Earn 11th-Place Finish in Eventful Day at Phoenix Raceway

11th

19th

7th

“Today was an eventful day for our TaxSlayer team. There was a lot of beating and banging out there and no one wanted to give an inch. After solidly running inside the top-10 for most the day, I was sent into the wall and we were forced to pit under caution with 25 laps to go. We didn’t have any sticker tires left, so my Crew Chief Andy Street gave me a set of scuffs and I went to work in the final laps. To rebound and finish 11th after all that is a huge accomplishment for our Richard Childress Racing team. Phoenix Raceway has been one of my tougher tracks personally and Andy and I had conversations this week about how we wanted and needed to be better after our races here last season. We did that and learned a lot for our trip back here in the fall.”  -Myatt Snider

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 13, 2021) – The three-car team of John Force Racing all landed in the top five of qualifying at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on Saturday evening. Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team led the way in the No. 4 Funny Car spot with John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy Camaro just behind them in fifth. Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team stayed consistent to be fifth in Top Fuel. After still managing to lay down a three-second pass with a cylinder out on Friday evening, Robert Hight and the Auto Club team improved to an impressive 3.951-second pass at 328.62 mph in the heat of the day on Saturday. With cooler temperatures in the third and final qualifying session, Hight handled his Chevy Camaro to the quickest pass of the session at 3.931-seconds and 330.15 mph to ultimately land in the No. 4 spot. His efforts have him matched up with Bob Bode in the first round of eliminations. “We’re very happy, we had two good runs today. Except for that cylinder going out yesterday we’ve done really well. This Auto Club Chevy has made it down the track each run,” said Hight who picked up a total of five bonus qualifying points. “We wanted a little more on that last run but we’re looking forward to tomorrow, we’re ready. I’m ready for a race day, to go rounds and come out with a win and I know these Auto Club guys are too.” Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team were consistent on Saturday, carrying over their momentum from Friday to put down a 3.848 second pass at 293.28 mph even after shutting off just before the starting line. In her second pass of the day, Force handled her dragster to a 3.750-second pass at 329.99 mph to put her in the No. 5 position. “It’s a good start for John Force Racing. Coming back, first race of the season and we’re all sitting in the top five,” said Force who will face off against Justin Ashley in the first round of eliminations. “We went testing in West Palm Beach to get us prepared coming here to Gainesville and it paid off. Five is a comfortable spot to be. We were chasing that No. 1 spot on that last one but we’re okay sitting fifth. I’m ready to go some rounds with this Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team and win this thing.” John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy team had an interesting start to the qualifying day. Force had to shut off on the starting line because of a car left on the track. Crew chiefs Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi made the decision to restart rather than go to the end of the field to make their second qualifying run. Force’s Camaro didn’t get very far off the line, however, because the throttle stop was left on. Then sitting No. 15, Force and the BlueDEF PLATINUM crew put up a 3.934-second pass at 323.66 mph to put them safely in the No. 5 spot to face Paul Lee in the first round. “It was a good experience being back. There are a lot of new crew guys on this PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM team so we did make mistakes, I made mistakes,” admitted Force. “My crew chiefs Daniel Hood and Tim Fabrisi pulled it out there on the last run and it was a good car to drive. I’m excited to being back to racing. You don’t realize how much you love it until you lose it. Well, I haven’t lost it yet, we’re back.”

Haudenschild is Fifth Different Winner in Five World of Outlaws Features in 2021COLUMBUS, MS – March 12, 2021 – Magnolia Motor Speedway was simply magnificent for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series debut on Friday night.A packed pit area, a massive crowd, and some spectacular on-track action was the perfect recipe to end Mississippi’s decade-long absence from The Greatest Show on Dirt.In the end, Sheldon Haudenschild made it five different winners in as many races on tour this year, stealing a late-race thriller away from the predominant Logan Schuchart. A mixture of lap traffic, track conditions, and Lil Haud’s patience came together to send the NOS Energy Drink #17 to victory lane in Columbus, MS; giving car owner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Olive Branch, MS a win on his home turf for the first time as a World of Outlaws owner.Friday’s victory marked the 15th of Haudenschild’s young career, tying him with fellow full-timer Jason Sides for 34th on the all-time wins list.”I’m just so happy to win a race here this early in the season, you know I don’t think we won until like July last year,” Haudenschild noted. “That’s a big goal of mine, winning early and building some momentum. It’s always cool to get a win at a track that the Outlaws haven’t been to before too. Ripper, Nikolas, Drew, they’ve got this NOS Energy Drink #17 dialed in right now. I’m glad the fans made it out. This is a beautiful race track and I think it put on a really great show.”Rolling from the outside pole of the 30-lapper, Haudenschild’s biggest challenge was alongside him in the form of Schuchart, who had yet to blunder all night long at the 1/3rd-mile. Entering Friday’s feature, the Shark Racing #1S had a perfect night going with Slick Woody’s Quick Time, Team Drydene Heat win, and DIRVision Fast Pass Dash win all secured.Schuchart was as dominant as anyone in clean air, but lap traffic proved to be his Achilles heel on this night. He caught fortunate breaks with three stoppages: lap 5 crash for Brock Zearfoss, Scotty Thiel & Sam Hafertepe, lap 9 caution for points leader Carson Macedo, and lap 14 flip for fourth-running Aaron Reutzel. However, the final restart, and more importantly, final run through traffic played the most pivotal role.Restarting with 16 to go, Schuchart drove away to a near two-second advantage over Haudenschild before traffic slowed him with ten laps remaining. That’s when the fun began.At one point, a heart-stopping four-car battle for the lead ensued with Schuchart and Haudenschild along with an emerging Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet all under a blanket for the race lead. One failed slide job attempt on a lapper set Haudenschild up for a successful run on lap 25 to clear for the lead. Schuchart came swinging back with his own slider, but Haudenschild pinned the throttle and threaded the needle around the outside to make it stick.The duo continued to wage war in the waning laps with Haudenschild only covering Schuchart by 0.054-seconds with three to go. It was still anyone’s race until the checkered flag dropped with a mere 0.286-second margin of victory, a finish which sent the Magnolia Motor Speedway crowd into the air.”We got to the lappers like twice and the caution would come out every time,” Haudenschild, of Wooster, OH, remembered. “I was just chilling, keeping calm in second, trying not to get passed and see where my car was at. He was really good in open track, I didn’t have much for him. We hit traffic though and the rubber kind of came in while we were in the middle of that. It got really tricky. He tried those sliders on a few lappers and I was getting runs off that. If I wouldn’t have got under him off turn four, I don’t think he would’ve messed up again.”After leading the opening 24 laps, Schuchart of Hanover, PA settled for runner-up honors at Magnolia. The sitting duck effect of leading through traffic bit him the most in Friday’s 30-lapper. It wasn’t the second win of the season he wanted, but Schuchart’s run returned him to the top of the early-season championship standings. He’s the only driver with a top ten finish all five races this season.”Freakin’ guy beat me in golf this week, and now on the race track,” Schuchart joked about Sheldon. “It’s just hard to tell when you’re out front leading in traffic by yourself. It’s hard to gauge how hard you need to push, especially when the track is like this, really wide and not a ton of grip. I pushed the limit too hard with Parker [Price-Miller] and let Sheldon get by me. I had that chance to get him back in turns three and four, but underestimated his entry and couldn’t make it work. Hopefully we can come back here and park it in victory lane.”Rounding out the podium at Magnolia Motor Speedway was Brad Sweet with a 12th-to-third bid in the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49.”The goal is to be up here standing on the frontstretch every night, and we’re doing that,” Sweet spoke on their consistency. “The real adversity and grind of an 80+ race Outlaw tour is sometimes you’re starting up front, but other times like tonight you’re digging yourself out of a hole. I felt like we could’ve contended for the win there, but by the time we got up here the track got top dominant I think and I used up my tires to get this far. It was fun watching Sheldon and Logan be aggressive there, and Donny and I had another fun battle too.”Donny Schatz made it to third at one point, but slipped back to finish fourth in the closing stages aboard his Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15. One of the biggest storylines outside the podium was Kasey Kahne, who earned KSE Hard Charger honors with a huge 23rd-to-fifth run aboard the Caravan Trailers #9. The top five finish is Kahne’s first in World of Outlaws competition since the 2002 King’s Royal at Eldora Speedway.Closing out the top ten at Magnolia Motor Speedway was David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2, Gio Scelzi in the KCP Racing #18, Cory Eliason in the Rudeen Racing #26, Wayne Johnson with his first top ten of the year in the #2C, and Ian Madsen in the Sam McGhee #11.UP NEXT – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will visit another new facility today, Saturday. March 13. For the first time ever, The Greatest Show on Dirt is heading for Monroe, Louisiana for a stop at The Rev.NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps) – 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$10,000]; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1][$6,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [12][$3,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$2,800]; 5. 9-Kasey Kahne [23][$2,500]; 6. 2-David Gravel [4][$2,300]; 7. 18-Gio Scelzi [11][$2,200]; 8. 26-Cory Eliason [15][$2,100]; 9. 2C-Wayne Johnson [13][$2,050]; 10. 11-Ian Madsen [20][$2,000]; 11. 11K-Kraig Kinser [21][$1,600]; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen [18][$1,400]; 13. 7S-Jason Sides [10][$1,200]; 14. 21-Brian Brown [16][$1,100]; 15. 5-Brent Marks [7][$1,050]; 16. 19-Parker Price-Miller [25][$]; 17. W20-Greg Wilson [22][$1,000]; 18. 3-Ayrton Gennetten [24][$1,000]; 19. 47-Eric Riggins [19][$1,000]; 20. 83-Aaron Reutzel [3][$1,000]; 21. 41-Carson Macedo [5][$1,000]; 22. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [8][$1,000]; 23. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [9][$1,000]; 24. 73-Scotty Thiel [14][$1,000]; 25. 28-Scott Bogucki [17][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-24, Sheldon Haudenschild 25-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Kasey Kahne[+18]

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), NOS Energy (Official Energy Product), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, and Racing Electronics.

Batavia, OH (March 12, 2021) – The stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be put on display more this season than ever before. Each event will have live streaming starting with hot laps, on MAVTV Plus. There is also a total of 35 events that will be broadcast on the MAVTV Motorsports Network (five scheduled live events), 15 events on CBS Sports Network, five nights of racing on CBS, and 13 action-packed races aired on NBC Sports Network, for a total of 83 television hours. “We understand that not everyone can make it to all 65 scheduled days of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events to get the full experience. However, with the help of the Lucas Oil Production Studios, there will be original, high definition content available from the comfort of your home at every single event,” said Rick Schwallie, Series Director.  Highlights and post-race video on demand content available for all races on MAVTV Plus. In addition to the live television and streamed events, the action will continue with multiple re-airings on the major networks. On MAVTV Plus, fans worldwide will be able to access LIVE multi-camera race coverage, driver interviews, behind-the-scenes content, instant replays and more, all throughout the year. MAVTV Plus is the premier subscription-based motorsports streaming channel. It allows 24/7 access to adrenaline-pumped racing and automotive reality shows. Access content on the most popular digital media players, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and computers! To learn more or subscribe, visit: MAVTVPlus.com. Owned and operated by Lucas Oil Products, MAVTV Motorsports Network is a television network deeply rooted in the automotive world. MAVTV is available to over 35 million homes on U-verse, DIRECTV (channel 214), Fios by Verizon, Vidgo, TIKILIVE, fuboTV, Spectrum, and other nationwide providers. MAVTV will broadcast 5 events LIVE and 35 original tape-delayed airings. To find a full list of providers, visit: mavtv.com/get-mavtv/providers.

 Johnson, Gravel, Price-Miller, Stewart & Macedo All Winners Since ’18 with Dietz

MONROE, LA – March 10, 2021 – Much like his late cousin Jason Johnson, Philip Dietz is building a legacy that will soon stand the test of time.

At 36-years-old, Dietz is already one of the most respected and revered crew chiefs in the sport, and he’s got the accomplishments to back that up.

After all, it’s no fluke to become a two-time Knoxville Nationals champion and two-time Crew Chief of the Year with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. On top of that, last summer he became the first crew chief since Karl Kinser to win back-to-back Outlaw races with different drivers.

Need more evidence? With their victory last weekend, Dietz extended his incredible streak to World of Outlaws wins with five different drivers in the last three years. Since 2018, Dietz has racked up 24 Outlaw wins with Jason Johnson, David Gravel,Parker Price-Miller, Shane Stewart, and Carson Macedo all at the wheel.

“It’s pretty cool, man,” Dietz relished on his latest accomplishment. “They’re all great drivers to start. Each one of them had an Outlaw win prior to me working with them, so they all had the experience and talent. Obviously, if I could go back in time and change things, I would much rather have Jason here today which would change the whole scenario.”

Born in Eunice, LA, some of Dietz’s earliest memories are racing go-karts in the backyard on a track that Jason’s grandfather built. His family relocated to Dallas in 1994 and the pair were separated, but not for long. As a high schooler, Philip traveled to races and slept on the floor just to have the opportunity to go racing with Jason.

Highly successful modern day crew chief with the World of Outlaws wasn’t always the plan, but life has a funny way of working itself out. Dietz graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Mechanical Engineering degree. He’s never worked a “real job,” but his path through college opened avenues to Kasey Kahne Racing and ultimately back home to Jason Johnson Racing.

“I do feel like I have an advantage,” Dietz noted on his education. “All of the different courses from dynamics to statics to kinematics, it’s all about things you can apply to race cars. It’s given me a better understanding of spring rates, dampening, downforce with the wing, and so much more. No doubt it has played a role in me understanding the mechanics of the car, but also being able to make the best educated guess as far as making a change to get even better.”

Through 2010-11, Dietz worked alongside Brad Sweet and Kasey Kahne before an opportunity to re-align with Jason came about. They enjoyed their dominant days together with multiple ASCS National Tour championships before going on the road full-time with the World of Outlaws in 2016. Dietz and Johnson collected 10 wins, 56 top fives and 116 top tens over a three-year stretch on tour before Jason’s tragic passing on June 23, 2018

“Our long term goal now would be to win a World of Outlaws championship,” Deitz said on looking ahead. “I know that was one of Jason’s biggest goals he had when he was here. Unfortunately, we’re having to move on without him, but that’s still my goal: win a championship for Jason Johnson Racing. We’re gonna do the best we can to make that happen.”

Transitioning to the next chapter, Deitz has earned a reputation for being arguably the most versatile crew chief with his ability to adapt to different drivers with the same winning results. With David Gravel of Watertown, CT primarily driving the JJR #41 in 2019-20, the duo collected 19 World of Outlaws wins, the 2019 Knoxville Nationals title, and challenged for the owner’s championship against Dietz’s former team, Kasey Kahne Racing.

It wasn’t just his success with Gravel at JJR, but also Philip’s formation and success at Dietz Motorsports that helped his stock rise. Taking Parker Price-Miller of Kokomo, IN on the road in his own operation, Dietz was essentially on double duty crew chief-ing two cars each night in 2020. He won with PPM in July and the storybook season continued in October when Shane Stewart of Bixby, OK substituted for Gravel and won in his first start aboard the JJR #41 at Lakeside.

“I feel like we’ve worked really hard to get our car better over the last few years,” he noted on JJR’s improvement. “I think it makes it easier to adapt and bring in a different driver to fine tune to suit their driving style and get the car balanced. I knew we would have success with David when he came here. My goal with Parker last year was to win at least one race, which we did and that was special. Jason and Shane were really good buddies over the years and I feel like those two have similar driving styles, so that made it easy for me when Shane won at Lakeside. Bringing Carson back in now is a natural fit after we worked so well together back in 2018.”

Heading into 2021, new challenges await Philip, along with his wife Brooke Dietz. With Bobbi Johnson scaling back her duties as son Jaxx goes to school, the Dietz’s have stepped up to handle the day-to-day operation of the team, while Philip maintains his at-track crew chief duties. Also on board this year are returning crew members, Clyde Knipp and Nate Repetz.

With Gravel departing to drive for Big Game Motorsports this year, the seat was left open for Carson Macedo of Lemoore, CA to fill. Back in the summer of 2018, Macedo ran part-time with JJR and most notably won his debut on a preliminary night at the Knoxville 360 Nationals. The rekindled combination is already off to a hot start in 2o21, winning from tenth last weekend at Volusia and then charging from 17th-to-third at East Bay to take control of the points lead.

“Obviously, our goal every night is to win,” Dietz admitted. “We want to win as many races as possible. I know for me, personally, I put five wins down on my list. It’s pretty realistic to be a new team, or a new group of guys working together for the first year, and to win five races I would consider that a successful season at this level. We want to work together, get our car better every night, and hopefully at the end of the year we feel like we advanced the program forward and we’re better going into next season.”

Philip Dietz, Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing crew will bring their early-season championship lead to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS this Friday, March 12 followed by a night at The Rev in Monroe, LA on Saturday, March 13. You can BUY TICKETS HERE.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10, 2021) – The Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS and Robert Hight are cued up to make their return to the NHRA circuit at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. The three-time championship team are just as determined as ever to chase down another championship. The red, white and blue of Hight’s hot rod has had success at Gainesville Raceway, racking up four victories at the facility in 2012, 2014, a double-up win with teammate Brittany Force in 2016 and a historic win at 2019’s 50th running of the event. In 2019, Hight also took the No. 1 qualifying position, his third consecutive making him the first nitro racer to start a season with three No. 1 qualifiers since Kenny Bernstein in 1987. In 2017, Hight set both ends of the track record at 3.828-seconds and 334.82 mph. “Gainesville has been really good to this Auto Club team. We missed racing here but the last memories we have are of picking up that win at the 50th anniversary of the event. We’re ready to build on that,” said Hight, a three-time world champion. “We’ll see what we can do, it’s definitely going to be a show this weekend. This is a big race, it always is, this year it’s even bigger because it’s opening up the season.” “I know what this Auto Club Chevy team is capable of, I know what Jimmy [Prock] and Chris [Cunningham] can do with this car and I know how hard the crew guys work,” Hight continued. “Coming off of testing, we’re ready.” At Palm Beach International Raceway, Hight laid down a 3.866-second pass at 332.18 mph that was only narrowly bettered by John Force. While Hight would be second quickest of the test, the Auto Club team took the top speed a pass at 333.33 mph. “Testing went really good. It’s good to be back in my Auto Club Chevy, to be back with my team. The car is responding well and things are lining up,” said Hight. “It was a long time off. I’m happy we didn’t forget how to do this. We’ll be ready to go after it next weekend at the Gatornationals.” Nitro qualifying at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals takes place Friday with a session at 5 p.m. and will continue Saturday at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday at 10 a.m. Fans can watch the qualifying action on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) Saturday at 3 p.m. ET and Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. Final Eliminations will be live on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at noon ET.

Batavia, OH (March 10, 2021) – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Officials are thrilled to announce that over $5 million in cash will be awarded to teams throughout the 2021 season. This year’s schedule includes 62 A-Main events, at 30 different venues, in 18 states. Teams on this year’s tour will be racing for over $4 million in A-Main purse money alone, continuing to set the bar higher each year. An unprecedented number of $20,000 or more to win events are on the series schedule this season, 12 in total with three paying $50,000 or more. The 29th Annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 kicks off this category of races, paying $30,000-to-win on May 29th. Beginning with the $20,000-to-win Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain Speedway on July 10th, the series has at least one $20,000 or more to win event on all but two scheduled weekends on the schedule, for the remainder of the year.  In July teams will travel to I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, NE for an incredible week of racing and record prize money with over $500,000 on the line over five days of events. The Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals will pay $30,000-to-win on July 22nd. Just two days later I-80 Speedway will also host the Imperial Tile Silver Dollar Nationals, paying $53,000-to-win and a record $5,300 to start the A-main on July 24th.  The $50,000-to-win 39th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 at Florence Speedway is next, followed by Batesville Motor Speedway’s 29th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions paying $40,000-to-win on August 21st. The series will travel over 1,000 miles for the next weekend’s event at Port Royal Speedway, The Rumble by the River will consist of three separate events paying $10,000 and $12,000 to win respectively, with the final night paying $30,000 to the winner. September 5th, Tyler County Speedway will host the 53rd Annual Hillbilly Hundred, also paying $30,000-to-win.  After a challenging 2020 season caused several cancelations and postponements, the Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals will once again return to Knoxville Raceway, paying $40,000-to-win. The following weekend, Brownstown Speedway’s 42nd Annual Jackson 100 pays $20,000-to-win, as does the October 2nd 33rd Annual Pittsburger 100 at Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway. Since 2011, the series schedule has concluded with the Dirt Track World Championship and 2021 is no exception. The 41st Annual Dirt Track World Championship, paying $100,000-to-win will again be hosted by Portsmouth Raceway Park.  The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series appreciates the continued support of their partners and contingency sponsors. Not only will teams and drivers be rewarded for their successes, but engine builders and the chassis builder of the year will also receive cash, product, and/or product certificates.  Allstar Performance: $100 Product Certificate to driver that sets overall Fast Time. $500 Cash and $250 Product Certificate awarded at the year-end awards banquet to Driver that earns most Fast Time awards. For more information on Allstar Performance visit: https://allstarperformance.com  Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup – Presented by DirtonDirt.com: Points Category for Crown Jewel races within series schedule. Banquet Awards include: $10,000 to 1st in CJC, $5,000 to 2nd, $3,000 to 3rd, $2,000 to 4th, and $1,000 to 5th. For more information on Arizona Sport Shirts visit: www.arizonasportshirts.com For more information on DirtonDirt.com visit: www.dirtondirt.com  ARP: Cash and Product Awards to Engine Builder of the Year and Runner Up at the year-end awards banquet. $1,000 Cash and Product Awards to ARP Engine Builder of the Year. For more information on ARP visit: www.arp-bolts.com  Big River Steel Podium Finishes: Driver that earns the most Top 3 finishes wins $1,000 Cash Award at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Big River Steel visit www.bigriversteel.com  Brodix: $75 Product Certificate to 3rd Place Engine Builder in Feature, $50 Product Certificate to 5th Place Engine Builder in Feature; Banquet Awards include: Product Certificates to Top 3 in Engines Builders Challenge ($200, $150, $100). For more information on Brodix visit: www.brodix.com  CP Carrillo: Product Awards to Engine Builder of the Year 1st- $500, 2nd- $300, 3rd-$200 at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Carrillo Products visit: www.cp-carrillo.com  Dirty Girl Racewear: $50 Gift Certificate to the Driver that turns the Fastest Lap of the Race. For more information on Dirty Girl Racewear visit: www.dirtygirlracewear.com  Earnhardt Technologies Group: $500 Product Certificate to Rookie of the Year. For more information on Earnhardt Technologies Group visit: www.earnhardttechnologiesgroup.com  Eibach: $100 Cash to Rookie of the Race; $10,000 to Rookie of the Year, $2,500 to Runner-Up, $1,000 to Third place in ROY program at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Eibach visit: www.eibach.com  E3 Spark Plugs: Product Certificate to Engine Builder of the Year at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on E3 Spark Plugs visit: www.e3sparkplugs.com  Hot Rod Processing: Most Laps led each race banquet award $500 to driver leads most Laps for the year. For more information on Hot Rod Processing visit: www.hotrodprocessing.com  Fast Shafts: $500 Cash Award at Series banquet for Tough Break Award. For more information on Fast Shafts visit: www.fastshafts.com  Keyser Manufacturing: $100 Product Certificate to last place in Feature; $500 Product Certificate to Rookie of the Year. For more information on Keyser Manufacturing visit: www.keysermanufacturing.com  K&N Filters: Product Certificate to Engine Builder of the Year at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on K&N Filters visit: www.knfilters.com  Lucas Oil Product: Awards to Feature Winner & Overall Fast Qualifier. For more information on Lucas Oil Products visit: www.lucasoil.com  Midwest Sheet Metal: Point Leader Spoiler Challenge – $100 Cash to driver leading Championship Point Standings at each points earning event. Banquet Awards include: $1,000 Cash to the driver that wins the overall Point Leader Spoiler Challenge. For more information on Midwest Sheet Metal Company visit: www.msmfab.com  Miller Welders: Chassis Builders Challenge – Chassis Builder of the Year receives a Miller Welder (value at $2,500) at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Miller Welders visit: www.millerwelds.com  MSD: $100 Product Certificate to the first non-transfer in B-Main #1. For more information on MSD visit: www.holley.com/brands/msd  Ӧhlins Shocks: Product Certificate to winner of Heat Race #4. For more information on Ӧhlins Shocks visit: www.ohlinsusa.com  Optima Batteries: Hard Charger – $500 Cash to Hard Charger of the Year at Championship Awards Banquet. For more information on Optima Batteries visit: www.optimabatteries.com  Outerwears: Product Certificate to last place in Feature; $1,000 Cash to Crew Chief of the Year at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Outerwears visit: www.outerwears.com  Penske Racing Shocks: $50 Product Certificate to Winner of Heat Race #1; $1,000 Cash and Product Certificate to Most Top 5 Finishes for Year at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Penske Racing Shocks, visit: www.penskeshocks.com  Performance Bodies: MD3 Nose/Graphic Kit to Feature Winner; MD3 Nose/Graphic Kit to Rookie of the Year. For more information on Performance Bodies visit: www.performancebodies.com  Schoenfeld Headers $50 Product Certificate to 11th Place in Feature and a $300 Product Certificate to Rookie of the Year at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Schoenfeld Headers visit: www.schoenfeldheaders.com  Simpson Race Products: $50 Product Certificate to Winner of Heat Race #3; $500 Cash + Product Certificate to Most Heat Race Wins of the Year at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Simpson Race Products visit: www.simpsonraceproducts.com  Slicker Graphics: Full Wrap for Rookie of the Year. For more information on Slicker Graphics visit: www.theslickerthebetter.com  Sunoco Race Fuels: Sunoco Road to Wheatland – Cash awards to top fifteen (15) drivers with perfect attendance through the Show-Me 100. Banquet Awards include: $3,000 cash to Winner of Sunoco Race for Gas; $2,000 cash to 2nd in Race for Gas; $1,000 cash to 3rd in Race for Gas. For more information on Sunoco Race Fuels visit: www.sunocoracefuels.com  Swift Springs: Product Award to Feature Winner, Product Award to Series Champion at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Swift Springs visit www.swiftsprings.com  Thermo-Tec: Product Awards to Series Champion, Rookie of the Year and Engine Builder of the Year at the year-end awards banquet. For more information on Thermo-Tec visit: www.thermotec.com  Summit Racing Equipment: $50 Product Certificate to winner of Heat Race #2, $50 Product Certificate to 15th place finisher in feature. $250 Product Certificate to Engine Builder of Year, $100 Product Certificate to runner-up, $250 Product Certificate to Chassis Builder of Year, $100 PC to runner-up. For more information on Summit Racing Equipment visit: www.summitracing.com  Wrisco Industries, Inc.: Winternationals Point Fund paid to the top eight drivers in points with perfect attendance after all 10 speedweeks events. Wrisco Industries, Inc. fast time provisional every night at East Bay Raceway Park Winternationals. Wrisco Industries, Inc. Most Feature Wins – $1,000 Cash at Championship Awards Banquet; 10 Sheets of Aluminum to Rookie of the Year. For more information on Wrisco Industries, Inc. visit: www.wrisco.com  The record season of cash and contingency awards would not be possible without all our great partners of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The 2021 Marketing Partners include: Advanced Powder Coating, Allstar Performance, Arizona Sport Shirts, Automotive Racing Products, Big River Steel, Bilstein, Black Diamond Chassis, Boyd Bilt Fabrication, Brandon Ford, Brodix, Capital Race Cars, Cornett Racing Engines, CP Carrillo Pistons, DirtonDirt.com, Dirty Girl Racewear, Dixie Chopper, E3 Spark Plugs, Earnhardt Technologies Group, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, General Tire, Heath Lawson Photography, Holmatro, Hoosier Tire, Hot Rod Processing, Keyser Manufacturing, K&N Engineering, LINE-X, Longhorn Chassis, Lucas Oil Products, MAVTV Motorsports Network, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Midwest Sheet Metal, Miller Welders, MSD Performance, MyRacePass, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Öhlins Shocks, OPTIMA Batteries, Outerwears, Pit Stop USA, Penske Racing Shocks, Performance Bodies, Pro Power Racing Engines, ProtectTheHarvest.com, Rocket Chassis, Rugged Radios, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Race Products, Slicker Graphics, Sunoco Race Fuels, Super Clean, Swift Springs, Summit Racing Equipment, Thermo-Tec Automotive Products, UNOH – University of Northwestern Ohio, Vic Hill Race Engines, Whelen Engineering Company Inc, Wrisco Aluminum, 5150 Race Trailers For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series you can visit the Series website at www.lucasdirt.com

About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2021, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 59 events across 18 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap.  The series receives national exposure through a television package filmed, produced and edited by Lucas Oil Production Studios. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will broadcast on four networks including CBS, NBC Sports, CBS Sports Network and the MAVTV Motorsports Network.   The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10, 2021) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy Top Fuel team have history on their side as they head to the NHRA Camping World Series opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway March 12-14 for the. Force has left her stamp on the Gatornationals making the event a special stop for the 2017 Top Fuel world champion.  In 2016, Force raced to her first NHRA Top Fuel win and celebrated alongside teammate Robert Hight in the winner’s circle for John Force Racing’s first double up victory. At the 2019 Gatornationals, her last appearance at the event, Force set the track elapsed time record of 3.680-seconds on her way to becoming the first woman in 40 years to qualify in the top spot at the event. “This Monster Energy team is ready to get to Gainesville. It’s a special place for me but it’s special this year because we’ve been gone so long,” said Force. “I’m excited to see what we can do this weekend. We’ll be coming out swinging right out of the gate looking for our first win at the first race of the season.” A successful test session at Palm Beach International Raceway has Force and her David Grubnic and Mac Savage led Monster Energy team confident heading into the season opener. Force ran low of the test session with an impressive 3.679-second pass at 331.04 mph, landing her at the top of both the speed and low elapsed time list. “It’s been a year since we’ve been out here and it feels awesome to be back in the car, back with my team, back with the fans and all of John Force Racing as a whole. Our team rolled right back into things in our first pass,” said Force. “I feel like we’re pretty close to where we left off over a year ago. Grubnic is happy, Savage is happy, I feel good in the car and the whole team is pumped to go to Gainesville.” Before John Force Racing made the tough decision to sit out the 2020 season, Force had landed in the No. 1 qualifying position at both the Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. and the NHRA Arizona Nationals is Phoenix. Nitro qualifying at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals takes place Friday with a session at 5 p.m. and will continue Saturday at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday at 10 a.m. Fans can watch the qualifying action on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) Saturday at 3 p.m. ET and Sunday at 11 a.m. ET. Final Eliminations will be live on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at noon ET.

March 10, 2021

After an encouraging run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Sunday, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed to Phoenix Raceway hoping to build on two successful races on the desert track in 2020.

Last year at Phoenix, DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team posted finishes of 13^th in the spring and eighth in the fall and scored Stage points in the three of the four Stages of those two races.

“Phoenix has always been one of my favorite tracks,” DiBenedetto said, adding that the one-mile track moved up on his personal list after he took the wheel of the No. 21 Ford. “It’s better knowing we have a fast Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang and a strong team behind us.

“We had a great car last fall, so I feel pretty good heading there this weekend.”

DiBenedetto said there’s lots to like about Phoenix from the driver’s seat.
 
“It’s kind of a short track,” he said. “And we’re running a low-downforce package, which makes it fun to drive.”
 
For the past several weeks, DiBenedetto has had to start near the back of the pack, as those starting positions were set based on performances in the first three races, which were disappointments for the No. 21 team. 
 
But his 16^th-place finish at Las Vegas allowed him to move up to 20^th place in the Phoenix starting line-up. He said that means the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will be in position to gain Stage points in both Stages.
 
“I’d be real concerned if we were starting in the 30s, but I think we should be able to get some points in the first Stage and hopefully more in the second,” he said.
 
Sunday’s 312-lap Instacart 500-kilometer race is set to get the green flag just after 12:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (3:30 p.m. Eastern Time) with TV coverage on FOX. Stage breaks will be at 75 and 190 laps. 
 

Action Starts This Weekend at Gatornationals in Florida

·        Mopar and Dodge//SRT ready for National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) 70th anniversary season set to launch at the 52nd annual Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Florida on March 12-14

·        Defending Funny Car World Championship winner Matt Hagan looks to defend his title aboard the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) as Mopar and Dodge//SRT extend partnership with winningest organization in NHRA history for 19th consecutive season

·        Relationship with DSR formally began in 2003 and has yielded 13 NHRA World Championships and 278 event wins across four different categories

·        DSR swept all 11 Funny Car national event titles in 2020 and will start 2021 looking to add to its record-total of 14 consecutive Funny Car wins that date back to October 2019

·        Leah Pruett ready to battle for wins and a championship in her DSR Top Fuel dragster with Mopar Dodge//SRT primary branding 

·        Pruett will also debut the new 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak this weekend at the Gatornationals in the first of the eight-race series NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series

March 10, 2021, Auburn Hills, Mich. –The Mopar and Dodge//SRT (Street and Racing Technology) performance brands are ready to race into the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing Series’ 70th anniversary season as the defending 2020 Funny Car World Champions. The NHRA kicks off their 22-national event schedule this weekend with the 52nd annual Gatornationals at historic Gainesville Raceway in Florida on March 12-14.

The Mopar and Dodge//SRT partnership  wrapped up the previous NHRA season by earning a third Funny Car crown with Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Matt Hagan (2011, 2014, 2020) aboard the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye. It was also their sixth Funny Car world championship title with previous wins by Gary Scelzi (2005), Jack Beckman (2012), and Ron Capps (2016) since officially partnering with DSR in 2003.

As part of the preparations for the 2021 season with the winningest team in the NHRA series history, Mopar and Dodge//SRT have also extended the partnership with DSR for a 19th consecutive season, building on a relationship that began with Don Schumacher as a driver in 1971 before it was formalized with his team in 2003. Together they have earned 13 championships and 278 event wins in four different categories (161 Funny Car, 111 Top Fuel, three Pro Stock and three Factory Super Stock) of the DSR organization’s 358 overall victories and 18 championships, and have reset countless track and national records.

In 2020, a dominant season-long performance by DSR Funny Car drivers Jack Beckman, Tommy Johnson Jr., Matt Hagan and Ron Capps saw the quartet combine to win all 11 national event Wally trophies and string together a record-total 14-race undefeated streak that dates back to October 2019.

This year’s DSR driver lineup will battle for national event wins and world championships with Hagan (Funny Car) and Leah Pruett (Top Fuel and Factory Stock Showdown) once again carrying primary Mopar and Dodge//SRT branding, while Capps (Funny Car) will do battle aboard his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye.

Mopar and Dodge//SRT will also debut the much anticipated fourth-generation 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak this weekend at the Gatornats in the Sportsman class’ Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) series. Pruett will once again pull double duty at eight national race events this season as she gets behind the wheel of the new Drag Pak between rounds in her nitro-fueled Top Fuel dragster. She’ll compete alongside her teammate Mark Pawuk as they both compete aboard DSR-prepared HEMI-powered entries. 

Mopar and Dodge//SRT will have their 4,800-square-foot exhibit at Gainesville Raceway this weekend in the NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway. Among the display’s interactive features are Dodge Challenger SRT Demon simulators for competitive NHRA fans to virtually race themselves, as well as the opportunity to see and feel the experience of drag racing from the driver’s seat aboard an actual Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car simulator.

Fans can tune in to the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season-opening Gatornationals event beginning March 10-11 with a free livestream of testing on NHRA.TV. Television coverage returns to FOX all weekend long starting on Saturday, March 13, as FS1 broadcasts two hours of qualifying highlights beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern. Sunday morning’s one hour FS1 qualifying show will air March 14 at 11 a.m., while the live three-hour final eliminations show launches at noon Eastern on the national FOX Broadcast Network.

Matt Hagan, Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car

Hagan’s 10,000-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye will be tuned once again by longtime crew chief Dickie Venables. The three-time Funny Car World Champion is hoping to be able to add to his 36 career victories that have him tied for fifth-place on the Funny Car all-time win list. He is looking to win his first Wally trophy at the Gatornationals this weekend.

“Winning the 2020 Funny Car championship for Don Schumacher Racing was incredible and I’m proud to have carried the banner for Mopar Dodge//SRT for 13 years and three championships together. To have the support that Mopar and Dodge//SRT offers as far as parts performance and all they do with the Dodge Charger Funny Car bodies, the wind tunnel testing and everything else, means a lot. It’s not just me and the race car driving down the racetrack. It’s all the engineers and mechanics and all the folks that put in the time behind the scenes to put us in a championship caliber car and then go out there and compete at that highest level to make it happen.

“There are some tracks and some races that I haven’t won at yet and one that really sticks out in my mind is Gainesville. I’ve been to the finals there but you still can’t just show up and expect to win. You have to have a plan of action to do that and with it being our kickoff race this year, I really want to win the Gatornationals. It’s very important to me to reinforce our championship and get a new year started the right way. I’m a hundred percent motivated to win that race. It’s also so close to home for me that I have a lot of people there to support the effort. I’ve been there, I’ve tasted it, but I just come up short. Another event I’d like to win this year is the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. It’s our sponsor’s race and such a hard race to have success because it’s a completely different tune up, different altitude and different setups.”

Leah Pruett, Mopar Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster

Pruett finished the 2020 season fourth in the Top Fuel standings for a third consecutive year. She has eight national race event wins, 16 final round appearances, and 12 No. 1 qualifier positions. She is looking to break into the top three this season with crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Neal Strausbaugh.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about entering my sixth season with crew chief Todd Okuhara, and a third season with Neal Strausbaugh. This duo is one that has been magic in the making, and one that makes me proud to drive their dragster. The majority of our team has remained intact with a few new faces coming in on the crew, one of which was an intern we had a couple of years ago. There is often a lot of movement in the professional drag racing industry as it provides a lot of opportunities, so for us to remain intact and continue to build with confidence and enthusiasm is important, as that is how you build a winning team.” 

“I always have goals to win races and a championship. However, going winless in 2020 has made me set more specific incremental goals. I intend to win at least three national events this season. You can’t do that without being great and consistent. If we can win three, we are in a good spot for intense momentum, which leads to advancement on the field, which is an intricate variable into winning a championship. Call it a goal, or bucket list, or dedication to whatever it will take this season, my goal is to win both a Top Fuel and Factory Stock Showdown National event title on the same day. We have eight opportunities to do so this year, and my intention after four years of perfecting the craft of competing in both, is to solidify this goal.”

Leah Pruett, Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak

This is the fourth year that Pruett will compete in Factory Stock Showdown behind the wheel of a Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak. Pruett captured the 2018 FSS championship in her first full season with three wins and drove to the first official 7-second run aboard the third-generation Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. She posted her career-best elapsed time of 7.852 seconds at Gainesville in 2019. She will debut the new 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak this weekend.

“I was part of the development team and worked closely with Dodge//SRT engineers. We’re very excited to start the Factory Stock Showdown season with the new generation Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak after challenges last season delayed the debut. We just took delivery of the new Drag Pak, and we are still getting acquainted and comfortable with the all-new car. It is showing promise but we’ve only been able to test with it one time before competition, so we have to practice expectation management and understand we are still in our own development stage with the car. It looks fantastic and I’m very proud to be able to continue to help improve the performance throughout the season.”

Ron Capps, NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Kicking-off his 27th season in the NHRA, Capps will be back aboard his DSR HEMI-powered Funny Car prepared by crew chiefs Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli and John Medlen. Capps is the defending Funny Car winner at (NHRA) Gatornationals and finished fourth in the standings last year battling against his teammate, Hagan, until the very last round of the season.

“We talk about trying to get back to normal, but as far as normal goes, the start of this season feels anything but. We’re going to kick off our season in Gainesville as opposed to Pomona, California, and that’s something that’s never happened. As for me, I’m starting 2021 with a brand-new team from top-to-bottom. I have Guido (Dean Antonelli), and John Medlen calling the shots, and they brought their entire crew with them. I’ve known Guido a long time, since we both started working on fuel cars, and it’s been great to be reunited with him as a crew chief and me as a driver. John Medlen, I just can’t say enough about him, I got to work with him as my crew chief years ago. We won Sonoma together back in 2010; it was a very emotional win. I met my new crew for the first time a couple of weeks ago when I visited the shop to get fitted for the car, and then I got to spend more time with them in pre-season testing. There have been a lot of different things for me to get used to, but the success that Guido and Medlen has speaks for itself. I told them I wanted to adapt to what they do in the race car, and not the other way around so it’s been a challenge for me, but I’m always up for a challenge. We had a great test session down in West Palm. Within four runs we ran a 3.94, a 3.93, and two times we ran 3.89 so it was a great few days.

“I’m looking forward to Gainesville. The Gatornationals is always a huge race, and this year is much bigger than it’s ever been since we’re starting the season there. I’m proud to represent NAPA AUTO PARTS again this year, and I’m thrilled to welcome a new partner, GEARWRENCH. We’re heading into the Gatornationals as the defending champions, and I’d like nothing better than to go back-to-back.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak

Pawuk battled atop the FSS standings throughout 2020, finishing third overall in his Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak. He has three final round appearances and two No. 1 qualifier positions to which he would like to add more to this season.

“I always look forward to the Gatornationals. From my early days of running Super Gas in the 1980s to switching over to Pro Stock in the late 80s. It has always been one of my favorite races to go to. I’m looking forward to getting out of the cold northern Ohio weather and heading south, but I’m especially looking forward to Dodge’s debut of the new 2021 Drag Pak. It will allow our Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger to run the 2021 engine package that comes in the ’21 Drag Pak. It should help us be more competitive in hot weather conditions. Gainesville looks like it’ll be in the low-to-mid 80s and should be a beautiful weekend. We did some testing last weekend and we were competitive with the other manufacturers. We are gaining ground, and I’m really excited about the 2021 season. I’m hoping to be in the new Dodge Drag Pak later this season, and I’m excited to see what Leah Pruett can do this weekend in her new car. I’m proud to once again have the support of Empaco Equipment, Mr. Heater, Ohio CAT, and Ohio Peterbilt.”

Mopar  

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, the brand expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on the Mopar brand is available at www.mopar.com. Mopar is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com. 

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

2021 marks the year that Dodge is distilled into a pure performance brand, offering Hellcat-powered, 700-plus-horsepower SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2021 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the new 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the new 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). The Dodge brand also ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market). These results are historic because it marks the first time a domestic brand has earned top spots in both J.D. Power studies in the same year.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA’s action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads, and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com. 

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.